Chomp, Chomp

Today we are getting to program the alligators we made yesterday.  It is really fun programming them because we can do so many things with them.  We can make our alligators chomp people, speak, and make sounds.

#LittleEngineers

We are making Lego alligators out of robotic Lego pieces. Some things about the process are easy and some are more difficult.  It is kind of hard to find the pieces and make sure they are the right piece. Once you find the pieces it is not that hard. After we finish making the alligators we get to program them.

Leaving a Positive Digital Footprint

Today in class we learned how to have a positive digital footprint when you are online. We learned to not share passwords and personal information. We used Twitter to share what we have learned so far about being safe online with other classes around the world.  We asked if they have any tips to share with us.  We also made comics demonstrating netiquette.  Today in technology we learned a very important lesson for the future!

The Guts of a Computer

Today in Technology we learned about the parts of a computer. We got to look inside an old computer and see it's specific parts in real life. We also watched three videos explaining it and discussed the parts as we learned about them.  We had a great time in Technology!

Crossing the Finish Line

We barely did it!  Time was not working in our favor but somehow we managed to wrap up our @CommonCraft video projects.  You may recall that our previous blog post focused on working together as a team.  That was one of the biggest learning curves that we faced throughout this project.  Learning how to work well in a team as well as how to be a productive contributor to a meaningful project with personalities different from our own might have been our biggest take-away.  We learned to appreciate the different qualities that our teammates "brought to the table".  It wasn't always easy, however.  This brought us to lessons of problem-solving and showing kevod when opinions were different from our own.  As the teacher, I was constantly reminded of the book Getting to Yes and found myself encouraging new strategies in team-building.  In the end, however, we did it!  We chose a topic, collaborated via GoogleDocs, edited our scripts, selected our DIY cut-outs from the Common Craft Cut Out Library, filmed, uploaded, and edited.  We did it.  Ultimately, we enjoyed working together and came to appreciate each other's unique qualities.  What now?  Now, we celebrate our projects.  With that in mind, please enjoy the video below about the different uses of an iPad:

Each of our videos followed the Common Craft meme and as a group, we chose our own topics within the subject of Technology.  Our topics were diverse: how to use MS Word, the benefits of a Mobile Device, Coding in Plain English,  and how to be a good digital citizen.  With such a wide range of topics, we were able to learn from each group as well as from within our own groups.  We hope you will continue to follow us on Twitter @4thTech.

Working as a Team

Working as a team is working together, communicating, and compromising. We have to work as a team because we are using common craft and making are own movies, which requires a lot of different parts.  We may fight a little but we always work it out because of our great teachers.  That is what working as a team is to our class.  I have learned that working as a team can be very helpful, even if you have hard times.  You have to figure out how to work it out.  We have learned a lot working in teams.