SBAC Testing Has Begun

2014 SBAC Testing Is Off to a Great Start!

On Monday, April 28, Spurgeon students began the much anticipated SBAC testing. Our Spurgeon Cougars were well-trained by Mr. Zamudio and the Spurgeon science teachers, the labs were well-prepared by the SAUSD and Spurgeon technology teams (we miss you Mr. Ellison!) and testing began without a hitch! All students were able to log in and begin testing immediately. Students reported that although the SBAC exam covers difficult material, the testing system was not difficult to use. It was almost as if the students were born to test online! We will be on the special SBAC schedule through Tuesday, May 6, for 7th and 8th grade testing. 6th graders will begin testing in May.

  

 What does it look like when 160 students take the SBAC all in one lab at the same time?

Success!

A Funny Thing Happened During SBAC Testing... iTunes

During our SBAC testing today, one frustrating occurrence is the spontaneous (apparently) opening of iTunes. Since it is disabled it as a login item, it must be something else that is triggering it. Thankfully, the Interwebs have the answer! Because the F8 key on a modern iMac keyboard is also a keyboard shortcut to open iTunes. Since the SBAC secure browser will not run with iTunes open, the easiest way to avoid this is to:

1. Open System Preferences
   
2. Select Keyboard
3. Select the Keyboard sub menu
4. Check the box "Use All F1, F2, etc. keys as standard..."
   

Be sure the volume control is visible in the menu bar so that students are able adjust the volume without the keyboard:

1. Open System Preferences
2. Select Sound
3. Check the box "Show Volume in Menu Bar"
   

Common Core & Keyboarding Skills

Common Core & Keyboarding Skills

This 15 - 20 minute CUE Tips session will offer a brief, yet comprehensive look at the options available to educators who need to rapidly, easily, and inexpensively improve student keyboarding skills. Come learn about various keyboarding instruction options and see how a Career and Technical Education NBCT teaches keyboarding in her classes.

Keyboarding has long been an essential 21st Century skill. With the advent of Common Core and Smarter Balanced Assessment requiring students to test online, this has become even more apparent. Keyboarding skills are necessary at an earlier age than ever before, necessitating inexpensive, high-quality, and easily accessible skill-building curriculum to train students. Web-based programs make the most sense in almost every classroom allowing ease of instruction and student management. Online keyboarding instruction can be implemented from elementary to adult level classes and offers an intrinsically motivating way to quickly build speed and accuracy while keyboarding.

Programs we use at Spurgeon Intermediate School

Keyboarding Online

www.keyboardingonline.com

I use their Keyboard Mastery full web-based keyboarding course, appropriate for secondary (intermediate and high school), as well as for adults, (used at a local community college). It is based on the Ellsworth Publishing’s renowned business technology textbooks series. The program allows complete monitoring of every keystroke, and can be modified fully by the instructor. Tech support emails immediately if you have an issue, and implements suggestions from instructors, such as exporting data, and migrating to HTML5 precluding the need to run Java. They also have a program for younger grades K-5. Additionally, they offer a free Office Suite curriculum. This program is very affordable, and is the program I use for my keyboarding instruction.

 

Typing Club

typingclub.com

Typing Club promotes itself as a “free touch typing tutorial” and pledges to be free forever. Instructors may purchase upgrades which allow more management options such as multiple classes, and access to the grade book. But, the bottom line is the exceptional lessons are totally free. They just rolled out a school portal that I signed up for this past week, and it is wonderful! It is web-based through a browser, but it also is available through a Chrome app.

NitroType

www.nitrotype.com/

I was introduced to this wonderful online multi-user typing game by a dear colleague, Tim Byers at Villa Intermediate School in the Santa Ana Unified School District. Tim opens his classroom at lunch, and students pour in to challenge each other to a friendly game of Keyboarding Skills! Tim is the teacher I want to be when I grow up!

My only rule for my students, well, two rules, are:

Home Keys

No Potty Mouth when chatting or choosing an alias

 

Programs for Younger Students

BBC’s Dance Mat Typing

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

Free, fun, and very wacky!

TechnoKids
www.technokids.com
K-12 Office Suite application curriculum. Several attendees at my session inquired about training for MS Office programs. The "Techno Kids" curriculum is wonderfully engaging, and age appropriate. Like NitroType, I learned about the Techno Kids curriculum from my colleague, Tim Byers!