Student Work
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE UP TO IN THE COMPUTER CLASSROOM:
Third Grade
Third Graders have begun learning to type using two software applications, Typing Instructor and Typing Master. In November, we began experimenting with the drawing tools of the MS Office Suite. Here you see some creations by previous Third Grade classes, in conjunction with their classroom studies of Northwest Coast people.
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And if you'd like to read a few samples of Third Graders' typed poetry, just look below.
Cat and Dog
It’s amazing
How my cat and dog never fight
All they ever do is touch noses
I really think it’s awesome
How they learned to like each other so fast
I like them both so much
It’s so amazing.
- Grant F.
Upside down,
right side up
upside down, right side up
what’s the difference?
all I know is one is right
and one is wrong
now, what’s the deal on mirrors?
- Caleb S.
Fourth Grade
The Fourth Graders have been polishing their typing skills using our favorite typing program, Typing Instructor, as well a second typing program called Typing Master. We'll be learning about The Big Nine shortly. Did you know that despite the wealth of words contained within the English language, we use just nine words 25% of the time? In the Computer Classroom, we began the year with the review of touch typing, logging on and off the Bush network, and the how-to’s and responsibilities associated with the use of Outlook. We then turned to an exploration of MS Word. Each student created a Template for use in preparing typewritten assignments, and then created AutoText entries. We put this knowledge to use in writing our autobiographies. Next we'll tackle creating formal business letters using Microsoft Word.
Fifth Grade
In September, Fifth Graders also revisited their typing skills. We reviewed The Bush School's Acceptable Use Policy (the AUP), reinforcing the acceptable use of computers at school. Next, we customized MSWord, creating some Quick Parts and Homework Templates. Recently, we took a look at Google Earth, and recreated our familes' journeys from around the world to Seattle, Washington, and saved the locations in a recorded tour. Later in the spring, we'll create oral presentations on the subject of mosquitoes, to be delivered to the Upper School science classes.
"Mosquitoes" rendered by three former Fifth Graders, using MS Office drawing tools:
Sixth Grade
As always, summer was followed by a review of typing skills. Once we polished up our use of keyboards, sixth graders customized MS Word by creating some Quick Parts and Homework Templates. Parents, you've no doubt heard about our new "Owning Up" Curriculum for 6th grade which included a session on Web Safety. In October, we used Excel to enter data from Science class and reinterpret it in graphs. In November, we are just beginning a project involving digital story telling using Photo Story 3.
A glimpse ahead: This spring the sixth graders will experiment with a customized computer program created by John Jamison utilizing NetLogo. The sixth graders' culminating project employs "toy" worlds or models to explore man's movement across the planet first as hunter gatherers, then farmers, then traders, and finally the founding of cities. The project allows the students to explore topics that range from sustainability and the carrying capacity of the land to behavioral choices illustrated by "The Prisoners' Dilemma."
For more information on John Jamison and his NetLogo creation, The Zetascape, please visit::
http://studiodosrios.com/john.php
In a Spring Activity, students will once again be able to create environmental films. Here are a few stills:
Orci, the Orca Whale, by Maggie, Laine, and Murphy
A Beautiful Day, by Addi, Kirsten, and Blair
Hydrogen Fuel Cells by Cameron and Max can be seen in its entirety by clicking the link.