Welcome to Bridgman Public Schools

“Three and four year old children who use computers with supporting activities that reinforce the major objectives of the programs have significantly greater developmental gains when compared to children without computer experiences in similar classrooms – gains in intelligence, nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills.” (Haugland, 1992)

The potential gains for kindergarten and primary children are tremendous, including improved motor skills, enhanced mathematical thinking, increased creativity, higher scores on tests of critical thinking and problem solving, and increased scores on standardized language assessments. Further, computers enhance children’s self concept, and children demonstrate increasing levels of spoken communication and cooperation. Children share leadership roles more frequently and develop positive attitudes toward learning. (Clements, 1994; Cardelle-Elawar & Wetzel, 1995; Adams, 1996; Denning & Smith, 1997; Matthew, 1997)

*** Just remember: although these sites are educational and appropriate for elementary students, parents should always monitor their child's/children's computer activity.***

*Current research indicates that our students will conduct business, communicate with friends, family and co-workers, solve problems, and participate in entertainment activities in virtual environments almost completely by the time they graduate from high school. Presently, parents and students alike must be careful participants in said environments due to safety reasons. These environments on my web page have been tested by me, but caution should still be taken when using them, as new technology aimed at breaking into personal information is created. If you have any questions about any of these sites, I encourage you to check them out for yourselves. I am using these sites mostly during choice time, so students can begin learning how they operate, better preparing them for their futures.

Search Engines - a computer program that retrieves documents or files or data from a database or from a computer network (especially from the internet)

Standards	K-2	3-5
BASIC OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS	understand that people use many types of technologies in their daily lives (e.g., computers, cameras, audio/video players, phones, televisions)	discuss ways technology has changed life at school and at home
	identify common uses of technology found in daily life	discuss ways technology has changed business and government over the years
	recognize, name, and will be able to label the major hardware components in a computer system (e.g., computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer)	recognize and discuss the need for security applications (e.g., virus detection, spam defense, popup blockers, firewalls)
	identify the functions of the major hardware components in a computer system	know how to use basic input/output devices and other peripherals (e.g., scanners, digital cameras, video projectors)
	discuss the basic care of computer hardware and various media types (e.g., diskettes, CDs, DVDs, videotapes)	know proper keyboarding positions and touch-typing techniques
	use various age-appropriate technologies for gathering information (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, audio/video players, phones, web resources)	manage and maintain files on a hard drive or the network
	use a variety of age-appropriate technologies for sharing information (e.g., drawing a picture, writing a story)	demonstrate proper care in the use of hardware, software, peripherals, and storage media
	recognize the functions of basic file menu commands (e.g., new, open, close, save, print)	know how to exchange files with other students using technology (e.g., e-mail attachments, network file sharing, diskettes, flash drives)
	proofread and edit their writing using appropriate resources including dictionaries and a class developed checklist both individually and as a group	identify which types of software can be used most effectively for different types of data, for different information needs, or for conveying results to different audiences
		identify search strategies for locating needed information on the internet
		proofread and edit writing using appropriate resources (e.g., dictionary, spell check, grammar check, grammar references, writing references) and grade level appropriate checklists both individually and in groups
SOCIAL, ETHICAL, AND HUMAN ISSUES	identify common uses of information and communication technologies	identify cultural and societal issues relating to technology
	discuss advantages and disadvantages of using technology	discuss how information and communication technology supports collaboration, productivity, and lifelong learning
	recognize that using a password helps protect the privacy of information	discuss how various assistive technologies can benefit individuals with disabilities
	discuss scenarios describing acceptable and unacceptable uses of age-appropriate technology (e.g., computers, phones, 911, internet, email) at home or at school	discuss the accuracy, relevance, appropriateness, and bias of electronic information sources
	discuss the consequences of irresponsible uses of technology resources at home or at school	discuss scenarios describing acceptable and unacceptable uses of technology (e.g., computers, digital cameras, cell-phones, PDAs, wireless connectivity) and describe consequences of inappropriate use
	understand that technology is a tool to help complete a task	discuss basic issues regarding appropriate and inappropriate uses of technology (e.g., copyright, privacy, file sharing, spam, viruses, plagiarism) and related laws
	understand that technology is a source of information, learning, and entertainment	use age-appropriate citing of sources for electronic reports
	identify places in the community where one can access technology	identify appropriate kinds of information that should be shared in public chat rooms
		identify safety precautions that should be taken while on-line
		explore various technology resources that could assist in pursuing personal goals
		identify technology resources and describe how those resources improve the ability to communicate, increase productivity, or help achieve personal goals
TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS	identify technology resources and describe how those resources improve the ability to communicate, increase productivity, or help achieve personal goals	know how to use menu options in applications to print, format, add multimedia features; open, save, manage files; and use various grammar tools (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, spell-checker)
	be able to recognize the best type of productivity software to use for certain age-appropriate tasks (e.g., word processing, drawing, web browsing)	know how to insert various objects (e.g., photos, graphics, sound, video) into word processing documents, presentations, or web documents
	be aware of how to work with others when using technology tools (e.g., word processors, drawing tools, presentation software) to convey ideas or illustrate simple concepts relating to a specified project	use a variety of technology tools and applications to promote creativity
		understand that existing (and future) technologies are the result of human creativity
		collaborate with classmates using a variety of technology tools to plan, organize, and create a group project
TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS	identify procedures for safely using basic telecommunication tools (e.g., e-mail, phones) with assistance from teachers, parents, or student partners	use basic telecommunication tools (e.g., e-mail, WebQuests, IM, blogs, chat rooms, web conferencing) for collaborative projects with other students
	know how to use age-appropriate media (e.g., presentation software, newsletters, word processors) to communicate ideas to classmates, families, and others	use a variety of media and formats to create and edit products (e.g., presentations, newsletters, brochures, web pages) to communicate information and ideas to various audiences
	know how to select media formats (e.g., text, graphics, photos, video), with assistance from teachers, parents, or student partners, to communicate and share ideas with classmates, families, and others	identify how different forms of media and formats may be used to share similar information, depending on the intended audience (e.g., presentations for classmates, newsletters for parent
TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TOOLS	know how to recognize the Web browser and associate it with accessing resources on the internet	use Web search engines and built-in search functions of other various resources to locate information
	use a variety of technology resources (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, search engines, websites) to locate or collect information relating to a specific curricular topic with assistance from teachers, parents, or student partners	describe basic guidelines for determining the validity of information accessed from various sources (e.g., web site, dictionary, on-line newspaper, CD-ROM)
	interpret simple information from existing age-appropriate electronic databases (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, spreadsheets) with assistance from teachers, parents, or student partners	know how to independently use existing databases (e.g., library catalogs, electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias) to locate, sort, and interpret information on an assigned topic
	provide a rationale for choosing one type of technology over another for completing a specific task	perform simple queries on existing databases and report results on an assigned topic
		identify appropriate technology tools and resources by evaluating the accuracy, appropriateness, and bias of the resource
		compare and contrast the functions and capabilities of the word processor, database, and spreadsheet for gathering data, processing data, performing calculations, and reporting results
TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM-SOLVING AND DECISION-MAKING TOOLS	discuss how to use technology resources (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, search engines, websites) to solve age-appropriate problems	use technology resources to access information that can assist in making informed decisions about everyday matters (e.g., which movie to see, which product to purchase)
	identify ways that technology has been used to address real-world problems (personal or community)	use information and communication technology tools (e.g., calculators, probes, videos, DVDs, educational software) to collect, organize, and evaluate information to assist with solving real-life problems (personal or community)