2008-2009May 54th GradeThe 4th graders have been working very hard on their Alternative Energy slideshows. The first step was to create a script in Powerpoint showing exactly what images they would use, what text, and what they would read. The latter was a challenge: writing a paper is very different from writing a narration for a slideshow, which they have all learned. They are now in the process of turning their scripts into reality, including recording their own voices as they read their script! The slideshows will be posted towards the end of year. 5th Grade Have you seen the 5th Grade's State Brochures in the hall? If not, please check them out. The 5th Grade has moved on to its final project of the year: video. Shooting video is a challenge: holding the camera steady, downloading the files to the computer, converting them, not to mention all that editing. The students have divided into groups, decided on their story-lines and are just beginning to film and edit their work. 6th-7th Grade We have moved into the final project of the year: digital video. After reviewing the "shots" (i.e. looking at the way the camera is positioned in movies and TV to create a story), the students have been creating stories, shooting video, and compiling and editing their work. March 174th GradeThe 4th graders have finished converting their Animal projects into Photoshop slideshows, complete with pans, zooms, text and, most exciting of all (at least to them) background music. Did you see them playing at the Art Show? Next week I will post them online as the students are anxious to be able to see them at home! Next up: taking what we've learned to create slideshows that are even more complex and that include narration by the students themselves. The subject: alternative energy. 5th Grade The students are almost finished creating their State Travel Brochures (using Microsoft Project): this will be a 6-page brochure (one piece of paper folded in 3rds) showing off the history, tourist attractions, industries and more of their chosen states. Students spent several weeks creating a map of their state in Photoshop (which is an advanced image generating program that I usually introduce in the higher grades). Next up: learning how to use HTML to create web pages. 6th-7th Grade I've discovered that you never tell a Middle-Schooler that something is impossible (or really hard) because then they will just go ahead and do it. Photoshop is like that - it is a really complicated and powerful program that takes years to really master. The 6th and 7th grades have spent the last months doing just that, and have created some amazingly beautiful collages to prove it. Their latest challenge was to redesign the Google homepage (part of the Doodle4Google challenge) - the 6 best will be submitted to Google for judging at the end of the Month! Next up: video!! February 114th GradeAfter much work and perseverance, the 4th Grade has just finished putting the Animals project that they began in their regular class into Word. Along they way they have learned how to use Word, how to format text, how to make a report look good and how to find and insert online pictures. Looking at them now it's kind of amazing that most of the class hadn't even used PowerPoint just a few months ago! Next project: learning how to make a Photoshop slideshow with their own audio narration. The class will be breaking into groups to learn about alternative energy and then writing scripts and creating slideshows to teach us what they've learned! 5th Grade The 5th grade report on the History of Computers is now complete. They have moved from a basic understanding of Word to a much greater level of mastery of the program, as well as how to conduct an Internet search. The next project is creating a State Travel Brochure in which they will be researching and learning about various aspects of their chosen state and creating a colorful 6-page brochure to show it off. 6th-7th Grade After much work, the 6th and 7th graders completed their wiki's on genetic diseases. Please go the Computer Page off of the school site (under Enrichment) to see for yourself what they accomplished. This was a large undertaking involving reviewing numerous websites (over 20 in some cases), finding and inserting a range of media from images to video and slideshows, as well as a lot of perseverance just getting those darn wiki's to work! Now for some fun: we have begun learning how to draw, build objects, and manipulate images in Photoshop. After this: video! December 104th GradeThe 4th grade has begun its second major project: creating a Word document. We discovered why Word is so tricky (it is based on typewriters which few students have ever seen or used - we watched a video of one to rectify that), and the class began writing up their Animal research. They have also continued to hone their internet search skills. In addition, we are currently following a Blog by another Hillcrest parent (Ms. Lopez) who is in Australia for the month. The kids ask questions and she responds! We even tracked her down using satellite images in Google Earth. 5th Grade The 5th grade is now well into their report on the History of Computers. They are learning about search engines in the process, as well as learning about how computers used to look and act (and one group is busily predicting the future of computers!). 6th-7th Grade Students have been learning how to create online content and how to work in an online collaborative environment. We are using a wiki (Google sites) in which students create their own online pages, collaborate and comment on each other's work, and incorporate multiple forms of content from text and images to video and audio clips. The subject: genetic diseases (which they are learning about in science class). 8th Grade 8th grade has numerous projects on the go: studying search engines, continuing to take pictures and create Photoshop layouts for the yearbook, and a new project in which they get to review one new and evolving technology. October 144th Grade
8th grade has been alternating their time between learning about file
management (see 7th grade), planning for their yearbook (which was "put
on hold" for a few weeks due to discipline problems), and learning how
to use Photoshop. The students created collages by cutting and pasting
images of great works of art into Photoshop, then using tools to cut
them, draw on them, and otherwise manipulate them.
5th Grade
6th-7th Grade
September 15
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4th grade is starting with a basic
introduction to computers and typing. Our first project will be a
collaboration with Mrs. Weinberg to create a book (using PowerPoint) on
the country that the students are currently studying.
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5th Grade
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We are beginning with a
review of what was learned last year, and are getting started again
with typing. In a few weeks we will begin working in Excel and Word so
that the students will be able to print out materials for the State
brochures that they will be creating in their regular class.
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6th-7th Grade
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7th Grade has begun working on an amazing program called Alice
which is a program designed to teach students how to program - students
move 3D characters around settings that they create using a simple
programming format. Students can create complicated animated movies or
even interactive games.
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8th Grade has begun preparations for their yearbook, and is beginning to learn the nuts & bolts of Photoshop.