LucidPress For Class Newspaper

LucidPress was presented by me as an option for seventh grade students to create a collaborative newspaper. Collaborative in the sense that all students across multiple classes have different responsibilities ranging from report to writer to layout to tech.  The students immediately recognized the features that would prove valuable in a class creation.

LucidPress Has Effective Features:

• Google Drive Integration:  this is it!  Students write articles in Google Drive and share it with the students who are in charge of layout.  Students who are designing the layout of the paper can connect LucidPress with their Google Drive account.  The article immediately appears in the newspaper with the options of changing the design.
• Templates:  There are enough templates to start to resemble Microsoft Publisher.  Since we are a Google Apps For Education school, Publisher as been eliminated.  Now it is back in some form!
• Collaboration:  Multiple students (in this case the designers/layout specialists) can work on the same newspaper.
• Publishing:  Multiple methods for publishing including instantly on Twitter & Google Plus via a link.  I like how the published item is a flip book format.

Listen to what the students say!

LucidPress Tutorial

Impact On Students:

• Collaboration:  Multiple students designing a LucidPress publication.  Multiple students contributing to the LucidPress publication through their Google Docs creations.
• Creativity:  While templates do exist, the blank publication is available as well.  Students need to make decisions on design, placement, colors, texts, and publishing.
• Critical Thinking: Students must decide so many facets of the design.  Layout of the design continues to be a critical thinking skill.

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United Streaming and Opposing Views

Informational Text for the Common Core State Standards can be printed text but doesn't always need to be.  Opposing Viewpoints is a great resource for printed text in various forms, while Discovery Education is a great resource for visual informational resources.  See what both of them bring to your classroom.

• Both resources work great on laptops, Chromebooks and iPads through the Chrome browser.  This would work especially if the teacher is projecting a video they have on their account.  A challenge does occur when a teacher would like students to watch the video with a log in.
• Paid version of Discovery Education app is available on the iPad
• All resources look great on a projected screen

Opposing Viewpoints Information

United Streaming (Discovery Education) Information

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Google Chromebooks and Business Simulation In Economics

Mr. Nickerson discusses how using an online business simulation resource with students allows participants to put into practice class concepts.

Having the Chromebooks has increased class time as each student was able to log in with ease and efficiency.

Listen to benefits and reflection on the process!


Video Link
ITLS Standard 1, 2, Skill 2A

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Chromebooks In The Library - Lunch N' Learn

Chromebooks: What Are They? LINK


Chromebooks: How Do Students Use Them

• Flip Top of Chromebook Up
• Left Corner - Add User
• Chrome Sign Up Same Username/Password For Google Account
• Choose Picture For Display of Account
• May need to sign in with password again
• Click App Launcher on bottom left
• Will see same extensions from any computer when using Chrome
• Done?
• Log Out
• Find Bottom Right Time Display, Click
• Click Sign Out, Done

Video Link
Multiple Google Accounts

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Lunch N' Learn Chromebooks Have Arrived At PHS

When: Tuesday 11:35 or 12:05 or 12:35

Where: PHS Library Think Tank

Why: To Utilize Tech Tools To Be More Efficient

Topic: Chromebooks In The High School Library

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Chromebook First Day With Students Set Up

Mrs. Schmidt is in her second year of implementing Chromebooks on a "as needed basis".  That means, she has Chromebooks present in her classroom whenever she needs them.  More importantly, whenever the students need them.

View how she efficiently guided her students to log in for the first time and set up their web browsing experience.

Seamless!

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East Leyden High Chromebook Visit Review

Friday presented a great opportunity for our school district to send eight teachers and administrators to East Leyden High School.  We were provided a day long opportunity to witness the implementation of Chromebooks to all students.  Every student has one Chromebook.  The school is also a Google Apps For Education District.

View Entire Presentation East Leyden Produced

Facts that I was able to gather:

• Superintendent stated some time ago that we (Leyden School District) was either going to implement Chromebooks sooner or later, but they were going to implement them
• Visited North Carolina who implemented Chromebooks with district, staff, and school board.  After the visit the Board of Education stated, "knowing what we know now, we can't afford to not do this"
• Chromebook removes a ton of logisitcs
• They are in their first year of integrating Chromebooks
• Homework is always present through the cloud
• Some distractions occurred.  Twitter and Facebook needed to be blocked
• Observed Chromebooks being utilized in different ways
• Some students were checking email while teachers were teaching
• Went "all in" with this initiative
• Created mandatory parent meeting
• 3,500 Chromebooks To Students
• 260 Teachers
• Bought "Loaner" computers and have plan for their use
• Expected that students charge Chromebooks each night
• Leyden created Digital Evolution Summit for teachers who led it
• The school district uses "Open Class" for classroom management 
• Incorporated Tech Support Internship
• Students learning five different strands of hands-on technology
• Students expected to assess various issues that occur throughout the day for students and teachers and come up with best approach to resolving them
• Students work on various projects throughout the year
• Slide 29 of presentation
• Students blog about their TSI experiences
• Passion for technology
• Students loved the fact that homework is always available
• Students loved the collaboration component
• Student perspective on Chromebooks
• Student and parent procedures

View video of actual students and teachers in action.

Personal thoughts as we decide the direction we are moving as a district:

• IT managers will love Chromebooks.  Minimal set up. Hear Some Thoughts
• School must be Google Apps For Education
• We need to go "all in" if we are to accomplish true transformation. All in with whatever device we choose
• Pulaski School District is incorporating so much of the transformation of learning with a small amount of devices at this time!  Yeah, for teachers!
• The best thing I saw was the creation of the "Tech Support Internship" (TSI)
• 90 high school students helping staff and students with tech support
• Students also learn five strands of tech certification
• We need to implement this as soon as possible
• iPads still need to be utilized!  The creation piece of the iPads is above and beyond what a Chromebook can do.  My opinion.  
• Ideal setup: Every student has a Chromebook with iPads available in some fashion for supplemental use.  Someone really needs to slam a Chromebook and an iPad together so that everyone gets each operating system and all the functionality.  Then the perfect device would exist.  Wait it does, kind of!

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