You might want to check out Scratch. It's a really simple
programming language. I've just started with my seventh graders. My
fifth grade son started using it at home and is creating a really neat
project. <a href="http://scratch.mit.edu/">Scratch</a>. There is a
little PDF file on the site that I had the students walk through to
get started. There are a bunch of samples to open, too.

Ann

> > On Nov 15, 2007, at 4:51 PM, Magi Shepley wrote:
> >
> >> One of the things that I do at school is assist with keeping our
> >> computer lab open. There are 4 of us who rotate through 8 late-night
> >> computer lab access. I think this is really important for our
students,
> >> because a lot of the students don't have easy access at home.
> >> Unfortunately, we're having trouble getting students to buy into the
> >> staying after, and this year, the funding for the staff payments is
> >> coming from a grant. We're worried that we'll lose the grant
money and
> >> not be able to keep the lab open.
> >>
> >> Our tech resource teacher asked if I had any ideas. I suggested
that we
> >> might "advertise" that not only is the lab open, but the teacher
in the
> >> lab will teach a specific tech skill that the students can use.
So, I'm
> >> looking for things we can do within our restrictions: if they
weren't so
> >> tough, I'd have the kids blog, because that would really attract
them.
> >> So would creating things on wikis. I've shared a lot of the
issues we
> >> have within the district, so I thought asking here might generate
some
> >> ideas.
> >>
> >> I have the students for a little over 1 hour, 2 days a week. I'd
like
> >> something easy enough to teach, but something that also generates a
> >> final project students can take home. The quick ideas I'd thought of
> >> were things using digital cameras, PowerPoint, maybe MovieMaker
(which
> >> we now have access to: our tech resource teacher hunted down the
icon,
> >> and added it; we don't have Photo Story, which bites). We do now
have
> >> access to an old version of Adobe Photoshop elements as well.
> >>
> >> We can podcast, and we have Audacity. I need to remember to look for
> >> Lame, and if we have it, podcasting would be a possibility.
> >>
> >> Any other ideas? Also, any pre-made materials?
> >>
> >> Magi
> >>
> >
> >
>