Tuesday Tips January 29, 2019

TECH TIP:  Headliner Video Creator

  Headliner is a web app that easily creates social media style videos, similar to the ones you see on Facebook or Instagram that have the big captions built in and zooming pictures.  With Headliner, you have several kinds of videos you can create: an audiogram from an uploaded audio file, you can upload a video file and it will create the captions for you, or you can upload text content and it will automatically match it to images or you upload your own images. 

I do a report each quarter to highlight the statistics and happenings in the library.  For my second quarter report, I used Headliner.  Take a look!

BOOK TIP:  Becoming by Michelle Obama

I recently listened to the audiobook version of this (which I highly recommend as Michelle Obama narrates it herself) and it is her autobiography from her time growing up on the South Side of Chicago right through the transition to the Trump administration.  

Tuesday Tips January 22, 2019

TECH TIP:  Zipgrade PD this Thursday!

 This Thursday, every period in the library, I'll run a Drop-In PD session on Zipgrade.  This is a tool you need to see in action!  It grades multiple choice assignments using an app on your phone.  It will save you time on grading and provide quick formative assessment information.  

  

 

Stop in during your prep period on Thursday and learn about Zipgrade.  Snacks and coffee will be provided.

BOOK TIP:  The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee is our next Student Book Club pick.  It is a fanciful romp through 18th century Europe with Henry "Monty" Montague as he goes on a Grand Tour of the continent before taking over his family's estate. He travels with his friend, Percy, whom Monty has a crush on.  School Library Journal said in its starred review of the book, "..... a witty, romantic, and exceedingly smart look at discovering one’s place in the world. A stunning powerhouse of a story...".  

Tuesday Tips January 15, 2019

TECH TIP:  Dayboard:  Chrome Extension for Focus and Task Management

Dayboard is a Chrome extension that helps you keep focused on the 5 most important tasks of your day.  Once you've added the Dayboard extension to Google Chrome, every time you open a new tab, you are given your To Do List for the day.  This way, if you try to escape what you should be doing by going to Facebook, you'll be reminded of what you should be focused on!  

When you select Focus Mode from the top, only your top task is shown.  This does not go away until you complete it.

BOOK TIP:  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This novel will take you back to the days of old Hollywood.  Evelyn Hugo is a movie star of the 1950's, and the novel starts in the modern era as she is in the process of writing her autobiography with a young author.  It takes you through her seven marriages and what they all meant to her.  It's an epic glorious tale of love, Hollywood and secrets.  

Tuesday Tips January 8, 2019

TECH TIP:  Drop-In PD

Thank you to all the departments I was able to visit and survey about what mini-PD topics you'd be interested in.  Here are the results of that survey, where Formative Assessment Ideas and Tools was the top selection:

Thus, on Friday, January 25, will be the first Drop-In PD session on ZipGrade, which allows you to grade multiple choice tests on your phone.  The same session will run every period, and will include a ten minute overview, time for you to experiment, along with snacks and coffee!  Hope you can join me!

BOOK TIP:  Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

I finally got to read this epic novel about a Korean family living in Japan throughout the early 1900's.  The book is a National Book Award Finalist and was on many Best of Lists for 2017.  It follows one family over four generations as they immigrate to Japan, where Koreans face racism and marginalization.  It is powerful and stunning, set in a time and place I knew little about. 

Tuesday Tips December 18, 2018

TECH TIP:  Google Year in Search 2018

Every year, Google puts together a video that highlights the top searches on Google.  I admit to being obsessed this summer over the rescue of the Thai boys soccer team, and that made the list.  See how many of these you remember from this year.  Enjoy!

BOOK TIP:  Free Book Table tomorrow

My gift to you before each vacation is to get books into your hands, so you can enjoy the health benefits of reading over vacation.  Stop by tomorrow to see if there's something for you!

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.