Library Links

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

26.10.13

Download Vintage Film Posters in High-Res

Want to add atmosphere to your library?

Dress up a library display with a vintage movie poster:

FreeVintagePosters.com offers "hundreds of high quality printable posters in advertising, travel, food/drink, art, movies, westerns, military, magic and much more." You may have an interest in all those facets of human experience, but we imagine you'll find especially appealing the site's selection of high-resolution film posters, suitable for printing at home or elsewhere and hanging on walls in need of cinephilic flair.

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24.10.13

Gateway to the world

The difference a library can make

The documentary "Gateway to the World" is set in Namibia's capital city, Windhoek. The film follows two young people who work at the local library, which functions as a gateway to a better life. Trevelin, 20 years old, did not pass grade 10. Persuaded by a friend, he found his way to the nearby library, got interested in studying computers and now gives basic computer classes as a volunteer teacher in the library. Anna, 13 years old, is a schoolgirl at Olof Palme primary school. Every day after school she heads to the Greenwell library where she helps school kids with their homework and library customers with computers.

This library serves as an example library to the Libraries for Development project, which started in 2012. The good lessons learned will be extended both around Namibia (20 libraries) and to Tanzania (2 libraries in the initial phase).

Duration: 29 min

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23.10.13

Beyond the Book exchange

The literacy hub of the school

I was browsing past copies of "The Teaching Librarian" and came across an article in the Autumn/Winter 2001 (Vol 9, No 1) issue entitled "Eight ways an Elementary School can improve literacy" by Marilyn Willis. (p16-18)

While the issue is old (!), Willis has some great suggestions for making the library the literacy hub of the school. Knowing that many of you wear multiple hats, I'm wondering what you do to provide a library program that goes "beyond the book exchange"? Obviously, with time constraints, it's impossible to "do it all", but it's worth looking for an activity/innovation or two that helps solidify your library's reputation as the "literacy place".

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Organizing fiction by Genre

Genrefication - help your readers help themselves!

I must confess, I am a genre-aholic. I have my favs (sci-fi, mystery, fantasy) and I always gravitate to those areas at Chapters and other bookstores.

First of all, rather than right or wrong, it's really about what works best for your community. We went to genre spinners for fiction at McRoberts years ago when I was there, and I noticed an immediate surge in circulation. Students do develop preferences, and want to read more of what they like! (Don't we all.)

We can help students discover authors and genres outside their comfort zone by booktalking, creating "these-just-in" displays and promoting exciting authors. (I would never have read the "Adrian Mole" or "Bridget Jones" series if they hadn't been recommended - they don't appear in the sci-fi section!)

I'm not suggesting de-dewey-izing the non-fiction. In some ways, DDC is already genre-ified. (Sports with Sports, Robots with Robots, Dogs with Dogs, etc.) Browsing non-fiction lets you explore a narrow, specific interest to your heart's content.

Is it all or nothing? Some libraries keep the fiction by author, but add spine stickers to genres to help kids spot their favourites. Others only pull out some of the genres (sci-fi, mystery, romance) and leave the rest by author. You need to know your students and their interests.

Krashen talks about the three secrets to becoming a strong and dedicated reader: 1) reading great amounts..., 2) in a narrow interest area..., 3) at your reading comfort level. (link, link, link - especially p5 -narrow reading) Whether we genrify or not, it's all about promoting and supporting an exciting reading atmosphere!

Read on!

Want to read more about this?

Genrefy Your Library: Improve Readers' Advisory and Data-Driven Decision Making.

Genrefication Project

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22.10.13

NFB 2013-14 catalog

Explore NFB's catalog
View this catalog of National Film Board offerings. Titles labeled with a blue "C" are available for streaming via NFB's enhanced access called "Campus".

"1,000 emotions in 100 films filled with valuable lessons - This year we've decided to draw from our rich collection of films both new and old to bring you our 100 favourite educational titles. These compelling works will evoke a range of emotions while introducing students to a colourful cast of fascinating characters. Ambitious, artistic, funny, engaged, brilliant, sensitive... are but a few adjectives to describe the heroes of these films."

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Read-Aloud Handbook - Intro online

"the single most important activity"
"The 1983 Commission on Reading made two important declarations in its final report: 1) "The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." and 2) "It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades." ... The experts were saying reading aloud was more important than work sheets, homework, book reports, and flash cards. One of the cheapest, simplest, and oldest tools of teaching was being promoted as a better tool than anything else in the home or classroom— and it's so simple you don't even need a high school diploma in order to do it."

Read more on the site.
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Dystopian fiction flowchart

Hungering for more?

Lawrence Public Library has put together a "Hunger Games flowchart" for teens looking for new novels to scratch that young adult dystopian itch. Full of both old and new titles - discover a new author or new novel!

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Virtual Field Trip - HR Macmillan Space Centre

Skype into the Planetarium

"Do your students have challenging questions about space science and astronomy? We might have the answers! Connect your students with our staff so we can share their passion and knowledge with them through video Skype. Your virtual field trip will include a short demonstration related to one."

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Transforming Curriculum & Assessment

Draft Curricula available

The new curriculum IRPs are designed to be "flexible, competency-driven, concept-based and inclusive." Currently, some K to Gr 9 curriculum documents are available for browsing and comment.

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17.10.13

"Writing to Learn"

Low-Stakes Writing Exercises

"Learn more about an instructional strategy called "Writing to Learn." This technique encourages the use of low-stakes writing to allow students a chance to clarify their ideas and think critically. In this video, Andrea Culver explains how "Writing to Learn" allows students to process information without worrying about assessment or judgment." (Lily Jones)

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16.10.13

Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming

The value and role of libraries

Neil Gaiman's lecture for the Reading Agency, delivered on October 14 at the Barbican in London. Here's an excerpt. Click the link above for the entire text.

"Libraries really are the gates to the future. So it is unfortunate that, round the world, we observe local authorities seizing the opportunity to close libraries as an easy way to save money, without realising that they are stealing from the future to pay for today. They are closing the gates that should be open."

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15.10.13

Young Learners Need Librarians, Not Just Google - Forbes

Teacher-librarian as professional guide to the internet

Mark Moran (CEO of Dulcinea Media, a Web publisher that offers free content and tools that teach students how to use the Web effectively) writes about the skills that teacher-librarians bring to students. Click on the link above to read his entire article.

"Before parents accept the wisdom of a school board to cut school librarians, they should ask: Will my child graduate with a 21st century resume, or a 19th century transcript? Can he use collaborative technology, such as wikis? When a search engine returns 105 million results, can the student find the five that will set her paper apart? ... As the information landscape becomes ever more complex, why does a school district want to abandon its professional guides to it?"

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Beyond Read-alikes: What Else Can You Find in NoveList?

Features in NoveList you might not know!

Lori Reed explains some of the additional features in NoveList you might like to explore:

  • Author Read-alike Articles
  • Award Lists
  • Book Discussion Guides
  • Common Core Connections
  • Curricular Connections Articles
Read her article this month for more info on how to access these "extras"

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Simple machines websites

Exploring simple machines

Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago
Play a game to move an animated character through a series of challenges using simple machines. (The sound can be muted.)
 
Science and Math activities
This is a web activity about simple machines. Learners will explore a lawn mower and identify six different simple machines which work together to help make our lives easier. This is an excellent activity for exploring how simple machines, and science in general, apply to learners' everyday lives.

The Franklin Institute
Short description of each of the simple machines.

Edheads - Simple Machines
Animated activity - find the machines, with explanation.

Investigate and report - Scholastic

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11.10.13

How to Storyboard with 30hands Mobile

Map out stories and develop a master plan
Storyboarding means putting together a series of picture blocks or word steps to define the flow of the story. It's a rough draft before you are ready to put the details into place. The storyboard forms the skeleton of the story. From this starting point, you can enhance rough drawings or replace them with images, write more extensive words to narrate the story and fill in gaps with more slides as needed.

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Sample some Short Stories From Nobel Prize-Winning Writer Alice Munro

Links to some of Monroe's work
"The Swedish Academy has awarded 82-year-old Alice Munro the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is well-deserved, and hard-earned (and comes not long after she announced her retirement from fiction). For those less familiar with Munro's exquisitely crafted narratives, OpenCulture has links to several selections of her work free online. Get to know this author who, The New York Times writes, "revolutionized the architecture of short stories."

The site also features a video interview (by Rex Murphy) with Alice Monroe.

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The National WWII Museum- Oral Histories

Personal stories of American veterans of World War II
"The Museum has collected a number of recordings of the personal stories of veterans of World War II. These oral histories contain vivid retellings and synthesis of the experience of the war through first-hand accounts and memories of the men who were there."

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MusicEdMagic: Christmas Sheet Music and Lyrics

Free Music for Band Students
"The free sheet music is provided for all common concert band and orchestra instruments and is arranged to be playable by young musicians, some as early as their first or second year of training. Individual sheet music parts are available farther down the page for each title. Some titles also ahve Youtube clips to "illustrate" the piece."

Sample:

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10.10.13

Magic Tree House Teachers Club

Download resources for the entire Magic Tree House series
Explore this rich site:
  • Resources
  • Website Teachers Guide
  • Welcome Kit
  • Reading Certificate
  • The Facts Behind the Fiction
  • Etc.
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Great Books for Halloween from SLJ

Bewitching Tales for young readers
"Perfect for sharing aloud, these captivating stories offer up ghosts, ghouls, and giggles galore."

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