How good is Oyster, the new ebook subscription service? Linda W. Braun puts the application through its paces in a screencast series showing how to get started with Oyster, how to search titles, and what it all means for libraries.
Organize the Web with EduClipper | Test Drive
By on August 26, 2013
Sure, the Web is a key resource for educators, but what’s the best way to share the good stuff you’ve collected with students and teachers and keep it all organized? EduClipper may be an answer.
Life with Raspberry Pi: Sparking a School Coding Revolution
By on August 19, 2013
A $25 computer that fits in the palm of your hand, the Raspberry Pi has the potential to challenge the digital divide and make coding in schools as commonplace as textbooks. Computing could truly become about what kids can make rather than what schools can buy. Teacher Chad Sansing explains it all, with resources for digging in and getting started.
From Scratch to Tynker: Tools to Teach Kids How to Code | screencast tutorial
By on July 29, 2013
A screencast tour of four free applications to help kids learn how to code: Daisy the Dinosaur, Hopscotch, Scratch, and Tynker.
Summer Project? Six Tools to Upgrade Your School Website
By on July 17, 2013
School’s out—and time to enjoy some serious lounging. Summer is also a time to consider your Web presence. If your website could use an upgrade, consider these tools to give it a boost for back-to-school—and save you time this fall.
With Google Play for Education, Google Promises a Hassle-Free Tablet for K-12, challenging the iPad
By on June 7, 2013
The iPad has been the tablet of choice for schools, thanks to volume purchasing, volume management, and the vast selection of apps. But that may be about to change. With the recent launch of Google Play for Education, Google is set to challenge the iPad’s dominance.
Beyond the Diorama: Punch Up Presentations | Tech Tidbits
By on June 5, 2013 1 Comment
Gone are the dioramas of yesteryear. Times have changed, and students can ditch ancient techniques for new cool tools that can give them a deeper understanding of what they are studying. Here are a few resourceful ways to create and implement multimedia presentations that educators should explore during the summer.
Technology is Not the Goal | Tech Tidbits from the Guybrarian’s Gal
By on April 30, 2013 Leave a Comment
As librarians, our role is often one of instructional coach. We are called on to help teachers and students find solutions to challenges. Recently, a teacher asked for assistance in locating 35 iPads for a great lesson idea she had. She teaches Read 180, a class dedicated to helping struggling readers improve their literacy skills. She and two of her colleagues who teach our English Language Learners wanted to use the new app from Apple, iBooks Author, which allows you to create interactive, multi-touch books that incorporate captions, links, and even video. It’s a great tool, but we had a major problem—we don’t have any iPads.
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.
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.
Tech Tidbits from the Guybrarian’s Gal: Make Technology Work for You
By on December 2, 2012 Leave a Comment
A friend of mine recently forwarded me one of those emails. I’m sure you’re familiar with them: lots of cute photos, and when you scroll to the bottom, you typically see some kind of humorous statement. This particular email had several pictures, all of teenagers—at the park, in a restaurant or car, at a baseball game. And in every image, the teens wereahunched over, totally engrossed in their cell phones. The very last photo is of Albert Einstein, and it’s accompanied by a quote from him: “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”
iPads for Everyone: How a small library program became a runaway hit and reached more than 4,100 kids and teachers
By on October 2, 2012
Carolyn Foote brought six iPads into her school library in a modest pilot program that evolved into a school-wide 1:1 rollout. Librarians are well-positioned to play a critical role, says Carl Hooker, director of instructional technology for Eanes ISD, “They are the conduit to the ed-tech department as well as being a ‘just in time’ trainer.”
Travis’s Excellent (Ereader) Adventure
By on August 30, 2012
In this month’s cover story for School Library Journal, Jonker, an elementary school librarian, documents the launch of an ereader lending program in words and pictures. This article is adapted from a series of posts at Jonker’s blog 100 Scope Notes, which is moving to SLJ.com.
Making the Most of Video in the Classroom | Cool Tools
By on August 28, 2012
From Vialogues and SynchTube to TED-Ed, free tools for hosting conversation around videos.
What’s on My iPad: A few key apps let you hit the road laptop free
By on June 22, 2012
From Keynote to Penultimate, the must-have productivity apps SLJ columnist Christopher Harris puts to use while on the road.
Lessons from the Trenches
By on October 1, 2009
Best practices for using games and simulations in the classroom
By Karen Billings
We know that educational games and simulations can be valuable tools to reach and teach 21st-century students. However, many traditional classrooms and media centers aren’t designed to support educators who want to use them. Teachers and librarians are often required to justify the purchase and use of games in the classroom. And they sometimes even ask themselves if they have successfully met their intended educational objectives when they do [...]
Free for All: Open Source Software
By on August 1, 2008
Open source software has become a catchword in libraryland. Yet many remain unclear about open source’s benefits—or even what it is.
By Karen Schneider
So what is open source software (OSS)? It’s software that is free in every sense of the word: free to download, free to use, and free to view or modify. Most OSS is distributed on the Web and you don’t need to sign a license agreement to use it.
In fact, you’re probably using OSS and may not know [...]
