In-Service_10-1

While you are required to update your weekly homework and class announcements under the **INFORMATION** tab, the **MY CLASS** tab is where you'll put the bulk of your class materials. These class materials can include:

> To create a link to a Discovery Streaming video takes three steps. The first two are completed at the Discovery Streaming web site. > I know it seems like some extra work, but adding a video this way will make sure your students will be able to see it at home without having to wait a long time for the video to download to their computer. ||
 * **Weekly Newsletters** - uploaded as PDFs or typed directly as an Angel page.
 * **Web Site Links** - online activitie s for parents to work on with their students at home, or helpful resources for students projects. (EXAMPLE: You could post a list of web sites to help your students with their animal report.)
 * **Class Handouts/Worksheets** - Anything you hand out in paper form, can also be scanned and posted online for those who are absent or just absent-minded.
 * **UnitedStreaming Videos** - If you watch it in class, you can make it available for your students to watch online. Now those who are absent can still see the video. Students can also watch it again for review.|| To add a Discovery Streaming video to your class it is best to create a link that takes students directly to Discovery Streaming. If you download the video and try to upload a file to Angel, your students may have trouble watching the file because the video files can be quite large.
 * 1) Add the video to My Content. This creates a "bookmark" that will help you find the video later.
 * 2) Create an Assignment using the Assignment Builder. When completed, this will create a unique URL or web address for your video assignment.
 * 3) Log in to Angel and create a link to your video assignment.
 * **Photos** - Parents love to see pics from class events and field trips. Angel and Picasa make it much easier than Blackboard. You can also take photos of student artwork or projects and put them online for parents to see.
 * **Forms/Parent Letters** - Many of you have already posted class specific forms and parent letters. It's always a good idea to have a copy available online to refer to during the year.


 * Helpful hints to keep "My Class" organized:**


 * 1) Make it your own - I've created generic folders in everyone's my class folder, but every class is different. Feel free to delete any folders you don't use and create new ones that fit your specific needs. Maybe you want to create a separate folder for each subject. All you math handouts and links could go in a Math folder. All your Social Studies resources, videos, and worksheets could go in a Social Studies folder.
 * 2) If you don't want people to see it, make it "unavailable". Your folders are visible to all your parents and students unless you specifically make them unavailable. If you have content that you use at Christmas, maybe you should go to settings, click on the Access tab, and check "Do not allow users to view this item".
 * 3) Use Shared Files - If you have information or resources that are the same for all three classes you can set up a shared folder. This way one person can post information and all classes that link to that folder will automatically get it.|| [|Why use Shared Files?] ||
 * 4) If you don't like the order of your folders, re-arrange them. It's really quite simple. Click on the My Class tab. Under the My Class tab, click Rearrange. Just click and drag your folders in any order you want.


 * Podcasting**

Believe it or not, podcasting does not require you to have an iPod. Podcasting is really just recording sound on your computer and posting it online so people can listen to it over the Internet. All you need to listen to one is a computer, Internet access, and speakers or headphones. All you need to have to make your own is a computer, Internet Access, a microphone. The name podcasting just started because many people take the files from their computer and put them on their iPods so they can listen to them "on-the-go".

One interesting way to share your students' writing is to record them reading it, and then post it online. Here's an example of a first grade class that posted their own "audiobooks". http://banyan.edublogs.org/

Other ideas...
 * A weekly classroom news report. Got students who need something to do with their free time? Them become reporters and write up what is going on this week in class. Then they can record their report as a class newscast.
 * Vocabucast - take some of your vocabulary words for the week and have students record the words, defintions, and how they they would be used in a sentence.

If you want to add video to your podcast, your students could use something like Photostory to make projects like these:


 * [|The 10/5 Digital Story]
 * [|Tidepool Riddles]
 * [|Back To School Ideas]

Once your students have recorded a podcast, you can upload the file to Angel. Files can be put in any folder under you My Class tab. If you have audio files you can upload them to a special podcast folder.