Volume 2 | Issue 3
Parkway School District
Know & Go
@your Library Updates Databases
Once again this year the Fern Ridge databases are up and ready to use. They can be easily accessed at http://tinyurl.com/FR-databases or by going to the Fern Ridge Edline page, under library, and then databases link. I will also be making a bookmark sticker of the usernames and passwords for students. These usernames and passwords are to be used when student try to access the databases off campus. Accessing the Library Catalog and Available e-Books & Through our new library management system, Destiny, students can access e-Books from any web connected device by downloading the app. Student can also search the catalog through a different app. Follett BryteWave App For eBooks http://wbb20046.follettshelf.com Log in with your Novell username and password
Destiny Quest Library Catalog App http://parkwayschools.follettdestiny.com Log in with your Novell username and password
Speaking of Reading Digitally...Tips for Improving Comprehension In a presentation from St. Cloud State University the Academic Support Team put together suggestions for helping students with reading online and strategies to support digital reading. When it comes to reading from a computer screen: ● Prevent eye strain - zoom in or use the full screen mode ● 20/20 - Adjust your computer to 20 inches from the eyes and take a break every 20 minutes ● Reduce distractions by working with “clean” text ○ Use tools like Readability or printfriendly to turn web pages into “clean” view ● Calculate Readability for your level http://goo.gl/9sPG ● Encourage students to use reading strategies: ○ use tools like Google Docs, Evernote, Word, or OneNote ○ add headings ○ highlight and outline ○ add notes ○ make mind maps
The library is the temple of learning and learning has liberated morepeople than all the wars in history ~Carl T. Rowen
Contact Information Bill Bass Twitter: billbass Skype: bill.bass3 Kim Lindskog Twitter: klindskog Skype: klindskog Scoopit:www.scoop.it/t/know-go
Nancy Ikemeyer Skype: nancy,ikemeyer.pearl Twitter: NancyIkemeyer Access the Library Services Webpage using the QR code or www.tinyurl.com/libserv
Highlighted & Circled Technology, Research & Learning Resources
Celebrate Reading Help students engage in reading. These activities support reading in fun and interactive ways. ●
●
●
● ●
●
●
●
Invite “celebrity” readers from the community to come and read to your class. Skype with an author or illustrator - http: //skypeanauthor. wikifoundry.com/ Create bookmarks showcasing your favorite books. Host an election of best book ever read. Have students produce their own video book trailers. Host a book swap where students bring in a book a swap for a different book. Encourage students to write a paper on “If I could be any book character I would be…” Create a family ree based on interviewing family members on their favorite books when they were in school.
Highlighted & Circled Technology, Research & Learning Resources
Scoop.it! Scoop.it has been around for awhile, but recently I have found that helps me to help you by curating content and providing a personal learning network to gain knowledge on the latest information on school libraries, Google, and technology integration. One of my favorite features is that as you curate information you are instantly publishing and posting to your social media sites, such as Twitter at the same time. What a great way to increase your social presence. It looks like a well manicured online magazine that is easy to use and provides relevant content based on the key word tags you have provided. To view and follow my scoop.it page go to http://www.scoop.it/t/know-go. What to learn more about scoop.it? http://www. scoop.it/t/what-is-scoop-it. Not only does it have an mobile app available but it also has a bookmarklet available (Scoop any web page by installing the bookmarklet on your toolbar and then dropping & dragging your content).
Animoto for Education Another site that has been around for awhile, Animoto the video creation site. All you need is a few pictures or video clips and a few minutes to create a video that you can Tweet, Pin, or email. It’s a simple and easy way to show what is happening around your building and no video editing experience required. If you decide to create an account be sure it is Animoto for Education. If you would like to see a sample check the link to the 3rd-5th Grade project at Green Trails! All the photos were taken by the students during their specials time. Library, Art, Gym, Music and Orchestra team taught together so the kids could create this awesome video. http://animoto.com/play/q39SD5RrvgxX21kH2nOSSg.
The E-mail ABC’s Now that all students have a Parkway Gmail account, this site is a wonderful tool for teaching e-mail etiquette. All 26 letters of the alphabet are represented with tips on sending and composing e-mail. These tips make for great discussion points especially when talking about the difference between personal and school accounts and when to use each. http://goo.gl/Xskx
FREE - National Park Service Webcast This is a great electronic field trip opportunity. On Tuesday, September 9th the National Park Service and historians celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner. It is a one hour live broadcast and starts at noon Eastern time. The program is free, but you must register at http://www. starspangledbannerlivingflag.org/connect. More information at http://goo.gl/W4fxkx
Discovery Education In last week’s newsletter it was mentioned how we now access Discovery Education in Parkway. Both students and staff will use your Novell account username and password to access DE at http://pkwy.discoveryeducation.com. One of the key features for you would be under the Teacher Center tab. This tab contains curriculum resources, such as STEM Connect, Calendar, Lesson Plan Library, Atlas Interactive Map, and Thematic Focus.
Google Managing Multiple Google Accounts
@your Library St Louis County Library Card Campaign! The St. Louis County Library is currently running a library card campaign. This year SLCL has implemented an online registration module to streamline the process. They encourage schools to direct students and staff that do not already have a SLC Library card to http: //webpac.slcl. org/screens/schoolregistration. html to submit the online library card application. The staff will create library cards for those students and staff and deliver the library cards to your school to be distributed. Promotional Poster Idea
In a previous newsletter, a document was shared on how to login to multiple Google accounts when using Chrome. By setting this up you are able to easily switch between accounts loaded in separate browser windows. Now you can watch the video at. http://goo. gl/mlEFQJ. If you are going to watch this in the district be sure you are logged into the network.
Customize Background Images and Themes in Google Forms. Google Forms is great tool for creating, distributing, and collecting data, survey information, and quizzes. Now Google has released a new feature in Google Forms that allows you to customize the look and feel of your Forms. Included in this update is the ability to add your own header image and choose your own font. See how at http://goo.gl/vle1Fq. Note: This does not work currently in your Parkway Google App account. However, if you have your own Google Drive account set up with a personal gmail account this will work. Once you make the Form you can then share it with your Parkway account.
Share Videos Through Google Drive Do you flip your classroom? One way to distribute videos to your students is to use Google Drive. In your account you can upload, preview, and share videos. More information can be found on the Free Technology for Teachers blog at http://goo.gl/LVfzOy
Google Resources & Quick Reference Guide Resources are available to support your learning of this new program. In this list, there are resources using GAFE in the classroom, tips and ideas, groups to join to share ideas, and so much more. This is a living list and will change and update as Google changes and updates and as new resources are found or become available. Resources found at http://goo. gl/xwZx4I. On the left hand side scroll down to documentation and there is a quick reference guide under Documentation on the left hand side. This sheet provides information on viewing, uploading, creating, and sharing within Google Drive. Very handy, especially if you are new to Drive
About Books
Personalized Learning Connected Educators Month (CEM) - October 2014
Stories
Originally developed by the U.S. Department of Education, this virtual conference provides hundreds of professional development opportunities with diverse and engaging activities to educators of all levels. For more information visit http://connectededucators.org/announcing-cem-2014/
Google Apps Development Opps Missouri Summit featuring Google for Education Saturday, October 4th - Maplewood-Richmond Heights SD 60 Breakout sessions Registration is $80 More info: www.gafemo.com
Google Educator Group Eastern Missouri Online community hosted in Google+ Interested go to : http://tinyurl.com/gegmo
Student Opportunities Show Me a Movie Contest - Edplus & METC Show-Me a Movie is a digital storytelling contest for students grades 2-12 in Missouri and its Border States (Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska). These students are invited to demonstrate their creativity and digital moviemaking skills in one of five categories. New this year, categories are designated for specific age groups. Also new for 2014, the area of focus for all submitted movies is STEAM related. All winning movies are showcased at a reception in February during the Midwest Education Technology Conference (METC). The students from the winnings movie are invited to attend along with their teachers and families. More information at http: //goo.gl/4iJmFl