The vast majority of parents with children younger than 18 feel libraries are very important for their kids, leading to higher-than-average use of a wide range of library services, a new national report from the Pew Research Center shows.
Create Your Own Magazines with Flipboard | screencast tutorial
By on April 25, 2013
Now anyone can create a beautiful digital zine of customized content, thanks to Flipboard. In a highly touted feature, version 2.0 of the iconic newsstand app allows users to select content they find on Flipboard to create magazines on any interest or topic. SLJ’s screencast shows you how to make your own publication in the image-rich format, add articles, and publish to the world or select subscribers.
Computers in Libraries Conference Supports Student Learning
By on April 16, 2013
This year’s Computers in Libraries conference included sessions particularly useful to school librarians, with topics ranging from ebook creation to the flipped classroom.
ISTE Calls on Obama to Support Broadband for Education
By on April 10, 2013
The International Society for Technology in Education has initiated an online petition urging the White House to take action to invest in school broadband connectivity to bridge the digital divide in education.
Interactive Storytelling App Versu | screencast tutorial
By on April 2, 2013
In her latest screencast, School Library Journal contributor Linda W. Braun test drives Versu in an assessment that considers the potential of interactive platforms that blur the lines between reader and creator—a particularly compelling concept when it comes to kids and teens.
Minecraft Club: Want to bring the hottest game into your classroom or library? Here’s how.
By on March 27, 2013
The popular game Minecraft “is accessible, fun, and, ultimately, an excellent learning tool for both nerds and non-nerds,” says Sarah Ludwig, who takes us step by step through her process of creating a thriving Minecraft club in her library. New to Minecraft? There’s a video primer.
Pew Study: 37% of Teens Now Have Smartphones
By on March 13, 2013
Smartphone adoption among American teens has increased substantially in the past year, and one in four teens now connects to the internet primarily on mobile devices, according to a national technology-based report from the Pew Research Center.
Understanding HTML Is Critical to Web Literacy, Especially for Young Creators | Opinion
By on March 13, 2013
In a rebuttal to Roy Tennant’s recent blog post, Paul Oh of the National Writing Project, maintains “that knowing HTML—even just knowing how to find the HTML on a webpage or knowing just a few of the tags that comprise the language—makes us increasingly Web literate and gives us critical knowledge in relation to the most important writing production engine of our lifetime, the Internet.”
Bookshare Launches New eBook Tools for Kids with Print Disabilities
By on February 7, 2013
Bookshare has announced that it is launching two new additions to its product line as part of its continuing effort to help kids with print disabilities connect with books. Bookshare Web Reader allows readers to directly open books with a browser without requiring them to download the book or utilize separate software, while Bookshelf allows readers (or their teachers) to organize selections by any system they choose.
Kids’ Ebook Reading Nearly Doubled Since 2010, Scholastic Reading Survey Finds
By on January 14, 2013
The number of kids reading ebooks has nearly doubled since 2010, according to Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report, which was released today. The national survey of kids age 6–17 and their parents also found that half of kids age 9–17 say they would read more books for fun if they had greater access to ebooks—although 80 percent of kids who read ebooks say they still read books for fun primarily in print.
Reading Rainbow Partners With National Geographic Kids, Expands App
By on January 11, 2013
RRKidz has announced that its flagship brand Reading Rainbow is partnering with publisher National Geographic Kids to expand its interactive reading subscription app, available exclusively on the iPad. The company is also expanding its library with a new branded island featuring dozens of books as well as videos hosted and narrated by RRKidz co-founder LeVar Burton.
Lego Celebrates 15th Year of Mindstorms Robots With New EV3 Platform
By on January 9, 2013
The Lego Group has unveiled Lego Mindstorms EV3, a radically redesigned upgrade to its popular robotics platform that’s designed to introduce a new generation of tech-savvy kids to the world of robot building and programming. Lego announced the new platform earlier this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, timed to the 15th anniversary of the original Mindstorms debut.
Librarians Use Social Networking Professionally More than Teachers and Principals, According to Report
By on December 13, 2012
A recent report conducted by MMS Education reveals that librarians use social networking more than other educators.
Make Your Own Infographics | Screencast Tutorial
By on December 9, 2012
You can create infographics—visual representations of data—from scratch using free web tools. Library consultant and educator Linda W. Braun takes you step by step through making your own infographic using easel.ly and info.gram.
National Federation of the Blind to Take Protest to Amazon, Denouncing School Kindle Use as Discriminatory to Blind Students
By on December 5, 2012
Due to their longstanding frustration with Amazon’s failure to make Kindle ereaders accessible to people who are blind, officials from the National Federation of the Blind will be protesting outside Amazon’s Seattle headquarters on December 12.
SLJ’s Top 10 Tech: 2012
By on December 3, 2012
From MOOCs to open educational resources, Joyce Valenza examines the top trends of the year in technology. There are unique opportunities for librarians here and Valenza outlines specific actionables in this online version of School Library Journal’s feature story.
For Librarians, a New Digital Resource on Students with Disabilities
By on November 30, 2012
Though school librarians have often struggled with meeting the needs of students with disabilities, Project ENABLE is a new resource that will help them assist this underserved population.
SLJ Features on Ebooks and CyberBullying Garner Eddies
By on November 25, 2012
Two School Library Journal articles took gold and silver prizes at the 2012 annual Eddie Awards, sponsored by FOLIO: magazine and recognizing editorial excellence in magazines and websites.
Mary Lee Schneider to Head Follett Corporation
By on November 20, 2012
Mary Lee Schneider becomes president and chief executive officer of Follett Corporation. Schneider’s appointment has important implications for the elementary and high schools that rely on Follett for their print and digital learning materials.
“Kids Online” Report: Young Children’s Social Networking Habits Harder to Track than Teens’
By on November 15, 2012
A report issued by The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop concluded that though children under 13 are involved in social media, there isn’t enough data on their social networking habits.
