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A Message of Hope: Patricia MacLachlan, Steven Kellogg on "Snowflakes Fall"
In honor of the Sandy Hook victims this lovely story is written by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Steven Kellogg.  Click on the link above to read more about this story.


Growing an Early Literacy Initiative in Wisconsin 
This initiative along with 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program provides powerful ideas to share with families in our schools and communities.  You don't teach Early Childhood or Kindergarten?  

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Computer Science Education Week  is December 9-15, 2013

This week is Computer Science Education Week and the linked site above has many fantastic opportunties to explore coding with students with teaching the Hour of Code in your classroom. Check out videos featuring Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Black Eyed Peas founder will.i.am and NBA star Chris Bosh sharing the importance of students learning programming. Consider sharing information from the following PDF titled "What is Computer Science and What do People Do Once They Know It?"

http://csedweek.org/files/What_is_CS_and_Careers.pdf and share information from the site Computing Degrees and Careers.  Finally, check out the infographic titled What's wrong with this picture? to see stats about computer science and computer programming.

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Engaging Students
Student engagement is a critical component throughout the 21st Century Framework.  The following infographic titled, 10 Ways to Get Students Engaged and the article and infographic titled, A Must See Visual Featuring The 5 Levels of Student Engagement both share ideas to consider.  In Personalized Learning, the following infographic increases connectivity and engagement in the classroom  A Wonderful Graphic on How to Increase Connectivity and Engagement in Class.  All of these are suggestions to evaluate what you already are doing in your classroom and what aspects are plausible ideas to integrate into your teaching.  Student engagement increases student achievement. 

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 Literacy Apps to Create Books on the iPad
This article shares 15 apps to help students create books on the iPad.  Several are free and a great way to start exploring how students can write their own stories using an iPad.

Some are free:  Little Story Maker;  Story Creator; Demibooks Composer; Storyteller Deluxe - Story Creation Made Easy; StoryBuddy 2 Lite; Scribble My Story - A Fingerprint Network App

Some are paid: Book Creator - $4.99; EBook Maker - $4.99; Book Writer - ebook, PDF creator - $3.99; My Story - Book Maker for Kids - $3.99; Picturebook - $3.99; Writer's Studio $4.99; eBook Journal - $4.99; Scribble Press $3.99

Increasing Student Engagement by Grading Backwards
The title of this article intrigued me.  The question that ran through my mind is, this begs the question as to why we grade in a subtractive/negating manner?  This article poses the thought that all students start a class with zero points and gain points as they complete learning tasks, projects and activities.  This is based on video gaming which continues to engage students in a variety of ways depending on the mission and levels of the game.  I would like to hear pros and cons of what teachers think of this way of grading.  

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Teach with Movies

I read the article Teach with Movies is now free! by Joyce Valenza and thought this resource is a great find to share with teachers.  As both the article and website share, Teach with Movies offers over 350 lesson plans and learning guides for movies and films. 

Movies include The Crucible, Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies, The Outsiders, and To Kill a Mockingbird to name a few that are taught at the high school level.  It has a Social-Emotional Learning Index and a list of indexes of films appropriate by age.  This site is a great find for teachers to bridge reading with movies through media analysis. 

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10 Fun Music Videos to Explain Tricky Topics to Students
Do you ever wish for another way to explain tricky topics in class?  This article offers music videos to explain topics such as MacBeth, the Presidential Election Process, how to factor in math, figurative language, parts of a cell, elements of the periodic table, and more!  Check it out!

Flocabulary
While I was exploring the music videos in the first article, I discovered the website Flocabulary. It is an online library of songs, videos, and activities for subjects in grades k-12. This site offers some fun videos to explain various topics across subject areas.  In addition to the videos, there are printable lyrics, an activity page or quiz.  Although this isn't a free website, contact me if you are interested in exploring it further or sign up for a free trial use of the site.  

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K12 Video Games Grow Up

This article discusses how gaming in education not only engages students, but aligns with common core standards.  The world of gaming in education continues to grow with games for subject areas but the world of game design such as Minecraft or Gamestar Mechanics continues to grow. Gaming develops 21st Century skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and creativity.  This article offers a list of gaming resources to further explore the world of gaming in education.

How 3 Different Generations Use the Internet

This article and infographic shares a fascinating comparison of three generations and how each one uses the internet.  This provokes thought in how we as teachers may or may not be meeting students where they are in terms of using the internet as a resource or tool to demonstrate how students are learning today.  We also may consider how to bridge the gap of best practices in education with integrating technology.  

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Facebook Changes Privacy Settings for Teens

The linked article above highlights changes in privacy settings for teens (13-17).  As always with social media, it is important to stay current with changes to keep users safe online.  Many social media companies do not share these changes with their users.  Consider sharing this information about Facebook changes with parents, students and other professionals to help stay current with social media. 

Edutopia News: Help Students to Know How to Navigate Online

Thank you to Vera Weber for sharing more information about Digital Citizenship and Digital Resources.  Check out the wealth of information in the titled link above.

District Wide Information

Oct. 21-25 is Cyber Behavior Awareness Week

In conjunction with Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, this week is Cyber Behavior Awareness Week.  The linked title brings you to a website in addition to the  Stay Safe Online website.  As we continue to integrate technology into our teaching, staying safe online or other related awareness topics should also be integrated.  Add these to your resources available to students and parents.  

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Brainscape 

I discovered Brainscape a couple of weeks ago.  This is an iOS app and website based tool where students learn vocabulary using flashcard that repeat based on Confidence Based Repetition (CBR).  How does this make Brainscape different than regular flashcards?  Once Brainscape shows the correct answer, the student is asked to rate the likelihood of remembering it forever in a scale of 1-5.  1 indicates "no confidence" and 5 indicates complete confidence.  It also provides stats to show how well the user has mastered the terms. 

I have included Brainscape research information and Brainscape FAQs for more information. This is a free app and website unless you are interested in an education account to set up flashcards for your students or want to purchase a license for a premium subject.  Know that your students may create their own flashcards for free.  

My daughter has tried Brainscape to learn Spanish vocabulary and has found it to be a fantastic tool to help her in studying.  She feels it could help her with Anatomy and Physiology terms and possibly math formulas too.  
  

District Wide Information

October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
Bullying continues with verbal, written and internet formats.  We, as educators, need to have a zero tolerance policy regarding bullying.  Since October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month below are some fantastic resources to provide some ideas to raise awareness to stop bullying.  
  
We have over 200 books available in the media centers regarding bullying.  Ask the media assistant in your building if you would like to check out a book to read and generate a discussion about bullying in your class.  

Stomp Out Bullying

Stomp Out Bullying Educators Page

StopBullying.gov

Resources for Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

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Graphite™
Graphite™ is a free service from the nonprofit organization, Common Sense Media.  It is designed to help preK-12 educators discover, use, and share the best apps, games, websites, and digital resources for students.  It provides unbiased, rigorous ratings and practical insights from our active community of teachers.  Graphite™ is built by teachers for teachers, and is organized so educators can search by digital resource type (app, game or website), grade level or subject area as well as free or paid resources.  

Both Minecraft and Gamestar Mechanic are reviewed in Graphite™.  I introduced both of these games at the gaming session I presented in August.  

Shmoop
What is Shmoop?  Watch this video: What is Shmoop video
Shmoop gives students (grades 5-12) help and explanations, as well as a dose of humor. Check out the various resources for literature, civics, economics, digital literacy, math, poetry, or more including information about drivers education (DMV) from each state.  Much of the site is free, but there are some materials that are fee-based. 

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Banned Websites Awareness Day - Wednesday, September 25, 2013

In conjunction with Banned Books Week, Banned Websites Awareness Day is celebrated on Wednesday of this week.  This is to raise awareness of blocking legitimate, educational websites that are academically useful in schools and school libraries.  AASL (American Association of School Libraries is asking school librarians and other educators to promote an awareness of how filtering affects student learning. The following link provides resources for more information about this day.   http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/bwad/resources 

This article found in the Huffington Post today titled,  Freedom to Read Under Fire as Attempts to Ban Books Continue, reinforces why we must continue to raise awareness about censorship in our schools and community.  

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Banned Book Week - Sept. 22 - 28, 2013

Banned Book Week is one of my favorite times of the year!  This year celebrates 30 years of our freedom to read.  I encourage you to share with your class through books that have been challenged why it is important to raise our awareness about books that have been challenged (where a person or group of people attempt to restrict the access of the book to other people) and perhaps removed from school or academic libraries in our nation. Encourage students to read some of these books to help them decide for themselves or generate a class discussion as to whether the students agree or disagree and why with the challenge.  This can be done at the elementary level to raise awareness at their level of understanding too.  Check out the following resource to learn more information about why the following titles were challenged.  http://www.ila.org/BannedBooks/BBW_2012-2013_Shortlist.pdf

Books for grades 8-12: 
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

Books for grades 4-8
Totally Joe by James Howe
Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Books for elementary aged students: 
The Family Book by Todd Parr
In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
The Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake







  

District Wide Information

This article titled "Picture Perfect Behavior" offers an easy, free way to reinforce and model behavior you are looking for in your students.  Check it out by clicking on the title above.

It isn't  often that I find resources for preschool teachers but I have one I feel is worth sharing.  It is 5 Time-Saving Websites for Preschool Teachers  The websites in this article seem like fantastic resources.  Check it out!

Parenting expert, Carolyn Knorr from Common Sense Media wrote the article Parents' top 12 back-to-school tech questions.  This article may offer some great ideas/questions to share with parents at conferences or in weekly newsletters.  Many of these questions may be ones asked by parents at conferences.  Hopefully this article is helpful to you as a classroom teacher, but also also may be answers to questions parents ask at conferences.  

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The Use of Social Media in School
Check out the attached article and infographic (click on the title) to learn more how social media is influencing students, parents and teachers in the education setting.  I found the areas of Social Media in the classroom section and the Social Media Pilot Program in Portland, OR to have very fascinating information.

I am planning to include social media as one of my professional goals.  I challenge teachers across the district to consider using social media professionally.  If you are considering taking the MarshallTech4Teachers course this year, you will be delving deeper into social media for educational purposes.  

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The PLC focus for the group I am in is to integrate technology into reading/language arts.  This article is a great resource for many teachers in the district (not just reading or language arts teachers).  

15 Of The Best Educational Apps For Improved Reading Comprehension 

A note about the 15 apps is that none of them are free.  In addition to the 15 apps for improved reading comprehension, the article also refers to another article titled

50 Popular iPad Apps For Struggling Readers & Writers

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Welcome to another year of Media Info Bits!  

I am starting off this year with sharing the presentation I gave on Friday about 
Game-Based Learning.  Below is the presentation.  If you would like to see the presentation bigger click on the enlarge icon in the lower right side of the screen.  Happy gaming!

*I just noticed that the book fair dates on my blog are not updated yet.  I will update this, this week:)

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Last post for the school year - This the last post until August.  Enjoy the summer!

Museum of the American Revolution
http://americanrevolutioncenter.org/

Browse this fantastic website to see how it brings to the classroom an interactive timeline (under the Collection tab), outstanding lesson plans and resources, as well as connections to featured sites, places to visit and online educational resources (under the Learn tab).  

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PBS Teachers will become PBS LearningMedia http://links.silverpop.eb2b.vtrnz.com/servlet/MailView?ms=NjA2MDc2MgS2&r=MjY3OTQ3MTI4OTUS1&j=NzI0NDIwNDgS1&mt=1&rt=0

PBS Teachers is a fantastic free resource that will soon be even better!  PBS LearningMedia will have 30,000+ digital resources from 130+ trusted media partners.  If you haven't checked it out yet make this something you do over the summer.  PBS LearningMedia has resources for K-12 in all subject areas.  It is searchable via national standards or common core standards.  It even has many current professional development resources.

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End of the School Year
The end of the school year is just around the corner.  The media centers will post important dates regarding the last day for checking out books, when all media materials (books and equipment) are due, and when the media centers will close.  Please encourage students to return all media materials and pay for lost or damaged materials by the end of the school year.  Thank you for your support with these housekeeping details.  

50 Education Technology Tools You Can Start Using Today
http://edudemic.com/2013/04/50-education-technology-tools-you-can-start-using-today/

50 Education Technology Tools is a great resource to find a new technology tool to try in your classroom.  If you want to try something, but would like more support, be sure to contact Vera Weber or me.  This might be a fun thing to explore this summer in preparation for teaching next year.  Check out new tools you've never heard of before!

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Earth Day 2013
Tomorrow marks 33 years since the first Earth Day was celebrated!  In the article below titled "Apps for Earth Day/Touch and Go" http://www.slj.com/2013/04/books-media/reviews/apps/touch-and-go/apps-for-earth-day-touch-and-go/#_  there a couple of suggested ebooks and some apps.

Earth Day Network http://www.earthday.org/ is a fantastic resource of Earth Day ideas and activities.  Colorin Colorado
http://www.colorincolorado.org/web_resources/by_topic/earth_day_environmental_resources/
Scholastic.com http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/celebrate-earth-day, and Science Net Links http://sciencenetlinks.com/collections/earth-day/ offer lesson ideas and many other educational ideas to teach about and celebrate Earth Day.  Celebrate Earth Day with some of these great ideas!

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How Teens Do Research in the Digital World?
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Student-Research/Summary-of-Findings.aspx

Based on this Pew Research Center article, teen research shows that there is a positive impact on student research habits and skills but not without drawbacks.  Some concerns revealed include an overdependence on search engines rather than online databases, respected news sites, printed books or reference librarians; the difficulty students have on evaluating quality online information; the level of information literacy skills;  and the ease of student plagiarism.  

As teachers continue to ask students to research about topics, events, and people of significance, it is important to consider how you are guiding students through the process of research.  This article reminds of many aspects to consider to help students develop good research practices, and to better prepare them for college research.  

If you need help with this please contact English teachers or myself for more guidance.  Our media center has access to suggested website research practices, many outstanding online databases, and print sources available in our school as well as accessible from other public and academic libraries in Minnesota.  

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Inspire your Students to Love Reading

Summer is just around the corner.  Now is a great time to share how students can continue to read all summer long.  Here are my 10 tips for you!

1. Encourage students to join the summer reading program at your nearest public library

2. Search for book trailers of some of your favorite novels/stories

3. Give book talks of books you've read or encourage students to give book talks of books they've read and enjoyed.

4. Encourage students to make a list of books they want to read this summer.  Remember to make this manageable so students are more likely to read rather than feel overwhelmed.

5. Check out GuysRead at www.GuysRead.com.  This resource is great for elementary and middle school students.

6. For high school students, encourage them to get involved in Goodreads www.goodreads.com/.  Goodreads is a great resource to discover and share books you love on  the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations.

7. Encourage students in grades 3-8 to start reading the new Maud Hart Lovelace nominees.  These are available at the Marshall Lyon County Library.

8. For students in grades K-3, there is a new award called Star of the North Award  http://www.starofthenorthaward.org/.  This award will follow the same guidelines as the Maud Hart Lovelace Award.  In order to vote, students should read or have read to them eight of the ten nominees.  Voting will take place in March and the winning title will be announced on April 25th, the same date the Maud Hart Lovelace Award is announced.  

9. Check out opportunities like the one below featuring James Patterson and NBA All-Star Dwayne Wade.Teachers and students can go one-on-one with best-selling author James Patterson and NBA All-Star Dwayne Wade on April 25. At 1:00 p.m. (ET), these two titans will talk about how reading has changed their lives and will give students, educators and parents useful tips for getting youth to love reading. Register online to watch the webcast. After you register, you will receive a digital packet containing system requirements and webcast viewing instructions.

http://www.jamespattersonevents.com/

10. Check out James Patterson's website http://www.readkiddoread.com/ to encourage students to become lifelong readers.

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April is National Poetry Month
Bring poetry into your classroom this month no matter what the subject with a wonderful new presentation tool called Haiku Deck.  The following link demonstrates how Haiku Deck is a refreshing and easy way for educators and learners to share what they know.
http://www.haikudeck.com/p/luUq5Hinew?utm_source=Haiku+Deck+Account+Holders&utm_campaign=7d28701e34-March_Madness3_26_2013&utm_medium=email

This is a Haiku poem titled "April" that I wrote using Haiku Deck on the iPad.

Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app for iPad


Great Books for Poetry Month: Haiku for Young Readers 
http://www.slj.com/2013/03/books-media/great-books-for-poetry-month-haiku-for-young-readers/ 
This article provides some great Haiku poetry books suggestions to celebrate poetry in your classroom.  Although the books are recommended for grades K-6, Haiku poetry is a wonderful way for students to celebrate National Poetry Month.  

Read Write Think
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/april-national-poetry-month-20478.html 
Read Write Think offers many lessons appropriate for K-12 lessons in addition to poetry websites.

National Poetry Month - Poets.org
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
Poets.org has a plethora of ideas, including 30 Ways to Celebrate and more!

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Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything - Bloomin' Apps
http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html

Kathy Schrock is a fantastic wealth of technology integration ideas.  I've used ideas from her over the years to teach about website evaluations and Boolean Searching, but the link above offers the use of Bloom's Taxonomy in connection with apps.  Check out her newly revised Bloom's Taxonomy where each image has clickable hotspots that includes suggestions for iPad, Google, Android and Web 2.0 applications.  You really should check this out!

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Videos in Education

I attended the SW/WC Tech Conference last Friday.  One session presented by Doug Johnson titled Developing the Creativity in Every Learner resonated with me.  He said, "Show a kid a movie, you have entertained her for an hour. Give a kid a camera, you’ll engage her for a lifetime."He posed the question, "How do we define, encourage, use, and assess creativity in our lessons and projects?  Should the question be if a student is creative or how a student is creative?"  He reminded us that creativity isn't just associated with fine arts.  I believe student made videos are fantastic way for students to show what they have learned in your classes through Bloom's Taxonomy of Higher Order Thinking particularily with creating.   I have posted in the past how to create explainer videos like Lee LeFever's Common Craft videos, but have now come across more explainer videos by Planet Nutshell.  As in the following article:
5 Reasons to Make an Explainer Video http://planetnutshell.com/nutshell-news/5-reasons-to-make-an-explainer-video  Planet Nutshell has many explainer videos including internet safety videos for grades K-12 http://planetnutshell.com/videos/?c=utah-education-network, FAFSA in a Nutshell http://planetnutshell.com/videos/fafsa-in-a-nutshell, and  Climate Change videos http://planetnutshell.com/videos/?c=corporation-for-public-broadcasting among many others!  Another source that I like is a previous post of John and Hank Green's Crash Course videos http://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse.  These videos are great to add to your curriculum, but they also model/present a great way students could make videos to explain what they have learned in class.   A great example of student made videos is for following video made by three Marshall High School students explaining Copyright Law http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXF0Tnkfrm0  I've used this video to teach about copyright and plagiarism at the Middle School level.  The possibility of student made videos is endless and powerful!  

District Wide Information

SMARTink
I will be presenting Notebook 11 tomorrow, but felt it would be easiest to provide the videos to help explain the changes with the digital ink layer and ink aware.  The following four videos help explain how to use SMARTink.  Collectively the videos last less than 20 minutes.  The last video helps explain how to use SMARTink with Microsoft applications (Word, PPT, Excel) and PDF documents.

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Facebook/Social Networks
I found the following two articles about social networking sites and Facebook last week.  I felt both were worth sharing.

Facebook and other social networking sites are on the forefront of educators as a way to  communicate more effectively with students, but educators also need to maintain privacy with personal Facebook accounts.  The following article provides assistance with this.
How To: Lock Down Educator Facebook Profiles for Maximum Privacy
http://www.fractuslearning.com/2013/02/18/educator-facebook-privacy/

Another concerning perspective about social networking sites in terms of how students use Facebook is illustrated in the following article.  It underscores the importance of internet safety for students.

Pimps hit social networks to recruit underage sex workers http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/27/technology/social/pimps-social-networks/

District Wide Information

Tech Integration at MPS
This week a teacher suggested that I highlight Tech Integration information available.  In addition to links found on the Digital Learning Day Site that Vera and I have worked on this year.  http://www.marshall.k12.mn.us/Page/2570  Consider checking out Vera's Technology Integration pages found under the Staff Information Page. http://www.marshall.k12.mn.us/Page/2425

ELM - Electronic Library for Minnesota
I use ELM databases to teach students what this wonderful resource is and how/why to use it.  If you are not familiar with ELM, it provides Minnesota residents online access to magazine, journal, newspaper, and encyclopedia articles, eBooks (online books), and other information resources.  It offers information on a vast array of topics, including consumer information, arts and humanities, current events, health, science, social science, politics, business, and more.  Why use ELM?

• Convenient - ELM is your source for information, at your fingertips.
• Thorough - ELM resources are loaded with thousands of encyclopedia, magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, plus multimedia, primary sources and more.
• Accurate - Pinpoint information you want.  No more wading through thousands of internet search engine results hoping what you are finding is what you want.
• Accessible - ELM is available online 24/7.
• Reliable - Information is from reputable and respected sources.  You no longer need to wonder if what you are looking at is quality information. 

If you are interested in learning more about ELM resources you may attend upcoming face-to-face trainings or check out the Ongoing Webinar Series as mentioned below.  As always, I am available to meet with you individually to show you how you can use ELM resources for your classes K-12. 

SAMMIE is pleased to announce four separate ELM trainings will be coming to our region in May.  Mark your calendars for these dates:

Ortonville – Th., May 16 – 1p

Willmar – F., May 17 – 9a

Slayton – W., May 22 – 1p

Marshall – Th., May 23 – 9:30a

Registration will open at a later date and in order for an event to take place we must have 11 people registered for that locale.  So make sure to tell your friends!

Ongoing Webinar Series: Intro to ELM for Teachers

School librarians, invite your teachers to one or more of these introductory webinars to ELM. Have your teachers attend on their own, or host a viewing party where you can follow up the webinar with discussion and planning about using library resources in the classroom.

Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from February 12 to March 12, at 3:30-4:00 PM.

If these times don't work for you or your teachers, contact Minitex Reference Outreach & Instruction to schedule a webinar at a time that does.

Sign up for the entire series or sign up for individual sessions!

Individual Sessions

Intro to ELM for Teachers: Elementary School [Session 1]
Tuesday, February 12, 3:30-4:00 PM | View the Recording
This 30-minute webinar will introduce the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) and discuss ways elementary school educators from across the state use ELM in the classroom. The session is geared toward classroom teachers looking for trustworthy online content to support classroom preparation, lesson plan building, and student projects.

Intro to ELM for Teachers: Social Studies [Session 2]
Tuesday, February 19, 3:30-4:00 PM
This 30-minute webinar will introduce the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) and discuss ways social studies teachers from across the state use ELM in the classroom. The session is geared toward classroom teachers looking for trustworthy online content to support classroom preparation, lesson plan building, and student projects.

Intro to ELM for Teachers: Science [Session 3]
Tuesday, February 26, 3:30-4:00 PM
This 30-minute webinar will introduce the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) and discuss ways science teachers from across the state use ELM in the classroom. The session is geared toward classroom teachers looking for trustworthy online content to support classroom preparation, lesson plan building, and student projects.

Intro to ELM for Teachers: English Language Arts [Session 4]
Tuesday, March 5, 3:30-4:00 PM
This 30-minute webinar will introduce the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) and discuss ways English language arts teachers from across the state use ELM in the classroom. The session is geared toward classroom teachers looking for trustworthy online content to support classroom preparation, lesson plan building, and student projects.

Intro to ELM for Teachers: Education Professional Development [Session 5]
Tuesday, March 12, 3:30-4:00 PM
This 30-minute webinar will introduce the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) and discuss ways educators from across the state use ELM to stay current in their field. The session is geared toward classroom teachers looking for education-related news, research, and best practices.

District Wide Information

I Love to Read Month/Read Across America/Dr. Seuss

http://edtechideas.com/2013/02/06/10-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-dr-seuss-books/

As you know, I am a big Dr. Seuss fan and post information about him every year.  Thank you to Vera Weber for sharing the information with the link above about Dr. Seuss.  As we celebrate I Love to Read Month, encourage students to not only read his books or any books, but also learn the impact his stories had and continue to have on our lives.

District Wide Information

How Mainstream Video Games are Being Used as Teaching Tools
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/01/08/how-mainstream-video-games-are-being-used-as-teaching-tools/?

I have not posted much this year about game-based education, but the link above for the titled article above continues to illustrate how game-based learning engages students in learning.  I think one of the points in the article that stands out for me is how grades can be meaningless for students whereas being challenged to reach "the next level" in a video game is what keeps students in the game.  Students interviewed across the district in the Digital Learning Day video commented how playing games can make learning fun.  The format of game-based education is not just using video games in the classroom, but also using the format that video games use to teach in your classroom.  The idea of reaching the "next level" in learning will keep students engaged in projects and activities.  Challenge yourself to try games in your classroom.  If you are interested in more information just send me an email.

District Wide Information

As we approach Digital Learning Day on Wednesday and look beyond in ways to integrate technology into our teaching, consider these terrific web 2.0 tools and education technology alternatives to tradtional classroom activities as a starting point.

10 of the Best Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers 
http://www.fractuslearning.com/2013/02/01/web-2-0-tools-for-teachers/

Poll Everywhere, Animoto, Twitter, and Prezi are excellent tools that I've tried or use.  If you are interested in help with any of these, be in touch with me.  If you are interested in any of the other tools, I am happy to explore them together.  

EdTech Alternatives to Traditional Classroom Activities
http://www.fractuslearning.com/2012/12/21/edtech-alternatives-classroom-activities/

This EdTech article not only provides websites to try as alternatives to traditional classroom activities, but also explains how the ed tech version of the activities makes the activity more engaging for students and more dynamic for teachers.

District Wide Information

Digital Learning Day
http://www.eclassroomnews.com/2013/01/25/digital-learning-day-free-resources-white-house-speaker/?
With Digital Learning Day just 10 days away,  I am compelled to share the article above that has free digital learning resources as well as ideas of what other states are planning for this 2nd annual event. The following link is to the Digital Learning Day national events planned for this day.  http://digitallearningday.org/news-and-events/events/national-events/
Vera and I are working together to gather recordings, interviews, and photos of digital learning in our district.  Watch for more about how we will celebrate Digital Learning Day!

District Wide Information

John and Hank Green featuring Vlog Brothers; Crash Course; Sci Show News; Truth or Fail;and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

John and Hank Green are brothers.  I have become a fan of John Green as an author reading his New York Times bestselling books:  Looking for Alaska,  An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars. I also read (coauthored with David Levithan) Will Grayson, Will Grayson. After following John on Twitter, I learned about his brother Hank.  Hank Green is best known for his video blogs with his brother, John, on YouTube under the channel name Vlogbrothers (http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers).  Last week the feature video of Vlogbrothers was An Awesome Evening at Carnegie Hall where John and Hank and featured guests sang, told stories and much more! 

Hank has a YouTube channel titled SciShow, (http://www.youtube.com/user/scishow) which he focuses on  basic and more complex scientific concepts presented in a fun way and at a level that is easy to comprehend.  

Both John and Hank Green team together to offer educational online video projects including Crash Course (http://www.youtube.com/crashcourse), where Hank teaches Biology and Ecology, and John teaches World History and Literature. John and Hank also have an online game show titled Truth or Fail (http://www.youtube.com/user/truthorfail) where John/Hank present pairs of facts, and of each pair, one is true and one is false. You actually click on an answer in the YouTube window, and that takes you to another window in which John/Hank informs you that you've either clicked on the truth, or failed, as it were. It is a wonderful trivia sort of game!  I can see this as a terrific springboard for a writing/journaling activity.  

Finally, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (http://www.lizziebennet.com/) developed by Hank Green and Bernie Su is an online modernized adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

If you are looking for lessons, resources, and ideas for MLK Day or Inauguration Day, check out the following:

MLK Lessons and Ideas by grade level - http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/mlk-day.html?utm_source=nea_today_express&u

Inauguration Day Resources - http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/53997.htm?utm_source=nea_today_express&utm_

District Wide Information

Student Writing Websites
Magnetic Poetry   http://play.magneticpoetry.com/poem/Original/kit

Magnetic Poetry is the online version of the magnetic poetry kits available in bookstores.  The online kits available include the original version, as well as poet, love, mustache, nature and geek versions.  This is a fun way to encourage creative poetry writing!

Writing Fix   http://www.writingfix.com/

Writing Fix shares many writing lessons K-12 across curriculums.  Six Traits is part of their writing program and includes a bibliography of books used in conjunction with lessons.  If you find books or resources that you would like to have available in the media center, just let me know.  

There are some interesting Project Based Learning ideas for kindergarten - 2nd grade at this link. http://www.teacherjodieblack.com/A-year-in-projects.html

I also like the podcast's based on NPR's This I Believe and Science Friday.  Check them out at this link http://writingfix.com/WAC/ScienceFix/This_I_Believe1.htm

As noted on the website:  WritingFix is not a "writing program." Our website simply contains thoughtful lessons designed by outstanding writing teachers. These model lessons are posted so that you may borrow ideas from them, but our intention in providing this resource is not to give teachers a word-for-word script to follow. Please, use this lesson's big ideas but adapt everything else. And adapt it recklessly; that's how one becomes a genuine writing teacher.

Below are a few books that I thought were interesting and are available from Amazon:

The Giggly Guide to Grammar is a mix of Shel Silverstein with Strunk and White.  This book, based on the reviews and description, is for high school teachers.  It offers grammar lessons coupled with hilarious illustrations.


No more dull and boring research reports.  51 Wacky We-search Reports will teach you how to hunt for the best facts and turn them into cartoons, parody performances, jokes, wacky poetry and much, much more. I am not sure of the age range for this resource, but from what I read in the reviews, at least 4th grade and up. 


The UnderAchievers is a fun way to teach fractions.  Appropriate for grades 2-4.  Holly Young combines math and writing to help students learn about fractions. 

District Wide Information

Illustrative Mathematics   http://illustrativemathematics.org/
Illustrative Mathematics is a free resource for K–12 math teachers. On the Illustrative Mathematics website, teachers can find lesson activities aligned to standards for every grade level. Some activities include drawings and diagrams. Anyone may access the activities posted on the website.This website is an initiative of the Institute for Mathematics & Education funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

The Periodic Table Project is a free app for the iPad and iPhone developed by the University of Waterloo and 3M. Bringing an artistic aspect to the periodic table, researchers gathered drawings representing the elements from students around the world. Each element is represented by a student’s drawing. Users simply click on a drawing to learn about that element. All of the standard information about an element found on a standard periodic table is included. The Periodic Table Project app also includes the two newly named elements. Flerovium (114) and Livermorium (116).