Technology Resources Page & Grade Level Symbaloo Resources

The Digital Learning team manages an online resources page on our website.  You can access the resources page by going to:

http://www.birdvilleschools.net/resources

This is the default home page in Internet Explorer when students log onto a computer.  Students and staff can also access this page through the shortcut called "BISD Technology Resources" in the Windows Start Menu under "All Programs".

In addition to these resources, we have worked to create websites with additional resources aligned to each grade level's content for each six weeks.  You can access these sites by clicking your grade level in the right menu of the resources page.

Once you click on your grade level, a site will open with resources divided by six weeks.

When you select your six weeks preference a symbaloo (collection of links) will appear with many sites for practicing skills taught in that six weeks.

Google Slides!

Technology Tip of the Week: Google Slides

Google Slides are presentation files, much like Powerpoint.  They are easy to create & share.  You can even upload and convert your old PowerPoint slides into Google Slides presentations.  You can share a presentation with other collaborators and everyone can do their part without creating multiple versions of the file.  One of the main benefits of using Google Slides is that your presentations are saved automatically online in your Google Drive.  You can access and edit them on any device!

Check out these 10 ways teachers are using Google Slides in the Classroom!

Resources:

• Shake Up Learning Google Slides Cheat Sheet
• Slides Carnival - FREE Google Slides Templates
• Creating an Interactive Google Slides Presentation

App of the Week: Google Slides

App Store Link:

• Click here to download Google Slides  

Description:

•  Create, collaborate, and edit presentations on your iPad.

Support:

• How To Use The Google Slides App Video Tutorial

Reflector 2 & ShowMe

Technology Tip of the Week: Reflector 2

Reflector 2 is software you can have on your teacher computer that will allow you to display your iPad using your projector.  

Wirelessly displaying your iPad on the projector will allow you to move around your classroom while:

• Showing students how to work a problem by using a whiteboard app like ShowMe (see below)
• Demonstrate to students how to use an app
• Display student projects from an iPad on the projector for the class to see

Note: In order to use Reflector 2, your iPads must be updated to at least iOS 9.

Reflector 2 Support:

• BISD Helpdesk Directions for Installing Reflector 2
• BISD Helpdesk Directions for Using Reflector 2

App of the Week: ShowMe

App Store Link:

• Click here to download ShowMe  

Description:

• ShowMe is a simple to use whiteboard app.  You can insert pictures and annotate/draw on top of them.  ShowMe also has a recording feature, where you can record what you're doing on the screen while also explaining with your voice.  The videos are saved for free on the ShowMe website 

Examples:

• Decimals & Place Value ShowMe
• The Water Cycle ShowMe

Support:

• ShowMe Tutorial & Suggestions
• ShowMe Website

Research & Information Fluency

Technology Tip of the Week: Kid Friendly Research Sites

Information is expanding exponentially.  Thanks to the internet we have access to much of that information at our fingertips.  Research and Information Literacy skills are vital to today's learners.  These skills include the ability to locate, evaluate, and record information from a variety of media formats.

The BISD Digital Learning Online Resources page is a great starting place for kid friendly research sites.  Here you will find links to encyclopedias, online databases, and image search sites.  Your campus librarian and digital learning specialist would be happy to assist you with any of the sites listed here!

Another great tool for research is a new kid-friendly safe search site by Google called Kiddle.co.  Kiddle provides a safe place for young students to search the internet.  The search results are filtered for safe and easier to read content.  

App of the Week: SimpleMind+

App Store Link:

• Click here to download SimpleMind+  

Description:

• Mind mapping tool that turns your iPad into a brainstorming, idea collection, and thought structuring device. 

Integration Ideas:

• Collect notes for a research topic.
• Describe the character, plot, and setting of a story.
• Brainstorm ideas for writing.
• Document the results of a science experiment.
• Create a mindmap to illustrate the steps for UPS-Check problem solving model.

Support:

Blabberize & Yakit Kids

Technology Tip of the Week: Blabberize

Blabberize is an online tool that creates talking images.  You can upload an image, draw a mouth, then record your voice to make the image talk.

Check out this student example:

Integration ideas:

• Math - Talking 2D & 3D shapes to describe their attributes.
• Science - Talking science tools explaining their use.
• Social Studies - Talking historical figures.
• Language Arts -  Draw a picture related to the poem of the week.  Make your picture recite the poem.

App of the Week: YaKiT Kids

App Store Link:

• Click here to download YaKiT Kids.  
• Note: If searching the App Store, you will need to switch to "iPhone Only" apps, but the app does work on iPads as well.

Description:

• YaKiT Kids allows students to take photos and make them talk.  It will let you create more than one talking character in each picture and create multiple scenes to tell a story.

Example:

Check out this example:

Integration Ideas:

• Math - Talking 2D & 3D shapes to describe their attributes.
• Science - Talking science tools explaining their use.
• Social Studies - Talking historical figures.
• Language Arts -  Draw a picture related to the poem of the week.  Make your picture recite the poem.

Support:

• YaKiT Kids Teacher Review
• Classroom Guide To KaKiT Kids

SmartScope/iGO

Technology Tip of the Week: SmartScope/iGO

SmartScope and SmartScope iGO  are hand held digital microscopes that are very easy to use.  SmartScope connects USB to a desktop or laptop computer to allow for easy, crystal clear viewing of magnified images.  The SmartScope iGO connects wirelessly to an iPad which allows for viewing of objects throughout the campus.  Each campus has 6 USB SmartScopes and 5 iGO wireless scopes. Check with your Science lead teacher for more info about the scopes.  Your campus DLS can also provide hands on training if needed.

Note: When using the new student laptops with the SmartScope, teachers must first log in to the laptop with their network credentials and plug in the SmartScope to allow the scopes's drivers to load properly.  After the drivers load, teachers can then log back into the laptop with the lab xxx login.

App of the Week: Wi-Viewer  

App Store Link:  

• Click here to download Wi-Viewer

Description:

Wi-Viewer is an app for the wireless iGO handheld microscope. It is available for both iPhone and iPad series.  The iGO connects to the iDevice wirelessly to display and capture both  photographs and video.  Teachers and students can share the magnified image of the specimens immediately.

Examples:

• SmartScope in Action

Integration Ideas:

• Science
• Zoom into a variety of materials: leaves, bugs, food, dirt, etc
• Use the time lapse video feature to watch changes take place over time
• Use the camera feature to document parts of a specimen
• ELAR
• Students use image as story starter
• Students use Padlet to list as many adjectives that describe displayed image
• Social Studies
• Zoom into historical photographs to see fine details
• Zoom into historical objects such as money, jewelry, clothing to see fine details
• Math
• Use the camera feature to visually document steps in a math problem
• Use the measurement feature in the SmartScope software to measure items being displayed

Support:

• http://schools.birdvilleschools.net/domain/4832