Online Communication and Learning Programs
ONLINE COMMUNICATION:
learningwithmsweir.edublogs.org – Our Class Blog is a window into the learning and fun in our classroom. Please check often to see student work and learning. (Please note homework will be posted on Remind)
Remind is a messaging app that keeps families up to date with what’s happening in the classroom. HOMEWORK and reminders will be posted daily on Remind.
Freshgrade is a digital portfolio that provides visibility into student progress and growth. Parent’s will have the opportunity to view their child’s assessments and learning through photos, videos, audio, as well as notes that are captured in the classroom. Captured artifacts and activities build a secure portfolio that will show each student’s progress throughout the school year.
Google Classroom is a blended learning platform developed by Google for schools. Homework and assignments will be posted on Google Classroom for students daily.
LEARNING PROGRAMS:
Google Classroom is a blended learning platform developed by Google for schools that aims to simplify creating, distributing and grading assignments in a paperless way. Students will learn to use Google Docs and Slides to complete assignments as well as work on collaborative assignments with classmates. Both Google Docs and Slides will give students the opportunity to share their learning with classmates and students will be able to submit assignments through Google Classroom. Additionally, students will be able to use Email and Calendar for school communication and organization.
RAZ-PLUS – Leveled Books and Resources to Support Reading Development at School and at Home. Raz-Plus is a comprehensive blended learning platform that includes the curricular support teachers need and the personalized resources necessary to improve students’ reading skills. With more than 50,000 resources that include more than 3,000 leveled books and readers available in multiple formats, Raz-Plus makes it easy to strengthen the connection between what is being taught and what students are practicing. Students will be assigned several books a week to develop their reading skills.
Knowledgehook is a self-paced learning platform for mathematics. It includes engagement tools such as games to measure and improve student learning. This award-winning program analyzes the academic performance of math students in real-time play to recommend alternative teaching practices and interventions to improve math skills. Individual assessments unlock insights and expert guidance for teachers. Knowledgehook features “A Quiz Game” for the entire class as well as individual “Missions” (assignments) that can easily be differentiated. Students are able to work at their own pace with scaffolded supports, hints and animated worked examples. This program instantly gauges and tracks student understanding. Real medals/ribbons and class pennants will be shipped to students at the school. Students will be using Knowledgehook regularly during math and blended learning rotations. In addition, students are encouraged to explore this program at home to supplement and enhance their math skills.
Reflex helps students of all ability levels to develop fluency with their basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Reflex continuously monitors each student’s performance to create the optimal experience for every child. Ms. Weir will be able to monitor and support student progress in Reflex. Students can build fluency with Reflex anywhere there is an Internet connection. Reflex is game-based and highly motivational so students enjoy the learning process. Students of all ages and ability levels make great gains with Reflex when it is used regularly. Students will be encouraged to use Reflex daily for at least 10-15 minutes.
mPower (by TVO) is a creative online game that teaches fundamental K-6 math skills while enabling students to have fun and learn more about the world around them. Students will be encouraged to utilize this program to enhance their math skills.
Sumdog is an online program used in thousands of schools worldwide to motivate children to work on maths, reading and writing. As students play, they answer questions. Sumdog personalizes the questions for each student and tracks their progress through the school curriculum. Students will be assigned weekly challenges and assignments to complete either at home or in class during blended learning rotations.
Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. Students are able to tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Khan Academy’s math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. Students will be assigned questions weekly to complete at home or in class during blended learning rotations. Khan Academy will also be used to teach coding!
Explore Learning Gizmos are interactive math and science simulations for grades 3 and up. Gizmos use an inquiry-based approach to learning that has been validated by extensive research as a highly effective way to build conceptual understanding. Learning Gizmos will be explored during learning rotations both individually and in groups.
Prodigy is an award-winning and interactive online math program.With a diagnostic test to place students in the correct grade, embedded assessments, and automatic differentiation, Prodigy ensures that each student succeeds at their own pace. Students will be encouraged to practise their math skills on prodigy.
Code – Computer science opens more doors for students than any other discipline in today’s world. Learning even the basics will help students in virtually any career—from architecture to zoology. Just as we teach students how to dissect a frog, or how electricity works, it’s important for every 21st-century student to have a chance to “dissect an app,” or learn how the Internet works. We need to move beyond basic technology education and offer computer science to our students in elementary, middle and high school. Each student has an account on Code.org, a national nonprofit expanding access to computer science. Their K-12 program consists of an innovative approach to professional development, curriculum, and promotional materials. Videos about the importance of computer science at http://code.org/videos. Students will have a chance to work on code.org at home and at school on Enrichment Days and during some learning rotations.
