Category: Literably

Literably App

8/11/2014

It is the best day, people! Literably is now an APP for the iPad!!! Remember when I wrote about Literably before? It's a site that allows you to assign your students reading passages for their lexile level. Then the students read the passage aloud and the computer will grade their reading and show you, the teacher, where they made mistakes and if they self-corrected. This is something the students can also see and something you can show to parents. It is cool stuff. However, before one would have needed a microphone attached to the computer. Now with the app, it will be much easier for us to do this at school, assuming each student will be able to find a quite place. :-)

Literably has also made some improvements--there are now pictures that go with the story and comprehension questions that follow. Yet to see the results, the teacher will have to use the original website. The app is for students and the website is for the teacher because that is where you can see the student's reading accuracy and speed and the reading comprehension question scores. That is the part that has not changed.

If you haven't used Literably before, now is the time to try it. I encourage all elementary and middle school teachers to try it. Our students are spectacular readers, so this would be one way for them to see their improvement and share that with parents. Check it out for yourself!

Cheers,
Lesley

0 Comments

Reflections

8/6/2014

0 Comments

Hello, everyone! I hope you've had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Yet as the new school year is knocking on our door, I thought I would reflect upon some of my favorite tools from the past school year. Feel free to share your own as well, so we can try it out and see if we like it, too. :-)

1) TeacherKit: I really like this app because it allowed me to keep my own notes about students. I wish I would have specified attendance (i.e., excused vs. unexcused absences) since Edline won't show us that, but what I used it for most was student notes. I know exactly how many tardies each student has and I kept important notes about behavior (as in, if someone was using their cell phone or other device inappropriately) and attitude. I feel like it really helped me keep track of the important stuff and notice student issues before they became problems. These notes also came in handy during parent meetings, so if you haven't tried TeacherKit, this should be the year to do so.

2) Evernote: I'm sure many of you already use this, but I love Evernote! I kept all of my notes from department meetings, staff meetings, and any kind of professional development we had along with other personal notes. I love the fact that you can have different notebooks, you can add tags, and it's very easy to use. Plus it can be used on a computer, too, so your notes are accessible whenever you need them. If you're not already using Evernote, this is the year to do it and encourage your students to as well.

3) Swipespeare: Now this is perhaps more English specific, but I have to share it. Swipespeare is great because if you're studying Shakespeare, students can get overwhelmed. Enter Swipespeare, the app that lets you move from Shakespeare's original words to modern language with the swipe of a finger. Not all plays are available for free, but it would be worth the investment. Many students thought Swipespeare was a lifesaver as they adjusted to Shakespeare's Early Modern English.

4) Literably: This is the website I mentioned before, but I am happy to report that their app is in beta testing! Once it's available for the iPad, I will be sure to ask Technology to download the app on the school's iPads. Meanwhile, you can still use the website to help you see how your students read orally. It will automatically grade them and it will be a file you can use to share with students and parents alike. It's meant for younger students, but I think it's still an acceptable exercise for middle schoolers, especially since our students are ELL. If you'd like to read more about Literably or see a tutorial, visit my previous blog about it: http://ipads4cat.weebly.com/lesleys-blog/literably

Well, that's all I have to share for now. What worked for you last year? What apps or websites should all teachers be trying out this year? Leave a comment and let us know.

Cheers,
Lesley

0 Comments

Literably

11/30/2013

2 Comments

This past week I learned about a resource called Literably. This would be a great tool to use to assess a student's ability to read aloud. Below is a video that explains how it can be used:

Now this website is very easy to use. All you have to do is set up your teacher account, add your students, set their reading level (this is a great way to use those MAP scores!), and then you can send your students to the Literably page and tell them to log in as a student. Then they use your username to enter (no password necessary!) and they find their name. I'm unsure if I will use this with all my students since the highest reading level is 1200 (8th grade), but I do think it would be a good tool to use for some students to hear themselves reading. Often times there are students who lack expression or struggle with pronunciation so this would be a great tool to help them (and you) find those trouble areas. If you're looking for another resources to boost literacy levels, Literably may be the one for you. Check it out and let me know what you think of it. If I end up using it, I'll let you know how it goes for me.
Cheers,
Lesley

2 Comments

Literably App

Reflections

Literably

About the Author

Archives

Categories