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.

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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.