Tuesday Tips February 23, 2016

TECH TIP:  Issuu: Self-Publishing Online

Just before vacation, I had the opportunity to work with Emily Olds' Discovering Psychology class on creating an ABC book for children.  We smashed two tech tools together for this project:  a shared Google Doc and then Issuu,  a site where you can publish your document online in a slick, magazine format. It was great to see the students work together on the Google Doc on the layout, picture selection, font, and content. The finished document was then uploaded to Issuu, and when I shared it with them, they all said, "Wow!"  A great way for students to see the broader scope of their work.  

Here is a link to their final product:  https://issuu.com/kstauntonshron/docs/psychabcbook__1_

 BOOK TIP:  Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

A few years ago in the Faculty Book Club (anyone up for bringing that back???) we readWhen She Woke by Hillary Jordan.  That book was a futuristic retelling of The Scarlet Letter.  Over vacation, I read Hillary Jordan's debut novel, Mudbound.  This is an historical fiction novel set in post-WWII Mississippi and follows the lives of two farming families, one white and one black.  A powerful, gripping novel centered around a time on the farm when they are "mudbound" in because a storm has knocked the bridge out.  Tragic, hopeful, heart wrenching, a great read.  

Tuesday Tips February 9, 2016

TECH TIP:  Noisli 

I discovered Noisli a few weeks ago and it has changed my prep period.  Noisli is a background noise generator.  You select the ambient noise mix you want.  You can select from rain, waves, night sounds, forest sound, even a coffee shop.  You set the volume level for each one.  I put on some of the noise canceling headphones from the library (you can borrow some too!) and I can't hear ANYTHING but those sounds, blocks out everything else and allows me to focus on the work at hand.  You can get this online, through a Chrome extension, or an iPhone app.  Highly recommend this for productivity.  

BOOK TIP: Sherlock Holmes reads

I'm hoping to do some binge watching and get caught up on the BBC's Sherlock this vacation, so here are a few new books to the library on Sherlock Holmes:

The Sherlock Holmes Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by Leslie S. Klinger and DK Publishing.   This is the ultimate guide to all things Sherlock Holmes.  Illustrations, flow charts, and descriptions to all the books, movies, and tv series devoted to the famous detective.

Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty.  In the vein of the TV show Elementary, this is a modern reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.  Two young teens, Sherlock "Lock" and Moriarty "Mori" are brought together over the death of a classmate's father and, in true Holmesian fashion, try to solve the case.  A fun read.  

Tuesday Tips February 2, 2016

TECH TIP:  Adobe Slate

Adobe Slate is a free software that makes beautiful, scrolling and interactive stories.  They look very much like a slick website.  You add in text, photos, and links and select a theme.  It then publishes it for you.  The end product is ready to share via Facebook or by weblink.  Only limitation is you can't download.  

I always test out these tools in creating my quarterly reports for the library.  To see Slate in action, here is a link to the library's 2nd Quarter Report: https://slate.adobe.com/cp/UfqA9/

BOOK TIP:  In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

Judy Blume has long been a favorite of mine (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was a personal favorite from my youth), and she is back with a book geared towards adults.  Set in Elizabeth, NJ in 1952.   Elizabeth was right in the flight path of Newark Airport, and there were 3 plane crashes in the town within months.  The novel follows many of the townsfolks as they deal with these tragic events, but also as they just deal with the normal dramas of middle class America.  Offers good insight into what the 1950's were like.