Panther Media Center News
Awesome August!
Welcome Back!
Welcome Back to another great school year! This newsletter is a refresher course on some of the amazing tech available to teachers and students to encourage communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. This monthly newsletter is a quick guide to anything new, exciting, or updated in the media center and in instructional technology.
Media Center Orientation
I'm sure that you have enjoyed getting to know your students and staff here at L.O. Kimberly! Here are some things you need to know about what's going on in the media center.
The week of 8/19th is media center orientation. Students will come to learn about the media center rules & routines. Any teacher who would like to checkout books for their class before then can come now. Teachers can check up to 10 books out at a time and they are due back in two weeks.
What the Tech? Great Tech for Teachers (myBackpack Edition)
AR
Students can begin taking AR test on the computers. Students can access AR through myBackpack. Near the end of last year, AR begin offering nonfiction articles that students can take quizzes online but they do not give AR points but are great practice assignments as the students take the majority of their tests online. Please take the time to check out some of the article you can assign to your students.
MyOn
Looking for books for students to read, have them check out MyOn from Renaissance. Students take a small bank of questions and are then given suggested books in their Lexile level. Since this is offered from Renaissance, these books are available as AR tests. Teachers also can control the read aloud options, it can be set to read to students all week, only on weekends, or not at all.
TutorATL
Available daily after 4pm, Tutor ATL is available for APS students through myBackpack for various subjects. This is a free service students who may get stuck on homework can get some assistance.
Instructional Technology
MyBackpack has a manual for newbies or people who just need a refresher on all the technology available. Make sure you also talk and collaborate with our EdTech Dominique for training or lessons to do with your students.
Vocabulary.com
Vocabulary.com
Search the thousands of lists that you can save and edit to your class. Create a class, give them a list to practice with then let them compete in a Vocabulary Jam to see if they know the word meanings by definition or in context in a sentence.
Discovery Education
If you haven't had a chance to try these free resources from Discovery Education on myBackpack you are missing out on ways to engage students with great activities for responses to what the students are learning. Some activities will work great in Google Classroom.
All Are Welcome
Our first SEL book for August is a great introduction to SEL and our community gatherings. This book is about children welcoming each other as a school community.
Theme
Our theme this month is Community and making a daily positive mark in your school community. This month is about building a strong class and school community.
Suggested Class Activities
Please use the Service Learning Activities in the SEL guide. The guide offers some great ways to kick off your community gatherings for the school year.
Tech Confusion? I'm here to help!
If you are looking for basic help with technology, or you have your technology and you want to know the best ways to use them in the classroom. I can show you how to App Smash your technology. Don't know what App Smash is? I can show you that too. Come see me on Mondays afterschool to help!
Birgitta Johnson, Media Specialist
Email: bidjohnson@apsk12.org
Website: https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/Domain/620
Location: 3090 McMurray Drive Southwest, Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone: 404-802-7619
Twitter: @gitta_says