Teacher and Student Use Ideas
Potential Teacher Uses
- Create Common Core-aligned assignments by embedding questions into texts that ask standards-aligned questions. For example, teachers could ask students to cite evidence to support an argument in the text (CCSS.7RI.1), determine the meaning of an unknown word using context clues (CCSS.7RI.4), or use details in the text to find information (CCS.7RI.3). Since the Common Core is so nonfiction-heavy, this app is perfect to build those nonfiction skills. Subtext offers these possibilities for how to use the app in a way that aligns to Common Core:
- Since teachers can create both multiple choice questions and embed comments, the app lends itself very well to quick data as well as student discussion. For example, with a quick multiple choice question, the students and the teacher can instantly see who got the question right and who got it wrong. By writing discussion prompts in the "Comments" section, students can all reply to one another and see what each other said, allowing for an online discussion.
- Build students' background knowledge while reading a text by embedding a link or a video. For example, if students are about to read "Because I Could Not Stop for Death", teachers can embed a comment when they highlight the author's name--Emily Dickinson--prompting students to a web link that leads them to read a biography about Dickinson.
- Teachers can also embed videos to accompany texts. Common Core Essential Standard #7 for middle school reading asks students to compare and contrast media and print versions of texts of similar topics, so teachers could prompt students to watch an embedded video that relates to the text students are reading, and then ask students to reflect on how the video similarly or differently conveyed the information from the text.
- During class, students can all read the text and go at their own pace. However, if the teacher is discussing a piece of the text with the whole class and wants all the students on the same page, she can merely double tap her text, and all students' texts will flip to that page instantly.
- The teacher can view and add discussions while offline, and then when she connects, the discussions will sync automatically.
Potential Student Uses
- Students can read a text very closely by using the highlighting and annotating tools. They can set the preferences to where only they see their highlights and annotations. They can make marginal notes using the "comment" key, and they can choose to keep these notes private or share them with others.
- If a student is reading something and comes across a term he or she doesn't know, he or she can double-tap that word and the dictionary definition of that word will appear at the bottom of that screen. (see pictures below)
- If a student is reading and comes across a concept or a person he or she doesn't know, he or she can double-tap the word and tap "Google". A google search of that highlighted term will appear. (see pictures below)
- If a student is completing a project related to the text, he or she can easily highlight portions of the text and copy them into his or her Google Drive. All the student has to do is double-tap the portion of the text he or she wants, and tap "copy". Then, they can open their Google Drive and paste the selected text into a document there. All of the student's discussion comments are also saved, so the student can go to all of his or her comments and copy those into a Google document, as well.
- Students can also conduct research using Subtext. They can access all of the Subtext articles themselves through searching by topic. They can save articles to their own library and read and annotate those articles as they gather their research.
Here, a student highlighted the term "Emily Dickinson". At the bottom of the screen a definition appeared, or the student could click "Google", and that will lead him or her to a Google search of Emily Dickinson.