For more than 40 years, we’ve been privileged to tour history through the rich and creative lens of Ken Burns and his collaborators. The renowned documentarian now presents new ways to incorporate his body of work into learning experiences in our classrooms and libraries. Ken Burns describes the importance of the UNUM project: UNUM is […]
The best go beyond challenging to engage players on a number of levels: through distinct but readable design, evolving mechanics or difficulty, and repetitive but soothing soundtracks.
In 2019, these were the math books that really made me sing. Whether you're dealing with shapes or number lines, it's all on display right here.
Author Andrew Clements is being remembered by educators, fans, and peers; the Library of Congress presents Rosa Parks through her own writings, photos, and memorabilia; Science teachers can earn a prize valued at $5,500 in an engineering contest; and more in this edition of News Bites.
As part of SLJ’s Tech Trends series of webcasts in cooperation with ISTE, a panel of experts discussed makerspace learning and offered guidance on how to create and design an effective program.
In School Librarian Saturday, I’m going to share the websites, databases, apps, and other stuff I use with students in my K-3 teacher-librarian role, under the cover of internet darkness (see: the weekend). Today we have a website that allows students to create their own comics, called Make Beliefs Comix. What It Is: A website that […]
Educators emphasized the fun side of learning and reading.
I was among the fortunate who were able to attend the AASL National Conference in Louisville this week. We are all fortunate that a dedicated and hardworking social media squad had our backs. So whether you suffered FOMO over sessions you couldn’t fit in, or couldn’t get into, or if you couldn’t attend onsite, you are covered. […]
The new initiative will provide free access to digital content and real-life STEM experiences to K-12 educators and students.
The Internet Archive and an army of Wikipedians are working towards achieving improved consensus around knowledge and greater historical accuracy by, as founder Brewster Kahle shares, weaving books into the fabric of the web itself. Last week, at its annual celebration, the Internet Archive announced the initiative in which it will be Weaving Books into […]
In School Librarian Saturday, I’m going to share the websites, databases, apps, and other stuff I use with students in my K-3 teacher-librarian role, under the cover of internet darkness (see: the weekend). Today we have a website that teaches computer coding, called Code.org. What It Is: Code.org is a “nonprofit dedicated to expanding access […]
Last week, the Internet Archive announced the opening of the Universal School Library (USL), “a growing collection of digitized books within the Internet Archive’s larger holdings, made available through controlled digital lending, and curated by a national advisory group of school librarians, librarian educators and researchers.” Currently in an early phase of its development, USL’s ultimate […]
For years I’ve been trying to find a solution for creating interactive presentations without having to leave my platform of personal choice, Google Slides. For years, I’ve McGuyvered solutions which involved bringing my created slides into another platform. (If you’ve ever seen one of my slide-heavy presentations, you know that is not a real solution.) […]
Back in November of 2010, I wrote a response to a superintendent’s proposed elimination of school libraries in New York State. Recent ill-informed threats to school librarians and the equity they provide across our country inspired me to update a poem I wrote in the style of Taylor Mali’s classic response to an ignorant dinner […]
Our curated directory covers the nuts and bolts of professional development opportunities beyond the MLS.
Way back in 2015, I shared a post about Nepris: Matchmaker for STEAM Learning. It’s time for a bit of an update. The libraries of archived sessions are nowsubstantial and free, as are a wealth of other materials to inspire exploration of our students’ next steps. If you haven’t yet discovered it, Nepris is a social […]
Way back in 2015, I shared a post about Nepris: Matchmaker for STEAM Learning. It’s time for a bit of an update. The libraries of archived sessions are nowsubstantial and free, as are a wealth of other materials to inspire exploration of our students’ next steps. If you haven’t yet discovered it, Nepris is a social […]
The new website provides teachers with information on Penguin Random House titles, teaching guides, and resources to improve student literacy.
These inquiry lessons are ideal for elementary school teachers and librarians seeking a carefully organized suite of materials that offer hands-on, phenomenon-based science instruction.
This new product aims to help educators with a better approach to curriculum, classroom instruction, and collaborating with peers.
When I decided to incorporate more tech in the library, it made sense to connect it to my Read Woke initiative.
School librarians are recognized as tech leaders in their schools and communities—and say their tech skills boost job security, according to SLJ's 2019 technology survey.
A new interactive data tool from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University shares access to information about academic performance across public schools and districts throughout the United States. The platform offers educators, journalists, parents, and policymakers a way to explore and compare data from Stanford’s Education Data Archive (SEDA), the first comprehensive national database of […]
With citizen science projects like those in NASA's GLOBE program, students are learning scientific skills, connecting their regions with global trends, and aiding scientists with research.
This past weekend I had the honor of attending and presenting at SLJ’s 15th annual Leadership Summit in Baltimore. The focus of this year’s event was Equity and Access for All: Igniting Stakeholders for Success. Our friends at SLJ curated a truly inspiring opportunity to learn and share, gathering an impressive group of thought leaders […]
High-profile educators like to talk about tech tools and other products they like. We need to know if they’re being paid to do so.
Summit attendees explored equity and access across different areas of education including technology, community engagement, and advocacy.
Include: Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community. AASL National School Library Standards, Key Commitment: Include As librarians, we are committed to serving every child and respecting diversity across our learning community. When we do this well, we are trusted to lead in fostering and facilitating […]
Librarian Stacey Shaprio shares with us one of her first steps on developing a crafting community at her local library, and it involves the Instax Mini
Young sports fans will have a field day exploring 100-plus biographies of popular athletes compiled here.
Here's a round up of some DIY inspired YouTube channels that can help inspire innovative and engaging tween and teen programming ideas.
Audio offers great potential as a connected learning tool. Here's what you need to get started.
School libraries are key to information literacy, and investment will drive impact.
A New Jersey school librarian fought to keep Fun Home on the shelves, an author is uninvited from a teen lit festival, the Carle Honors Art Auction is underway, and a few tech resources added features for the start of the new school year in this edition of News Bites.
Dee Lanier has been engaging in some serious and playful thinking relating to how people identify and creatively solve problems. He recently created Solve in Time, a gamified problem-based learning activity that uses the design-thinking process to solve real-world problems. Dee believes it will take the blah out of lesson planning while it engages classrooms and […]
After receiving requests from parents, Osmo has created an educational game for children age 3-5 that seamlessly weaves digital and physical play.
Want to know a new, cool way to make t-shirts with teens in a makerspace? Try Infusible Ink!
I only recently discovered that Canva, one of our favorite design tools, extends its design magic to support graphing and data visualization. I cannot tell you how often I wished for a template to create pie, bars, fishbone, concept maps, comparison charts for my instruction, presentations, infographics, and reports. I often struggle to help teachers […]
At ALA Annual, AASL released its new, downloadable Developing Inclusive Learners and Citizens Activity Guide. Designed to support school librarians in nurturing inclusive learning communities, the Guide offers reflection activities, scenarios, and resources based on the six Shared Foundations and the four Domains of our National School Library Standards. The goal of the Activity Guide is […]
The newly reimagined Empire State Information Fluency Continuum (ESIFC) was introduced at the NYLA-SSL Summer Institute this week. Happily, our friends in New York State are again sharing their fine work. Dr. Barbara Stripling, Professor Emerita, Syracuse University, and former ALA President, describes the history and goals of the project that builds on an earlier version […]
The concepts of flow, community, and nonverbal communication are explored in three intriguing and artistically daring games.
It occurs to me that so many of my best ideas come from the blogs of others. As often as not, those blogs live outside of the school library world. In no particular order, here’s a very personal selection of blogs/bloggers I couldn’t live without. 1.Cult of Pedagogy is far more than a blog. Since […]
Migrant kids in foster care and secure holding facilities will get books thanks to a new grant from First Book, plus coming titles from Lois Lowry and Megan Rapinoe, and more news.
Largely rooted in STEM, high school makerspace CTE programs are fueled by new job opportunities that students can dip into before college or career training.
It's been a space-themed month, and Avokiddo's new app adds to the fun with a production that fuses logic, puzzles, and elements of physics.
Imagine an instructional partner who could act as: a lifeline for students and parents for whom English is not a first language a friendly support system for your emerging readers and your students with learning differences a coach who presents the availability of individual reading environment choices and encourages independence a collaborator who amplifies the […]
As a librarian for many years, I've often changed my mind about various topics. Today, I'm rethinking 3D printers in the public library.
This started as a post and got completely out of hand. It made far more sense to recap ALA 2019 Annual Conference using a social media approach. So here’s a Wakelet offering my personal highlights both of the events I had the privilege to attend in the brief time I had before ISTE as well […]
IMLS-funded free, online professional development racial equity curriculum is now available; Dav Pilkey and Scholastic try to "Do Good"; youth writer awards announced and more in this edition of News Bites.
TLTer Robin Willis shares her go-to, no-fail slime recipes
Every 45 seconds of every minute of the 2018/2019 school year, a new educator signed up for Flipgrid. During the past school year, kids shared 24 billion seconds of Flipgrid video. The student voice and video discussion tool is currently used in 180 countries by millions of students, educators, and families. Earlier this week at […]
ISTE both thrills and overwhelms me. However carefully I plan my choices, each year I am plagued by FOMO. This year, with the help of ISTE Librarians Network President Nikki Robertson, I asked our colleagues who attended the Network Breakfast to help us all out by sharing their biggest takeaways. First, know that the folks […]
ISTE both thrills and overwhelms me. However carefully I plan my choices, each year I am plagued by FOMO. This year, with the help of ISTE Librarians Network President Nikki Robertson, I asked our colleagues who attended the Network Breakfast to help us all out by sharing their biggest takeaways. First, know that the folks […]
Inspiring projects, discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and creating with—not just consuming—augmented and virtual reality were just some of the highlights of ISTE 2019.
“When problems occur in history, we send you back in time to make sure history happens the way it is supposed to,” says Professor Wolf of Britannica’s new Guardians of History. Your voice launches the immersive audio adventure that is one part Oregon Trail, one part Back to the Future, one part Choose Your Own […]
Podcasts offer students a chance to own the conversation—and sometimes spark discussions about subjects adults won’t address. Plus, educators' tech tips and best practices.
Ready to take the next step? K–12 librarians serving high-need communities are eligible for a partial-tuition scholarship toward attending a fall leadership course in Future Ready librarianship.
Library Ideas debuts Immersive Reality Books, a new line of children’s nonfiction titles featuring integrated virtual reality and augmented reality content.
There were inspiring speakers, thought-provoking sessions, and protests at the ALA Annual Conference. Here are highlights, news, and notes from this year's event in Washington, DC.
The much anticipated best apps, chosen by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) each year, were announced on Saturday, alongside the best websites. But it was for the last time—the lists will be merged into a single best learning tools annual list beginning in 2020.
Heading to Philadelphia for ISTE 19? Don't miss this list of sessions and speakers that ISTE leaders and fellow attendees are most excited to attend.
I am currently working on a research project with partners from the University of Florida and OCLC. Researching Students’ Information Choices (RSIC), our IMLS-funded study, uses simulated Google result lists to examine what happens when student researchers make real-time search engine result page decisions. I thought I’d share some of our preliminary findings. This post […]
The latest app in Tinybop, Inc.'s "Explorer's Library" allows students to experiment with heating and cooling solids, liquids, and gases—without setting off a smoke alarm.
A trio of games that complement this year’s Collaborative Summer Reading theme emphasize the need for players to work together when faced with galactic danger.
The organizer of popular all-ages summer STEAM and maker programs shares expertise on planning, staff training, and activities.
I’ve never been a fan of evaluation checklists. They require serious cognitive lift, perhaps more lift than some content actually deserves. I am a big fan of what Mike Caufield calls moves, some sticky strategies we can all use to get closer to the truth. Caufield, of Washington State University Vancouver, leads the Digital Polarization […]
How do you use digital media to take something old and turn it into something new? Here's a digital media walk through to show you how easy it is.
Celebrate Pride during the month of June by creating rainbow effect photos using digital media.
This new product allows users to alter code—and learn how to code—as they play. Kids can modify, change, and create a new game on the go.
Create a universe of stories using a variety of digital media apps to create out of this world pictures with tweens and teens as part of your summer reading programming.
Is it time to welcome a new genre to our children’s and young adult collections? Kirsten Cappy thinks so. The co-founder and director of I’m Your Neighbor, leads a project highlighting the lives of New Arrivals and New Americans through the sharing of children’s literature. At the MASL Conference in Augusta, Maine last week, I […]
New research offers compelling evidence that suggests we should make more use of podcasts, while a podcast search engine makes it easy. Here are three curated lists that dovetail with this year's summer reading theme.
More logged minutes mean more donated books in this year's Scholastic summer reading challenge; Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Awards announced; Library of Congress puts rare Chinese books online; and more in this edition of NewsBites.
Curation is one of our Shared Foundations. It is also identified as a leadership area on the Future Ready Librarians Framework. But what does it look like when the school librarian really dives into digital curation? And what does it look like when the librarian, armed with a rich OER toolkit, regularly curates urgently needed, […]
Curation is one of our Shared Foundations. It is also identified as a leadership area on the Future Ready Librarians Framework. But what does it look like when the school librarian really dives into digital curation? And what does it look like when the librarian, armed with a rich OER toolkit, regularly curates urgently needed, […]
Four innovators use technology to bring out the best in their students and their communities.
My friend Jennifer LaGarde (@jenniferlagarde) recently introduced me, and our Young Adults Reading and Literacy students at Rutgers, to the idea of Book Bentos. Highly visual, creative and interactive the book bento strategy invites book lovers to create, hyperlink and share book titles in an artfully arranged interactive collage. I asked Jennifer to fill me […]
Using podcasts, social media, self-publishing strategies, and other tools, these six trailblazers transform reading and research.
With projects ranging from aquaponics to breakerspaces, these innovators maximize tech's creative potential. It starts in the library.
Multiple book awards were announced, FlipGrid revs up for another student voice bus tour, and Follett has launched a new learning platform.
A one-stop Earth Day resource list to help with programming and lesson plan needs.
I saw Google’s new Here to Help ad campaign a couple of weeks back and I can’t get it out of my head. Presenting how Google addresses real-life information needs against the soundtrack of The Beatles’ classic Help, the 60-second ad demonstrates so effectively how we rely on Google products to make our lives a […]
Developed by the News Literacy Project and led by journalists and digital media experts, this tool helps students hone their media literacy skills.
As schools enter standardized testing season and student stress levels rise, these tools can help them get centered and relax.
The American Archive of Public Broadcasting gathers more than 70 years of public broadcasting from around the country. This free resource is a critical tool for studying 20th and 21st Century culture and history. And it is a must-share across content areas and grade levels. A collaboration between the WGBH Educational Foundation and the Library […]
Interactive lesson platform Nearpod has acquired Flocabulary, the Brooklyn-based company that integrates a hip-hop beat into lessons spanning the curriculum.
I recently discovered Boclips for Teachers, a portal hosting more than 2 million short-form educational videos from more than 100 of the educational video producers you already know and love. Familiar sites like TED-Ed, LearnZillion, Associated Press, PBS, Crash Course, Reuters, Bozeman Science and Smithsonian have offered permission for the site to curate their excellent […]
A new app by the German developer has been nominated for two Webby Awards.
Globe-trotting gumshoes use map skills and AR in this new addition to Osmo's hands-on learning collection.
Want to create a cool glitch effect for your photos? There's an app for that.
Can games and game-like experiences promote a better world—both in and out of the classroom? Find out Wednesday, April 3, as “Game-Based Learning: Ideas for the Classroom & Library" starts a new series of #SLJISTE webcasts.
Looking for a little old timey computer nostalgia with a dose of espionage and a taste of geographical flavor? Well, gumshoe, you are ready for your next assignment from the ACME detective agency. This time Carmen Sandiego is sneaking around the world via Google Earth. The Crown Jewels Caper is the first of a series of new Where on Google […]
LittleBits is offering Expansion Packs, with additional hardware and instructional content, to enhance its STEAM Student Set and Code Kit.
Back at ALA Midwinter, I was honored to present on LITA’s Top Tech Trends panel, with fellow panelists Kate Tkacik, Suzanne Wulf, Becky Yoose, James Neal and Cynthia Dudenhoffer. Here’s the slide deck. Each of us was initially assigned two trends to explore and discuss. I thought I’d break my own twoish trends and resources into two posts. […]
Librarians represented at SXSW EDU, as SLJ's School Librarian of the Year honorees, Ali Schilpp, Cassy Lee, and Michelle Carton, presented the session "Going Global with the School Librarian of the Year" in Austin.
Exciting new communication features—including an LED light matrix—are the standout elements of the Sphero BOLT, the latest in the company's line of robots that teach kids to code.
Users will appreciate the clean design, understated beauty, and game-like features of this delightful app.
There’s still time to register for a very special How to Train Your Dragon event with with author/illustrator Cressida Cowell tomorrow on March 6th. A free broadcast will be followed by a live Q & A with students around the world! The World Book Day celebration is sponsored by Microsoft and Little Brown. And you may recognize a […]
With guidance and resources, students can lead the way on climate change
One of my favorite new(ish) tools for curation is Wakelet. In the past I’ve used to to archive conferences, share lists of best lists, crowd-source current awareness, and to keep my personal favorite classroom teaching tips and strategies handy. (Happily I discovered Wakelet in the wake of the sudden demise of tools like Google+ Communities and Storify.) I […]
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