Commenting Lesson

Commenting is an important part of the blogging cycle.  We have discussed this topic and practiced commenting. This is still an area of improvement for most of you.  Please be sure to review the BPS Blogging and Commenting Guidelines as a part of this lesson.  I found another method of commenting.  I have left a copy of the "A + 1" Commenting Method beside you workstations.  Please take a look at this method.  It is a great set up for commenting.  Use this blog post to complete the Commenting Activity which is also beside your workstations.

Commenting Post:
The students of today are a very unique generation; a generation of "firsts."  The Internet has been in existence since before you were born.  Therefore, you have never lived without the Internet.  Can you imagine not having Google around?  Think of how many times a day you use Google.  Now think about the technology you have available at your fingertips.  Do you remember a time in your life when someone in your family didn't have a cell phone?  All of this technology is amazing and yes, life changing.  But is it all for the better?  This is a question asked by so many.  Many worry your generation has lost the ability to communicate with others face to face (F2F) and many other skills considered necessary for life.  Others express concerns young people have become desensitized to crimes and bad behaviors due to their involvement with on line gaming; not being able to tell the difference between what's real and what's fantasy.  What are your thoughts and feelings about your generation and technology?  Do you think you will be lacking in important social and communication skills?  Do you think you have become desensitized to crime and violence?  How do you envision our world in your hands one day?

image link

Let's Wrap This Up and Move Forward

Welcome back!  I hope you had a great vacation.  The Boston Marathon was very exciting.  Unfortunately no Americans took first place, but all of the athletes did a great job.  I had a "staycation" and got a lot of yard work done.  I also did a lot of planning for the rest of the school year, but don't want to solidify those plans until I get some feedback from all of you.

So what does this week bring for my technology students?....Feedback and assessment are on the docket.  Do you remember the 21st Century Skills Assessment you took before break?  Well, we found out we need to have students take both parts before we can receive any data.  So....you will be taking part two during class one.  Please go to Learning.com and using the log in information I have left at your workstations.  Again, I will be asking you to do your best and remind you of the importance of this data.  You will not be seeing this score, but your work does make a difference.  Catching up and getting this assessment done will most likely take most of Class one.

During class you will be giving me more feedback.  Due to our crazy winter, the schedule of our Genius Hour Project has gone out the window.  So I have created a survey to get some information from you to help plan the rest of our school year.  Please take your time with this.  You can find this survey as an assignment in Google Classroom.  Please be sure to submit the survey/assignment.

Once you have completed this survey, I am giving you the rest of this class to get yourself caught up and organized.  Please use the May Clean Up/Catch Up Checklist to accomplish this task.  Mid term report cards will be going home soon and I need to get grades in to X2.  Any work not completed and turned in by the end of this week will be a "0" and there will be no opportunity for make ups; this is your make up opportunity so take full advantage!!

Helping Me Out....

What a gorgeous weekend!  It actually felt like Spring.  I hope you all got outside in the sunshine on Sunday.  What fun outdoor activities did you partake in this weekend?  You can check out this article on "Eight Ways to 'Spring' Out of Winter on Cape Cod."  Let's hope this weather is the new trend.  Other definite signs of Spring....Opening Day at Fenway Park (April 13th), The 119th Boston Marathon (April 20th), and of course the opening of so many ice cream shops!!

This week you will be helping me out by testing out a new assessment.  We would like to use this assessment with our technology students next year, but want to see how your perform and how you feel about it.  You will not be receiving a grade for this assessment, but I would really like you to try your hardest on it.  The other technology teachers and I will take a look at the results, analyze the data, and determine whether or not we think it is a good assessment.  I will also be asking for your thoughts about it during class #2.  I have provided you with the log in information at each of your workstations.  You will need to go to Learning.com to sign in and take the assessment.  Again, this will not be a content grade for you, but I am asking you to take it seriously, keep your eyes on your own device, and try your hardest.

You will also be completing your Blog Design Assessment Part 2 assignment this week.  You will find all of the details in Google Classroom.  You will be given all of class #2 this week to get this done and turned in.
**To add the "Feedly" subscription button to your blog please use this link:  Feedly

If you should have time left at the end of either class this week, I would like you to create and publish a new blog post.  It has been a while since we have been able to find class time to write one.  It can be about anything you'd like.

Have a super week!  I know it will be hard to focus with the warmer weather and April Vacation so close, but I know you can do it!!!

~Mrs. White

Another Web Evaluation Assignment.....WordFoto!

Week two of PARCC testing is under way.  Once again I know our students will be putting forth a tremendous amount of effort and doing their personal best.  It is hard to have our schedule disrupted, but you are all troopers and I know you will get back on track next week.  With that said, I have altered my lesson plans again this week, as our schedule has been tweaked.  I feel as though I haven't seen some of you for weeks!!  If you are with me this week three out of our five days will be scheduled with shortened classes.  You will need to get right to work to complete this lesson in only 30 minutes, but I'd like to start you off with this quick video.  Check out CAPOW!
Your new assignment is "living" in Google Classroom.  I have also placed a link to this assignment on my blog:  Web Evaluation Assignment Using WordFoto.  This week you will use another iPad app to share strategies for evaluating websites.  Please take a look at the resources below to help your develop this short paragraph summary.

Web Evaluation Resources

5 W's of Website Evaluation

The ABS's of Website Evaluation

C.R.A.P.P. Method of Evaluating a Website

How to Read a Web Address
Get REAL:  How to Evaluate a Website

You will be creating a short paragraph explaining how to quickly evaluate a website.  You will create this paragraph using Google Docs.  You will then be exploring another new App, "aTypo Picture."  You will turn your explanation in to a "work of art!"   The "turning in" process is the same as last week.  You have resources to help you so use them and have fun!!!