Hello Everyone,
I want to take this time to wish you and your family a very happy and safe holiday season. Please take this time to enjoy family and friends and get some much needed rest for yourself! I'll see you back here in 2013.
Best Wishes,
Rasha Sachdeva
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Update From the Mouse Pad!
Hello Everyone,
Hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving break. For my 3rd and 4th Grade families, please keep in mind that when we have holiday breaks, I do not expect typing homework logs the following week. Many people travel and may not have that access.
Kindergartners have completed the robotics unit by virtually seeing their BeeBots on the screen. They loved being able to see their actual instructions come to life (which is basically what programming is all about). Many students took it even further and added lovely patterns in the background and had their BeeBots go to specific colors. I hope they told you all about it. Next, they were introduced to our art program called KidPix where they created digital masterpieces and even got to record their own voices on their drawings. They loved hearing themselves.
First Graders delved deeper into the Microworld's Jr. program and created animation using the turtle graphics. Their animation included at least 3 moving objects, a background, a textbox and a recording which could be composed music of their own or their own voice recording. They became pros at opening up the turtles backpack and adding code into it. They did not even realize that they were programming the turtle. We had a showcase in class where students got to walk around and see their peer's animated turtle and had questions answered. Stop by and see their saved animation.
Second Graders completed their KidPix slideshows and shared with their peers using the smart board. They loved presenting their creation. Many students even added music and their own narration on each slide for a more dramatic effect. I was so proud to see the audience be so attentive and respectful as their peers were presenting. These kids have such great confidence in public speaking. We then began our programming unit using Alice. It's a wonderful 3-D graphics program where you can drag and drop code to make your objects move. Alice is available free to download. Just search for Alice and choose the elementary version.
Third Graders are continuing with their Pixie project. They each chose a topic of their choice to present it as a slideshow format. They love being able to search the programs' controlled Internet gallery of pictures.
Students are using many if not all of the options to create their slideshows. I can't wait to see the finished products.
Fourth Graders completed their dream homes using SketchUp. I was really amazed to see their creativity. I was equally impressed to see that many students created their own structures without the help of the Google search option. Our next unit will be an introduction to word clouds which is a great way of putting words into a graphical format. Stay tuned for that....
As usual please feel free to email me whenever you have any questions. Take care!
Rasha Sachdeva
Hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving break. For my 3rd and 4th Grade families, please keep in mind that when we have holiday breaks, I do not expect typing homework logs the following week. Many people travel and may not have that access.
Kindergartners have completed the robotics unit by virtually seeing their BeeBots on the screen. They loved being able to see their actual instructions come to life (which is basically what programming is all about). Many students took it even further and added lovely patterns in the background and had their BeeBots go to specific colors. I hope they told you all about it. Next, they were introduced to our art program called KidPix where they created digital masterpieces and even got to record their own voices on their drawings. They loved hearing themselves.
First Graders delved deeper into the Microworld's Jr. program and created animation using the turtle graphics. Their animation included at least 3 moving objects, a background, a textbox and a recording which could be composed music of their own or their own voice recording. They became pros at opening up the turtles backpack and adding code into it. They did not even realize that they were programming the turtle. We had a showcase in class where students got to walk around and see their peer's animated turtle and had questions answered. Stop by and see their saved animation.
Second Graders completed their KidPix slideshows and shared with their peers using the smart board. They loved presenting their creation. Many students even added music and their own narration on each slide for a more dramatic effect. I was so proud to see the audience be so attentive and respectful as their peers were presenting. These kids have such great confidence in public speaking. We then began our programming unit using Alice. It's a wonderful 3-D graphics program where you can drag and drop code to make your objects move. Alice is available free to download. Just search for Alice and choose the elementary version.
Third Graders are continuing with their Pixie project. They each chose a topic of their choice to present it as a slideshow format. They love being able to search the programs' controlled Internet gallery of pictures.
Students are using many if not all of the options to create their slideshows. I can't wait to see the finished products.
Fourth Graders completed their dream homes using SketchUp. I was really amazed to see their creativity. I was equally impressed to see that many students created their own structures without the help of the Google search option. Our next unit will be an introduction to word clouds which is a great way of putting words into a graphical format. Stay tuned for that....
As usual please feel free to email me whenever you have any questions. Take care!
Rasha Sachdeva
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Update from the Mouse Pad!
Hello All,
We have been certainly keeping busy here in the lab! Here's a recap:
Kindergartners have started our robotics unit with the BeeBots. I'm sure they have told you about our friendly yellow bees in the lab. The students programmed an actual, not virtual, robot to move using simple commands in a repetitive motion such as forward, back, left and right. The challenge was to move the robots anywhere on the mat but they must come back to it's original spot. They had a ball trying this. Please ask them about it. Next we will take this concept and watch our BeeBots move virtually. Stay tuned!
First Graders completed their self portraits and they are now hanging up in the lab. It's a joy to see the artwork. They are now into our programming unit in which they are programming a virtual turtle and creating an animated picture. They have learned to program with simple commands to watch their picture come to life. I can honestly say that we have a hidden programming talent in all of our 1st Graders. They are so clever! Ask them about the turtle's backpack and what's in it.....
Second Graders are wrapping up their slide show project and will begin to share it with their peers using the smart board. They can't wait for this. Some students have really challenged themselves and added sound effects and amazing transitions to their slides. If you have KidPix at home, please let me know that I can email you the file or just pop in here when you get the chance. I'll be happy to show you their creation!
Third Graders are wrapped up their short story using our book publishing software. They did a fantastic job sharing their stories and watching them come to life on the SmartBoard. It was great to see them use just about all the tools the program has to offer. That was the point of this so that they can delve into an unknown software and create something animated and magical. Students got an introduction to our new software called Pixie. It's so much fun. I would say it is a cross between KidPix and PowerPoint. So you can see the kind of fun they will have with this program. Stay tuned!
Fourth Graders are having a ball with SketchUp. If you have not downloaded it, please do, so that your child can continue creating 3-D structures. They've been introduced to the 3-D Warehouse so that they could download components into their dream home. Students are really creating some virtual futuristic homes. Ask them about their dream homes...you may be surprised by what they say!
As always, please feel free to contact me anytime. Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
We have been certainly keeping busy here in the lab! Here's a recap:
Kindergartners have started our robotics unit with the BeeBots. I'm sure they have told you about our friendly yellow bees in the lab. The students programmed an actual, not virtual, robot to move using simple commands in a repetitive motion such as forward, back, left and right. The challenge was to move the robots anywhere on the mat but they must come back to it's original spot. They had a ball trying this. Please ask them about it. Next we will take this concept and watch our BeeBots move virtually. Stay tuned!
First Graders completed their self portraits and they are now hanging up in the lab. It's a joy to see the artwork. They are now into our programming unit in which they are programming a virtual turtle and creating an animated picture. They have learned to program with simple commands to watch their picture come to life. I can honestly say that we have a hidden programming talent in all of our 1st Graders. They are so clever! Ask them about the turtle's backpack and what's in it.....
Second Graders are wrapping up their slide show project and will begin to share it with their peers using the smart board. They can't wait for this. Some students have really challenged themselves and added sound effects and amazing transitions to their slides. If you have KidPix at home, please let me know that I can email you the file or just pop in here when you get the chance. I'll be happy to show you their creation!
Third Graders are wrapped up their short story using our book publishing software. They did a fantastic job sharing their stories and watching them come to life on the SmartBoard. It was great to see them use just about all the tools the program has to offer. That was the point of this so that they can delve into an unknown software and create something animated and magical. Students got an introduction to our new software called Pixie. It's so much fun. I would say it is a cross between KidPix and PowerPoint. So you can see the kind of fun they will have with this program. Stay tuned!
Fourth Graders are having a ball with SketchUp. If you have not downloaded it, please do, so that your child can continue creating 3-D structures. They've been introduced to the 3-D Warehouse so that they could download components into their dream home. Students are really creating some virtual futuristic homes. Ask them about their dream homes...you may be surprised by what they say!
As always, please feel free to contact me anytime. Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Update from the Mouse Pad!
Hello Everyone,
We have been busy with all kinds of programs in our lab. The main program we've been focusing on in all of the K-4 Grades is typing. Our 3rd and 4th Graders will be required to turn in a typing log starting in October. If you are a 3rd or 4th Grade parent and you have not yet downloaded our typing program, please do so. This is the only way I can keep an accurate WPM count of your child's progress. The directions to download this program (free of charge) is found on your child's teacher's website in the document section.
Here is a recap of other programs that we are working on:
Kindergartners have gotten an introduction to all of our equipment in the lab. It was so cute how most Kindergartners thought the monitor was touch screen and would tap on the icons with their fingers expecting it would open, thanks to the IPad revolution! Now that they know the difference, we began our keyboarding skills with Type to Learn Jr. Many have already received completed certificates and many are close to receiving one. Stay tuned for our robotics program in October!
First Graders have all taken the initial pre-test for TTL4. They are moving right along with the lessons. They are also working on creating a self-portrait using KidPix. These kids are amazing...there are no stick figures here. I've been so impressed with the quality of artwork that they are displaying. Stop by in October to see their completed portraits on display. Next we will begin our programming unit programming a turtle!
Second Graders have also completed their initial typing pre-test. Some have gotten practice over the summer that they were able to skip several of the initial lessons. Way to Go! They have also been working on KidPix but creating slide shows. They are working on a practice one and will now work on one that they will share with the entire class using my smart board. They can't wait for that. Please ask your 2nd Grader about their slide show.
Third Graders have also completed their initial typing pre-test and as I mentioned above, they will start turning in a typing log starting in October. Please support your child in their typing practice as this will ensure that they reach our typing benchmarks of 15-20 WPM by the time they exit 3rd Grade. Along with typing, students have been introduced with digital storytelling. They are using a wonderful program that lets them be the illustrator as well as the writer!
Fourth Graders have completed their initial pre-test in typing and are also moving right along. Please also ensure that they continue to practice so that they meet the 4th Grade benchmarks of 20-25 WPM. Students were introduced to our online message board on wallwisher.com. Please ask them about it. They got to post what they most enjoy in technology. Please note that no real names were used as always in our cloud based programs.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me as that is the best way to reach me.
Regards,
Rasha Sachdeva
rashas@ows.org
We have been busy with all kinds of programs in our lab. The main program we've been focusing on in all of the K-4 Grades is typing. Our 3rd and 4th Graders will be required to turn in a typing log starting in October. If you are a 3rd or 4th Grade parent and you have not yet downloaded our typing program, please do so. This is the only way I can keep an accurate WPM count of your child's progress. The directions to download this program (free of charge) is found on your child's teacher's website in the document section.
Here is a recap of other programs that we are working on:
Kindergartners have gotten an introduction to all of our equipment in the lab. It was so cute how most Kindergartners thought the monitor was touch screen and would tap on the icons with their fingers expecting it would open, thanks to the IPad revolution! Now that they know the difference, we began our keyboarding skills with Type to Learn Jr. Many have already received completed certificates and many are close to receiving one. Stay tuned for our robotics program in October!
First Graders have all taken the initial pre-test for TTL4. They are moving right along with the lessons. They are also working on creating a self-portrait using KidPix. These kids are amazing...there are no stick figures here. I've been so impressed with the quality of artwork that they are displaying. Stop by in October to see their completed portraits on display. Next we will begin our programming unit programming a turtle!
Second Graders have also completed their initial typing pre-test. Some have gotten practice over the summer that they were able to skip several of the initial lessons. Way to Go! They have also been working on KidPix but creating slide shows. They are working on a practice one and will now work on one that they will share with the entire class using my smart board. They can't wait for that. Please ask your 2nd Grader about their slide show.
Third Graders have also completed their initial typing pre-test and as I mentioned above, they will start turning in a typing log starting in October. Please support your child in their typing practice as this will ensure that they reach our typing benchmarks of 15-20 WPM by the time they exit 3rd Grade. Along with typing, students have been introduced with digital storytelling. They are using a wonderful program that lets them be the illustrator as well as the writer!
Fourth Graders have completed their initial pre-test in typing and are also moving right along. Please also ensure that they continue to practice so that they meet the 4th Grade benchmarks of 20-25 WPM. Students were introduced to our online message board on wallwisher.com. Please ask them about it. They got to post what they most enjoy in technology. Please note that no real names were used as always in our cloud based programs.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me as that is the best way to reach me.
Regards,
Rasha Sachdeva
rashas@ows.org
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Welcome Back Everyone!
Hello K-4 Families,
I hope everyone had a fabulous summer and a relaxing time off. I know I did! I'm so excited to see everyone back and to meet new students this year. I have lots of exciting new software to introduce in each grade level. Many will be web-based so that your child can continue the fun at home with their own login information.
Please check out my blog regularly so that you can be kept informed of what is happening in the Mouse Pad. I will update the blog towards the end of each month.
If at any time you have questions, the best way to reach me is by email or you can always stop by to see what your child has been up to in the lab.
Lets's have a wonderful school year !
Regards,
Rasha Sachdeva
Rashas@ows.org
I hope everyone had a fabulous summer and a relaxing time off. I know I did! I'm so excited to see everyone back and to meet new students this year. I have lots of exciting new software to introduce in each grade level. Many will be web-based so that your child can continue the fun at home with their own login information.
Please check out my blog regularly so that you can be kept informed of what is happening in the Mouse Pad. I will update the blog towards the end of each month.
If at any time you have questions, the best way to reach me is by email or you can always stop by to see what your child has been up to in the lab.
Lets's have a wonderful school year !
Regards,
Rasha Sachdeva
Rashas@ows.org
Monday, June 18, 2012
Happy Summer!
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to take this time and wish you all a very wonderful and safe summer. It was a pleasure teaching your child technology. I will see you all again in the fall. For those of you going on to Vista, please stop by the Mouse Pad as I would love to see you!
Take care,
Rasha Sachdeva
I wanted to take this time and wish you all a very wonderful and safe summer. It was a pleasure teaching your child technology. I will see you all again in the fall. For those of you going on to Vista, please stop by the Mouse Pad as I would love to see you!
Take care,
Rasha Sachdeva
Monday, June 4, 2012
Update from the Mouse Pad!
Hello All,
I can't believe this year is winding down. A reminder that I will keep all TTL4 accounts active if your child is a returning student. I will upgrade them to the next grade level so they will need to take that initial pre-test to see where the program places them. If your child finishes their grade level over the summer and wants the next grade level access, please just email me and I'll be able to bump them up.
Kindergartners this month got to explore the SmartBoard tools. They've seen it in action but this time they got to explore with the actual software. They created pages in a single document, used tools such as text, color, lines, fancy pens, shapes and their most favorite, the magic pen. Be sure to ask them about it. This was a great introduction to the tools as they will surely be using the SmartBoard in their homeroom classrooms in the future years.
First Graders got to explore with MS Word. They created documents and added clipart, wordart, colors, borders, copy/paste function and the wonderful spellchecker! It was great to see how they inserted pictures to size and they were amazed to see that clipart held so many kinds of images.
Second Graders were introduced to MS Excel. We took an ice cream survey and we created a simple but useful chart on our results. For your information in both classes sherbet was the most favorite and strawberry was the least. Students then took their chart knowledge and created charts themselves. They took surveys on favorite colors, foods, animals and sports to name a few. Students also got a quick introduction on PowerPoint. We will go in dept with a project of their choice in Third Grade but this year, they got to see how powerful presentations are made!
Third Graders were introduced to a popular simulation called SimSafari! Here they are safari owners and they must run a successful safari to survive. They have three zones which must run successfully, the park, the camp and the village. This simulation uses all their knowledge on math and the sciences. The goal is to obtain 5 stars and many are well on their way. Ask them about it!
Fourth Graders are busy making animated videos using their account on GoAnimate. They love being able to log on from home as well to continue their videos. All students got a lesson on ground rules for videos before posting on our platform (note, only myself and OWS 4th Graders can view the videos). GoAnimate lets you create skits from their apps, create characters and make a full blown video using all the bells and whistles. Be sure to ask your child about it and log on using their ids. I will remove their access sometime over the summer to prepare for the new Fourth Graders.
As usual, if you have any questions, please just send me a quick email! Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
I can't believe this year is winding down. A reminder that I will keep all TTL4 accounts active if your child is a returning student. I will upgrade them to the next grade level so they will need to take that initial pre-test to see where the program places them. If your child finishes their grade level over the summer and wants the next grade level access, please just email me and I'll be able to bump them up.
Kindergartners this month got to explore the SmartBoard tools. They've seen it in action but this time they got to explore with the actual software. They created pages in a single document, used tools such as text, color, lines, fancy pens, shapes and their most favorite, the magic pen. Be sure to ask them about it. This was a great introduction to the tools as they will surely be using the SmartBoard in their homeroom classrooms in the future years.
First Graders got to explore with MS Word. They created documents and added clipart, wordart, colors, borders, copy/paste function and the wonderful spellchecker! It was great to see how they inserted pictures to size and they were amazed to see that clipart held so many kinds of images.
Second Graders were introduced to MS Excel. We took an ice cream survey and we created a simple but useful chart on our results. For your information in both classes sherbet was the most favorite and strawberry was the least. Students then took their chart knowledge and created charts themselves. They took surveys on favorite colors, foods, animals and sports to name a few. Students also got a quick introduction on PowerPoint. We will go in dept with a project of their choice in Third Grade but this year, they got to see how powerful presentations are made!
Third Graders were introduced to a popular simulation called SimSafari! Here they are safari owners and they must run a successful safari to survive. They have three zones which must run successfully, the park, the camp and the village. This simulation uses all their knowledge on math and the sciences. The goal is to obtain 5 stars and many are well on their way. Ask them about it!
Fourth Graders are busy making animated videos using their account on GoAnimate. They love being able to log on from home as well to continue their videos. All students got a lesson on ground rules for videos before posting on our platform (note, only myself and OWS 4th Graders can view the videos). GoAnimate lets you create skits from their apps, create characters and make a full blown video using all the bells and whistles. Be sure to ask your child about it and log on using their ids. I will remove their access sometime over the summer to prepare for the new Fourth Graders.
As usual, if you have any questions, please just send me a quick email! Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
Monday, April 30, 2012
Update from the Mouse Pad!
Hello All,
We've had a very busy April month. All of K-4 have started new projects. Here's a recap:
Kindergartners are continuing with their TTL4 practice. Many have downloaded this wonderful program at home and are continuing their typing practice. If you haven't yet, I strongly encourage you to download TTL4. The instructions are on your child's teacher's website under the document section. In addition to typing, they were introduced to the MS Paint program. They learned to zoom in on a page and create wonderful abstract art in which they learned all about in Ms. Leggit's classroom. I loved seeing the great designs created. They are pretty much a pro on the program as they used most of the tools such as paint bucket, shapes, text, paint brush strokes and the paint dropper.
First Graders were introduced to a great software that lets you create home pages. Ask them about it! They learned about tabs and links and dividers. They created a home page of their favorite topic. I was amazed to see so many animal home pages especially dogs (my all time favorite animal). Many used text to explain their topic and used voice recordings to introduce their topic. This program only allows 3 seconds to record and you should have heard how fast these 1st Graders can talk!
Second Graders were introduced to video animation. We went on a wonderful site called domo animate and they created 30 second videos. They had a blast using the functions to create several scenes. They added background, chose characters with various actions (you must ask them about some of these actions), props, music and speech bubbles to name a few. In order to save work, this web 2.0 tools needs user logins. I did not create individual logins but advised the kids that if they wanted to continue at home and save their videos, they needed parent permission to set up an account and to continue this wonderful program at home. Please ask them to show you the site.
Third Graders were introduced to digital storytelling. We use a web 2.0 tool called Story Creator 2 and they are writing great myths and legends. They have their own accounts and are free to continue their stories at home. This program is absolutely free and amazing. Creator lets them create chapters, add background, tons of characters, props and voice recordings that they can create or take from the program's library. The site is totally secure. They have their own login name and password and only I can publish stories on the internet. Please ask them to log on and show you what it is all about!
Fourth Graders were introduced to Logo programming language. They love this program as they can create wonderful geometric designs using real code. The user controls the turtle by inputting various commands. You can also edit the turtle into whatever you like. They used background color and then created beautiful geometric shapes such as pentagons, hexagons, septagons, and decagons to name a few. They loved using the 'define procedure' utility to simplify their code which is what programmers love to do!
As you can see a very busy April month. Stay tuned for the next update to find out what else your child has been learning here in the Mouse Pad!
Regards,
Rasha Sachdeva
We've had a very busy April month. All of K-4 have started new projects. Here's a recap:
Kindergartners are continuing with their TTL4 practice. Many have downloaded this wonderful program at home and are continuing their typing practice. If you haven't yet, I strongly encourage you to download TTL4. The instructions are on your child's teacher's website under the document section. In addition to typing, they were introduced to the MS Paint program. They learned to zoom in on a page and create wonderful abstract art in which they learned all about in Ms. Leggit's classroom. I loved seeing the great designs created. They are pretty much a pro on the program as they used most of the tools such as paint bucket, shapes, text, paint brush strokes and the paint dropper.
First Graders were introduced to a great software that lets you create home pages. Ask them about it! They learned about tabs and links and dividers. They created a home page of their favorite topic. I was amazed to see so many animal home pages especially dogs (my all time favorite animal). Many used text to explain their topic and used voice recordings to introduce their topic. This program only allows 3 seconds to record and you should have heard how fast these 1st Graders can talk!
Second Graders were introduced to video animation. We went on a wonderful site called domo animate and they created 30 second videos. They had a blast using the functions to create several scenes. They added background, chose characters with various actions (you must ask them about some of these actions), props, music and speech bubbles to name a few. In order to save work, this web 2.0 tools needs user logins. I did not create individual logins but advised the kids that if they wanted to continue at home and save their videos, they needed parent permission to set up an account and to continue this wonderful program at home. Please ask them to show you the site.
Third Graders were introduced to digital storytelling. We use a web 2.0 tool called Story Creator 2 and they are writing great myths and legends. They have their own accounts and are free to continue their stories at home. This program is absolutely free and amazing. Creator lets them create chapters, add background, tons of characters, props and voice recordings that they can create or take from the program's library. The site is totally secure. They have their own login name and password and only I can publish stories on the internet. Please ask them to log on and show you what it is all about!
Fourth Graders were introduced to Logo programming language. They love this program as they can create wonderful geometric designs using real code. The user controls the turtle by inputting various commands. You can also edit the turtle into whatever you like. They used background color and then created beautiful geometric shapes such as pentagons, hexagons, septagons, and decagons to name a few. They loved using the 'define procedure' utility to simplify their code which is what programmers love to do!
As you can see a very busy April month. Stay tuned for the next update to find out what else your child has been learning here in the Mouse Pad!
Regards,
Rasha Sachdeva
Monday, March 26, 2012
Update from the Mouse Pad!
Hello Everyone,
We've had a busy month completing projects and starting new ones! Here's a recap. As usual if you want further details or want to see your child's work on our server, please stop by and I'll be happy to show you.
Kindergartens are really getting into our school wide web based typing program, TTL4. I'm so happy that many of you have downloaded this program at home so that your child can continue their typing practice. If you have not yet downloaded this program, I highly encourage you to do so. It is free as the school has paid for the subscription and the directions to download are on your child's homeroom teacher's website under the document section. The kids love getting to the different lessons and completing the typing games. Ask them about 'Security Check' and 'Big Ideas'. Please let me know if you have any questions downloading this program.
First Graders completed their web project using Kidspiration. They used various symbols, fonts and colors to describe who they are. They also had the chance to record on each symbol. They loved this and some even sang a song on their recording. It amazes me as to how confident these kids are. All the students got a chance to share their projects using the smart board and they loved tapping on their recordings.
Second Graders completed their web using Inspiration, which is a step up from Kidspiration. Here the webs get more detailed and they were able to insert their own photograph. In doing so, they got lots of practice resizing and rearranging their project. They got a kick out of seeing their picture in their digital project! Please ask them about it.
Third Graders completed their Scratch projects. These projects were graded and sent home. If you have not seen it, please ask them about it. They were graded on meeting certain criteria and presentation skills. They all did a fabulous job. It amazes me how much more detailed and complex these projects get each year from my 3rd Graders. I know we have many future programmers in the making. Please encourage your child to continue programming at home with Scratch. The site to download is listed on the right.
Fourth Graders were introduced to a wonderful word cloud generator called tagxedo. The cloud they generated depicted their positive character traits. They used various shapes, sizes, colors, orientation and fonts. I've displayed them in the classroom and you may have seen them coming home. They were amazed to see how simple text can be organized so beautifully. Please ask them about it. The site for tagxedo is listed to the right as well.
As usual if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
We've had a busy month completing projects and starting new ones! Here's a recap. As usual if you want further details or want to see your child's work on our server, please stop by and I'll be happy to show you.
Kindergartens are really getting into our school wide web based typing program, TTL4. I'm so happy that many of you have downloaded this program at home so that your child can continue their typing practice. If you have not yet downloaded this program, I highly encourage you to do so. It is free as the school has paid for the subscription and the directions to download are on your child's homeroom teacher's website under the document section. The kids love getting to the different lessons and completing the typing games. Ask them about 'Security Check' and 'Big Ideas'. Please let me know if you have any questions downloading this program.
First Graders completed their web project using Kidspiration. They used various symbols, fonts and colors to describe who they are. They also had the chance to record on each symbol. They loved this and some even sang a song on their recording. It amazes me as to how confident these kids are. All the students got a chance to share their projects using the smart board and they loved tapping on their recordings.
Second Graders completed their web using Inspiration, which is a step up from Kidspiration. Here the webs get more detailed and they were able to insert their own photograph. In doing so, they got lots of practice resizing and rearranging their project. They got a kick out of seeing their picture in their digital project! Please ask them about it.
Third Graders completed their Scratch projects. These projects were graded and sent home. If you have not seen it, please ask them about it. They were graded on meeting certain criteria and presentation skills. They all did a fabulous job. It amazes me how much more detailed and complex these projects get each year from my 3rd Graders. I know we have many future programmers in the making. Please encourage your child to continue programming at home with Scratch. The site to download is listed on the right.
Fourth Graders were introduced to a wonderful word cloud generator called tagxedo. The cloud they generated depicted their positive character traits. They used various shapes, sizes, colors, orientation and fonts. I've displayed them in the classroom and you may have seen them coming home. They were amazed to see how simple text can be organized so beautifully. Please ask them about it. The site for tagxedo is listed to the right as well.
As usual if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Conferences
Hello,
I will be available Thursday March 22 for conferences if you would like to stop by before or after your scheduled time with your child's homeroom teacher. If I'm not with anyone, please come on in.
Thanks,
Rasha Sachdeva
I will be available Thursday March 22 for conferences if you would like to stop by before or after your scheduled time with your child's homeroom teacher. If I'm not with anyone, please come on in.
Thanks,
Rasha Sachdeva
Monday, February 27, 2012
Update from the Mouse Pad!
Hello All,
Welcome back from Mid-Winter break! I hope you all had a restful time with family and friends. Here's what's been happening in our Mouse Pad:
Kindergartners have completed all three of the Sunburst certificate programs, Senses, Plants, and Animals. Here students completed nine levels of questions pertaining to the senses, animals and plants. Once completed, they were awarded a certificate. If your child did not complete all three, no worries, as we will revisit this as the school year continues. These programs are great not only for the subject knowledge but for enhancing the hand/eye coordination with the mouse. In the next few weeks Kindergartners will be introduced to our school wide web based typing program.
First Graders completed their unit on map making skills with Neighborhood Map Machine. They loved creating maps and solving mysteries using the program's compass and clues! Students are now learning about Kidspiration. This is a great visual learning tool that helps students organize and categorize information, brainstorm ideas, make connections, and share their thoughts. Currently they are using this software to create a web all about themselves. They are incorporating pictures, text, sound and links. They love the recording piece. Please ask your child about it.
Second Graders completed their programming unit with Alice. They culminated the activity by sharing their animated programs with their peers. It was great seeing such enthusiasm and creativity as they were sharing. Students then moved on to Inspiration. This is the advanced version of Kidspiration that they learned last year. It's also a great tool for developing ideas and organizing thoughts. Thus far, students are also working on an all about me web. They have taken their digital photo and have incorporated it into their web. Right now they are exploring with the software's animated symbols, importing graphics, and using multicolor symbols (they love adding color to their work)!
Third Graders are currently in a programming unit and are learning all about Scratch. They are so excited about this because this is what Vista 5th Graders are using at a more complex level. Scratch is a great programming tool developed by MIT and it teaches the students the fundamental ideas of coding by using a drag and drop method. It allows students to create animated sprites and assimilate video components such as voice, sound and background. Students have been getting familiar with the tools as well as playing some of the software's pre-installed games. For students who want to continue this at home, you can download it free. Please scroll down to the Scratch link to the right of this blog.
Fourth Graders completed their photo editing unit using picnik. They created a beautiful pencil sketch of themselves and they are currently displayed in the Mouse Pad. Students then were introduced to a math simulation software that helped them run a business. Here they were able to use their business sense as well as their math skills to advance to top level. Please ask your child about this particular program!
As usual please email me if you have any questions. Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
Welcome back from Mid-Winter break! I hope you all had a restful time with family and friends. Here's what's been happening in our Mouse Pad:
Kindergartners have completed all three of the Sunburst certificate programs, Senses, Plants, and Animals. Here students completed nine levels of questions pertaining to the senses, animals and plants. Once completed, they were awarded a certificate. If your child did not complete all three, no worries, as we will revisit this as the school year continues. These programs are great not only for the subject knowledge but for enhancing the hand/eye coordination with the mouse. In the next few weeks Kindergartners will be introduced to our school wide web based typing program.
First Graders completed their unit on map making skills with Neighborhood Map Machine. They loved creating maps and solving mysteries using the program's compass and clues! Students are now learning about Kidspiration. This is a great visual learning tool that helps students organize and categorize information, brainstorm ideas, make connections, and share their thoughts. Currently they are using this software to create a web all about themselves. They are incorporating pictures, text, sound and links. They love the recording piece. Please ask your child about it.
Second Graders completed their programming unit with Alice. They culminated the activity by sharing their animated programs with their peers. It was great seeing such enthusiasm and creativity as they were sharing. Students then moved on to Inspiration. This is the advanced version of Kidspiration that they learned last year. It's also a great tool for developing ideas and organizing thoughts. Thus far, students are also working on an all about me web. They have taken their digital photo and have incorporated it into their web. Right now they are exploring with the software's animated symbols, importing graphics, and using multicolor symbols (they love adding color to their work)!
Third Graders are currently in a programming unit and are learning all about Scratch. They are so excited about this because this is what Vista 5th Graders are using at a more complex level. Scratch is a great programming tool developed by MIT and it teaches the students the fundamental ideas of coding by using a drag and drop method. It allows students to create animated sprites and assimilate video components such as voice, sound and background. Students have been getting familiar with the tools as well as playing some of the software's pre-installed games. For students who want to continue this at home, you can download it free. Please scroll down to the Scratch link to the right of this blog.
Fourth Graders completed their photo editing unit using picnik. They created a beautiful pencil sketch of themselves and they are currently displayed in the Mouse Pad. Students then were introduced to a math simulation software that helped them run a business. Here they were able to use their business sense as well as their math skills to advance to top level. Please ask your child about this particular program!
As usual please email me if you have any questions. Take care.
Rasha Sachdeva
Monday, January 23, 2012
Mouse Pad Update!
Hello Everyone,
Welcome back from Winter 2012. I hope you all enjoyed the surprise week off from the snow! I had a great time sledding with my sons and drinking plenty of hot chocolate. Hope you created some wonderful winter memories with your family.
All grades have been very busy since the start of the New Year. Here's a recap:
Kindergartners have been introduced to the Sunburst Senses program. This takes off from the lessons about the senses from their homeroom classrooms. The program has nine lessons all about the five senses and once completed, they get a customized certificate. They've started with the sequence game, the matching game and creating your own portrait which includes inputting pictures from the five senses. They are now about to begin the nine lessons to obtain their certificates. This program really helps them develop their hand/eye mouse coordination and reinforces the five senses.
First Graders have been introduced to the Neighborhood Map Machine program in which they put their knowledge of map making skills to the test. The program uses x and y coordinates and the compass. Students first created their own maps and then they solved mysteries embedded within the program. They loved searching for treasure and aliens! Students were grouped together to solve mysteries and they showed great teamwork skills. I was amazed to see how polite and encouraging they were to their teammates.
Second Graders are continuing with the Alice program. We have lots of great programmers in 2nd Grade. They have learned to have more than one object move at the same time. They have incorporated music, speech bubbles and their own voice recordings. They are all writing more than 10 lines of code! Their project is to create an animated video which includes speech bubbles, voice recordings and music and then they will share their finished product with the class using the smart board. I can't wait for that!
Third Graders were introduced to Google Earth, a navigation software that lets you go to anywhere on earth as well as the Sky, Mars and the Moon. Students started off with finding OWS, then from there they went home and then they went to India to visit the Taj Mahal. They had loads of fun especially seeing their homes. Students then went to the sky to identify constellations and then they visited Mars and the Moon and placed their mark on it! Ask them how they did that..... Next, they will be introduced to Scratch programming. Stay tuned for that.
Fourth Graders were introduced to a photo editing website called picnik. This is a great site for introducing basic photo editing. Students uploaded their picture and made edits that would certainly surprise you! Students added lighting effects, text, stickers, and some were happy that they could remove those unwanted blemishes! Have your child show you the website. It's great fun to use and it's free!
Grades 1 - 4 have been practicing TTL4 as well for 10 minutes each week. I do encourage you all to download TTL4 so that your child can continue practicing at home. Instructions can be found on your child's teacher's website. Kindergartners will be introduced to TTL4 later on this school year.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Take care!
Rasha Sachdeva
Welcome back from Winter 2012. I hope you all enjoyed the surprise week off from the snow! I had a great time sledding with my sons and drinking plenty of hot chocolate. Hope you created some wonderful winter memories with your family.
All grades have been very busy since the start of the New Year. Here's a recap:
Kindergartners have been introduced to the Sunburst Senses program. This takes off from the lessons about the senses from their homeroom classrooms. The program has nine lessons all about the five senses and once completed, they get a customized certificate. They've started with the sequence game, the matching game and creating your own portrait which includes inputting pictures from the five senses. They are now about to begin the nine lessons to obtain their certificates. This program really helps them develop their hand/eye mouse coordination and reinforces the five senses.
First Graders have been introduced to the Neighborhood Map Machine program in which they put their knowledge of map making skills to the test. The program uses x and y coordinates and the compass. Students first created their own maps and then they solved mysteries embedded within the program. They loved searching for treasure and aliens! Students were grouped together to solve mysteries and they showed great teamwork skills. I was amazed to see how polite and encouraging they were to their teammates.
Second Graders are continuing with the Alice program. We have lots of great programmers in 2nd Grade. They have learned to have more than one object move at the same time. They have incorporated music, speech bubbles and their own voice recordings. They are all writing more than 10 lines of code! Their project is to create an animated video which includes speech bubbles, voice recordings and music and then they will share their finished product with the class using the smart board. I can't wait for that!
Third Graders were introduced to Google Earth, a navigation software that lets you go to anywhere on earth as well as the Sky, Mars and the Moon. Students started off with finding OWS, then from there they went home and then they went to India to visit the Taj Mahal. They had loads of fun especially seeing their homes. Students then went to the sky to identify constellations and then they visited Mars and the Moon and placed their mark on it! Ask them how they did that..... Next, they will be introduced to Scratch programming. Stay tuned for that.
Fourth Graders were introduced to a photo editing website called picnik. This is a great site for introducing basic photo editing. Students uploaded their picture and made edits that would certainly surprise you! Students added lighting effects, text, stickers, and some were happy that they could remove those unwanted blemishes! Have your child show you the website. It's great fun to use and it's free!
Grades 1 - 4 have been practicing TTL4 as well for 10 minutes each week. I do encourage you all to download TTL4 so that your child can continue practicing at home. Instructions can be found on your child's teacher's website. Kindergartners will be introduced to TTL4 later on this school year.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Take care!
Rasha Sachdeva
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