Saginaw Elementary and the Instructional Technology Department are hosting the first annual EMS ISD Poetry Slam. Students at SES, EMES, EES, DES, HCES, and RPES will write and recite poems that create imagery, use figurative language, and bring out a central theme.

Each participating 4th and 5th grade classroom will conduct a class competition prior to the district slam which will be held on Friday, January 17th at 9AM. You can watch the Poetry Slam by going to www.emsisd.com/slam and follow the direction to access our Skype call.

Campus and District winners will be celebrated and featured in an upcoming newsletter and on our Social Media accounts.

On January 18th, a new and improved Canvas Gradebook will be enabled in all Canvas courses. Don't worry though! The upgrades are easy to use and we're sure you're going to like the cleaner, easier-to-navigate interface.

This video (7:04) provides a great overview of the New Gradebook.

This document compares the existing Gradebook to the New Gradebook.

Please make plans to join us on Tuesday, January 28 from 7-8 pm for our next #EMSedchat Twitter Chat. The topic will be a "fan favorite" ... Tips & Tricks!

Questions post from our team Twitter account, @emsisdits. If you aren't able to tweet from 7-8, feel free to join when you can.

"When are we going to do that again?" Those are words every teacher loves to hear when students are so engaged in the activity that they don't want it to be over. If you have ever done a Kahoot! activity with your students, then you have more than likely heard those wonderful words. Kahoot! pits student against student as they attempt to answer questions quickly and accurately. It can be played using any device with an internet connection, and there are a ton of premade Kahoot!s available. The problem with Kahoot! is that it is basically a "one trick pony". Once you have done Kahoot! with your kids several times, the excitement tends to wear off.

Enter Nearpod. Much like Kahoot!, Nearpod is easy to set up and works across all platforms. The difference between Nearpod and Kahoot! is that Kahoot! is a game while Nearpod is a full service, interactive, web based, lesson creation tool. Recently, Nearpod introduced Time to Climb to its arsenal of activities. Time to Climb is a Kahoot! like game that you can build right into your Nearpod lesson. It is just as easy to create, and you can use all of the other activities in Nearpod as well. If you would like help converting a Kahoot! activity into a Nearpod lesson, contact your Instructional Technologist today.

Do you struggle to find the perfect for a project? If so, you definitely need to check out wordmark.it. This site is an easy way to preview how a word or line of text will look in every font installed on your computer.

In the video below, Cindy demonstrates how to use Wordmark.it.

In the last issue, we featured the Windows 10 built in emojis that can be accessed using the Windows + period keys. That is a quick and easy way to access emojis for emails and documents, but what if you want a different emoji? You can create your own custom emojis at www.emoji-maker.com using their full feature editor. You can even create an emoji from your face, or someone else's. (You should probably get their permission first though.) Check out the video below for more information.

You can search multiple PDFs on your computer at once using the advanced features in Acrobat Reader.

• Open Acrobat Reader
• Click on edit and choose advance search
• Select all PDF documents in a folder or your desktop
• Enter the search term you are looking for
• Allow Reader access to your drives, and it will do the rest!

Single Sign On | Quick access in to your EMS Digital Resources

Device Checkout | Need to borrow something for a less? Reserve it here!

Microsoft Educator Community | High Quality, Anytime, On-Demand PD

The Jenallee Show | On-the-spot PD videos, featuring many EMS Superstars

Promethean Board Tips & Tricks | Growing playlist of quick instructional videos

EMS Tech Tools | Check out or recommended tools (scan QR code to save on your device!)

Need help planning a blended lesson? Do you need an extra hand while tackling a technified lesson with your students? Are you ready to add some technology to your classroom but don't know where to start? The #EMSTechsperts are here to support you! Contact your Campus IT today!

Follow the team:@emsisdits

Ricky: @rickygode | Scott: @scottboiles
Jeni: @jlo731 | Sallee: @salleeclark

Bob: @bobeikenberry | Jennifer: @jenniferprince

Jason: @lumberaggie | Emily: @EKillen817

Sasha: @SashaLBeavers | April: @DigitalDunning
Cindy: @tuckertech

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog for updates!

Email: its@ems-isd.net
Website: www.emsisd.com/its
Location: 1200 Old Decatur Road, Saginaw, TX, United States
Phone: 817.232.0880
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emsisdits
Twitter: @emsisdits