Oakland Schools Digital Learning
Newsletter - December 2022
In this issue you will find
- A link to the TurtleDiary website where you will find educational games and videos for PreK-5
- Information on the weekly NY Times program "What's Going On in the Graph?"
- A link to Reading Treks where you will find interactive maps and learning activities to use with more than 30 popular literature selections
- Study Jams online resources for 4th-8th grade math and science
- Brain break suggestions for secondary and elementary students
- Teaching with Chromebooks tips from John Sowash
- iMovie tutorials
- A tutorial on how to convert pdf and Word documents into Microsoft Forms Quizzes
- A website on how to fold all kinds of paper airplanes
- Information on the "Find a Lesson" feature on the Michigan Learning Channel
- A link to a virtual field trip on the risks of vaping from Discovery Streaming
- Information on Text Giraffe where you can quickly make impressive titles and more
Please reach out if you have questions about any of the information in this newsletter.
~Laura and Vinos
Resources for Elementary
TurtleDiary
TurtleDiary is an award winning educational website that offers 1000+ learning activities that are both interactive and educational. The games support necessary skills while promoting fun. TurtleDiary activities are compatible with grade levels Pre-K through 5th and provide opportunities for students to practice and/or learn new skills.
Resources for Secondary
What's Going On in this Graph?
On every Friday of the school year the New York Times publishes a different graph, map or chart via their resource "What's Going On in this Graph?" They prompt students to share what they notice and wonder about the graph. On the following Thursdays, they publish additional background information on the graph. Using this resource will expose your students to a variety of graph types and concepts in math and statistics in a real-world context and give them opportunities to analyze and discuss the data points and what they mean.
Graphs from previous weeks are archived and accessible from the website. They are shared in different collections a few of which are linked below.
Digital Resources
Reading Treks
Reading Treks from Teachers First provides educators with a Google Maps file and a PDF instructional strategy handout to go with dozens of popular books. The goal is for educators to be able to provide students with “a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps.” Note: For Google Earth users the KMZ file is also available.
You can search by keyword and also input a low and high grade level for your search. Reading Treks are available for all grade levels. Some of the available books are Refugee, Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, A Year Down Yonder, Mr. Popper's Penguins, and Malala's Magic Pencil. Currently there are 29 other popular titles also available.
Explore the resources for Refugee by Alan Gratz.
- Refugee Reading Treks Instructional Guide
- Google My Maps Refugee Map - Click on the placemarks to navigate. Be sure to also click on images and links that are available.
Study Jams
Study Jams, a free online site published by Scholastic, can be used to introduce and reinforce more than 200 math and science topics via videos, slideshows, step-by-step tutorials, and other activities. Each topic also includes a Print option which, when clicked, opens a pdf document of key information from the topic. The materials on Study Jams are designed for use with upper elementary through middle school students.
Brain Breaks
Wikiracing for Secondary Students
Wikiracing is a game in which the players race towards the goal of traversing from one Wikipedia page to another using only internal Wikipedia links. Watch this quick video from Jen-Teacher Time Hacks to learn a bit more about how to play. Read the comments below the video to learn even more.
Santa Tracker from Google for Elementary Students
While Santa Tracker from Google does indeed follow Santa around the globe on the big day, it provides much more than that in the days leading up to Christmas. Students can take a brain break in Santa's world and find creative tools and spaces along with engaging games to play. Be sure to check out the Family Guide to learn more about what the site offers so you can direct your students to the activities you want them to use.
Google Workspace
Teaching with Chromebooks by John Sowash
John Sowash, a Michigan-based Google guru, created the ~10 minute long tutorial below for the Michigan Educational Technology Specialists Fall Rally. In the video, John shares his favorite Chromebook features, shortcuts, and settings that will help you and your students better use your Chromebooks.
Apple
Checklist of iMovie Skills
Make a copy of this checklist of iMovie skills that contains links to short YouTube tutorials for each skill and then share it with your students so they can increase their proficiency with using iMovie.
Microsoft 365
Makerspace
Fold 'N Fly Paper Airplanes
The Fold 'N Fly website is a database of different types of paper with easy to follow folding instructions, video tutorials, and printable folding plans. Your students will be able to test different styles of paper airplanes and determine which are best for various purposes they decide upon for their experiments.
Michigan Learning Channel
Find a Lesson
Using the "Find a Lesson" feature on the Michigan Learning Channel will help you find content that works with what you need to teach right now. You can use the search field to enter keywords to search for and find lessons on particular topics. You can also use the Filters on the left side of the screen to find all available content for particular grades, subjects, and/or show.
Discovery Streaming
Be Vape Free Virtual Field Trip (Recording)
Provide your students with a real-world virtual learning opportunity that gives firsthand accounts of vaping and its dangers. Students will gain powerful insights as several teenagers share their firsthand experiences of successfully avoiding e-cigarettes, learn how to think critically about everyday influences like advertising and social media, pick up effective refusal skills, and debunk common myths with the guidance of a health professional. (Grades 3-8)
Tech Tip
Text Giraffe
Text Giraffe allows you to quickly create impressive titles, logos, student names, etc. After you type in your text, dozens of options are immediately presented to you. Simply navigate through the pages of choices and choose the one you want to use by copying/pasting or downloading it for later use.There is no cost to use the sites nor do you need a login. Share Text Giraffe with your students so they can create titles for their digital writing and presentations.
Oakland Schools Digital Learning Team Information
Oakland Schools Digital Learning Consultants
Laura Cummings
Laura.Cummings@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2283
Vinos Kassab
Vinos.Kassab@oakland.k12.mi.us
248-209-2229
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