last revised: Tuesday 10/16/07 ... Steve Bergen ... mostly meant for adults
The main goals of what we do in computer class involves skills and enthusiasm. We want students
to have skills at typing, word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and making Web pages. Too many
students spend their time in lower school, high school and college sitting in front of a computer
and "having fun" with e-mail, games, IM-ing, shopping, listening to music videos and YouTube and of course
making FaceBook pages and other social networking sites. If you evaluated the SKILLS of typical high
school and college students, you would for the most part describe it as as PATHETIC. We want our
students at The Children Storefront to better. We want them to have significant and serious skills that
will open up doors for them in high schools and beyond. We are setting the bar high for them which is in sync
with one of our core values of DILIGENCE.
Typing and Keyboarding (we begin in grades 2 and 3)
click here for a free on-line touch-typing program
by Ezra Molkho called www.sense-lang.org that lets you practice your typing on any passage you copy and paste in
challenge 1: how many times can you type SAD in 1 minute with your left hand?
challenge 2: how many times can you type HIPHOP in 1 minute with your right hand?
challenge 3: how many seconds does it take you to type the words from one to ten in a row:
one two three four five six seven eight nine ten
challenge 4: can you type this in one minute? It has 25 words.
On September 10, 1966, Mr. O'Gorman begins The Children's
Storefront as a small program for neighborhood children on
Madison Avenue between 128th and 129th Street.
challenge 5: can you type this in one minute? It has 32 words.
The Children's Storefront was founded in 1966 to provide
a safe haven for Harlem children to engage in a variety of educational
activities; by 1970 it had grown into a formal preschool.
challenge 6: can you type this in one minute? It has 57 words.
On September 10, 1966, Mr. O'Gorman begins The Children's
Storefront as a small program for neighborhood children on
Madison Avenue between 128th and 129th Street. The Children's Storefront was founded in 1966 to provide
a safe haven for Harlem children to engage in a variety of educational
activities; by 1970 it had grown into a formal preschool.
to do special tasks on the PC, you use CONTROL with X,C,V,P, Z
to do special tasks on the MAC, you use APPLE with X,C,V,P, Z
to quit a program on the PC, you use ALT and F4
to quit a program on the Mac, you use APPLE and Q
learning the difference between left click and right click on a PC
learning to use CONTROL click on a Mac to do the same thing the PC users do
The Computer Lab Rules
-- sometimes called an AUP ("acceptable use policy") --
H is for honesty (also one of our core values)
Sample sentence: It is the honest thing to do to not download music from Web sites
unless it is clearly marked as free.
A is for appropriate
Sample sentence: If you someone sends you an e-mail that is inappropriate, you
should talk to an adult.
R is for responsible
Sample sentence: Cleaning up your papers and straightening up the mouse and keyboard when you leave
is the responsible thing to do (as well as logging off on the PC).
L is for legal
Sample sentence: We can install onto our computer network or individual computers only software
that we have legally purchased.
E is for etiquette
Sample sentence: It is proper etiquette on a computer to turn your head when someone is typing
in her or his password.
M is for music
Sample sentence: We do not want you listening to music on computers during the academic day just
like we do not want you listening to headphones while in one of our 3 buildings.
M is also for don't be mean ... we want you to be KIND to your classmates and KIND to the computers
Our Core Values
Perseverance:
As a student here, I under that perseverance is important in the computer lab when stuck on computer
problems. I know that all of us run into problems and that I need to be determined and
Honesty: As a storefront student, I understand that it is the honest thing to do to not download music from Web sites
unless it is clearly marked as free. I also understand that if I go to a Web site that is
inappropriate or against the rules, I need to
be honest and tell my teacher and also quit
out of the Web site right away. I also understand the rules about
academic honesty and citing sources.
Respect: As a storefront student, I understand that computer equipment is fragile and I need to have respect for the equipment.
I also understand that laptops are especially fragile with the hinge and electric plug and that I need to follow all the rules
about the proper use of laptops. If you are younger and have access to a laptop
I need to learn the rules and open properly
Diligence:
As a storefront student, I understand that diligence with my computer work is important, especially with e-mail.
Responsibility:
If I am given an e-mail account, a Web account or allowed to use a laptop, I understand
that this privilege comes with great responsibility. In terms of e-mail,
I understand that I cannot e-mail a teacher until he or she gives me explicit permission. I also understand
Concern for others:
There are always others in the computer lab who need help
please do the right thing and help other people by using your language to show them where
to mouse click ... do NOT take the mouse or keyboard away from them which usually does
NOT show proper concern for them
Microsoft Word Vocabulary and Concepts (we begin in grade 3)
Learning several ways to delete
Learning to change font size
Learning all the fractions since 72 points make 1 inch
Learning to save frequently and learning about extensions (e.g. sample.doc)
Learning to touch type
Learning to use keyboard shortcuts (e.g. X,C,V,Z)
Learning to turn OFF all options until you need or want them
Learning to include graphics and the difference between text wrap and inline
Microsoft Powerpoint Vocabulary and Concepts (we begin in grade 4)
Learning to make slides and change the order
Learning to get pictures from the Web and put onto slides
Learning to add text to slide
Learning proper attribution so that the URL is included
Learning how to resize pictures on a PowerPoint slide
Learning to change the background design
Learning to make your slideshow be on automatic pilot
Excel Vocabulary and Concepts (we begin in grade 5)
cells, rows, columns
entering formulas
inserting rows and columns
graphing data
wrapping text
Photoshop Vocabulary and Concepts (we begin in grade 6)
bringing in pictures from a digital camera or scanner
HTML Vocabulary and Concepts (we begin in grade 7)
the file can be done in any word processor or text editor
the file needs to end in .htm or .html
the file needs to be saved as text
at first, I will post your Web page for you (Mr. Bergen)
eventually, you will be able to post or modify your own Web page
there will be HARLEM rules in our AUP about our Web pages ... for example, you cannot use
your first name or last name only your initials on a Web page
the first few words of HTML code are:
<HTML> and </HTML>
<HEAD> and </HEAD>
<BODY> and </BODY>
the next few words are:
<i> and </i>
<font color=red> and </font>
<font size = +2> and </font>
a special commands with no partners is:
<hr>
to make text bigger or smaller, you can use 1 of the H commands:
<h1> and </h1>
<h2> and </h2>
<h3> and </h3>
<h4> and </h4>
<h5> and </h5>
<h6> and </h6>
laptop rules
be careful with hinge and how you open and close the laptop
plan ABCD for what to do when things go wrong
Accidents happen but we want to avoid negligence
We do not stack more than 6
clean up desktop when done and RELEASE the HOME icon which is the FILE SERVER ...leave laptop as you found it
each and every student must subscribe to this important rule before you use a laptop in class
... you are NOT to do anything on the laptop unless directed by teacher
-- no web
-- no e-mail
-- no camera
unless directed by teacher
beware of physical implications re laptop .. chairs, tables,
do not carry without a laptop bag
no drinks or food within 3 feet of a laptop
each laptop needs to be treated "like a baby"
laptop "lids halfway down" or "hands up" are great phrases for the teacher
laptops closed is fine except when on First Class ... in that case, the student needs 33 seconds
to send the e-mail to himself or herself
Our wireless password does NOT leave the storefront community without permission