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Technology Course Descriptions

A listing of the courses offered with Sandra Gaiser as the instructor. All courses have been designed by her and most of the textbooks and supplementary material is written by her as well.

KidsClasses

Classes For kids

Microsoft Office 2019 for kids cover.png
Microsoft Office for Kids

 

Suggested Age: 7-13

Prerequisite: none

 

Kids will learn these Microsoft Office applications:

  • Word (word processing)

  • Excel (spreadsheets)

  • PowerPoint (slide show presentations)

  • Publisher (newsletters, letterhead, greeting cards, etc.)

 

In a fun and creative workshop-style class, each week we will study a new topic and create a take-home project for their computer notebook. By the end of the year, your child will have completed 33 projects of which to be proud: letter, envelope, address label, book report, greeting card, PowerPoint presentation, a reading log and more! They will also learn how a computer is made. This is a great class to introduce kids to the usefulness of computers beyond games and email, and prepare them for a high school level Computer Applications course.

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Homework: 1 hour per week

 

Curriculum / Materials:

elem robots
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Elementary Robots

 

Suggested Age: 7-10

Prerequisite: None

 

We have all seen robots. In the future robots will be used throughout society. Do you want to learn about the world of robots and what they can do?  This is the course for you! 

 

This is our entry level course. It is aim toward elementary age students. We will be using the Ozobot EVO robot, the same robot NASA uses at their visitor center to introduce students to robotics. As a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) course the activities will integrate STEM subjects with robotics. The student will have fun but will be learning some very important skills. All projects will be done in groups or 2 or 3. In the world of technology it is so important to learn how to work with your peers.

 

The student will learn to code with color commands and with OzoBlockly. This course will give them the confidence to do their own programming.

 

Here are some of the projects we will be doing:

  • Coding a story

  • Create your own world for Evo

  • Write Your Name in OzoCodes

  • Hungry, Hungry Evo

 

Curriculum / Materials:

  1. Robot required: Ozobot Evo

    • For a $50 fee instructors can provide an Ozobot robot to use in class only. These cannot be taken home. 

    • Or you can purchase your own EVO robot at Ozobot.com. 

    • Used robots may be available for purchase by contacting your instructor.

  2. A tablet, Chromebook or laptop with Bluetooth to drive & program the robot (no phones, please).

WebKids
Web Design for Kids Using HTML5 & CSS3

 

Suggested Age: 10-13

Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience

 

Kids will learn:

  • How a Computer Works

  • The History of the Internet

  • How the Internet Works

  • What a Website is

  • What a Blog is

  • How to Plan a Website

  • The Design Aspects of a Website

  • Basic HTML5

  • What CSS Is

  • How to use Web-Authoring Tools

  • Web Hosting Options

  • How to get a Domain Name

 

In a fun and creative workshop-style class, each week we will learn how to code HTML5 and then CSS3. By the end of the year, your child will have completed a website of which to be proud! They will also learn how a computer is made and the history of the internet. This is a great class to teach kids the real power of computers, taking them beyond video games, and preparing them for a lifetime of using & creating on the Internet.

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Homework: 1 hour per week

 

Curriculum / Materials:

Robot Programming
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Middle School Robot Programming

 

Suggested Age: 10-13

Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience

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Do you want to solve problems? Do you want to learn how computers work? Do you want to learn about programming? Would it be fun to learn how to control a robot through a program you have written? This is the course for you!

 

This is an introductory course in computer science and programming. You will study programming concepts, computational thinking, and digital citizenship.  At the end of the course you will create your own game, story or robot activity you can share.

 

You will learn foundational concepts of programming using drag and drop blocks rather than a programming language. Blocks are an easier way to get started and many top Universities today begin their classes with block-based programming.

 

The course is based Code.org’s Computer Science Fundamentals – Express online course along with the Sphero Edu robot labs. But independent exploration is encouraged.

 

Have your child be prepared for the jobs of the 21st century. All are not going to be programmers as a profession, but computers will be very much a part of their lives.

 

Curriculum / Materials:

  • Laptops or tablets (NO PHONES) are required (some teachers can provide one, if needed) NOTE: Newer laptops are preferred but you can purchase a newer iPad or Kindle Fire or Android tablet with a 6 or greater OS or Google. If you do not own a tablet, you can purchase a Amazon Kindle Fire HD 10 on Amazon Prime Day in July. The tablet should be discounted on that day.

  • A journal or composition book

  • Robot required: Sphero BOLT

  • Buy Bolt @ Amazon

TeenClasses
Keyboarding for Homeschoolers NEW keyboa
Keyboarding (for kids & teens!)

 

Suggested Age: 8-19

Prerequisite: None

 

Learning how to type on a computer keyboard made fun with games,  contests and prizes! Every 2 weeks there is a competition to see how much each student has improved in speed and accuracy. The fastest doesn't always win, because each student competes against himself!

 

When should a child begin to learn keyboarding? Research states that 8 years old is a good age because students have developed the coordination and manual dexterity to keyboard efficiently. (www.keyboardingresearch.org)

 

Homework: 10-20 minutes of typing 4 days a week

 

Certificate of Completion awarded for keyboarding course

 

Curriculum / Materials:

 

IntroGameProgramming

Classes For TEENS & advanced Middle Schoolers

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Intro to Game Programming

 

Suggested Age: 10-18

Prerequisites: Microsoft Office for Kids OR Office Applications 1 OR instructor approval & typing 10 wpm

 

This course is intended for advanced middle schoolers who excel in math and programming, and teens who have not yet been introduced to programming or want to refine their skills. Students will learn basic to advanced computer programming & logic skills while having fun CREATING THEIR OWN COMPUTER GAMES!

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1st Semester:

Scratch is a fun, free, beginner-friendly programming environment,  where you connect blocks of code to build programs. While most famously used to introduce kids to programming, Scratch can make computer science approachable for people of any age. Rather than type countless lines of code in a cryptic programming language, why not use colorful command blocks and cartoon sprites to create powerful scripts?

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2nd Semester:

Python: A typed, command-line programming language. Whether you're new to programming or an experienced programmer, it's easy to learn and use Python. And it's Free.

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Homework: 1-3 hour per week

 

Curriculum / Materials:

AdvGameProg
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Building JavaScript Games

 

Suggested Age: 14-18

Prerequisite: Intro to Game Programming OR instructor approval

 

JavaScript is a scripting language that enables you to create dynamically updating content, control multimedia & animate images. If it moves or interacts on the Internet, it's most likely JavaScript, so if you want to code games that are played online, JavaScript is one way to do that.

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Building JavaScript Games teaches game programming through a series of engaging, arcade-style games that quickly expand your JavaScript and HTML5 skills. JavaScript is in the top ten most-used programming languages world wide, and is the basis for applications that can run in any modern browser, on any device from smart phone to tablet to PC. Special emphasis is given to touch-based interface, but all games also run using a regular mouse and keyboard setup.

The four games you’ll develop are:

 

  • Painter

  • Jewel Jam

  • Penguin Pairs

  • Tick Tick

 

Curriculum / Materials:

OfficeApplications1
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Microsoft Office for Teens

 

Suggested Age: 14-19

Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience

 

Your kids should know office applications WELL!

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This stuff is CORE:

  • How do you write? On a computer.

  • How do you calculate? On a computer.

  • How do you present? On a computer. 

  • How do you store information? On a computer.

  • How do you collect information? On a computer.

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Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:

  • Word

  • PowerPoint

  • Excel

  • OneNote

  • Access

 

Fulfills 1 credit state requirement for Technology applications

 

Curriculum / Materials:

  • Laptop computers are required for class –  it MUST have Microsoft Office (version 2016 or later) Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote & Access programs on it. Macs with Microsoft Office are fine.  (Some teachers can provide one, if needed)

    • ​Note: OneNote is built into Windows & MAC now (Free)

    • Note: Access is available in the annual subscription to Office 365. If you don't have it, let the instructor know.

    • NOTE: Microsoft Office On-The-Web is FREE (click here for details) It includes Word, Excel & PowerPoint.

  • Textbooks: 5 Microsoft Office training manuals ordered by the instructor in August  Online at my website  – Due August 1)

  • A USB flash drive to store student files

WebDesignForTeens
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Web Programming & Design for Teens

 

Suggested Age: 15-19

Prerequisite: Computer Apps 1 or equivalent experience

 

Your student will:

  • Learn beginning to intermediate web design

  • Understand website layout

  • Write HTML5 & CSS3

  • Fulfill 1 credit state requirement for Technology Applications

  • Have a fully functional website (online with approval) at the end of the course

  • Earn a Certificate of Completion for Web Design

  • Do 2-3 hours of homework per week
     

Curriculum / Materials:

AnimationProgrammingwAlice
Alice 3 in Action Computing Through Anim
Animation Programming (also offered in Summer)

 

Suggested Age: 15-19

Prerequisite: Office Apps 1 and/or Web Design for Teens OR instructor approval

 

Students use Alice 3.0 to learn the basics of object-oriented computer programming.

 

Programming concepts like:

  • Program design & implementation

  • Object-oriented programming concepts

  • Events & event handling

  • Simple control structures

  • Conditional execution

  • Loops, Recursion, Boolean functions

  • Lists & list processing

 

Alice is an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Alice is a teaching tool for introductory computing. It uses 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface to facilitate a more engaging, less frustrating first programming experience. Alice 3 is FREE to download to use in class & at home.

 

Curriculum / Materials:

Summer Classes

Summer ONLY Class Offerings

Microsoft office 2016 for kids SUMMER.jp
Microsoft Office Workshop for Kids (summer only)

 

Suggested Age: 7-13

 

Students have fun creating a different project each week using the Microsoft Office suite of applications:

  • Word

  • Excel

  • PowerPoint

  • Publisher

They will make a friendly letter, a greeting card, a PowerPoint Presentation and more! Laptop computers provided or bring your own!

 

Curriculum / Materials:

 

SumKeyboarding
Keyboarding (short summer course)

 

Suggested Age: 7-19

 

Student have fun learning to type correctly on a computer keyboard. With incentives like games, prizes, and competitions, you child will be excited to type faster than ever! There will be homework, as Keyboarding is more like a sport where one trains muscles to respond automatically. Laptop computers provided or bring your own!

 

Homework: 10-20 minutes of typing 4 days a week

 

Certificate of Completion awarded for keyboarding course

 

Curriculum / Materials:

WebKidsWorkshop
Web Design for Kids Using HTML5 (summer only)

 

Suggested Age: 10-14

 

Prerequisite: Computer Apps for Kids OR instructor approval

 

Kids will:

  • Learn what web design is

  • Learn to write HTML5 code to make their own websites

  • Learn to use code generators and how to use templates to built sites

  • Be having fun!

  • Homework: 10-20 minutes of typing 4 days a week

 

Curriculum / Materials:

SumGameProgrammingForKids
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Game Programming for Kids (summer only)

 

Suggested Age: 9-12

 

Prerequisite: Computer Apps for Kids OR instructor approval

 

Kids will:

  • learn basic computer programming & logic skills

  • while having fun

  • creating their own computer games

 

Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge. Kids will also be able to share their game with others online, too.

 

Curriculum / Materials:

intro ms office teens
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Intro to Microsoft Office for Teens (SUMMER ONLY)

 

Suggested Age: 14-19

Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Kids or equivalent experience

 

Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:

  • Word

  • PowerPoint

  • Excel

 

Fulfills 1/2 credit state requirement for Technology applications

 

Curriculum / Materials:

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SumWebTeens HTML
learning web design 5th ed.jpg
Web Programming & Design for Teens (SUMMER ONLY)

 

Suggested Age: 15-19

Prerequisite: Microsoft Office for Teens or equivalent experience

 

Your student will:

  • Learn beginning to intermediate web design

  • Understand website layout

  • Write HTML5 & CSS3

  • Fulfill 1/2 credit state requirement for Technology Applications

  • Have a fully functional website (online with approval) at the end of the course

  • Earn a Certificate of Completion for Web Design

  • Do 2-3 hours of homework per week
     

Curriculum / Materials:

 

Parent Classes

Classes For parents Only

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Intro to Microsoft Office for Parents

 

Suggested Age: 20+

Prerequisite: none

 

Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:

  • Word

  • PowerPoint

  • Excel

  • Access

  • OneNote

 

Learn what your kids should know! This stuff is CORE: How do you write? On a computer. How do you calculate? On a computer. How do you present? On a computer. 

 

Curriculum / Materials:

logical operatons new book coveredited.p
Intro to Microsoft Office for Parents (SUMMER ONLY)

 

Suggested Age: 20+

Prerequisite: none

 

Learn the basics of Microsoft Office Suite using Microsoft certification track manuals:

  • Word

  • PowerPoint

  • Excel

 

Learn what your kids should know! This stuff is CORE: How do you write? On a computer. How do you calculate? On a computer. How do you present? On a computer. 

 

Curriculum / Materials:

  • Laptop computers required for class: MUST have Microsoft Office (version 2016 or later) Word, Excel & PowerPoint programs on it. Macs with Microsoft Office are fine! (Some teachers can provide one, if needed)

  • Textbooks: 3 Microsoft Office training manuals ordered by the instructor (order online at my website – Due May 15)

  • A USB flash drive to store student files

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