Ms. Settanni’s Computer Class is designed to educate the students of P.S. 236 to be able to master the following computer skills by the end fifth grade:

Technology Terminology
All students will build on their vocabulary to communicate about technology. Students should be learning the names of the parts of the computer — such as the monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, speakers and disk drive, and software terms — such as menu, file, folders, applications, save and quit.

Keyboard and Mouse
All students will continue to practice and improve her skills in typing and using the mouse. All students will work on building speed and accuracy. All students will type 15 words per minute. All students will use the correct hand, wrist and body position, and proper techniques for striking the keys. We use a typing program that teaches the students how to type. By the end of the year, all students should demonstrate advanced keyboarding skills, such as cutting, copying and pasting to edit her work.

Word Processing 
All students may use a word processor for first and final drafts of their writing. They will type in their ideas in the first draft, then go back to proofread and make changes. All students will type and add clip art in word-processing programs. All students will change the font, size and color of the text and learn to use spell check. They may also add bulleted and numbered lists. They may make a class newsletter with pictures and text, write a book review or email a pen pal in another class. They will learn to use cut, copy and paste to transfer text or graphics from one program to another. They may explore some of the advanced features of a word-processing program, such as using borders, shading and page layout.

 Draw and Paint Software
Draw and paint software programs such as MaxWrite or Paint are common in my lab. All students will use the tools in the programs to type and create pictures. All students will know the difference between the draw and paint tools.

Presentation Software
All students will use software such as PowerPoint to add to a class book or presentation in which they make a slide with pictures and text. Presentation software combines graphics with text to provide the main points in a visually exciting way. To create an effective presentation it is important that students are given clear guidelines such as the number of words, graphics or background colors to use on each slide.

Spreadsheets and Databases
All students may use a spreadsheet program like Excel to organize data and make graphs. They may work from templates in which a spreadsheet or database has already been created and his job is to enter and organize the information.

Internet Research
All students will visit Web sites the teacher has bookmarked to further explore what is being taught in class. They will also learn how to bookmark their own sites. They will develop critical evaluation skills by learning to assess the credibility of Web sites and learn about copyright laws and the ethics of using information or pictures from the Internet. They will learn Internet search strategies and how to use search engines to research and find information. The class may go on virtual field trips to places, regions, environments and countries far from home, and engage in activities such as viewing an active volcano.