End of Year Best Practices for Teachers and Admins

Good morning! Jon Smith here. I've bumped heads with the rest of the Teacher Success team at Book Creator to come up with a set of best practices for you to adhere to at the end of year to make the most of your Book Creator account.

We've divided this up into best practices for Teachers, and separately for Admins (those in charge of the admin dashboard in Book Creator). You can skip straight to the admin 👀 bit here if you want.

Teachers - end of year tasks to tidy up and prepare for the next year

As the school year comes to a close, it’s time to wrap up loose ends and prepare for a well-deserved break 😎.

Now is the perfect opportunity to tidy up your digital libraries and lay the groundwork for future projects. Let's walk through some best practices to ensure a smooth transition into the next academic year while maximizing the potential of your Book Creator account.

1. Privately publish keepsake books for parents

Parents cherish memories of their child's academic journey. Consider publishing any noteworthy projects or compilations privately for parents to hold onto. This personalized touch can serve as a beautiful keepsake and reinforce the value of your students' work.

How to publish your books

Another amazing Master Storyteller presentation! 😀

The student found pictures of him that reflect the words on each page. He then created a book on @BookCreatorApp with all of the pictures and audio. Such a special keepsake 📚👏🏻 #ocsbAtHome #edtech #learnathome pic.twitter.com/iYX5AygZ6N

— Ellen van de Loo (@ellengvo) May 20, 2020

2. Copy essential books and templates for future use

Save time and effort by copying any books or templates you anticipate using again next year.

Store them in your "My Books" library or create a designated space specifically for templates and ideas (what works well here if you're in a district that has purchased Book Creator is to use our new "Central Libraries" feature).

Stay ahead of the game and you'll have a repository of resources that are ready to go when the new school year begins.

3. Encourage student cleanup

Lets' think about how we get students to take ownership of their digital footprint by having them delete books they no longer need or haven’t finished. This not only declutters your Book Creator account but also teaches valuable digital organization skills. Students can save their books as ePub files in the storage place of their choice.

How to save your books to your computer

4. Archive unused libraries

If you have libraries or projects that won’t be revisited next year, consider archiving them. Archiving preserves your work while decluttering your workspace. Remember, you can always bring them back to life if needed in the future.

5. Library settings and online safety

This is also a great time for teachers to consider summer online safety for students who may have access to the Book Creator platform throughout the summer break.

There are some steps that all teachers should take to ensure that students have access to summer materials, while teachers are on a break and libraries are not monitored.

We recommend that you:

• Disable the function for students to edit their own books (we don't want them messing with published books over the summer!)
• Turn off collaboration
• Turn off the ability to read each other’s books
• Turn off publishing books online
• Turn off the ability to add comments.

All of this can be done by managing your library settings.

6. Plan ahead for the next school year

Book Creator isn’t just for sporadic projects; it can be integrated into regular curriculum activities. Start brainstorming and planning activities for the upcoming year - make the most of Book Creator's versatility - what new subjects or topic areas could you use it for?

Make sure to jump into the Discover section to get ideas and resources.

And while we're still at school - if you're looking for exciting, engaging end of year ideas - we've got you covered!

7. Spread the love ❤️

Share your experiences with Book Creator with fellow educators. Collaborate on projects, exchange ideas, and inspire one another to explore new possibilities.

@BookCreatorApp lets students access @googlemaps! My thirds can get an on-the-ground view of the national parks they are researching! 🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/Aee3KjHkrL

— Ginny Bowles (@GinnyBowles) May 8, 2024

This will also be a great time to add teachers into any libraries that may benefit them to see student examples, projects, or other great stuff you’ve done! The collective wisdom of the teaching community fosters growth and innovation.

You can also visit our social media channels or apply to become a Book Creator Collaborator, Champion or Ambassador over summer.

8. Stay updated and inspired!

Keep an eye out for webinars and updates from Book Creator. These resources offer valuable insights, tips, and inspiration to elevate your use of the platform.

Whether it’s learning about new features or discovering innovative teaching techniques, staying connected ensures you’re making the most of Book Creator’s capabilities.

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Book Creator Admins - celebrate success and prepare for the new year

You've accomplished great things this year. Your dedication to fostering creativity and learning in your district hasn't gone unnoticed! Let's reflect on that...

Reflecting on achievements

Before diving into the preparations for the new year, take a moment to celebrate your achievements. Head over to your admin console and explore your analytics. See the impact Book Creator has had on your district's classrooms. Celebrate the teachers and students who have embraced creativity and innovation through digital book creation.

🎉 So proud of the @APSInstructTech team for sharing all of the goodness of @BookCreatorApp w/teachers & students in APS! Students are improving literacy skills through writing & creating digital books in ALL content areas! The📊tells the story & power of this amazing resource! pic.twitter.com/n7ZDwPQW6U

— Dr. Natasha Rachell (@apsitnatasha) May 9, 2024

Updating integrations and licenses

Has your Learning Management System (LMS) situation changed? If so, let us know! We can assist you in integrating Book Creator seamlessly with platforms like Clever or ClassLink. Additionally, review any other LTI integrations you may want to utilize to enhance your Book Creator experience.

As you prepare for the new year, it's essential to tidy up your licenses. Remove any teachers who have retired or left the district and reassign their licenses to those who are eager to explore the possibilities of Book Creator. If you've purchased domain access, please send the emails of retired or departed teachers to your Teacher Success Manager so we can update your organization accordingly.

Student management

Ensure that your teacher list doesn't include any students. If any students are listed, convert them to students or reach out to your Teacher Success Manager for assistance.

Encourage teachers to publish their books privately if parents may wish to view them. Privacy and security are paramount, and we want to ensure that everyone feels comfortable sharing their work.

Archiving and app settings

Remind teachers to archive any libraries they no longer require. Archived libraries remain accessible for reference, maintaining a clutter-free environment for ongoing creativity.

Review your app settings to determine which apps are suitable for teachers and students. Customizing these settings ensures a safe and productive digital environment for everyone.

Supporting your teachers over summer

As we prepare for the upcoming year, let's brainstorm ways to further support you and your teachers. Plan webinars well in advance to get educators excited about Book Creator and its endless possibilities. Our most successful districts have continued PD throughout the year and continuous discussions with the teacher success manager. Let's maximize the potential of the resources you've invested in.

Consider creating a Professional Development (PD) guide tailored to your district's needs. This resource can serve as a roadmap for teachers to explore Book Creator's features and integrate them effectively into their curricula. Feel free to use our remixable PD template for Book Creator below!

Additionally, think about establishing district libraries filled with exemplary student work. These libraries can serve as inspiration for future projects and showcase the creative accomplishments of your students.

Thank you for your dedication to fostering creativity and innovation in education! As we wrap up this school year, let's celebrate our successes and look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead with Book Creator. If you have any questions or need assistance with any of the mentioned tasks, please don't hesitate to reach out to your Teacher Success Manager.

Together, we can continue to empower educators and inspire students through the power of digital book creation. Have a wonderful end to the school year and a rejuvenating break!

Teachers, admins - is there anything you do at this time of year that we've missed? We'd love to know! Let us know in the comments below.