Newsela: An innovative way to build reading comprehension with nonfiction that's always relevant: daily news

Over my past 2 years here at DCDS, I have had conversations with some of you about Newsela:  a online library of current event articles.  Newsela became an instant favorite of mine when I was introduced to it many years ago at a training I attended.  The goal of Newsela is to improve reading comprehension in students 2nd through 12th grade using current events.   Newsela offers over 1,000 articles which are pulled from over forty different media publications (sources include papers like the Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Washington Post and the Associated Press).  One great feature of this site is that the articles can be adjusted to 5 different Lexile levels (reading levels), allowing all students to share in the same content regardless of their reading ability (or set the article to be in Spanish).  In addition, most articles have a comprehension quiz. to test the students comprehension.

Here are 5 easy ways to to use Newsela in the classroom (click the links to learn more):

1. Getting to Know Your Students
2. Creating Newsies
3. Predictions from Pictures
4. Compare and Contrast
5. Uncovering Unknown Words

Summer time bonus:  I also recently received an email regarding a reading club hosted this summer by Newsela called Camp Newsela.   Students can join Reading Clubs tailored to their interests. A team of educators at Newsela will host seven different classes and assign two articles per week for 10 weeks beginning on Monday, June 13 and ending Friday, August 19.  Click this link to learn more about Camp Newsela.

Newsela Website:  https://newsela.com/
Newsela Learning and Support:  http://support.newsela.com/hc/en-us

Create, Share, and Grade Reading Assignments Online Using ReadWorks Digital!

If you are not familiar with www.readworks.org,  it is an online resource that provides educators with research-based units, lessons, and authentic, leveled non-fiction and literacy passages free online for use in class.    Readworks.org has a "zillion" free reading passages in many subjects available for download and use.  Recently ReadWorks has added a new feature...ReadWorks Digital

ReadWorks Digital is a free platform allowing teachers to distribute ReadWork articles and assignments to students online.  Each article assigned has reading comprehension questions, vocabulary lists and discussion questions.  Once the articles are assigned through ReadWorks Digital, teachers can track students progress on assignments, see responses to questions, and grade those responses.

Below is a short video introduction to ReadWorks Digital:

2 New Features in Google Slides

There are 2 new features to Google slides.  Both features are accessible in the presentation mode enhancing the presentation experience of Google Slides:

• Laser Pointer: The new laser pointer feature overlays a red dot with a trailing line that can be controlled by touch (if your display allows for touch...SMART boards, tablets, etc) or with the trackpad or mouse.   Turn the laser pointer on or off using the presentation toolbar while in presentation mode:  

• Live Q&A session: This feature will allow presenters to start a live Q &A session with an audience during a presentation with Google Slides.  You can then present the questions at anytime and participants can ask questions from any device:

Google Slides-More Than Just Presentations

Many of us think of Google Slides as just an application for creating slideshow presentations. However, with its great design tools and collaboration features it can be used for more than just presentations (I provided a few examples below).  Within Google Slides, you have the ability to customize the page size (See video below:  select file>page setup>customize size),  opening up the possibility to create a variety of other documents...newsletters, books/magazines, infographics, bookmarks, etc.  Once the page size has been determined, add text boxes, shapes, images, and hyperlinks just as you would've a slide presentation.   Easily add new pages and move content around the page with little formatting required.  Having the ability to post the link allows you to instantly share your creations online.  

Here are a few examples/ideas for using Google Slides other than as a presentation tool:

• ONLINE NEWSLETTERS: Set the page size to 8.5 x 11 inches to make each slide the same size as a piece of paper.  Add your content (images, text boxes, shapes, etc) and post the shareable link.  Add new editions of the newsletters as the first slide.  This will allow the latest issue to be the first slide that is read, but allows for viewers to see previous posts in later slides. 
• COLLABORATIVE BOOKS/MAGEZINES:  Set the page size to 8.5 x 11 and add collaborators to the Google Slide.  Each collaborator will contribute to the book by adding their own slide(s)/page(s) to that one Google Slide presentation.  Post the link of the completed book to easily share online or print copies to distribute hard copies.  They will look great because of the page size you selected. 
• BOOKMARKS:  I have not tried this one yet, but the idea stemmed from a conversation I had with our librarians on a summer project they were working on regarding summer reading. Set the page size to the size you would want your bookmark (i.e-1"x 6").  Add your content (images, text boxes, shapes, etc) and post the shareable link.  Easily add a two sided bookmark by adding an additional slide.