Friday, December 2, 2011

In the classroom: 
1. Self-Starter: Worksheet about Vocabulary for Online Computer Databases

2. How to cite World Book and Sirs Discoverer
Look toward the bottom of the page for an already-created bibliography entry!  Just copy and paste it. 
Examples
Christopher Paolini:
"Author's Success Rooted in Family, Landscape." Teacher Magazine. Sept. 19 2008: n.p. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 02 Dec 2011.
"Dragon Tales." Washington Post. 06 Nov 2011: Y1. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 02 Dec 2011.

Cech, John. "Paolini, Christopher." World Book Student. World Book, 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.


Another example:
Giannetti, Louis. "Ball, Lucille." World Book Student. World Book, 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.

Computer Lab 201
Today you will sit with your partner, if you have one.

I.  Start out with 
Research on the Internet Revised.doc.   This part was  due last time. Finish it, print it, and hand it in if you haven't.  Open this document and use the links to find usable websites. (30 points, due by end of class today -- Show completed work to Ms. Dorsey.) This will help you use several different search engines to find sources of information about your celebrity.

Once you have at least 5 possible sources for an individual or 8 for a pair,  start evaluating each source by going on to Roman numeral  II.

____________________________________________

Get as much done today as you can on your Website Evaluations.

We will be in the computer lab again on December 8. 
After today you will only have two more times to finish up your website evaluations and get them handed in. 

II. ABC Website Evaluation 2.doc  Open this document and copy it  three times  -- giving it a slightly different name each time.  You will need at least five evaluations together if you are working with a partner -- giving it a slightly different name each time.   (60 Points, due by December 12) 

For each web evaluation, you will
1)  Evaluate the site by answering questions 1-14.

Finding the URL:

• If it is a useful article, copy and paste the URL (web address from the address bar) to the document you've saved to your thumb drive. 

Address Bar

2) Take notes on the site on the page titled "Collect Information for your PowerPoint."
3)  Create and record a bibliographic entry for the site.  Use bibme.org.   Copy it to your notes page at the bottom. 

• We will  continue to work on these next time.   You could also do these from home.   Don't forget to save your work on a thumb drive  if you work at home or at another computer not linked to your school file.  If you are working in Lab 201 or 211 or a keyboarding class, save to your own file as well as to a thumb drive/flash drive. 
• If you are working alone, you will need three of these (each for a different site), and if you are working as a pair, you will need five website evaluations (each for a different site).  
• When you have a website evaluation filled in and have taken notes on it, save it, print it, and have Ms. Dorsey check it off. 

______________________________________________

Create a bibliography entry for each website. 

III.  Bibme for Creating a Bibliography
This is the easiest bibliography maker I've found. 

bibme.org

You can use it for our purposes without registering.
You need to register if you want to use all the features, but that's free.  You don't need to register for our purposes.

Try it.  When you first get to it, you need to click on the orange tab in the center for  "Website."

Directions:

• As you are researching, save the URL for each site you find useful.
• When you get to the site bibme.org, click on the middle tab marked "website."
• Copy the URL (in the address bar) for the site you are taking information from.
• Click on "Load Info."
• Look on the website you want to use for a sponsor or publisher and date created.  You can often find that information at the bottom of the page.  The sponsor/publisher will not be a company that does web design.   It will often be a company, corporation, or individual. If there is not a current date last updated, you could use the copyright date -- again at the bottom of the page.   
• Fill in the information you find in the appropriate spaces.
• Look for an author (writer) of the information.  Add that.
• Click on Add to My Bibliography.
• Look in the right hand column for the bibliography entry created for you. Copy that and save it or add it to your web evaluation or to another word document saved on your thumb drive or in your own student file.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

In Class
1. Steps for your Project
2. How to do the Website Evaluations


Computer Lab 201
Today you will sit with your partner, if you have one.

I.  Start out with 
Research on the Internet Revised.doc.   This part only is due today.  Open this document and use the links to find usable websites. (30 points, due by end of class today -- Show completed work to Ms. Dorsey.) This will help you use several different search engines to find sources of information about your celebrity.

Once you have at least 5 possible sources for an individual or 8 for a pair,  start evaluating each source by going on to Roman numeral  II.

This part only is due today. 

____________________________________________

II. ABC Website Evaluation 2.doc  Open this document and copy it  three times  -- giving it a slightly different name each time.  You will need at least five evaluations together if you are working with a partner -- giving it a slightly different name each time.   (60 Points, due by December 12) 

For each web evaluation, you will
1)  Evaluate the site by answering questions 1-14.

Finding the URL:

• If it is a useful article, copy and paste the URL (web address from the address bar) to the document you've saved to your thumb drive. 

Address Bar

2) Take notes on the site on the page titled "Collect Information for your PowerPoint."
3)  Create and record a bibliographic entry for the site.  Use bibme.org.   Copy it to your notes page at the bottom. 

• We will  continue to work on these next time.   You could also do these from home.   Don't forget to save your work on a thumb drive  if you work at home or at another computer not linked to your school file.  If you are working in Lab 201 or 211 or a keyboarding class, save to your own file as well as to a thumb drive/flash drive. 
• If you are working alone, you will need three of these (each for a different site), and if you are working as a pair, you will need five website evaluations (each for a different site).  
• When you have a website evaluation filled in and have taken notes on it, save it, print it, and have Ms. Dorsey check it off. 

______________________________________________

III.  Bibme for Creating a Bibliography
This is the easiest bibliography maker I've found. 

bibme.org

You can use it for our purposes without registering.
You need to register if you want to use all the features, but that's free.  You don't need to register for our purposes.

Try it.  When you first get to it, you need to click on the orange tab in the center for  "Website."

Directions:

• As you are researching, save the URL for each site you find useful.
• When you get to the site bibme.org, click on the middle tab marked "website."
• Copy the URL (in the address bar) for the site you are taking information from.
• Click on "Load Info."
• Look on the website you want to use for a sponsor or publisher and date created.  You can often find that information at the bottom of the page.  The sponsor/publisher will not be a company that does web design.   It will often be a company, corporation, or individual. If there is not a current date last updated, you could use the copyright date -- again at the bottom of the page.   
• Fill in the information you find in the appropriate spaces.
• Look for an author (writer) of the information.  Add that.
• Click on Add to My Bibliography.
• Look in the right hand column for the bibliography entry created for you. Copy that and save it or add it to your web evaluation or to another word document saved on your thumb drive or in your own student file.

Lexile Levels

The new state core is moving to the "stretch" band.

Grade Band	Current Lexile Band	"Stretch" Lexile Band
K–1	N/A	N/A
2–3	450L–725L	450L–790L
4–5	645L–845L	770L–980L
6–8	860L–1010L	955L–1155L
9-10	960L–1115L	1080L–1305L

Steps for Your Celebrity Web Project

View this PowerPoint:  Steps for Celebrity Project.pptx

Or just read through the steps listed here:
Order for Doing the Celebrity Web Assignment:
1. Select a celebrity and optional partner.
2.  Use various search engines to find possible sites to use for research. (five for individual and eight for partners)
3a Select sites to evaluate.  Fill out  website evaluation forms for three if you are working alone, or for five as partners. 
3b.  As you complete the website evaluations, also take notes on each site -- finding information you can use when you put together your PowerPoint.
3c. Make sure you prepare a bibliography entry for each source you will use.  
(You should have all website evaluations completed, printed, and checked off by Ms. Dorsey by December 12.)
4.  After you have completed your three or five website evaluations, begin working on your PowerPoint. 
5.  Complete the PowerPoint by January 4.
 

Monday, November 28, 2011

1. Self-Starter:  Individual Reading Time -- Pass out logs
2. Crossword about Working with Computers, Internet, Research
3. Fluency Partner Practice
4. Put all papers away in your individual folders


___________________________________________
About the Celebrity Web Assignment

Order for Doing the Celebrity Web Assignment:
1. Select a celebrity and optional partner.
2.  Use various search engines to find possible sites to use for research. (five for individual and eight for partners)
3a Select sites to evaluate.  Fill out  website evaluation forms for three if you are working alone, or for five as partners. 
3b.  As you complete the website evaluations, also take notes on each site -- finding information you can use when you put together your PowerPoint.
3c. Make sure you prepare a bibliography entry for each source you will use.  
(You should have all website evaluations completed, printed, and checked off by Ms. Dorsey by December 12.)
4.  After you have completed your three or five website evaluations, begin working on your PowerPoint. 
5.  Complete the PowerPoint by January 4.



Next time we will work on research and completing web evaluations the sites you use for your celebrity project.
Research on the Internet Revised.doc

Once you have at least 5 possible sources for an individual or 8 for a pair,  Start evaluating each source.


ABC Website Evaluation 2.doc

• We will  work on these next time.   You could also do these from home.   Don't forget to save your work on a thumb drive  if you work at home or at another computer not linked to your school file.  If you are working in Lab 201 or 211 or a keyboarding class, save to your own file as well as to a thumb drive/flash drive. 
• If you are working alone, you will need three of these (each for a different site), and if you are working as a pair, you will need five website evaluations (each for a different site).  
• When you have a website evaluation filled in and have taken notes on it, save it, print it, and have Ms. Dorsey check it off.

Here is a sample PowerPoint:  emma watson example.ppt 

Here is another sample PowerPoint:  Jack Johnson REV.ppt  

November 21, 2011

Self-Starter:   a. Sign up for the celebrity you wish to research this term.
b.  Read through the worksheet, and see if you can already answer any of the questions.

Plagiarism vs. Synthesis


Reading Strategy:  Determining Importance and Summarizing
Don't try to write down everything.  Take notes on the most important and most interesting information.
Put it into your own words so you aren't plagiarizing, but check to make sure you didn't change the meaning.

Today you will not be able to save work to your own file. There is no way to save work unless you brought a thumb drive/flash drive.

Computer Lab  223 -- Computer lab for Plagiarism exercise
Part I: 
1. Learning about Plagiarism
a. Go to   http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/plagiarism.html#
b. Listen to and read along with the information about plagiarism.
c. Answer the questions on the worksheet.    To download, after you've used this link Plagiarism Computer Exercise.docx,  or  
 Plagiarism Computer Exercise.doc click on the download tab.



Part II.   

Is this Plagiarism? 

Use the link here  to go to
http://www.loislowry.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=196


Answer the questions on the worksheet.

Part III.  Bibme for Creating a Bibliography
This is the easiest bibliography maker I've found. 

bibme.org

You can use it for our purposes without registering.
You need to register if you want to use all the features, but that's free.  You don't need to register for our purposes.

Try it.  When you first get to it, you need to click on the orange tab in the center for  "Website."

Directions:

• As you are researching, save the URL for each site you find useful.
• When you get to the site bibme.org, click on the middle tab marked "website."
• Copy the URL (in the address bar) for the site you are taking information from.  In this case it will be http://www.loislowry.com
• Click on "Load Info."
• Look on the website you want to use for a sponsor or publisher and date created.  You can often find that information at the bottom of the page.  The sponsor/publisher will not be a company that does web design.   It will often be a company, corporation, or individual. If there is not a current date last updated, you could use the copyright date -- again at the bottom of the page.   
• Fill in the information you find in the appropriate spaces.
• Look for an author (writer) of the information.  Add that.
• Click on Add to My Bibliography.
• Look in the right hand column for the bibliography entry created for you. Copy that and save it or add it to your web evaluation or to another word document saved on your thumb drive or in your own student file.

  http://www.bibme.org/

You need to use bibme to create bibliography entries -- unless you are using an online encyclopedia or other source that gives them a bibliography entry at the bottom of the web page!

A bibliography entry (which goes on the last slide of the PowerPoint) looks like this:
Scott, Westerfeld. " westerblog." westerblog. Scott Westerfeld, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. 

not like this:
http://scottwesterfeld.com/

___________________________________

Part IV. 
If you have extra time, review safe cyberspace surfing at http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/house/internet_safety.html?tracking=K_RelatedArticle 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

New Rotation Begins! November 17, 2011

Welcome to my new students!

Rotation 3:  Students will move from Ms. Dorsey's class to Mrs. Fugal's, and from Ms. Gadd's class to Ms. Dorsey's.

Applying Reading Strategies to Computer Literacy, Research, and Presentation

You will be graded on

Participation                             100 points

Website Evaluations                  60 points

Celebrity PowerPoint Presentation 

78 points

View and Evaluate Other Presentations

20 points

Reading Log (reading during individual reading time, then filling out the log)

Points available vary depending on how many times we have individual reading time.

In case you are absent, pick up the pink make-up form.

Partner Fluency Practice Log

Points available vary depending on how many times we have fluency practice.

Various other daily assignments

Completing end-of-semester assessments and surveys 

Term Project Due Dates:

Your web evaluations will all be due by December 12.

You Celebrity PowerPoint is due by the end of class on January  4 and will be presented on January 6.

_______________________________________________________

Thursday, November 17

In the Classroom:

Self-Starter:  Introduction to web project -- Be thinking about  celebrities  (famous people) you would like to learn more about.    --- handout with suggested celebrities
Looking for Celebrities:
http://www.notablebiographies.com/

Rules for Computer Lab -- SG

Handouts   -- Welcome and Overview,  Media Literacy  --  You will be SMARTER!

The Project:
Here is a sample PowerPoint:  emma watson example.ppt 
The Challenge --- Finding reliable sources!
Looking at Websites: 
http://www.loislowry.com

Finding Sources on the Internet -- besides Google:
Research on the Internet

 In the Computer Lab:

I.  Finding Sources -- Tutorial

Today we will learn about searching the Internet using an interactive tutorial at  http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course

1. Go to the above web address (URL) and then  
2. click on START
3. then click on 06 Searching -- See an illustration of the icon below.  Clicking on the icons here will not work.

Illustrations only. Find these icons on the site

 and click on them there. Clicking on these illustrations will not work.

4. then do the Weakest Link quiz,

II.  Finding Sources for your possible celebrity 

5. If you still have time, open this document, and start researching a celebrity you think you might use:
Research on the Internet Revised.doc
Save it in your own file on the school server.  Go to My Computer and look for your student number on an icon.
_______________________________________

Term Project Due Dates:

Your web evaluations will all be due by December 12.

You Celebrity PowerPoint is due by the end of class on January  4 and will be presented on January 6. 

Today's Schedule  w/out CAVE Time

Time	Period	Minutes
8:15 – 9:40	1st Period	85 minutes
9:45 – 11:15	2nd Period/Announcements	90 minutes
11:15 – 11:45	First Lunch	30 minutes
11:50 – 1:15	3rd Period	85 minutes
11:20 – 12:45	3rd Period	85 minutes
12:45 – 1:15	Second Lunch	30 minutes
1:20 – 2:45	4th Period	85 minutes

New Rotation for my "Old" Students

Those of you who have been in Ms. Dorsey's class will go today to Mrs. Fugal's classroom on Thursday, November 17.

Room 230









Don't forget to return any make-up reading sheets you may need to complete.  Also, turn in any end-of-rotation reflections/surveys or other assignments still ungraded. Turn them in before you go to the new rotation.

Keep on Reading!
http://www.schooltube.com/video/e9bd79d29b4d0e6a2345/Gotta%20Keep%20Reading%20-%20Ocoee%20Middle%20School

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Read-a-thon

Bring a book!
If you'd like to, bring treats.
Also, if you'd like, bring a pillow to sit on.


If you didn't hand in the end-of-rotation survey last time, please complete one and hand it in.  Turn in any make-up work before the Thanksgiving Break. 

November 22 is the last day to turn in work for this rotation.

Flash mob for reading!

Friday, November 11, 2011

 1. Individual Reading and Fill out Log
2. Fluency Partner Practice
3.  End of Rotation Survey
4.  11-11-11-11- Short Story

Next time: Read-a-Thon
Bring a book, treats!, pillow?

Happy 11-11-11!
We are reading a story called "Eleven."
Short Story:  Eleven by Sandra Cisneros

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Computer Lab
Share PowerPoints and Record notes on viewing them.
Hand in notes.

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Reading Strategy #1 
Metacognition: Noticing your own thinking.

  IAMNOWHERE!
Story about tennis player
Do you pay attention?  


Practice Noticing Inner Voices
Practice  with article about Internet Safety

Plan, Notice, Adapt
Julian Smith -- "I'm Readin' a Book!"   

Individual Reading Time with Reading Log

Internet Safety 
Plagiarism? 

Monday, November 7, 2011

We will spend the period in the computer lab to finish the PowerPoints which will be presented next time.
Below is a template you could use for your celebrity powerpoint:
Celebrity PowerPoint Template.ppt

 Next time you will present your PowerPoints.  

Our class will meet again on the 11th and the 15th.  
On the 17th you will move to Mrs. Fugal's class --  Room 230. 


If you haven't handed in all of your web evaluations, make sure you do that by the 15th.

Here's the Zombie song.  You can listen to and watch it at home, if you'd like.  It's blocked at school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPNqub966Tw&feature=player_embedded