Most major publishers require that digital formats of their titles be protected by digital rights management (DRM) when they’re distributed to readers. K12 Student Direct utilizes the industry standard, Adobe DRM, when protecting EPUBs and PDFs on behalf of publishers. We’ve compiled a list of applications which are compatible with DRM and outlined their features so that you can take full-advantage of using a non-proprietary format.
What’s one big objection to the reality crafted by the Harry Potter books? How about the fact that so many kids are so bored by learning magic? Putting ourselves in their place, it makes no sense. Wouldn’t anyone be thrilled to gain magical powers just by studying? Instead, there are pages of complaint and annoyance with the burden of school. Even magic-deprived Harry balks at the hours of research and practice assigned every day. But this is neither a flaw in J.K. Rowling’s characterizations, nor merely a convenient device to add relatability or to set studious Hermione apart. It’s a perceptive rendering of schoolkids and their education.We see kids that really should be excited to learn, and are reminded of that same truth about kids in the real world. Continue reading
Teachers are the ones interacting with the kids every day — those very individual, often vulnerable young people at the ideal center of a school’s focus. And not merely interacting with, but guiding, hearing, interpreting, counseling, correcting, encouraging, alloparenting, and instructing.
Teachers’ names and faces are the ones kids remember as they move through school and into their adult lives.
So if schools want to serve kids, let’s face it, what’s good for teachers is good for schools.
April is National Poetry Month, and poetry is a great tool for teaching English Language Learners.
As a form that intentionally slows down in order to explore language, poetry provides a context appropriate for many levels of readers to learn phonics, structure, and oral fluency. Also, blended language, especially Spanish and English, is a favorite device of many poets, offering ELLs familiar vocabulary and a different level of interest.
In the book list below, there are not only poetry collections, but also evocative novels in verse addressing the immigrant experience or culture relevant to ELLs.
Search for more poetry or nonfiction or textbooks at www.adamsbook.com. And, if you want more ELL resources, you should check out our ELL Pinterest board.
So far in our series on best practices to implement a digital curriculum, we have covered what to look for in the features of a digital product, and how to predict success based on the needs of the school community. In this wrap-up post coinciding with Digital Learning Day, we will emphasize the importance of establishing proper groundwork for a digital transition as well as communicating to help set the expectations of faculty, students, and parents.
Consider possible obstacles
Looking out for potential glitches before implementing a new program shouldn’t only apply to technology; schools should do the same analysis with their human assets: the community.
In our last post, we outlined the different types of eBooks that schools might be interested in, and how their variable access and compatibility standards need to be accounted for in order to ensure a successful implementation.
Now we are going to look at another aspect of planning a product adoption: prioritizing your objectives.
Since different products offer different strengths, this method will help you see where a product aligns with your expectations. Consider which of the following advantages is most important to your school:
A Tablet is Not a Computer
This is the most helpful premise to have when integrating a tablet into a classroom and one that often gets ignored. The purpose of a tablet is best thought of as a consumption and creation device, not a small computer. They are meant as a compliment to the computer, not a replacement. Seeking to make one’s tablet a computer may lead to frustration as well as discount the strengths of the tablet. Start by considering what the tablet can do and how it can compliment your curriculum to engender active learning. Read on for great classroom tablet tips
We’ve produced a reading tracker worksheet for students to use to document their daily readings and for teachers to track progress. This serves to hold students accountable for their reading and gives them a tool to share with peers.
We’ve also produced a tracker for teachers to use to evaluate student progress. It contains several rubrics with space to add your own.
Here’s our second FREE printable worksheet. It’s a goal sheet for middle and high school students to identify their academic goals and steps to reaching them.
The goal sheet asks students to:
Adams Book Company 