Today was day three of the 2008-09 school year in my third grade classroom. Every year I see kids coming in with more computer skills, and this year is no exception.
On day one, we started using Type to Learn, a touch typing program. The kids did great, several of them making it through the first three lessons in a 20 minute session.A time out, to explain our situation. We have 12 high end computers in class. Five wireless laptops and four xo laptops round it out, and we have not even touched them.
On day two we continued with another Type to Learn session, and I showed the class a little Internet stuff - i.e., their classroom blog.
Day three was the bite that night have been too big. After Type to Learn, day three, I talked more about blogging, introduced the Blogger's Contract and safety, gave them their individual passwords, showed them how to log in - and name their blogs.So we made it - an entire classroom, not going to a computer lab, just using what we had in our classroom of eight year olds.
As I planned these days, I had wondered if I would be asking too much. A couple of years ago the skills required of the kids to do what they did just now would have taken several days longer. Right now, no sweat.
3 comments:
Hey Mark,
Sounds like a great start! I wish my eight yearl old was in your classroom. Just curious, what platform are your students using for their blogs? Have a great year and I look forward to following you.
Bill
Hi Bill, thanks for the note. I use classblogmeister for the kids' blogs. I bought roomtwelve.com and have it forwarded to their classblogmeister page - much easier for them to get there... You have agreat year, too! - Mark
What do you think of Type to Learn 4? Is it addressing your students' needs?
Leigh Zeitz
http://drzreflects.com
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