Libby, by OverDrive

Do you enjoy reading, but lack the time to sit down with a good book? Are you interested in trying an audio or ebook? I have just the app for you. Introducing, Libby! A free app and service provided by OverDrive which connects directly to your local library's entire database of audiobooks and ebooks! I know, it sounds too good to be true. Worry not, I have tried it, and it is just as exciting as it seems!

My experience with Libby began over a year ago. I was looking for something other than music to listen to during morning treadmill workouts.  I downloaded a digital copy of Dave Grohl's book The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music.  Total plug here, but if you're a fan of music, I totally recommend listening to this audiobook.  Okay, plug over.  Back to your regularly scheduled content.

Fact: Libby makes borrowing online content fun!  Its interface is beautiful and the simplicity of its design makes navigating the app a breeze.  Plus, it's free!  If you are anything like me and find yourself lacking the time to read as often as you’d like, the ability to borrow audiobooks comes in handy! You can listen anywhere you’d like, on a bike, train, morning commute, here, there… well actually anywhere!

With all this excitement, it is important to remember there are cons to everything.  In this case it comes in the form of content caps. This means, the amount of content on the app is based on the digital catalog provided by the library to which you belong.  To combat this, you can sign up for library cards for other libraries as well! That you aren’t stuck in one content pool, which affords access to a far larger catalog. With greater access coomes the downside of greater number of users jockeying for content.  Which isn’t as bad as it sounds, all it means is that you may have to put a hold on a book and wait a week or two.  For me, that is no serious inconvenience.  However, if it is for you, Libby may not be the right answer.

If you're still interested in Libby, the process to get started is simple enough.  Just bust out your library card and sign up!  If you don't have a library card, no worries, it's easy to procure one now-a-days.  In fact, I'll even walk you through the process to apply for a digital library card from the local Youngstown and Mahoning County libraries! Just see the link below, and off you go!  The video will also give you a bit of a preview of what to expect from the app. So don't be shy, have a watch!

 I use an iPad for this tutorial video, but the process is extremely similar on iPhones, Androids, and/or tablets. If you encounter any issues, please reach out.  I'd be more than happy to assist!

Some potentially useful Links:

Libby, by OverDrive (Google Play Store link)

Libby, by OverDrive (App Store link)

The Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County

The New York Times Best Sellers

Authored by Matt Garcher

 

 Tech in the YO 2022 Conference
Spotlight

YCSD Teachers made all the difference at Tech in the YO 2022. On August 4, 2022, fifteen of our fantastic YCSD teachers presented one or more sessions at Tech in the YO 2022. Their sessions were extremely popular! For instance, when asked what attendees enjoyed most about the conference, they said: 

• "Having colleagues and teachers from our district present to staff"
• "Being able to see the strengths of our staff and their enthusiasm with sharing"
• "I enjoy the sessions where it is other teachers showing a skill or a piece of technology that they have found and use"

In case you missed seeing their awesome sessions, they are linked below.

Session Title	Presenter	Description	Recording	Materials	Info
How to get the most out of a Google Form!	Joshua Harris	In my session I would offer an away for the attendees to scaffold their exit slip data by using adaptive google forms. Where the exit slip will change based on how well the students are doing on the exit slip. This allows the exit slip data to not just show the teachers if the scholars have mastered a skill or not, but to what degree they have and what scaffolds a scholar will need to be successful.	RECORDING	Presentation	TEMPLATES
McGraw Hill Online Platform	Corissa Freeman	For this session we will dive into the online McGraw hill platform resources, power points, lesson plan materials and ready made assessments.	RECORDING	Materials
McGraw Hill Learn Smart	Corissa Freeman	During this session we will delve into the learn smart program for asynchronous learning, chapter correlation and reports.	RECORDING	Materials
McGraw Hill Digital Assessment Creator	Corissa Freeman	In this session we will delve into creating digital assessments for students using the McGraw Hill Platform.	NO RECORDING	Materials
Virtual Tours with Google Earth	Tina Felger	With Google Earth's Project tool you can make a 3D geographic tour of a story, historical event, interesting locations or any concept you are exploring in class, including text, images, videos, links and more. Learn how you and your students can create, collaborate and share virtual educational tours!	RECORDING	Agenda	RESOURCES
The PEARFECT Pair: Pairing PEAR DECK in Your Digital Instruction	Tracy Pinter	This session will show you how to use Pear Deck in your digital instruction to increase student engagement and gather useful formative data.	RECORDING	Presentation
Going (More) Paperless in the Math Classroom: Utilizing and Creating Digital Tools and Activities	Tracy Pinter	Learn how to go paperless in your Math class by using digital tools and creating digital activities.	RECORDING	Presentation
Creating an Activity Form to Track Your PD	Madonna Barwick & Tracy Pinter	The YCSD LPDC presents the newest and simplest format to maintain your participation in professional development courses, workshops, webinars and college/university courses.	RECORDING	RESOURCES
LPDC- "Do You have an IPDP? Are You Ready to Renew Your License?"	Madonna Barwick & Tracy Pinter	The YCSD LPDC- Local Professional Development Committee- will review the license renewal process with anyone whose Educational License will be expiring in June 2023, along with writing a new IPDP- Individual Professional Development Plan- using the District's PDExpress Program.	RECORDING	Presentation
Free Reading Resources	Kimberly Griffiths	Do you need some supplemental reading resources with comprehension that can also meet a variety of needs? In this session, you will learn about EPIC! and Readworks.org and how you can use their texts in your class.	RECORDING	Presentation
Interactive Lessons Using Google Slides	Kimberly Griffiths	Tired of printing and copying papers for classwork? Want to make interactive lessons and activities? In this session, you will learn how to take your paper activity and turn it into a digital activity using Google Slides.	NO RECORDING	Presentation
Extensions and Sites for an Easier Teaching Life	Kimberly Griffiths	In this session, you will learn about some extensions and sites that can help make teaching easier. Some include how to make your own poster, small pdf, Insert Learning, Classroomscreen, and more!	RECORDING	Presentation
EduProtocols: Thin Slides and Smart Frayers for Vocabulary Development	Mary Ramhoff	I will be demonstrating how to use the EduProtocol This Slides to introduce new vocabulary. Attendees will learn how to assign the vocabulary and slides and will practice creating a Thin Slide to introduce a vocabulary word including the word and image on the slide. Speaker's notes will be used to give more information during the class presentation. I will also present the Smart Frayer EduProtocol model for vocabulary development. Attendees will participate in creating a Smart Frayer to develop new vocabulary terms. Templates will be shared as well as the slide deck from the participants.	RECORDING	Thin Slides Smart Frayer Resources
Navigating SameGoal (formerly IEP Anywhere)	Delilah Williams & Nicole Cusick	Have you been informed that it's your responsibility to use SameGoal (formerly IEP Anywhere) to find important documents for students with an IEP but aren't sure how? Well, join this overview session where we will assist you with logging on, locating your students' information, deciphering which forms provide the information you seek, learning how to sign documents during a meeting, and much more.	RECORDING	Presentation
CK-12 Interactive Digital Notebooks	Traci Cain & Chris Paloski	CK-12 offers customizable, digital textbooks with interactive content for scholars and teachers (flexbooks). Master math & science concepts through regular, personalized practice questions (adaptive practice). Discover new ways of learning Physics and Chemistry with real-world lab simulations. Play, Learn, Interact & eXplore math & science concepts (PLIX). Quickly review concepts with key information (study guides). Organize your scholars in a digital classroom and access an intelligent gradebook that easily displays patterns (automatic grading & reporting). Easily integrates with Google Classroom and Clever.	RECORDING	Presentation
Video Collage: 21st Century Communication Skills	Anna Ragghanti- Crowe	The participants will learn how to create a video collage with students. Participants will be given an assignment format. The concept of the lesson will be explained because Bloom's Taxonomy and Gardner's Multiple Intelligences as well as 21st Century communication skills are embedded in the assignment. Next, participants will learn how to create a video collage. This can be done on one's phone or an iPad. One of the issues with the assignment is that one needs access to video clips. I have found a way around this by downloading specific clips to Google classroom from Pexels (stock pictures and video clips). Finally, participants will share their results. The whole demonstration will be interactive.	RECORDING	Presentation
Simplify Your Life with Rubrics in Google Classroom	Rachael Ayers	Learn how to create and use rubrics to simplify grading in Google Classroom	RECORDING	Presentation
Choice Boards & HyperDocs	Kristen Jaros	What are Choice Boards? Why should you use them? How can you incorporate them into your lessons? What are some things that you can do using technology? Students getting a choice in their education is part of the OTES rubric. Choice Boards/HyperDocs give you some flexibility and help to give the students a choice as to what they want to do. We will explore what Choice Boards are. We will also go over how to incorporate them into your lessons as classwork or assessments. In addition, I will also give websites about premade Choice Boards/HyperDocs and show you how to make your own. Finally, I will then go over how they can be used for a student’s ownership of their education and choice.	RECORDING	Presentation
YCSD Esports for Middle and High Schools	Chuck Stark	In our session we will give intro info about Esports to staff that would like to learn more about it. Then we will discuss how our first season went and highlight many of the positive things that took place. Finally, we will talk about the plan moving forward and how others can get involved.	RECORDING	Presentation

FREE Summer PD

 Looking for free summer PD?

JUNE:

• June 9, 2022: The Ohio Academy of Science Educate, Innovate, Inspire Summer PD (in person, choose location) REGISTER HERE by June 6th
• June 2022: Really Great Reading Science of Reading Virtual Workshop for Emerging (PK-1) or Developing (1-12) Readers View Dates & REGISTER HERE
• June 2022: CodeHS- check registration link for dates/sessions (virtual or get the recording emailed to you) REGISTER HERE 
• June 27- July 1, 2022: Smithsonian Summer Sessions for Teachers: Inspiring Civic Engagement (virtual 11:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EDT daily) REGISTER HERE

JULY:

• July 2022: CodeHS- check the registration link for dates/sessions (virtual or get the recording emailed to you) REGISTER HERE 
• July 2022: Really Great Reading Science of Reading Virtual Workshop for Emerging (PK-1) or Developing (1-12) Readers View Dates & REGISTER HERE
• July 11, 2022: BrainPOP Certified Educator (virtual) REGISTER HERE by July 7th
• July 26-28, 2022: Nearpod Camp Engage (virtual or get the recordings emailed to you) REGISTER HERE

AUGUST:

• August 4, 2022: YCSD 5th Annual Tech in the YO Virtual Conference (virtual 8:00-4:00 p.m.) Participation in Tech in the YO will fulfill YCSD attendance requirement for NEOEA Day) REGISTER HERE (Limited to YCSD staff only)
• August 5, 2022: SPARCC EdTech Conference (Virtual 8:00-3:30 p.m.) REGISTER HERE

ANY TIME (On-Demand PD):

• Matt Miller, of Ditch that Textbook's, Free PD Courses:
• Remote Learning 101 is a FREE self-paced online course with lots of tips, ideas, resources, and downloadable content to help YOU think through remote learning. Get your certificate for 3 PD hours!  REGISTER HERE
• How to use Google Classroom is a FREE self-paced online course. This FREE course walks you through the basics PLUS gives you tips and tricks! Get your certificate for 1 PD hour! REGISTER HERE
• Creating a Playful Classroom is a FREE self-paced online course. Our classrooms must be meaningful, relevant, and fun. The Playful Classroom shows readers how to reconnect with students, parents, and your profession. In this mini-course, join The Playful Classroom co-author Jed Dearybury as he takes you through some of the best take-aways from the book. Get your certificate for 1 PD hour! REGISTER HERE
• Ditch that Textbook's Awesome Teacher Summer PD Choice Board
• Google Certification Level 1 (click on For New Learners) NOTE: Training is free, but the certification test costs $10
• Google Certification Level 2 (click on For Advanced Learners) NOTE: Training is free, but the certification test costs $25
• Apple Teacher Certification
• Smithsonian X: Free online courses from The Smithsonian Institution
• INFOhio Learning Pathways (virtual)
• Ohio Department of Education Learning Management System (online learning system)