Showing posts with label digital tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital tools. Show all posts

Friday, July 2, 2021

Building Better Libraries-II (Books and digital resources)

 Years and Years ago, when we first started with bar-coding and computers, my principal said to me,"We won't need books anymore" And I strongly disagreed with her, saying "Not in my lifetime!"

 And I still feel that way today! Say you want a particular book- do  you just order it online? You could, but say you go to your  library , do they order it and then give it to you? No . But if the library has it you can borrow it for free,  And other patrons can also borrow it.   The book is stored at the library,

If the library does not have the book, then in most cases, they can get it for you on inter library loan.They even track it down for you , if you can't do it yourself. 

 Card holders can borrow digital books to read on their devices( computers, phones, tables)  This is the most basic common goal of the library. Acquiring books and resources that benefit the community of their patrons. A good library system saves money and builds community.



Friday, June 15, 2018

Digital Citizenship




     Digital citizenship teaches students how to navigate online spaces in critical, healthy, and ethical ways. The lessons should be done in context with subject area teachers throughout the year.  It should not be done in isolation as the students will have no connection to the learning.
     Learning Digital Citizenship this way will be mostly incorporated, learned and remembered, and applied to the topic at hand.  This avoids disconnect of how students behave at school and then at home  do something differently.

      Librarians can work with teachers to help pose the right questions and teach skills to using social media, , the internet,( including video sharing, blogs, podcasts, & related media). Students can learn to use these products in creative and ethical ways.

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Librarian as a school leader

    Librarians act as leaders in their schools. Most of the time we call this 'Leading from the Middle'. Librarians lead by modeling best practices, and acting as a person who works with teachers to help bring lessons that are Technology tested and engaging.
    By developing one unit or lesson at a time with one teacher, word of mouth inspires other staff to want the same services.    Changes in lessons and units takes place, as the librarians builds relationships with staff. This in turn , effects students and their learning by having more engaging learning and more information skills to help them with technology. 
   Leadership by librarians can be done in several ways.Professional development, reading promotions, and programs , integrating two curricular areas, sharing tech tools new strategies and websites are just a few  ideas.  By demonstrating energy and enthusiasm for our job we can make a difference in our students lives.
  

Thursday, March 30, 2017

TeachersToolkit.com

Teacher’s Tool kit

    This site is a great source of teachers, On the main page you will the tab for tools. It gives teachers a variety of tools that will help them plan activities and engaging lessons for students.


  There are so many good ideas here!  On the very left hand side the tools are group into categories: opening activities, partner practice, group practice, reading strategies, and games just to name a few. I found so many interesting activities here! Share with your teachers, you will be a rock star!

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Middle Web- great for Middle school professionals

 https://www.middleweb.com/


   This site called Middleweb is an astonishing collection of informative and interesting articles about middle school teaching for grades 4-8. There are some great articles on good questioning techniques which caught my eye. Also there are articles on teaching strategies, writing, and assignment assessment, Articles on most subjects are covered.

  The site focus is on teaching and learning. There are also news clips  and book reviews. There is also a collection of resources which I want to check out.  An additional newsletter  can be received  by signing up. If you are a middle school person ,teacher , librarian, or administrator you need to check this out,

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Livebinders

  The previous MS librarian( she is now in the HS, our Dept Chair) developed livebinders which are on our library webpage for several of the projects that the teachers needed resources for. Putting them on the webpage makes it really easy for students  when doing these projects.

  The livebinders  and the sites that are included on them  are determined by age level, topic and what the teachers want the students to find out or what information the students need
They can go to the livebinders and get the information they need for the task at hand.

  I have also developed  a few new livebinders  for newer projects  that teachers have asked  me for I will continue doing this as it helps students focus on information needed. It also helps them see what a reliable source looks like.

See my post on livebinders from  5/23/2013. Wired Wednesday- Tech Tools

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Using Comic Strip Makers in your classroom

  We know how so many students, especially struggling and reluctant readers like graphic novels.  That is why  many students like creating comic strips on the computer . So it is a good  idea to look for a way to incorporate building comic strips  in your classroom using your subject area as the basis. 

  In building  comic strips , students need to  plan a story line or list events in order. Students can express themselves  and gain and build knowledge.   There are many free comic strip makers which I will explore for another post.

  The words and pictures in a comic strip work together  to have the student obtain information about the context of the comic strip.  Comics are very motivating . Most students will like to read their own and others . This will lead to more reading and learning. 

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Blogs for School Book Clubs

  I am going to create a blog for our school book clubs . I think I am deciding on  having two blogs (but am not sure yet) , one for 7th grade and one for 8th grade. 

 What I want students to be able to do is to leave comments on the books  they are reading within in the  group.  This will also allow between meetings   a way for students to bounce around question and ideas   about the story. Perhaps at the end , also creating a readers guide for the book When they are finished  we might even be able ( big wish) to get the author ot comment to questions! 

 Students may also bounce around ideas for titles  for the next month . They can suggest titles and we can vote on it when the  book is finished. 

 Use of the blog for the book group will allow for a constructivist   tool for he student  to  build their interest and ideas. Hopefully  this will encourage more independent reading by the students in the group. I am hoping to have it open to all students in the school and this will perhaps more students to joining the book groups! 

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Great Website for digital media- Middle & High School

     I am using Nsteens  in my Information Literacy classes . Actually what I did was put up several links to some of the items on this site on my Google classroom for the students to do - some as part of a class activity when we were in the computer lab, and some to do when they were done with their assigned work.

    Anyway , the students  seem to think that this is a very cool site .  They enjoy and go back to several of the games.   The purpose of NS Teens  is to make students aware of the issues  about using different internet sources , internet safety, & social media.   The programs are designed to think about what are posting and doing online.  Hopefully they will stop and think about  what they are doing  online and if it inappropriate.

   Along the top of them main page you will see the different items available!
 First there are videos related to  digital citizenship. Here is a quick listing of just a few: Friend or Fake, Gaming, Cyberbullying, & Post to be Private.

   Another Tab is Games, which my students thoroughly enjoyed.  Website Warrior and Password Plunder were on my google classroom and many students return to Website Warrior  again and again.

  The Quizzes  tab has 4 quizzes- the first was completed by my students but  some of the wording was confusing to them.  There were two comic strips , my students viewed one.  The remaining tab is biographies on all the characters throughout the different  programs.

  

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Projects/ Activities for February ( Middle school Information Literacy Classes)

    In 7th grade , we are doing some Black American History Month projects.  I have a pathfinder set up for students to read about some famous Black Americans- this gives them a link to the people  and leads them to Biography.com to get quick answers.

     Also there is a research aspect which delves into one person. Students are looking up why the person was famous and other interesting facts.   With these facts , they will be making a wordle poster  for another grade!

     On our Activity table, there are hearts to write their favorite books on, a movie survey, and a fiction find game.  

Monday, October 19, 2015

Inspiration for The Daring School Librarian

 I have been searching for ideas for middle school libraries every since I got this position as a middle school librarian.  I had been a middle school librarian  for 9 years before switching to the elementary level  but a lot has changed since that time.

 One site I have found  is The Daring School Librarian.  It is an awesome site with a lot of content and  great ideas that            has done  on the middle school level.  I am looking at her tech and  lesson ideas and have some solid ideas for lessons and programs.  She has  actual tutorials for her students  that lead them to better understanding of  safe usuage of interent sources, and also a tutorial/ webquest of the steps for

 So if you have not seen this site , I would  greatly suggest you check this out and make it one of your go to places to look!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Professional Development- the easy way

   You can do some professional development and learn a new skill without a lot of traveling by using lynda.com.  This is an online  subscription  that teachers  librarians  through high quality instructional videos taught  by leaders in the library industry .
   There are more than 1,400   training video   in a broad range of subjects : business skills, web design,  and development. You can watch an enitire course or a single tutorial  .Watch as you need  and at your own pace.

  Our system  provides  us access to  this service and I am looking  forward to doing some of my required 3 workshops this year.

Friday, July 17, 2015

E Books For Teens- Summer Reading

Overdrive , which is our suppliers of e books on our library website, is teaming up wiht SYNC to offer two Ya aduio books each week that readers can keep. They will offer a current Ya titles and a classic or a required reading summer title.

  When you sign up for a email or text alert you can be the first to know when the  titles are available to download.

  This year some of the classics are: Great expectations, Dracula, Adventures of Huckleberry Fin , and Around the World in 80 days.  The selections are designed to pair with school  and library reading programs but all ages are sure to love them as well. A toolkit  with posters to promote the program is available on the SYNC website.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Literacy Calendar

     The New York State Library has a website DayByDayNY for families with young children.  It is part of an early literacy program initiative called Read to Read at New York Libraries.
       The site was designed for use by families across NY State. It has am interactive calendar to help young children develop a love of books and learning that will last a life time.
       Multi media is used to enhance books , songs, and health issues resources. Even just a few minutes a day spent together using this calendar  can  give families quality time that  is both educational and enjoyable!

Friday, June 26, 2015

Why Digital literacy Is Important

  Digital literacy means the ability to locate, evaluate , and use digital information. The ability to recognize what information is needed and when to use it are also important components of digital literacy.   Using a wide range of technologies effectively is also important to the adult community( computer, mobile devices, blogs, twitter, facebook , youtube).
    Without access to the internet , adults can't develop digital literacy. Without digital literacy, patrons will not gain maximum benefit from online resources. Being digital literate will also help adults and seniors procure a job in today's job market.
    Training provided by the public libraries to adult patrons is an important service.  Offering a variety of technology training is key .
   Some public libraries have informal assistance , one on one sessions, formal tech training classes and online training materials. This training help adults  to  have skills to join or rejoin the workforce. Some libraries also provide  access to job databases and job opportunity resources,  There may also be provision for civil service materials.
  Many libraries offer other resources to help them with resumes and interviews. Additionally librarians may have staff to help patrons complete online job applications.
   In providing Digital literacy services and classes , the public library help create a skilled and knowledgeable workforce able to meet the technology of the 21st century.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Read it Forward.com

      Readitforward.com is a very interesting and exciting site. It is a great place to discover new books that have just been released . It is also a site where users can 'read it forward" and tell other readers when you discover a books that you absolutely love.

    On Readitforward , you can discover the next best seller even before it is out in books stores and libraries.  Weekly, there are behind the scenes  articles from authors and booksellers.
Also each week,  there is a Read it first giveaway. You can enter for a chance to win an advanced reader copy.

   There are two weekly newsletters that you can subscribe to: Read it forward book giveaways and what we are reading.  Other tabs on the main page to check out are: author essays, your reading life, bonus book content, and most read blog posts.

   Check this out and see if it is for you.
  

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Fictiondb

     Fictiondb is a great resource for those that love fiction. This site will   be valuable to librarians who are looking to expand their fiction and select books that readers will love to read.

    This is an easy to use tool that helps you discover a great book to read.  You can browse  author book list, series, reviews, and  author pseudonyms. There are also links on the main page to lots of interesting  content:  most popular authors,  essential reading lists,  if you like, try...,   and new fiction  (  has a monthly list of every new book with link to short description). There is also blog news, and  definitions of  different genres.

    Also on this site you can keep track of  your books and series that you have read in one convenient place. There is lots of information here that will help both readers and busy librarians.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Stop - You're Killing Me!

   "Stop - you're killing me" is an extensive website for mystery fans.  This also includes crime, thriller, spy and suspense books.  They list over 4000 authors and give a chronological list of their titles!

  This site is extremely helpful top people who want to read their books in the order that they titles were written.

   Searching for an author is easy, just click on their first letter of their last name and you will find an alphabetical listing. You can also search by characters if need be in the same manner.

  On the left hand side there are links that take you quickly to: new additions( hardcovers, paperbacks & audio books)  Also included  on the side tab are: book reviews, read alikes, and various indexes.

  There is a newsletter you can sign up for.  And there are monthly Give ways! Plug in you email to the books you want to win- you will be enrolled in the sweeps.

   So if you are a mystery fan, head over to " Stop you're Killing me" ! You will be glad you did!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Teen Tech Time

    At our Public library System( 3 branches) a Teen Tech time was begun at the beginning of the summer. It is at my branch to start with.

   Our Computer tech guy is young so that appeals to many of the teens- especially the boys.   The guys outnumber the girls in this particular case.

   The first two sessions, the group built a pac- man type video game. they ended up sharing the games with the other in the group for at least three weeks. The Third session , the group learned how to produce a computerized comic strip using the Gimp program.

   I am anxious to see what they will do next!

   The group will be extended to the school year and will move to the branch that is closest to the High school. Hopefully the group will continue to grow. It brings  more youth into the public library , helping them to become aware of all the resources we have available!

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Ixquick.com

    Ixquick.com  is another powerful and personal search engine. One of their advantages is that they do not collect or share your personal information.   Their search results claim is that  they have more comprehensive and more accurate search results than the other major  search engines. This also includes an advanced search  tool.  There is also an international phone directory and for fun a video search.

  When you use Ixquick, you are using  many popular search engines combined. These cover more of the internet than any one search engine combined.    On a search you will see stars *- If you see 5 stars that indicates that 5 search engines agreed on the results of the search.  You can be assured of the most accurate information and results.

  Ixqucikc sends your search topic only to search engines that can handle that specific search,
You can search Izquick in 18 languages. The seraph can include local and international results. You can include local and international results.   You can also find national and international business. n There is also a reverse look for phone numbers. Another plus using Ixquick, that on the tool bar you can us the magnify button to enlarge or reduce any web page.

 So check it out and see if you like using Ixquick!