5/10/19
The 3rd grade students began learning about 3D design today, and logged into a tutorial on their TinkerCad accounts. Pretty exciting stuff!

5/3/19
Our 3rd graders finished sharing their Our Community slide shows on the SmartBoard today.  Next week, they will learn about 3D design, using TinkerCad!

4/12/19
This week both third grade classes interacted with some Easter themed games. We were in the Easter spirit, so we decided to postpone sharing their slide shows until after Easter break.

4/5/19
All students in Mrs. Nowell's class, and those in Ms. Fox's class who brought in their info, worked on their Our Community slide shows this week. Next week, those who completed them will be able to share on the Smartboard!

3/28/19
The students in Mrs. Nowell's class got started on their Slide Shows today! You can ask them to show you at home, since they can access their Google Classroom from home. Both 3rd grade teachers have put a link to a video tutorial on their webpage to help you access your child's Google Classroom, etc.

If students from Ms. Fox's class come prepared tomorrow, they, too can create these slide shows. Those who are not prepared will practice their keyboarding.

3/22/19
The 3rd grade students in Mrs. Nowell's class added images to their research this week in Tech. Next week, they will use the research and images to create a Slide Show!

Unfortunately, only 3 children in Ms. Fox's class followed directions to have all their research on the Google doc in Google Classroom. I showed them all how to do it last week, and I posted the info here on my webpage for parents, but only 3 did. So, today they played a learning game about habitats, and next week I will come up with something else for them to do. I'm very disappointed that they did not do what they were supposed to do. Now they miss out on creating a slide show to do with their trifold boards.

3/14/19
Your children are working on a summative evaluation project for Social Studies, due 3/22. Even though this is for their Social Studies class, I got them started on it this week in Tech class. They need to gather information on the Google doc we began in their Google Classroom - Tech class. Please help them continue to put the info they gather on that document. Why???? Because after they are finished that assignment for homerooms, they will use the same info to create a slideshow in Tech class. If they have it all written on just a paper notebook, or on the trifold board, they won't have it with them when we work on the slide show in Tech class. Thank you!

3/7/19
This week the students in 3rd grade began learning about how what they post online can affect how people perceive them. We talked about selfies, and how we show who we are through them. The students used Google Drawing to import a background image of a place they would like to take a selfie (and perhaps who they would take it with), and then they used the drawing tools to put themselves in the selfie....ok, a drawing of themselves!

2/28/19
The third graders practiced typing on typing.com again today, trying to beat their previous records for speed and accuracy!

Next week they will learn more about staying safe online, using a Common Sense Media lesson on Digital Footprint and identity.

2/22/19
Our 3rd graders practiced their keyboarding skills this week, on a site called www.typing.com. They have their own accounts, and it tracks their speed and accuracy. They all took a one minute test at the start of class, then did some lessons, and then two more one minute tests towards the end of class. Comparing speed and accuracy from the first test to the last was very interesting for them, and me! We will do this again next week, but with a 5 minute test.

2/14/19
This week the students in third grade practiced their 3rd grade Math skills on the new and improved Starfall.com, and on abcya.com. They did a really great job! Next week, they will practice their keyboarding skills again.

2/8/19
Our third grade students learned to enter data in a spreadsheet, and use it create a bar graph. They then were able to change the color of each bar to match the candy color it represted. Oh, their data was Valentine conversation hearts!

Next week, those who still need to complete their Grace Before Meals will do so. The others will practice math skills on abcya.com.

2/1/19
I'm so sad I didn't get to see 3B this week due to an internet outage. But, they will make up the class on Monday. 3A typed up Grace Before Meals. This involved them changing font formatting, centering the document, using punctuation and correct spacing. Spelling and capitalization were very important! This gave me the opportunity to assess how they are using the skills we have already learned pertaining to typing with all fingers, and formatting for word processing. About half the class finished today. The rest will have time to finish at the beginning of class next week.

1/24/19
Our third grade students practiced keyboarding again this week. 3B has finished the entire alphabet, and practiced instead on Dance Mat Typing. 3A is a week behind, and will finish the alphabet this week.

Next week, we will move on to typing a real paper in Google docs, using the correct fingers.

1/17/19
This week the 3rd grade students will continue learning to Touch Type, using the ABC method. By the end of this week, they should all be able to type the entire alphabet without looking, with some mistakes. 

Next week, we will play the Call Out game, but with entire sentences!!

1/10/19
Our 3rd graders are learning about "Rings of Responsibility" this week, through a lesson from Common Sense Media. They are learning that they have responsibilities to themselves, their community, and the world when online, just as they do in real life. 

Next week, they will return to cross-training on their keyboarding skills. I know they can't wait to play the Callout Game!

1/3/19
Happy New Year!
This week the 3rd graders are "cross-training" on their keyboarding skills. We are learning to type the letters in alphabetical order. Then we will play "The Callout Game", which is always popular with the students!

11/8/18
The students continue to show improvement in their keyboarding skills! The majority of them are now automatically using their fingers on the correct home row keys. We will continue on this for the rest of November. Then December will start a month of coding!

10/26/18
This week our 3rd graders again learned about the keyboard while typing on Typetastic for 15 minutes. For the rest of the class, they once again opened Google Drawings, and followed directions to make a more complicated jack-o-lantern, this time with an entire scene instead of in isolation. These kids are very creative!

Next week, we will move beyond the game stage of Typetastic, and begin learning the home row keys!

10/12/18
The 3rd grade students are doing a great job on Typetastic. So far, using this game-based approach, they have learned where all the keys are on the keyboard. They move more into touch typing as the year progresses.

This week, we did one of our Cyber Safety and Citizenship lessons. The 10 lessons are spread out throughout the year. The one they did this week focuses on altering digital photos and videos, and why people do so. They learned that sometimes people do this for fame and fortune, and sometimes it is  just to restore an older photo that has become damaged. I was really impressed with how much they already knew!

Next week, the students will spend 10-15 minutes on typetastic, and then will use an app called Easy Draw to show their creativity regarding Halloween.