AACPS OIT Byte

Thankful for Read & Write By Samantha Wilkinson, Elementary Teacher Specialist Hope everyone had a wonderful and rejuvenating Thanksgiving break. As we often do this time of year, I spent some time reflecting on the things I am thankful for. Near the top of my list were our OIT applications which make lessons engaging and easy to design, and also the Read & Write Extension. Yes, I said it. I know many teachers are annoyed by the R&W pop-up toolbar during instruction but did you know about the wonderful tools of Read & Write? I am here to tell you why that purple puzzle piece should be something you are grateful for, too! Due to the teacher shortage, I spent several weeks back in the classroom as an AACPS 5th grade teacher this fall. One of the first things I noticed about my students was the range in ability and language. While all classrooms have mixed capacities and students with special needs, this group in particular had an expansive span of writing and readin...

by Tracey Brown Office of Instructional Technology Teacher Specialist Shortcuts are time-savers when working on a computer. Even though they may only save you a few seconds, that time can really add up when you find yourself doing the same task over and over while working in a digital environment. Tricks like CTRL + C instead of right-click and scroll down to choose COPY quickly become a game-changer. Below we will share the shortcuts that we can’t live without when working across our devices and digital environments. Universal Shortcuts Universal shortcuts are so named because they work across different devices and different applications. Working on a MAc? Simply substitute Command for CTRL.

  Prep for Conferences with Brightspace Portfolio by Darren Towers, Office of Instructional Technology LMS Administrator There are so many reasons us teachers collect student work samples. One of the main reasons, an essential part of the teaching and learning process, is to show growth and share that growth with all stakeholders. For most of my career these samples were collected at the beginning, middle and end of the year and stored in file folders. Then, at conference times, the student work was shared with parents to show where the student began and where the student is now. Brightspace can help streamline the collection and sharing of the samples we share with parents while enhancing the way we analyze and share the growth our learners have made . Artifact Collection: Brightspace Portfolio allows for the collection of key artifacts, including videos, audio recordings, and multimedia presentations. Hard copies of student work can also be scanned, uploaded and stored. This tool...

By: Koralina McKenna, Instructional Technology Teacher Specialist  Have you ever used a Studio Board in Discovery Education? I hope so, because if not, you are missing out on one of the only customizable digital worksheet creators out there! Today, I am going to discuss two options for using this amazing tool right inside Brightspace. We all deserve to work smarter, not harder so let's get more from Brightspace with Discovery Education.  Embedding a Discovery Education Studio Boards Directly in Brightspace. Studio Boards designed as a way for students to gather information from multiple sources are easily embedded into Brightspace and allow students to manipulate the board directly from Brightspace. Students do not have to leave Brightspace in order to access the board.  Studio Boards make great choice boards or can be used to house a content collection on a specific research topic. The example to the right was used in a 6th grade science classroom. Students used this Stu...