How teachers can use Subtext and Actively Learn to create close reading and text annotation opportunities in their classrooms.

1. Subtext and Actively Learn:
Close reading and text annotation tools
Subtext and Actively Learn:
Close reading and text annotation tools
Andy Meyers, Ed Tech Specialist
FSUSD, Fairfield, CA
andym@fsusd.org, Twitter: @Edutechandy
goo.gl/XsXDRI

2. Clicking on this icon will bring you
back to this menu.
Note: Subtext is free
until summer 2015

3. click the icon to
come
back to this screen
Subtext Navigation
- What is Subtext?
- Important features
- Joining a class as
a student
- Adding texts to the
library as a
student
- Accessing texts as
a student
- Using the student
tools
- Interacting with
the text as a
student
- Creating a class
as a teacher
- Adding texts as a
teacher
- Interacting with
text as a teacher
- Viewing student
interactions
- Premium Feature$

4. What is Subtext?

5. Subtext allows...
Teachers to:
- assign text to targeted small groups
- facilitate discussions within groups
- view student input through activities
- point out important information/content
Students to:
- interact with text through tools
- hold discussions with other students
- receive teacher assistance without the
teacher

6. I don't think there is anything that can quite replace a well worn
paper book, especially the kind that has notes left behind by a
previous reader. Yet, I think there is tremendous potential for
collaborative, social reading on the iPad with Subtext. Imagine being able
to leave a question in the margins of a book and having a few classmates
and a teacher reply to your question in real time as they are reading as
well. Imagine being able to leave a link to an external resource that you
think could assist your classmates with the reading and could foster
discussion the next day...The discussion that could take place the next day
would build off of the back and forth from the previous night. When students
refer to specific portions of the text and their thoughts during class
discussion, everyone would have access within the book in Subtext.
- Greg Kuloweic, The History 2.0 Classroom: Social Reading
on the iPad

7. Subtext as a student
● Download Subtext app
● Sign in using your District Log in
● In top right corner tap the three lines
next to “MY GROUPS” and tap “Join
Group”
Enter code:
UJLYYIBN

8. 1. Tap the messages icon
2. Find the book and tap “Download Now”
Adding Text to Library

9. OR

10. Adding Text to Library
● Select group you
want (SUBTEXT
PRACTICE GROUP)
● Select “Library” tab
● Tap “Add to Library”
● Add to Library will
then change to
“In Library” when
successful

11. Two Ways to Access Text
● Tap on
Text
● Tap Read
OR
● Tap on
group
● Tap on Text
● Tap Read

12. Shows students
where
discussion
questions or
comments are
Using the tools
Text highlighted by
teacher or classmate
(note usually attached)
Tool 1: About Book
Tool 2:GoogleDrive
Tool 3:Text2Speech
Tool 4:Discussions
Tool 1: Go Back
Tool 2: Chapters
Tool 3: Settings
Tool 4: Search
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

13. Using the tools
● Students can
answer
questions, see
teacher notes,
watch videos
and interact with
other media by
clicking on any
discussion link.
● Once the window
opens up the
student can
respond to the
various prompts.

14. Students can add
to the conversation
by:
1. tap, hold and
drag the text the
want to select.
2. choose what
they want to do
3. shared only with
teacher unless
they specify a
group.
Student Interactions
1.
2.
3.

15. Student
interaction
questions?

16. Subtext as a Teacher
● Download Subtext app (if you haven’t)
● Sign in using your District Log in
● In top right corner tap the three lines
next to “MY GROUPS” and tap “Create
Group”

17. ● Give your
class a name.
● Your students
will use this
code to join
groups in
Subtext.
Class/Group Code

18. Add Books and Articles
● Tap + icon
(add books
and articles)
● Articles in
Subtext can
be selected
by grade or
reading level.
● You can also
search web
articles and
import them.

19. Add Books and Articles
● For a text already in Subtext:
○ tap on the text
○ tap "add”
○ tap "download"
○ tap "share"
● For an article:
○ use “search the web for articles”
○ use TFK, Scholastic news, Google news, etc
to find articles
○ Tap Orange “Save to Subtext” icon to save to
your library
○ tap on the text and tap “share”

20. Teachers can add
interactions to the
text by:
1. Tap, hold and
drag the text
you want to
select.
2. Choose what
they want to do
3. Shared only with
that group
unless they
specify other
groups.
Teacher Interactions
1.
2.
3.

21. Teachers can view
interactions by:
1. Selecting the
text
2. Click on the
interaction they
want to view
3. View answers.
(Teacher has
the ability to
“Delete the
note” if desired)
Viewing Student Interactions

22. Premium Features Include:
● Tracking progress through a text
● Text-to-Speech
● Common Core Assignments for any
Book or Article
● Teachers+ Community
Premium Packages are sold as 10
licenses for $29.99

23. Teacher
interaction
questions?

24. Andy Meyers, Ed. Tech
Specialist- FSUSD
Contact or View Past Trainings:
andym@fsusd.org
Twitter: @EduTechAndy
Thousand Word Blog
Professional Development
Presentations

25. click the icon to
come
back to this screen
Actively Learn Navigation
- What is Actively
Learn?
- Important Features
- Joining a class as
a student
- Accessing
assignments as a
student
- Using the student
tools
- Interacting with the
text as a student
- Creating a class
as a teacher
- Adding texts as a
teacher
- Interacting with
text as a teacher
(creating an
assignment)
- Viewing student
interactions
- Viewing student
data

26. What is Actively Learn?

27. Actively Learn allows...
Teachers to:
- assign text to targeted small groups
- facilitate discussions within groups
- view student input through activities
- point out important information/content
Students to:
- interact with text through tools
- hold discussions with other students
- receive teacher assistance without the
teacher

28. I don't think there is anything that can quite replace a well worn
paper book, especially the kind that has notes left behind by a
previous reader. Yet, I think there is tremendous potential for
collaborative, social reading on the iPad with Subtext. Imagine being able
to leave a question in the margins of a book and having a few classmates
and a teacher reply to your question in real time as they are reading as
well. Imagine being able to leave a link to an external resource that you
think could assist your classmates with the reading and could foster
discussion the next day...The discussion that could take place the next day
would build off of the back and forth from the previous night. When students
refer to specific portions of the text and their thoughts during class
discussion, everyone would have access within the book in Subtext.
- Greg Kuloweic, The History 2.0 Classroom: Social Reading
on the iPad

29. Joining a class as a student
● Go to www.activelylearn.com
● Select student option and sign in with
google account.
● Fill in other information (if asked), and
class code: f5b9a
● If students have already enrolled then
they will need to select “View Classes”
on the left hand side and then “Join
Class”

30. Click
“View
Classes”
Accessing the assignments
Click the text to
start the
assignment
Click
“Assignments”

31. Using the student tools
Article title with
abstract and
summary of
questions and notes
Text view allows students
to see quesitons and
notes listed without any
text
Allows students to
change fonts size,
numbering
paragraphs, etc
Notes and graph
view will show
shared class notes
or students
progress through
the text

32. Interacting with the text as a student
As the students read they
will come across
questions you have set
up. They cannot
progress through the text
unless they answer the
question.

33. Interacting with the text as a student
Students can
highlight the
text and leave
a note,
indicate help
or have the
text read back
to them.

34. Interacting with the text as a student
- Students will
“code” their
notes.
- They can
also choose
to leave an
image
response.
- The note can
be shared to
class or only
to the
teacher.

35. Creating a class as a teacher
No email is needed!
Students will go to the
website and use the
class code given to join.

36. Adding texts as a teacher
Select the
specific
reading level
for the
assignment.
Select your
academic
focus.
Select
between
free and
paid
content.
You can
also use
assignment
s created
by other
teachers
for FREE!

37. Interacting with text as a teacher
By clicking “Create Assignments”
you will have access to your
workspace. This is your library of
all current and past assignments
that you have created. Select the
text that you would like to interact
with by adding notes, questions,
media resources, etc.

38. Inserting Teacher Interactions
Highlighting the
text allows
teachers to
leave questions
for students to
answer, notes to
consider or links
to follow for
further
information on a
topic.

39. Example of inserting a question
After highlighting
the text,
selecting “insert
question” this
will popup.
Common Core
standard and
adding media
are optional.

40. Viewing Student interactions
Select “View classes” and select
the class and assignment you
would like to view. To see answers
to questions select the folder with a
checkmark icon.

41. More viewing student interactions
To see notes that were shared with
you, or the entire class, click on
the notebook icon.

42. Viewing student data
After grading the questions in the
assignment, click on the bar graph
icon to see the students progress
through the text, proficiency level,
notes/conversations and “I don’t
understand flags” to guide further
instruction.

43. Andy Meyers, Ed. Tech
Specialist- FSUSD
How to Contact Me:
andym@fsusd.org
Twitter: @EduTechAndy
More Resources and
Presentations