Digital Learning Day 2020

Using Novelist with 8th Graders 

Digital Learning Day is a celebration in February that our district has been doing for a few years now. It is a day where campusses focus on the many ways teachers and students are using technology and digital resources. I typically spread this out for an entire week so that I can get more classes in. 

Our campus has an online readers' advisory program called Novelist, that I use often. I decided, for the 8th grade classes, we would do a scavenger hunt with Novelist and tie in Pear Deck. If you have never used Pear Deck, I sugggest you look into it NOW! It is great for student engagement. 

I made the theme of the lesson a 'dating/matchmaking' theme. They got a kick out of that! And I was so happy that most of them found a book and either checked it out or put it on hold! This is a HUGE accomplishment for 8th graders!!

BookSnaps with 6th graders 

One of my favorite activities to do with students is to have students create BookSnaps in Google Drawings. On my campus, every student has their own Chromebook, so this makes activities like this much easier. 

To create a book snap, students insert an image of the cover of the book, then choose a passage from the book that they relate to. It can be a text-to-text, text-to-self, or text-to-worl connection. They then use the camera to take a picture of the inside of the book, and insert that into the drawing. Then, students add their responses/connections and some images or emojis. 

There are several examples and instructions, you just have to search up "booksnaps". The students always have a great time with this, and the teachers have an activity they can do later in the classroom. 

Chromebook Academy

I am so excited that our first graders and kindergarten students will be learning to use the Chromebooks this week. When our school first purchased the Chromebook carts, I had quite a few people tell me that they did not think little ones could use them successfully.

Challenge accepted!!

So, I started researching some things and found Clever badges. I immediately sent the information to my library direction, who in turn talked with our technology department. I was so excited to be chosen as one of the pilot schools for the Clever badges.

Sometimes all you have to do is ask! 

After we got word about the clever badges, and I got them all printed out, laminated, and ready to go, Chromebook Academy was in the works. We started off with simple steps -- how to carry our Chromebook, how to open and close the Chromebook, logging in, using the touchpad, etc... The excitement was contagious! 

Look at these smiles! 

I lay my Chromebook flat on a table to use it. 

Kindergarten students can use Chromebooks, too. 

I hold my Chromebook with two hands.

Chromebook Academy

I got the idea of calling it Chromebook Academy from my kids' kindergarten teacher. We were blessed to be able to have the same teacher for both my son and my daughter, and she was AMAZING!! She had different academies throughout the school year, such as shoe tying academy. The students received certificates once they passed the academy. 

I created the presentation below to guide us through each day and each step. This is still a work in progress, but feel free to use the presentation for your school. 

Don't underestimate young students, they are very capable of learning how to use technology. However, don't assume they know how to use technology just because they can play on a tablet. They must be shown how to effectively use devices. 

I will also add that our second grade students were taught how to use the Chromebooks at the beginning of the school year, and all second grade students can login using their Google Account logins. They can learn, and they can use the devices!