Overview
As with Art and Science, Technology is integrated into the curriculum at Polaris. The intent is to enhance and extend the content areas in an engaging and motivating manner, while learning new skills and using 21st century technology tools.
For questions on Tech at Polaris, please contact Phil Price Phil _Price @dpsk12.org.
Tech Goals
Each Polaris student attends one 45-minute class per week in the Tech Lab with additional lab time being scheduled at the discretion of classroom teachers. Students learn new skills and software applications for the purpose of demonstrating their content knowledge through creative expression using technology. Internet research, keyboarding, navigation and terminology are also key elements of student lab time. Students progressively build technology skills through the grades in order to utilize continuously more complex and challenging programs.
Frequently, students will spend time reinforcing math or science skills on interactive websites.
Web Tools
Freeware applications and websites are almost exclusively used. There is an amazing abundance of impressive web tools available on the internet that allows students to express their creativity in a variety of forms. Not only are many of these really well-designed, there are no costs, no maintenance and no burden of being stuck with obsolete or incompatible software. On the otherhand, the website’s availability or continued existence is not guaranteed but when one goes away, another pops up. Flexibility and adaptability is necessary and the kids are incredibly good at that.
2nd through 5th graders are assigned a Gaggle.net email account. This is a safe, school-targeted email service that provides spam protection and content review. Email is often used to submit completed assignments but is also required of some websites we use.
Internet Safety
All students have been advised in an age-appropriate manner of the expectations of them regarding internet usage and that there will be consequences, such as the loss of computer privileges and possibly additional measures taken based upon school and district discipline policies, for inappropriate choices. Students’ internet usage is only allowed under the supervision of an adult.
Student Logins
New this year, students have been assigned individual user logins to access the DPS network. This not only facilitates saving and finding files from any computer in the building, but also increases individual accountability for appropriate computer and internet usage.
Tech Skills
Modified from DPS Ed Tech standards – updated and enhanced to reflect grade-specific goals of Polaris at Ebert’s technology integration objectives.
All Grades
- Ethics/Conduct
- Demonstrate responsible behavior while using technology
- Use technology in a careful and respectful manner
- Leave hardware and software ready for others to use
- Use programs, internet sites, email (2nd-5th) as directed
- Respect privacy of others (email, personal files, passwords)
Skills are listed below by grade level and are cumulative. Projects increase with complexity by grade.
Kindergarten
- Mouse Skills: left click, right click, double click, drag and drop
- Log on/log off
- Launch Tux Paint from desktop
- Launch Internet Explorer
- Access favorites
- Understand hyperlinks
- Gain proficiency with Tux Paint
- Keyboard skills: keyboard layout, number, letter, and special key positions, hunt and peck typing
- Navigate programs: back buttons, closing windows, understanding tabs, exiting programs
- Recognize icons and be able to click on them to execute program
- Participate in directed exploration of internet research
1st Grade
- All of the above, and…
- Copy and paste using keyboard shortcuts (ctrl+c, ctrl+v)
- Use Tux Paint as a tool to produce an age-appropriate themed project
- Use Word to create, edit and print a writing activity
- Keyboard skills: key identification proficiency, right hand/left hand positioning, familiarization with home row keys, two finger typing
- Use appropriate terminology to describe parts of computer and other technologies
- Participate in site-specific internet research
2nd Grade
- All of the above, and…
- Keyboard skills: proper finger placement, working toward touch typing
- Demonstrate basic proficiency with Word using formatting such as font type, font size, bold, and italics
- Use word processing spell check feature
- Identify and use network storage space and storage devices
- Use various multimedia web tools to produce age-appropriate projects which may include text, graphics, audio, video or simple animation
- Directly manage files and folders to save and retrieve documents on network server
- Use search engines on internet for classroom topics
- Import internet resources (graphics, sound or video) to produce a research project
3rd Grade
- All of the above, and…
- Keyboard skills: Improve touch typing speed and accuracy skills on home-row, numeric and alphabetical keys
- Use word processing grammar check and thesaurus features
- Combine graphics into a word processing document
- Demonstrate basic proficiency with Excel, Powerpoint and Publisher
- Produce an age-appropriate project using Powerpoint or Publisher
- Create and understand a simple spreadsheet
- Understand computer terminology related to computer components, hardware, software, and peripherals
- Use internet to access and bookmark appropriate sites
- Properly cite internet resources
4th Grade
- All of the above, and…
- Keyboard skills: Proficient typing with increasing speed and accuracy
- Retrieve, manipulate and analyze data in a simple table (Word or Excel)
- Create, edit and format data in a simple spreadsheet
- Determine suitable software for projects
5th Grade
- All of the above, and…
- Keyboard skills: Proficient typing with increasing speed and accuracy
- Sort, format, graph and analyze data in a spreadsheet