DISD Tuesday Tech Talk
April 5, 2016
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Read Classic Literature in Just 20 Minutes a Day with This iOS App
As most of you know, I will be retiring in June. One of my top things to try to do is to read more. The Classics are on my priority list. Check out this FREE app that will help you and your students read one in just 20 minutes!!
From TCEA - It can be hard to find the time to read anything these days, much less a classic. Classic books can be scary to both students and adults. They sometimes look very long and dry; where are the pictures? But luckily, there’s an app to help us conquer our fear of the classics.
The free Serial Reader app lets you select a classic book to “subscribe” to. Then, each day, it delivers a brief installment of the book that can be read in 20 minutes or less. That means you could finish a book like Frankenstein in just 28 days. That may sound daunting, but when are you going to read that classic on your own? New books are added every week.
The app also provides a game aspect. It keeps track of your reading “streak,” so you can be constantly trying to improve your percentages in three categories (day, week, and all time). Making reading a competitive sport may make it even easier for students to get involved.
This is a wonderful way to develop the habit of reading daily, something we all should embrace. And it works well with younger students/children as you share a short segment of a book, like The Wind in the Willows or Anne of Green Gables, to them each day, leaving them begging for more. It’s also a good method to expose secondary students to more difficult reading challenges without completely overwhelming them. You could even use just the short snippet provided to have them analyze the writing, find the main idea, or discuss personification or character development. The possibilities are endless!
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Lunch and Learn - Explore with Google Earth, Moon, and Sky
If you are available at this time (April 7 at 11:45 am - 12:30 pm), you can join the Lunch and Learn Webinar with TCEA. If you are not available, you can still register and they will send you the link to the webinar after it is over. This is FREE for members of TCEA. Click HERE for more details.
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REMINDER!
#lovemyschoolday
(Thank you to SOMEONE for letting me know about this....you know who you are! : )
Tell the world why you love your school. Join John Wink (onTwitter @JohnWink90) , April 11th and let the WORLD know about all the great things happening on your campus. Many of you participated in that last year and it was a HUGE success! Look online for more information. Mr. Wink has a great website with a lot of information.
Then participate on that day by using the #LoveMySchoolDay and join a NATIONALmovement of looking for positive things happening on every campus.
Check out his blog here: http://leadlearner2012.blogspot.com/p/lovemyschoolday.html
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ALL Tuesday Tech Talks
If you don't get a chance to read Tuesday Tech Talks or you'd like to go back to a link or something else you thought was useful, just click on the link below and book mark it. All of the Tuesday Tech Talks throughout the year are posted here! (This is on our DISD Technology Page!)
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Go Keyboard-Free With Voice Composition!
You can now use Google Docs keyboard free in over 40 languages. This new feature, which works on both mobile and desktop allows you to compose documents by simply speaking out loud into your device microphone.
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Shout Out!
Tina Terrell (Junior High) and Gina Hodges (Elementary) - Gotta love when teachers work cross-campuses with each other to brain storm great technology ideas! You saw Mrs. Terrell's students in another Tuesday Tech Talk and their "Genius Time." Well....check out Mrs. Hodges' kiddos below!!
Cinthya Flores (Admin) says - "Kerri Sanford used Google sheets to create a master schedule for our Child Nutrition Team Conference." Way to go, Cinthya.
Shout Out and Thanks from me to Mrs. Brawley's and Mrs. Escobedo's classes for inviting me to come and teach you about PowToons!! What GREAT classes!! (See pic below!)
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HUH?! You're doing WHAT in your classroom with technology??
Kaleena Mayo - My students are going to make a "Gami" using the Telagami app!
Deanna Willmann - Virtual Field Trips. : )
Amber Price - Little Explorers Online Dictionary - using dictionary skills with the online dictionary; Using QR codes for students to check the answers to their math word problems.
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Math By Design (Thanks, Deanna Willmann!)
http://mathbydesign.thinkport.org/default.aspx
Mrs. Willmann says, "Kids have to complete real life virtual tasks before they can move on. They are working on community projects such as a town park and an environmental center. The math is legit. I have shared with 8th grade, but I thought other folks might like it."
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