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Based on the success of our "Hour of Code" participation, we are recommending that our students continue exploring coding and computer programming using apps and websites. The following websites can be used to find age-appropriate sites to learn coding and programming: http://code.org/
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As we have been discussing in class every year, it is imperative that each student practices their keyboarding at home during the school year and throughout the summer months, in order to maintain and improve their typing skills. The following are the keyboarding instructions by your current grades:
Students in Grades K-1 can use the free web-based typing program called Dance Mat Typing at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
Additional websites they can use to learn the position of the keys are: ABCYA Keyboard, ABCYA Keyboarding Practice, ABCYA Typing Game and ABCYA Cup Stacking Game.
Students in grade 2 just received their usernames and passwords and a letter was sent home explaining how to use Typing Club as their primary keyboarding program, as well as their usernames and passwords.
Students in grades 3-8 should all be using the Cloud-Based version of Type To Learn which can be accessed on any piece of equipment (PC, MAC, TABLET, etc.) as long as there is Internet Connection and a keyboard. This program can be accessed using this link: https://www.typetolearn.com/login/index.php and the school account code of 130989 must be entered. Letters were sent home with the usernames and passwords.
Click here for more information regarding the cloud-based version of Type to Learn: http://typetolearn.sunburst.com/?tfa_3590416183266=ttl4%20microsite%20referral
Note: All 34 Lessons and all activities in Type to Learn MUST be completed by each 8th Grader before the end of the 2018-2019 school year.
When you complete all your lessons and activities in Type to Learn, you may use Typing.com as an alternative. Click this link to access this website:https://www.typing.com/student/login and use your Google login to access this program.
"We believe that keyboarding and online communication skills are fundamental components of literacy in the 21st Century. Digital Literacy advocates praised The ELA Common Core State Standards for addressing the importance of keyboarding fluency in elementary schools. Now, with the new PARCC exams on the horizon, students will be assessed on their ability to write using a keyboard."
Read about the importance of Keyboarding and the PARCC tests
Read about the Common Core Standards for Writing with Technology
Based on the success of our "Hour of Code" participation, we are recommending that our students continue exploring coding and computer programming using apps and websites. The following websites can be used to find age-appropriate sites to learn coding and programming:
http://www.graphite.org/top-picks/best-apps-and-websites-for-learning-programming-and-coding
To find STEM apps and websites:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/stem-apps-tv-and-more-for-science-tech-engineering-and-math
Click here to see why it is important to code and some suggestions on how to learn this skill
Photo Credit http://code.org/
We an official Google Apps for Education School!
We introduced this collaborative, cloud-based program to our teachers, and Grades 3-8. "Using the word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and website creation toolset with cloud storage, will enable the students and teachers to collaboratively create, edit and share files and websites for school related projects online in school as well as from the student's homes." As a safety feature all e-mails have been disabled for the students, as well as no advertising or collection of personal information is allowed. The students and teachers are very excited to be using this 21st Century Technology to complete their assignments and projects using Google Apps as well as Google Classroom.
We are proud to announce that we are a Bing in the Classroom school. When a school signs up for Bing in the Classroom, they take all the ads out of Bing.com search results. Then they turn on SafeSearch with strict filtering, to help filter out adult content that doesn't belong in schools. And finally, they add enhanced privacy settings that prevent use of search data for personalized ad profiles. Because students should be able to access the transformative power of search at school without having to worry that their searches will be used for ad profiling.
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"
Philippians 4:13