February 16, 2013

The DPLA and School Libraries: Partners Focused on Digital-Era Learners

Close-up of objects

If we build it well, a Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) can help school libraries meet the information needs of students even as local budgets shrink. The DPLA can provide important resources to the partnership between library-based and classroom-based teachers, especially during this period of rapid change in education, in libraries, in technology, and in the world of information generally.

Scholastic Launches New Multi-Platform Fantasy Series

SCHOLASTIC SPIRIT ANIMALS

Scholastic has announced it will release Spirit Animals, a new multi-platform, multi-author fantasy adventure series for readers ages 8–12, in September. The story arc of the seven-book series and online game will be established by New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull, with a second title launching next year from bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

Small Demons: Welcome to the storyverse!

Because these are the details we obsess over. The authors who write them and the readers who read them. They connect us with our stories and connect our stories with each other. And with these connections comes a whole new world of discovery.  Valla Vakili’s talk at the Tools of Change Conference. 2/14/12 In his [...]

Soapbox: Not Fast Enough

markray

SLJ’s latest tech survey shows that school librarians need to master a new game.

Great Gadgets: Machines, Tools, and Technology | Series Made Simple Fall 2012

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From kindergartners with truck obsessions to high school students researching the latest inventions, books on technology are always in demand. Some notable topics appear in this fall’s crop of books: simple machines and tools, amazing vehicles, and the development of technology over time.

SLJ Summit 2012: Chris Lehmann Calls for a “Citizenry Model” for Today’s Schools

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Chris Lehmann, the founding principal of Philadelphia’s Science Leadership Academy, isn’t surprised most teens think, “school stinks.” This innovative educator is out to change their opinion.

Nick’s Picks | The Promise of Technology

BetweenShades

This past summer I attended my first International Society for Technology in Education conference (ISTE), and was awestruck to be among 20,000 plus educators who share the exhilarating goal of advancing “excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology.” Four of the promises of technology that permeated conference conversations—along with exemplar multimedia resources from TeachingBooks.net—are highlighted in this month’s column.

The Big Tease: Trailers are a terrific way to hook kids on books

Illustration by Rafael Ricoy

Once upon a time, publishers promoted books with jacket blurbs, bookmarks, and author tours. Then six years ago, YouTube changed the rules of the game. Today publishers are spending as much as $20,000 a pop to create book trailers—30- to 90-second teasers, à la movie trailers, designed to generate virtual and word-of-mouth buzz and, of course, to sell titles.