Let's take a look at some of the amazing features we've released in the past year - did you know about them all?
Plus, read to the end for an exciting sneak peek at what's coming…
If you haven't noticed yet, keeping up with the latest feature releases in Book Creator is a breeze. We have a dedicated 'What's New?' page in your Teacher Dashboard that showcases all updates since 2017.
Let's review the past 12 months and discover the new features you can utilize for the upcoming school year!
And if you come across something new, your colleagues might not know about it either – so don't forget to share and spread the word!
Easier management for teachers
This year we had five updates that help teachers streamline their processes when using Book Creator.
1. Assign books to students
You can now assign a book to each student, providing them with their own editable copy when they sign in. This means you can effortlessly distribute a template book to your class, complete with all the necessary content and scaffolds. Students simply need to open Book Creator to get started, eliminating the previous manual copying step.
2. New author view
With our new Author View, teachers can effortlessly preview books created by each student and experience the library from a student's perspective as a Test Student. This feature also allows for the easy promotion of any teacher in your library to a co-teacher role, which is particularly beneficial for special education teachers monitoring student progress. Additionally, for district-wide accounts, teachers can navigate directly to a student's portfolio from this page.
3. Copy link to library
In the library code popup, you can now easily copy a link to your library. Share this link with students or other teachers, and when they click on it, they will automatically join the library—no need to type in the code.
4. Limit book creation
Teachers can now set a maximum number of books that students can create in a library. While we don’t want to limit student creativity, this highly requested feature simplifies the process for teachers to review and manage students’ work in a library! You can find this update in your library settings.
5. LMS integration
With Book Creator now integrated with LMS platforms like Canvas and Schoology, teachers can easily create Book Creator assignments, allowing students to submit their work directly through the LMS. Teachers can then use features like Canvas' SpeedGrader to review, assess, and provide feedback on student projects seamlessly within the LMS.
Support for language learners
In addition to the updates we have made that make teacher workflows easier, we have enabled classroom transformation with translation. This update allows you to translate entire books, text, audio, comments, and video captions into over 100 languages with just one click.
This powerful tool, developed using Google Translate technology and enhanced by advanced artificial intelligence, enables you to create multilingual classroom resources, engage parents with translated newsletters, and provide equitable access to staff manuals and PD resources.
Whether it’s for ELL learners or building relationships with multilingual students families, this feature is set to make a significant impact in classrooms worldwide.
District-level transformation
We have released two features this year that will enable schools and districts to directly support the classroom with Book Creator: Central Libraries and Student Portfolios.
Central libraries
Central Libraries allow schools and districts to create, curate, and share high-quality resources and student exemplars, ensuring consistent and equitable access to engaging Book Creator experiences for all students.
District leaders can easily share curriculum-aligned resources, making it simpler for everyone to deliver high-quality learning experiences efficiently.
Student portfolios
Book Creator's newest feature allows students to create their own digital portfolios that stay with them as they progress through grades. This update addresses the previous challenge of students losing access to their work when moving up a grade, by giving them a personal portfolio space to continually add and showcase their work.
With customizable templates and easy integration, students can now demonstrate their learning, growth, and achievements throughout their school career, ensuring a comprehensive and reflective record of their educational journey.
Literacy resources
In our literacy standards book, we demonstrate how Book Creator seamlessly integrates with the K-5 Common Core Literacy Standards, supporting Foundational Reading, Reading in literature and informational text, Writing, Language, and Speaking/Listening.
To add this book to your library, click Remix and a copy of this book will be added to the library of your choice.
We’ve also created a remixable template for each of the 5 pillars. These templates support educators in using technology to transform the learning experiences for students and propel them towards becoming proficient readers and writers.
We have also released a series of foundational literacy templates, now available in the Discover Library.
To add this book to your library, click Remix and a copy of this book will be added to the library of your choice.
New creative opportunities
Last, but certainly not least, we have added new options for text editing and the ability to change the color of an audio hotspot. These updates allow you to take creativity in your books to new levels!
Text editor improvements
You now have more styling options in the text editor, including special characters for math and language learning. Now, you can apply bold, italics, underline, change colors, highlight text, use bullet points, numbered lists, strikethrough, superscript, subscript, and access a variety of mathematical symbols and foreign language characters, enhancing both literacy and math education.
Audio hotspot
You can now customize the color of your audio hotspots making them fit the aesthetic of your page.
So what's coming in the future? 🤔
📃 Page templates
Empower your teaching with customizable page templates (formerly graphic organizers)—effortlessly create scaffolded lessons and books that inspire, edit, and adapt to every student's needs!
Learn more at our Back to School Webinar!
Jon Smith and Janet Burnett hosted an exclusive webinar where they unveiled our latest features for back to school. They explored innovative student portfolios, unlocked the power of translations for diverse learners, and leveraged central libraries for sharing high-quality examples. Attendees discovered time-saving techniques and features that streamlined the year and created a welcoming environment for students to thrive. We kicked off the year together!
With 20 years of experience in education, Katie is passionate about creating inclusive and accessible classrooms for all students. She loves exploring new places, trying different foods, and connecting with fellow educators.