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Mrs. Gossert's Computer Technology Class at Conrad Weiser Middle School media type="custom" key="10104227" align="right" width="90" height="90" We have a total of twenty days together. We have SO much to accomplish so we will //hit the ground running!//

What to expect in 2012-2013: One of the many goals I have set for us this year is to create e-Portfolios for each student.

media type="custom" key="10104387" align="right" Every student will concentrate on improving their individual keyboarding skills by using our online program **EduTyping**. This can be accessed anywhere you have an internet connection ([]). Logins vary slightly based on grade level.
 * School Id** (all grades)= cweiser75
 * Username** (for 5th & 7th Grade) = first letter of your first name and whole last name - no spaces - no capital letters.
 * Username** (for 6th Grade R1) = first name
 * Password** (all grades) = student id# (the # students enter to buy their lunches at school)

We start off your Middle School Experience - with learning our logging in & saving procedures. You will be shown our classroom management software and we will discuss the do's and don'ts of our computer lab. We will work in **Microsoft Word**, **PowerPoint** & **PhotoStory** during your 18 day stay... Get ready for some fun and a lot of work.
 * 5th grade overview:**

This year we are utilizing an on-line communication program called **Edmodo**. This will allow your child to communicate directly with me and their classmates at anytime (in or out of class if they have internet access). I have given your child a code for you to log-in and become a member of our **Edmodo** group as well. Just another way of keeping our communication line open! In 6th grade we review our skills in **Microsoft Office Word** by creating a silly WANTED poster. We then discuss the topic of bullying in schools and the students are asked to work in a group to create a **//REWIND!//** video. This video is supposed to show how bullying (of any kind, physical, cyberbullying etc.) can be identified and prevented. We use **MovieMaker** (free program) to create the video. We brush up on our **on-line research** by having every student pick a famous person (living or dead). They search through our list of on-line resources to find out specific information about the person they've selected. Our project ends with the class creating Profile Pages of their subject. **Google Earth** is introduced to the students. We fly many places and search the pyramids of Giza, the islands in Dubai, the Grand Canyon and even the Philadelphia Zoo before every student embarks out on their own to create their own **//tour//** of their life//.//
 * 6th grade overview:**

We are utilizing a Web 2.0 tool, **Edmodo**, to help us keep a line of communication open at all times called. This will allow your child to communicate directly with me and their classmates at anytime (in or out of class if they have internet access). We have codes available for parents if you are interested in becoming a member of our **Edmodo** group as well. Just another way of keeping our communication line open! We introduce our 7th graders to many **Web 2.0 tools**. We start by creating **Glogs** using **Glogster.Edu** (Glogster specifically created for educational purposes). Think of a glog as an interactive poster - we will try to embed them here on the 7th grade page. Next our class discusses what a **responsible** **digital citizen** looks like. We talk about how once things are posted or written somewhere out in the vast World Wide Web, they linger there so always //**Pause Before You Post**//. 7th graders will work in **MovieMaker** and/or **iMovie** to create PSAs (Public Service Announcements) and in **Excel**, to learn the ins and outs of creating spreadsheets. Their final assignment deals with **digital photography**and creating an on-line portfolio of their group's work. This will be created using **Animoto.**
 * 7th grade overview:**

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=media type="custom" key="12587234"= =Tech Term of the Month= =**//Gigabyte//** (GB) //**-**// noun= Definition: A **//gigabyte//** is a unit of measure equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes, which is about one billion bytes. Explanation: Giga means billion. Measuring the number of **//gigabytes//** tells you how big your hard drive is, by counting billions of bytes. A //**gigabyte**// is the same as a thousand megabytes. When we talk about a //**gigabyte**//, we usually refer to it as a billion bytes. However, keep in mind that computers use the binary system (not the decimal system) to work with data. Therefore, a //**gigabyte**// really refers to 2 to the power of 30 bytes, which is 1,073,741,824 bytes. (Remember, 2 to the power of 30 is the same as 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2, which equals 1,073,741,824.) Example Sentence: The size of my new hard drive is 200 //**gigabytes**//.