Tuesday Tips January 17, 2017

TECH TIP:  Animoto Slideshow Maker

This is a tool I've mentioned here a while ago (and ties into the Digital Skills for Teachers inforgraphic section on "Creating Interactive Video Content"), but Brian Leslie recently asked me about using it with a class for their midterm, so it's worth noting again here.  Animoto is an online tool that makes video slideshows out of images that you upload to your Animoto account.  You add in text, which you are limited on the number of characters to add (like Twitter), but this does force students to be concise and use their own words.  You then select a background template and a piece of music and then the software renders the video for you.  This is an old Quarterly Report from the library so you can see one in action (and you can see some former students!).  

In order to get all access to Animoto, there is an educator account that gives you a code for your students.  I'd be happy to help set this up for you and your students!

BOOK TIP:  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This book came up on all the best of lists for 2016 in the category of historical fiction.  An epic generational story that starts in Ghana with two half-sisters at the height of the slave trade in the late 1700's.  One sister stays in Ghana and the other is sent to America as a slave.  What follows are the interconnected stories of their descendants.  A beautiful novel.

Tuesday Tips January 10, 2017

TECH TIP:  Clyp.it Audio Recording Tool

From last week's infographic on Digital Skills for Teachers, one of the categories was to Record and Edit Audio Clips.  Clyp.it would be a good tool to do this.  This could also be a good tool to use with end of the semester assessments, students can post their reactions in an audio, record a poem they've written, or record an historical speech.  You can do a recording without making an account, but if you make an account, you can set the recording to Private, so that only those with the link can hear it.  You can also share a direct link to the recording.  

BOOK TIP:  Scythe by Neal Shusterman

In a futuristic world, all disease has been eradicated, allowing people to live forever.  You can reset your age as you get older, they call it "turning the corner".  However, in order to control population, the Scythedom was created.  Scythes are the only ones who can kill people and are charged with killing a certain number each year.  In the first novel of the series, two young people are in training to be Scythes, but only one can get the title and the winner must "glean" (kill) the other. 

Tuesday Tips January 3, 2017

TECH TIP: Digital Skills for Teachers

I found this infographic over vacation and I will highlight some of these skills and tools in the coming weeks.  Might give you some ideas of new tech tools to integrate this year in your classes!

BOOK TIP:  Personal Book Shopping

For Holly Freadman's 9th Grade English class, I did some personal book shopping.  For each student, I put together a packet of books based upon their interests.  It's like getting a little gift!  I would love to do this for your classes or tailor a booktalk to something your class is working on.