Zuzga, Mrs. Dianne (Computers)
Interactive Distance Learning Sessions (all grades)
MAY, 2010
1st Grade:
Our 1st grade students have been developing their fine motor skills while using various drawing tools in both Kid Pix and MS Paint. They are creating seasonal scenes using both programs, and their "creations" are both amazing and unique. They have also supplemented and reinforced their math skills while using pbskids.org and aaamath.com. Both their addition and subtraction abilities have really progressed.
2nd Grade:
Our 2nd grade students have also been working with the various drawing tools in Kid Pix. They have mastered almost all of them. We have also been practicing a range of math and memory skills through the use of Fun Brain and pbskids.org.
3rd Grade:
Our third grade students have completed the Beginner level of keyboarding lessons, and are now learning how to work with some of the basic tools in our child-friendly writing program, Student Writing Center. They have learned editing terms and formatting skills: "cut," "paste," "save," "delete," etc., and know how to access and save their files in their personal folders on our network. Now that we have had a few practice sessions with this writing program, we are working on our project entitled "All About Me." which will include the use of graphics. This project is a major undertaking for them, but the students (and parents) love the final result.
4th Grade:
Students have begun working on their "Endangered Species" research project entitled: "Endangered Means There's Still Time." This project includes extensive use of the Internet for research and graphics, and a detailed written report (complete with citations). In further support of this "endangered animal" project, each year our 4th grade students have earned and collected money to adopt an endangered animal from Brookfield Zoo. Our final phase of this project includes a field trip to Brookfield Zoo to personally view the "endangered animals" our two 4th grade classrooms have adopted. This visit to Brookfield has proven to be the most effective way to reinforce all that we have learned about the needs of God's creatures, the impact of our actions on their survival, and the responsibilties we have to protect them.
5th Grade:
Now that our Power Point projects have been presented, students have begun working with our graphic editor program, Paint Shop Pro. They have learned about various graphic formats--jpg, tif, bmp, and gif--and how each format is best used. With that knowledge and understanding, students began exploring and using Paint Shop Pro's various "user friendly" editing tools to enhance graphics such as photographs and animated gifs. Their final project will include a collection of "perfectly" edited photographs they have selected from the internet and then arranged into a colorful collage. The collages will be outstanding.
6th Grade:
Our sixth grade students are presenting their Power Point projects entitled "My Favorite Sport." This project required that they fully design, and compile their Power Point presentation following certain criteria. The requirements included that they research various aspects of their sport, combine that information with graphics, and then create hyperlinks to various websites with supporting information. After they created their slides, they completed their projects by putting the final touches on their animation and sound. With all projects completeld, students have been presenting their projects via our SMART Board.
7th Grade:
Our seventh grade students are now focusing on some of the more advanced features of MS Word. The project we will be working with, a form of Newsletter, will involve a deeper study of various Amendments to the the U.S. Constitution.
8th Grade:
Our eighth grade students have finalized their Power Point projects. They have been working with some of the most advanced features of Power Point, creating an "Illuminated Text" project which required that they select a verse and then present it in a unique and creative way using music, "complex" animation techniques, and graphics.
