Friday, October 28, 2016

Ready to Rock with #EpicPals November?



EpicPals November is ready to go! 

Click on the link or the picture below to access this month's Google doc (both the primary and intermediate versions are on the same doc). Thanks again to my Twitter buddy, Bobbie Hopkins (@bhopteacher), who is collaborating with me to bring you the intermediate version each month. Thanks Bobbi!!!!  


**Super Duper Update**


Epic Books recently released the ability to create collections.  By using collections, I can now create a collection of all 5 books for the month in one area and share them publicly. You will be able to go into the search window and type in the name of the month's collection to access it. Each collection will be named EpicPals (no spaces), the name of the month, and primary or intermediate version (ie: EpicPals November Primary version). If you just type in "EpicPals" you will see all of the months- both primary and intermediate versions.

But it gets better... 

Once you type in and find the month's collection,  click on "copy" and it will make a copy and put it into your library. Once you've copied it you also have the ability to edit it so if you want to add information or an assignment for your kiddos such as: "Please choose 3 of the 5 books to read and respond to" you can and your kiddos will see that new information.

Get ready, I'm not done- here's the real game changer...


Once you have it in your library, you can then click " Assign" and you will have the option to share it to any or all of your students.  


Your students will see a little red badge on their mailbox telling them they have mail and when they open it they will see the collection waiting for them. 



Now all your students need to do is click on the pics to go the books. No more typing in the book titles to try and find the month's selections!!!! Wahoo!! Things just got TONS easier for our early primary students! 

I will also post each month's collections on my #EpicPals Pinterest board as another option to access the collection. Both of these will be great tools to make the project more efficient. I'd love to hear your feedback if you give this a try. Always good to know what works best so we can continue to tailor the project as we move forward.


Brand new to the project? 

Here's what you need to know....

First, decide how you want to use the project with your class. Seeing as it's the beginning of the year, you may want to use this opportunity to model finding books on Epic and enjoy them one or several together as a class. Model how to use the QR codes to get to the Padlet board and model how to leave a quality response. (You may also want to cover some digital citizenship skills by reminding your students to only leave their first names and state abbreviation on their Padlet posts.)

As the year goes on, many have used this project as a way to challenge their higher level readers or as part of a guided reading group, or even as a weekly whole group read-aloud and then have students leave their own comments on the Padlet. 

After you know how you want to utilize EpicPals, click on either of the pictures on the right to access the Google doc and print off the version that works best for your classroom. Decide if you want to post one on your classroom wall or make multiple copies for your class or utilize with just specific students. Starting this month,  you will be able to choose from a primary or an intermediate version depending on the reading abilities of your kiddos. Feel free to use one or both with your class depending on individual student need- both are located on the same Google doc.

When students are done reading the book selection, they will scan the coordinating  QR code on their sheet (no url's for our young learners!). This will take them to a Padlet board specific for the book they read. If you'd rather push this sheet out to your students on your blog, Google Classroom, etc,  the url's shown are clickable and linked to the boards as well so must make a copy of the doc and send if you need to


TIP:
If using iPads, download the free Padlet app. When kids click on the app (they do not need to sign in) they can scan the code right in the app and easily access the boards. This works MUCH better than scanning with a QR reader and accessing.

As your students begin to post on the Padlet boards, please don't be overly concerned about spelling. This is meant to be a place where kiddos can read and respond to text authentically. I do check the boards every few days to double check content and any questionable phonetic spelling. (The links to these boards are not public or searchable- you must have the link to access them)

How students should respond on the boards?
That's really up to you. What's best for your learners? Are you learning about text-to-self connections, character traits, retelling, summarizing or simply writing complete sentences to share your favorite part?  Be creative, utilize the boards to match your learning objectives. Feel free to have your students include images or screenshots or create and upload video reflections- the sky's the limit. Most important, have fun with this!  I will at times put a question on the Google doc or on the Padlet for students to think about but these are simply springboards if needed and are NOT required.

Do we have to read the books on Epic?
If you have access to any of the books in another format, feel free to utilize it. Books do not have to be read on Epic although I will say my class is so completely engaged when using Epic know that they have the ability to also earn badges for reading (using iOs devices). Gamification is a wonderful motivator and engagement factor!

Do we have to do all of the books and do we have to do them in order?
No, you can do any or all of the books and there is no particular order. Let your students' interest gauge where they start.  Again, make this fit your schedule and your learners. 


Have fun! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. You can email me at sjmalchow@pulaskischools.org 
or catch me on Twitter-@smalchow


*You can also contact Bobbie Hopkins with any questions regarding the intermediate version. You can reach her on Twitter as well @bhopteacher


If you've not used Epic Kids Books, it is free for educators- so run, don't walk, to check it out!! If you're interested in learning how to set up individual student accounts, click here to access some screen shots that will help you through the process.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Need to add a shared calendar to your view?

How to Install a Shared Calendar (iPad cart, Chromebooks,etc) 

If you need to use the Chromebook carts, Libary iPads or even the library classroom, PLEASE sign up on the appropriate shared calendar for your building. If you are not seeing the calendars that you need, click on the image above to access the School Resource Calendars. You will also find the directions (circled in yellow above) on how to add the calendars. It is super easy once you're on this page. If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm more than happy to walk you through it.

This information will also be located on the Tips, Tricks and Troubleshooting page for easy reference.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Looking for ways to use Seesaw?

Over the summer months Seesaw put out a challenge on Twitter and on our Ambassador Board to see if we could collaboratively come up with 100 ways to use Seesaw. What came from that collaborative effort is amazing! If you're a Seesaw user and are looking for ways to embed your usage into your curriculum in more ways than just sharing pictures,  click on the link header above or the link below to see some of the wonderful and creative ways that Seesaw can transform the learning in your classroom. I encourage you to print this resource off and tuck it into your planning book so you can refer back to it for ideas.

100 Ways to Use Seesaw

Sunday, October 16, 2016

50 Computer Lab Favorites

One of my Twitter buddies, @bhopteacher, shared the following Scholastic site with me. It has 50 one-stop learning activities for both grades K-2 and grades 3-5! You can toggle between language arts, science, social studies, math, and Spanish. 


Click image to access site

Looking at the K-2 social studies tab led me to an entire wheel of various occupations such as police officer, utility worker, pizza maker, fire fighter and more. When you click on the tabs you are taken to a Community Club Listen and Read site like the one to the right. This would definitely be a great resource when studying communities and careers



 On the  3-5 science wheel there are tabs for building a food web, states of matter, building a caterpillar and so many more.  When clicking on the states of matter spot, I was take to the Study Jams site to learn about solids, liquids, and gases. Included were a video, a karaoke song, a small quiz as well as key vocabulary. 




Take a peek for yourself and see what you may find to complement your curriculum.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Seesaw Intro for Parents

Have you started to explore the wonderful possibilities of Seesaw in your classroom? Parent-teacher conferences are right around the corner which means a perfect opportunity for you to share Seesaw with parents and give them their QR code invitation or if you've already invited parents, a great time to get those last few parents on board.

Seesaw has put together a short, simple video to introduce parents to the power of this wonderful learning tool.  Sending a link to this video or having the video available for parents to watch while they are waiting for their conference might be a great way to introduce them.


If you work in one of my buildings, I am also happy to help parents get on board with Seesaw on conference night. Feel free to print off the QR code sheet for parents, share it with them at their child's conference and have them find me in the library and I'd be happy to help them download the app and get on board so they will be ready to roll when they walk out the door. 
My conference schedule is: 
Wednesday- Lannoye
Thursday- Hillcrest

Monday, October 10, 2016

Tech Tips for Teachers

As I was surfing the web this evening I came across this wonderful infographic by Kasey Bell from Shake Up Learning

So often we think of tech integration as being such an enormous, sometimes monumentous task, when truly it doesn't have to be, nor should it be. Great tech integration in my opinion is a way to engage students, a way to encourage student collaboration, and simply another tool that helps us to meet our objectives.
I encourage you to look at these 10 tips and remind yourself that it's ok to start small but at the same time, take a risk and get out of your comfort zone. You will be surprised at what will happen in your classroom when you embrace the 10 tips above.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

#EpicPals October is now LIVE

EpicPals October is ready to go! 

Click on the link or the picture below to access this month's Google doc (both the primary and intermediate versions are on the same doc). I did add one read aloud selection again this month to the primary version to give our younger students a bit more support as we start the year out. The selection can also be read without the read to me support if you prefer. Thanks again to my Twitter buddy who I've never met, Bobbie Hopkins (@bhopteacher), who is collaborating with me to bring you the intermediate version each month. Thanks Bobbi!!!!  


**Super Duper Update for this month**


Epic Books recently released the ability to create collections.  By using collections, I can now create a collection of all 5 books for the month in one area and share them publicly. You will be able to go into the search window and type in the name of the month's collection to access it. Each collection will be named EpicPals (no spaces), the name of the month, and primary or intermediate version (ie: EpicPals October Primary version). If you just type in "EpicPals" you will see all of the months- both primary and intermediate versions.

But it gets better... 
Once you type in and find the month's collection,  click on "copy" and it will make a copy and put it into your library.

Get ready, I'm not done- here's the real game changer...

Once you have it in your library, you can then click " Assign" and you will have the option to share it to any or all of your students.  


Your students will see a little red badge on their mailbox telling them they have mail and when they open it they will see the collection waiting for them. 



Now all your students need to do is click on the pics to go the books. No more typing in the book titles to try and find the month's selections!!!! Wahoo!! Things just got TONS easier for our early primary students! 

When collections are created, Epic does need to approve them before they are live for the entire Epic community to access, so if you don't see our October boards when you try this, check back in a couple of days as they have told me that they will expedite getting our collections pushed through so we can give it a try this month. I will work to get the collections in a bit sooner in the coming months so we won't have the lag.

I will also post each month's collections on my #EpicPals Pinterest board as another option to access the collection. Both of these will be great tools to make the project more efficient. I'd love to hear your feedback if you give this a try. Always good to know what works best so we can continue to tailor the project as we move forward.



Brand new to the project? 

Click pic to access the EpicPals Google Doc
Here's what you need to know....

First, decide how you want to use the project with your class. Seeing as it's the beginning of the year, you may want to use this opportunity to model finding books on Epic and enjoy them one or several together as a class. Model how to use the QR codes to get to the Padlet board and model how to leave a quality response. (You may also want to cover some digital citizenship skills by reminding your students to only leave their first names and state abbreviation on their Padlet posts.)

As the year goes on, many have used this project as a way to challenge their higher level readers or as part of a guided reading group, or even as a weekly whole group read-aloud and then have students leave their own comments on the Padlet. 

After you know how you want to utilize EpicPals, click on either of the pictures on the right to access the Google doc and print off the version that works best for your classroom. Decide if you want to post one on your classroom wall or make multiple copies for your class or utilize with just specific students. Starting this month,  you will be able to choose from a primary or an intermediate version depending on the reading abilities of your kiddos. Feel free to use one or both with your class depending on individual student need- both are located on the same Google doc.

When students are done reading the book selection, they will scan the coordinating  QR code on their sheet (no url's for our young learners!). This will take them to a Padlet board specific for the book they read. If you'd rather push this sheet out to your students on your blog, Google Classroom, etc,  the url's shown are clickable and linked to the boards as well so must make a copy of the doc and send if you need to


TIP:
If using iPads, download the free Padlet app. When kids click on the app (they do not need to sign in) they can scan the code right in the app and easily access the boards. This works MUCH better than scanning with a QR reader and accessing.

As your students begin to post on the Padlet boards, please don't be overly concerned about spelling. This is meant to be a place where kiddos can read and respond to text authentically. I do check the boards every few days to double check content and any questionable phonetic spelling. (The links to these boards are not public or searchable- you must have the link to access them)

How students should respond on the boards?
That's really up to you. What's best for your learners? Are you learning about text-to-self connections, retelling, summarizing or simply writing complete sentences to share your favorite part?  Be creative, utilize the boards to match your learning objectives. Feel free to have your students include images or screenshots or create and upload video reflections- the sky's the limit. Most important, have fun with this!  I will at times put a question on the Google doc or on the Padlet for students to think about but these are simply springboards if needed and are NOT required.

Do we have to read the books on Epic?
If you have access to any of the books in another format, feel free to utilize ti. Books do not have to be read on Epic although I will say my class is so completely engaged when using Epic know that they have the ability to also earn badges for reading (using iOs devices). Gamification is a wonderful motivator and engagement factor!

Do we have to do all of the books and do we have to do them in order?
No, you can do any or all of the books and there is no particular order. Let your students' interest gauge where they start.  Again, make this fit your schedule and your learners. 


Have fun! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. You can email me at sjmalchow@pulaskischools.org 
or catch me on Twitter-@smalchow


*You can also contact Bobbie Hopkins with any questions regarding the intermediate version. You can reach her on Twitter as well @bhopteacher


If you've not used Epic Kids Books, it is free for educators- so run, don't walk, to check it out!! If you're interested in learning how to set up individual student accounts, click here to access some screen shots that will help you through the process.