Group items tagged

"Extreme Speed Booking" The idea behind the site is to introduce students to a variety of books and form classroom book groups. How does Extreme Speed Booking work? A whole lot like speed dating. :) Students spend a little time with each book and then rate them accordingly with "I want to read more", "Interesting", "Not for me", or "I've already read". Students can also make a note of how interested they are in reading the book (maybe a 1-10 scale)? This process introduces students to a variety of books, genres and authors. Students may come across titles and authors they wouldn't otherwise find. It also helps teachers form classroom book groups that are of high-interest and investment to students because they had input.

I think there is also a perception that if we don't have the paper books then we don't need the library or the librarians in schools. I think it's flawed logic. Information is changing its format; yes, it's online, it's an ebook, it's a book you can download onto an iPad, but it's still information. Kids need to know how to evaluate it even more so now than before because there is much more of it. Kids need to be able to determine whether it is useful or valid information. Librarians take the lead in helping educate students through the information jungle, and with even more sources and formats, the role of the librarian becomes even more critical. So even though paper books are becoming less prominent, the skills needed are even more advanced than what was needed before. School librarians are critical to helping students navigate through this information explosion.

Having completed four years worth of "Best of" lists for picture books, I was finally inspired to compile a list of the  best middle-grade and chapter books I have read in the last year. Maybe I didn't want to be forced to pick any favorites, or maybe this was the first year that I felt like I had actually read enough newly published books in a given year to compile a fair list. Either way, although I remain dedicated to working through that massive pile of older books that I want to share with my readers, I am very excited about this list and passionate about all of the books that made it on to this list. If you were to encounter me in my workplace and ask me about any of these titles, I would gush, most likely somewhat embarrassingly, about any or all of them, if you gave me enough time. 

One of the things that has surprised me lately is the number of emails I get with questions about Pinterest. I thought it might be handy to put some tips together. I know I am not the first librarian to write about Pinterest, by any means! I hope this helps someone out there though.

How do I use Pinterest? 
There is a pretty good help page. You can email me if you want an invite, and I'll try to send one on. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them, but I am a librarian not a Pinterest staffer. It is also important to remember that Pinterest is still a start-up and is somewhat prone to crashing. A victim of its own popularity, if you will.

To me, one of more difficult things about being a reader is explaining why I didn't like a novel without sounding like a) a jerk, b) a passive-aggressive dweeb, or c) a small-minded fool. The rub is thus: You want to be discerning, without sounding douchey. But that's so much easier said than done. What follows is a tip sheet I've developed based on my own reading, and as a connoisseur of book reviews. I hope it'll help.

How To Use Twitter If You're A Teacher

We had been discussing a method to distill a question into its components and turn it into a strong query, the string of words she would type into a search engine to look for her answer. Students have often expressed that it's hard to identify "just the words they need."

The five Cs below will empower educators to discover how they and their students can begin building personal learning networks specific to the learner's needs extending relevant learning connections to like-interested people around the globe.

Advocacy: How can you support your school library? Make sure your school has a state-certified school librarian. Some schools have replaced librarians with aides to keep the school library doors open, diminishing the level and quality of instruction and projects afforded to students. Make sure to be involved in the budget process of the school. Ensure that school board members and school administrators know that school libraries and school librarians are a critical part of the school ecosytem.

organized by NETS*S standard, this teacher-contributed wiki includes tons of successful classroom practices and ideas for embedding the tech standards into learning

Please join us in discussing how the NETS for Students are being implemented in classrooms around the world. Please feel free to comment on another's ideas, ask a question, and develop ideas together by selecting "Edit This Page." To be kept notified of the changes and updates to this page, use the Notify Me option.

Evernote ideas.

How do I love this series by Cressida Cowell? I actually don't mind adding to the growing collection!

Wonderful article that might be good to share with the community!

Book set to consider purchasing... eBook and accompanying text. CyberSmarts: Staying Safe Online New!
This exciting five-book series is geared for grades 3-6 and instructs readers in how to deal with important online safety issues. Kids are becoming more technologically literate at an early age, but it is crucial that they understand the dangers and risks of interacting with others online. This series emphasizes engaging in safe online conduct. Each book in the series contains a robust glossary of terms and sidebars that further explore important or high-interest material.

What this tool can do for you: Help you better understand how to determine the "fairness" of a use under the U.S. Copyright Code.

I just used this to determine if I was violating Fair Use with the book trailer videos I'm posting onto Destiny. My "conclusion" showed that I was within Fair Use guidelines. I have printed the document and will keep it - hopefully I won't ever need it! Although not legally binding, this site is a very helpful tool in providing clear criteria to the Fair Use decision.

"Librarians, teachers and parents have told us how hard it is for students to understand web searching. Boolify allows students to visualize and interact with the abstract concept behind the search process--it is intuitive and easy to use with your class or in your library. Search results are presented through Google's "SafeSearch STRICT" technology to prevent objectionable content from appearing in their search results. There are two important caveats: a) no filtering technology is 100% secure, as this blog posting astutely points out and 2) we are unable to control or modify the results that we provide, beyond the filtering settings available through Google."

The website's About Us section states that the "goal was to create a simple to use and easy to learn tool to help people organize their ideas in a way that make sense to them." Click on Help in the top right corner of the homepage for tips on how to use the site.

So a few weeks ago, I had this idea.  What if my 7th grade English students staged a flash mob poetry event at the food court of our local mall?  I kind of fell in love with this idea, even though I had no idea how to plan such a thing.  I was pretty sure the school and mall would never approve it anyway, so I figured, "Why not ask?"

Great source for summer reading: Jokes, Silly Stories, Creature Creator, How to draw... etc: This program is a joint initiative between TD Bank Group, Toronto Public Library and Library and Archives Canada. Every year a theme is selected from suggestions made across the country. Supporting materials for the program are developed by a team of children's librarians from Toronto Public Library with the francophone component developed by librarians from Ottawa, Quebec City and Montreal.

QR Code Scavenger Hunts - how to set up and use plus other creations.