Follow the Path Board Game - Sight Words

       Have a student that needs to focus on specific sight words?  Download this template to create your own Follow the Path file folder game.  It was made in Powerpoint.  Just change the words to what you want your student to work on.  Then print it out and play!

Creating Your Own Worksheets / Game Boards

     I found this YouTube post that shows you how to create your own worksheets (like those on Teachers Pay Teachers.  I am also using this to help make games.  This is handy if you need to differentiate instruction.  I am working on creating my own templates to share through the LA Blog.

ViewPure.com

     Have a YouTube video you'd like to show, but concerned about ads or students clicking on links?  Copy the YouTube link from the video you would like to show.  Go to ViewPure.com.  Paste the link into the search bar and click PURIFY.  The movie will appear on the ViewPure page without ads or side links.  This is really helpful if you want students to access a movie independently.

Here's an example...

YouTube Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD9dwkrUf8s&index=3&list=PLnOthrFzmyrAwb093569Z8ZNOZQTf6yr8

ViewPure Version: http://viewpure.com/rD9dwkrUf8s?start=0&end=0

Toolbox in ActivInspire

Here's how to change the setting of your toolbox in ActivInspire.  This is very handy if you want to use your interactive board or Promethean Board as a center, but don't want your students to have access to everything.

1. Click on VIEW, then CUSTOMIZE.

2. Click on the Command tab.  Then add or remove what you want your students to have access to.  The menu on the left is what you have to choose from, while the menu on your right is the Main Toolbar.  (If you click on Main Toolbox, you may choose Marquee tools - what shows up when you click on an object in ActivInspire).  Add or remove want you want in the Main Toolbox.

3. Click on SAVE AS (disk with a pencil) to save these profile settings as a new profile or SAVE if its how you want the toolbar to be for you.  

•  **Click here if you would like to turn page turn gestures on or off.** < useful if using the interactive board as a Center.

Turning Page Turn Gestures On / Off in ActivInspire

1. Click on VIEW, then CUSTOMIZE.

2. Click on the Settings tab.  Then, Dual Mode ActivBoards.

3. Check or uncheck the box (based on your preference) next to "Enable page turn gestures."

4. Click SAVE (or Save-As if you want this profile to be a special profile with or without turn page gestures).

Ideas for Using Interactive White Boards or Promethean Boards as a Center

       Your interactive board can be used for many different types of Center activities AND a good way to differentiate.  Here's some ideas on how to use your Interactive White Boards as a Center...

Promethean Boards (1 User)

• Flipchart with a student's name assigned to each page
• Easy to differentiate instruction
• Over a couple days each student would get a turn to do their page.
• Flipchart that students each get a turn to use.
• I would put a color coded star next to their name on my center chart.  Each group would be divided in half so 1/2 the group would be at the board one day, then the other half the next day.
• Can differentiate by having 2-3 pages where groups are assigned to a specific page
• Interactive Website or Program - like ThinkCentral, Starfall, Pixie, Kidspiration
• Project worksheet or graphic organizer for students to annotate using Desktop Annotate through ActivInspire

Epson Projectors in Computer Mode (Using Touch for Second Student)

• Flipchart with a student's name assigned to each page
• Flipchart that students share 
• 1 student on pen, 1 student on touch if the activity requires writing
• Up to 6 students could be at the board at once if they are only manipulating objects.
• Interactive Website
• Project worksheet or graphic organizer for students to annotate using Desktop Annotate through ActivInspire OR turn off Touch Input and have them write using the white board and dry erase marker.  Can also use the document camera to project something for students to write on.

Epson Projectors in Projector Mode (2 students on pen, 2-6 students using finger but must agree to the tool they will use - erase or write).

• Flipchart, document, document under document camera, or website that students can annotate over but not have to manipulate the document (turning the page, scrolling up or down). 

Epson Projectors with Dual Mode in ActivInspire (max - 2 students on pens, 1+ students on touch (but students using touch must agree on what tool they are using :)).  **Requires a request for a driver update through SchoolDude to make Dual Mode functional on our computers.**

• Flipchart with a student's name assigned to each page
• Flipchart that students share 
• 2 students on pen, 1 student on touch - all 3 can write and interact with the flipchart independently
• Up to 6 students could be at the board at once if they are only manipulating objects.
• Interactive Website (only 1 student can use a website because websites are designed for only 1 user at a time).
• Project worksheet or graphic organizer for students to annotate using Desktop Annotate through ActivInspire OR turn off Touch Input and have them write using the white board and dry erase marker.  Can also use the document camera to project something for students to write on.

Work done in flipcharts can be printed out as evidence of student work for assessments or be sent home.  Click here to see how to print out flipcharts.

Click here to learn how to change what buttons are available to students in the ActivInspire toolbar.
Click here to turn on/off page gestures in ActivInspire.


Some ideas for Centers...
Don't forget to check out Promethean Planet!

Language Arts

• Word Work activities - there's an alphabet chart you can use as a template available in the browser of ActivInspire or ask me (Corey) for a template.
• build words - say it, make it, write it.
• Embed sound files - record your self saying a word and students have to write it or make it with letters
• Finding letters, words, spelling patterns, syllable parts by highlighting or circling.
• Name Recognition / Get to Know You Activities - take students pictures and put them into the flipchart to match with their name or spell using the letter tiles
• Writing letters or spelling words practice
• Written response to a task
• Reading Center - poem, article, online text (like texts from Raz-Kids or Starfall).

Math

• Interactive tools - calculator, ruler, protractor, dice, timer
• Writing numbers
• Solving Math Problems
• Acting out Math problems
• Showing how to make a number in different ways

Art 

• Drawing a picture to be used in a story (digital or print out)

Science

• Measurement tools - thermometer, balance, scale templates available in the Browser and on Promethean Planet

Adding Blogger to Chrome Dashboard

**(8/9/2016 update)** - Please note - the Blogger App has been dropped from Chrome Web Store and Apple's store.  You can only get it on Android devices.  You can still use Blogger, you just have to log in through the browser on your iPhone or iPad.  If you previously had the app, you still have access to it, it's just not being updated.  I'm still using it.  The Blogger website is still being maintained.**
   
     If you'd like to add Blogger to your Chrome Apps, but are having trouble finding it in the Chrome Web Store click this link!  Make sure you are logged into Chrome with the account that you blog with.  Once at the website, click ADD TO CHROME.  It will add the Blogger app to your Chrome Apps.

Classroom Chart for Each Student!

      With TCRWP's several different charts, here's how you can make it so each student has one in their own Writing Folder!

1. Take a picture with your phone and email it to yourself.

2. On your computer, print out the email setting it to have the picture take up the whole page.

3. Put the chart in a sheet protector and add it to your students' writing folders.

***Students needed to be able to reference this chart during a lesson.  We used dry erase markers to check off if we did each step when writing our stories.***

Plickers - Class Voting Using Your Tablet or Smartphone

      If you have a tablet or smartphone and would like to do Class Voting, try out Plickers!  Ms. Johnson has used in with a couple classes.  You download the app to your tablet or smartphone.  Print out the cards from the website.  Setup an account on the Plicker's website.  Create your questions.  Then, when you ask the question, the students holds up a card to show their answer, your device reads the cards to record the answers.  Visit their website for more information!

Saving PDF from Site to Google Drive / Printing to Drive

       This post is helpful if you have a large PDF file that you want to save or only a portion of a large PDF file you want to save to Google Drive.  This is just like printing only certain pages of a document, but instead of printing the document out, you are saving it to your Google Drive to use again and again.

Ways to Use This Post

• Save a specific unit from a larger PDF document.
• Save an activity you want to reuse each year from a larger PDF document.
• Save an article or PDF from a website (in this case, I saved the K ST Math Scope and Sequence to put in the Curriculum's Grade K Math Folder).

1. Make sure you are logged in to your Chrome account.

  

2. PDF's will pop-up in preview mode.  Move the mouse over the document, you will see the print icon appear in the top right corner.  (If what you want to print isn't in preview mode, go to FILE > PRINT).

3. A Print Preview window will open.  Go to DESTINATION and click CHANGE.

4. Scroll down to the section "Google Cloud Print."  Select SAVE TO GOOGLE DRIVE.

5. The destination will then say "Save to Google Drive" and will list underneath it the Google account it will send it to.  Click SAVE.

6. The file will be saved in your MY DRIVE folder.  To find it easily, go to RECENT.  It will be the first file in the list.

7. To change the file's name and location...

• Click on the file.  
• Click on the three dots OR right click on the file name.
• Select your action - CHANGE NAME or MOVE TO.

• If you move the file to a new folder, it will still appear in your RECENT folder, but it will also be in whichever folder you assigned it to.