Saturday, November 29, 2008

Technology Projects and InfoTech

Students at Figueroa Street create a myriad of technology projects. In the 4th grade, they first learn to type using Type to Learn 3, a fun interactive program that teaches them the keyboard in 26 lessons. After learning how to type, students are able to publish their Unit 1 writing using the computer. In the business unit, Dreams to Jobs, I teach them how to create flyers and posters using Appleworks and Microsoft Word, using drawing tools and Word Art. This year, we are making Secret Grams for our 4th grade business. So far, the designs the students have been creating are phenomenal. I will post the 5 winning designs for our Secret Grams next week. Our Mystery to Medicine unit revolves around web research and culminates with an oral and PowerPoint presentation of a illness or disease. The Survival unit allows students to be very creative in how they create a digital story using Appleworks and iMovieHD. At the end, students record their narratives as pictures and drawings are fading in and out in the movie. Finally, we create movies from our own original scripts in the Communication unit. We go from a pitch to a script to filming to editing and then to a final presentation at our own Technology Night in June. With the new knowledge I have gained at CSULA from the EDIT 430 class, I will probably revamp some of the 4th grade technology projects especially the ones that involve PowerPoint.

For the past three years we have showcased student technology demos and projects at InfoTech at the LA Convention Center. We have had students demonstrate how to draw in Appleworks, do digital storytelling, make movies in iMovieHD, and how to build your own computer. Usually the 4th and 5th graders present during InfoTech and submit a movie for the yearly competition. The supervising teacher for the 5th graders who won in 2007 received a brand new SmartBoard. The 5th grade students received $50 gift cards to Best Buy.

This year we would like to enter a 4th grade and a 5th grade group into the competition. We are eagerly anticipating what the topic will be for this year's InfoTech. If you want to find out more about LAUSD's InfoTech from last year click here.

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