Library Links

"Content that might be of interest to Teacher-Librarians..."


1.3.12

Consumer Health Complete - another EBSCO resource

Find medical video clips and animations in EBSCO

Teaching Science and looking for good medical animations or clips to enliven your discussions or illustrate a concept? The Consumer Health Complete database, found in EBSCO as part of the ERAC database bundle, allows users to search for images, diagrams, videos & animations.

[LINK to search] Results of a search on "concussion" as keyword, sorted by type of resource. (Select the "Videos & Animations" tab to see clips.)

[LINK to video]  Link to sample "concussion" Flash video clip.

================

Save an Obscure word!

Endangered words to adopt!

Can words be considered an endangered species. Every year, the Oxford English Dictionary, drops words that are no longer used. ("Old words, wise words, hard-working words. Words like fopotee, austerulous and ossifragant.") How can they be saved? Simple - use them: in a sentence, in an email, with friends. A humourous site for language lover of all kinds. "Pick me, pick me!"

===============


Introductory Chemistry Text - online

Survey of general chemistry text

"David W. Ball of Cleveland State University brings his new survey of general chemistry text, Introductory Chemistry, to the market with a fresh theme that will be sure to hold student interest: "Chemistry is Everywhere." Introductory Chemistry is intended for a one-semester introductory or preparatory chemistry course."

==============

Differentiated Instruction - What is it?

Maximize learning for ALL students
(Watch short video clip on this page that covers the basics - good intro for new teachers.)

"Differentiated Instruction makes it possible to maximize learning for ALL students. It is a professional and responsive mind-set where the teacher is proactively planning for the needs of diverse learners."

============


The Reading Streak - a promise, a book

They decided to read as long as they possibly could.

"When Alice Ozma was nine years old, her father made a promise: to read to her every night, without missing a night, for one-hundred nights. But once the pair met their goal, they couldn't stop. 100 became 1,000, and eventually, they decided to read as long as they possibly could. The Reading Streak, as they called it, ultimately lasted 3,218, finally ending on Alice's first day of college."

Watch this short video describing her journey.

=============

"Origami" Corner Bookmarks

Distinctive Bookmarks your kids can make

Any scrap of paper tucked between two pages will do as a bookmark, but origami bookmarks can be fun to make, and look a little different as well. These origami bookmarks can be slipped onto the corner of a page.

Origami Templates

Heart Bookmark

Not quite Origami, but also fun:

Corner Biter
I've seen "thematic" versions as well: vampire, pumpkin, elf, cupid, etc.

Envelope Corner

=============

Implementing "Points of Inquiry" - BCTLA InfoLit Task Force

A Framework for Information Literacy and the 21st-Century Learner
"The focus of the BCTLA Information Literacy Task Force has been the creation of the guiding document that renews understanding of what constitutes information literacy in today's world and that creates a practical framework to help teachers implement an inquiry approach in classrooms".

=============

29.2.12

Scholastic Science Activities

Link to Scholastic Science Magazine on EBSCO
Middle School Science Education: Thematic issues containing articles, puzzles, projects and news in science for middle school students; seeds, plastics, toughing out winter, volcanoes.. (ID and password needed for home access - see your TL)

Access to online activities for past issues:
Browse materials for past issues from April, 2011 - Sept, 2009
PDF downloadables, links to external sites, quizzes, activities, podcasts, etc.

===============

Young Canadians in a Wired World - Teachers' perspectives

Media-Awareness.ca
Young Canadians in a Wired World – Phase III - Teachers' Perspectives (February 2012)

"This study explores the attitudes of Canadian teachers regarding networked technologies in classrooms: do they enhance learning and what is the impact on the teacher-student relationship? Results indicate that there are significant challenges to overcome in integrating technology in meaningful ways that enrich the learning process. A number of best practices are also identified."

[MNet]
===========

Scholastic Math Activities

Link to Scholastic Math Magazine on EBSCO
Math magazine for general math students ages 12-16 and their teachers. Articles and activities focus on problem solving, math on the job, consumer math, and computation practice. (ID and password needed for home access - see your TL)

Access to online activities for past issues:
Browse materials for past issues from the May 2, 2011- Sept 7, 2009
PDF downloadables, links to external sites, quizzes, activities, podcasts, etc.

===============

Wayback Machine -- Boys' Life magazine

View the Boys' Life archives!

From March 1, 1911, to December 2009, you can now browse digital editions of Boys' Life Magazine. Scroll through articles written for a different time. While some topics seem to return over and over, it is interesting to see how practices and cultural sensibilities have changed since 1911.

===========

Cloze Creators

Create Cloze activities
While Cloze activities are not suitable for every occasion, sometimes it can be just what you are looking for.

Lextutor
The interface is not pretty, but it works! Lextutor allows you to input a text block, and generate a cloze activity with drop down menus to make your choices. The test is "self-correcting" and pages you create are given a URL that will persist for as long as the page is accessed (minimum one year.)

LearnClick Cloze
Take any text, mark the words you want to learn and learnclick.com transforms your text into a cloze deletion test.

Cloze Generator
Printable

============

MakeBeliefComix.com Printables!

Using Comics for writing


"And we have just added another new feature - MAKEBELIEFSCOMIX PRINTABLES - where you can print out comix templates from this site as well as pages from my books and use at home, school and in the office to write on and color - another way to have fun and express all the creativity within you."

Some of his templates might be good for writing short inferring scenarios.

==============

The meaning and purpose of assessment (Podcast)

Assessment 101: meaning and purpose
Listen to the Podcast Now


"In this episode of the Whole Child Podcast, we're taking a look at the meaning and purpose of assessment; the different types, including formative and summative, standardized and subjective, and informal and formal; and how assessments are used to monitor student progress, provide timely feedback, and adjust teaching-learning activities to maximize student progress. What should we know that assessments can't do for us? What should we think about when we look at that data, assess its meaning, and decide how to use it for future planning?"

=============

28.2.12

Using Issuu to display Student Work

Student Magazines - Created with InDesign - uploaded to Issuu

Great for reader response, socials assignments, summative group projects, etc. While these projects are mostly done with InDesign, and creates beautiful layouts, a similar effect could be accomplished with Word or Pages. The finished product simply needs to be exported  (saved) as a PDF and then uploaded to Issuu where it will be rendered as a clickable, flippable digital magazine. (Graphic novels could be created with ComicLife and uploaded in a similar way.)

Some links to specific examples:

ComicLife examples:

===================

Signs, Badges and more!

Says-It.com image maker

"Says-It.com image makers allow you to create your own funny photos and graphics - simply type in some text and choose from a few simple options. ... Once you've picked your options and created your image, you can use it for whatever you like - save it on your computer, upload it to ImageShack image hosting for use in blog or forum posting, or have it applied to a variety of high-quality merchandise from Zazzle.com, including stickers, mugs, keychains, and magnets."

The "Official Seal" and "Official Badge" makers are an easy way to create button designs. They are also nice "eye candy" for worksheets or other handouts.

==========

Tammy Worcester's Tip of the Week -

Using a Google Form to collect digital assignment URLs

"Gone are the days when students complete a paper worksheet and then turn it in in the wire box on the teachers desk. In today's world, students are creating digital projects using a variety of tools on computers and mobile devices." - Tammy W.

Tammy has a great suggestion for collecting all those project URLs from students. A quick Google Form allows students to submit their project URL and makes it easy for the teacher to view and assess the final product. Additional columns can be added to the Google Spreadsheet keep track of the teacher assessment. (A student codename or row number could be used instead of actual name.) Consider subscribing to Tammy's TotW newsletter for other tips.

(How to set up a Google Form)

=============

Hunger Games - Preview Chapters 1 and 2 online

The Hunger Games
Read the first 2 chapters, discuss ideas from the novel.

"Lionsgate in cooperation with Scholastic and Scribd, is thrilled to announce that new fans of The Hunger Games can read the entirety of Chapters 1 and 2 – from Suzanne Collins' bestselling book. Fans can read and share the previously released first chapter along with the exclusively released second chapter of  The Hunger Games in partnership with Scribd, the world's leading social reading platform."

Chapter 1 and 2

Discussion questions

"In this gripping young adult novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present, the nation of Panem consistsof a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying Districts, in the ruins of the area once known as North America. In this stratified society where the Capitol controls all resources, two "tributes" between the ages of 12 and 18 will be chosen by lottery from each of the 12 districts to compete in The Hunger Games, a survival contest on live TV in which teenagers fight to the death."

================

Integrating Movement Across the School Day

More Than Just Gym: Podcast (November 3rd, 2011)

"A high-quality physical education program is indisputably important, and so is ensuring that students are active across the school day and not just in gym class for 45 minutes—or worse, 20 minutes every other day. Research shows that kids who are physically active are not only healthier, but are also likely to perform better academically, and short activity breaks during the school day can improve concentration, behavior, and enhance learning. In short, school-based physical activity is valuable exercise—it aids cognitive development, increases engagement and motivation, and is essential to a whole child approach to education."


==============

Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12

 Words, Words, Words by Janet Allen
Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12

"Do your teachers spend hours creating word lists and weekly vocabulary tests only to find that students have "forgotten" the words by the following week? Words, Words, Words describes the research that changed the way Janet Allen and many other teachers teach vocabulary. It provides educators with a strong research base, detailed classroom-based lessons, and graphic organizers to support strategy lessons."


=============

Books for Guys? Some blogs to peruse

Guys Lit Wire
"Guys Lit Wire exists solely to bring literary news and reviews to the attention of teenage boys and the people who care about them. We are more than happy to welcome female readers - but our main goal is to bring the attention of good books to guys who might have missed them."

Boy Meets Book
"When you go into the Young Adult section of your public or school library, does it seem like all the books are for girls? .... Believe it or not, there are some great books out there for the teen-aged males of the world who like a little more testosterone in their paperbacks."

Guys Read
"This is the place to come if you're looking for something to get a guy reading. We've collected recommendations from teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, parents, and guys themselves.  These are the books that guys have said they like."


==============

Le festival du bois de Maillardville les 3 et 4 mars 2012

Maillardville - musique et culture: Le festival du bois (3 et 4 mars 2012)

Endroit: Mackin Park, Maillardville
1046 Brunette Avenue, Coquitlam, BC

Le samedi 3 mars, Festival du Bois vous offre une programmation du matin jusqu'au soir, sans interruption! Profitez des concessions ouvertes pour le souper et des performances musicales en continue jusqu'à 20h, avec la musique de Tanga et de La Ligue du Bonheur le tout avec un billet d'admission générale!

Artistes qui se produiront au festival:
Bon Débarras | La Ligue du Bonheur | Juan Sebastian Larobina | Qristina & Quinn Bachand | TANGA | Guillaume Arsenault | Jocelyn Pettit | Chibi Taiko | Sand Northrup | Jacky Essombe | Lisa Shepherd and The Jiggers | Dejah Léger | Vazzy | Les Jammers | Les Échos du Pacifique

================



27.2.12

Creating and Using Timelines on Worldbook - Another ERAC tip

Easy Timeline Generator - World Book Student

Do you ever ask your students to create a timeline of historical events, or their own personal journey? Do you want to juxtapose a time period with events that occur in a historical novel? Do you want to show only certain significant events, with your own emphasis? World Book allows this and more. (Note: In order to use the feature, you will need to create an account on the World Book servers. Once logged in you can view, create, edit and save your timelines in your account.)

============

de Maupassant - La Promenade

Doing "the classics" in French?

Many classics are available as eTexts for students to read. You can also sometimes find excellent audio recordings as well. Here are links for de Maupassant's "La Promenade."

Lecture de "La Promenade"

Texte intégral
(en anglais)

===============

Histoires d'objets - CBC

Des objets de tous les jours - Histoires d'objets
(Le mardi de 21 h à 22 h - en rediffusion le dimanche à 15 h)

Les objets font partie intégrante de notre vie. Mais les connaissons-nous vraiment? Histoires d'objets propose des récits à la fois captivants et ludiques qui permettent de voir ce qui nous entoure sous un angle inusité. Chaque semaine, Fabien Fauteux et son équipe choisissent un article de notre quotidien et présentent des utilisations originales auxquelles on n'aurait jamais pensé l'associer. Ecoutez en direct, rediffusion ou ballado.

==========

Mobile Presenter™ - iPhone and iPod Screen Sharing

Share and Project your mobile screen

Want to share your iPad/iPod/iPhone screen with a PC/projector without having to rely on dongles, cables and other extras? Do you like the idea of being able to wander around the class and let students see your iPad screen projected? Try Mobile Presenter.

It costs a couple of bucks, but works quite nicely: Your mobile device connects to the wifi network and gives you a URL to type into your browser on the PC. Presto, you'll see your mobile device's screen. How easy is that!

===========

Aboriginal Music Resources

Contemporary First Nations Culture - Alive and Singing
First Nations people are singing and making music in a variety of genres: hip hop, rap, folk, traditional, country: the list goes on and on. The links below will let you hear the range of material aboriginal Canadians have to offer!


CBC Radio 3 - Aboriginal Music
A range of contemporary musicians

Manitoba Music's Aboriginal Music Program
AMP was launched in 2004 to help First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people develop sustainable careers in Manitoba's music industry.

APTN Music
Clips from FN musicians

Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards
Hear snippets from award winning albums

==========

CBC Aboriginal Resources

First Nations on CBC

News, current events that are of interest to First Nations communities and Canadians who want to know more about these issues.

Trailbreakers will tell Canadians stories they haven't heard before about Aboriginal people who are breaking new ground in their communities to solve long-standing problems that are holding back all of Canada. It is the spirit of reconciliation in action, building a stronger Canada for all Canadians.

============

English First Peoples - Curriculum

Explore First Peoples' worldviews through literature.

English First Peoples (EFP) is an exciting addition to the high school curriculum that offers students of all backgrounds the opportunity to explore First Peoples' worldviews through literature.

The EFP courses have been developed in a unique, collaborative way by First Nations educators and the BC Ministry of Education. They are a direct result of the First Nations education jurisdiction agreements reached in BC and FNESC has facilitated the course development from the very beginning.

=====


=====