Tuesday December 19. 2107

TECH TIP:  Stop Motion Studio

Beth Spence and I worked with her AP Biology classes on creating stop motion movies showing the cellular process.  Beth handled the content, and I handled the tech piece.  We recommended the use of the free app Stop Motion Studio.  We showed the classes how to use the app and then let them go!  Their final products were great; this could be excellent to use with other classes, particularly with process oriented topics.  Here was an example of one of the final products:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=3we7mGdr_1E

​​

BOOK TIP:  The New York Times Best Books of 2017

Looking for a good book to read over vacation?  Check out The New York Times recommendations of the best books of the year:

The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2017

The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2017

Tuesday December 12, 2017

TECH TIP:  My Maps at Google Maps

Valerie Zantay asked me this week about using My Maps in her classes as they prepare trips.  In My Maps, which is part of Google Maps, allows you to create custom maps.  You can add in locations, images, videos and write in details as needed.  You can also add in Driving Directions, which will show you the route you will take.  This could be a good tool to use with classes if they need to tour historical locations, map out literature novels, or travel to other countries.  

BOOK TIP:  Genuine Fraud by e. lockhart

This is the next Student Book Club selection.  A bit of everything in this book:  suspense, mystery, hidden identity, social class and a tough female teen lead.  Can't wait to discuss with the group!

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

TECH TIP:  Google Photos Now Right in Google Drive

Google just announced that you can now access your Google Photos right from your Google Drive.  Having your phone camera upload your photos to Google Photos is a great way to save storage on your phone.  You then also have access to your photos on any computer via your Google Drive.  When you are in your Drive, you will now see Google Photos listed along the left hand side bar. 

​

BOOK TIP:  National Book Awards Announced

The National Book Awards were announced recently.  Here are a few of the major winners:

• For FICTION:  Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
• For NON-FICTION:  The Future is History:  How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russiaby Masha Geshen
• For POETRY:  Half-Light: Collected Poems by Frank Bidart
• For YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE:  Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

TECH TIP:  WordItOut Word Cloud Maker

WordItOut is a word cloud generator.  You put in the text you want to generate a word cloud for and based on the frequency of certain words, the sizes of the words will be different.  You can change the font, colors, and also vary the word size on your own in order to highlight certain words.  This could be a good tool for students to use to visualize parts of texts, or for them to highlight certain words and explain why those are more important than others.  In this example, I used the MMRHS mission statement. 

BOOK TIP:  Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I read a lot and like a lot of books, but every now and then a book comes along that I just absolutely LOVE ​  This is one of those books.  Backman is the author of another of my favorites, A Man Called Ove, and this is his latest.  Set in a small Swedish town that is down on its luck, but high on its successful junior league hockey team.  A terrible incident occurs involving members of the hockey team and it divides the town and changes lives forever.  Wonderful writing, powerful characters, a book I still am thinking about.  

November 21, 2017

TECH TIP:  Photo Editing and Equipment

This picture ​was taken last week at Elsa's shower in the library.  Thank you to all who contributed and came.  I took this picture using the selfie stick, which is available to check out of the library.  I also have phone tripods and a microphone that can be used if you have any of your classes working on photo or video projects.  I used Pixlr to add in the frame and text.  

BOOK TIP:  Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys

This was a wonderful book of historical fiction based on a true event.  Inspired by the worst maritime tragedy in history, this is the story of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German ship transporting refugees in 1945.  Told through several alternating voices, the book moves quickly: I read this in one weekend! 

Tuesday Tips November 14, 2017

TECH TIP:  Piktochart Infographic Maker

Each quarter, I put together a Quarterly Report highlights events, circulation, and classes that used the library.  These reports also give me a chance to try out new presentation tools.  This quarter, I used Piktochart, which makes infographics and presentations.  We also used Piktochart with Bill Florek's Horticulture classes.  

​



​

BOOK TIP:  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

This was a heart warming and endearing novel.  Eleanor Oliphant is a socially awkward financial assistant with a devastating past.   She begins a friendship with Raymond from the IT department and she begins to come out of her shell and face her past.  Highly recommend this one.  

Tuesday Tips October 31, 2017

TECH TIP:  Google Sites

Brian Leslie's Psychology classes have been in the library creating Google Sites.  Google Sites is part of the suite of Google applications, available to anyone with a Google account​.  To create your free website:

Then you can pick a theme, fonts, site name and insert:  

​Could be a great free tool to use with students for a project where their work is published online.

BOOK TIP:  Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

This is the follow-up book to John Green's hugely successful The Fault In Our Stars.  In this novel, Aza is a young woman with OCD who begins a quest with her friend to get a cash reward for finding a missing billionaire.  It is ultimately the story of Aza and her struggle against her ever tightening spiral of thoughts.  

Tuesday Tips October 24, 2017

TECH TIP:  New Science Database​

As part of the library's collection of databases, there is a new science STEM oriented one published by ProQuest.  The database offers ​access to more than 500 science journals and popular science magazines.  The database offers the ability to save articles to your Google Drive as well as pre-formatted citations.  We used it last week in Lisken Dus' Non-Fiction class and would love to share it with your classes.

To access, simply click here and you will automatically get in here at school.  If accessing from home, you will need to use the username / password combo of:  monument / mountain

BOOK TIP:  Jefferson's Children:  The Story of One American Family by Shannon Lanier and Jane Feldman

Today's Arts and Ideas Forum is with the co-authors of the book Jefferson's Children: The Story of One American Family.  One of the authors is the sixth great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemmings.  They will present during period 7 today to a full house.  I have a copy of the book in the library if you are interested in looking at it. 

Tuesday Tips October 17, 2017

TECH TIP:  Acquainted Online Polling System

 Acquainted is a free online polling tool that is quick and easy to use.  This could be a great way to take a quick poll of your class as an exit ticket or a formative assessment.  Once you've registered, you create a conversation with your questions.  The poll can be shared via a link or a Tweet.  The poll shows up looking like a text message box:

And then the poll results give you a nice results graph:

​

BOOK TIP:  The Poetry of Richard Wilbur

Poet Richard Wilbur passed away this past Saturday at the age of 96.  He was a Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner.  There are several books in the MMRHS library of his poetry and several classes are gearing up and selecting poems for this year's Poetry Outloud contest.

Tuesday Tips October 10, 2017

TECH TIP:  Google Keep

 Google Keep is my new go to organizational tool.  It is part of your Google suite of applications.  It is like an online sticky note.  Simply click on the Take a Note box at the top to add a new note.  You can color code the notes or add in labels.  You can archive web sites, images, etc through the Google Keep Chrome Extension.  It is also an app for your phone, so you have all your to do lists and reminders in one place and can access from any device.  This could be an invaluable research tool for students to curate their materials.  Would love to show a class this tool!

BOOK TIP:  Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Our Student Book Club is back up for the year!  Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor is our first pick.  Junior librarian and amateur historian Lazlo Strange has long been obsessed with the mythical city of Weep.  In this novel, he is given a chance to join an expedition to try to solve the mystery of Weep.  

Tuesday Tips October 2, 2017

TECH TIP:  Factitious:  Fake News Quiz

 Factitious is an online quiz that tests your knowledge about real vs. fake news stories.  It also gives you the source of the story.   Could be good to use in a class where you're discussing truth or validating sources. 

BOOK TIP:  Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

 Jacqueline Woodson is a stand out author of young adult books.  In Another Brooklyn, the adult narrator, August, returns to Brooklyn after the passing of her father.   Much of the book are her memories of what it meant to be growing up  "girl" in Brooklyn in the 1970's.  It is a quick read, written almost in verse; it's lyrical and mystical. 

Tuesday Tips September 26, 2017

TECH TIP:  Read & Write for Google Chrome

This past week, Meghan St. John, Jenn Miller, Elyse Mercier and I collaborated on adding the Chrome extension Read & Write to the students in Meghan's Freshman English class.  Once you add the extension to your Google Chrome, a purple icon appears in the tool bar.  When you click on the icon, another task bar appears and once you hit Play, it will read aloud the highlighted text from any electronic document or webpage.  

BOOK TIP:  Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

  This was one of my favorite books of the summer.  The Georgia Flu has swept the world, killing millions and disrupting society as we know it.  This is a post-apocalyptical world where simple survival is the name of the game.  The novel weaves together chapters from before and after the flu breaks out.  Strong writing, devastatingly beautiful characters, fans of Stephen King and The Walking Dead will enjoy this novel.

Tuesday Tips September 19, 2017

TECH TIP:  Adding a Signature to Your Email

Several people have asked about how to add a signature to their new BHRSD Gmail. I've ​included screenshot directions about how to do that below.

​

BOOK TIP:  The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

A powerful fiction novel that looks at race in America.  Starr Carter is the only witness to the shooting of her friend Khalil by a white police officer.  As the unidentified witness, Starr is put in the middle of a fierce battle between those who label Khalil a thug, and those who protest the police officers action.  A book that will make you think.  

Tuesday Tips September 12, 2017

TECH TIP:  Powtoon

Powtoon creates animated videos.  You add in the text, select images and then set the pace and order in which the items appear.  Pick a piece of music, and the software then puts together the video.  I've used this with classes and it is well received by students.  This is a quick PowtoonI put together on the library:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTcPyoWy5CM 

Powtoon wants to support teachers looking to integrate tech and multimedia into their classrooms and right now they are giving away $10 million worth of educator accounts.  Sign up now!

BOOK TIP:  The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I listened to this whole Red Queen trilogy as audiobooks this summer and I loved them!  It's a fantasy novel that has social class fight, political power struggles, royalty and romance.  A great narrator on the audiobook kept me totally engrossed, but the story and characters were riveting.  A great escape read.

Tuesday Tips September 5, 2017

TECH TIP:  Name Picker Ninja

​At the site Name Picker Ninja, you enter in the names of your students​ and then when you hit GO, the ninja will randomly pick a name.  Once a name is picked, you can remove the name from the list so that no one is picked twice.  This could be a good way to pick groups, organize presentations, or vary who goes first. 

BOOK TIP: The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach

 This was one of my favorite reads of the summer.  One reviewer called it The Fault In Our Stars meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and that comparison rings true.  Ivan was born disabled as a result of post-Chernobly fallout and has spent his whole life at the Mazyr Hospital for Gravely Ill Children.  Ivan is a witty and funny narrator, sharing the antics of the hospital staff and other patients.  It is the arrival of Polina at the hospital that changes his life.  A sweet, endearing read.

Tuesday Tips June 20, 2017

TECH TIP:  MakeaMeme

This is a fun one.  At MakeaMeme, you can create custom memes using their stock of photos or you can upload your own image.  This could be a unique way for students to highlight their experiences this year or summarize the theme of a text.  

BOOK TIP:  Obama Names the Books of His Presidency

Prior to leaving office, President Obama sat down with the New York Times to discuss the books that shaped his presidency and what books mean to him.  Here is the full transcript of that interview with the Times and here is a link to President Obama's reading list, which could inspire some summer reading for you this year.

Tuesday Tips June 13, 2017

TECH TIP:  Photofunia

Photofunia is a photo editing site that allows you to simply add photos to varying templates and add some text.  Could be a fun project with students to pull together some photos from the year, historical figures, book characters, etc.  

BOOK TIP:  I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

This is our next Student Book Club pick but it has definite adult crossover appeal.  I'd recommend this for a summer read.  This book is a Printz Award winner, which is the American Library Association's award for a young adult novel of literary excellence.  It is the story of fraternal twins who are torn apart by some unknown rift.  The early years are told through the eyes of one twin, the later years told by the other.  A well written, and captivating, coming-of-age story.

Tuesday Tips May 30, 2017

TECH TIP:  3D Printing

A fun collaborative project this week between Kristi Farina, Tom Roy and myself.  Kristi's Geometry classes designed geometric models using the Tinkercad software, and then Tom and his Makerspace interns helped to print out the models on the 3D printer.  There are all kinds of ways the 3D printer could be incorporated into your classes, let Tom and I know what you might want to do.

BOOK TIP:  LEGO Mindstorms Discovery Book

Along with the 3D Printer the library Makerspace also has LEGO Mindstorm Robots.  This is a book that is available from the library for you to learn how to use these.  We would love to find ways to incorporate these into your classroom, reach out to Tom Roy or myself if interested.

Tuesday Tips May 23, 2017

TECH TIP:  Library Databases and TurnItIn

As you begin to plan end-of-year projects, papers, and presentations, a reminder about the databases available through the library website.  In this time of fake news and questioning sources, databases take a lot of the guess work out of it for students as these are compilations of vetted sources.  Check out the full list of databases, or stop in the library and together we can plan out what your class needs.

The library also subscribes to TurnItIn, which can check for plagiarism on student papers, and it also has a grammar check part that can be very helpful in the draft writing process.  Stop in and I'll help you set up a class.

BOOK TIP:  The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

This book is pretty dark, but yet, I couldn't put it down, read it in two days.  If any of you remember Flowers in the Attic, this is the grown up version.  Lane Roanake's mother commits suicide, and she goes to live with her grandparents and her cousin, but all is not good in the house.  And when Lane returns ten years later after her cousin disappears, the family secrets start to come out.  

Tuesday Tips May 16, 2017

TECH TIP:  Library as Space

A broad interpretation of "technology" this week, but great examples of alternative learning.  Last week, the library hosted a gallery showing of Lisken Van Pelt Dus' Latin and Comparative Language class creative projects.  This picture of  Dorian Page's "Euphemism box", which drew a large crowd.  

The library also hosted the Modern Euro debates, another great use of library space.  I love the use of the library for these sorts of events, and as you can see the events drew a great audience, allowing students an opportunity to highlight their learning and creativity beyond the classroom.  I would love to host such an event for your class!

BOOK TIP:  The Diabolic by S.K. Kincaid

This is our student Book Club pick, which we will be discussing tomorrow.  It is a science fiction book, where a humanoid named Nemesis must take on the role of her human master in order to save her from the Emperor.  It is the first book of a trilogy.  We will see what the students say about the book!

Tuesday Tips May 9, 2017

TECH TIP:  NASA Image and Video Library

NASA recently announced the release of a searchable library of image, video and sounds from its many missions.  There are over 140,000 items in the collection.  When I searched for Mars, found this incredible image from the Mars Rover:

This could be a great resource to use in science classes or use the images as story starters for writing projects.  Worth checking out!

BOOK TIP:  Space Books

In keeping with the space theme this week, here two of my favorite space books in the MMRHS library collection.

Rocket Boys by Homer Hickham.  This memoir inspired the film October Sky.  Two young men from a West Virginia coal mining town go on to develop rockets despite many odds.  

Blue Marble:  How a Photograph Revealed Earth's Fragile Beauty by Don Nardo.  The astronauts of Apollo 17 took this image of Earth, revealing the Earth as a floating ball in an inky black sea.  It went on to become one of the most reproduced images ever.  This is it's story and the impact it had on the way we view our planet.

Tuesday Tips May 2, 2017

TECH TIP:  Stupeflix Photo Video Editor

Each quarter, I use a new tool to complete a quarterly report that highlights the statistics and happenings in the library.  This quarter, I used Stupeflixto make a photo video slideshow.  I used the Top 10 template, counting down the top 10 things in the library.  You upload your images, add in text and slide transitions, and then select a piece of music and hit Produce.  Very easy - and free!  This could be a great tool to use with students.  Final project can be uploaded to YouTube and shared.  

Watch the one minute video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlDD5FhmFnY&t=16s

BOOK TIP:  We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

This book has an interesting premise:  Henry Denton has been abducted by aliens off and on for years.  They have given him the power to press a button and save the world by a certain date.  If he doesn't press the button, the world will end.  But the book isn't really about that, it is about making that decision in a world where your boyfriend kills himself, a mother who struggles to make ends meet, a father who abandoned you, a grandmother with Alzheimer's, and a school that taunts you by calling you Space Boy.  A thoughtful look at whether or not the world is worth saving.