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.

Seesaw

App of the Week: Seesaw

App Store Link:

• Click here to download Seesaw  

Web Link:

• Click here to visit Seesaw 

Description:

Seesaw empowers students of any age to independently document what they are learning at school. Students capture learning with photos and videos of physical work, or by adding digital creations. Everything is uploaded and kept organized for teachers.  Teachers can invite families to Seesaw so parents get an immediate, personalized window into their child's learning.

Features:

·         Easily Capture Student Learning in Any Form

·         Students can use photos, videos, drawings, text notes, links or PDFs to show what they know and store evidence in their digital portfolio. You can also import directly from over 100 other apps.

·         When students add to Seesaw, content is uploaded, organized by student, and accessible from any device.

·         Teachers can browse work from the entire class or for a single student. Optionally, use folders to organize work by subject area project, or assessment standard.

·         Teachers can flag items in the digital portfolio for follow up or to review at parent-teacher conferences.

Sign In Options that Work for All Ages:

·         Younger learners or classrooms with shared devices can sign in with a QR code.

·         Older students can sign in with their email address or Google account.

Examples:

• Seesaw Demonstration
• Auroa School Example

Integration Ideas:

• Ideas for K-2
• Ideas for 3-5

Support:

• Features of Seesaw
• Teacher Resources

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 

Chatterpix Kids App

Coming to a Workstation Near You!

Click here for a short ChatterPix Kids tutorial

This week's blog begins our journey into workstations in your classroom. Teachers across BISD have been designing workstations in multiple ways that include both hands-on as well as technology rich activities meant to deepen students' understanding of the standards being taught.  iDevices are a simple way for students to show what they know.  ChatterPix Kids is an excellent creation app that allows students to make a drawing or photograph 'talk'.  They can create a drawing in another app  such as DoodleBuddy, and then import it into ChatterPix to make it speak.  Or they can import pictures that they have gathered from the internet or taken themselves using the Camera app.  Once the image is in ChatterPix, students have up to 30 seconds to narrate. Finished videos can be downloaded to a computer for later display or posting to a website.

ChatterPix Kids fits nicely in multiple content areas.  Lisa Holder, 2nd grade teacher at Foster Village, had her students use the app to explain what plants needed to survive.  Students used DoodleBuddy to draw a plant, then imported the drawing into ChatterPix.  Once there students made their plant 'tell' what it needed to survive.  The videos were then shared with the rest of the class and the students' parents.

If you would like to know more about ChatterPix Kids, please contact your DLS. We would love to show you this app and many more that can be incorporated in workstations!