Creating an Online Instructional Calendar

Online calendars can be powerful tools for teachers. They can be used to post assignments, remind students and parents of upcoming tests.They can also be used to provide attachments for review, study, or simply the day's assignment. Parents can stay in touch with what is happening in the classroom while supporting the teacher's efforts by ensuring that their children stay up to date.

They can be used as online agendas for the school year. Always available, always accessible, no excuses!

Log into SchoolCenter

You can access your log-in by following these steps:

     1. Go to the Judson ISD Website
     2. Click the button for Teachers
     3. Click on SchoolCenter
     4. Enter your user name and password
     5. Once in, click Edit Website
Adding a Calendar Page

     1. Locate the navigation pane on the left side of your website
     2. At the bottom of the navigation buttons click on Add a Page
     3. In the window that appears choose the Classroom Calendar style page
     4. Then click Add Page
     5. In the General Tab click in the field next to Title
     6. Type the name of your button (For example: Instructional Calendar or something similar)
     7. Next find Trim Color click the arrow at the end of the field and choose Home Page Box Colors
     8. On the line below you will find Use Background Colors choose Yes (Both 7 & 8 will ensure that your calendar
         matches the colors on your website)
     9. Now click on the Details Tab at the top of the window
   10. Enable Allow public to subscribe to this page by clicking on the box next to it (this will notify subscribers of any changes
         or additions to the page through email)
   11. Now click Done

Using the SchoolCenter Tutorials Support

     1. NOTE: You must be logged into SchoolCenter to use the Support section of the site.
     2. Find the Support link in the upper right hand corner near the Logout link.
     3. Since you are working on a Calendar page it automatically directs you to the tutorials dealing with the Calendar
     4. SchoolCenter offers video tutorials or written tutorials
     5. There is also Live Chat for those questions the tutorials are unable to answer

Adding Events

     1. The types of events you will need to enter are Assignments Due Dates, Test Dates, important "Do Not Miss Classes" and any
         other information that might be valuable to students/parents
     2. You will also want to attach any documents needed to complete assignments properly. (This way students will have no excuse
         for losing needed materials, they can simply download a new one if needed)
     3. You can also add the Concepts that you will be covering according to your Scope and Sequence during the school year. (Just
         make sure if there are any adjustments made that it is also reflected on your calendar)
     4. This particular calendar should only reflect instructional concepts so that students/parents are quite clear about its purpose.

Your Task is to begin building your calendar with your scope and sequence in mind and any lessons that you know you will be using next year. (Most likely those at the beginning of the year. You can also add any important test dates (Benchmarks, TAKS, etc.)

Adding A Link To Your Web Page

A link is a reference or navigation element in a document to another section of the same document, or a specified section of another document, that automatically brings the referred information to the user when the navigation element is selected by the user. As such, it is similar to a citation in literature, but with the distinction of automatic instant access.

Adding a Link in Advanced Content Editor.

  ·  You can add a hyperlink for a web page or email to your text or image.
  ·  Highlight the text or image and then click on the Insert/Edit Link icon.
  ·  The Insert/Edit Link window will open.
  ·  Enter a website address. Remember to start your URL (website address) with http://.
  ·  Use the drop-down box to choose whether the link website opens in a new windowsor on in the same window.
  ·  Enter a Title for the Link. When a view puts their cursor over the active link in your webpage, a small box will open describing that link.
  ·  You also have the option to Cancel at anytime by clicking on the Cancel button.
  ·  Click on the Insert button to insert the Link.

Reading This month, our children will be focusing on TEK 4.12: Recognizing and analyzing plot, setting and problem resolution. This first week, our class is focusing on setting. Setting is usually defined as where and when a story takes place. But in 4th grade, they will not only identify the time and place of a story, but will be expected to explain and understand how it contributes to the meaning of the story. For example, if a story takes place in a forested area, the reader would need to be able to explain how the story is affected by the forest and how (and if) it might change if the story took place in a different environment. Once the students have learned about setting this week, look for questions about setting in their homework center next week.

Language Arts Language Arts is divided into two main components: editing and composition. This week and for the next couple of weeks in editing, we will be focusing on TEK 4.16, capitalization, punctuation and penmanship. In particular this week, the use of commas. There are nine times when commas are used in the English language. 1.) To separate items in a list, 2.) to separate city and state, 3.) to separate date and year, 4.) after the salutation of a letter, 5.) the closing of a letter, 6.) to separate two complete sentences connected by a conjunction, 7.) to separate a quote from the rest of the sentence, 8.) after directly addressing a specific person in a sentence, and 9.) when using an appositive (Mrs. Rubert, a teacher at Desertaire Elementary, had very high standards for her children). Spelling skill for this week: "i before e except after c" and "ei" making the long a sound. Words: receipt, believe, conceit, siege, neighbor, reign. In composition, we are studying TEK 4.15C, using language to describe (figurative language). In particular this week, we are learning about similes. When a person uses a simile, they compare two unlike things using the words "like" or "as". For example, your child might be described as being "as sweet as honey". During this week and into next week, our children will be exploring the effectiveness of the similes they choose. Our children learn not to "force" similes into their work, but to have them flow smoothly into the language where it contributes to the overall meaning they are trying to convey.

Math This week, we have been studying number concepts, TEK 4.1, using place value to read, write, compare and order whole numbers through the millions place. In particular this week, our children will be expected to place 7 digit whole numbers into ascending and descending order. Our children will be given a list of four numbers that they will have to put in order, greatest to least and vice versa using a place value chart.

Science TEK 4.1A, demonstrating safe practices during field and laboratory investigations is our focus for this week. We will begin by identifying scientific tools, such as graduated cylinders, goggles, thermometers, etc. and how to safely handle them. Ask your child for their list of tools (a page with pictures of tools and their use), or see the "You gotta have this" section of this web page for an uploaded version that you can keep for yourself.