Technology from SCS Elementary

The second graders have been using KidPix to learn about ways to use computers to type, edit, illustrate, and erase. Recently, they made “sentence stretcher” stories. They learned/reviewed how to type, resize, center, and edit text in a text box. They chose between a variety of drawing and stamp tools to illustrate their sentences. They also were able to use eraser/undo tools to help them as they illustrated their stories.

This lesson supports the second grade Common Core standard:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1.f
Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences.

The second graders did a great job working on these stories. Click on each image to see it in larger size.

Here is a gallery showing their stories. (Note: a few students were absent when we worked on this project, so their stories are missing.)

The second graders recently completed ocean reef pictures during technology class. We first viewed a video about coral reefs before starting our pictures.

In this assignment students learned/reviewed how to:

• save and open files
• use paint/fill and drawing tools
• use, resize, and edit stamps and stickers
• make and type in a text box
• use the caps lock and delete keys

Here’s a music video showing their lovely ocean pictures. Enjoy! (Note, a few student pictures may be missing because students were absent when they were finished and printed.)

The second graders had some fun this week working on exporting and importing files by using selfie pictures they took with our webcams and PhotoBooth on our Mac computers. They exported the photos onto their Macs and then learned how to import them into KidPix. Students then used the “blender” tool to explore how filters can be used to creatively alter a photo. If they forgot to use “undo” after each filter, they had to upload the file again, which was great practice and helped them become independent at working with menu commands and uploading files.

At the end of the lesson, students had fun creating disguises using the drawing, paint, sticker, and stamp tools in Kidpix. Here are some photos of their filtered and disguised faces. (Click on a photo to see it larger.)