I want to teach Jeannie about the computer more formally, but I can't find anything other than checklists. What I need are the lessons to do!
Becky, this is not my area! BUT I have seen books at the children's section of the library on computer skills. That may be the best place for you to start. Everything my kids know they've learned informally, mostly from their dad. He tried to sit down once and teach Rachael how to run a family web page, but (like most educational stuff he tries here at home :roll: ) it didn't get very far. The limit of my formal teaching has been buying them a keyboarding game.
*oh oh ME ME I'll help!* heheh I'm the computer teacher. What does she know how to do already? What are you hoping she learns most of all? I'll make up some lessons for you or share ones I use already. I have looked and haven't found books I liike for teaching from. Sami is already proficient.. I took her to my class I taught today and she finished the lesson early and kept going in paint and using the spray paint tool to write her name in pink cause she was bored... the other kids in the class are all at least 3 years older than she is. Right now I'm teaching a class on Internet Safety and one on internet research. I have beginning lessons for adults going on one-on-one all the time. The only pre-requisite for the internet classes is that they have to be able to read, but I also have the stuff I did with Sami before she learned to read. I started her at about a year old.
Oh I would love some lesson too. My dd's would too how to research and look up things the right way. How to make web pages on the net and things like that. Can you help us?
I would like to join in with lessons on how to use the computer,etc. My dd is 5yrs.old and all she knows is from her education software. so I'm interested too Randa
Kris... how old is your Daughter? Randa... Do you want her to learn about the internet? I'll start posting stuff here. I suppose. Computer class online.
I have a 3 yr old - who is already somewhat literate. I would love some computer lessons, they don't need to be age appropriate - I'll use them eventually! thanks!! elissa
Ok First think you guys need is to be sure your computer is child safe. 1 year - reading: If the kids cannot read yet and you have Windows 98SE or LOWER get Child Proof. http://www.cs.uu.nl/people/markov/kids/cproof.html this program makes it easy for the kids to click on the program they need and to stay out of things you don't want them accidentally messing up. I have a fried on the case to find a version that will work on Win2000 and WinXP. I'll let you guys know when one is found. Child Proof will make it easier for you to turn on the games and then go wash the dishes, otherwise you'll have phisically sit with them to be sure they don't accidentally open your letter to your sister and type random characters in place of the letter and then accidentally save it. hehe it does happen! Readers to age 12 or so Whitelists: these kids are still learning and will be overwhelmed with information and may run into things they are not mature enough to deal with if you use only a filter. If you do not use a whitelist, you will need to sit at the computer with the child the entire time they are using it. A whitelist is a special list of things you have preapproved as ok for YOUR kids to see. I rarely reccommend other peoples whitelist because what is good at your house may not be good at someone elses. Kiddonet.com : This site has Kids safe Email and a Kid safe browser that are both FREE. For this age group you need to use Whitelists instead of filters for the internet. Filters are too unreliable ESPECIALLY with email. Kiddonet stuff is the best I know of that dosn't cost anything. You will have to leave a messege on a 1-800 number to give permission for your kids to have the email make sure you say you want restricted email. This is to comply with COPPA but I think it's too easy to trick them, personally. No worries, even if someone else tricked them it still won't give those people access to email your kids. http://www.kiddonet.com 12 and up: These kids need to be using the computer programs that adults use in order to be truly computer literate. They have outgrown white lists because you simply won't be able to keep up with them anymore. They should have the internet safety rules down solid by now so they know what to do when something gets by the filter (Yes, I said When, not if.) My favorite program for this that I have found is iprotectyou. They have started charging for it(one time fee), but it is worth the money if you take the time to learn to use it. It lets youset diffrent settigns for each kid too, this is great if you have kids of very different ages. I'm also hunting for a freeware kid Net timer -- these programs let you set how long per day the kids can be online or on specific programs and then it just shuts down, no nagging them to get off of it! iprotectyou includes this feature too. Anyways, get set up to be child friendly and I'll figure out what order to post the materials I have.
www.computerlabkids.com This is fun for all ages. Also you may want to try www.kidsdomain.com and use the surch for their website for teaching computer.
I am teaching my dd 13 how to send emails. She is getting very good at typing. We are now starting to do webquest. This way she will learn how to type in the http:// address and understand that she has to copy it just right or it won't work. I love webquest has anyone ever done one? If you want I will post a few that I have saved for you to try. You can also do your own, I have and it was a lot of fun. My dd will soon be able to make her own also.
I'm doing a web treasure hunt with one of my classes... Like a webQuest but less educationsal. My goal was to get them used to finding what they need online more than teaching a topic. the sites were geared for grade 3-5. Once they finished the Hunt they all are turning in clues to their favorite sites for a second hunt. I'll post that one when it's created. (Warning: #9 is a game where monkeys Burp to music. I put it in for pure silly fun but the school filtered it because burping is crude. For perspective, our school also bans all email posting on websites (like the kids can't post on Zoom to say if their experiment succeeded etc. and several other things that I think at TOO strict.) I Highly reccommend the kids up Yahooligans or Google for their searches. Those who used MSN had a tough time with this hunt. I also discovered that kids never head of a trailer... I had to explain that it means Preview. -------------------------------- 1.This imaginary Guy from Cartoon Network Likes Potatos, Ice Charades and Puppies! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. You are trapped inside a Haunted House and are surrounded by ghosts. You got rid of a Whole level of Ghosts at the Haunted Castle! Hint: The Castle is made by Clever Media. The Screen Says: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ! _ _ _ ' _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3. This class is Called 'Internet Explorers'. How do you say 'Internet Explorers' in Ubbi Dubbi? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. It takes a sharp eye to catch a shooting star. Try your luck at this word search and see if you can solve the Snoopy riddle. How is Snoopy Like a Comet? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5. . Hey there Creature Adventurers-- Who Lives Here!?! Kratts really has some Crazy Creatures! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6. Your kid sister wants you to read her a story. You find her 'Boowa and Kwala and the Beautiful Flower.' The End (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ;0 ) 7. You guys are all net smart since you got your Internet License! Which Webville Outlaw Wants to meet you? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8. if you have a funbrain then Dare to be Square! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ! 9 . Coconut Fred from KidsWB Has a Musical adventure game. If you want to play you have to make music with what animals? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10. Madagascar is now showing at the movies! How long is the Movie exactly? _ hour _ _ minutes. Where can you watch the trailer? http://_______________________
the Games you guys let them play teach them LOADS about the computer without them realizing it. They have to learn the mouse, some typing (at least where enter, space, arrow key and control keys are) , Turning it on and off, how to start the games, care of CD-Roms, how to open the cd-rom drive without breaking it, etc. To complete the requirements to get my Internet Drivers License the kids must memorize all the rules. 1. I will never give out personal information without my parents permission. (last name, phone number, name of sports teams etc.) 2. I will keep my passwords a secret from everyone except my parents. 3. If I see anything on the internet that makes me feel uncomfortable or is something I know my parents wouldnt want me to look at I will turn off the monitor and get an adult right away. 4. I will not enter contests, download anything or fill out forms without asking my parents first. 5. I will not meet people in person that I only know through the internet. If I ever do I will take my parents with me. 6. I will not open e-mail from anyone I dont know. 7. I will follow any other rules my parents set up for me. 8. I will always treat others the way I would like to be treated. To help them learn the rules while enjoying the computer I send them to: www.Disney.com/surfswell - This site is great, but make sure they actually read and answer the questions. Some kids will click randomly until it accepts the answers. www.netsmartzkids.org - This site has tons of stuff. The most useful games are the webville outlaws (not the roundup) and Clicky's Quest. make sure they don't skip the intros in the quest.. those explain the outlaws and what to do if they meet one online. I *love* using this site to teach. I teach mouse control with the mole game at uptoten.com (Click 6-10 balloon, then Games, Coordination, and the mole is at the bottom) Be sure to warn kids that it's REALLY hard. I offer a 1 pound candy bar to anyone at the school who can beat the mole game. That includes the adults. No one has won it yet but all my kids learn mouse control really fast! Uptoten is Sami's FAVORITE site and wants to play there all the time. If you have little one learning computer navagation, it's a good place to let them play. I don't let them do that Hunt in the post above unless they have a license(know the rules well). hehe another reason to use our HS Names.
Sorry, they are out of order. Post #14 was written for 3rd-5th graders post 15 is lessons I use for Kindergarten-3rd grade (But should be gone over with all ages and maybe spend a little less time on it). It may be hard for kids who don't read yet. The mole Game at uptoten.com I use for all elementary grades and even the adults I teach one-on-one get a kick out of it. Occasionally I get kids in the advanced class that haven't taken the rules one yetbecause they are in 5th grade have played computer games at home and don't want to go with the younger kids. I can always tell the diffrence right off. The extra time spent teaching them the rules, the parts of the computer, and the parts of a web browser (Address bar, back button, foreward button etc.) really does make a big diffrence.
ok this is my third time to type this for you so hopefully it I can get it posted this time. Paper Pizzas Ages 3-10 In this lesson the kids learn to open a program (MSPaint) To use paint tools, to copy and paste using control keys, save, print, and close a program. I also tend to use this lesson on the day we learn to properly turn on and shut down the computer. Stand at the chalkboard and verbally give the class instructions for this, they have to do it all themselves. 1. use the oval tool to make a big pizza crust. 2. Click the paint bucket tool and the color at the bottem that looks the most like sauce, Click inside the crust to fill in the sauce. 3. Cheese. All pizzas gotta have Cheese! Use the spray paint can and click on the color of your chese. Spray on how much cheese you prefer. 4. Other toppings. First I have the kids tell me their favorite pizza toppings, then I have them choose two or three to make for their pizza. Thay only create one of each kind they are going to use and they are required to make the toppings out in the white space NOT on the pizza itself yet. pepperonis- Use the sprait paint tool and the largest size... hold the mouse button down in one spot till it's almost a solid circle.. the few tiny spots that don't get filled in make it look more real. Mushrooms- use the square with rounded corners to make a stem- over lap with and oval for the top, Fill in with a nice mushrom color. Beef and sasuage- make three overlapping circles and fill in with color. Olives- one circle inside another- fill in the ring with Black or green. Use your imagination for other toppings. (Steps 5 & 6 are harder than the rest and the kids usually need a bit more help one-on-one) 5. Now use the selector tool (dashed box) to select one of your toppings. Be sure the option for clear background is selected. Hold down the control key and press C at the same time. (Here I explain that this makes a copy of what is selected and that you can do control C to copy in almost ANY computer program... not just Paint) 6. Press Control V to paste and drag the topping onto the pizza. Repeat to make many copies of the topping and repeat for other toppings. (Again, I spend some time explaining that Control V works in almost every computer program) 7. Save the Pizza with an appropriate name, so you will know what it is if you see it later. 8. Use print preview to make sure that the whole pizza fits onto one page. (If it dosn't I help them to select the whole pizza and move it over or resize it. 9. Print it out. (Color Copiers make nicer pizza pics, but the kids seems happy enough to print them in Black and white at the school I teach at.)
hehe I started a new class on the mole game. They spent the first 10 min complaining that it's too hard... then after another 20 mins passes I told them they have practiced enough and they can play other games from that section of the site (Coordination games only) and all but one, said no they'd rather stay on the mole game LOL.
