How We Organize Ourselves

March/April 2020

Important Dates:

March 2 -6 3-5 Science CBA 3 Window
March 9-13 3-4 Reading CBA 2 Window
March 11 K-1 Math CBA 2 Window Closes
March 11 5th Science District PLC AM
March 11 3rd Science District PLC PM
March 12 4th Science District PLC AM
March 13 3-5 Science Perf. Task Exemplars Due
March 26 3rd LA District PLC AM
March 26 4th LA District PLC PM
April 7 5th Grade STAAR Math
April 7 4th Grade STAAR Writing
April 8 5th Grade STAAR Reading
April 15-24 2nd Math CBA3 Window
April 22-24 Opt.3rd Science CBA4 Window

Other Dates:

April 10 Holiday
April 13 Bad Weather Make Up Day

Looking Ahead:

May 1-15 K-5 ISIP Window
May 12 3rd & 4th Grade Math STAAR
May 12-13 5th Grade STAAR Retest
May 13 3rd & 4th Grade Reading STAAR
May 14 5th Grade Science STAAR
May 18-22 3-5 Science CBA 4 (Optional)

Other Dates:

May 29 Early Release/Last Day of School

March 2nd-31 st

3-5 Bright Bytes Survey

More information coming!

Math Learning Center Apps

Free To use Application from the Math Learning Center (Website)

Different Formats are available. (Desktop, Chrome Store, App for ipad)
Students can also add many of these Apps to their LaunchPad/ClassLink!

Create and Share a Lesson!

Did you know that you can create lessons/activities and share them with students using a share code?

Try it Out!

Open the Number Pieces Application and click the key on the lower right side of the page. Enter this code:

Accessibility Features on a Chromebook

Did you know that a Chromebook comes with several useful built-in accessibility features? Check out some of these accessibility features! Knowing these may also help you turn the features off when a student accidentally turns them on!

Highlight the Mouse Cursor When Moving

Colored circles can highlight the mouse cursor when it’s moving on the screen. To enable this, click the snowman (three dots) > Settings > Advanced > Manage Accessibility Features > Highlight the Mouse Cursor When It’s Moving.

Hear Text Read Aloud

When your students want to hear certain words or passages, all they have to do is highlight what they want to hear and then press Search+S once Hear Text Read Aloud is enabled. To enable this, click the snowman (three dots) > Settings > Advanced > Manage Accessibility Features > Enable Select-to-Speak. Once enabled, you will also notice a small speaker icon appear in the status tray. Students can click the speaker icon to select text that they want to hear.

(For PDFs, have students save the file to their "File Folder", when they open the PDF from their files, it will read highlighted text!)

Enable Dictation

It might be easier for students to speak into any text field instead of typing. To enable dictation, click the snowman (three dots) > Settings > Advanced > Manage Accessibility Features > Enable Dictation. Once enabled, you will notice a microphone icon appear in the status tray. Students can then place their cursor in a text field, click the microphone icon, and begin speaking. Pressing Search + D will also enable the microphone.

Chromebooks help extend and expand student learning experiences, including those with disabilities and diverse approaches to learning.

Increase the Size of the Browser Content

Press Ctrl + Plus (+) to increase the size of the browser content. Ctrl + Minus (-) will decrease the size and Ctrl + 0 will reset it. The rest of the desktop will be unaffected. (This is great when you want to highlight a particular section of a website or even for those of us with “older eyes.”)

Increase the Size of All Items

Press Ctrl+Shift+Plus (+) to increase the size of the browser content. Note that the status tray and tab strip enlarge, too. Ctrl+Shift+Minus (-) will decrease the size.

Turn on the Built-In Full-Screen Magnifier

To turn on the magnifier, click the snowman (three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the Chrome browser) > Settings > Advanced > Manage Accessibility Features (under Accessibility category) > Enable Screen Magnifier. Pressing Ctrl + Search + M will also get the magnifier to appear. To adjust the magnifier, hold Ctrl+Alt and scroll two fingers on the touch pad.

Use High Contrast Mode

To make the screen a little bit easier to see, use High Contrast Mode which inverts all colors. To enable this, click the snowman (three dots) > Settings > Advanced > Manage Accessibility Features > Use High Contrast Mode. Pressing Ctrl + Search + H will also toggle the contrast on and off.

Adjust Mouse Cursor

Some students may prefer a larger mouse cursor. To enable this, click the snowman (three dots) > Settings > Advanced > Manage Accessibility Features > Show Large Mouse Cursor.

Use the ChromeVox Screen Reader

The built-in ChromeVox screen reader makes everything accessible using synthesized speech. Press Ctrl+Alt+Z to enable or disable it at any time.

Leander ISD Student Site

If you haven't taken a look at the Leander ISD Student Site lately, please take a few minutes to see what links your grade level now has to offer!

There have been several great changes!

For Example, Science has included videos from the EUS for students to access which will come in handy!

Students can access the Student Site at home or school by going to the Leander ISD Website and clicking on the "Student" Button.

Students will see the following Links:

Student Site (opens in a new window)
Student Advocate Portal
Launchpad (remember students will be able to access Imagine Math, iStation, Studies Weekly, maps 101, Dreambox, etc...)