Tuesday Tips December 11, 2018

TECH TIP:  Google Docs new shortcut

A great new shortcut for creating a Google Doc was recently released.  Instead of having to go into your Drive or Docs in order to create a new document, all you have to do is in your Chrome browser, just type in docs.new and a new document is automatically created.  You can also do this with Google Sheets, by typing in sheets.new or with Google Slides by typing in slides.new. 

BOOK TIP:  Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson

I'm an admitted realistic fiction fan and this is one of my recent YA realistic favorites.  Monday and Claudia have been friends forever, but suddenly when Claudia returns from summer vacation, Monday is nowhere to be found.  Monday's family gives confusing messages about where she is and as Claudia digs deeper into where Monday is, she realizes how little she really knew about her best friend.  

Tuesday Tips from the Library

TECH TIP:  Flippity Scavenger Hunt Template

 

 Flippity is a great tool that easily turns content on a Google Sheet into things like flashcards, name pickers, crosswords and other games.  Their latest tool is one that makes Scavenger Hunts from a Google Sheets template that look like the screenshot below.  This is from the Demo Game, if you want to try it out.  

To make your own, you make a copy of the Scavenger Hunt template and then add in your own content and then when hit Publish to the Web, you will get a unique URL to share with your students.  Could be a good way to review material with your students. 

BOOK TIP:  There There by Tommy Orange

This book was recently named to Best Books of 2018 by The New York Times., but had been showing up on nearly all the best of lists that I've seen.  It is the story of modern Native Americans living in Oakland, CA.  Coming from multiple viewpoints, all who are going to attend the Big Oakland Powwow, their stories will combine and explode on that fateful day.  This book has been called galvanizing, extraordinary and masterful.  

Tuesday Tips November 27, 2018

TECH TIP:  Saving Documents to Google Drive from Databases

Scott Annand's Biology classes were in doing research for their upcoming paper.  I showed them how to save articles from the databases directly to their personal Google accounts.  This allows them to access these articles at any time, anywhere.  Once it is sent to your Google Drive, a new folder will show up for that database with the article in it.  Any highlighting or notes you've added will be there as well.  A great resource!  Here's how to do it:

BOOK TIP:  Best Books of 2018

The best of lists are starting to pour out.  These are great to look at for creating your own "To Be Read" list, or to find book ideas to give as gift this holiday season.   The Washington Post was the first to come out with their list: 

Washington Post Best Books of 2018

Tuesday Tips November 20, 2018

TECH TIP:  Animaker Animated Video Creator

  Animaker is an online program that creates animated videos.  With the free version, you use the pre-made templates and customize with your text and you can add in additional elements.    This is another great video program that students could use to share their learning.  

Each quarter I do a Quarterly Report that highlights the happenings and statistics from the library.  I use these Quarterly Reports as a way to learn some of these new programs.  Here is my First Quarter Report using Animaker:

BOOK TIP:  The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

 Our Student Book Club picked their next selection, The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.  It is a fairy tale of sorts, as a boy wakes up after generations asleep in a glass coffin, only to get up with a young girl and a faerie king.  

Tuesday Tips November 13, 2018

TECH TIP:  Synth Podcast creator

In looking for presentation options for the Alt PE class, I came across Synth. Synth creates 256 second podcasts.  You can easily share them and put them into a group so if you had students doing this, they could play right after each other.  This is available to do on the web or as an app on your phone, so could definitely be something students could do on their own devices.  

BOOK TIP:  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This is a novel that is part murder mystery, part love story, part homage to the ecological marshlands of North Carolina.  Kya is the "marsh girl", growing up alone in a shack in the marshes of North Carolina.  No one knows the wonders of the marsh better than her, but when a townsperson dies in questionable circumstances, Kya is the prime suspect.  Slow paced at times, but with incredible writing that paints a picture of these marshlands.  

Tuesday Tips October 30, 2018

TECH TIP:  MMRHS Letterhead on Google Docs

As many of you are writing letters of recommendations, there is a MMRHS letterhead template in Google Docs that you can use.  However, in order to see the letterhead image, you need to have it in the Print Layout view.  Here is how to do that:

BOOK TIP:  Curated Book "Tasting"

Anne D'Aniello has her freshmen reading individual novels that focus on the theme of revolution.  I put together a mini-collection of books and we had them on tables and the students spent time at each table, getting a small taste of the books.  By the end of the period, each student had selected their own book.  I would love to do this for you as well!

Tuesday Tips October 23, 2018

TECH TIP:  Inserting Video in Google Slides and Adding a Start and End Time

This week, I worked with Scott Annand and Randy Koldys' Fundamentals of Biology class on creating Google Slides presentations.  I showed many of the students how to Insert a Youtube video into their presentation.  When doing this, there is also a way to limit the start and end time of the video if 

there is just a section you want them to watch.  This could be very helpful in your own presentations.  

Here's how you do it:

BOOK TIP:  An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

  This is a great Harry Potter read-alike, but for more of a grown-up audience.  Sydney is a magician who grew up in the Shadows, but is coming out to the "light" during the Turning, a contest where Houses fight for control of the magic world. Underlying this fight for power, is a murderer stealing magic from its victims.  Dark, fast-paced and fantastical, this is a great read (not to mention a stunning cover!)