All Can Code 04/10/15

All Can Code - Thanks Elaine Wright for sharing!
https://www.allcancode.com/



An easy way for students to learn problem solving, as well as introducing them to the way programming languages work.

Click Video Preview to see how it works

When you are ready to try it out, do the following:
Click Play Online
Click English (American Flag)
Click the Green Arrow
Click the First Scene on the left
Click Flag #1 to start the first activity

Vocaroo - Online Recording Tool 03/27/15

Vocaroo 

http://vocaroo.com/

Record quick messages.
Convert to a link.
Convert to a QR Code.
Use the Snipping Tool to transfer the QR Code to Word, PowerPoint, etc.

Great for Holiday messages from students.  Send Mom an audio message for Mother's Day!
Practice reading fluency, pronouncing spelling or vocabulary words, etc.

Boomwriter - Story Writer 03/27/15

Boomwriter Online Tool

http://www.boomwriter.com/storywriter

Boomwriter is a Story Writer where your students develop their understanding of key literary elements through their own writing. When finished, your class’s story becomes a real published book, where every student’s name is included as a participating author!

Free App Friday! 03/27/15

Free App's for iPad - only available today!

Reading, Storybooks, Phonics, Grammar, and Writing

Prepositions - Flashcards & Video Modeling (regularly $24.99)

Mo & Me Readers (six beginning reader books in a new app)

AniMate Maker (regularly $0.99)

Color the Sky (good, new app)

My Story - Storybook and eBook Maker for Kids by Teachers (regularly $4.99)

Story2Go Interactive Book Creator (regularly $3.99)

TeleStory (create your own TV show; regularly  $4.99)

Monster Phonics Learn to Spell the First 200 High Frequency Words (regularly $1.99)

Monster Phonics Learn to Spell the Next 200 High Frequency Words (regularly $1.99)

Reading Comprehension - Animals: Second & Third Grade Testing Prep (regularly $3.99)

Reading Comprehension Skills - Grades 1st and 2nd with Assessment (regularly $3.99)

Singalong Cursive Handwriting (regularly $1.99)

Three Little Pigs - A Play HD (regularly $2.99)

The Bedsby Tales: Spooky Short Stories with Monsters, Myths, Ghosts, and More! (regularly $2.99)

Collins Big Cat: At the Dump Story Creator (regularly $3.99)

Nursery Rhymes with StoryTime (regularly $3.99)

Queenie La'Be and the Crazy Squirrel (regularly $3.99)

PE and Health

Health Ed Buddy (regularly $2.99)

Mathematics

1st Grade Math Planet (regularly $9.99)

Kid Awesome 1st Grade Math Premium (regularly $9.99)

2nd Grade Math Planet (regularly $9.99)

3rd Grade Math Planet (regularly $9.99)

4th Grade Math Planet (regularly $9.99)

5th Grade Math Planet (regularly $9.99)

Math Pop Pro - Fun Math Practice for Grades 1-5 (regularly $9.99)

Middle School Math Planet (regularly $9.99)

Science

Human Body Buddy (regularly $1.99)

The Cell Story (new app)

Isopod: The Roly Poly Science Game (regularly $2.99)

Survive Global Climate Change (new app for middle school students)

PreSchool

Fiete - A Day on the Farm (regularly $2.99)

Cutie Mini Monsters (regularly $2.99)

Learn My Letters (good app; regularly $1.99)

Websites of the Week! Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day! 03/09/15

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner!  Get prepared with these fun and interactive St. Patrick's Day websites:

Interactive St. Patrick's Day Sites:
http://interactivesites.weebly.com/st-patricks-day.html

LanSchool Updates 03/09/15

LanSchool Teacher Console has an updated software version that you will want to install on your Teacher computer.

Student computers were updated automatically on Tuesday, March 3rd.
Teacher computers can be updated by doing the following:

1. Click Start and go to the Microsoft Software Center.  
2. Click Find additional applications from the Application Catalog at the top right of the window.
3. Enter your login credentials.
4. Click LanSchool Teacher
5. Click Install at the bottom right (you might have to scroll down to see this)
6. Click Yes
7. The install might take several minutes.
8. Once the install is complete, you will be prompted to click OK to close the install window.

TELPAS Test Nav Checklist 03/09/15

Here are some tips for setting up computers for the TELPAS (Test Nav) test.
Thanks to Cristi Pace who shared her Test Nav checklist that she uses at her campus.

NEW COMPUTERS
If you have a lab of new computers (desktop or laptops that have been added in the last month or two), you will need to do the following:

1. Log into the computer as yourself (not testnav_elem)
2. Go to Microsoft Software Center
3. Install Java and Adobe Flash Player Active X
4. Restart the computer
5. Log into the computer using the testnav login
6. Open Internet Explorer
7. If prompted with an Internet Explorer 9 settings window, choose Recommended Settings
8. Go to www.texasassessment.com/systemcheck
9. When prompted with the Java window, click the check box at the bottom left and click OK (or continue)
10. You can perform both system checks by clicking the drop menu near the bottom right and doing steps 11-14
• TELPAS Spring 2015
• STAAR A
11. Click Start
12. If the circle spins for more than 15 seconds or so, click Stop.
13. Then click Start again.
14. Hopefully, all the checklists pass.  
15. If not and you aren't sure what to do, call David Henderson in Networking at x-78506.
16. Once the checklist passes the test, close the Internet Explorer window.
17. Double click the Test Nav icon on the desktop
18. When prompted with the Java window, click the check box at the bottom left and click OK (or continue)
19. Maximize the window, if necessary.
20. You can check the TestNav login page by doing the following:
• Go to https://tx.testnav.com/txqc
• Username - systemcheck7
• Password - testcode7
• Close testing window 

NOT NEW COMPUTERS
If you have a lab of computers that are NOT new, you will need to do the following:

1. Log into the computer as yourself or as your campuses' generic student login
2. Go to the Control Panel 
3. Choose Uninstall software
4. Uninstall any versions of Java
5. Uninstall any versions of Adobe Flash Player Active X
6. Go to Microsoft Software Center
7. Install Java and Adobe Flash Player Active X
8. Restart the computer
9. Log into the computer using the testnav login
10. Open Internet Explorer
11. If prompted with an Internet Explorer 9 settings window, choose Recommended Settings
12. Go to www.texasassessment.com/systemcheck
13. When prompted with the Java window, click the check box at the bottom left and click OK (or continue)
14. You can perform both system checks by clicking the drop menu near the bottom right and doing steps 11-14
• TELPAS Spring 2015
• STAAR A
15. Click Start
16. If the circle spins for more than 15 seconds or so, click Stop.
17. Then click Start again.
18. Hopefully, all the checklists pass.  
19. If not and you aren't sure what to do, call David Henderson in Networking at x-78506.
20. Once the checklist passes the test, close the Internet Explorer window.
21. Double click the Test Nav icon on the desktop
22. When prompted with the Java window, click the check box at the bottom left and click OK (or continue)
23. Maximize the window, if necessary.
24. You can check the TestNav login page by doing the following:
• Go to https://tx.testnav.com/txqc
• Username - systemcheck7
• Password - testcode7
• Close testing window

ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE:

1. Control Panel - Power
• Change to "Never" option when plugged in and apply these changes.
2. Mute the sound on the keyboard if desired
3. Do the System Check for both types of tests (although most of the time it doesn't seem necessary)

Code Kingdoms 03/09/15

Code Kingdoms Website - Teaches your students about Java Script.

http://codekingdoms.com/

Kids learn a real programming language. Starting with drag & drop before progressing to real text-based Java Script. Writing code lets kids do things which are fun and the computational thinking skills learned are applicable outside of the game.

Teacher friendly

You can teach engaging computing lessons using Code Kingdoms and our curriculum-linked free lesson plans. The creators of the site can help your school get setup with Code Kingdoms.

Dictionary Gone in Microsoft Word! 03/09/15

For the first time, Word installs without a dictionary.  However, you can install the dictionary by following these steps:

Installing the Dictionary App for Office 2013

1. Open Word 2013
2. Click Insert Tab
3. Click My Apps (in the Apps group)
4. Click Office Store button
5. In the Search box, type the App you want.  For example:  Webster Dictionary
6. Click Add to the right of the App you want to install
7. Click Trust It
8. The App window will appear on the right
9. On the initial use of the App, you may be asked to log in using your Microsoft account.
10. If you don’t do this, the App should still work from that point forward.