LJHS Tech Talk

Awesome Movies

2012-02-17T16:59:00.002-06:00

Well, this was one of those weeks that was just plain fun. Really, what could be better than getting to make a movie with cool transitions, awesome text animations, and other creative things like Photoshop created backgrounds, neat sound effects, and an animated .gif file or two. I can't wait to see the final movies! We'll be able to see each group's entire Roadtrip via a playlist. An opportunity to work on their public speaking as they present their full Roadtrip to the class will be the culmination of it all!

What a Week!

2012-02-11T17:48:00.004-06:00

Our week was filled with excitement! We finished our Roadtrips, before exploring Internet Security topics, including discussions about viruses, spyware, firewalls and keeping our operating systems updated.
The highlight of the week, though, is that we are working with a brand new website to help them develop it so students all across the country (and world) can do research in a new way. instaGrok.com's President and CEO, Mr. Mark Williams, has been in contact with me and our classroom all week long via Skype, e-mail and chat. We are sharing our impressions, suggestions, and requests for making this an even more valuable educational tool. In fact, Mr. Williams has asked for some student generated Groks that his company would like to use to help other teachers see what kids can do using the site.
So, if you are a student and would like the chance to have your work featured on instaGrok:
- Log on
- Pick a topic that might be researched in school
- Learn all you can about the topic
- Take at least one quiz
- Use your Grok to log what you've learned - be sure your writing has no spelling, capitalization or punctuation mistakes, and, of course, no plagiarism!! (Site your sources if you choose to use someone else's words.)
- Share what you've learned by letting me know that you're finished!!
This is such an exciting time!
~Mrs. Foellmer

Flipboard review

2012-02-10T18:11:00.000-06:00

Flipboard is a free app. currently available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
My first reaction is that this app. is going to become my "go to" source for just about everything. Before I get into the superlatives, the point of this app. is really to gather all the things you like to "check out" in one place. It offers an excellent news feed on the "News" board, a "Technology" board for geeks like me, and, literally thousands of other boards from which to choose, in every category you can imagine. Then, the best part: the ability for you to add those "others" that you access all the time, including Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr, etc. No, it doesn't support "Pinterest", yet, but based on just a couple of minutes of research, a lot of us are asking for that and a rep from "Flipboard" says that it's on their wish list, so I'd bet it won't be long.
Now for the things I love about it. I love the outstandingly smooth interface. It is incredibly user-friendly and, while I know it sounds weird to use this term, gorgeous. The quality of the pictures that are "pulled" is nearly HD (of course dependent upon the original quality of the pic), and the use of the "flip" is sweet. Only time will tell if it really ends up being, for me, what I'm thinking on first look, but it's sure worth taking a look and giving it a try for a while.

Roadtrips are Winding Down

2012-02-04T10:18:00.001-06:00

Our Roadtrips are coming to an end as the students complete their travels. They've been busily calculating their gas costs, taking advantage of gasbuddy.com, and figuring our the average cost per gallon that they've had to pay on each leg of the trip. (How many of you parents know how to use the equation editor in a spreadsheet to write something as a fraction?)
They've been utilizing their spreadsheets to keep track of their earnings and their expenses. They've learned that $150 a night for a motel room is pretty expensive and quite a few groups have changed their minds and searched for a more reasonably priced room.
When it comes to attractions, a few groups were frustrated when they realized that the Disney parks have 10 years old as the cutoff between "child" and "adult" pricing when most other attractions use 12 or 13 for the cut off. Since most of the groups have a mix of 12 and 13 year olds calculating the price of their attractions usually involves multiple steps. They're able to see that the math problems they learn in math class actually have real-world application.
The kids have done an awesome job with their trips and the cooperation and collaboration has been outstanding. This group of students are going to be super employees someday!!

Cancer Smashers!

2012-01-28T07:43:00.000-06:00

It's been an exciting week at Lakeview as we (Lakeview and Prairieview) have been participating in our first ever "Cancer Smashers" competition with Eisenhower Jr. High and Lace School. Cancer affects so many lives and research is the answer. As always, however, funding for research is just never enough. Hopefully, adding our small piece of the research funding puzzle can make a difference, at least within the lifetimes of our students if not within our own lifetime.
CBS Channel 2 in Chicago did an outstanding story on our friendly competition and it can be seen here, along with a print story. (The video segment that aired on TV is at the bottom of the page.) http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/01/27/your-chicago-west-suburban-students-become-cancer-smashers/

Congratulations to everyone who has participated in any way to make this such a great success!!

Zamzar

2012-01-16T18:23:00.001-06:00

I've been using Zamzar.com for a long time to convert files to a readable format.
(Super easy, by the way. If you get a file you can't read, just upload it to Zamzar.com. Tell them the format you want them to convert it to - i.e. a .docx file to a .doc file - and they'll send you an e-mail when the conversion is completed. You click on the link and download your now readable file.)
But, what I didn't know is that you can upload any .pdf file to Zamzar and it will convert the file to .mp3. Yes, the voice is one of those weird robotic voices, but, seriously, this is cool. Let's say your teacher gives you a study guide. (Open Office has a .pdf button in the toolbar that instantly converts it to a .pdf file if it isn't already a .pdf.) You can then have Zamzar convert it to an .mp3 file, sync it to your phone or ipod, and listen. Might be worth a try!!

A Very Busy Week

2012-01-11T20:01:00.002-06:00

The past couple of days we have been displaced from our home in the computer lab and have had some excellent conversation, as a result. At the beginning of the trimester the students took a technology pre-test and these past 2 days gave us an opportunity to discuss the questions in that pretest, the correct answers, and many topics which arose from the questions that the students had as a result. We discussed things like the RAM and it's role in a computer, how copy and paste functions and where your data is "stored" when you copy something, and what the hard drive is. The kids had a chance to open up a hard drive and see it's "insides" and take an up close and personal look at a video card. We talked about the difference between a search engine and an internet browser and much, much more.
Today, we started creating our finances spreadsheets for the Roadtrip and almost all of the kids got their very first look at and actual experience creating one. "Sigma", "cells", and "formatting" were the words of the day.

New Laws for 2012

2011-12-30T09:56:00.000-06:00

As we ring in the new year, it is important to note new laws related to technology effective January 1, 2012.

In an attempt to keep up with ever-evolving technology, school boards will be allowed to suspend or expel students who make threats on the Internet against school employees, students or other personnel.
People who create or are caught with films, videotapes or moving images of child pornography will face tougher penalties under a measure sponsored by Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale. Such a crime will now be a Class X felony, which could lead to increased jail time and fines of up to $100,000. That's more serious punishment than the penalties for photographing or possessing still pictures of child pornography.
There's also a push to keep used electronics out of landfills through recycling. Among the banned items: TVs, computers, monitors, printers, DVD players, gaming systems, MP3 players and fax machines. The idea is to keep toxic materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and beryllium out of the soil and groundwater, according to the Environmental Law Policy Center's Chicago office. (From "New Year, New Laws", by Monique Garcia, Chicago Tribune, Dec. 30, 2011)

Because our students have access to many handheld devices, it is crucial that children understand, completely, the laws above, particularly the first 2. We will be discussing these specific laws as well as additional Digital Citizenship topics over the next few weeks in Computer Education.

It's Time to Create Your Own Gingerbread Cookie!!

2011-12-14T17:37:00.001-06:00

This is a fun activity! You can put on your headphones to really get into the Holiday spirit!! (I'll warn, you, though that it's a bit irritating!)
Here's mine!!--------------------------------->

Exploring US Cities

2011-12-09T19:58:00.000-06:00

The students are heavily into exploring a specific US city. They are finding out all about what the city has to offer. They've been making decisions on 4 "attractions" from the city that they'd most like to visit and will be using to create their photo project. Today, we took pictures of all of the groups so that we can have some fun with Photoshop and begin to learn a little about that software. Once we have our picture in the city, we'll be using Comic Life to complete the project.Next week, we have a quick Holiday project to work on before a very nice winter break!!

Skype in the Classroom - Excellent Guide!

2011-12-04T10:07:00.001-06:00

Identity Plates and More

2011-12-02T18:01:00.000-06:00

To start off the tri., the students have created an "Identity Plate" which serves a few purposes. First, it serves as a nametag, to help me quickly re-learn and learn all of my students' names - a number of my students are new to me this year - and second, to give me a little insight into the things that each of my students see as being very important in their lives. I enjoy getting to know them in this way, via their minimum of 5 picture choices to include. They learned a little about internet searching and became familiar with "Comic Life" which they will be using for a city project that they'll be undertaking soon, as well.
The students have, also, made some preliminary decisions regarding our Roadtrip that we are just beginning. Students have selected the cities to which they'll be traveling, as well as the car they'll be taking, keeping in mind the current high cost of gas and the efficiency of that chosen car.

Thanksgiving Google Doodle

2011-11-23T10:10:00.000-06:00

The Thanksgiving Google Doodle is awesome!! Click on the link and, then, click on any part of the turkey for tons of different looks! FUN!! Here's my final "Google Turkey":

Also, the trimester has gotten off to a great start as we continue to work on our Identity Plates. This project involves the students using "Comic Life" to create a collage of pictures that identify them, along with their names and period #'s. "Comic Life" is a super fun (and funny, because of the sound effects) program to use!

To All Lakeview Families

2011-11-22T19:09:00.001-06:00

May you all have a blessed and restful thanksgiving.

~Mrs. Foellmer

Here It Is!

2011-11-19T13:12:00.001-06:00

The students worked so hard on their homes. What a great job with far-from-easy software!
By the way, 6th graders, don't forget that Monday is "Hollywood Glam Day" to celebrate your Myth Movie premiers in Social Studies! Also, make sure to thank Mrs. Maass for coming up with that cool assignment!

Finally!

2011-11-19T10:08:00.001-06:00

Here are our "The School Tools" projects and
some of the slides from our Bullying Impress Presentations, too!

If you need a little more time to read, you can just hit the "pause" button.
Homes video is coming soon!!

A New Tri Has Begun!!

2011-11-18T15:05:00.001-06:00

It's always exciting to begin a new tri. It's been a year since these familiar faces have graced my classroom and it's really nice to see them, again. Even though we've passed each other around school, it wasn't until they were all together again in my room, that I realized how much they have all grown!!
I'm looking forward to challenging them all to grow some more, but now, in terms of their tech. skills over the 12 weeks we have together.
...should be a blast!!

Student Work

2011-11-11T11:09:00.001-06:00

I PROMISE I will get samples of the cool stuff we've been doing in class soon! I need to have the kids do some conversions to allow me to put them together in a presentation of some sort and I haven't wanted to interrupt the work they're doing on the Myth project for Social Studies. This week we have to get it done because, very sadly, Thursday is my last day with them. We begin a new trimester on Friday.I will, definitely, miss this group. They've been AWESOME!!

Just for Fun!!

2011-11-06T14:04:00.003-06:00

Go to Google and type "do a barrel roll". (Or copy and paste it from here. Or select the do a barrel roll, right click and select "Search Google for "do a barrel roll". ) This only works if you're using Google Chrome.

Stats on Wearing Seat Belts

2011-11-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

I was just reading a story on a boy who had severe facial injuries (which required 200 stitches) in a car crash due to not wearing a seat belt, and thought I'd pass on a few stats in the story:

• More than half of people killed in cars in 2009 were not wearing seat belts.

• Seat belts reduce the risk of death in the front seat by almost half.

Some 3,600 lives could have been saved in 2009 if everyone wore seat belts.

• The chances of suffering severe brain or spinal cord injuries in a crash are much higher for the beltless.

If the prospect of saving a life — theirs — with a simple two-second act isn't enough to convince holdouts, how about this statistic: There were 111,518 convictions — which bring $25 fines — for failing to buckle up in Illinois last year. Starting in January, back-seat passengers can be ticketed, too.

You may be in a rush. It may only be a short trip. You may "forget" to buckle up. Doesn't matter. Think about Wegrzyn's warning: "Just because you think it won't happen to you doesn't mean it won't."

He has the scars to prove it.

-Chicago Tribune Editorials Saturday, November 5th, 2011

IMPRESSive!

2011-11-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

I love having an opportunity to reflect on the past week.
The kids' have just completed their Impress presentations on the topic of one act of Bullying. This presentation included a brief description of the act, who tends to do it (boys, girls or both) and where, the feelings of a victim of the act and one thing that could be done if you were a "bystander" and witnessed this happening.
The presentation closed with a quote from the creator of the presentation on the topic of bullying/discrimination. I am so impressed (ironic, huh?) and awed by the inherent kindness and caring shown by these students!

A VERY Productive Week

2011-10-28T18:40:00.004-05:00

This week marked the conclusion of "The School Tools" project and I am so proud of the job the kids did on this. I keep challenging this class and they keep meeting the challenge head on. What great, fun, interesting ideas they had for showing the various "Cool Tool" examples! I found myself not having quite as much time as I would have liked to work with each and every student, but, hopefully, everyone felt they ended up with the result they wanted. Next week I'll begin to work on grading those projects and I look forward to reflecting on their work.
We, also this week, began our next project that piggy-backed with our iSafe Lesson on Cyber Bullying. They are, now, creating an Impress presentation (slide show) on a bullying topic of their choice. Once again, they are picking up this software like it's nothing and I couldn't be any prouder or excited to see how they handle this newest challenge.
Have a great weekend everyone! See ya Monday!
~Mrs. Foellmer

Tip on Laptop Battery Life

2011-10-21T17:06:00.001-05:00

Question: If I remove the battery & run from a power source will it lengthen battery life?
Answer:
Laptop batteries have finite life spans. Whether you use the power cord or remove the battery it will lengthen the life of the battery.

Li-Ion laptop battery lifespan is approximately 1,000 charge cycles, or 2-4 years under normal operating conditions.

Keeping the battery in a cool place can prolong its life but not in a period of extended storage. The Li-ion battery should be stored at 40 percent rather than full-charge state.

The battery ages even if not used. For best results, keep the battery cool. In addition, store the battery at a 40 percent charge level. Never fully charge or discharge the battery before storage. The 40 percent charge assures a stable condition even if self-discharge robs some of the battery's energy. Most battery manufacturers store Li-ion batteries at 15°C (59°F) and at 40 percent charge.

Keeping a laptop battery on constant charge and never using it is not good for the laptop battery. Run the battery down and recharge it at least once every month.

(From Catherine Roseberry, former About.com Guide - reprinted from About.com)

"The School Tools"

2011-10-14T21:29:00.009-05:00

We are ready to embark on a new project called "The School Tools". This project is based on a segment I've seen in the sports section of the Chicago Tribune, "The Rule Book", which is a humorous look at some of the rules surrounding sport. I've contacted Tim Bannon, Sports Editor at the Tribune and Rick Tuma, who Illustrates for the Tribune (http://ricktuma.com/) to ask permission to use their idea. I, also, wanted to ask for their help in obtaining some back copies of their segment to use as examples and I've included a few of them within this post.

For our project, each student is going to be taking one of our Cool Tools (which are our school rules) and writing and "illustrating", via photographs, our version of "The Rule Book" which we are calling "The School Tools". The software we'll be using is called "Comic Life" and I'm pretty sure the kids are going to have a blast working with it. (The sound effects, alone, are super fun!!) Each student's "episode" (which may include humor if desired and appropriate, but is not required) will be printed upon completion and some will be displayed. As of today, I have introduced the project and we have begun the "planning" phase, which includes selecting the "Cool Tool" example, deciding on a title for the "episode" and writing out descriptions of the 3 pictures they intend to use - 2 pictures of what the positive behavior would be and 1 picture that would show the undesirable. Next week, they'll either be taking the pictures that they "stage" or locating appropriate pictures online. Then they'll put them together using Comic Life to create their episode of "The School Tools - Cool Tools for Cool Kids".

A Week of Home Building

2011-10-07T20:06:00.005-05:00

Our houses are turning out amazing!! It is so impressive to see the kids gain a basic mastery of such a complex piece of software. The absolute best thing in the world is to see the sense of pride each and every student has the moment they see their final movie. It's also cool that the kids appreciate what this software can do to such a great degree. The amount of hard work each student put into their homes has been very impressive.

Check back here later to see some samples of the final results. We just might have some architects, engineers, and landscape designers in this group.

Being able to learn a new software in a very short period of time is very empowering. It is one of the most important goals of having the students work with a complex software like Google Sketchup. My hope is that they continue to exhibit a willingness to learn new software and that they will, in the future, take advantage of the new opportunities and powerful ways to improve our own lives, which are afforded us, literally, by the day. The more we learn, the more we are able to see applications in our own lives. And, the more we can utilize technology to enhance and make easier what we do and how we do it.

Parent Connect

2011-09-27T15:11:00.001-05:00

Our Sixth Grade team has noticed that a lot of the 6th graders were not aware of how to view their actual assignment grades in Parent Connect. (They knew how to see just the overall grade in the class.) So, here is a VERY short presentation on how to access the grades for each assignment in every class:

Google Sketchup

2011-09-23T16:49:00.001-05:00

We've started designing and creating either our home or our dream home!! Google Sketchup is free, downloadable, software which allows you to design in 3D. If you've never seen Sketchup, here's a sample of what can be done with it:

What are the students saying about Sketchup??

"I really enjoy using Sketchup. It's a lot of fun and it's interesting to see all of the details that really go into a well built house." ~Sarina B.
"I am feeling comfortable with Google Sketchup. At first I didn't understand, but I watched the Getting Started video and that really helped me." ~Lindsay W.
"IT IS THE COOLEST THING EVER." ~Keiran B.
"I feel that Sketchup is fun, but it takes time and practice to learn it and be comfortable with it. I also feel that using Sketchup is a little bit confusing, but once I get a little more practice, it will be much easier to do and understand." ~Maggie R.
"I think Sketchup is fun and when I get my own laptop I will download it." ~Kyle W.

Hard Working Week

2011-09-16T15:13:00.001-05:00

The students worked extremely hard this week. We did a lot of keyboarding and learned that word processors help us with grammar and spelling, but they don't do all the work. They don't replace our own efforts when editing.
We, also, worked on a number of other word processing tips and tricks, including the keyboard shortcuts for things like bold, italics, underline, cut, copy and paste.
I'm really impressed with how quickly the kids are picking up our classroom routine and they have been super great about getting to class and being "ready to go" when class begins. What a super group of kids!!
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Go Bears!!

Our Nametags

2011-09-09T14:21:00.001-05:00

This week we created our Wordle nametags. The students first used Open Office Writer to list adjectives that describe them. They, then, added any of the things that they really "love". After readying the list to copy and paste to Wordle (copy and paste was a new skill for many of the students), we began learning some of the fun options Wordle offers.
Once our Wordle was created, the students took advantage of a little known keyboard key, the "Print Screen" option to copy a picture of the screen and create our nametag in Microsoft Publisher. The results are AWESOME!! Great job 6th graders on your first Computer Ed. project!
~Mrs. Foellmer

A Busy Week!

2011-09-01T19:18:00.003-05:00

This week saw our kids taking their MAPS tests to start the week. In class, I introduced the iSafe curriculum. Part of the iSafe curriculum is learning how to keep our machines up and running, so we, then, spent a couple of days getting to know a little about how our computer works. That, then, allowed the students to better understand how viruses and other security risks, like spyware, affect our machines. The students were particularly interested in learning how to prevent these problems.
We, also, discussed some of the basic vocabulary associated with computers, such as the desktop, minimize/maximize, icons, monitor, hard drive, RAM, etc.
We are, now, finally, ready to start our first fun project which is the creation of our nametags using Wordle.net. Everyone's excited to get the preliminary work done so that we can start "playing" with our Wordles!!
Have a great 3 day weekend!
~Mrs. Foellmer

Hoaxes

2011-08-29T19:05:00.006-05:00

To go along with our discussion on hoaxes, here are the websites to which I referred. These will allow you to find out whether a story contained in an e-mail you receive is a hoax or the truth:
Truth or Fiction
Snopes
In both of these 2 cases, just type some information from the e-mail in the search box and they will tell you the truthfulness of the story.
As we discussed, you should never forward an e-mail without making sure that it is true. It only takes a couple of minutes to check on it, if you bookmark one or both of these sites.
I like having both sites, as if I can't find information on one, I can, usually, find something on the other.

Welcome to Lakeview 6th Graders!!

2011-08-23T21:00:00.004-05:00

We're glad you're here!! If you need any help getting around the first few days, there are plenty of us available to help you out. You're going to like it here!
Just one note: The students received a handout that they need to have signed by a parent. In case it was misplaced, I have put a copy in Parent Connect. (When you log in, it should be shown on the right side of the screen.) It can be printed from there and returned for full credit. (It's due next Thursday, Sept. 1st.)

~Mrs. Foellmer

Video Game Design Competition for Middle School

2011-08-20T17:07:00.001-05:00

Check out this neat contest: http://www.stemchallenge.org/

If you are interested, there are many great free programs that you can use to write your own video game!!

~Mrs. Foellmer

Cool, Creative Video!

2011-08-11T09:01:00.001-05:00

Win a Laptop!!

2011-08-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

Intel is asking students between the ages of 14 and 18 to describe what inspires them to learn by sending an email to inspiredtolearn@intel.com. Each entry must be at least 50 words and can include photos, videos or other multimedia content – whatever the entrant believes will impress a panel of judges looking for creativity as well as inspiration. The competition runs until August 15, 2011.

The winner will receive a Toshiba laptop with Intel 2nd Generation Core i5 technology plus a Sony Internet TV for his or her school. If a kid is short on ideas, they can find inspiration at the IdeaJam channel on YouTube.

More info. is available at: http://k12blueprint.com/k12/blueprint/story_intel_contest.php

District 66 Calendar for Import

2011-08-02T19:46:00.003-05:00

If you use a calendar program and would like to import the District 66 Calendar, click here. Then, click on the "Download" link, to download the file.
It is a .csv file, so if you are asked for the type of file you are importing, choose Comma Separated Values (.csv).
If you need any help doing this, just let me know! (Each calendar program is a little different.)
It's so much easier than having to input all of our days off, early dismissals, etc. one by one!!

Apps for Your iPad

2011-07-22T21:20:00.003-05:00

Maybe you've recently become the proud owner of an iPad and are wondering about apps that would be both fun and of value to your education. If so, here's an outstanding collection of apps from Kathy Schrock: http://kathyschrock.net/ipadblooms/.

Point to any of the apps to see the name of the app, and, then, click on it for a description. EXCELLENT collection of apps for students!!
Oh, and I almost forgot the best part: all are free!!!!

WOW Day 2011

2011-06-07T09:16:00.002-05:00

Just a few pics from WOW Day taken by Gabrielle H.

WOW Day in the Computer Lab

2011-06-05T15:55:00.004-05:00

What a super day, it was!! ...don't know how many times I said "WOW", but I said it a bunch. Widen Our World was a great success for all. Staff and students, alike, had positive comment after positive comment about the day. Thanks to all for making it such a fun day!!

Here's what went on in the Computer Lab, with myself and Mrs. Kucera, the district technology coordinator, working with the students:

I had 8 kids (3 6th graders and 5 7th graders) working on a program called "Scratch" which was designed by the fine folks at MIT to teach kids how to program. They wrote their first games and/or animated videos. It was amazing how much they learned in just 3 hours and the best part was to see them "feeding" off of one another and helping each other learn. They, now, know which other kids in the school are interested in the same thing!

1 student created a stick figure animation using a program available free online. This program requires a lot of patience as you move parts of the figure, incrementally, to create an animation. Trent T. had the necessary patience to work on that project and I was amazed at the result!

2 students worked on different aspects of photography and learned how to "improve" their photographs using Photoshop. They created a final project using "Comic Life".

3 students "altered" a video game. They created their own "scene" by reprogramming the original. Again, this is very detail oriented and it takes a ton of hard work and I tip my cap to the patience they exhibit in doing this sort of thing.

1 student worked at learning HTML which is the language used to display webpages.

2 students tried to learn a few chords on the guitar and found out it's much harder than it looks!!

2 students did architectural designing using Google Sketchup and created a movie showing their finished products.

1 student researched recipes for his favorite foods and created his own cookbook and another student researched "QR Codes" and found out what they are, how to create them, and how to read them. (QR codes can be found all around us - in newspapers, on billboards, as you walk down city streets and in airports.)

And last, but not least we had 3 students doing Movie Maker projects: 1, Cassidy D. spent a ton of time researching famous drummers and tips on drumming (taking numerous pages of hand-written notes) before creating her movie and 2, Chris L., along with Evan B., create a very cool Ninja video.

It was a very busy day in my room and the resultant projects were outstanding!!

Check out Mrs. Bretl's, Mr. Little's and Mrs. Bergmann's blogs to see what happened in their areas on WOW Day.

Presenting Our Websites

2011-05-20T18:12:00.000-05:00

Next week is an exciting one, as we finish our websites and present them. It's so cool to see the culmination of a trimester of work. The kids can be so proud of themselves and I am, too, incredibly proud. It is, truly, amazing how much they have learned and accomplished!!

WOW Day

2011-05-14T10:02:00.007-05:00

Our 6th and 7th graders have a unique opportunity this year. They will be participating in WOW Day on Friday, June 3rd. WOW (Widen Our World) Day is a chance for our students to select their own topic about which to learn. The students devise a plan and gather the materials they need to accomplish their plan. Then, on WOW Day, they will spend the morning learning about their topic and completing a product. They'll, then, prepare to present their learning to classmates. After lunch, they'll have the opportunity to share what they've learned.
The day will conclude with a dance to reward their hard work. The entire staff of Lakeview will be working with students and assisting as needed. We can't wait to see all the great things being explored that day!! Here's a preview:

Just click the arrow to begin, then either continue to click when you're ready to move forward, or click "More", select "autoplay" and/or "fullscreen" if desired.

Recycling

2011-05-14T08:17:00.003-05:00

If you're trying to find a place to recycle those used compact florescent bulbs, batteries, or motor oil, check this site: http://earth911.com/
It will give you a number of local options, including places such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart etc. Each location specifies which items they recycle. ...very, very helpful!

Websites!

2011-05-13T19:55:00.004-05:00

Our websites are well under way. The students learned that websites are written in HTML and that if you don't know HTML, you need a program that can "translate" to HTML for you. A program such as Dreamweaver or Microsoft Publisher can do that for you. Since we have licenses for Publisher, we'll be using Publisher for our business websites. Most students already have the following pages: home page, "How to get there" page, a special event page, and a couple of product pages. Up next is learning how to embed our Movie Maker movies or Prezis, and how to create our links page which will direct our customers to other web pages that would be of interest to our customers. Of course, first there will be quite a bit of research to do to determine which sites would make sense to include.

An Example of Phishing

2011-05-05T17:38:00.006-05:00

Here is a picture of an e-mail I received that is used to fraudulently gain your account information.
When you click on the links and supply your log in information, the criminal who sent this, now has your information and can access your account without your permission.
You can click on the picture to see a larger version of it. Looks very real, doesn't it? Never click on links in e-mail from supposed companies asking for you to log in. If you want to go to that website, go to it from a bookmark, or type a known address into the address bar. The links in the e-mail above go to bogus websites that only serve to allow the sender to steal your information.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-05-04T18:17:00.002-05:00

The students have been working so hard! We've created Photoshop pictures of our businesses and are, now, in the process of designing a Grand Opening Ad. Using Movie Maker or Prezi the students are writing and creating an ad to announce the grand opening of their business. This movie or Prezi will, then, be included in the website they design to culminate the trimester's work. I am so proud of the work our students are doing. They are SUPER talented!!

A Couple of Cool Live Webcams

2011-04-27T12:50:00.008-05:00

An Eagle's nest!
The live video feed is streamed online 24/7. At night an infrared light provides night vision to viewers through the cam. Infrared light is not visible to eagles; they do not see it or know it is there.
Some info. on the eagles in the nest shown:

How high is the nest?
About 80 feet.

How big is the nest?
about 6 feet across, about 4 feet deep; it weighs about 1000 lb.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010.

When were the eggs laid in 2010, and when did they hatch?
First egg was February 25, second on February 28, third on March 5. First hatch was April 3, second on April 6, third on April 9. All three eaglets fledged and are now on the wing but are not being tracked.

And, now, from large to small...

A Hummingbird's nest!

Very cool!!

Spotlight on Zack Bell

2011-04-20T09:06:00.005-05:00

I love being able to highlight alumni who have gone on to great things and today, I'd like to highlight Zack Bell. I'm including below an excerpt from an e-mail that Mr. Dodd sent, below, which does a perfect job of telling you all about Zack and his accomplishments. Thank you, Mr. Dodd!!

4/19/2011
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a former District 66 student (and athlete) who has continued his education at Downers Grove South H.S., and then the United States Air Force Academy.

Yesterday, soon-to-be- 2nd Lt. Zack Bell (LV '03..DGS '07) was honored at the White House by President Obama as a senior member of the Air Force football squad. The Falcons were winners of the Commander-In-Chief trophy which goes each year to the winner of the series among Air Force, Navy, and Army. This year was the first year that Air Force has won the award in the last eight seasons.

During Zack's years in District 66, he participated in football, basketball, and baseball, continuing in all three sports at Downers South.

While at South, Zack became the first player in DGS football history to be a four-year starter (punter and placekicker), winning All-State honors his senior year. In baseball, he was named All-Area as an outfielder his senior season.

At the Air Force Academy, Zack participated in four bowl games, and helped the Falcons to a 9-4 record his senior season, capped off by kicking the winning field goals vs. Georgia Tech.

Following graduation and commissioning as a 2nd Lt. on May 24th, Zack will take a much deserved 60 day leave before reporting back to the academy on July 24th as a research assistant in the military history department during the first semester of the 2011-2012 school year.

Zack will then report December 21st to Vance Air Force Base; Enid, OK. to begin his pilot training. Zack has received this pilot-training-slot due to his class rank at the academy during the past four years.

I think I speak for everyone in the "Spartan Nation" when I say "GOOD LUCK", and "THANK YOU" for your current and future commitment to our country!!

Here, here! and congratulations Zack!! ~Mrs. Foellmer

Click here to see all my Alumni Posts!

Inventory Spreadsheets

2011-04-15T14:18:00.005-05:00

This week was spent mostly on creating our inventory spreadsheets. These spreadsheets will be used during the week we are virtually in business, to keep track of how much we've spent, as well as the amount of our profit! The business teams decided how many of each of their products to buy given their initial "spendable money". It will be fun to see how much they earn (and to discuss why different groups profit more or less) during the week we are "in business".
Some of the spreadsheet skills the students learned were things like using formulas (including using sigma to find a sum of numbers), putting borders around cells, dragging from the corner of a cell to copy and paste a formula quickly down a column, and how to include a value from a different spreadsheet within a formula.
Working with spreadsheets is like magic and it's exciting to see the kids get that "wow!" look on their face as they see some of these things for the first time!

Catalogs, Catalogs, Catalogs

2011-04-08T22:20:00.002-05:00

The kids worked super hard this week as they put their catalogs together. Some of the skills that were learned included: how, when and why to use "paste special", how to set tabs, the advantage to grouping items, and how to do so, formatting text boxes and how to align both text boxes and pictures in whatever way you choose. The catalogs are looking awesome and are just about finished! Next up is creating our inventory spreadsheets which will make it MUCH easier to find our profits while we're in business.

Great iPhone, iPod Touch Apps

2011-03-26T20:24:00.007-05:00

Apps every student must have: "Khan Academy". Khan Academy is an awesome tool that includes videos on every mathematics topic you can think of, as well as a number of science topics, as well. Khan Academy videos are short videos of how to do specific problems the way your teacher showed you!
Some of the specific apps include: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Chemistry 1, Biology 1, etc. Just go to the app. store and search for "Khan Academy".

Spring Break Sign Off!!

2011-03-25T14:13:00.004-05:00

I'm signing off for spring break with a truly mindless game for you to play:
Play Rock, Paper, Scissors against the computer at: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/science/rock-paper-scissors.html?hp
Here's what it looks like:

Might give you a couple of minutes of Spring Break entertainment!! : )

Enjoy your time off, guys!
~Mrs. Foellmer

Letterheads!!

2011-03-18T14:06:00.001-05:00

The kids are creating letterheads for their businesses. So, to introduce them to what letterheads are and give them some ideas of what they might look like, I created this Prezi. (It, also, gave them a chance to see what a Prezi is like!!)

Letterheads on Prezi

Our Business Prep. is Beginning

2011-03-11T14:56:00.002-06:00

This week the students made some preliminary decisions on their businesses. Those decisions included products to be sold and business name. I introduced the kids to Photoshop Elements and next week they'll each be designing a logo for their business. I love seeing the different designs as the creativity really comes out with this project!

If you're interested in purchasing a new copy of Photoshop Elements 7 you can find it here on Ebay. When I checked you seemed to be able to get it for under $30. (In case you're wondering, we're using version 2 at school, but that version doesn't seem to be available, anymore.)

A Tough Week

2011-03-03T18:33:00.002-06:00

This was the first full week of the trimester and it was a bit rough, as it just happened to be ISAT week, as well. A different schedule every day in addition to new classes, made for quite a week. I tried to make the week a bit of a "light" one, as I knew the kids would be feeling pretty exhausted from all the testing. We dug into Tagxedo (see below) and things went really great! The kids' Tagxedos came out super and both I and they learned the web app. pretty well. Though Tagxedo is, currently, in beta, we only had a couple of little glitches to learn how to navigate. Otherwise, they did great! What a fun, cool, web 2.0 app!! In the process, we, also, got an opportunity to review moving a margin to put our heading on a page, using numbering, and even learned how to use the "find" command in a word processor.

Super cool website!

2011-02-25T15:42:00.005-06:00

I have, always, loved Wordle, but now, there's something even cooler! Check out www.tagxedo.com!

And last, but not least........ My very first Tagxedo ...... Dr. Tiede!!!

Ellis Island Search

2011-02-19T16:41:00.002-06:00

In one of my classes there was in interesting fact presented regarding Ellis Island. I was telling the kids that you could go online and search for your ancestors that you knew came through Ellis Island. It's super cool to see their, actual, paperwork!
http://www.ellisisland.org/

Try this Geography Game!!

2011-02-19T16:40:00.001-06:00

This is quite challenging. ...definitely took me a while to get all of them!
Check it out!

MOVIE TIME!!

2011-02-17T19:51:00.005-06:00

My classroom was buzzing with excitement, today, as the completed Roadtrip movies were combined and the students got to see the overall trip for the first time! Tomorrow we begin the oral presentations of our movies. We'll all enjoy learning more about the major cities across the United States! ...can't wait to see them. The kids have worked SO hard on these projects and they culminate an entire trimester of outstanding work done by all the kids.

We've Returned Home From Our Roadtrips!

2011-02-11T08:02:00.003-06:00

Everyone is now, safe and sound, back home in Downers Grove! We had a great trip and are, now, preparing the movies of our trip to present to the rest of the class. Each team member is creating a movie showing one "leg" of the trip, and when everyone has completed their leg, we will be merging them into one "full length" movie of each group's entire Roadtrip from start to finish. Students will be entertaining each other with the tales of their trip when they present to the class. I, always, look forward to our storytelling experience, made possible by Windows Movie Maker and the internet!!

Some Snow Day Pics From My Kitchen Window

2011-02-03T10:58:00.003-06:00

slideshow generator

Mary Beth Marley

2011-01-30T11:40:00.004-06:00

I LOVE highlighting Lakeview Alums that have gone on to great things! Who would have thought I'd be highlighting a 15 year old! Mary Beth Marley and her partner Rockne Brubaker impressed one and all at their first pairs competition with a 4th place finish in pairs at the US Figure Skating Championships. Wow, is all I can say. What an awesome performance! After reading a number of articles on Mary Beth and her partner Rockne Brubaker, as well as watching Saturday's competition, the experts seem to agree that they are going to be a force in US Pairs Figure Skating in the coming years! It would sure be terrific to see a Lakeview Alum. represent the United States of America in the next Winter Olympics in 2014 in Sochi, Russia!! Here's hoping! Wishing Mary Beth and her family all the best!

Click here to see all my Alumni Posts!

Empathy

2011-01-22T08:35:00.001-06:00

Our word of this week is Empathy - being able to put ourselves in another's place; the ability to imagine how someone else feels.
Can YOU make a difference when something is being said to, or done to, a fellow student that is wrong? Can you choose not to laugh? tell the person to stop? ignore the person? walk away?
If it's online... Can you encourage the person to take down the comment? not participate in the discussion? not forward the hurtful words to others?
What can YOU do?

We're Featured on Channel One!

2011-01-21T08:59:00.003-06:00

You can see our featured video here: http://www.channelone.com/video/you-tell-it/

Way to go Lakeview!

Lakeview's "Bear Down"

2011-01-20T19:35:00.002-06:00

How Much Do You Know About MLK?

2011-01-17T08:39:00.003-06:00

Take this quiz to see how much you know about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I only got 6/10 correct, but was very interested to learn more about this important and talented leader. Here are a few of my favorite MLK quotes:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Dr. King's quotes above, also, speak directly to the very issue that we are set explore this week - the issue of bullying and cyber-bullying - a very important and serious topic for our students.

You guys are great!

2011-01-14T16:08:00.003-06:00

Boy, what a great week of work, this week! Our first full week of traveling went extremely well, as almost all of the groups are off to their second destination. Some groups found out that $200 for a hotel is rather expensive, and that some of the nicer restaurants might just show 12 on their menu rather than $12.00. Sometimes printing things from the internet can be a bit tricky and we learned how to "print selection" and how to print only the pages we need. (Hopefully, the kids will do a better job at home with this, and won't waste Mom's and Dad's hard earned money with the cost of ink cartridges being so high.)
Recognizing that the skyrocketing gas costs are cutting into their budget is another eye-opener, and our spreadsheets are really making our lives easier.
... more updates to come, as we continue our trips.
Enjoy the 3 day weekend!
~Mrs. Foellmer

What a Week!

2011-01-07T20:00:00.002-06:00

This has been a very productive week as we have all returned refreshed from our 2 week break. We finished up our photo projects, had our first iSafe lesson of the trimester, and created our spreadsheets that will be used to keep track of our expenses while we are traveling on our Roadtrip. Next week is our first full week of traveling!!

2010-12-14T17:58:00.003-06:00

Have a safe and happy holiday. Enjoy and appreciate the time you have with your families and friends!
~Mrs. Foellmer

Holiday Mail for Heroes

2010-12-10T17:18:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, my homebase completed making cards for those serving our country in the armed forces. They did a great job and I was very proud of how heartfelt each of the cards truly were. If you'd like to see the video we watched prior to making our cards, I've included it below:

Our Roadtrip prep. is well under way!

2010-12-10T17:13:00.003-06:00

The students have been researching the cities to which they'll be traveling and are utilizing 3 important pieces of software to create their first major project. After researching one of the cities, they used Google Earth to zoom down and find pictures of 4 interesting "attractions" or "landmarks" in their city. Then, after doing a little work in Photoshop Elements to show their group at one of the attractions, the students are putting their pictures together using Comic Life, to create a photo collage! They are really looking great, so far!!! Check back later to see the final projects.

PBIS Reward Assembly

2010-11-29T20:48:00.001-06:00

It's Time to Create your own Gingerbread Man!

2010-11-29T07:58:00.009-06:00

This is a fun activity! Make sure you turn on your speakers or put on your headphones to really get into the Holiday spirit!!
Here's mine!!--------------------------------->

10 Simple Google Search Tricks

2010-11-26T07:16:00.002-06:00

By Simon Mackie Apr. 1, 2010, 11:00am PDT

I’m always amazed that more people don’t know the little tricks you can use to get more out of a simple Google search. Here are 10 of my favorites.

Use the “site:” operator to limit searches to a particular site. I use this one all the time, and it’s particularly handy because many site’s built-in search tools don’t return the results you’re looking for (and some sites don’t even have a search feature). If I’m looking for WWD posts about GTD, for example, I could try this search: GTD site:webworkerdaily.com.

Use Google as a spelling aid. As Rob Hacker — the WWD reader I profiled last week — pointed out, entering a word into Google is a quick way to see if you have the right spelling. If it’s incorrect, Google will suggest the correct spelling instead. Additionally, if you want to get a definition of a word, you can use the “define:” operator to return definitions from various dictionaries (for example, define: parasympathetic).

Use Google as a calculator. Google has a built-in calculator — try entering a calculation like 110 * (654/8 + 3). Yes, your computer also has a calculator, but if you spend most of your day inside a browser, typing your calculation into the browser’s search box is quicker than firing up your calculator app.

Find out what time it is anywhere in the world. This one’s really handy if you want to make sure that you’re not phoning someone in the middle of the night. Just search for “time” and then the name of the city. For example, try: time San Francisco

Get quick currency conversions. Google can also do currency conversion, for example: 100 pounds in dollars. It only has the more mainstream currencies, though — if you’re trying to see how many Peruvian nuevos soles your dollars might buy, you’ll be out of luck.If you would like to convert minor currencies, be sure to be specific about the country. So, if you want to find out how many nuevos soles your dollars might buy, you could try: 100 dollars in Peruvian nuevos soles.

Use the OR operator. This can be useful if you’re looking at researching a topic but you’re not sure which keywords will return the information you need. It can be particularly handy in conjunction with the “site:” operator. For example, you could try this search: GTD OR “getting things done” site:webworkerdaily.com

Exclude specific terms with the – operator. You can narrow your searches using this operator. For example, if you’re looking for information about American Idol but don’t want anything about Simon Cowell, you could try: “american idol” -cowell

Search for specific document types. Google can search the web for specific types of files using the “filetype:” operator. If you’re looking for PowerPoint files about GTD, for example, you could try: GTD filetype:ppt

Search within numerical ranges using the .. operator. Say, for example, you want to look for information about Olympic events that took place in the 1950′s, you could use this search: Olympics 1950..1960

Area code lookup. Need to know where a phone number is located? Google will let you know where it is, and show you a map of the area, too. For example: 415

What are your favorite Google search tricks?
(reprinted from http://gigaom.com/collaboration/10-simple-google-search-tricks/)

2010-11-22T19:30:00.001-06:00

Hope your holiday is blessed and restful. ~Mrs. Foellmer

Welcome 7th Graders!!

2010-11-16T10:13:00.004-06:00

It's exciting to begin a new trimester! This tri will bring a lot of new experiences to the 7th graders. Our first project is super fun, as we'll take advantage of a piece of software new to Lakeview, Comic Life! I've had a great time getting to know the ins and outs of this terrific software and I am hopeful that the students will find it to be equally engaging and a great creative tool.
~Mrs. Foellmer

1st Trimester Closes

2010-11-12T16:59:00.002-06:00

Today is a sad day, for me, as I bid adieu to an awesome 6th grade class. I have enjoyed each and every one of these young ladies and gentlemen. They worked so hard, and showed such an engaging and willing spirit, that they made me love coming to work every day. The more I taught, the more they wanted to learn. I wish I didn't run out of time with them. Good luck with the rest of your 6th grade year. I'll get to work with most of you, again, next year and I, truly, look forward to that. Don't forget to stop by and tell me what's going on with you every once in a while!!
~Mrs. Foellmer

Sites for Kids Recommended in Today's Tribune

2010-11-07T07:56:00.004-06:00

Today's Chicago Tribune had some great website recommendations, that I thought were worth passing on to you guys. If you try out some of these, let me know what you think!! ~Mrs. Foellmer

-from Chicago Tribune Sunday section, November 7, 2010,
"Yes, students, there's a world beyond Wikipedia" by Karen Ann Cullotta

...Museum Box (museumbox.e2bn.org): "I'm very fond of this Web site, which allows students to chat, and to create virtual 'boxes' that they can fill with text or video clips."

Live Binders (livebinders.com): "Virtual binders where you can store Web pages. It's really slick."

Prezi (prezi.com): "I love this Web site, which is like PowerPoint kicked up a notch. A really nifty presentation tool."

Debategraph (debategraph.org): "This Web site is a virtual graphic organizer, where students can collaborate and organize their debates and presentations."

Scratch (scratch.mit.edu): "This Web site is great for students between the ages of 8 and 16, and offers a multimedia tool to design graphics with sound to create a video game."

Karina K. can tell you about Prezi, as she used it earlier this tri for a project she did in Miss Coppoletta's LA/Reading class!

MONSTER SLAM!!

2010-11-05T20:18:00.003-05:00

The Bulls aren't looking too good this season, but this is crazy good.

Windows Movie Maker on Windows 7 Machines

2010-11-01T15:57:00.002-05:00

Today, Matt M. in 4th period mentioned that Windows Movie Maker is not pre-installed on Windows 7 machines. I told him I was unsure about that, but that I would see what I could find out. In fact, Matt is correct. Movie Maker isn't pre-installed, however, you can download it for free and install it. It is part of a package called Windows Live Essentials and is available here: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials?os=other. You can choose which parts of Windows Live Essentials you install. Thank you, Matt, for pointing that out!

Checkup

2010-10-28T21:19:00.004-05:00

Just curious --- How did you do yesterday and today? Did you show empathy to your fellow classmates?
If so, great job! Do it every day, and every day you'll feel very proud of yourself.

It's Pumpkin Carving Time!!

2010-10-28T21:08:00.001-05:00

Life-long Learning

2010-10-27T17:30:00.004-05:00

A colleague in my personal learning network posed the questions "Are you a life-time learner?", "Why do you continue learning?" and "What benefits does it give you?"
So, since I was answering his questions, I thought I'd post my response here, as well:

I am a life-long learner because I want to be a better person today, than I was yesterday, and a better person tomorrow, than I am today. Being a life-long learner provides me with empathy for others trying to learn, insight into what is to come, wisdom resulting from my multitude of mistakes, and a deeper understanding of how much more there is to learn. Learning motivates me, excites me, encourages me, and challenges me. For me, to learn is to live and to live is to learn.

Are you a lifelong learner?? Why or why not?

New Uses for Old Things

2010-10-25T10:10:00.004-05:00

One of the coolest aspects of the internet is its incredible ability to teach us all kinds of things. This provides great ideas for repurposing, reusing, and recycling!!
If the link isn't working, copy and paste this into your browser address bar: http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/new-uses-for-old-things/favorite-new-uses-00000000019718/print-index.html

Vocabulary Learning has Application in Learning Computer Skills

2010-10-23T12:13:00.005-05:00

I've seen it said many times, "Use a word 3 times and it’s yours!". It occurs to me that learning various computer skills, tips, or tricks can be described equivalently. Use a computer skill/tip/trick 3 times and it's yours!! Often times, however, when we want to learn to do something, we may research extensively to find out how to do it, but, then, we do it only that one time. By the next time we need to do it, perhaps months, or even a year later, we have to do the research all over again. Why? Because we didn't use it enough for it to be part of our working techabulary/skills bank. The use of technology involves an incredibly large amount of "working knowledge" which is a combination of techabulary and computer skills. The more techabulary/computer skills we have, the more likely we are to take advantage of the tech. tools we have at our disposal. The less techabulary/computer skills, the more likely we will turn to conventional methods of accomplishing our goal. With students, (and educators, as well) we must work to improve this aspect of their education, by ensuring multiple opportunities to apply various skills, tips and tricks, and hear and use the techabulary, if we want them to embrace using it and recognize the value of these tools in their lives - above and beyond the simple texting, game-playing, and social networking that dominates their usage.

Helpful Site

2010-10-19T15:05:00.003-05:00

This site is, mainly, for you parents out there. Have you ever had a .pdf file that you wanted to be able to fill out but were unable to do so? This website, www.fillanypdf.com/ allows you to upload any .pdf file, fill it out, and save a copy of it. Of course, from the saved file, you can print.
Nice, handy, tool!!

Personal Marketing Brochures

2010-10-14T20:10:00.002-05:00

Lakeview's 6th graders are just finishing up their personal marketing brochures. Their brochures are marketing some type of service that they are either currently qualified to offer, or a service they believe they may be qualified to provide when they are adults. For example, some students teach various musical instruments, sports skills, or particular hobbies, such as skateboarding or origami, while others provide services such as babysitting, lawn mowing, or snow shoveling. They have learned how to use the templates provided by Microsoft Publisher, as well as many other features of the program. In the process, we have spent a great deal of time discussing smart searching and how search engines, such as Google and Altavista, help us find what we need online IF we take advantage of our smart searching skills. Ask your child to tell you at least one new thing they learned about their topic and one new website they found, as a result of their research.

2010-10-08T16:40:00.001-05:00

This: www.printwhatyoulike.com is totally cool! Allows you to edit any website, any way you like, so you can print only what you want of it. (You can get rid of ads, move stuff around, resize stuff, etc.) Super simple to use and you can save the result as a .pdf file, as well. Really cute, too, as it gives you an accounting of the number of trees you've saved, money saved, CO2 saved, etc., by printing fewer pages and using less ink/toner.

Our Houses are Awesome!

2010-10-01T14:39:00.001-05:00

This week the kids finished up their Google Sketchup houses! They did an awesome job learning a new piece of software that isn't at all simple to use. I was impressed by how hard they all worked to create their home or their dream home.
We, also, got to try out something new to Computer Education - the electronic bulletin board! The kids animated their houses and saved them as movies like mine below. We, then, set up a monitor in the window of the classroom and have the movies of the kids houses playing. It has been a very popular stopping point for kids in the hallway, as they enjoy seeing the 6th graders' projects.
I am so amazed, on a daily basis, with all we are able to do. SUPER job, 6th graders!!

Oh, and one last thing to get you psyched for this weekend's game:

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Search tips from Google

2010-10-01T14:34:00.002-05:00

Check out these 15 second search tips for Google!

If you are using Google Chrome, you can use these tips right in the address bar at the top of Chrome.

Check Out How You Can Animate Your Home!

2010-09-23T20:38:00.002-05:00

Here's my trial animation of my home. Pretty cool!!

Useful Websites

2010-09-21T08:11:00.002-05:00

Below are links to a couple of websites that might be useful (along with a short description).

http://www.truthorfiction.com/search.htm - When you receive e-mails and you are wondering about their authenticity, check here. Just type in the subject line of the e-mail, or a short description of the topic of the e-mail. Truth or Fiction will give you an explanation of the e-mail, including what is true, what is false, and a little about the history of the e-mail.
http://www.snopes.com/info/search/search.asp - Snopes is another site that can be used similarly to Truth or Fiction, to determine the validity of an e-mail claim.

In class, we have talked about the importance of good citizenship when using e-mail. Verifying information received in e-mail, and ensuring that you are not passing on inaccurate information are points that have been discussed in class.

Free Music for Your Videos

2010-09-15T20:12:00.003-05:00

This site is a great resource if you are creating movies that you want to upload to YouTube or movies you might make of your family vacation, etc. According to the site: "Use these free music tracks & free sound effects for any production - advertising, education, videos, photos, YouTube...etc.
These music tracks can be looped seamlessly & repeated to create a longer music track for your projects.
You only need to link to our website from yours:
"Music by JewelBeat. Download your free music and free sound effects at www.jewelbeat.com."
Thanks and enjoy!"
It's always great to find a new resource to soundtrack your movies!!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

2010-09-13T14:56:00.004-05:00

The students have been working very hard on their keyboarding skills, as well as their word processing skills. They've learned how to automatically insert the date, turn on and off bold, italics and underline from the keyboard, use the numbering feature and double-space.
While giving me a glimpse of who they are, the students have created "Wordles" that are very cool, indeed! Below is my sample Wordle:

The kids' are even cooler and many can be seen on the bulletin boards outside my room!!

Lakeview Alum in the News

2010-09-08T19:06:00.007-05:00

Every once in a while I like to highlight one of our former students who has gone on to great things. Today, I'm highlighting Nicole (Molzahn) DeBoom. Nicole was a tremendous student and athlete in junior high and continued using both her brains (at Yale and as CEO of her business, Skirt Sports) and her athletic ability (as a college swimmer and professional triathlete). The thing I loved most about Nicole was her tremendously upbeat attitude. She always had a smile on her face and was a blast to be around. We had so much fun both in class and with the track team. And her class was filled with talented students and athletes, particularly in track. Nicole recently competed (and won) a triathlon after being away from the sport for 5 years. (She is pictured winning the Wisconsin Ironman Triathlon, several years ago.) If you'd like to read more about Nicole DeBoom you can do so here.

Click here to see all my Alumni Posts!

And, We're Off

2010-08-27T15:06:00.006-05:00

Off to a great start! The kids have acclimated to 6th grade very quickly! With all the smiles I saw today, I'm pretty sure, starting 6th grade is a past worry. We had some fun, today, working on our nametags and, hopefully, we'll finish them up on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone!

First Assignment

2010-08-26T13:34:00.002-05:00

Click here to get a copy of the first assignment if you misplaced your copy.

Welcome Back, Everyone!

2010-08-18T17:44:00.002-05:00

I'm looking forward to meeting my new 6th grade students!! I hope you are all ready to have some fun. It's my goal for Computer Education to be one of your favorite times of the day! We're going to have a ton of fun, and, hopefully, improve our computer skills at the same time. Take a look around my blog. I bet you'll find some stuff that's worth your time!
~ Mrs. Foellmer

Summer Slump?

2010-07-29T21:47:00.003-05:00

If you are looking for something to do with the rest of your summer, check out any/all of the following sites:
-Energy Kids
-Genna's World - Creative Writing by someone your age
-Kids' Activities
-Love Animals? - Henry's Book Club
-Bodyworks Games
-Science Toy Maker
-In Search of the Ways of Knowing Trail
-Switcheroo Zoo

Have a Great Summer!!

2010-06-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

A Memorial Day to Remember

2010-05-31T16:18:00.019-05:00

I had the distinct honor to be just 10 rows from President Barack Obama at the Lincoln National Cemetery today. Unfortunately, he was only able to tell us to head to safety, as a thunderstorm, along with some pretty nasty lightning, cut the ceremony short. None the less, I thought you might enjoy seeing what I saw, today.
(Hint: if you hold down Ctrl and hit the "+" sign, you can see enlarged pics.)

Picture of Pres. Obama under Umbrella courtesy of AP Images.