1. Jamie Davis, ORC Coordinator
Empowering and Developing Young Students with the Online Reference Centre
Jamie Davis, ORC Coordinator
ECEC Conference 2015
November 7, 2015

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 he top of the screen
In school automatic authentication should occur
Outside of school access requires username and password
Share your district username and password (low tech methods)
for your remote username/password

6. Quick Tips for Young Learners
Create a direct link to the ORC
Create enlarged icons of the databases you will use to post on board
preload iPads, Smart Boards, or computers to save time
Model in whole group - paired work - independent work
Number each student - that will be their computer number every time
Create recipe cards with each student’s login information - laminate and keep on a ring
Assign in-class tech helpers
Assist with age appropriate citations - icons, pre-made worksheets, etc.

7. QUESTIONS?

8. Resources that Support Literacy and language Learning
Early World of Learning *NEW*
BookFLIX
Muzzy Online

9. Early World of Learning
New to the collection for 2015/2016
Designed for very young learners with human voice read aloud embedded throughout
Stories, pictures, videos, songs and activities build literacy skills
Related content to Science and Social Studies curricula
Fun and interactive, works well on iPad or tablet
Early World of Learning
Top Right-Hand side of the screen
Read:
Trek’s Travels - stories about what Trek learns on his adventures. Each story includes human voice read aloud, auto play or user controlled play, related game, videos and pictures
Welcome to Reading - Additional Trek Books that are levelled from A -D. Books include all additional features (game, videos, etc.)
Know It- Explore Animals Homes, Animal Safari, Creepy Crawlies, Sea Animals, Me, Myself and I, People at Work, Plants, Rainforest Animals, Dinos, Vroom Vroom, and Weather. Each section include related pictures and videos
Play:
Put the Story in Order (ordering the story - first, second, third, and fourth events)
Concentration (digital concentration game, flip the cards to find matches)
Multiple Choice (Fill in the missing word in the sentence)
Sorting (long vowels, short vowels, middle sounds, final sounds, etc.)
Watch:
Sports and Hobbies (yoga, step aerobics, juggling, etc.)
People (police officers, teacher, firefighters, garbage truck)
Animals (numerous animal videos to choose from)
Getting Around (cars, busses, planes, etc)
Machines (backhoes, snowblowers, Tractors, etc.)
Big Ideas (shapes, colors, sizes, sounds, etc.)
Plants (plants growing, starting a garden, etc.)
Health (doctors, vaccines, senses, etc.)
Earth (seasons, weather, etc.)
Print and Do:
Blackline Masters available to print. Include colour the number activities.
Topics include: colors, numbers, letters, locations, matching, sets, shapes, sizes and time
Bottom Right-hand side of the Screen
Click on the Frog with the fly to access additional resources
Story Corner - Variety of classic stories read aloud
Nursery Rhymes - Variety of Classic nursery rhymes
Songs - Classics like Baa, Baa and Eensy, Weensy Spider

10. BookFLIX Ideas for using BookFLIX in the classroom:
118 fiction and nonfiction book pairs (236 books total) organized into themes
Pairing fiction with related nonfiction increases student comprehension when reading both formats
search titles by guided reading level, author, grade level, theme, etc.
lesson plans provided for each pair
Real voice audio support embedded throughout resources to allow emergent readers to navigate the resource independently
Between 1-3 follow up “puzzlers” for each pair
Ideas for using BookFLIX in the classroom:
-Read Aloud or Shared Reading on SMART Board or LCD projector
-Play with read along off or on, have students make specific sounds with a related word, mute words and read along to word highlighting
-Small Group or Learning Centre
-Can use BookFLIX on a computer, netbook or iPad (with a java enabled browser like -Puffin) or on the SMART Board
-Reading and Writing Connection
-Read about the author and their writing process or target a specific writing style and view/discuss together
-Research and Inquiry projects
-Nonfiction eBooks on a variety of topics (some direct links to curriculum), in addition to vetted related websites
-Have students use these websites at the start of their inquiry
-At home reading program - No more ziplocks!
-Provides a reading experience for students who may not have an adult who can read to them each evening. Reading with someone is obviously preferable but that is not always an option for some of our students.

11. Muzzy Online Recommended for students in K-6
Immersion language learning program
Hundreds of words and phrases embedded in learning stories
Six movies in each language level with a subtitle option for all of the languages offered
101 thematic video lessons with embedded language learning games divided into level I & II
All new 3D animation
All new teachers materials
Complete Elementary (Spanish & French)
Classroom Editions (Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, and English)

12. Muzzy Online Curriculum Materials
Step 1: Log In
User: alberta
Password: alberta4MuzzyOnline!

13. Resources Page After Login
Step 2:
Click on “Curriculum Materials”

14. Complete Elementary: Spanish and French
Step 3: Choose between
Complete Elementary (Spanish & French) OR
Classroom Edition (Spanish, French Mandarin Chinese, & English)

15. What’s the Difference? Complete Elementary Curriculum Edition
Curriculum moves at a slower pace
Appropriate for pre and early readers
Curriculum Edition
Curriculum moves at a faster pace
Covers more vocabulary per lesson

16. What’s Similar?
All lessons expand and contract to fit variable session lengths
All lessons are based on watching a clip from the Muzzy stories of vocabulary builder

17. Step-by-Step Lesson Plans
Step 4: Select a Lesson
Choose from a wide selection of lessons complete with lesson materials, activity sheets and teacher masters

18. Lesson Plan Continued Easy to follow, step by step lesson plans
Designed for teachers who are not specialized in teaching languages

19. Activity Sheets and Teaching Materials
Complete with Blackline Masters and Teacher Keys

20. Resources that Support Science
Amazing Animals of the World
PebbleGO Science *NEW*

21. Amazing Animals of the World
Click-friendly navigation to support young learners
lists animals classes, orders and species
Read aloud available
Provides quick access to the “animal stats” at the top of the brief article
Links to information about animal habitat and order
Vetted weblinks that open within the database
This resource is included in the Curriculum Mapping available on the ORC Support Site

22. PebbleGO Science New to the ORC collection for 2015/2106
Recommended for K-4
Easy navigation, levelled text, visual searching designed for beginning researchers
Human voice read aloud with text highlighting, photos, videos, audio clips to enhance learning
This resource will be added to the Curriculum Mapping on the ORC Support Site

23. Resources that Support Social Studies
PebbleGO Social Studies *NEW*

24. PebbleGO Social Studies
New to the ORC collection for 2015/2106
Recommended for K-4
Easy navigation, levelled text, visual searching designed for beginning researchers
Human voice read aloud with text highlighting, photos, videos, audio clips to enhance learning
This resource will be added to the Curriculum Mapping on the ORC Support Site

25. Multidisciplinary Resource
World Book Kids
National Geographic Kids

26. World Book Kids New interface for 2015/2016
Beginner multidisciplinary database designed for young users
Every article has tabs along to top to access “Pictures, Videos and More” as well as “More Information” (websites, questions, etc.)
Text to speech and text translation
Use compare option to find similarities and differences between animals, countries and places

27. National Geographic Kids
New to the collection for 2015/2016
Authoritative nonfiction content
Award-winning maps and photos
200 National Geographic Kids Books
500 Kid-friendly, downloadable images
National Geographic Kids Magazines (2009- Present, 3 month embargo)
Incudes listen feature

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

29. 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

30. 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

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

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