Adobe Spark!

Adobe Spark is a graphic design app that enables you to create 3 types of projects: a post, a web story or a video.

Classroom Uses

• Sight word proficiency
• Narrative prompts /Story starters/Creative storytelling
• Book reports
• An alternative to written assignments 
• Research/Genius Hour reports
• Field-trip reports/ 
• Vacation Journals
• Student portfolios
• Classroom newsletters 

Here are 7 simple steps to create your own a Spark video!

Create an account and log in to https://spark.adobe.com

Rotating Pictures

Rotate Pictures in Bulk

The simplest  way to rotate a bunch of pictures at once is to use your Windows laptop.  Once the pictures are in a folder on your laptop, you can select all the pictures you want to rotate, right click on one of them and choose the rotate left or rotate right option.  



Then, if needed, the whole folder can be uploaded to your Google Drive.

Rotate One Picture

If you have only one picture to rotate, or you want you students to rotate a picture, your best bet is PixlrExpress (https://pixlr.com/express/). You can use a Chromebook or your Windows computer.

Click Browse and choose a picture from your computer or your Google Drive

Click Adjustments>Rotate

When you are finished, click Apply

Then Save your picture to your computer or your Drive

PS.. I LOVE PixlrExpress for basic photo editing and especially making collages.  It is quick and simple to use.  You should check it out!  

Discovery Education's Spotlight on Strategies

Looking for a way to spice up your vocabulary lessons?  Want a fun way to teach prediction skills?  Discovery Education (formerly known as United Streaming) has complied a plethora of fun teaching strategies that use digital media.   If your looking for some new activities and strategies this is a great place to start!

Spotlight on Strategies

 

RTSD 26 staff has access to a Discovery Education account. DE is a video database which also also includes lesson plans and interactive teaching and learning tools. If you need to create an account, you can find the directions on the RTSD 26 Subscription Websites doc.

New Features in Kahoot!

Kahoot! has added some great new features since my first post about it in 2015!

1.  Jumble
In this new game format students don't need to just come up with the correct answer, they need to come up wit the correct order/sequence of 4 choices.



2.  Team Play
KAhoot! added a Team mode feature so students can compete as a team using 1 device.  (Not available for a Jumble yet.)


3.  Game Options
Kahoot! has added some great game settings to help you customize your students' experience.



4.  Ghost Mode
After the end of a normal quiz, students can choose to play the game again in Ghost Mode.  In this mode a "ghost" of the player plays along side the player.  The "ghost" answers the question exactly the same way the student did on the first game.  At the end, students can compare their results with their first attempt and see if/how much progress they made.  (Not available for a Jumble yet.)

5.  Assign a Kahoot! as homework!

1. Open the Kahoot! you want, or create one as usual.
2. Click on the Challenge button and follow the instructions to set up a challenge. Choose how long you want it to be live.
3. Copy the challenge link, and share with your students – via email, google classroom, your website, etc...

Remember there are 4 different kinds of Kahoots - Quiz, Discussion, Survey and Jumble.  Need a quick reminder about each type?  Read What are the different kahoot types for?

CheckMark

 http://www.checkmarkclass.com/ 

A new Chrome extension will make using comments on a Google doc quicker! With CheckMark installed, a small keyboard with abbreviations for common errors like capitalization and punctuation pops up every time you highlight text on a Google doc.



Just click the desired abbreviation and a comment is created instructing your students what editing suggestion you are making.



Quick and easy!

C = Check capitalization
F = Check for fragment
P = Check punctuation
S = Check spelling
T = Tense
CS = Check for comma splice
RO = Check for run-on sentence
SV = Subject/Verb agreement
¶ = New paragraph needed
cla = Clarify your idea/meaning
det = Detail needed
dis = Discussion needed
evi = Evidence needed
rep = Repetitive
phr = Rephrase
spa = Spacing
​cit = Check Citation

There are plans to increase the extensions functionality in the future, but it is pretty sweet right now!

RAD Lands in School Virtual Field Trip

Discovery Education and Chipotle have partnered up to provide teachers with classroom resources for teaching about eating healthy. Visit RAD Lands in School to check out these resources.

On Wednesday, November 8, 2017 from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM you can take you students on a LIVE virtual field trip to learn how easy it is to not only eat healthy, but how to have fun doing it!

The field trip is free! Registration is required. Then on 11/8 you can project the field trip in your room, sit back and enjoy the journey. Easiest field trip ever!

BrainPop and BrainPop Jr. Lesson Ideas

https://educators.brainpop.com/

BrainPop has lesson plans and ideas for many of the videos.


Some lessons include ideas to Smash other programs like Google Earth or Skitch with a BrainPop video!

Other lesson include some pretty cool Extension Activities.