Just a friendly reminder that your individual PBL research organizers are due by Monday 12/8 for students who have SDAL on odd cycle days, and on Tuesday 12/9 for those who have SDAL on even cycle days. Remember that each of you should have at least three sources and that the notes should be in your own words. 

Parents, Macbook users have their organizer saved in either Google Docs or on their desktops, whereas iPad users are using this organizer in the Notability app. As always, please email us with any questions!

Mrs. Howell: THowell@cysd.k12.pa.us
Mrs. Koplitz: SKoplitz@cysd.k12.pa.us
Miss Eaton: SEaton@cysd.k12.pa.us
Mrs. Hufnagl: LHufnagl@cysd.k12.pa.us

Happy researching! - Mrs. Howell, Mrs. Koplitz, Miss Eaton, and Mrs. Hufnagl

Seventh Grade Individual Research Organizer:

Eighth Grade Individual Research Organizer

Here's a fun video that the amazing Mr. Heisey put together of both of our PBL entry events. They were so much fun, we can't wait to see what the science, math, and language arts teachers come up with in the third and fourth marking periods! Thanks Mr. Heisey and to all of the teachers at CYMS for all that you do!

A great time was had by all at the eighth grade PBL History entry event! The SDAL and History teachers teamed up, with the help of students, teachers, and our very own Ms. Veit to kick off Project Based Learning in a fun and exciting way. Here are a few photos from the event:

A big thank you to all who were involved!!!

Learners in Mrs. Howell's class each explored the role that digital media plays in their life and reflected on the positive and negative impact digital media has on themselves and society. They then created similes to describe what their digital lives are like using iMovie. Here is a wonderful example of the project created by one of our seventh grade students:

In Miss Eaton's class, our learners have been hard at work creating their very own children's books on internet safety using StoryBird.com or Book Creator. Here's one of our favorite examples about three adorable pups named Harold, Samquel, and Rufus:

The amazing Mr. Heisey put together a video for us showcasing what our learners have been up to in the CYMS Hub so far this year. If you're interested in what we've been working on, definitely check it out!

Mrs. Koplitz' learners just completed their projects on digital communication, commerce, and literacy. They discussed the pros and cons of social media, talked about how to shop safely online, and learned how to properly use Google's search tools, among many other things. Here are a few examples of their work:

Great job guys! Can't wait to see what our next group comes up with!

The York Daily Record paid us a visit as well! You can check out the article right here.

Check out the article about the CYMS Hub and 1:World initiative in the York Dispatch!

You've probably heard about etiquette, but have you ever heard of netiquette? Just as there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to behave in social situations in the "real world", there are also standards of conduct for behaving properly in cyberspace. In Mrs. Howell's class students discussed digital etiquette, like the following guidelines, which were excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea: 

They also watched a fun video about digital pet peeves and talked about their own pet peeves when it comes to the world of technology. Here are a few of their responses:

Erica (Grade 7): One thing that annoys me is when people are on their phones while in line for something and are ignoring the person trying to help them.

Nick (Grade 7): When I get a text and I am not using my phone. If I don't notice that I got a text, they spam 'hi' so many times.

Ryan (Grade 7): When girls take duck face selfies. LOL

Jaanvi (Grade 8): When I am trying to talk to someone and they're just staring at their phone. 

Jadon (Grade 8): When I send a long message and the only response is, "K".

In Miss Eaton's class, learners discussed many topics related to internet safety and appropriate use. One of the questions they discussed was, Is it fair for districts to limit access to any or all websites? Why or why not? 

Here are a few of our learners' thoughts on the subject:

Allison (Grade 8): Yes it is fair because, during class, a student could be on a website they aren't supposed to be on such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr. They may not be paying attention in class because of these websites.

Connor (Grade 7): It's not okay because the principals should trust us as students. If someone makes a bad decision, not everyone should pay for it.

Makaya (Grade 8): I think some websites are fair for schools to limit access. Some websites are inappropriate and shouldn't be viewed in schools, but not all of the websites the school blocks are inappropriate like some research websites, which limits students access to information.

Maddie (Grade 7): No, because the teachers tell us to follow them on Twitter and social media, but we can’t see what they post because it is blocked.

Anthony (Grade 8): I think that it is fair for schools to limit access to websites. I think that it is fair because many online sites can be very distracting, which would cause a student to not pay attention or stop whatever they were doing.

And last, but not least, in Mrs. Koplitz class learners discussed the ins and outs of social media and social networking, as well as the safety and security issues that are involved with each platform. They also shared their favorite sites, and what they believe are the pros and cons of social networking, which they'll be adding to brochures they're creating on digital communication, commerce, and literacy. 

Every day is full of new, exciting, and relevant topics here at the Hub - can't wait to see what discussions happen tomorrow!