Category: Freebies/Discounts

This holiday letter can be as simple (for 2nd graders) or sophisticated (middle school) as your students can handle. There are a gamut of skills–

• text
• borders
• pictures (from the internet, from clip art, from a separate file folder on your school server)
• different fonts, font colors, font sizes

I’ve included a grading rubric to guide students in accomplishing as much as they can. Start with the basics (text, a border, some pictures) and add more skills as students get used to the early ones: (more…)

Use MS Word to organize an animal group (reptiles, mammals, amphibians, etc.) and their traits. This project is a favorite with my students, mostly because of the stunning animal picture they get to embed into the background. (more…)

Publisher cards are easy enough for second graders–even early readers. Pick a template, add a picture to personalize, add their name–and they’re done. It takes about 15 minutes. Kids always feel great about creating these greeting cards: (more…)

This is the only project that’s easier than Project 21 (the holiday card in Publisher). There’s no folding and the templates are bright, colorful and exciting for kids as young as second grade: (more…)

Reinforce fiction writing–characters, plot, setting, climax–with a short story in MS Word. Then use color, borders, pictures to enhance the words. (more…)

This is another great holiday project for 5th graders (see the holiday calendar here). Publisher templates lay out the columns, headings, articles. All students must do is fill in with their topics and pictures. Be sure that they delete the extra pages at the end before printing. (more…)

Kids love making this calendar. They get to talk about their upcoming vacations and hear what their friends are doing. It’s simple enough for third grade with advanced tools that satisfy a fifth graders growing intellect. (more…)

Drawings are done in KidPix. Assign topics (me, my family, etc) for grades K-1 to reinforce the concept of following directions. With 2^nd grade, use one picture for each of the parts of a story—characters, plot, setting, climax/resolution.  Mix pictures and text.  Younger students can show these to parents at Open House or a parent night using Windows slideshow function (something they can do without assistance after a bit of practice). Second graders can create a PowerPoint slideshow that will knock the socks off of their parents.

This is the first of about six projects in PowerPoint (see sidebar for more). Start with this one and build up to the last. (more…)

Click on image to enlarge if it’s blurry.

–from 55 Technology Projects for the Digital Classroom

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

Before we go any further, make sure your child understands the different parts of the computer. If they’re 1st grade or younger, have them touch each part as you discuss it. Chat about the part. Click both buttons on the mouse. Use the scroll–see how the screen moves. Change volume on the headphones. Turn the monitor on and off.

Next, show them where each part connects to the computer. Have them plug in and disconnect the headphones, the microphone (if available). Show them the icons that tell where the plug goes. Peek around the back of the CPU–see all the plugs and wires. Are they all plugged in? Point out the duplex where the system is plugged into the wall. That has to be connected to work (you judge if they can touch this).

For k, 1, that’s it. Remind them throughout the following weeks, but that’s it. Repetition is the key to learning. For 2 and up, review the worksheet on this page. Fill it out with them and then have them complete it by themselves. That’s it. From here on, just be sure to use the right words for each part and insist they do to. It’ll stick.

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.