Ending Our Year

Thank you to everyone for your support this year.

In class today, we watched several videos that centered around Pope Francis. Then, we discussed his connections to faith, technology, and humility. It was the best way I could imagine to end this school year.

I have recently found an article that I found insightful and helpful as a conversation starter:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/wp/2016/05/25/2016/05/25/13-right-now-this-is-what-its-like-to-grow-up-in-the-age-of-likes-lols-and-longing/

Thank you for your support, and have a wonderful, happy and healthy summer,
Mrs. Cadran

StMM Typing Program FAQ

The introduction of a typing program in grades 4-8 is an exciting and important addition to our offerings at StMM. Below you will find a brief introduction to the program, with answers to frequently asked questions. 

Q: Why introduce keyboarding in elementary or middle school?

Early introduction, as opposed to the more traditional method of high school keyboarding classes, has been shown to reduce bad habit development, and provide additional benefits that include improvements in spelling, writing, and reading comprehension. Research has shown that the most popular grade levels of introduction to keyboarding are 3rd and 4th grade. Recent years have seen successful introduction of keyboarding as young as kindergarten, with an approved program like the one we are using.

To find out more, please take a look at this white paper, which examines academic research into keyboarding over the last few decades.

Q: Why do we count time typed, rather than lessons completed?

There are a few reasons for this program model. Research over several decades has shown that it is at 400 hours of typing that a student/person gets proficiency, and another 600 hours is needed to become an expert. This MIT review on typing has that and additional information about the subject. Analyzing each student by lessons typed is not going to do the same thing. It is the time spent typing that wires the brain to become automatic at this skill.

Q: What can we do if my child(ren) cannot finish the assignment for a particular quarter?

Life happens. Whether it is related to scheduling, health, or the many other potential reasons, it is understandable that students may have difficulties finishing the assignment. All students, regardless of grade level, have the ability to request a change in their typing assignment. They can request this via a parent email, an in-person request, or using this form: http://bit.ly/StMMTypingRequest.

Students can use this form up until the quarterly due date. More information is contained within the form itself, but the most important thing to remember is that there is no reason why any student should be feeling “forced” to type for large amounts of time as the due date approaches. Help is available, and with parental permission, no student request will be denied. However, it is up to the student to make that decision and request; this shows the student is an active part of his or her own learning, and shows problem solving and communication skills.

Q: How does my child login?

Please visit ​​http://www.typing.com. Typing.com lets users work on keyboarding skills from anywhere with an Internet connection - with no downloads or special software needed.

Login with your student ID number + initials and the password you were given in class.

Example username: 1202035ac (student ID number first + initials)

Q: Why is this an at-home assignment?

Given the way classes are scheduled at StMM, it is impossible that students will be able to receive the amount of keyboarding instruction they need to become more productive typists. There are options for at-home practice, and that is the focus of this program. Additionally, keyboarding in a school setting for more than a few minutes at a time can be counter-productive, and does not always result in accurate words per minute (WPM). Finding time outside of a busy school environment can more easily give students quiet, distraction-free setting. Currently there is no keyboarding elective because that would only serve the needs of a very small group of students; keyboarding is important for all students.

Q: Why do you have benchmarks for each grade level?

It is important for students to have goals, so they know what to strive for; there is never a penalty of any kind if a student cannot reach a given goal, and we are also looking for students to individually set and meet goals of their own based on the knowledge they have of their own typing data.

Currently, benchmarks for each grade level are as follows:

8th grade: 50 WPM (based on the researched WPM for automaticity, or when keyboarding skills become automatic) @ 95% accuracy

7th grade: 45 WPM @ 95% accuracy

6th grade: 35 WPM @ 95% accuracy

5th grade: 30 WPM @ 95% accuracy

4th grade: 25 WPM @ 90% accuracy

Students who meet their grade-level benchmark over the course of at least 30 days will be required to type half the time for that quarter, and going forward. This will help them keep their skills current. The next school year will start with their new benchmark. Students can reach the benchmark at any point in the school year.

Q: Why do students in the upper grades keep a typing spreadsheet?

We know the typing program does not currently give typing time past 30 days. There is a way to overcome this, using Google spreadsheets. Spreadsheets are an important part of our curriculum that is shared by all teachers in a grade level. Learning how to use spreadsheets for authentic learning, including formulas, editing, and the design of the sheet itself, is all a part of this ongoing assignment. Additionally, it is amazing how accurate the spreadsheets are when used correctly and consistently.

Instructional videos

The following videos have been created to help your students work with our typing program:

Introduction to typing.com

Updating typing spreadsheet

New Year = New Skills!

It's a new year - a time when we all sit down to think about resolutions. For our students in grades 5-8

that will mean reflecting on our first quarter-long keyboarding assignment. 

This assignment is about much more than just keyboarding skills, although that is its primary focus. It also lends itself to great learning about time management, organization, and communication skills. 

Our students will be filling out a reflection activity in Google Drive. It will ask them to think about how they used their time, and tools (homework planners, etc.) to keep track of their typing time, and write down their assignment frequently. 

In Quarter 3, students will be asked to take more of a responsibility in keeping track of their typing time through a Google Document we will set up together. They will be asked to choose one day of the week, and record their time for the last 7 days then. 

There are so many ways we can use technology to help us remember these kinds of ongoing assignments. Since my rotating class time is called "Skills" time, let's explore a few! 

Sign up for my Remind101 free text and email alerts! 
Visit: https://www.remind.com/join/mrscadra to sign up or text @mrscadra to 81010

Link: Best Reminder and Task Apps for iPhone: 
http://www.imore.com/best-reminder-task-apps-iphone

 Link: Best Designed Reminder Apps for Android phones
http://outfresh.com/knowledge-base/5-best-designed-reminder-apps-android/

Other, non-techie ways to stay organized with reminders:

• A large, laminated, easy-to-erase monthly planner
• Sticky notes
• Go through the entire quarter in your homework planner, and write down the same homework on that day of the week (Tuesdays: Update typing time in Google Drive). Writing it down once is usually not enough!

 Thank you! Happy Typing!

Scholas Project Updates

With recent world events still fresh in our minds, it is more important than ever for us to continue to challenge ourselves to think, care, and prayerfully answer the call to be stewards of God's love. In fact, one of my takeaways from this week's homily was the request that I "go forth to be the whisper of love   in the world."

Our Scholas yearlong project is all about challenging our beliefs about other places in the world, and learning what it's like to live in developing countries, in order to provide opportunities for sports, arts, or technology to young people.

The first phase of our research was to look at developing countries in comparison to developed countries. Students were asked several follow-up questions using a Google form, which makes it easy to see trends in their answers, and spot places where students are thinking along the same lines. The purpose of this project is to help our students start asking questions - and not accepting information at face value.

Students were asked to look at information related to education, living conditions,

Picture courtesy of Pixabay

and general elements related to population. They were asked what information surprised them...perhaps challenging their ideas about places so far away, but maybe not that different from us. Here are some of the most inspiring responses. Challenge your assumptions; which countries do you think are mentioned here?


How do the people in { } only go the school for 8 years
and still live their daily life?


I was surprised that all of { } has clean water.


I learned that in { } , you go to school for a LONG time


Why is the drinking water source of { } for people is much lower than other countries?


Why do { } and { } have such a low rate of physicians/ 1,000 population?


Why is the school rate so low in some countries?


Why is the life expectancy rate in { } so low?


Why is the life expectancy in { } higher than in the United States?

These are just a few of the answers that show critical thinking, analysis, and an awareness of our world. Next, we will have students choose one developing country to focus on for their projects, and use databases to gather primary source information. Stay tuned for more details, and if you have questions about this project, or want to get more involved, contact Mrs. Cadran at teachtech@stmm.net!

Parents, if your child is using the Snapchat, please be aware that the app has recently changed is privacy policy settings. 

"Snapchat on Wednesday released a new update for its app, and with it, a new privacy policy that dramatically changes what the social network can do with the images users post," according to MarketWatch.com. Read more here.

BitsBox - Monthly Coding Projects for Kids!

Are you looking for a different kind of Christmas or birthday gift? Do you have a child who is curious, and interested in why things work? Consider a Bitsbox - a website for kids as young as seven who want to learn computer programming. It is also a monthly subscription box that comes with complete coding activities!

All kids need is a computer with a full keyboard, and a web browser (they recommend Google Chrome.)

Let's get coding!

Scholas - Connecting Students through Sports, Technology, and Art

Did you know that Pope Francis created his own educational entity in 2013, with the aim of bringing together students from around the world, especially those living in developing countries?

That organization is called Scholas. Drawing on the connected platform of web-based communications, Scholas works with governments, non-profits, and other groups to create, fund, and carry out project ideas for real schools, all around the world. The aim is to give students everywhere the chance to experience sports, technology, and the arts.

 Our middle school students will have the chance to submit a project idea to Scholas, as the result of a yearlong technology and research-based project that will be carried out mostly through their Skills class time. This project will become an authentic, real-world way to learn and apply technology and research skills. You can find more information below, in a snippet of the parents letter that was sent out today:

 This project will incorporate technology and research skills, with a varied focus each quarter. In the end, students will create a research project proposal that directly ties to the mission of both our school and Scholas, an educational initiative founded by Pope Francis.

 Their projects will have the goal of helping students in developing countries. Students will develop a topic focus based on this essential, or driving question: How can we connect, educate, and inspire young people around the world through sports, technology, and art?

 Related Links:
Please read more about Scholas here: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_81638.html 

The Scholas website can be found here: http://scholasoccurrentes.org/

Scholas Social has links to current projects: http://scholas.social/

Watch this official video introduction to Scholas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZPctI7oUow 

StMM’s Introduction to our Scholas project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8ZF69­Me2k

Diocese of Raleigh Information and Technology Curriculum Page: http://dioceseofraleigh.org/offices/catholic­schools/curriculum 

 Important Dates: By the start of Quarter 2, all students in grades 5­8 will need access to a family public library card with a PIN number (from any NC county) to access NC Live’s database system for research: h​ttp://www.nclive.org.​Students may put this information into a Google Document on their Drive account, come to Skills class prepared with the information, or ask a parent to e­mail it to Mrs. Cadran. This will be used for a variety of research­related projects for Quarters 2,3, and 4.

Thank you! Keep posted for more information about this exciting project!