I happened upon a neat tech tool at a recent librarian conference—one I think you’ll really like. It’s called Padlet.com, and the company’s tagline couldn’t be more accurate: “possibly the easiest way to create and collaborate in the world.”
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Imagine this teaching scenario… A student is creating a presentation about his grandparents’ home country. He wants to insert ethnic music and video clips in the presentation. The teacher tells him it’s okay as long as he cites his source. Was the teacher right?
Truth: You love Google. Your students love Google. It’s often our first stop in the research process, and there’s nothing wrong with that—as long as you’re choosing the right Websites as sources.
Not all Websites are current, accurate, and relevant, and not all of the best content conveniently floats to the top of your search (read this article about Google’s algorithms, for example). Finding the right Websites to cite in research is a process in and of itself. That’s why Barb and I put together this five-step infographic to help your students navigate through the good and the bad on the Web. Consider making it a poster for your classroom! A few English teachers invited me into their classrooms a couple of weeks ago to talk to their students about interviewing. I began my presentation the way I always do, with a few anecdotes about my heydays as a journalist for the Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa’s daily student newspaper. I explained to the classes how I learned so much about the art of interviewing by talking to attorneys and university officials and everyday people about crime and city policy and life stories.
Conducting three interviews is a requirement for the I-Search, but by the time students get to English IV – Composition class, most have never conducted a single interview. Just like anything, interviewing takes practice. Below are a few tips I picked up along the way. Please feel free to share these with your classes, and please encourage them to find interview sources for your research assignments. The earlier we expose them to gathering information this way, the more prepared they will be by senior year. Today marks the mid-point of Banned Books Week, a celebration of the freedom to read. Sponsored by the American Library Association and recognized by school and public libraries nationwide, Banned Books Week challenges the practice of censoring books that some believe contain objectionable content. What we learned in Jamie Born’s Media Literacy class this week is, even though one reader might find a topic or writing style in a book offensive, that shouldn’t keep others from having access to the book. In fact, the very books that experience challenges the most also comprise the list of most popular check-outs in our school libraries in the past decade, among them: Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska by John Green; Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling; and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.
“Who can dispute the value of a good story? Though students may initially view them as dull, biographies are the stuff that great classroom activities are made of—history, honesty, and heroism.” – Education World
As teachers, we are always looking for ways to connect students to the notable people in our content areas: Sir Isaac Newton, Edgar Allen Poe, Vincent Van Gogh, Thomas Jefferson, etc. But how do we engage students in meaningful ways to discover the real story behind a person? The Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA) released on Monday, March 2 the list of 20 books nominated for the 2016 Abraham Lincoln Award. The complete list, available on this LibGuide, includes titles and authors you might already know: FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell, author of 2015 nominee Eleanor & Park; Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline; and The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Twisted and Speak. Visitors to Mr. Salaban’s classroom have noticed some changes. There are some fascinating new machines buzzing along. At first glance, students wonder what it is. But, with a further look, students notice the machines are making objects. These exciting machines are able to create objects—from what appears to be nothing! The machines are 3D printers. Yes, you can create 3D objects on a computer and print them out. Futuristic? Nope. 3D printing is a reality today. Welcome to 21st century “techy tech!”
UPDATE! Since we last wrote, Axis360 introduced a new, all-in-one app to make it even easier to read a book electronically. Check out the update below.
Ten reasons why you should check out our new digital media library Axis360—our next venture in providing students and staff anytime, anywhere learning opportunities. When Morgan O’Connor and I first introduced the yearlong e-portfolio assignment to her three Global Studies classes, students were less than thrilled. For one, they tend to not like work. For two, most of them have never experienced a project that is an entire year long. One that Just. Won’t. Go. Away.
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AuthorsBarbara Mason AboutThe ILC blog keeps Antioch students and staff up to date with news and events related to reading, research, technology, and more.
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