Technology

 

SPRING 2025

Pre Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and grades 1 and 2 are using the computer as a tool to enhance classroom lessons. They have been directed to SplashLearn where games are assigned that match the area of study in Math and ELA they are presently learning.  Students may go directly to SplashLearn by following the link on Google classroom. Their log in directions may be found there as well. 

Grade 3 used "Animate" on abcya.com (see the link below) to create a stop animation video. Please check back for the results of their hard work.

Grades 4 - 8 used the stop animation concept to create a gif. Students were required to choose a background, create a "sticker", and then make a slideshow using those. They learned how to convert the slideshow to a pdf, turn the pdf to jpg files, and finally convert the jpg files to a gif. A video of the results will be posted here soon.

All students in grades 1 - 8 will be practicing touch typing. The skills will be introduced in grades 1 - 2, while grades 3 - 8 will continue to fiurther their mastery skills.

Our students participated in "Hour of Code" during the month of December. Students as young as Kindergarten learned block coding, while our older students worked with various programming techniques, some even choosing to learn to write phone apps using the guidance on the website code.org.

 

Students are encouraged to expand their skills in the areas that interest them. A prime example is the work of our 6th Grade student, Ryan. He has created a web page that is populated with games that have been approved as appropriate. Looking for something fun to do? Go to Ryans Games and look around. There is something for everyone!

 

 

 You may reach the parent portal here https://parentportal.eschooldata.com/buffalodiocese

 

As students continue to develop their digital citizen skills they need to keep honing their typing skills. Both are an ongoing process. The links below have provided several sites to develop keyboarding skills which are needed for standardized testing, as NYS implements the new tool, as well as completing school classwork quickly and efficiently. Students may sign into the following website using google classroom: 

https://www.typingclub.com/typing-qwerty-en.html

You may also want to check out this website:

http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games.html

I was contacted by a young girl scout, Jenna, and her mom. Jenna is working on her Netiquette badge as part of the STEM series. She found our site and enjoyed all the links we have. Jenna suggested another, a link for which is here and also below. The link will take you to a page titled "Learning Business Basics: Typing and Keyboarding" on colardollcattorney.com website. You will find several useful links there. Thank you, Jenna, for the suggestion!

Mrs. Ashford and her students at Kingston Schools contacted me about a wonderful keyboarding site they would like to share with you. Please click the link below:
https://www.mapcon.com/us-en/improve-or-maintain-computer-keyboarding-skills Scroll toward the bottom of the page to discover several links. Thank you, Mrs. Kingston and students of Kingston Schools!

I have recently learned about a few new sites, thanks to young Miss Megan, a student of library media specialist Ms. LouAnne Taylor. Ms. Taylor reached out to thank me for the resources listed here and Megan suggested we add the following:

Wristband Express site and this HP website (scroll down) for a list of games.

Thank you, Megan! This is another wonderful resource! 

I'd also like to mention another website sent to me by Ms. Veronica Lang, who "actually started a weekly after school club as a new little project this year… the purpose is for students to have the ability to mingle with friends while also playing fun and educational games via computer or iPad!" We share a passion for teaching and technology! Ms. Lang mentioned her student Chloe in particular! Chloe and her friends enjoyed the websites presented here but she has another suggestion. Please check out SMB Compass. Chloe highly recommends it and this site has some terrific resources. Thank you, Chloe and Ms. Lang. Your hard work is appreciated!

Please ask your child(ren) to share their username and password for Google Classroom so you may monitor their assignments and check their work. You may also contact me and I will give you their log in credentials. Your child's teacher will also invite you to the google classroom summary. Each week you will receive an email with a summary of the work assigned through google classroom.

Please remember to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@cawb1069). 

 

 

 

 

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The purpose of the technology program at Catholic Academy of West Buffalo is to prepare our students for the future. That's a pretty tall order since it is widely believed we are training students for jobs that don't yet exist. There are basic foundations that are universal, however. We use Google Classroom, giving them access to Google Drive. Google drive allows the teacher to assist, comment, and edit on the fly through the cloud. Students will know about network login, cloud storage, and collaboration using Google Suite.  In first grade students are introduced to Word Processing with easy to use programs found at abcya. Second grade is introduced to word processing using Google Docs and by third grade students are inserting and formatting Word Art with Google Draw and graphics by either searching or dragging and dropping. We continue to build on those skills throughout the next few years. Additionally students create spreadsheets using Google Sheets,  create presentations using Google Slides and learn to use the Internet as a research tool as well as safe, educational entertainment resource. Check out coolmath.com a favorite for nearly all grade levels, or abcya.com for grades Pre K - Grade 5.

Mitchell Kapor once said, "Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant. " The aim for this year is to teach the students to use the information available on the Internet in a wise and discerning way. The student shouldn't drown trying to sip from the information available, and  yet they must learn to decide which websites are reliable. To this end students in grades 2 - 8 will do more researching and writing throughout the school year. This will be integrated with Core Curriculum requirements.

"Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding."
      -Louis Vincent Gerstner, Jr., Chairman of the board and chief executive officer of IBM (ret.) 

 

 

                                    

Google classroom is accessed using students username and password. Contact me for more information.

 For those of you who are looking for places to practice Multiplication please use any of the following links:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/menus/multiplication.htm
http://www.math-play.com/multiplication-games.html
and of course, Math Playground. When your student navigates to mathplayground.com they may simply click on their grade level or they can click on the menu in the upper left corner. From there you can search by topic or grade. Have FUN!!

Also, if your child struggles with multiplication table memorization please have them view the following Schoolhouse Rock Multiplication Rock video (it has all of the multiplication videos in one file, you can skip around to find the one your child needs to hear or enjoy them all):