WHAT'S NEW?
Create Online Magazines with youblisher
Want a quick, easy, and free way to turn your desktop publishing masterpieces into slick, electronic magazines? Then check out youblisher. This online program can turn any .pdf into a page-turnable online publication that can be read from any pc, mac, or tablet within minutes.
The ideas for a tool like this are endless:
How to: Simply create your publication in any program that will allow you to save your work as a .pdf—Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Google Docs, Open Office, etc. When saving, select "Save As," and change the File Type to .pdf. Upload the .pdf to youblisher, and you're done. It's that simple!
Check out one of our old newsletters published in this way.
Now, get out there and start publishing!
Want a quick, easy, and free way to turn your desktop publishing masterpieces into slick, electronic magazines? Then check out youblisher. This online program can turn any .pdf into a page-turnable online publication that can be read from any pc, mac, or tablet within minutes.
The ideas for a tool like this are endless:
- Library promotion
- Monthly newsletters
- Advertise new books/programs
- Student publications
- Student class projects
- Flipped classroom reading/exercises
How to: Simply create your publication in any program that will allow you to save your work as a .pdf—Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Google Docs, Open Office, etc. When saving, select "Save As," and change the File Type to .pdf. Upload the .pdf to youblisher, and you're done. It's that simple!
Check out one of our old newsletters published in this way.
Now, get out there and start publishing!
Algebra I EOC Questions for Exam View
I've noticed that one of the problems that EOC teachers are facing is a dearth of EOC-style questions. To address this problem in Algebra I at my school, I have teamed with Algebra I teachers Katherine Bowen, Jeromy Spellings, Mantatisi Walker, and Stanley Moore to develop several additional SPI-related questions and daily warm-ups to help drill students with the types of questions. Our launching point for these questions was the work done by teachers at Jefferson County High School (their additional EOC-Style practice questions are here.)
As will be seen when you click the image on the left, ours is a work in progress as we are attempting to build rather large banks of questions that Algebra I teachers can use for classroom practice, homework, and assessment. Tables and graphs take a very long time to create! As such, we would love feedback, especially in the form of suggestions and additional questions. If you would like to add to our growing problem base, please email me at [email protected] and I'll be glad to add yours to the list.
I've noticed that one of the problems that EOC teachers are facing is a dearth of EOC-style questions. To address this problem in Algebra I at my school, I have teamed with Algebra I teachers Katherine Bowen, Jeromy Spellings, Mantatisi Walker, and Stanley Moore to develop several additional SPI-related questions and daily warm-ups to help drill students with the types of questions. Our launching point for these questions was the work done by teachers at Jefferson County High School (their additional EOC-Style practice questions are here.)
As will be seen when you click the image on the left, ours is a work in progress as we are attempting to build rather large banks of questions that Algebra I teachers can use for classroom practice, homework, and assessment. Tables and graphs take a very long time to create! As such, we would love feedback, especially in the form of suggestions and additional questions. If you would like to add to our growing problem base, please email me at [email protected] and I'll be glad to add yours to the list.
Setting Up Classroom Folders for Google Docs
By now, everyone knows that Google provides its own versions of desktop publishing tools. Anyone well-versed in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint can easily find their way in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. And while Microsoft's more polished appearance and versatility remain unmatched, Google's access to the cloud makes storage and sharing of student files a snap. Gone are the days of lost thumb drives or deleted work from school computer accounts--everything is saved the moment it is typed. All that is needed is access to the Internet.
Recently, Carmen assisted a middle-school class with setting up Google Drive folders into which they would save their work. Additionally, these folders were shared to the teacher so that he/she could have acccess to see and grade student submissions. (Don't forget that Google Docs can allow teachers to offer great feedback to students--see our presentation on using screencasting software to capture verbal feedback and CarperEnglish and Venisha Bahr's videos on using screencasting with Google Docs.)
If you would like to create a true, paperless classroom check out Amy Mayer's Youtube video for Managing Your Classroom with Google Drive. (The first part of the video is directed at students; the second part will teach you how to set up your account on the teacher side.) Then, use Carmen's PowerPoint to help guide your students through the process.
By now, everyone knows that Google provides its own versions of desktop publishing tools. Anyone well-versed in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint can easily find their way in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. And while Microsoft's more polished appearance and versatility remain unmatched, Google's access to the cloud makes storage and sharing of student files a snap. Gone are the days of lost thumb drives or deleted work from school computer accounts--everything is saved the moment it is typed. All that is needed is access to the Internet.
Recently, Carmen assisted a middle-school class with setting up Google Drive folders into which they would save their work. Additionally, these folders were shared to the teacher so that he/she could have acccess to see and grade student submissions. (Don't forget that Google Docs can allow teachers to offer great feedback to students--see our presentation on using screencasting software to capture verbal feedback and CarperEnglish and Venisha Bahr's videos on using screencasting with Google Docs.)
If you would like to create a true, paperless classroom check out Amy Mayer's Youtube video for Managing Your Classroom with Google Drive. (The first part of the video is directed at students; the second part will teach you how to set up your account on the teacher side.) Then, use Carmen's PowerPoint to help guide your students through the process.
TweenTribune / Newsela
One of the greatest difficulties facing teachers attempting to incorporate non-fiction reading in their classrooms is that all students do not read on the same level. So, imagine being able to have classes read the same content but at different Lexile levels. That's right, differentiation is just a click away!
Both TweenTribune (also TTJunior and TeenTribune) and Newsela offer free, daily news articles geared for school-age children. Both offer a wide variety of subject matter for every taste. Each even allows teachers to choose the same article at lower Lexile levels to fit the needs of their students. However, Newsela offers five reading levels, whereas Teen Tribune offers only three. Additionally, Newsela offers premium/paid content for teachers (tracking mechanisms, charts, and graphs), while Teen Tribune (produced by Smithsonian Magazine) is completely free. Teen Tribune also offers a free app for iPad and iPhone.
Because TweenTribune offers great content for teachers at no cost (classroom setup, daily reading quizzes, etc.), it edges out Newsela in our opinion. However, if you're looking for even more differentiation in the reading levels, then you may want to give Newsela a try. Either way, ELA, Science, and Social Studies teachers will definitely find these helpful in teaching reading across the curriculum.
One of the greatest difficulties facing teachers attempting to incorporate non-fiction reading in their classrooms is that all students do not read on the same level. So, imagine being able to have classes read the same content but at different Lexile levels. That's right, differentiation is just a click away!
Both TweenTribune (also TTJunior and TeenTribune) and Newsela offer free, daily news articles geared for school-age children. Both offer a wide variety of subject matter for every taste. Each even allows teachers to choose the same article at lower Lexile levels to fit the needs of their students. However, Newsela offers five reading levels, whereas Teen Tribune offers only three. Additionally, Newsela offers premium/paid content for teachers (tracking mechanisms, charts, and graphs), while Teen Tribune (produced by Smithsonian Magazine) is completely free. Teen Tribune also offers a free app for iPad and iPhone.
Because TweenTribune offers great content for teachers at no cost (classroom setup, daily reading quizzes, etc.), it edges out Newsela in our opinion. However, if you're looking for even more differentiation in the reading levels, then you may want to give Newsela a try. Either way, ELA, Science, and Social Studies teachers will definitely find these helpful in teaching reading across the curriculum.
Aurasma
Having been around technology and software for years, we're rarely awed by new products. Aurasma, though, took our breath away.
Remember when the Internet was just simple pages of "mark-up language?" You could be reading a website about Shakespeare, notice that his name was colored blue, click on that name, and be taken to another place for more information. That was pretty neat then, and even now the Internet does the same thing; we've just added fancy graphics and video.
Aurasma's creators, however, envision a world where everything in the real environment can link students to more information. In education, suppose that a teacher had a bulletin board with Aurasma-coded images. Students could focus their cell phones or tablets over the image and suddenly make it come alive on their device. You've simply got to see this to believe it! Welcome to the world of augmented reality.
Since we're librarians, you can bet we'll have posters spaced around that students can "Aurasmarize" (a word I just invented, so hopefully they'll contact me soon about my royalty check). As an example, an image of the late Maya Angelou could link out to videos or websites about her allowing students to interact with information about the author in a meaningful way and perhaps be more interested in learning more (i.e., actually reading a book).
Content for Aurasma can be linked to pre-existing items one can find on the Internet or it can even be generated by the user. The instructions are simple and easy to follow so getting started should be a snap. This is certainly going to be one new "toy" that you'll want your students to play with.
Check out Aurasma by clicking the logo above or see how to "bring schools to life" here.
Having been around technology and software for years, we're rarely awed by new products. Aurasma, though, took our breath away.
Remember when the Internet was just simple pages of "mark-up language?" You could be reading a website about Shakespeare, notice that his name was colored blue, click on that name, and be taken to another place for more information. That was pretty neat then, and even now the Internet does the same thing; we've just added fancy graphics and video.
Aurasma's creators, however, envision a world where everything in the real environment can link students to more information. In education, suppose that a teacher had a bulletin board with Aurasma-coded images. Students could focus their cell phones or tablets over the image and suddenly make it come alive on their device. You've simply got to see this to believe it! Welcome to the world of augmented reality.
Since we're librarians, you can bet we'll have posters spaced around that students can "Aurasmarize" (a word I just invented, so hopefully they'll contact me soon about my royalty check). As an example, an image of the late Maya Angelou could link out to videos or websites about her allowing students to interact with information about the author in a meaningful way and perhaps be more interested in learning more (i.e., actually reading a book).
Content for Aurasma can be linked to pre-existing items one can find on the Internet or it can even be generated by the user. The instructions are simple and easy to follow so getting started should be a snap. This is certainly going to be one new "toy" that you'll want your students to play with.
Check out Aurasma by clicking the logo above or see how to "bring schools to life" here.