Tuesday Tips October 29, 2019

TECH TIP:  Hyperdocs: Using Google Docs and Forms

Emery Gagnon was looking for:

• A way for his students to easily share their writing with each other
• A method for them to vote on which submissions were the best in each category

I suggested that he create a hyperdoc using both Google Docs and Google Forms.  A hyperdoc is an interactive document that provides for collaboration and connection and, at its best, also allows for student voice to be heard.  It also keeps the work focused on the task at hand as there is no "clicking through", as all links are on one clean document.  Here is a screenshot of what Emery created:

Let me know if you'd like to create one for any of your classes!

BOOK TIP:  Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2019

 It is that time of year, when the publishing and book industry begin to put out their best books of the year list.  Publisher's Weekly just put out their Best Books of 2019 list.  There is a top ten books, and a breakdown of the best books in other categories like Fiction, Non-Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult and more.  A great place to add to your to-be-read list!

Tuesday Tips October 22, 2019

TECH TIP & BOOK TIP:  Google Books 15 Year Anniversary and Updates

An all in one this week as books and technology collide!  Google Books is celebrating its 15th anniversary with some new updates.  The goal of Google Books was to digitize the world's books so they would be available for all.  Currently, there are 40 million books in 400 languages at Google Books.  

To access the updated Google Books, do a search on whatever topic you want, click on a book and then select the "Try New Google Books" on the right hand side. 

Once in the new format, you can now see on the book's landing page a description of the book, an author history, and full citations in all the major formats.  

They also have a fun interactive experiment where Google will pick a book for you based on what images you select. 

 And I love this Icelandic tradition, reading books and eating chocolate!  Sounds like the best day ever to me 

Tuesday Tips October 15, 2019

TECH TIP:  RemoveBG for Removing Picture Backgrounds

Looking for a way to have students insert themselves into historical scenes or perhaps a scene from a book?  Have them take photos of themselves (preferably against a plain background), then they upload those photos to RemoveBG and the background is removed, the image is saved a PNG.  They can then overlay that image onto whatever backdrop they select.  

I used this with this year's Banned Books Week bulletin board display.

The final product:

BOOK TIP:  National Book Award Finalists Announced

On November 20th, the National Book Foundation will announce its winners of the National Book Award, a prestigious award that celebrates the best of American literature in five categories:  Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Translated Literature and Young People's Literature.  The finalists in each of these categories was just announced.  I use these lists to get inspiration for my own reading or to plan purchases for here.  Check it out!

Tuesday Tips October 8, 2019

TECH TIP:  QR Code Generator 

 

Horticulture students were in the library this week creating informational sheets about all the trees on campus.  I worked with them on then creating a QR code for these sheets.  The QR code will get affixed to the trees around campus and anyone can then scan them and learn about the tree.  

We used QR Code Generator, where you simply copy in the URL to your document and it creates the QR Code for you, which you can save or copy.  

But the best is that through just the camera on your phone, you can scan the QR code and it will take you right to the link!  No need for a special QR reader app.  The students love this part!  Try it out:

BOOK TIP:  Far From the Tree by Robin Benway

  A wonderful young adult novel about what it means to be a family.  Joaquin, Grace and Maya all share the same biological mother, but all were adopted or fostered to different families.  In fact, they didn't even know they had siblings until they were in their teens.  These three form a bond as they search for their biological mother and learn about family: the one you're born into and the one you create.  Well written, great characters.

Tuesday Tips October 1, 2019

TECH TIP:  TimelineJS

I worked with Brian Leslie's 9th Social Studies class on their WWI projects this week.  One of the options I gave to them was to create a timeline using the timeline creator TimelineJS.

There's a bit of a learning curve to this program and it is worth taking the time to watch the tutorial video on how to use it.  Essentially, though, you fill out a Google Sheet template you download from the site, and fill it with your information, dates, images, or video links.  You then upload that Google Sheet to the site and they will produce your timeline.  You can then either embed the timeline on a website or you are given a link to share.  Here are a couple examples of the timeline:

• http://world.time.com/2013/12/05/nelson-mandelas-extraordinary-life-an-interactive-timeline/
• https://timeline.knightlab.com/examples/houston/index.html

BOOK TIP: The Need by Helen Phillips

  Speculative fiction (fiction that contains elements that are not of the natural world, whether it be supernatural, science fiction, etc.) is not my usual genre, but this book was recommended, so I gave it a shot.   Molly is the main character and she is mother to two young children and works as a paleobotanist when she begins to hear and see things.....and I'll leave it at that because it really is a book best gone into blind and is one you will either love or hate.   It is a book I keep thinking about and don't understand the ending, so I need to talk with someone about it!  

Tuesday Tips from the Library

TECH TIP:  NoodleTools Log-In with School Google Account

Students can now quickly and easily log-in to NoodleTools through their school Gmail account.  NoodleTools makes Works Cited pages and can assist in other ways with your research projects.  

Here's how to access using Google:

I'm happy to work with classes on using NoodleTools or the initial account set-up.  If you already had an account set up, there is an additional step to take to connect that account with your school account.  

BOOK TIP:  American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

Marie Mitchell is an FBI analyst in the 1980's.  She is sent undercover to Burkina Faso to assist the US in the overthrow of the Communist president there.  However, she becomes too embroiled and enamored with Thomas Sankara and it changes everyone's lives.  A classic spy thriller of sorts, one based on the true events in Burkina Faso and the overthrow of "Africa's Che Guevara".  

Every summer, former President Obama shares his summer reading list and this was on his list this summer.  

Tuesday Tips September 17, 2019

TECH TIP:  A Page For Your Class on the Library Website 

I worked this week with Dallas Speranzo's classes on a project they will be working on throughout the year related to a local farm.  First step in their research process was to identify a farm.  I created a webpage of resources for them through the library website.  This is something I can do for your classes as well, curate resources specific to the project requirements and assist you in teaching the lesson.   The students were fully engaged in finding their farm to research!

BOOK TIP:  The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

  This was another one of my favorite reads of the summer.  Sisters Edith and Helen are divided after their father leaves the family farm solely to Helen.  Helen goes on to make money by brewing beer, a field dominated by men.  While Edith struggles financially to make ends meet, she does make award winning pies and it is through her hard work that she is able to provide for her family.   This novel is a love letter to Minnesota values, family connections, and finding success in a world that constantly puts you down.  I'd also recommend the author's other book  Kitchens of the Great Midwest.