November in the Lab

The month of November was very busy in the computer lab.

Kindergarten: Students continued their exploration of the program Kidspiration learning how to use pre-made sorting circles and Venn diagrams to organize pictures. They are gaining independence as they launch programs and print on their own.

First graders used Kidspiration to create their own word webs and Venn diagrams. In addition, they used the program Early Learning Toolkit (ELT) to write and illustrate stories problems inspired by the book 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam. Finally they designed avatars (online identities) for a Voice Thread project on the human body.


Second graders began using the Internet for research. Using the online encyclopedia World Book for Kids, students worked with partners to research animals found in the rain forests of South America. They practiced the skill of taking notes and then used the notes to write informational paragraphs using Microsoft Word. Writing friendly letters to their parents about South America provided additional practice of word processing skills.

Third graders ended their second rotation in the lab with a geocaching experience. Using handheld GPS, groups navigated across campus to find caches. Inside the caches were objects such as colored bears, erasers, and small toys. Students worked together to sort the objects and then used the online tool Create a Graph (www.createagraph.com) to make bar graphs.


Fourth Graders spent their second rotation reviewing the basics of Microsoft Word, Inspiration, and Excel. Students wrote haiku poetry, created All About Me webs, and sorted data about rivers of the world. In Word, students practiced aligning text, formatting fonts, and copying and pasting both images and URL addresses. In Excel, students learned that a spreadsheet is used to organize and display data and were introduced to important vocabulary such as row, column, cell, data, sort, etc. They also learned how to use Chart Wizard to create a bar graph, label the axis, and edit graph features such as the legend, labels, and bar colors. In Inspiration, students learned how to use colors and shapes to visually organize information.