8th graders have begun registering for GACollege411.com This program is much like GCISJr. that was used last year. You can create a parent account on this site and explore career options with your child. 
 
Students will also start exploring what work is all about later in the week. They should be bringing home a worksheet called "Why Do People Work?". They will interview someone with a job to find out different reasons people work. This is one of the only homework assignments they will have to do this semester so look for it! 

Posted by: susanclark

7th graders will begin working with Microsoft Word on Wednesday of this week. We will begin learning how to format documents - editing, moving text, using Spell Check and many other features of Word. 
 
Remember, if you cannot afford the Microsoft brand program, you can download a FREE program that is almost exactly the same as it. Go to http://www.openoffice.org/ to find out about this great FREE program. Documents can even be saved in Word format (.doc) so that they will open on another computer which has Word installed. Open Office also includes presentation and spreadsheet software much like PowerPoint and Excel. 

Posted by: susanclark

It's already time for a quiz! 6th grade classes only will have a quiz on the classroom rules and procedures either Tuesday (A day) or Wednesday (B day). Students copied these rules onto notebook paper in class. 
 
Speaking of notebook paper, be sure your child has a folder or notebook for computer class. I have already had to give out notebook paper to students who were unprepared for class. This will not continue. If students continue to be unprepared, discipline will be administered in the form of sentences or a phone call home. This rule was made clear the first day of class and was written on the computer class information sheet I gave out. 

Posted by: susanclark

Does your student have a social networking site such as a Facebook page or a MySpace page? These are fun sites for kids (as well as adults!) but there are some things you need to remember about these pages to help keep your child safe. 
 
You can go to http://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.netsmartz.org/downloads/tipsheets/SocialNetworkingGuide.pdf  
to see a great tip sheet published by NetSmartz.org. It is only 2 pages and shows you some things to look for and ways to help your child keep from giving out too much personal information. 
 
One of the most important tips is to KNOW YOUR CHILD'S PASSWORD. There are many areas that you might not see when viewing the public profile page. You should make this a condition of your child having the page! 
 
Please take a minute to look at this tip sheet. You'll be glad you did! 

Posted by: susanclark

Welcome to Mrs. Clark's Business and Computer Science class! I will use this blog regularly to let you know what is happening in my class. I will post notices of tests (and there aren't very many written tests!) or tidbits of information about computers in general. I hope you will check back every week or two and see what's going on in class. You may find out that your child has learned something in class that they can teach you! 
 
I will give out a syllabus on the first day of class which gives more detailed curriculum information.  
 
Basically, each class will begin with typing. Typing, or keyboarding skills, are VITALLY important. Students who do not have a good foundation in keyboarding will be very limited in what they can do in higher grades or even in a job. In class, students must use keyboard covers which hide the letters to force them to memorize the position of the keys.  
 
Speaking of keys, I require the students to use hand sanitizer when entering the classroom every day. This way, they keys stay relatively germ-free. I do clean them with anti-bacterial cleaner some but the hand sanitizer really helps cut down on germ sharing. If you would be so kind as to donate a bottle of hand sanitizer, that would be fantastic. Next time you're at a store, pick up a bottle, please. Thanks!  
 

Posted by: susanclark