Tuesday Tips: January 10, 2023

 TECH TIP:  AP and SAT Test Prep 

 As part of the library's Databases, there is now Peterson's Test Prep for both the AP and SAT tests.  This is a free, self-paced course to prepare for these tests.  Both include practice tests.   

You must access these through the link on the library's database page, as this authenticates you as being on our account.  You then create your free account to log in and this will save your progress throughout the courses.  I will be reaching out to AP and the 11th grade English teachers to set up a time to show this to your students.  

BOOK TIP:  All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

   All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir won this year's National Book Award for Young Adult literature.  It is an amazing book, epic in nature, but yet thoughtful and realistic in its portrayal of teens and immigrants.  It follows two Pakistani families, through decades, as they seek the American dream.  Sal and Noor are about to graduate from high school, but there are family demands on them.  Demands that cause a crushing loss.  Beautifully written.  A great audiobook, too, with multi-voice narration.

Tuesday Tips: January 3, 2023

 TECH TIP:  Animate Audio from Adobe Express

Animate from Adobe Express is a fun tool to quickly animate your audio recordings.  You choose the character, background and video size.  Then, all you do is record your narration.  The more expression you put in your voice, the more the character moves.  This could be a good tool for students to do quick narrations of character sketches, scientific concepts, reviews, etc.  It works on Chromebooks, too!  The file downloads, and they could then add it to their Google Drive to share with you.  Here's my quick example:

BOOK TIP:  The Winners by Fredrik Backman

   I'm a HUGE FAN of Fredrik Backman and have loved all his books.  The Winners is the final book in the Beartown trilogy.  If you have not read them yet, go and get Beartown, which is book one.  You will fall hopelessly in love with his characters and the town of Beartown.  The Winners is a lot of book at 688 pages, but I devoured it over vacation and it left me full AND empty at the same time.  It also left me in tears, but boy, did I enjoy it.  Backman's writing is so poignant it left me re-reading passages just to admire them:  "What is life, other than moments? What is laughter, other than a small victory over sorrow? A single moment, just one, when everything inside us isn't broken."

Tuesday Tips, December 13, 2022

 TECH TIP:  The Google Year in Search

One of my favorite moments of the year is when Google releases its Year in Search.  It encapsulates those moments that captured our common attention.  For a two minute feel good moment, watch the video:

Google — Year in Search 2022 Author: Google https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WXs3sKu41I

If you want to go down more rabbit holes, you can also take a look at what was trending both nationwide or locally.

BOOK TIP:  An Article on Faculty Supporting Student Mental Health

This article from Inside Higher Ed Training Faculty to Support Student Mental Health included some good specific things teachers can do to help students who might be in distress.  The article referenced a guide that Boston University and the JED Foundation put together for faculty to support student mental health.  It is 9 pages, a quick read.  I've attached it to this email if you are interested, as these can be difficult times for many of our students (and us).

Tuesday Tips, November 29, 2022

 TECH TIP:  Use Yippity to make quick study questions

Yippity is a site that uses AI to create quick study questions based on whatever you content you input.  You can enter in either a link to a webpage or copy and paste in your notes or content:

Once you hit submit, it will then create questions which appear on the right hand side of the screen, and your original content on the left.  It also gives the answer to the created questions, which you can toggle on and off.  

This could be a good site to share with students who aren't sure how to study.  

BOOK TIP:  I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy

  My kids (and many of our current students) grew up watching Nickeodeon's iCarly.  Jennette McCurdy starred on that show, playing Sam.  This is her memoir about breaking into show business and becoming a child star.  You often hear of the controlling mothers behind child stars, and McCurdy's mom might just win the prize for the most controlling.  An honest, funny, at times difficult and sad, memoir.  I especially recommend the audiobook of this, as McCurdy herself does the narration. 

Tuesday Tips, November 22, 2022

 This week, a bit of gratitude and sharing of two of my favorite things: my favorite phone game and a fabulous book!

TECH TIP:  Blockdoku:  It's Tetris and Sudoku all in one game!

The fact that I'm a Tetris fan probably gives away my age (well, the gray hairs that I try to hide might also do it...) but Blockdoku is my favorite phone game.  It combines the block combing skills of Tetris with Sudoku, where you can also just clear a square.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, can't wait to hear your score!  I like to do the daily challenges, too.

BOOK TIP:  Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

   The Amazon Book Editors just announced Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zeviin as their book of the year and I couldn't agree more.  I finished this book just two days ago and loved it.  It is a sweeping novel following the lifetime friendship of Sam and Sadie.  They go on to become video game designers and form a business, but underlying it all is their friendship, with all its ups and downs.  It is about connection and staying with those who lift you up.  

Tuesday Tips, October 18, 2022

 TECH TIP:  Save a Google Doc to Multiple Folders Quickly

Ever have a Google Doc that you want to be in multiple folders?  Use these keyboard shortcuts to do that quickly!

First, highlight / click on the Google doc file and paste it using Ctrl + C

Second, highlight / click on the Google Folder you want the document in and place it in the folder using Ctrl + Shift + V.  Do this for each folder you want the document in.

That's it!

BOOK TIP:  Beauty Mark:  A Verse Novel of Marilyn Monroe

   To connect with the Netflix movie Blonde, this novel in verse takes you through Marilyn's whole life, from her traumatic childhood to the glitzy days of Hollywood stardom.  A lot of pain behind that beautiful smile.  If you are fascinated by her and want a quick read, this book is for you.  

Tuesday Tips: October 4, 2022

 TECH TIP:  Check out the safety of an unknown link at Google Transparency Report

If you ever get sent a link that you are unsure of, check out its safety status BEFORE you open it using Google's Transparency Report.   To do this, copy the link BEFORE opening it by right clicking on it and selecting Copy Link Address

Then paste that link into Google's Transparency Report and see if it is a safe link to open. 

BOOK TIP:  #booktok

  Tiktok is a platform that our students spend a lot of time on.  It is also responsible for a huge growth in the number of young adult readers, as books go "viral" on the platform unde the hashtag: #booktok.   It is a good way to keep up with what books students are wanting AND reading.  Check out the new display in the library that highlights some of these current hot reads!