360 degree panorama of a monastery library

Strahov Library - an incredible 360 panorama

(LM-NET)

"Panoramic photographer Jeffrey Martin spent five days shooting this 40-gigapixel image of the library at Strahov Monastery in Prague. Martin calls it the largest interior photo in the world, and the highest-resolution view of any interior space that has ever been captured.

"You can look in any direction, and zoom in closely enough to read the ancient lettering on the spines of these very old books. Martin stitched 2,947 individual photos together to make the image. "

http://www.360cities.net/gigapixel/strahov-library.html#tab1

NASA-sponsored- "Astrobiology Magazine"

"Astrobiology Magazine" : The Origin and Evolution of Life in the Universe

http://www.astrobio.net/

NASA-sponsored online popular science magazine that reports the latest discoveries and news about the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology -- the study of life in the universe.

Coverage: 2000 - present.

 

A model for online learning

Recently, Michael Horn, founder of Innosight Institute and co-author of "Disrupting Class" presented a webinar titled How Digital Curriculum is Transforming Learning.  Here's the link: Michael Horn webinar: Digital Curriculum Transforming Learning 

Innosight has also produced a report that shows how three school districts – Auburn (WA), Volusia County (FL) and Wichita Public (KS) – are implementing online learning using curriculum provided by Apex Learning. It offers insight into how the use of digital curriculum is helping districts meet their needs, and provides examples for designing an online learning program.

(While the content is focussed on the content from Apex Learning, and is set in an American context,  there are some general principles that provide food for thought.)

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Black Canadians in Uniform

Throughout the year, Veterans Affairs Canada offers new Web features spotlighting significant chapters from Canada’s military heritage. One recent addition was ‘Black Canadians in Uniform - a Proud Tradition’.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=feature/blackhistory

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Interactive Modules from Veterans Affairs Canada

Learning Modules related to Canada at War

Webquests, interactive video, interviews, etc.

Do you have an interactive white board in your school? Check out our dynamic new SmartBoard lesson plan about the Second World War’s Sicilian Campaign that makes full use of this exciting new classroom technology.

www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=teach_resources/eventmodules   

2011 Census - Teacher's Kit

The 2011 Census Teacher’s Kit has been developed for use in elementary, intermediate, and secondary classes across the country. All activities are classroom-ready and have been tested to meet curriculum requirements.

The eight activities are appropriate for many subjects including language arts, economics, mathematics, art, social studies, geography, history, family studies, theatre arts, science and English as a second language (ESL). The best time to incorporate the Teacher’s Kit into your curriculum is in May 2011.

Download a print version of the complete kit (PDF)

The complete kit includes:

• Letter to the educator
• Teacher’s Guide
• Classroom activities
• Evaluation form
• Additional materials order form

RAsia/Canada Website and Quiz from The Historica-Dominion Institute

Canada has long been a part of the Asia Pacific sphere. The Historica-Dominion Institute Asia/Canada web site explores the relationship between East and West from earliest times, when dreams of finding Cathay fired the imaginations of the explorers, to the Asia Canada experience in the present day, when Asians make up an ever more visible presence in the Canadian mosaic and Asia’s economic importance to Canada is growing. The web site discusses the Asian experience in Canada, the evolution of Canadian society itself, from exclusion to greater tolerance and an embrace of diversity, and Canada’s role as a Pacific nation.

Also available in French: http://www.asia-canada.ca/fr/accueil

Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature

DAWCL - Searchable database.

Lisa Bartle is a reference librarian at California State University, San Bernardino. While attending UCLA she came up with the idea for the Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature.

http://www.dawcl.com/search.asp

(searchable selection/recommendation lists)

Books can be searched using the following criteria:

age of reader, ethnicity, genre, languages,  publication year,

author/illustrator/translator, format, historical period,       multicultural setting, awards,  gender, keyword, and point of view.

Tools for Assessing Authority on the Web - Google Webinar

Google Webinar Topics - Archives

• Beyond The First Five Links (originally offered January 12/13, 2011)
• Tools for Assessing Authority on the Web (originally offered March 15/16, 2011)
• Introduction to Maps for Research (originally offered April 12/13, 2011)
  

Each presentation is archived here:

https://sites.google.com/site/gwebsearcheducation/webinars.

Check back frequently to see additional archived presentations as they are added.

Streaming videos on a variety of careers

Here are some links to explore for career videos:

Career Aisle

http://knowitall.scetv.org/careeraisle/students/hs/index.cfm

Career One Stop

(videos can be streamed or downloaded.)

http://www.acinet.org/videos_by_occupation.asp?id=&nodeid=28

some samples:

Storyboard Animation

http://knowitall.scetv.org/careeraisle/students/hs/video.cfm?programID=350&careerID=3

Graphic Designer

http://knowitall.scetv.org/careeraisle/students/hs/video.cfm?programID=425&careerID=3

Canadian Children's Book News - back issues online

Canadian Children's Book News is packed with reviews for recommended books written by Canadian authors and illustrators. Some back issues are also available online.

Also,

some downloadable reading...

No More Catcher in the Rye

No More Lord of the Flies

Some eBook resources and links

Carolyn Starkey and Wendy Stephens have put together a set of links on the topic of eReading and eBooks in LiveBinder format.

http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=69250

Description: Many students are among the consumers investing in ereading devices, and many school libraries are piloting hardware loans to gauge the appeal and practicality of a switch to digital formats. This second session on ebooks in education provides an up-to-the-minute survey of the constantly-changing ebook landscape, paying particular attention to the instructional advantages and potential pitfalls when using dedicated ereader devices in the school environment. The presenters will offer an overview of the most common ereader devices and applications, files, formats, and DRM issues related to ebook content; some practical concerns when purchasing ebooks; ethnographic response from teens using ereaders; and sources for free ebooks.

Talks for TEDxYouthDay

A selection of TED talks suitable for student audiences.

http://www.tedxyouthday.com/talks/

For example

Zach Kaplan and Keith Schacht demo toys from the future

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/toys_from_the_future.html

Sheila Patek clocks the fastest animals

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sheila_patek_clocks_the_fastest_animals.html

K-2 Math Book - preview online

In Math Work Stations best-selling author Debbie Diller guides K-2 teachers in organizing math materials & spaces, fostering independent learning, differentiating instruction, and more. 300+ full-color photos. Visit the link to preview the entire book online!

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Vote compass

Here's an interesting link.  Visitors are asked some questions then are shown which party has the views closest to those described. High school Socials teachers and students might find this very thought-provoking.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/votecompass/

"Vote Compass is a free online application that provides users with a sense of how their opinions square with the platforms of the political parties running in the 2011 Canadian federal election.  

Based on their responses to a series of statements, Vote Compass calculates a user’s position in the political landscape and shows them the respective positions of the various parties running in the election.

Vote Compass does not provide voting advice.  It is not comprehensive in that it does not address every issue that is contested by the political parties.  Its purpose is to generate interest in the upcoming federal election and to provide information on party platforms.  Every eligible voter can decide for themselves which party they feel is most appropriate to represent them.

Vote Compass is an academic project developed by a team of Canadian political scientists, including an advisory panel comprised of the country’s most prominent scholars in the study of electoral politics.

Image Sources for Student Work? Try These.

Image libraries for teachers and students

Beth Martin, Library Media Coordinator at  DC Everest Middle School IMC has put together a list of sites students can access for school project images.

DK Clip Art:

http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/html/clipart/clipart_home.html

Explore thousands of images from leading illustrated publisher Dorling Kindersley. Perfect for illustrating homework, school projects and generally being creative, you can browse the clip art by A-Z or by school subjects.  DK holds the copyright but allows users to download, copy and display the Images for your own personal, home and school use.

Morguefile

http://www.morguefile.com/

Thanks to the generosity of contributors, this site provides thousands of free pictures, which you can use and remix, even in commercial applications.  Attribution is not required.

Free Digital Photos.net

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

FreeDigitalPhotos.net is one of the best places on the web to download free photos for use in corporate and personal projects. The images can be used by web designers, graphic designers and editors to illustrate and brighten up websites and printed media such as newspapers and magazines.  Please see the terms of use for more information on acceptable use of these images.

Pics4Learning.com

http://www.pics4learning.com/

Pics4Learning is a copyright-friendly image library for teachers and students.  The Pics4Learning collection consists of thousands of images that have been donated by students, teachers, and amateur photographers. Unlike many Internet sites, permission has been granted for teachers and students to use all the images donated to the Pics4Learning collection.

Wikimedia Commons:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pictures_and_images

Unlike traditional media repositories, Wikimedia Commons is free. Everyone is allowed to copy, use and modify any files here freely as long as the source and the authors are credited according to the author’s requirements.  

TRAILS: Assessment of Internet Searching Skills

Assessment of Internet Searching Skills

(Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills)

Developed by Kent State University Libraries

http://www.trails-9.org/

Wiki for TRAILS

(http://trails-informationliteracy.wikispaces.com):

TRAILS presentations, lessons and links to resources that support information literacy instruction.

"TRAILS is a knowledge assessment with multiple-choice questions targeting a variety of information literacy skills based on 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th grade standards. This Web-based system was developed to provide an easily accessible and flexible tool for school librarians and teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses in the information-seeking skills of their students. There is no charge for using TRAILS." (Although an email address is needed to create an individual account.)

Some ideas for how to use this resource:

• One-on-One: Work with a student or a small group of students to go through TRAILS questions with an instructor. This would allow for individualized instruction and opportunity for discussion.
• Game Show: Create a fun learning opportunity with the instructor or one student serving as a “master of ceremonies” with students in the class answering TRAILS questions. Instructor could project the assessment on a large screen with a computer and projector.
• Info Literacy Curriculum Mapping: Following a TRAILS assessment, use results to map information literacy needs and opportunities across curricular areas. Meet with faculty in those identified areas to create an instructional strategy.
  

Listen to an archived webinar that explains how to use this resource:

http://www.wviz.org/common/education/webinars/1130webinar/lib/playback.html

Digital Literacy Tour - clips and lesson plans

Three workshops to teach online safety: the Digital Literacy Tour

http://www.google.com/educators/digitalliteracy.html

"Google, along with an online safety organization iKeepSafe, has developed a curriculum that educators can use in the classroom to teach what it means to be a responsible online citizen.

The curriculum is designed to be interactive, discussion filled and allow students to learn through hands-on and scenario activities. On the site you'll find a resource booklet for both educators and students that can be downloaded in PDF form, presentations to accompany the lesson and animated videos to help frame the conversation."

live.classroom20.com - Edmodo Webinar

Edmodo: Microblogging in the Classroom

with Jeff O'Hara

http://live.classroom20.com/1/category/edmodo/1.html

"Classroom 2.0 LIVE is an opportunity to gather with other members of the community in real-time events, complete with audio, chat, desktop sharing, and sometimes even video. If you miss a show, you will find links to the recorded session under the Archive tab. Follow-up links and learning suggestions are also provided under the Resources tab for each show."

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Interactive food chains - Flash

An interactive Flash food chain

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm

Build your own food web

http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm

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