1. “Front Loading” for Success with the ORC’s Visual Thesaurus
Jamie Davis, ORC Coordinator
EPSB EdTech Community of Practise
January 19, 2016

2. What is the ORC?
$1.7 million collection of curricular aligned authoritative digital resources licensed on behalf of all Alberta:
K-12 students and their parents
School staff
Pre-service teachers
Public library staff*
Funded by a yearly Grant-In-Aid from Alberta Education to the Alberta Library (TAL)
*for the purposes of supporting K-12 patrons

3. Why These Resources?
Provide authoritative, age appropriate, engaging, curricular-aligned content
Google and Wikipedia are the tip of the searching and information literacy iceberg
allow students to become familiar and comfortable with the kind of resources and searching practises that are integral to 21st century learning
Are time savers once you are familiar with them
include embedded supports for diverse learners like listen, text translation, citation tools, vetted websites, copyright friendly pictures and videos
Provide anytime, from anywhere with an internet connection access

4. What’s in it for Teachers?
Direct curriculum correlations, curriculum mapping for Science and Social (under completion)
Support for diverse learners
Access to journals like Walrus, National Geographic, School Library Journal, Men’s Health, and MacLean’s (RSS feeds can be set up)
Consistent and explicit update schedules
Access to vetted websites
Ability to create permalinks that can be posted on a website/moodle page.blog or sent in an blast

5. Accessing the ORC Go to LearnAlberta.ca Select English and French
Click “Online Reference Centre” in the tab along the top of the screen
In school automatic authentication should occur
Outside of school access requires username and password
EPSB Username: LA13 Password: 9418
Share your district username and password (low tech methods)
for your remote username/password

6. A Little About Front Loading

7. What is Front Loading?
Activities that prepare and support students in understanding new content or concepts.
Activities that provide a framework of support allowing students to use new vocabulary and strategies throughout the following reading activity.
Front loading activities can take different forms:
Activate knowledge that students already possess that they will need for the reading.
Build knowledge they do not already possess but will need.

8. Visual Thesaurus

9. Visual Thesaurus Recommended for grade 3-12
Six languages including English, French, Spanish and German
Correct word pronunciation in human voice for every word
Images related to words with right-click (images are google images and not vetted)
Word of the day/week/month
Personal word lists and spelling bees with an account*
Vocabgrabber with an account
* to get steps for setting up personal account
Creating an account a new feature – will not do today but have included steps
Homepage:
1) Word of the day, week or month sign up top right hand side
2) Featured word lists just below word of the day
3) General article top left hand side
4) Spelling Bee and Vocabgrabber found in the centre of the homepage
Educators tab along the top grey links bar
1) Educator article changes monthly, found in top left hand side of Educators page
2) Search lesson plans (be aware there is US Content)
3) PD videos found on the lower right hand side
1. Great for introducing resource to staff members
2. Great for reminding yourself how to do something
3. Instructions for creating word lists/spelling bees included 4) Spelling Bee and Vaocabgrabber found in the centre of the Educator’s pages
Search pleasant
Settings along the top in grey
Adjust for SMART Board
Identify word relationships to target
Add in other languages
2) Right click on any word to hear it pronounced or to pull up images
3) Words sorted by verbs, adjectives, etc. (along the right hand side of the screen)
1. Can turn on/off verbs, adverbs, etc.
2. Coloured circles for each of the words tells you what kind of word
3. Can focus on a specific definition (found along the right hand side)
4. Click on a word to find words related to that specific word
4) Can browse history (top left side of the screen)
5) Print/Share options along the top of the screen

10. Steps for Setting up a Personal Visual Thesaurus Account

11. Classroom Accounts
Set up an account for each class with a classroom gmail account i.e.
Why?
A generic account will allow the entire class to access the same word lists and/or spelling bees without having to share your personal address
A generic classroom account will allow students to create their own word lists and spelling bees in small groups, etc.
A generic address also means that the word lists or spelling bees do not have to be shared publicly ensuring comments are from the your class only

15. Using the Vocabgrabber Feature

16. Steps to Creating a Word List using VocabGrabber
Login to your Visual Thesaurus account
Click on “Vocabgrabber” from the centre of the homage
Find an excerpt of digital text from which you will take key vocabulary words
Copy and paste the text into the vocabgrabber window
Click on “Grab Vocabulary”
Features to help with sorting the words:
Sort by Subjects or Relevance (A-Z, Occurrences, or Familiarity)
View word list in wordle, list or gallery format
Add title and save word list
Select “Edit This Word List” to add description with referring HTML

17. Example Word List

18. What the user sees when they click on a word from the word list.

19. Using the Spelling Bee Feature

20. Steps to Creating a Spelling Bee
From a Vocabgrabber Word List
Go to word list in your account
Click “Edit this Word List”
Select “Spelling Bee” in the drop down menu under “Save As”
Original Spelling Bee
Login to your Visual Thesaurus account
Click on “Vocabgrabber” from the centre of the homage
Select “Create your own Spelling Bee”
Add Title, Description and applicable words

21. Step 1: Create the word list

22. Spelling Bee Example

23. Support for School Staff Using the ORC
ORC Support Site
ORC Listserv
Links
Contact

24. ORC Listserv Weekly email updates organized by E/J/S:
New resources and features
Province-wide trials
Surveys
Free PD opportunities
No s during school breaks
Membership benefits for every 50th person to join
or visit the ORC Support Site to join today

25. Links to Check Out ORC Support Site www.onlinereferencecentre.ca
ORC Listserv
ORC Facebook
ORC Twitter
@ORC_AB

26. Contact
For more information or to schedule a school presentation contact:
Jamie Davis, ORC Coordinator
Call ext: 229 OR

27. ORC Support Site www.onlinereferencecentre.ca
Resource training materials - podcasts, videos, archived webinars, and guides
Information about upcoming free ORC PD opportunities
Information about province-wide resource trials and surveys
Online booking system for ORC sessions
Calendar of ORC events
Links to ORC Twitter and Facebook accounts