SchoolPointe tips and the Snipping Tool

Many of you are using your SchoolPointe website in a wonderful way.  Teachers are sharing assignments, calendar events, and classroom files with students,teachers and parents.  I realize "time" for teachers is very valuable, but now that I have a son in high school I realize the importance of digital communication with the teacher is more necessary than ever before.  Here are a few ideas of how to use your website:

1. Place due dates for assignments and advertise tests well in advance so that students can begin preparing.
2. Upload classroom resource files like:  powerpoint or word documents so that students can view them on their smart phones, access on the internet at home or print out at home (saving the school district money)
3. Embed student projects on your website like:  glogster posters, storybird stories, prezis or animoto videos.
4. Sharing work online allows parents, grandparents and others to see the work the students have created. The students then have an audience for their work.
5. Share valuable information about yourself so that other stakeholders can have an insight into you as a teacher.
6. I like posting all my trainings online so that the website links I use are viewable anytime the learner needs them.  This allows the learner to listen more during my presentations and they have opportunity later to review the websites.
7. You can also upload as many videos and files as you like to SchoolPointe!!!  This can free up your network storage and allow you access to files anywhere with internet connectivity.

Here is a short video on a few tips and tricks I thought you might find useful while working with SchoolPointe:

 Click Here for the SchoolPointe How To Video

Turning Point Tools

Currently we have 93 sets of Turning Point Response card systems in our district.  Use Turning Technologies' student response systems for formative assessment and frequent progress monitoring in order to promote data driven differentiated instruction and to meet the learning needs of each of your students.  This technology is the ideal tool to implement educational and pedagogical best practices effectively.  Here are several ways we can use it at BGISD:

1. Turning Point Anywhere:  This tool allows you to gather input using almost any tool you have in your lessons.  Examples include:  word documents, excel documents, websites, interwrite workspace and more.  Great tool to get started and have immediate success.
2. Turning Point 2008:  TurningPoint allows you to author and poll interactive slides natively in PowerPoint with a minimal learning curve. Tutorials include settings, creating slides, inserting objects, running presentations, enhancing presentations, and more.
3. Polling Support and BrainPop:  This tool works with the popular Brainpop website and allows students to take a quiz from BrainPop and record a grade instantly.
4. ResponseWare:  Using responseware allows students and teachers to share presentations using smart phones and internet presentation models. 

 

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS SITE

Tools for You

Schoolpointe - our district website.

All teachers have been encouraged to use this valuable tool.  Your website should provide a valuable opportunity for positive communication with our parents and students, and serve as that one place students can go to find information pertinent to your classroom.  As a parent, I appreciate teachers who allow my son to download documents, provide calendars for assignments and provide resources at a glance so learning can continue at home.  Here are some thoughts I would like to share about using a classroom website:

• calendars and assignment details are available 24/7
• assignments can be submitted to schoolpointe
• unlimited documents, links and videos can be uploaded to schoolpointe
• folders containing lesson materials such as:  powerpoints or documents can be hidden or shared
• web links can be displayed and organized so students do not have to waste time searching through websites which may not be useful
• student projects such as:  animoto, storybird, prezi, glogster and videos can be embedded so that parents and grandparents can view their projects

If you are not using your classroom website or have not updated it recently; today would be a great day!