This week SJDS 5th graders unboxed and assembled our 10 new Chromebases. These new Chromebases are an amazing addition to our Middle School Innovation Lab. By learning in a dual platform ecosystem, students will acquire a strong background knowledge of both , Mac and Chrome.
During class, 5th graders practiced camera angles as they took pictures around the campus. They learned that where you place your camera made a huge difference in how your subject appeared in the final image.
Students practiced: 1. Shoot From A Low Angle 2. Look Up At Your Subject 3. Get Up High & Look Down 4. Use Foreground To Create Depth 5. Frame Your Subject 6. Use Reflections In Water & Glass 7. Shoot Through An Object
ALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN BY 5th GRADE STUDENTS.
TechKNOW Tuesday, a free after-school enrichment program, offers students one on one instruction to learn about innovative technologies. These students are learning to create and design digital media with Sketchpad 5.1.
§126.15. Technology Applications, Grade 7
(1) Creativity and innovation. The student uses creative thinking and innovative processes to construct knowledge, generate new ideas, and create products. The student is expected to:
(A) identify, create, and use files in various formats such as text, raster and vector graphics, video, and audio files;
(B) create and present original works as a means of personal or group expression;
§126.14. Technology Applications, Grade 6,
1) Creativity and innovation. The student uses creative thinking and innovative processes to construct knowledge, generate new ideas, and create products. The student is expected to:
(A) identify, create, and use files in various formats such as text, raster and vector graphics, video, and audio files;
(B) create original works as a means of personal or group expression;
Pre-Kindergarten students used Wordart.com to create and customize original digital graphics.
Students chose and typed words for their word art.
Students chose a shape from a variety of choices for their word art.
Students chose a font from a variety of choices for their word art.
Students chose a style which customized their personal color preferences for their word art.
Students had to select Visualize between each step to see how each change they chose created a different graphic.
Students downloaded their final customized digital graphics to their assigned computers.
Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines
PK.X.A.1
Child opens and navigates through digital learning applications and programs.
PK.X.A.1.a
The child follows basic oral or visual cues for navigating through learning applications and programs successfully.
PK.X.A.2.a
The child navigates through digital learning applications and programs.
PK.X.A.3
Child uses digital learning applications and programs to create digital products and express own ideas.
PK.X.A.3.a
The child creates writings and drawings using digital tools.
PK.X.A.3.b
The child uses a variety of digital tools with audio, video, and graphics to create or communicate ideas.
PK.X.A.5.a
The child follows procedures set by the teacher when using technology.
Pre-Kindergarten students created their own digital artworks using ABCya!Paint.
Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines
PK.X.A.1
Child opens and navigates through digital learning applications and programs.
PK.X.A.1.a
The child follows basic oral or visual cues for navigating through learning applications and programs successfully.
PK.X.A.3
Child uses digital learning applications and programs to create digital products and express own ideas.
PK.X.A.3.a
The child creates writings and drawings using digital tools.
Wee-TECH Wednesday is back! RSVP early to save a spot!
RSVP for Tech-KNOW Tuesday is available now. This week we will be creating original works of art through Sketchpad 5.1 and Sketchpad io.
Jonah Brown, 5th grade student, is our leader on the keyboard. Jonah is typing on average 26 words for minute with 97% accuracy.
Mrs. Lisa Norton’s class took a virtual field trip to extend their classroom study and knowledge of transportation and roads. The class explored various types of tunnels and bridges. They focused on how the structures were built, what types of vehicles travel on them, and where they were located. Virtual field trips instantly connect students with learning opportunities they may not get to experience otherwise.
SJDS Board approved the purchase of a classroom set of twenty Google Expeditions View Master VR Goggles and Android devices to promote innovative learning while exploring the world around us.
Google Expeditions is a virtual reality teaching tool that lets you lead or join immersive virtual trips all over the world — get up close with historical landmarks, dive underwater with sharks, even visit outer space!
Built for the classroom and small group use, Google Expeditions allows a teacher acting as a “guide” to lead classroom-sized groups of “explorers” through collections of 360° and 3D images while pointing out interesting sights along the way.
Features:
• Guide classroom-sized groups of locally connected users from your phone or tablet.
• Explore along with a guide in immersive VR by putting your Android phone into a Google Cardboard viewer (http://g.co/cardboard) or use an Android tablet or phone in 2D “magic window” mode.
• Connect devices over the same WiFi network - if the Guide has downloaded some Expeditions, there is no internet connectivity required to run the Expedition!
• Choose from a growing list of over 200 Expeditions - each one is a curated set of VR imagery along with integrated descriptions, talking points and questions.
The SJDS Computer Science Program began in 1986 when Dee Miller introduced Logo Writer to St. James Day School. At St. James, computer science, coding, and robotics begin with students in Pre-Kindergarten and includes all students up to the 7th grade. Each grade level attends two computer science classes a week from the first day of school until the day of dismissal.
This year we will participate in the 'Hour of Code™' December 3-9, 2018 by inviting our parents and special friends to our campus wide event. More detail about the event will be coming soon!
“The 'Hour of Code™' is a nationwide initiative by Computer Science Education Week and Code.org to introduce millions of students to one hour of computer science and computer programming.”
Kindergarten has been busy getting ready to produce their very own Stop-Motion Animation Videos. We have been learning about characters, sets, themes, and story boards. We are well on our way to epic movie productions.
Stay tuned to to view our productions during the SJDS Kindergarten Film Festival!
We are offering a select amount of spots. Register Early!
We will learn how to take amazing pictures with digital devices.
Phone Photography
