Crafting PLE
The Art of Creating Personalized Learning Environments
Ferndale February Edition
Crafting Wisdom
News Tidbits
- Amplify Market has exciting new apps for teachers and students
- Lingua.ly
- Subject area: Foreign Languages
- Grades: 3-12
- Allows users to collect and learn new words from any website and access them from every device
- News-O-Matic
- Subject area: Social Studies, ELA
- Grades: 3-12
- This nonfiction reading comprehension app publishes five news stories each weekday that range in length and difficulty to create opportunities for differentiated instruction
- Readers learn what happened on this date in history through an educational game and write or draw to Editor-in-Chief Russ in the News Room
- Each edition gives you access to a Teacher’s Guide.
- Just Get 10
- Subject area: Math
- Grades: 3-12
- In this game, users tap the adjacent tiles with the same numbers to merge them in the position they tap; the goal is to try to get 10 or even higher
- Movie Studio app no longer on the Amplify Tablet System
- The Movie studio app is no longer supported by Google and is no longer available on the Amplify Tablet or Google Play Store
- AndroVid is a great alternative and is available in the Amplify Market
- Please refer to our guide on Recovering Movie Studio Projects if you have teachers or students that need access to lost Movie Studio projects
For more detailed information, please reference the What’s New section of the Amplify System Answers site
Reminders:
- Amplify ‘Create Your Own Avatar’ Contest
- The contest is for all Amplify System students and will end today, February 2, 2015
- The winning avatars will be featured on the Amplify student tablet
- Click here for all rules and submission guidelines
- Visit our online community for helpful information and to engage with fellow teachers around the country
eBook Shelf for Employees
The Professional Development department is pleased to announce the continuation of our digital eBook shelf for all GCS employees! Literacy is important and as a district, we are making great strides with our students. We want to promote that same enthusiasm and love for reading with our employees as well!
The eBook shelf is available in two capacities:
1. Employees can virtually check out eBooks to read at their leisure from their desktop computer, tablet or other mobile device.
2. Or, employees can check out the eBooks, read them, and then participate in an online (optional) Moodle PD eBook Study course that will allow them to earn 1 CEU (Academic) credit as well. If an eBook is chosen based on the topic of Literacy, 1 CEU Literacy credit will be issued.
Get started today! Browse the eBook titles to find a great resource to help support your professional growth in our district.
-Visit the PD eBook shelf: https://wbb48279.follettshelf.com
-Username: the portion before the @ symbol in the GCS email address
-Password: pdebooks (Please change your password as soon as you have successfully logged in – click on your name in the upper, right-hand corner of the screen.)
For technical assistance, questions, or to contribute titles to the PD eBook library, please send an email to coopera4@gcsnc.com.
Personalized Learning and the AA Male
Planning for Differentiation
Upcoming Dates:
Fri., Feb. 6th (Early Release) - Ways to Differentiate
Wed., Feb. 11th - (Grade Levels, including Encore) - Implementing Differentiation
Wed., Feb. 18th (Early Release) - Differentiating in Your Content Area
March 2nd - March 30th - Coaches will be observing your differentiated lesson in your classroom, at your scheduled time
PLEF Schedule
Feb. 9 - 13: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Feb. 16 - 20: Monday
Feb. 23 - 27: Monday, Wednesday
PACE Teacher of the Month
The PACE Teacher of the Month will also receive a special certificate to showcase on their door! Be on the lookout for these certificates, and take a moment to see what great things these teachers are doing.
If you would like to nominate a teacher for PACE Teacher of the Motnh, please send Ms. Martin an email (and see the challenge below to see how to get a prize for doing it!).
January's PACE Teacher of the Month
Could February's PACE Teacher of the Month be you? Follow Ms. Henderson's lead and try something new. Even if it doesn't work, you will have learned a lot!
Challenge Corner
February Challenge
- Nominate a teacher for PACE Teacher of the Month.
- Use the eBook Shelf for Employees (maybe join a discussion group for some CEUs)
- Reserve your spot for the PLE and AA Male workshop.
- Request help, modeling, motivation, resources, etc. in implementing PLE in your classroom.
To receive your prize, send me an email with the subject line "Challenge Accepted" and details of your challenge.
Teena Martin, PLEF
Email: martint6@gcsnc.com
Website: ple.gcsnc.com
Location: serving Ferndale Middle and Johnson St. Global Studies
Facebook: facebook.com/PLEFs
Twitter: @craftyPLEF