Tech Talks

Between lesson plans, meetings, and assessing student progress, we know you have your hands full. Teachers and students are the heart and soul of LPISD! In this February issue, we want to take a moment to thank you for everything you do both inside and outside your classroom to help your students be successful. As you read through this newsletter, our hope is you find something new or are reminded of a tool you might not have used in a while which will help with the incredible work you do.

The Word Collector is a whimsical story of discovery. Jerome finds magic in words, collecting words, organizing words, and playing with words. Jerome finds meaning when stringing words together. Select the book cover image and listen to LPISD ELA Instructional Coach, Dawn Smith, narrate this beautiful book.

Hold a celebration of love this month with the following short film by Perter H. Reynolds. You can find more on his website at TLC Films- The Reynolds Center for Teaching and Learning.

Tired of grading student work by hand? Need an easy way to collect feedback and formatively assess your students? Whether you are not already using Microsoft Forms or you use Forms frequently in your class, this month's e-course might help you find new ways in which this tool could be implemented into your class. Head to Eduphoria: Strive to register for the Microsoft Forms e-course published by your LPISD Technology team!

Reading Progress is a new Microsoft TEAMS application designed to help students and teachers monitor oral reading fluency. Teachers can now assign leveled passages directly to students from a free sample library or upload their own passage for students to read aloud. Reading Progress video and audio records the students reading and will score the sample for mispronunciations, omissions, insertions, repetitions, and self-corrections giving an overall accuracy rate. While viewing the recording, teachers can override any corrections made by the application to increase the precision of the report! Afterwards, the report can be directly returned to students as feedback and for goal-setting. If you'd like to see Reading Progress in action, put in a work order through Track-It or call the Help Desk at ext. 7070.

Group Web Rules are now accessible in Lightspeed Classroom Management (Relay Classroom). Teachers can create different groups within each class and then drag and drop students to a specific group. Once groups are created, teachers have the option to implement specific web rules for each individual group. The option to implement web rules for the whole class also remains. If you need help setting up different groups or implementing web rules for specific groups, please submit a technology work order or call extension 7070 to speak with the Help Desk.

Not only is critical writing an important component of the Fundamental Five, but writing helps students make connections between concepts and solidify their learning. Being able to communicate effectively through writing is a skill employers seek in their employees. Read Write Think provides activities in which students must incorporate writing. When you visit their homepage, choose Classroom Resources-->Student Interactives. A pane on the right will allow you to filter the different interactives available by grade level and type of activity. Teachers can also browse the featured interactives or search for a specific tool. We like the Trading Card Creator which helps eliminate copying and pasting because the number of characters students can use is limited.

A good dictionary is a must for every subject, and this app will help students find the meanings to words quickly and easily. However, this app is more than just a dictionary. Students can switch to the thesaurus setting to find similar words and add variety to their writing. They can also access word games, writing tips, and a word and/or synonym of the day.

Julie Andrews has teamed up with her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, to share their favorite children's books. Using sound and music, these books come to life. In addition, there is input from authors, children and special guests. This podcast produced by American Public Media is sure to inspire a love for reading.

This family loves to draw, and with their video tutorials published every weekday, you and your students can draw right along with them. Whether you need a quick art lesson or an activity for an upcoming holiday, you're sure to find a fun, easy drawing tutorial by browsing their videos or using the playlists.

Use the following for direct links to resources celebrating Black History Month:

1. Biography
2. History
3. Library of Congress
4. National Education Association
5. Houston Public Media
6. Smithsonian | National Museum of African American History and Culture
7. Texas State Historical Association
8. Poetry Foundation
9. Reading Rockets

The following websites and videos provide freely accessible information to explore and inform particular concepts and give greater insights and detail.

• Library of Congress | Today in History

Historical articles and resources for each day of calendar curated and indexed by the LOC.

• Virtual Manipulatives

Geared towards the elementary level, the online virtual manipulatives are organized by content, including simple math games, alphabet and spelling, piano music, and art.

• Mathsbot

A collection of virtual math manipulatives.

• Poetry Machine

Practice creating and designing poetry.

• Classroom Screen

Create your own digital board of customized widgets.

• How to...Cornell Notes

Video illustration for taking Cornell Notes.

The James H. Baker Librarian, Tami Imel, hosted an author visit with Adrianna Cuevas for all 6th grade students Wednesday, February 9th. An Austin resident, Adrianna Cuevas has published two titles and working on her third:

• The Total Eclipse of of Nestor Lopez
• Cuba in My Pocket
• The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto (coming April '23)

The author spoke to her writing process and the importance of a critique partner. After so many great student lead questions, they arrived at the final and eagerly waited question. "Do you like ketchup?" You will have to ask a 6th grader to learn more about the author and her final answer.

2022 Texas Bluebonnet Award

The results from elementary students across Texas was announced this month for the 2022 Bluebonnet Award, The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read, written by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and illustrated by Oge Mora. Select the image to access the copyright free read aloud to view in class or share with students and parents.

TeenBookCon 2022 is back in-person this year with a virtual option for graphic novel author panel. This year's hybrid festival of authors is hosted by Davis High School in Aldine ISD on Saturday, April 9th. Keynote Speaker, Julie Murphy and Kekla Magoon are just a few exciting authors leading panels. Stay-tuned to next months newsletter for more information, including schedule and registration.

You and your students have access to authentic, quality resources with educational databases through TexQuest. For an overview or informational videos, select the image below. We will be publishing more in the coming months.

You and your students can read and listen to ebooks and audiobooks for free through Harris County Public Library using the link from the district website or using the Sora app. Access using your Microsoft credentials and select your library. Should you need any help, submit a work order.

Download the calendar of events this month hosted by the La Porte Public Library.

At Rizzuto, Ms. Prewitt’s 5th grade students had a chance to use a VR headset to interact with math in the virtual world. Students used the Oculus technology to answer math questions virtually while their classmates watched on the projector. This was a fun and technology driven lesson that rewarded students for their hard work in class.

Please email your Instructional Technology team at ITC.ITS@lpisd.org with activity information and picture (s) or invite us to record your classroom to be featured in the newsletter.

The Technology Services Department serves to facilitate and support your technology needs. For help, submit a work order using the Track It! link on the Faculty Portal, select the button below for the Technology Reference Manual, or call the HelpDesk at Ext. 7070.

Instructional Technology Center

Email: ITC.ITS@lpisd.org
Website: https://www.lpisd.org/departments/technology-services
Location: 9832 Spencer Highway, La Porte, TX, USA
Phone: 281.604.7070
Twitter: @lpisd_itc