technology with intention
6th Grade
Tech class happenings from the 6th grade, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
Input Output
508 days
by Jac de Haan
in 6th Grade
6th grade chatted about computers today. We figured out that computers are great at math but that is about it! Computers by themselves are interesting to some people, but it is what we can do with computers that gets most people excited. To interact, computers receive INPUT and send OUTPUT. We talked about different ways of going about this. Here is the list we made:
INPUT – mouse, keyboard, scanner, camera, microphone, sensor, touchscreen, drives (flash, external, disk), other computers
OUTPUT – monitor, printer, speakers, drives (flash, external, disk), other computers
On hand we had an old keyboard and a couple of types of mice. We took them apart and found that the keyboard has printed circuits that are activated when you push down a key. All the keys are identical, except for the letters printed on them, so we swapped them all around and it didn’t have an effect on the input received by the computer.
One mouse used an optical sensor to send input to a computer, the other used a mechanical system (wheels and axles, just like we learned about last week in STEM). Both mice had buttons which transmit no info (off/up) or yes info (on/down).
Finally, one group of student looked at 3 types of computers (laptop, desktop, iPod Touch) and labeled each input and output.
Alex and Rory specifically wanted to know what binary combination correlate to letters and symbols After the jump (or below if you are reading the post page) are tables provided by Wikipedia’s ASCII entry: (more…)
Lab expectations defined
511 days
Students spent a period setting boundaries to work within while in the TechLab. We started with our 3 rules, and then defined what that behavior would look like in specific settings. It turns out that sometimes focused computer work is an expectation, and other times it can be a distraction. We’ve posted this table in the lab so that it can be referred to as necessary.
| transitioning to class | presentation or lecture | discussions | independent time | end of class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| be awesome to each other | *treat others as you want to be treated nicely
*be flexible *be calm *talk to each other |
*listen
*assume others are trying to help *take turns *offer compliments *agree/disagree respectfully |
*listen
*assume others are trying to help *take turns *offer compliments *agree/disagree respectfully |
*work quietly
*compliment others work *help others focus *give suggestions if asked |
*treat others as you want to be treated nicely
*thank others |
| participate | *log in to computer
*paper, pen(cil), planner *write agenda in planner |
*eyes on speaker
*take notes *ask questions *share ideas *stay where you are meant to be |
*eyes on speaker
*take notes *ask questions *share ideas *stay where you are meant to be |
*stay focused
*try new things *use time wisely |
*leave on time
*take your stuff *help clean |
| respect the lab and equipment | *use technology as appropriate
*control your body *no food/drink *wash hands *use cubbies |
*use technology as appropriate | *use technology as appropriate | *use technology as appropriate | *log off computer
*hang headphones *push in chairs |
STEM: Simple machines, powerful solutions
515 days
by Jac de Haan
in 6th Grade
How can you move a teacher from one end of a room to another without hurting yourself?
How can you get bigfoot to slide off a filing cabinet into a pool of water without touching any part of the apparatus?
How can a teacher be stronger than 4 students in a game of tug-of-war?
How can a 6th grade student lift an entire school bus?
6th grade STEM kicked off the year with an introduction to the wheel & axle, inclined plane, pulleys, and levers – simple machines that we use to create mechanical advantages and perform amazing feats. Student groups rotated through 4 stations, each introducing a concept, and then put their knowledge into action.
Groups also learned how artists, archeologists, stuntmen & women, and baseball players use science, technology, engineering and math to excel in their careers.
A great start to the year – stay tuned for more exciting news from the lab…
And we’re back…
516 days
by Jac de Haan
in 6th Grade
6th grade students visited the TechLab for the first time this year while 7th and 8th graders explored the recent changes and updates to the school. Our lab has new all-in-one ThinkCentres running Windows 7 and a pair of iMacs. The server room was reconfigured and the BricLab is ready for tinkerers.
The 6th grade took a few minutes to look at the new iPod Touch that was released yesterday. In fact, these words and the attached photos were created using only the Touch!
Welcome back!
Last 6th grade tech of the year :(
613 days
The last tech class of the year ended as we began – out of the lab in a group discussion.
We started by using emoticons to share our feelings about our tech journey coming to an end. Some students felt 
and others 
or 
Students shared their favorite technology experiences this year:
- writing and executing programs with post-it notes
- independent projects
- visiting technologists
- revolution vs. evolution
They also offered suggestions for improvements next year, ranging from school-provided laptops to more time in the lab.
Finally, our conversation turned to summer plans. We talked about healthy screen time, concerns over cell phone over-usage and non-tech related summer activities. The 6th grade is planning on an amazing summer outdoors – some activities they’ll be engaged in include:
- parkour summer camp
- dog walking
- swimming
- playing checkers and other board games
- tennis
- ultimate frisbee camp
- writing letters
- learning a new language
- basketball
- cooking
Thanks everyone for a great year, 7th grade will be even more amazing!
Video game reflection
625 days
For the last month, 6th grade students have been chatting with professionals who use technology on a daily basis. Hopefully you’ve heard some stories about Michael’s (Google engineer) dog-friendly workplace or Emily’s (Cheezburger Network) love of music and reading when in middle school. If not, please ask your student, or visit the tech blog to get an overview (http://www.billingsmiddleschool.org/beta).
Our final guest speaker visited Friday and we had a presentation about how video games have shifted from text-based stories all the way to photo-realistic interactive movies. As always, students asked relevant questions and offered ideas for future products.
Towards the end of the class period our speaker showed off some amazing footage of their current video games. Part of these clips were graphically violent and may be on students’ minds. Some t-shirts and other give-aways were handed out, some of which depict these ads. Here are a few questions you might consider engaging your student with:
What makes video games so much fun to play?
Do you think video games can affect your mood?
Does your body and mind react differently to violence in a video game rather than in a movie?
Does your body and mind react differently to violence in a video game rather than in the real world?
How do you know if you’ve been looking at a computer or tv screen too long?
Our speaker also talked about the need for families to have clear rules about how much game-play is appropriate. His teen has a “1 hour per day” policy, but duration might be dependent on age, personality, exercise, school performance, chore completion, etc.
Does your family have guidelines about gaming systems?
Do you understand the video game rating system ( http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp)?
Are you familiar with signs of video game addiction ( http://www.video-game-addiction.org/symptoms-computer-addiction-teens.html)?
Do your gaming systems use the internet to connect players to others around the world?
Is gaming a social or private activity at your house? Where is the console or computer located?
Do you have a clear plan for this summer (camps, sleepovers, trips) that creates a balanced environment beyond gaming and/or computing?
Guest speaker: Gabe Newell of Valve
627 days
by Jac de Haan
in 6th Grade
Gabe Newell sat down with technology students today to speak about his rise from self-identified nerd to founder and CEO of Valve Software, a gaming and entertainment company with many successful titles including Left for Dead and Half Life.
Gabe showed us the first games he used to play with computers, punchcards and text-based strategy games. He talked about working at a tiny company while in college many years ago (by the name of Microsoft) before starting his own. We got to take a virtual tour of the Valve offices and watched some previews for some of the company games.
We learned about all that goes into making a video game – artwork, sound, a gaming engine, the actual code, and distribution channels. Companies need people with these skills in order to make successful products.
Gabe also talked about the need for families to have rules around how much time is healthy for adolescents to spend gaming per day/week. He likened Valve’s single-player game experiences to an interactive movie – you might watch a movie on the weekend but certainly wouldn’t think to watch movies non-stop from the time you wake up to when you go to bed.
Thank you Gabe for spending so much time with us and sharing your life!
Guest speaker: Michael from Google
631 days
by Jac de Haan
in 6th Grade
Class 6B were lucky enough to spend a class period with Michael, an engineer from Google who works on the Gmail team. Michael used Google Maps to show a street-view of his middle school in Alabama, and talked about how his life choices resulted in East and West Coast employment through his interest in technology. He shared screenshots of the code he creates everyday and explained how he spends his hours at work communicating with machines and people.
Thank you, Michael!
Summer technology opportunities
636 days
Summer is fast approaching and students have been asking about technology and computing opportunities around town. Of course summer is a time to get away from a screen and explore a world of sunshine…that said, here are some offerings to compliment fresh air and exercise:
Lego Robotics @ Billings: Billings Middle School has our very own Seattle Lego Robotics camp, presented in conjunction with the amazing educators at EdLab. 2 sessions – August 2-6 and 9-13.
iD Gaming Academy: Held at the University of Washington, this 2-week overnight game development camp is a great opportunity to learn about video game creation. 6th grade student Gray says “you get to make your own unique game and play it as well as play other peoples games.”
911 Media Arts: Classes in making movies, digital storytelling, website design, and more.
Reel Grrls: Get hands on with animation and video production day camps – girls only!
TechReach: SeaBots – Dive into science. This girls only one-week camp is a great intro to programming and Lego robotics.
Youth in Focus: Intro to digital photography classes are offered 2x a week. Applications are due end of May.
Guest speaker: Emily from Cheezburger Network
638 days
by Jac de Haan
in 6th Grade
6th grade students got to spend Thursday afternoon in a Q & A session with Emily Huh, co-owner of the Cheezburger Network. Her company runs 50 blogs dedicated to making people all over the world laugh. The most popular sites are FailBlog (2M+ pageviews per day) and ICanHazCheezburger (1M+ pageviews per day).
Emily shared stories of her days as a middle school students, her interests in reading and music, and her decision to study sociology in college. She told us about day-to-day life at Cheezburger headquarters in Belltown and how the company focuses on trying to make people laugh. Much of the content on the site comes from people who send in funny photos or videos. The company makes money by selling merchandise (t-shirts, stickers, etc) and by advertising space.
Emily also outlined the types of jobs at her company. The Cheezburger Network needs people to manage blogs, handle user photo submissions and more. Employees may have a background as an artist, musician, mathematician, sales person, or any number of interests and work histories. Thank you Emily!
