Lakeview Fifth Graders Explore Zaption and Read&Write for Google Chrome

During their science block this afternoon in the AT&T Classroom, the Lakeview fifth graders further explored food chains using an online Zaption video. Zaption is a web-based tool that can be used to create interactive opportunities within digital video lessons. Teachers may upload their own video, select from the Zaption library or search for online video content from sites such as YouTube, PBS, National Geographic, etc. Videos can be used in their entirety, trimmed or combined with other videos, slides, or drawings. Teachers can then create and insert questions directly in the video with questions encompassing several different formats including open responses, multiple choice, and checkbox.  Today Mrs. Eddy posted a Zaption video lesson on food chains in Google Classroom. Students were able to access the video lesson and completed the assessment questions as they progressed through the tutorial. Zaption analytics allow Mrs. Eddy to access and view each students’ responses once they have completed the assignment.

Later this afternoon the Lakeview fifth graders learned to use Read&Write for Google Chrome -- a free Chrome extension designed to provide students with reading and writing support. The tool offers several supports and accessibility options including the option for students to have highlighted text from webpages and documents read to them or summarized. Other features include a fact finder for research, a word predictor, a picture dictionary, a talking dictionary, and a translator. This afternoon the students used Read&Write for Google Chrome in conjunction with their Big Universe reading assignments.  Big Universe is a website offering access to an e-book library designed for students in kindergarten through grade 8. The library has both fiction and nonfiction e-books available across a range of subject areas. Books can be sorted by subject, grade and Common Core standard, and assigned to students directly through the website’s platform. Many of the books also include quizzes for assessing reading comprehension.