Week of Dec.12-16th

Hi Gr.8's,

This week we will continue with keyboarding practice, only this week I'll be starting TECHNIQUE CHECKS! That's right, now I'll be checking your posture, foot placement, finger placement, etc. so be warned! :P

Last Friday you learned about tables, and as mentioned, you will be creating a Calendar, which is both a fun and practical use of tables. Your calendar should look something like this:

 Following your calendar assignment, if time permits, I will also teach you how to make your own Mazes!

This week my goal is also to give you your passwords for the student and class folders, so stay tuned for that.

On Friday, and possibly even as early as Thursday, we will watch a Christmas movie in class. I have a number of different movies for you to choose from, so I have created a POLL at the top of my webpage!

PLEASE VOTE FOR ONE MOVIE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MOST. 

Now Playing in C125...

Thanks for voting and see you in class!

Week of Dec.5-9th

Hey Everyone!

On Monday we will begin with our regular keyboarding warm up. I'd like you to really focus on using proper technique, because I'll  start marking you very soon! Following that you'll have class time to create a Christmas-themed poster. This will be very similar to the practice you did in class last week, except that you'll also have to include regular text as well.
I'll be reviewing some formatting techniques, as well as the cool special effects like adding borders, reflections and dimension to your pictures!

Once you've finished your posters you'll learn how to add bullets, change the line spacing, change the margins, insert page numbers, and more, as you do a recipe assignment and a format an article.

See you in class!

Week of Nov.28-Dec.5

Hi Gr.8's,

Well this week I'll be saying Good-bye to my Rotation 2 group and Hello to my Rotation 3 group!

For Rotation 2, we have two more days together...Monday and Tuesday, and then you will be moving on to Art with Ms.Ranasuriya starting Wednesday Nov.30th. If you are not yet done your typing tests, your brochure, or your Power Point, ENSURE YOU HAND IT IN by Tuesday. I will do my best to finish marking your Power Point projects by then so that you can see your final mark. However, if not, please feel free to stop by my room in the future to check your mark!

Rotation 3- Welcome to Info Tech 8, and the final portion of your rotation! For the first week I'll introduce you to the course, what will be expected of you, keyboarding and proper keyboarding technique, and you will begin practicing your typing! More on this next week.

Have a great week everybody!

-Ms.Sundin :)

Week of Nov.21-25

Hi Everybody!

This week you should be done all your typing tests. If not, then be sure to get them done up to and including Test 4c and hand your sheet in ASAP!  We will continue practicing typing, but we can have more fun using tying games instead :)

Last week I went over your final project-a Power Point presentation called "All About Me".

This week you will get pictures for your project and you will continue working on your slides. Remember, you need to include:

• 8 slides total
• Word Art titles for each slide
• Use regular text for your content but change the font, color, size, etc.
• Include clip art pictures and real pictures
• Make unique background slides
• Add a different transition for each slide
• Animate all pictures and textboxes
• Add 2 appropriate sound effects
• Include a picture of yourself

+ Be creative!! The amount of effort, detail, etc. will contribute to your over all mark as well. Don't forget the custom path animation I taught you as well!!!

Have fun with this assignment!

See you in class!

Week of Nov.15-18

Hi Gr.8's,

This week as we continue with our keyboarding practice, you will finish the Typing Tests and hand in your test sheet for a mark. I will also be doing some more technique checks so that I can get those marks tallied and added into your overall grade.

You should be done your brochure by now. If you aren't, you will need to make arrangements to work in the library at lunch (if you've saved your project to your student folder you will be able to access it in the library), take it home, or stay for a few minutes after school each day this week. I won't be able to stay long this Tuesday, but Wednesday and Thursday I'll be in my room for about 30 minutes if you'd like to come and work. Just let me know! Remember, you've had ample class time to work on your brochure. If you're not done, it is your responsibility to get it done and handed in ASAP!

This week we will be spending a little bit more time on Excel spreadsheets. I will briefly review the basics of the spreadsheet like many of you saw last week, and then I will teach you how to do some basic formulas. On Wednesday. which is also our double-block, if not sooner, I'll be introducing you to Power Point Presentations, which as many of you know, is a great, and very common form of presentation software. You will be doing one final big project on it, called "All About Me". That's right, you will be telling me all about yourself, which is always a fun project that students enjoy doing, and I enjoy marking! :)

See you in class!

Week 10- Nov. 7- Nov.10

Hi Everyone!

This week we will continue with typing tests 2d- 2e-2f , as well as with technique checks. You'll have the rest of this week to continue working on your Brochure, which is our final project using Microsoft Word. 

On Monday I will review how to make the coupon and show you how to add a map to your brochure! To help you gauge your in-class time, you should be completely finished page 1 of the brochure by the end of class on Tuesday, start your second page on Wednesday, and be finished your brochure by the end of class on Thursday! Expect to hand your brochure in electronically on Thursday, because we will be starting our final project in Power Point next Tuesday November 15th. 



Please work hard and ensure you are using your in-class time effectively!!! This means staying seated and not chatting more than working!

See you in class!

Week 9- Oct. 31- Nov. 4

Hi Gr.8's,

On Friday of last week I showed you how to make a table and format it, color it, clear it, move it, etc.

On Monday, we will start with our keyboarding warm up playing TRICK OR TYPE. Then we will spend a few minutes reviewing the basics of tables from Friday. I will then teach you how to make a fun Halloween Maze using tables and the eraser tool!

On Tuesday I will go over your main tables assignment- making a Calendar! You will have two classes to complete this assignment, before we move on to our final assignment using Microsoft Word. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I hope that we can resolve any of the log in issues to the student network folder so that you can all save your work properly. A USB is a great option as a back up!

Don't forget to dress up in your Halloween costumes on Monday! I look forward to seeing you!

Week 8- Oct.24-28

Last week we started learning about keyboarding and proper typing technique.
It is very important to undo bad habits that you may have learned as a child and re-learn how to type properly with the proper fingers on the proper keys! 'Hunting and Pecking' is NOT ALLOWED! :) The focus will be your effort to type properly using all of the correct fingers with good technique and to make minimal errors. Accuracy is everything! You will not be marked on speed!

We will review proper technique and you will have ample opportunity to practice typing, starting with everyone's favorite, HOME ROW! :) We will continue using the program All the Right Type, but don't worry, I have many online typing game sites that we can practice on too!

Last week, we also started learning about Microsoft Word and how to format documents, add page borders, add Word Art and add and format pictures! You will have some more class time to finish working on your Halloween/Birthday Party posters, and I will show you some more cool effects that you can try!

Stay tuned for more....

See you in class! :)

Week 7- Oct.17-21

Welcome to Info Tech 8!

CSI stands for 'Creative Skills and Information Technology'. As you know, this is a rotational course that gives you a taste of 3 different subject areas: Art, Drama, and Info Tech! You have just finished Drama, the first rotation of this rotational course and are now beginning the second rotation- Info Tech with me! Each rotation is approximately 7 weeks in length and your mark at the end of the semester will be a combined mark for all 3 courses.

In Info Tech 8 my goal is to ensure every Grade 8 student leaves my class with the skills to create professional and creative assignments for school. We will be studying:

• Keyboarding & Proper Technique (throughout the course)
• Microsoft Word Processing
• Microsoft Power Point Presentations

and if time allows, possibly...

• Photoshop
• Excel Spreadsheets

This course will help you in your other subject areas when it comes to doing assignments and projects such as essays, reports, newspapers, brochures, and presentations on the computer.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your success in this course is highly dependent on your being in class each day and USING YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY! I give plenty of class time for you to work on the computer to complete your assignments. However, if you don't finish your work in time before we move on to the next assignment, it is your responsibility to work outside of class to get it finished. You may ask to stay after school in my computer lab (just please ask ahead of time), you may work on the library computers at lunch time, &/or you may work at home on your own computer. That being said however, you need to have the same software programs we are using as well as a way to get your work from home to school. It is therefore STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to get a USB Memory Stick (see picture below) for this class. I am not forcing anyone to get one, but it is a very good idea and would be useful in all of your courses throughout high school and beyond! (I wear mine around my neck and use it everyday!) It will make your life much easier to have a way to back up your work and transfer it from computer to computer, especially in the face of computer crashes and network failures on the school's server. For purposes of school, I would suggest you get a 4GB USB at most. You don't need anything bigger than that. Even a 2GB USB would be fine. You can buy them virtually anywhere, such as Walmart, Zellers, London Drugs, Staples, etc. They can range anywhere from $5-$20. Don't pay more than that and watch for sales!

USB Memory Device

Anyway, check back to this site regularly for updates on what we are doing in class and what assignments should be handed in and by when. I'll do my best to update this site weekly. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email me at the email posted on this page under "About Me"

I look forward to teaching you all this semester!

Week 6- Oct..11-14

Hi Everybody!

This week is our final week together in Info Tech! Monday Oct.17th is the LAST CLASS we have together in rotation 1 so come to class as usual that day. You will begin the second rotation of the CSI 8 course in Art on Tuesday October 18th in Rm B112 with Ms.Ranasuriya.

Last week I updated and posted your current mark in this class so you know your current progress. I commend you all on keeping up and getting all of your work done! Speaking of which, you have one more class period to finish your Power Point presentations. Your "All About Me" Power Point must be handed in by the end of class on Tuesday, so that I will have time to mark them and get the marks back to you by Friday!!! If you don't think you will finish in class then you must make arrangements to work at home (use a USB), work on the library computers at lunch, or stay after school in my lab. My room will be available Tuesday and Wednesday after school.

We will of course continue keyboarding practice this week, you will have a chance to share your presentations with your classmates, and we will learn a little bit about Photoshop!

See you in class everyone! I've enjoyed teaching you and wish you all the best in the rest of your courses!!

-Ms.Sundin :)

Week 5- Oct.3-7

Greetings Gr.8's,

We are over half way through this rotation and are onto our final project! This week you will continue on your typing tests and technique checks (naturally :P) and then we will focus on your Power Point project.

Last week you learned how to set up your presentation and use the basics of Power Point, including creating your own background slides, choosing slide layouts, adding your own textbooks, adding slide transitions, adding sound effects, and adding animation to your pictures and words!

On Monday we will review transitions and animation and then I will assign and explain your project, which is "All About Me" (meaning YOU of course!!). If you have any digital pictures, bring them to class on a USB or attach them to a Gmail account (create one if you don't have one). You will need pictures of yourself, your family, friends, pets, hobbies, and interests for this project. Aside from your typing exercises, I will teach you how to use First Class, the school's email software and then you will have the majority of the week to work on your project!

See you in class!

PS. Thank you all for participating in the Terry Fox Run! It was a great success and such a lovely day to be outside!! Good job everyone!

Week 4 - Sept.27-Sept.30

Hi Everyone!


Thank you all for your patience as we work out the kinks in signing into the network folders! Technology is great....WHEN it works! :) However, soon you'll all be used to logging in and out and won't have any issues (but hey, there is still time to get yourself a USB if you don't have one yet!)


This week we will continue  with typing tests and with technique checks. You'll have one more class to finish your Brochure, which is our final project using Microsoft Word. If you aren't finished by the end of Tuesday then you'll have to stay after school or work at lunch or at home to complete it.

On Wednesday we will have an Introduction to Power Point, a very popular presentation software. You will have 1-2 classes to learn the basic operation, how to use slides, add slide transitions and animation. You will then be given a project. More on that to come!!

 

See you in class on Tuesday!

* Reminder: Don't forget to bring your Toonie for the Terry Fox Run. Bring it either Tuesday or Wednesday. The run will take place in our block before lunch, so dress appropriately.

Week 3- Sept.19-23

Hey Everyone!

This week we will of course be keyboarding for the first 10-15 minutes of class. However, this week I will start doing technique checks. Be sure to make your best effort in order to develop good habits (not to mention to get a good grade)!! We will also be starting our Typing tests.

On Monday you'll have a little bit of time to finish your Calendar assignment if you haven't already. Those of you who are finished should work on finishing the Mazes you started last week.You may even have some class time to try completing each other's mazes!

This week we will also start our final project using Microsoft Word...making a custom Brochure for your own store! This is a really fun and also useful project, because you will no doubt be expected to make a brochure for another class assignment sometime in the future. I will teach you how to set up your own brochures, how to make a realistic coupon, and how to insert a map to make your faux brochure look real!! This is my favorite assignment to teach and also to mark, because I am always impressed by the creativity of my students! :)

I sincerely hope your student user ID's and passwords have been reset by the district so that I can teach you how to hand in your work electronically this week! Fingers crossed!! Thank you for your patience...

See you in class!

Week 2- Sept.12-16

Hey Everyone!

On Monday we will begin with our regular keyboarding warm up. I'd like you to really focus on using proper technique, because I'll  start marking you very soon! Following that you'll have class time to finish the Poster you started on Friday, which should be done by the end of class. I'll be reviewing some formatting techniques, as well as showing you some cool special effects you might want to try, like adding borders, reflections and dimension to your pictures!

Once you've finished your posters you'll learn how to add bullets, change the line spacing, change the margins, insert page numbers, and more, as you do a recipe assignment and a format an article.

See you in class!

Week 1

This week we will start learning about keyboarding and proper typing technique.
It is very important to undo bad habits that you may have learned as a child and re-learn how to type properly with the proper fingers on the proper keys! 'Hunting and Pecking' is NOT ALLOWED! :) The focus will be your effort to type properly using all of the correct fingers with good technique and to make minimal errors. Accuracy is everything! You will not be marked on speed!  

We will go over proper technique and watch a video demonstrating this. You will have ample opportunity to practice typing, starting with everyone's favorite, HOME ROW! :) We will use the program All the Right Type, but don't worry, I have many online typing game sites that we can practice on too!

Later this week, we will start learning about Microsoft Word and how to format documents, add page borders, add Word Art and add and format pictures!

Stay tuned for more....

See you in class! :)

Welcome to Info Tech 8!

Do you know what CSI stands for? Although there is a popular TV series with the same name, our class has a different meaning. At LA Matheson CSI stands for 'Creative Skills and Information Technology'. This is a rotational course that gives you a taste of 3 different subject areas: Art, Drama, and Info Tech (my class)! Each rotation is approximately 7 weeks in length and your mark at the end of the semester will be a combined mark for all 3 courses.

In Info Tech 8 my goal is to ensure every Grade 8 student leaves my class with the skills to create professional and creative assignments for school. We will be studying:

• Keyboarding & Proper Technique (throughout the course)
• Microsoft Word Processing
• Microsoft Power Point Presentations

and if time allows, possibly...

• Photoshop
• Excel Spreadsheets

This course will help you in your other subject areas when it comes to doing assignments and projects such as essays, reports, newspapers, brochures, and presentations on the computer.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your success in this course is highly dependent on your being in class each day and USING YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY! I give plenty of class time for you to work on the computer to complete your assignments. However, if you don't finish your work in time before we move on to the next assignment, it is your responsibility to work outside of class to get it finished. You may ask to stay after school in my computer lab (just please ask ahead of time), you may work on the library computers at lunch time, &/or you may work at home on your own computer. That being said however, you need to have the same software programs we are using as well as a way to get your work from home to school. It is therefore STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to get a USB Memory Stick (see picture below) for this class. I am not forcing anyone to get one, but it is a very good idea and would be useful in all of your courses throughout high school and beyond! (I wear mine around my neck and use it everyday!) It will make your life much easier to have a way to back up your work and transfer it from computer to computer, especially in the face of computer crashes and network failures on the school's server. For purposes of school, I would suggest you get a 4GB USB at most. You don't need anything bigger than that. Even a 2GB USB would be fine. You can buy them virtually anywhere, such as Walmart, Zellers, London Drugs, Staples, etc. They can range anywhere from $5-$20. Don't pay more than that and watch for sales!

USB Memory Device

Anyway, check back to this site regularly for updates on what we are doing in class and what assignments should be handed in and by when. I'll do my best to update this site weekly. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email me at the email posted on this page under "About Me"

I look forward to teaching you all this semester!