TECHNOLOGY

WEEK FOUR DAY ONE

Lesson Title: Review of Week Three and Overview of Week Four  

Subject Matter/Life Skill Area: Technology Strand  

Learning Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th grade reading/math level, working knowledge of the Internet  

Lesson Length: Ten to thirty minutes.  

Instruction Type: Whole group discussion with individual reflection.  

Overview and Rationale:  

Students need to have the opportunity to reflect back on their learning and how learning is significant to them.  

Learning Objectives/ Skills:  

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to critically reflect upon their learning that has taken place in the last week. The student will be able to communicate in writing, significant learning activities that have affected their learning.  

Skills: Reading, writing, listening, speaking, creative thinking, develop and express sense of self, self-esteem and self-management  

Materials/ Equipment Needed:  

Handout: Critical Incident Questionnaire

Pencil and paper

Chalkboard and chalk

How to Prepare:  

The instructor can become familiar with the philosophy of Critical Reflection. A good source for this teaching technique is available in Becoming A Critically Reflective Teacher, Brookfield, S., P 114.

Introduction /Warm up /Review:  

Ask students to recall some of the activities that took place during the Technology Strand last week. Write 'ACTIVITIES' on the board. Write their responses on the board under activities and fill in any gaps in lessons that were not mentioned.  

Ask students to recall what skills were learned during these activities. Write 'SKILLS' on the board. Write their responses on the board under skills and fill in any gaps in skills that were not mentioned.  

Presentation of Lesson:  

Discuss briefly, the philosophy of critical reflection and how it can be applied to personal lives and workplace situations. Hand out Critical Incident Questionnaire and give students a few minutes to read it over. Ask if there are any questions and respond accordingly.  

Practice /Activity:  

Allow students about five minutes to answer the questions (individually) and reflect upon the learning that has taken place in the last week. 

Application / Transfer:  

Ask students to share (orally) their reflective comments. Allow students some time to share with each other, ask questions of each other, and connect their learning experiences to each other by shared experiences.  

Encourage students to share comments about learning whether the experience was positive or negative. If a student has a negative learning experience, share that these can be valuable learning experiences and that they are part of the learning process.   

Reflection by Teacher:  

Students should be able to fill out the questionnaire. Not all students will take part in the discussion, however.  

What were the skills and activities that students remember learning about? Did they elicit a complete picture of last week's learning activities? What were the experiences that students shared in the classroom? How do their reflections impact your teaching style? Are there any adjustments that you can make to implement any changes that would accommodate their reflections?

Planning for Next Lesson:

This critical incident format can be used again in a variety of situations, such as to reflect upon learning, to reflect upon experiences students have during the job hunt (interviews, etc.), and to reflect upon conflict and how to manage it effectively.  

Critical Incident Questionnaire

Please take a few minutes to respond to each of the questions below about this week's class (es). Don't put your name on the form-your responses are anonymous. When you have finished writing, please turn it in. We will be sharing responses with the group. Thanks for taking the time to do this. What you write will help make the class more responsive to your concerns.

Source: Brookfield, Stephen D.  Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher

1.       At what moment in the classes this week did you feel most engaged with what was happening?

   

2.      At what moment in the class this week did you feel most distanced from what was happening?

   

3.      What action that anyone (teacher or student) took in class this week did you find most puzzling or confusing?

   

4.      What action that anyone (teacher or student) took in class this week did you find most affirming and helpful?

   

5.      What about the class this week surprised you the most? (This could be something about your own reactions to what went on, or something that someone did, or anything else that occurs to you.)

   

Lesson Title: Microsoft Word: Dissecting Affirmative Action Articles  

Subject Matter/Life Skill Area: Technology Strand  

Learning Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th grade reading/math level, working knowledge of the Internet  

Lesson Length: Thirty minutes to one hour  

Instruction Type: Whole group instruction with individuals working alone.  

Overview and Rationale:  

Students will have the opportunity to use some Microsoft Word formatting skills while they are identifying writing applications such as: Main idea, topic or supporting sentences, etc.  

Learning Objectives/ Skills:  

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to apply formatting features to an article previously downloaded from the Internet. Students will practice using Bold, underline and changing font color by selecting text or highlighting text.  

Skills: Reading, writing, creative thinking, understands systems, improves or designs Systems, selects/ applies technology  

Materials/ Equipment Needed:  

Computers with Internet access

Microsoft Word

Diskette with file of Affirmative Action article

Pencil and paper

Chalkboard and chalk  

How to Prepare:  

The instructor can prepare by reviewing the codes assigned to certain parts of the article that should be identified.

Introduction / Warm up /Review:  

Have students recall what formatting skills they have learned in the last few weeks and where they would select those features. Write responses on the board. Students should have elicited answers such as: Changing font, font size, bold, italicize, underline, aligning text, selecting text, changing spacing, and adding bullets.  

Presentation of Lesson:  

Let students know that they will review two features in formatting and will apply a new skill to this document. They will review using bold and underline, and will learn how to change the font to another color using select text.  

Let students know that they will have a limited time during this activity to accomplish the task.  

Students will be following these formatting guidelines:  

BOLD: The main idea of the article will be bolded.

Underline: The topic sentences of the article will be underlined.

Supporting sentences: The supporting sentences will be in a different font color.  

Practice / Activity:  

Write these on the board. Ask students where they can find bold and underline. They should respond that they are on the tool bar. Let them know that they can change font color and it is also on the toolbar. Have them see if they can find it.  

When students have located the font color icon, have them click and look at the drop down menu. Ask students if they remember the 'select text' feature and let them know that they will select supporting sentences and give them a new font color. Students can choose the color.

Application / Transfer:

Have students open their affirmative action article file from their diskette. They should also have their paper copy of the article from Academic Preparation. This article has already been dissected on paper. Students will have identified the three sentence styles that they will be formatting in Word.

Students should locate the three types of sentences in the article and follow directions of which format feature to use. Students will work individually but can lend support when needed.  

After using the format features, have students print out the article. Students should also save their changes to the diskette.

Reflection by Teacher:

Students should be able to use formatting features in Microsoft Word with ease. Were students able to recall the formatting skills learned in previous weeks? Were they successful in making formatting changes to the article?

Planning for Next Lesson:

Review any material needed for the next assignment in Microsoft Word, as well as the copy, paste and edit features.


TECHNOLOGY

WEEK FOUR DAY TWO  

Lesson Title: Microsoft Word, Affirmative Action Essay                                              

Subject Matter/Life Skill Area: Technology  

Learning Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th Grade level  

Lesson Length: One Hour  

Instruction Type: Lecture with Individual Practice  

Overview and Rationale:  

This lesson is designed to enhance and introduce new word processing skills using Microsoft Word. The following features will provide students with the opportunity to practice formatting, using spell check, double spacing, and centering. Students will use these skills while typing their affirmative action essay for GED.

Learning Objectives/ Skills:  

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to utilize the formatting features listed above and will be able to apply them to a Microsoft Word document.

Skills: Using resources, selects and applies technology, proofreading, reading, writing  

Materials/ Equipment Needed:  

Computers and printers

Printer paper

Handout:

Formatting Features: Margins, Line Spacing, and Font Size

Diskette- one per student

Pen/pencil

Highlighters  

How to Prepare:  

The instructor should be familiar with the handout and make copies of handout. The instructor should be familiar with the formatting features that will be utilized in this lesson.    

Introduction / Warm Up / Review:  

Ask students to share what formatting features they have learned so far and write the answers on the board. Have students locate the features in Microsoft Word and give them about five minutes to explore and re-familiarize themselves with the features. 

Presentation of Lesson:  

Ask students to type a few lines on a blank page. After students have typed a few lines, introduce each of the new features: Line spacing, centering, indenting, font size, and margins. Have students locate each of these features as you demonstrate how to find them in Microsoft Word. Allow students about ten minutes to find the features on their own and while they are doing that, write the following on the board:

  Margins

1.      File

2.      Page Setup (if necessary, click the margins tab when the page setup dialog box opens)

3.      Change top and bottom margins to 1" and left and right margins to 1.25"

4.      Click the OK button.

5.      Exit page setup.  

Line Spacing

1.      Format

2.      Select Paragraph

3.      Select the line spacing box arrow and select double

4.      Click the OK button.

5.      Exit Format.  

Font Size

1.      Format

2.      Select Font.

3.      Select Size 12 font.

4.      Exit Format.  

Practice / Activity:

Pass out handout on the formatting features. Ask them to set the margins according to the handout. Have them set the font size according to the handout.

Have students select centering on the tool bar and have them type their name, the date, and the title of their essay (each on a line). Then have them enter again and select the left- align icon on the formatting toolbar.  

Have students use tab to indent the first line of the first paragraph, stopping before they get to the end. Have them follow the handout instructions for line spacing and have them double space for their essay.  

Students can continue typing their essay, making sure to indent for the first line of each paragraph. Help them to re-format when necessary. The essay should have centered name, date, title, and line spacing set on double. Ask students not to correct errors, but let them know that they will learn how to correct with spell check.  

Application / Transfer:  

As students finish their essay, ask them to recall the formatting features learned today. Ask students where they are located and what they do. Write the answers on the board. Have students save their essay to a diskette.  

Reflection by Teacher:

Were students able to locate and understand how to use the formatting features?  

Planning for Next Lesson:  

Students should be able to apply these skills in the next Microsoft Word lesson. Ask students to recall the format skills learned today at the beginning of the next lesson.

  Handout

Formatting Features: Margins, Line Spacing, Font Size, Spell Check

Margins

1.      File

2.      Page Setup (if necessary, click the margins tab when the page setup dialog box opens)

3.      Change top and bottom margins to 1" and left and right margins to 1.25"

4.      Click the OK button.

5.      Exit page setup.  

Line Spacing

1.      Format

2.      Select Paragraph

3.      Select the line spacing box arrow and select double

4.      Click the OK button.

5.      Exit Format.  

Font Size

1.      Format

2.      Select Font.

3.      Select Size 12 font.

4.      Exit Format.  

Spell Check

1.      Select the spell check icon.

2.      Follow prompts to make corrections.  


TECHNOLOGY

WEEK FOUR DAY THREE  

Lesson Title: Field trip scheduled during this time slot.

Subject Matter/Life Skill Area: Technology Strand  

Learning Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th grade reading/math level, working knowledge of the Internet  

Lesson Length: Two Hours  

Instruction Type: Individual work  

Overview and Rationale:  

Students will have the opportunity to type their resumes that they are working on in Job Readiness.  

Learning Objectives/ Skills:

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to create and format a resume that meets the standards of the program  

Skills: Reading, creative thinking, problem solving, understands systems, monitors and corrects performance, improves or designs systems, selects/technology, maintains and troubleshoots equipment  

Materials/ Equipment Needed:  

Computers and printers, Printer paper

Handout: Resumes brought from Job Readiness

Diskette- one per student

Pen/pencil, Highlighters  

Practice / Activity:

Students will work individually typing and formatting their resumes. The instructor should be familiar with the resume templates/wizards available in Word.  

If time allows, another lesson.  


TECHNOLOGY

WEEK FOUR DAY FIVE  

Lesson Title: Adding Charts/Graphs to the final version of the Affirmative Action Essay  

Subject Matter/Life Skill Area: Technology Strand  

Learning Level/Prerequisite Skills: 9th grade reading/math level, working knowledge of the Internet    

Lesson Length: One hour and a half.  

Instruction Type: Whole group instruction with students working in individually. Students will work individually to create a chart or graph in their article.  

Overview and Rationale:  

Students will have the opportunity to practice using charts and graphs skills within Microsoft Word.  

Learning Objectives/ Skills:  

At the completion of this lesson, students will be able to add a chart or graph to their essay. Students will be able to locate appropriate tools on either the Menu Bar or the Toolbar and use them accordingly. Students will be able to access help to guide them through the activity.  

Skills: Reading, arithmetic/mathematics, creative thinking, problem solving, understands systems, monitors and corrects performance, improves or designs systems, selects/technology, maintains and troubleshoots equipment

Materials/ Equipment Needed:

Computers with Internet access

Microsoft Word

Diskette with file of Affirmative Action essay from the previous day

Pencil and paper

Chalkboard and chalk

GED book that has an example of graphs. A good source would be Contemporary's Book Five: Math, page 177.

 How to Prepare:

The instructor can prepare by reviewing the skills and steps necessary for adding a graph to a document. The instructor should also understand the components of a graph or chart.

Introduction / Warm up / Review:

Have students turn to the GED book and find an example of a graph. When someone has found an example, ask everyone to turn to the same page.

Ask students to explain what kind of information a graph provides. Write responses on board. Let them know that two important features of a graph are the numbers and the labels.

Let students know that can make a simple chart in Microsoft Word by using the help menu. Also let them know that if they want to make a complicated chart, Microsoft Excel is a good program for charts/graphs.  

Presentation of Lesson:  

Have students decide what information they will use for making a graph. Most likely it will be statistics available from their article. If they do not have statistics, ask students to provide some numerical information from their articles and write the information on the board in a chart format. An example would be:  

Affirmative Action Policies in the Workplace are Good for Workers

Agree

Disagree

56%

44%

   

Affirmative Action Policies in the Workplace are Reverse Discrimination

Agree

Disagree

66%

34%

  Let students know that they will take information listed in the chart and make a graph using the help feature of Microsoft Word.

Practice / Activity:

Have students open help and type in "Adding a graph to a document" and then click search. The first choice in the help box will be "Add a chart to a Word document." Students should select this choice.

Give students time to read through the directions. They can reposition the help box to work with their document and have the help box available online.  

Directions:

1.      Locate Insert on the Toolbar and choose Object.  

2.      Scroll down and find Microsoft Graph 97.

3.      Select the Float over text check box.

4.      Click OK.  

Application / Transfer:  

Allow students the time to achieve the steps listed in Help. Give them time to practice finding and locating the directions listed previously. You may want to write the directions on the board if students are having difficulty with Help, but you do want them to follow Help directions.

After students have inserted their graph, have them follow step 5 in Help. They can use the data listed on the board from the Affirmative Action discussion. Help them to delete any fields that are unnecessary from the graph.  

Have students practice clicking and dragging their graph to another location in the text. Students can also practice sizing and re-sizing the graph size by using the double arrow to shape the graph.  

Remind students that they can use Edit/ Undo to undo the last application that they have tried. Have students practice this editing skill also.

Students should eventually move their graph to the last page of their essay so that the essay stays intact. Save to the disk and print a final copy for Academic Preparation.     

Ask students for feedback on this activity. Write responses on board and facilitate any conversation related to the skills of this task.

Students should begin to understand how to add a graph to Microsoft Word. Adding a graph is an advanced skill so they will need to practice it again. They should also be able to access help when needed for any Microsoft Word application.

Reflection by Teacher:

Were students able to provide feedback on this activity? What was the range of ability with this activity? Were students able to access Help and understand the steps necessary to add a graph?

Share with students that since this activity is not practiced regularly by most users of Microsoft Word, we often refer to Help to remind us of how to accomplish tasks that we don't use regularly.  

Planning for Next Lesson:

Make sure that students know that they need to copy the essay to put in their portfolios in Academic Preparation.

 

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