African Storybook website #4: Stories about the proverbial 'Hare'

Every couple of months SAIDE who administers the African Storybook project sends out an update. This is a recent update.  This is a crosspost of the post I wrote about the update on the SchoolNet blog. This website is worthy of being known by teachers everywhere.

These are lovely stories that are beautifully illustrated that you can use in your reading lessons.

“The hare is a popular and clever character who pops up in many traditional (and modern) stories. This month we showcase some of the tales we have on the website about the hare, and especially about the mean tricks he plays on other animals. (Although surely nothing is worse than the joke Rooster plays on Hare!) We hope you’ll be inspired to translate and share the stories, and also to add your own stories about the adventures of this character. Special thanks to Little Zebra Books for their donations and translations”. (Quoted from the African Storybook project newsflash August 5th)

	Story Title
	Hare and Elephant
	Hare and Hyena
	Friends become enemies  (Hare and Hyena again)
	Lion is sick (Hare and Lion)
	Animals dig a well  (Hare and all the other animals)
	Why hippos have no hair  (Hare and Hippo)
	Hare and Tortoise (Again!)
	Rooster and Hare

I love Google #37

Every week I like to keep a record of what educators and others are posting with regard to Google.  Here are 15 from this week.

Great Google posts this week #37

View more lists from Fiona Beal

Steps to getting started with the amazing Google Classroom!

In my ICT technology position at the school where I teach I absolutely LOVE using Google Classroom.  This application improves on a regular basis. At the beginning of 2015 our school moved to Google Apps. This was a brilliant move, I have to say! Only accounts that are associated with Google Apps for Education are able to utilize Google Classroom and I wouldn't want to be without this application. 

Let me tell you about how I got started with adding my first class.

1. Log in
Assuming you are a GAFE (Google Apps for Education) and you are logged in to your account go to http://classroom.google.com to start your login and setup process.

2. Get started
Click on the + sign of the opening page of classroom

3. Create a class
You’ll be prompted to create a class. It’s a simple as that

4. Choose a theme
Once in you’ll land on a preset theme as the header of your classroom with an option to choose another theme or pattern from the Gallery – you can even upload your own photo for the theme.

 

If you have uploaded a photo of yourself to your Google account it will appear here f you select a pattern.

5. Invite your students to join Classroom

6. Complete your 'About' page
It also has a link to the Google Drive folder that is automatically created for each course to house resources.

7. Add your students
You can either give them the code that has automatically been generated to join with or you can invite them by email. If selecting the code option which is more suitable for bigger classes the students would just need to go to http://classroom.google.com and sign in, then click the ‘+’ icon and click Join Class.

8. Add an announcement
Go back to your stream and either add an announcement or an assignment.

If selecting an assignment you can upload an attachment, insert a Google Drive document, add a video from YouTube or insert a link.  Once yiu have completed your information click on POST.

You will see your announcement as your class sees it.

9. Add an assignment
If you are adding an assignment click on ‘Add an assignment’ and follow the links. Fill in all the required details and even watch the tour if this is your first time round! The tour takes you into the process step-by-step.

10. Review what you have just learned
To watch a video on this process take a look at Amy Mayer’s video entitled ‘Getting Started with Google Classroom’ found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIfXzJMLsMQ



If your school is using Google Apps, you MUST try using Google Classroom.  Make it your ressolution to get started with Google Classroom in 2016

African storybook website #2: Translated African folktales

Every couple of months SAIDE who administers the African Storybook project sends out an update. This is a recent update.  This is a crosspost of the post I wrote about the update on the SchoolNet blog. This project is worthy of being known by teachers everywhere.

The African Storybook Project is a wonderful Literacy website with a wide range of stories from Grades 1-3 learners in a multitude of African languages. Visit www.africanstorybook.org to see the amazing spread. The stories and folktales have beautiful illustrations, can be read online or they can be downloaded as PDFs and made into hand-held books. Best is that the African Storybook Project is OER and uses Creative Commons licensing which enables the books to be adapted if so desired.
In their latest newsflash the African Storybook Project highlights some of their most translated folktales. Folktales are one of the oldest genres of stories, and they usually have an important life lesson to teach us.

	Girl who got rich
	Why hippos have no hair
	Anansi and Turtle
	King of the birds
	Khayanga and her gourd
	How night came to Opio's village
	Nonkungu and the imbulu
	Demane and Demazane
	Mulongo and the hyenas
	Children of wax

I love Google #36

Every week I like to keep a record of what educators and others are posting with regard to Google. Here are 13 from this week.

Great Google posts this week #36

View more lists from Fiona Beal

African Storybook project #3: 91 books have been translated into French

Every couple of months SAIDE who administers the African Storybook project sends out an update. This is a recent update.  This is a crosspost of the post I wrote about the update on the SchoolNet blog. This project is worthy of being known by teachers everywhere.

The African Storybook Project is one of the most amazing Literacy websites with its wide range of stories from Grades 1-3 learners in a multitude of African languages. These stories found at www.african storybook.org each with beautiful illustrations, can be read online or they can be downloaded as PDFs and made into books. They use the Creative Commons licensing which enables the books to be free to use and adapt if so desired.

This month the African Storybook project is celebrating its French translations! Ninety-one ASP storybooks have been translated into this important language of wider communication in Africa, and they'll be adding more soon. They give particular thanks to Translators without Borders volunteers for contributing most of these translations.

Here is a small selection of the African Storybook Project’s French storybooks.

	Kalabushe, the talkative Kalabushe, la bavarde
	Monkey and the hunter's wife Maman Singe et la femme du chasseur
	Counting animals Compter les animaux
	Girl called Norah La fille du nom de Norah
	Crushed louse Le pou écrasé
	Jaaka the fisherman Jaaka le pêcheur
	Goat, Dog and Cow La chèvre, le chien et la vache
	Pam-Pam bird L’oiseau Pam-Pam
	Rabbit under the tree Le lapin sous un arbre

 
 
 

I love Google #35

Every week I like to keep a record of what educators and others are posting with regard to Google.  Here are 12 from this week.

Great Google posts this week #35

View more lists from Fiona Beal

Google Slides #2: Insert a video

If you are making a presentation using Google Slides, you will sometimes want to add a video. Currently on Google slides there is no way to insert a video stored directly on your computer. You will need to host your video on YouTube or use another YouTube video. 

Inserting a video that is not hosted on YouTube
If you wanted to use a video that is not on YouTube you could host it elsewhere or upload your video to Google Drive and share it to anyone with the link can view . The Google Slides user help Guide indicates that Slides only take YouTube videos but can link to other videos. On the Google Docs Help forum someone offers this work around to linking another online video:
Here is the work around. 

1. Save your video to your Google drive

2. Click share on the video and copy the url link

3. Then in Slides; click Insert then Link...

4. Name your video (this will be displayed on your slide)

5. Paste the link.This will allow you to easily get to your video. 

Inserting a video that is hosted on YouTube
This post shows how to insert a YouTube video to a slide.

1. Open your presentation and click on the Insert/Video link on your Google Slides menu.
The video insert link appears on your slide. Add your YouTube video URL and click on search

YouTube immediately locates the video and adds it to the slide

2. Click on the video  thumbnail and choose select if it is the correct video.

Your video is embedded and can now be enlarged to fit to the page.  Once your video is embedded you can publish your presentation to the web and whoever views it will be able to view the video as well.

.
It is so quick and easy!

Quick video tutorial
Here is a short 1 minute YouTube video from PMS Ross showing this process