Mr. Tucker | Technology

One of our themes this year will be problem-solving. A set of best practices for problem-solving is presented in Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks. “The Way of the Cube” includes the following skills: Planning, Preparing, Prioritizing, Practice, Patience, and Perseverance. As we work on technical, academic, and creative skills during this school year, I hope to keep an ongoing focus on this approach to problem-solving.

2023-2024 | EMPOWERED LEARNING

The theme for this year is “Empowered Learning.” What does that mean to you? ISTE explains it as “Leveraging technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in your learning goals.” One of the latest trends in technology is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has a great potential to empower us in learning if it is used in the right ways. The key will be to use it to help us learn and solve problems, and not to become dependent on it to do all the thinking for us. We need to be in a position not only to get answers from technology, but evaluate those answers, determine how the machine came up with those answers, and process those answers through our own brains, which work very differently than a computer algorithm ever will.

In classes this year, I hope to teach and learn about how to use technology of all kinds to empower your learning. Information Literacy, Computational Thinking, and Digital Citizenship are just some of the skills that will help us get there. I’m excited to start the new school year, and I look forward to many great learning experiences.

2022-2023 | COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DESIGN THINKING

The theme for this year is “Computer Science and Design Thinking.”  These terms represent New Jersey Curriculum Standards 8.1 and 8.2, which are the guidelines for much of what we cover in Technology Class.  The term “Computer Science” is often used interchangeably with “Computer Programming.”  While that is certainly a major part of Computer Science, there is more to it than just coding.  Computer Science is a way of thinking logically to solve problems.  It is a toolbox that enables a partnership between hardware and software, and ultimately between people and technology.

“Design thinking” is a skill that will come up in many subjects, especially in the STEM areas.  Some of the projects we have previously worked on that focus on design thinking include the Minecraft Houses, Technology Evolution presentations, and even the Endangered Species project.

2021-2022 | WELCOME BACK TO THE TECH LAB

The theme for this year is “Welcome Back to the Tech Lab”. It’s a moment I’ve been looking forward to since March 13, 2020, the last time in-person Tech classes were held here in Room 17. While I’m proud of everything we were able to accomplish since then in virtual Tech classes and during STEM periods, it’s great to be back in the lab. I hope to focus this year on the projects that just weren’t possible last year, such as Minecraft and Robotics. You can also expect Computer Science to play an important role, and we will often tie in with Math content during STEM periods.

2020-2021 | TURNING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES

This year, we are starting Technology class primarily in a virtual setting.  This creates a number of challenges which we will have to work through.  This leads to the theme for this year in Tech: “Turning Challenges into Opportunities”.

The human race has always created opportunities when faced with challenges, and technology has often played the most important role.  For example, one could look at the advancements in transportation and communication that occurred as a result of war.  In our current COVID-19 challenge, we see scientists working to develop vaccines and treatments, software engineers making advancements in video chat and collaboration tools, and businesses figuring out new ways to keep going, in some cases completely reinventing themselves.

All of us in education (teachers, students, and parents) have also been part of turning the COVID-19 challenge into new opportunities.  We switched to virtual learning with virtually no preparation in March, and while not everything worked perfectly, we managed to continue the learning process and get through the year.  In some cases, we even found ways to do things better than before.  I hope to see even more of that this year, and I also hope we can return to in-person Tech class soon.  My advice to everyone is to be patient, be resourceful, and be responsible, and you will be able to meet any challenge.

2019-2020 | CODE YOUR SUCCESS

One of the main topics that we spend time on in Tech class is learning how to code.  While coding may be a useful skill for some of your future careers, it is even more important for all students as an approach to problem solving in school and in life.  Computer code works according to programmed sequences, conditional logic, repeated actions, and efficiency in doing all of that.  Students can improve their learning and success in school by thinking in this way also.  For example, correct sequencing will ensure that we study before a test and get homework done before it is due.  Think about how repeating a set of steps can help you with crafting essays in Language Arts or solving various types of math problems.  Consider how the decisions that we make (conditional logic) can lead to different results, such as getting an award or getting in trouble.

We get to write our own personal code for how we live our lives, interact with each other, and approach our education.  Your human values will drive your decisions about what your code will look like.  In this new school year, I hope to see many positive values come through in your code, values like creativity, ambition, caring, and empathy towards others.  Have a great school year.

2018 - 2019 | BE INTERNET AWESOME

• Be Smart - Think before you share/post.
• Be Strong - Protect your privacy with strong passwords.
• Be Alert - Watch out for scams, identity thieves, and fake news.
• Be Kind - Help others and help make the Internet a positive community.
• Be Brave - Ask your parents and teachers for help.

("Be Internet Awesome" curriculum by Google, in collaboration with iKeepSafe, ConnectSafely, and Family Online Safety Institute - beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com)

2017 - 2018 | THE WAY OF THE CUBE - 6 SKILLS FOR PROBLEM SOLVING

• Planning
• Preparing
• Prioritizing
• Practice
• Patience
• Perseverance

(from Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks)

2016-2017 | I AM A DIGITAL AGE LEARNER (ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS)  

• Empowered Learner
• Digital Citizen
• Knowledge Constructor
• Innovative Designer
• Computational Thinker
• Creative Communicator
• Global Collaborator

KINDERGARTENIn Kindergarten, we focus on using the iPads to enhance learning, a introducing the use of Computers.  Our computer activities are all designed to help students become more comfortable using the Keyboard, Mouse, and Trackpad.

1ST GRADE

1st Grade Technology starts with an exploration of digital safety. We then continue working on Keyboard and Mouse skills, as students create documents and pictures that go along with class content or different times of the year.  The projects are especially intended to improve students' knowledge of the keyboard.  We also introduce the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) as 4 subjects that are linked together. 

2ND GRADE

The curriculum in 2nd grade centers around an "All About Me" book that students work on for most of the school year.  Students type lists and paragraphs to include in the book, as well as put together various pictures for it. We also spend some time introducing programming using Code Studio.

3RD GRADE

In 3rd grade, we start our study of Digital Citizenship.  Students learn how to stay safe when using Technology, especially in their interactions with others.  Topics introduced include Cyber Bullying, Social Networking, Search, and Copyright Law.  We also introduce how to use websites for research, and practice finding facts and then presenting them in a document with pictures.  Finally, we continue our work in Code Studio and introduce robotics.

4TH GRADE

4th Grade students work on different concepts within STEM.  We work on programming using Code Studio and robotics using Dash and Dot.  We then spend time on creating floorplans and building houses in Minecraft.  We also look at Technology Evolution, how it's changed through the years.

5TH GRADE

In 5th grade, Digital Citizenship is covered in more depth. We also become more comfortable using basic features in Google Docs and Google Slides.  We do projects related to research on states and New Jersey endangered species, and we use it to enhance student knowledge of Technology, Social Studies, and Science. We also devote time to learning the technique of touch keyboarding, so that we can type faster and more accurately.

6TH GRADE

The 6th grade curriculum covers more advanced features of Google Docs and Slides.  Students produce and edit content in various ways.  Students learn to type with more speed and accuracy, and with better ergonomic technique, by utilizing Touch Keyboarding.  We also have students utilize Microsoft Word and PowerPoint so that they are comfortable with both platforms.  We also do several STEM projects where students need to plan, be precise, and apply technical skills.  Students work on higher-level blockly programming and various robotics.

7TH GRADE

In 7th grade, we reinforce skills learned previously, and add new ones.  We spend significant time on Spreadsheets.  We also continue working on block-based programming.  We revisit Digital Citizenship, and do a research project on countries of the world. 

8TH GRADE

8th grade includes a project where students research careers.  It also reviews concepts in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.  We study databases, how they work, and where they're used.  We utilize Lego Mindstorms robotics, and we continue our work on programming including an introduction to text-based code in Python.

2019-2020 | VIDEO TECH SHOW

While we are unable to hold the Technology Show at school this year, I am proud to present this "Video Tech Show", which features projects across all grade levels.  I have divided the show into separate videos for Grades K-2, 3-5, 6, 7, 8, and Robotics/Photography.  All of the videos can be found below.  Enjoy the shows!

Please note that I tried to include as many student projects as I could find, though it is possible that a few of them got misplaced or were not included for whatever reason. I apologize if any of your projects did not make it in; please know that your efforts in my class are always appreciated. For the 8th grade, please note that the graduation poster you see in this video may not be the latest version if you made changes in the last few days. The final print of your posters will have the updated version.

2020-2021 | VIDEO TECH SHOW

Below, you will find all of the videos for the Technology Show this year.  They are organized by grade levels, with the younger grades on top.  Technology classes this year were held entirely online for Grades K-5, and partially online for Grades 6-8.  A special thank you to parents who got the students logged on to virtual classes and helped them with the assignments.  The students did a great job on their projects, so enjoy the show!

Please note that I tried to include as many student projects as I could find, though it is possible that a few of them got misplaced or were not included for whatever reason.  I apologize if any of your projects did not make it in; please know that your efforts in my class are always appreciated.  For the 8th grade, please note that the graduation poster you see in this video may not be the latest version if you made changes in the last few days.  The final print of your posters will have the updated version.