Technology

Last week, Tammy Pirmann and our STEM 1 Class hosted, what we think, may be the first ever Cell Phone Carnival. Tammy, K12 Coordinator for Computer Science, is also our high school STEM teacher. The curriculum for her two mixed-grade classes called for a Rube Goldberg-type of machine as the students’ first project.   But [...]

In searching for great examples of presentations for our seniors, I happened upon the TED Playlists. They’re not really new, but they’re new to me. And these curated collections of TED Talks are a treasure! Some are curated by TED, others are guest curated by thought and cultural leaders like Dan Pink, Sir Ken Robinson, and Bono. [...]

Roxie Munro has created a number of maze books; here she takes that concept and turns it into a puzzle app that offers both depth and detail for a range of ages.

Lerner Digital has launched its Lerner Digital eReader App for Android devices, featuring more than 3,000 available K–12 ebook titles across many interest areas and genres. The app, which is available free in the Google Play Store, is the Android equivalent of the app that the publisher debuted for the iPad in October 2011.

If you are looking for a change of pace multimedia tool that spices up and informs your presentations, you should really spend some time with PowToon. Its basic (free!) features allow you to create a video up to five minutes in length using their music, animations, and various templates.

 The Mozilla Foundation has launched a new  Web Literacy Standard intended to serve as a roadmap for competent Web use and comprising “the skills and competencies people need to read, write, and participate effectively on the Web,” according to Mozilla’s site. Launched during the nonprofit organization’s October 25–27 Mozilla Festival, the Standard features recommendations for [...]

John Locke's Department of Urban Betterment (DUB) is behind the 2012 installation of mini-libraries in New York City telephone booths. Now DUB is at it again with the concept and design of the Inflato Dumpster, giving the phrase "dumpster diving" a whole new meaning.

The Book App Alliance aims to help locate quality book apps amid the tides of Disney, Dora, and Dr. Seuss products. Alliance founders also want to foster best practices.

Make It @ Your Library, in collaboration with Instructables.com and the American Library Association, has finally launched its searchable website, makeitatyourlibrary.org, for librarians seeking maker space ideas and projects. Make It @ Your Library—an initiative developed through the ILEAD USA program over the past year—aims to help librarians realize maker projects in their own communities at low cost.