Organising a Junior or Infant Class/Leavers Book:

Equipment

• Computer/ICT Suite with broadband connection
• Digital Photographs of school and class events (taken at standard quality - 1+Mb for a A6 photo slot can be less for the passport sized photo slots)
• Digital Camera – for any additional photos needed

Time Frame

You will need a maximum of 4-5 week period from registering to receiving ordered books. (3 week minimum)

A sample timetable:

• Planning, drafting and organisation time 2 lessons.
• Allow 2x 1hr ICT sessions (and or a rotation on the classroom computer).
• When you have completed your book and ordered your proof allow 1 week for us to produce a sample book and get it back to you.
• 1 week to collect your orders.
• 1 week for printing and return of your books after we receive your order.

Setting up your book ready to start

Before you start the project you will need to register for a password. Once you have received your unique password, log in to the Admin Interface and choose the type of book you are going to make. Then enter the names of the children who will be making it. From the Admin Interface you can set up your book style and page layouts as well as view our step by step help files or print off our downloadable help guide (pdf).

Running the Project

Resources

• Demo page on interactive white board
• Passwords (which we will generate for you)
• Downloadable letter for use of photographs
• Downloadable drafting sheets

Introduction to the class

Introduce the type of book you are going to be creating.

Explain

• That each child will be responsible for creating their own Personal Profile.
• Use demo page on the interactive whiteboard to show the class how the personal profile works.

In groups some/all pupils will also be working on additional pages for the book which you would have chosen from:

• Our School
• Our Teacher or Our Teachers (depending on book type)
• Awards
• Event Page(s) ( choose with your class what you would like to report on eg School Sports, Residential Trip, Trips, A School Production, Clubs, Disco, Subjects, Special days)
• Photo Montage with captions and title
• Message From the Head/Teachers

You can choose to complete as many Event Pages or Photo Montage pages as you like to make up to the total number of pages required for your book.

Working on the Pages

Pupils will need time to collect information conduct interviews and ask for relevant contributions. Then draft their information, sort out archived photographs and take new ones. When all this has been done pupils will be ready to create their pages on the computer.

Resource: Photograph Permission Form (Word doc)

Once the project has been introduced to the class a letter could be sent home similar to the one we have written above. This introduces the project and seeks consent to use photographs of each child. If photographs are not allowed then it is still possible for a child to take part using a first name only and our default silhouette image on the profile page.

Completing The Book

When all pages have been completed you will need to check the content carefully. You can send us the book electronically using our online system. The system is automated and we print what we receive- which includes errors and/or poor quality photos.
We will send you a copy of your book with an order form. If you notice any errors at this stage it is possible for you to do a final edit online before you send off for your orders. We will not send out any further proofs but ordered books will be printed as per your final version of your book submitted to us.

 

Order Forms

We have a downloadable pupil order form which can be used for parents to make orders. This form is editable so the school can change the pricing of the books which may be necessary if either the class have chosen to make a larger book than the one specified at our standard price, or the school wishes to charge a bit more so as to fund raise.

Resource: Pupil Order Forms (Word Doc)

When you request your first proof we will also send you an order form unique to your book order form. When you have collected your orders send this to us with payment. We cannot print books until we have received a school order form and payment. Books will be returned within one week of receiving the order.

Online Ordering

After we have printed the main school order and delivered it to your school it will be possible to order further copies using our online shop. Postage and packaging cost will be added to these additional orders.

Infant Books

(These could also be used in schools where children have mild learning difficulties)

We have designed a selection of pages that require a smaller amount of text with fixed questions and simple sections for younger children to complete, along side these there are pages that the class teacher can quickly fill in. We recommend for an infants book as well as the Personal Profile pages that the teacher chooses Photo Montage pages to record special events along with Our School, Our Teacher or Teachers and Message from the Headteacher to make up the pages.
The zoom bar can be used to make the text nice and large for the children to view whilst they are working on their pages.

Memory Books

These books are suitable for completion by a club or group or by the staff themselves. The book involves putting together a small amount of Text along with lots of Photographs, Titles and Captions about a particular event or set of events for example:

• Memoir of a School Year
• School Production
• Residential Trip
• Centenary

Fitting the Book Creator project into current school planning:

England

ICT / Literacy Links to the Framework

General:

Working on a class book provides an opportunity for pupils to collaborate together to produce an end product and in the process covering many ' Value and Achievement' targets including personal skills such as teamwork, personal expression & planning.

 

DFES Standards Site Literacy Framework

Our online design and print books can easily be integrated into a schools program of work, being used both as a forum for presenting non narrative styles and practicing a range of ICT skills.

Presentation Y4,Y5,Y6 – Use a range of ICT programs to present text making informed choices about tools to use for different purposes.

Y1 - Y6 (Unit 9 and 10 )
-Creating and shaping text (non narrative form)
-Text structure and organisation ( non narrative form)

DFES Standards Site ICT Framework

Y2 (Unit 2A) - Communicating information using text.
Y3 (Unit 3A) - Combining Text and Graphics - section 7 The Integrated Task.
Y4 (Unit 4A) - Writing for different audiences section 7 The Integrated task.

 

Scotland

Curriculum for Excellence 

Participating in creating a class book in itself encapsulates the spirit of the four capacities of the Scottish Curriculum - to enable each child to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and effective contributor.

Covering aspects of the curriculum:

P1 - P7 ICT.

P1 - P7 English.

Personal skills including: teamwork, personal expression & planning & Enterprise.