Welcome to an Hour of Code!

First, I would like you to read an Email I sent to you late last week.  I need you to understand that you may not use HTS Email for chain Emails, and silly Emails sent to lots of friends.

Please respond to my Email, then you can dive into the Hour of Code project.

This week, schools across America are taking part in an "Hour of Code" project.

I'd like you to try this Angry Birds coding project during class today:


Angry Birds -  http://learn.code.org/hoc/1

And if you finish that, you can look for other super-cool coding projects on the Hour of Code Website:

http://csedweek.org

Finish those Prezis... then Lightbot

Please finish your National Park Prezis,

Then when you do, try Lightbot!

http://light-bot.com/hocflash.html

Have fun!

Mrs. Morell

National Park Prezis

Please check your National Park research pages in your Google Drive when you arrive this morning.  You will find a rubric, which indicates whether you need to finish your research or begin your Prezi.

Login to Prezi here:

www.prezi.com

If you have been given permission to begin your Prezi, please refer to the rubric below.  It will give you the guidelines you will need to complete your project.  This rubric can also be found in your Google Drive.

Mrs. Morell

National Parks Project and Blogging (After You Type for a bit)

Hi all,

Today, you will begin a project on one of our National Parks.

I love the following video from the National Parks and Conservation Association - be sure to watch it and think about what National Park most interests you, and you would like to research:




I would like you to explore the National Park Service or the National Parks and Conservation Association Websites, and pick two or three possible parks to research:

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

http://www.npca.org/exploring-our-parks/

First, you must do 15 minutes of keyboarding, though (unless you have reached the 30 WPM mark):

https://holy-trinity-school.typingclub.com/

Remember, you will login using your lastnamefirstinitial (morellm) and your password will be: htstype.

Keep working through the lessons, making sure you keep your keyboard covers on, your fingers on the home keys, and you get five stars for each lesson before you move on.

For those of you who have reached 30 WPM, please start early on the National Parks Project.  Browse possible parks, and go to the blog and post your proposed parks and WHY you would like to research them:

http://kidblog.org/6thGrade-Morell/

Happy Typing and Blogging!

Mrs. Morell

More Typing and Blogging!

First thing today, you may take a typing test again.

For those of you who have not yet reached 30 WPM, you will continue to work on your keyboarding skills using Typing Club:

https://holy-trinity-school.typingclub.com/

Remember, you will login using your lastnamefirstinitial (morellm)  and your password will be: htstype.

Keep working through the lessons, making sure you keep your keyboard covers on, your fingers on the home keys, and you get five stars for each lesson before you move on.

For those of you who have reached 30 WPM, please go to the blog and either finish and post your favorite things, or respond to my blog prompt of the week:

http://kidblog.org/6thGrade-Morell/

Happy Typing and Blogging!

Mrs. Morell

Typing and Blogging

Today, for those of you who have not yet reached 30 WPM, you will continue to work on your keyboarding skills using Typing Club:

https://holy-trinity-school.typingclub.com/

Remember, you will login using your lastnamefirstinitial (morellm)  and your password will be: htstype.

Keep working through the lessons, making sure you keep your keyboard covers on, your fingers on the home keys, and you get five stars for each lesson before you move on.

For those of you who have reached 30 WPM, please go to the blog and either finish and post your favorite things, or respond to my blog prompt of the week:

http://kidblog.org/6thGrade-Morell/

Happy Typing and Blogging!

Mrs. Morell

Today, We Type!

Today, we will work on our keyboarding skills using a new program called Typing Club:

https://holy-trinity-school.typingclub.com/

You will login using your lastnamefirstinitial (morellm)  and our password will be: htstype.

I will ask that you all take the Typing Test to begin the day, then work through the first few lessons.

We will then do a bit of blogging... which I will walk you through one-by-one.  I would like you to review some slides on the differences between Social and Academic Commenting, and comment on one of my blog posts.

The link to Kidblog can be found here:

http://kidblog.org/6thGrade-Morell/0cbc6822-7399-4be0-843e-fc8e2fc898c3/things-to-consider-before-you-comment/

Mrs. Morell

Back to School Night

Welcome to Technology

Mrs. Mary Beth Morell

5th and 6th graders will meet with me during one 40-minute period each week.  Our studies this year will focus on the following areas:

Keyboarding, Google Drive and Blogging

We will be devoting much of the first quarter to these basic skills.  The blogs will be through KidBlog, and not viewable to the public.

Second and Third Quarters – Research and Presentation Skills

During the second and third quarters, we will work on a variety of skills related to Internet searching and researching.  I will introduce the students to effective searching strategies, how to identify a reputable website, how to organize research, and how to cite a source properly using an online citation maker.   Once the research is complete, we will use a variety of presentation tools, such as PowerPoint, Prezi, and iMovie.. I hope to work closely with the classroom teachers so that most projects complement the 5th and 6th grade core curriculum, but sometimes we touch upon current events or geography in our projects.

Fourth Quarter – Final Project

During the fourth quarter, the students will complete a final project using many of the skills used throughout the year.  Last year, each 6th grader chose a National Park.  They completed comprehensive research, including a tour of the park using GoogleEarth, compiled a file of photos, then created an online poster of the Park using Glogster.  Citing sources was an important part of the project.

Digital Citizenship

Throughout the year, I will be doing mini-lessons on Digital Citizenship, using the curriculum from CommonSense Media.  Topics will include Privacy and Digital Footprints, Online Safety and Security, Connected Culture and Respecting Creative Work.  This is a new program to Holy Trinity this year, and I look forward to exploring these topics with the students.  Please consider subscribing to Common Sense Media on commonsensemedia.org to help you navigate the constantly evolving world of social media with your child.

The Blog

Every week, I will provide updates on the 5th and 6th Grade Technology Blogs – my answer to a teacher homework page.  Students will be able to access any links or resources I have posted, and parents will be able to see what we are doing in technology class.  My contact information will be there as well.  The link to the blogs can be found on my homework page: http://www.htsdc.org/faculty-homework-pages/morell/

Internet Resources

On the blog, I will maintain a list of Internet resources for research, and for learning fun.

Scantron Testing – Scantron testing will take place during technology class three times a year – September, February and May.  Each round takes three weeks of class time.

Questions, Comments or Suggestions?  Reach me on mbmorell@htsdc.org

Blogging Challenge - Week One

Hello Dear 6th Graders:

First, a few housekeeping issues.

If I don't have your Foreign Language choice from your parents yet, I will need to talk to you...

And if you didn't send me an Email last week, I need to check in with you and make sure you have an account set up, and it works for you.

Now... Today, we blog.

I have set up a 6th Grade Kidblog Account for our class, please link to it here:

http://kidblog.org/6thGrade-Morell/

I will write the default password I set for everyone on the board, and the first thing you will do is change it to the same password you use for Google.

Then, you may change the look of your blog.

And finally, your assignment for the day- and the first of many blogging challenges I will set for you throughout the year.

I would like you to tell me about 10 of your favorite things.

Using complete sentences. Wow me. Amaze me with your fabulous descriptive language.  Include photos if you'd like.  Please model it on  sample on our Kidblog account.

Welcome to 6th Grade Technology!

Welcome!

On Monday, we have such a very short class that I will only have time to do a few things.

Lets start with a quick Prezi



Your homework:

Send me a well-crafted Email telling me one thing you did this summer, and one thing you hope to accomplish in technology this year.

Remember to use the following guidelines:

(This is from one of my favorite blogs - Langwitches)

Mrs. Morell

When you finish Scantron testing...

You must be very, very quiet to let your classmates finish testing, so I suggest you:

finish the teacher surveys in the post below,

read the New York Times Learning Blog to learn something new and interesting,

play FreeRice 

or watch some of the cool videos below from TedEd:

Today, we will take the ADW Religion test

I will give you instructions, and you will take a religion test in class.

If you are finished, try to work out the four places I traveled last week:




Then continue to work on your National Park Project.

National Park Project

Hello Dear 6th Graders,

This week, I will be globetrotting, so you will have a sub.

The instructions for today are quite simple.

First, finish your research, using Noodletools.

The sub will have your worksheets, so please be sure that you have answered each question, and have five piles of notecards (or five notecards, if that is how you decided to organize yourself.)

The three best sources are:

Most of your information can be found on the National Park Service website:

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

And the National Parks Conservation Association is another great resource:

http://www.npca.org/exploring-our-parks/parks/

And National Geographic has a great resources:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/


If you have finished, you may begin your Glog, Prezi or PowerPoint.

If you cannot remember your login information, the sub will have a sheet with all your logins...

the password for everyone is htsglog

The link to glogster is here:
http://edu.glogster.com/

and Prezi:

http://prezi.com

In your presentation, you must:

• A title or title slide
• Use at least 10 facts from your research (of your choice)
• Use at least 10 photos or videos to illustrate your research
• Everything must be spelled correctly (Yikes, you collectively had a ton of typos on those Prezis of yours!!)
• Put your name on your presentation (of course)

See you next week!

Mrs. Morell

National Parks Project

Now that you've explored the far reaches of the world with your Around the World project, we're going to turn our attention to some of the wonders of the United States.  Each of you will choose a National Park to research, then you will have a choice of formats to do a presentation:

PowerPoint
Glogster
Prezi or
Haiku Deck on an iPad
You must complete the research using NoodleTools and get it checked by me before you can begin your presentation!


To introduce you to a few of the National Parks, we'll start by watching this video from the National Parks and Conservation Assocation:




Last year, my students used Glogster, and here are a few of their masterpieces.

Name:

Name of Park:

National Park Glog

Student Research Sheet

This project will take most of the fourth quarter.  First, you must choose a National Park to research. A list can be found below.

You will be evaluated the following elements:

·         The research you complete using Noodletools.  You should have 5 piles of notecards: Location, Physical Characteristics, Plants, Animals, and History/Visitor Details 

·         A bibliography – or works cited page using Noodletools.

·         The final presentation of your research. 

Park Location	State: If you were to fly to your park, what is the closest airport? If you were to drive to your park, which States would you travel through?
Physical Characteristics	Size of the park (in acres): Climate (temp and weather): List and describe at least 3 interesting geologic features:
Park Plants	List and describe at least 3 interesting plants (trees, flowers, etc.): Why did you include these plants?
Park Animals	List and describe at least 5 interesting animals: Why did you include these animals?
History of the Park, and Visitor Details:	When was the park created? What was the park created to protect or preserve? Number of visitors each year: List and describe at least 3 of the most popular things to do or to visit: Why are these places and things popular?

Websites to use:

Most of your information can be found on the National Park Service website:

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

And the National Parks Conservation Association is another great resource:

http://www.npca.org/exploring-our-parks/parks/

And National Geographic has a great resources:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/

The link to glogster is here:
http://edu.glogster.com/

and Prezi:

http://prezi.com

Choose your Park from the list below, and let Mrs. Morell know which one you'd like to use:

State	National Park	Year Established
Alaska (8)	Denali	1917
	Gates of the Arctic	1980
	Glacier Bay	1980
	Katmai	1980
	Kenai Fjords	1980
	Kobuk Valley	1980
	Lake Clark	1980
	Wrangell - St. Elias	1980
American Samoa	American Samoa	1988
Arizona (3)	Grand Canyon	1919
	Petrified Forest	1962
	Saguaro	1994
Arkansas	Hot Springs	1921
California (8)	Channel Islands	1980
	Death Valley	1994
	Joshua Tree	1994
	Kings Canyon	1940
	Lassen Volcanic	1916
	Redwood	1968
	Sequoia	1890
	Yosemite	1890
Colorado (4)	Black Canyon of the Gunnison	1999
	Great Sand Dunes	2004
	Mesa Verde	1906
	Rocky Mountain	1915
Florida (3)	Biscayne	1980
	Dry Tortugas	1992
	Everglades	1947
Hawaii (2)	Haleakala	1916
	Hawaii Volcanoes	1916
Idaho	Yellowstone	1872
Kentucky	Mammoth Cave	1941
Maine	Acadia	1919
Michigan	Isle Royale	1940
Minnesota	Voyageurs	1975
Montana (2)	Glacier	1910
	Yellowstone	1872
Nevada	Great Basin	1986
New Mexico	Carlsbad Caverns	1930
North Carolina	Great Smoky Mountains	1934
North Dakota	Theodore Roosevelt	1978
Ohio	Cuyahoga Valley	2000
Oregon	Crater Lake	1902
South Carolina	Congaree	2003
South Dakota (2)	Badlands	1978
	Wind Cave	1903
Tennessee	Great Smoky Mountains	1934
Texas (2)	Big Bend	1944
	Guadalupe Mountains	1966
U.S. Virgin Islands	Virgin Islands	1956
Utah (5)	Arches	1971
	Bryce Canyon	1928
	Capitol Reef	1971
	Canyonlands	1964
	Zion	1919
Virginia	Shenandoah	1935
Washington (3)	Mount Rainier	1899
	North Cascades	1968
	Olympic	1938
Wyoming (2)	Grand Teton	1929
	Yellowstone	1872

Chart thanks to:

http://www.nationalpark-adventures.com/united-states-national-parks.html

Amazing Prezis!!

Hi all,

I know many of you are still finishing your projects, but I wanted to share a few "Around the World: projects that have been particularly impressive.

Some things that I noted along the way help make a Prezi really work:

- Clean design, with good color choices, so that you can see the text on the background easily.
- Not too much text on each slide.
- Photo choices that illustrate the points you are making.
- Impressive research
- Personalizing the research by noting why you would like to visit each country.

Here are a few of my favorites so far... I'd love to add more as you finish:


Olivia's: 

http://prezi.com/l3qi9geqwvkr/present/?auth_key=o8r68tq&follow=zlyo8u8dx7yw&kw=present-l3qi9geqwvkr&rc=ref-4259356

Grant's:

http://prezi.com/edm4h-pjwlr5/around-the-world/?auth_key=56f70203fbf436c46f97325cfeb7d86dfa94b10e

JT's

http://prezi.com/2cwfi3lu2yoe/around-the-world/?auth_key=308b18034ffeefe4aecc776cbb5c1e76544be038&kw=view-2cwfi3lu2yoe&rc=ref-19718557

Maddie's

http://prezi.com/n0fa_jut-so9/around-the-world/?auth_key=30de40ee079db4de90faaf17d64bf260cf4394ed

Zoe's

http://prezi.com/pmm5sadr-gob/around-the-world/?auth_key=e7573e2982b9f4547bb2de606a80f23f8b6e5b65

Matt's

http://prezi.com/ff-dg3tcz4al/around-the-world-prezi/?auth_key=67219471e2dd7948dc357dd84ced01a74ffe88b9&kw=view-ff-dg3tcz4al&rc=ref-19094676

Those of you who have finished will have a chance to work with Haiku deck during class, while the rest finish your projects :)

Subway Art for the Auction

Hello Dear 6th Graders!

Today we are going to do a project for the HTS Gala using Tagxedo... which is very much like Wordle.  Here is a sample of the Morell Family word cloud:

1.     The first step is to create a word document using the following instructions. 
First, in your word document, your last name (family name) should be typed 5 times in order to make it the largest word in each piece, identifying the family.

2.    A few, key words can be typed 2 times.

3.    All other words should be typed once.  Focus on your family, not just you. 
Ideas include: family member names, pets, interests, vacation spots, backgrounds, and activities, anything that relates to your particular family.  Have at a minimum 20-25 words; the more words, the fuller your “square.”  SPELL CHECK YOUR LIST BEFORE YOU PUT IT INTO TAGXEDO!

4. SAVE THIS DOCUMENT PLEASE!!  THEN OPEN TAGXEDO.

(http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html)

5.    Colors and font are completely up to you.  I do need you to choose the square shape for this project.

6. You will need to save this image as a 4MB JPG, and Email it to Mrs. Morell when you are finished.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to that Prezi...

Hi all,

Let's try to finish up the Prezis during the next few weeks!


As a reminder, the rubric follows:




The link to Prezi can be found here:

www.prezi.com

Around the World Prezis!

Title Slide With your name.	10 points
At least 10 MORE slides are included in your Prezi, 2 per country (11 total)	30 points
Spelling and grammar are correct	10 points
At least 10 images have been included in your Prezi	20 points
The paths of your Prezi work	10 points
Your design is creative and interesting	10 points
The project is shared with Mrs. Morell	10 points
Total		110 points
Possible extra credit for amazing uses of Prezi	10 points