MY Access!

Product and Content Update October 2011

NEW FEATURE: Students using MY Access! can self-enroll into a group! The student self-enrollment option is located on the student's MY Access! assignment screen.

The student will use the Group Key to "self-enroll" into a class/group. The Group Key is automatically created when a teacher or administrator creates a group and it can be seen when the teacher edits a group.

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COPYRIGHT 2011 by Vantage Learning. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be used, accessed, reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a database or any retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Vantage Learning.

MY Access! Product and Content Update October 2011

The teacher or administrator will see the Group Key from the group tab and can edit it there. The group key can be edited/modified by the teacher or administrator to be simple and easy to use. The key is unique to a school within a district. For example, there can only be one Mrs.Maguire P1_Math A Group key in Sun Valley School

The teacher or administrator should give the group key to the students if they would like the student to be able to self enroll. If the teacher does not want their students to self-enroll, the teacher or administrator can enroll students in their groups in the same way they always have. See the Teacher User Guide in the Resource and Training Center for more information. And for users of the Vantage Cross Curricular assessment platform SPMS, the same Group key can be used in Vantage MY Access! and Vantage SPMS. Whether you are a new MY Access! user or have been using the program successfully for years, you will appreciate these ways to use the program instructionally and facilitate the most effective results for student writing. While teachers have many unique ways to use the program, results show when teachers guide students in using the instructional materials in MY Access! students gain a deeper understanding of the process of writing proficiently. Consider using some of these suggestions: Prompts about Exploration and Suspense All featured MY Access! prompts are compatible with Common Core standards, state standards, textbook units/themes and current event topics. We hope you will look to the content updates each month to review our suggestions for ELA and cross curricular writing assignments. The following prompts may be useful in the month of October:

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COPYRIGHT 2011 by Vantage Learning. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be used, accessed, reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a database or any retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Vantage Learning.

MY Access! Product and Content Update October 2011

A Remarkable Explorer: Upper Elementary, Intellimetic, Informational/Text-based MY Access! includes a variety of types of writing tasks; for example, this prompt asks students to write a summary of an article. Students can use the KWL chart to think about their ideas before they begin drafting. A New Invention or Discovery Upper Elementary, Intellimetric, Narrative For science, social studies or ELA assignments, this prompt can help students creatively examine what it would be like to find or invent something new. Students can develop their role as a character in their own story with the Character Chart. A Day With Columbus, Pilgrims or Native Americans, Middle School, Intellimetric, Narrative This Write to Know prompt places the student in the story of the exploration and settlement of the Americas. The assignment can serve as a great way to review a history unit. It also can be a research prompt so students can explore work, clothes, games, and festivals on iSEEK. The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark by Rhoda Blumberg (pilot) Middle School Literary 1060L Review reading comprehension of the book using the MY Access! Literature Series. In the prompt, students are asked to write about the experiences that would have had if they had travelled with the famed explorers. What is it? (Pilot picture prompt) Middle School Narrative Students can speculate and create a story from the picture. To review the components of a story, use story-making graphic organizers such as the Plotting a Narrative handout. Lewis and Clark Expedition Summary, Pilot, Middle School, Narrative The multifaceted Write to Know prompt asks students to analyze a map, summarize and write a story. Students and teachers will find a variety of resources about the Louisiana Purchase through an iSEEK search including images, activities and web quests. Gothic Elements in The Fall of the House of Usher, High School, Pilot, Literary The classic tale of terror from Poe can be researched using iSEEK and reviewed using the Literary Terms Word Bank. In addition, the Literary My Tutor will help students think about character plot and theme to write a comprehensive analysis of the text. Using the Map, Pilot Picture Prompt, High School Narrative This picture prompt presents an image for students to interpret. Their story can be organized with prewriting tools such as the Plotting a Narrative Chart. "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury Pilot, High School, Literary You can find full text of the story through iSEEK. The prompt addresses an interesting text from one of the most popular genres- science fiction.

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COPYRIGHT 2011 by Vantage Learning. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be used, accessed, reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a database or any retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Vantage Learning.