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Attention: Kindergarten Teachers

FIVE NEW TECHNOKIDS PROJECTS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE! Taking a class of preschoolers into the computer lab can be a daunting, chaotic experience. Young children tend to have very limited skills but endless enthusiasm and eagerness to experiment. Sending these students into a room full of expensive, complex technology can be a formidable challenge. And then asking them to log on to a network, open a program, and print their work clearly can overwhelm even the most prepared and courageous teacher.

TechnoKids has created five technology projects using the new Kid Pix 3D and the previous version, Kid Pix Deluxe 4, to make the computer experience for both young students and teachers an enjoyable and productive learning experience.

Computer lab time is valuable. The learning that young children acquire should be structured and targeted towards beginning a skill set upon which to build in subsequent years. The TechnoKids Kid Pix projects provide the materials, teacher guide books, step-by-step instructions, templates, worksheets, and more to ensure that students are not just having fun using a drawing program, but are simultaneously building basic technology skills.

Top 3 Benefits of TechnoKids Kid Pix Projects

1. Meaningful Learning Skills: Using TechnoKids projects ensures that young students will not just be experimenting and aimlessly playing with software. They complete structured lessons that build a set of academic and technology learning objectives.
2. Step-by-Step Instruction: To assist teaching, the teacher guide and student workbook describe each step aided by pictures of each software tool and sample student results.
3. Complete Resources: Teachers only need to have Kid Pix software on their computers. All other resources that are needed to complete the project are provided.

TechnoBasics is a great starting point for introducing kindergarten children to computers. The project uses the Kid Pix program to teach young children how to open and close a program, develop mouse skills, and navigate a keyboard. In addition, there are off computer activities that can be conducted in the classroom to teach students important rules about computer care and use. Often there are not enough computers for each student, or the teacher has one group working on computer and one group doing other work. The TechnoKids Kid Pix projects have a variety of activities provided in the resource materials to accommodate this situation. Games, worksheets, and review activities that are completed without the computer are included to help introduce and strengthen new concepts such as counting, letter recognition, color attributes, and shape terminology.

The other four TechnoKids projects – TechnoColors, TechnoLetters, TechnoNumbers, and TechnoShapes develop further core concepts essential to Kindergarten and first grade curriculums. Students build specific technology learning objectives in a systematic approach as they investigate the fun and engaging features of Kid Pix 3D. A summary of skills in each TechnoKids project provides a checklist for teachers to track and report student learning. In addition, all resources needed to complete the project are provided: teacher guide, student workbook, review questions, extension activities, parent letter, and completion certificate. Projects also include sample student work and teacher resources such as games, posters, learning cards, handouts, and teacher resources. Everything is provided to minimise teacher workload and boost student learning and fun.

Visit TechnoKids to read more about the five new TechnoKids Kid Pix projects. Download sample assignments and view student work. TechnoKids projects are available as single projects or a bundle of the complete set of five. Visit our online store to order.

Transform your Students into Microsoft Office Experts

ONE TECHNOLOGY PROJECT DOES IT ALL!

You asked. We listened!

Teachers have been asking for a technology project that uses EVERY Microsoft Office application. It was a challenge...but we did it! You are going to love TechnoWonderland. It is perfect for middle school or high school students. If you teach Grades 7-10 this project is for YOU.

In TechnoWonderland, students become marketing executives for an amusement park. They use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Access and the Internet to create publications, design promotions, and analyze, graph, and calculate data. In just one technology project, your students will learn a range of technology skills including word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, Internet, desktop publishing, presentation, and database skills.

Pick and Choose the Activities you Want to Teach

TechnoWonderland was designed by its creators at TechnoKids Inc. to fit into a wide range of teaching and timetable situations:

• Computer Class: If your students come to class one a week, you can teach TechnoWonderland throughout the school year and feel confident that you are targeting every technology skill. In addition to the assignments, the review questions, skill reviews, and extension activities are a great way to challenge your students and enhance their skillset.

Computer Rotation: You may not have a regularly scheduled computer class. Instead, your students may rotate to computers for a block of time. TechnoWonderland is perfect for teaching a wide-range of technology skills in a condensed amount of time.

• Computer Semester Project: If you are teaching in a high school your students may come to computer class for a semester. TechnoWonderland can be used to introduce computer skills or as a final culminating project that reviews and consolidates learning.

What Activities are in TechnoWonderland?

• Format pictures and text to create a poster using Microsoft Word that promotes the amusement park
• Design an attraction sign using Microsoft Word that lists ride instructions
• Combine clip art, text boxes, and shapes to layout an amusement park map using Microsoft Word
• Apply Internet search strategies to find interesting animal facts using Internet Explorer
• Produce an animal exhibit placard using Microsoft Word
• Create signs to direct visitors to animal exhibits using Microsoft Word
• Entice visitors to view an exhibit using SmartArt Graphics in Microsoft Word
• Organize, graph, and analyze survey data in Microsoft Excel to select a new attraction
• Prepare a report in Microsoft Word that summarizes survey results from Microsoft Excel
• Analyze visitor traffic in Microsoft Excel to make recommendations to improve the park
• Calculate monthly food vendor earnings using Microsoft Excel
• Design an electronic billboard that promotes a ride using Microsoft PowerPoint
• Promote a food deal using animated slides in Microsoft PowerPoint
• Prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint photo album of new attractions
• Invite season ticket holders to an exclusive event using Microsoft Publisher
• Make a voucher to use at a park vendor using Microsoft Publisher
• Mark an exclusive event on a Microsoft Publisher calendar
• Improve customer satisfaction by examining records in a Microsoft Access database
• Add a record to a Microsoft Access database to organize data for a new attraction
• Generate a query to filter rides that have a height restriction and produce a report based on the results.

TechnoWonderland is available for Microsoft Office 2010 and 2007.

To order TechnoWonderland, visit the TechnoKids online store.

Coming Soon: TechnoKids Kid Pix 3D Projects

If you are a fan of Kid Pix Deluxe, you’ll be happy to know that there is a new version of the very popular and much-loved drawing and painting program for young learners: Kid Pix 3D. The software, which was first introduced in 1988, encourages creativity and communication skills in a fun way. In early 2012, TechnoKids will be updating our entire line of Kid Pix projects for primary students to include the new features of Kid Pix 3D. Revised versions of TechnoBasics, TechnoColors, TechnoLetters, TechnoNumbers, and TechnoShapes will be available shortly, allowing children to enjoy the amazing new tools and libraries.

Kindergarten and preschool teachers will be pleased to hear that Kid Pix 3D is easy for four and five year olds to use. Our TechnoKids projects help primary students gain confidence with using the computer while they acquire concepts such as colors, letters, numbers, and shapes. Users who have worked with previous versions of Kid Pix will recognize and enjoy the time-honoured fun and quirky features of the program.

New and additional backgrounds, stickers, and animations have been added to keep students exploring, experimenting, and creating. Kid Pix 3D has some great new features in addition to the traditional, favorite tools that children have enjoyed for many years. These new features will be integrated into our revised Kid Pix projects. Among the new additions are:

• 3D Backgrounds – dozens of slick, new multi-layered scenes
• 3D Animations – realistic animated characters and objects to help tell a story
• Path Animation – an advanced ability to control the movement of 3D characters
• 3D Paint Tools – lifelike tools that look like the real thing

We’ll keep you posted and announce the new projects soon. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive an email newsletter about the product release. Visit Kid Pix 3D to download a free 15-day Kid Pix 3D trial for either Mac or Windows. View a gallery of video samples created by young students and see samples of the top features of the program. Check the minimum system requirements to see how most basic home or school computers support Kid Pix 3D.