Applying Blogging Vocabulary

During class today you will apply or use the blogging vocabulary introduced last week.  You have done this in other classes.  For example, in ELA you may have been asked to write sentences using new vocabulary to demonstrate your understanding of the meaning of those words.  You won't be writing sentences to demonstrate your understanding; you'll be exploring blogs!!  At each of your workstations you will find two resources. The first resource is a copy of the blog diagram from last week (completed.)  The second resource is a document with four QR (quick response) codes.  Each of these codes will take you to a different student blog.  Please be sure to leave these for the next class.  I have created an assignment in Google Classroom titled, "Blogging Vocabulary Activity." Follow the steps below to complete this assignment.

1.  Please log in to Google Classroom on your computer workstation.  Once in Classroom please "enter" my class and "OPEN" this assignment.  In the work space of the assignment you will see the Google doc, "Blogging Vocabulary Activity" which I have created for each of you.  Please open this doc.  
2. Open your iPad. 
3. Open your "Organization/Feedback" folder
4. Locate and open your "Qrafter" App.
5. You will need to scan each of the QR codes with the camera on this app.
6. Select "Open URL in Safari"
7. Using the information in the appropriate blog, you will type the answers to each of the questions on the Google doc.  Be sure to answer in complete sentences using correct capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
8. You should have time to review the answers with the teacher.
9. Be sure to "TURN IN" this assignment in Google Classroom.
10. *If for some reason you do not have your iPad, the links to the four blogs are listed below.

Hey Kids Blog

Everything Pre-Algebra

Blogs By Kids

Learning Alongside My Students
   11.  **If for some reason you are not able to get in to Google Classroom, the teacher will have a paper copy of the questions for you to answer.

Searching....I Never Knew That!

It's hard to believe October is almost over.  There are two big events happening this weekend.  The first is Halloween which will be celebrated on a Saturday (HOORAY!)  The second is Daylight Savings Time; yes we gain an hour of sleep on Sunday morning (HipHip HOORAY!)  Have you ever wondered why we mess around with the time?  This article should answer all of your questions.

We are going to be all over the place during class one this week, trying to catch everyone up.  Before we get started with any lessons, I would like to ask you to please take this one question survey created by one of your classmates.  Thanks for your help with this.  Some of you will be working on blogging vocabulary during class one while others will take a look at some advanced search techniques offered by Google.  No matter which topic, you will start off with a video.  Blogging exploration will begin by taking a look at Blogging In Plain English.   Searches will launch their lessons with How Search Works.  Both of these videos do a great job of explaining these two topics.  You will then be doing some work "old school" and "new school" combined.  The resources you need are below.

• Google Landing Slide Presentation
• Google Landing Presentation Recording Sheet ** Please make a copy of this doc and put it in your Google Drive before you start answering questions.

During class two you will complete a Blogging Activity.  This assignment can be found in Google Classroom.

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It's Not That I Don't Love iPads.....

This week will officially be five days long!  We can do it if we work together, haha.  Last week was amazing and so many incredible things happened on Friday!  Students and teachers were in my room buzzing with excitement about iPads.  I know a few of you are still struggling to get in and get going.  I worked all weekend and will continue to work this week on getting everyone up and running.  Please be patient and do your part by communicating with your families when I ask you to do so. We will spend our first class getting to know your iPads and getting organized.  Let's start by watching this video together.  Before leaving class today please take a look in Google Classroom.  I have left a short Blogging Pre-assessment for you to take.
I am sooooo excited for our second class this week!   We will finally begin taking a look at blogging!  This will be an opportunity for you to share your thoughts and ideas with the world!!  We will start by taking a look at a great explanation of blogging; Blogging In Plain English.    You will be working with a partner to complete a blog diagram using a word list.  Both of these documents can be found in your most recent assignment in Google Classroom.

While I'm Handing Out iPads.........

Today is the day!!!  I will be in the library handing out iPads to all grade 7 students!!  HOORAY!!!
While I'm handing out iPads, you will be working with Mrs. Diggins in my lab.  You will be taking the second part of the "21st Century Skills Pre-Assessment."  Please remember this is important information for me and you to have so you will need to take your time and do your best.  Please read questions and answers choices carefully.  Use what you know to make an educated guess if you don't know an answer.  It should take you about a minute per question.  You will go to the learning.com site to take this assessment.  Your log in is the same as your X2 account log in:  lastname_firstname21 and password is lunchID+00.  Be sure to log out when you have finished Part 2 of this assessment.

Once you have finished you will do the following:

1. Go to Google Classroom and complete the BIS Website Scavenger Hunt.
2. Turn in this assignment.**Some of you may have done this on Tuesday.
3. If you have completed the BIS Website Scavenger Hunt, you will then open your Google accounts and add events to your Google Calendar.  Please use this resource:  Calendar Events

I know I can count on you to do your personal best while I am not in our lab!

The Big Day Has Arrived!

This Thursday will be a big day.  Grade 7 students will be receiving their iPads.  How exciting!  We have a couple of little pieces to complete and we will be there!  Please make sure you have completed the following little pieces:

• You have successfully logged in to iTunes using your school/professional Apple ID
• You have accepted the Cisco Meraki invitation which is sitting in your Gmail inbox

Before getting iPads, you will work on a scavenger hunt of one of your resources this year.  Please look for this assignment in Google Classroom.  You will find your own copy of this BIS Website Scavenger Hunt, and will need to turn it in there as well.

During class two this week; this will be the only class for many of you as we did not have school on Monday, you will complete the 21st Century Skills Pre-Assessment on the Learning.com website.  Do you remember your log in????

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Keeping Track of All the Little Pieces

The hardest part of any project is keeping track of all the little pieces.  We have both little and big pieces of our iPad Rollout 2015 to take care of before next week.
About half of you will not have a second class this week as you will not be in school on this Friday. Okay, you can stop the cheering!!  This is when keeping track of those pieces come in to play!!!  You will need to finish up your iPad Activity from last week.  We need to review those iPad rules, and you will need to sign the iPad Student Commitment Letter before you can take "ownership" of your iPad. You will also need to accept an invitation to our VPP program.  You will find an email in your school/professional account from Cisco Meraki.  You will need to accept this invitation which will require you to sign in to iTunes using your school/professional Apple ID.  Now are you seeing all of the "little pieces" coming together?!!!  YIKES!!!!  We have a lot to get done; so please bring your best game to work this week!!!
At the end of class you will go to Socrative and take the iPad Rules and Regulations quiz using the following code:  WHITE231

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