New Graphic Novels Reading Lists

Engaging GN titles that are sure to excite children

http://www.ala.org/alsc/graphicnovels2014

"The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has released three new Graphic Novel Reading Lists intended for children from kindergarten through 8th grade.   PDF downloads of the book lists are available in color, and black and white.  

"ALSC's three Graphic Novels Reading Lists are full of engaging titles that are sure to excite children," said Ellen Riordan, ALSC president. Graphic novels on the list are defined as a full-length story told in paneled, sequential, graphic format. (The list does not include book-length collections of comic strips, wordless picture books or hybrid books that are a mixture of traditional text and comics/graphics.) The list includes classics as well as new titles that have been widely recommended and well-reviewed, and books that have popular appeal as well as critical acclaim.

(Thanks to Wendy for the link)

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Bookmas Tree anyone?

Holiday display for you library?

http://www.kraftylibrarian.com/?p=899

http://iconosquare.com/tag/bookmastree

Think about how you might spice up your holiday display using those old encyclopedias that haven't been checked out in a while!

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Black iPad Display Stand

Thinking about using an iPad as a search station?

[Link to tablet display cases]

Use an iPad stand like this one. Simply put a Safari shortcut on an iPad desktop that points to your Destiny catalog or download the Destiny Quest app and browse the collection that way.  Cheaper than a stand-alone computer, a space saver too. (It is available in white, silver or black.)

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Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education | edX course

MOOC exploring Indigenous ways of knowing in classrooms

https://www.edx.org/course/reconciliation-through-indigenous-education-ubcx-indedu200x#.VHOj61xLn_8

"This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) explores strategies, teaching exemplars, and resources that support the teaching and learning of Indigenous ways of knowing in classrooms, schools and communities. (Video intro: http://youtu.be/wUsx9fJDgJg )"

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The "KYVL for Kids" Research Portal - How to do research?

Get on the Research Rocket

http://www.kyvl.org/kids/homebase.html

Check out this interactive diagram that walks students through the steps needed to do "good" Research: lots of explanation, definitions, examples and printables.

(Here's a version with sound and animation: http://www.kyvl.org/kids/f_portal.html )

Step 1: Plan your project

Step 2: Search the Library

then Search the Internet

Step 3: Take Notes

Step 4: Use the information

Step 5: Report Out

Step 6: Evaluate "How did I do?"

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What’s Good? Curating and Evaluating Video Content

Strategies and tips to help identify and evaluate videos

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/files/2013/03/MindShift-Guide-to-Videos.pdf

"Part of every educator's job is figuring out what content to share with students and video is no different. In this capacity, teachers become curators of videos, finding quality content that can be used for a particular purpose. Educators can curate videos on their own, looking for either instructional or supplemental content distinguishing the gold from the garbage. For time-strapped teachers looking for help with curation, here are some strategies and tips to help identify and evaluate videos without spending endless hours online."

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Sustainability Classroom Resources from -> Resources for Rethinking

Connect students to important issues that are affecting our planet

http://resources4rethinking.ca/en/theme/

"Developed by "Resources for Rethinking" to connect students to some of the efforts being made to solve important problems that are affecting our planet, Hot Topics are published during the school year to coincide with the timing of national and international campaigns taking place to raise awareness of these key issues. Each Hot Topic edition includes links to classroom materials from the "Resources for Rethinking" database that will encourage students and teachers to explore the environmental, economic and social dimensions of these issues and to take action in support of the larger campaign."

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A "branded" cover slide for your presentations - Haiku Deck Blog

Creating a Logo Slide and more

http://blog.haikudeck.com/brand-identity/

Follow the instructions to create a "branded" cover slide for your presentations that feature the presentor, or the topic, or the audience! Haiku Deck seems to get better and better!

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Digital Bytes - PBL from Common Sense Media

Another approach to Project-Based Learning

http://digitalbytes.commonsensemedia.org/

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/digital-bytes

Digital Bytes teaches teens digital citizenship through student-directed, media-rich activities that tackle real-world dilemmas:

"Using the Digital Bytes website, teens choose a topic, or "Byte," that resonates with their interests. They learn from the real-world experiences of others who've encountered digital dilemmas that raise questions such as:

• Why does cyberbullying happen, and how can you stand up for yourself and others?
• When is it OK to copy something from the Internet?
• How can the Internet help you launch a new project or bring a community together?
• Why should you care if websites track what you do online?
  

"Teens then express their ideas for how they'd respond to these questions by creating multimedia projects, presentations, and videos that showcase their authentic voices and talents.

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How Comics & Graphic Novels Can Help Your Kids Love To Read!

Visit a visual wonderland. (pdf download)

http://cbldf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/CBLDF-Raising-a-Reader-REV-070313-WEB.pdf

Some ideas and resources to support using Comics and GN in class.

"Not only are [comics and graphic novels] fun, they're an incredible tool for helping create a genuine love of reading. While the connection of words and pictures at first seems playful, the skills readers develop help provide a practical foundation for other kinds of learning. From verbal and visual literacy to critical thinking and memory, comics are a great tool to give young readers a head start."

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New Novels in Verse for Teens

Rhythmic verse and a love for language

http://mackinbooksinbloom.com/2014/11/20/new-novels-in-verse-for-teens/

"Looking at realistic fiction published for teens and tweens in 2014, it seems like the year of verse. Some people love novels in verse, and some people hate them. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, here are a few you will want to consider for your library."

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Sci-Fi YA Periodic Table | Oh, the Books!

A fun way to browse YA sci-fi titles

http://www.ohthebooks.com/sci-fi-ya-periodic-table/

"Each color in the Sci-Fi YA Periodic Table represents a different genre or type of content. [...] in the top left hand corner of each box, I chose to include the average Goodreads rating. This average was taken at the end of October, so could be different to the current average Goodreads rating."

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Virtual Bonfire with Crackling Fire Sounds

Instant campfire ambiance

http://safeshare.tv/w/dFBMEKNfCc

Are you looking for a way to create more ambiance when sharing First People's stories and legends? Do you want to bring a more intimate and connected feeling to the group? Gathering in a circle is part of setting the scene, but gathering around a campfire can make for an even more meaningful experience.

I recently retold a First Nations story about Glooskap to a group of preservice teachers. We turned off the lights, drew the blinds and gathered in a circle. I also set up a little pyramid of three back-to-back ipads in the center of the circle with a clip of an outdoors campfire burning, complete with snapping and crackling sounds. It made all the difference. (Make sure to select full-screen for the video-clip - it looks quite real!)

(It also works for campfire songs!)

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Christian Boer’s "Dyslexie" is a typeface for people with dyslexia.

Makes reading clearer and more enjoyable

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/11/10/christian_boer_s_dyslexie_is_a_typeface_for_dyslexics.html

"Dutch designer Christian Boer [has] created a dyslexic-friendly font to make reading easier for people with dyslexia, like himself. Designed to make reading clearer and more enjoyable for people with dyslexia, Dyslexie uses heavy base lines, alternating stick and tail lengths, larger openings, and semicursive slants to ensure that each character has a unique and more easily recognizable form."

He has recently made it available for home users to download for free.

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Google Ngram Viewer

Who said what when?

https://books.google.com/ngrams

Ever wonder when a phrase made it into written use? Enter a word or phrase (or two or three) and see how popular the item was over time. You can even click on the date range and see titles, and snippet view of works that feature your search phrase.

"When you enter phrases into the Google Books Ngram Viewer, it displays a graph showing how those phrases have occurred in a corpus of books (e.g., "British English", "English Fiction", "French") over the selected years. "

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Red Cedar & Stellar Award website open!

Read, rank, review, and discuss your favourite nominees

http://stellaraward.bclibraries.ca

http://www.redcedaraward.ca

 

Registration is now open for the Red Cedar and Stellar Book Awards!

Get your readers together and register your club!

Red Cedar Award website:  http://www.redcedaraward.ca/ (for best viewing try in Firefox!)

(Activity sheets will be added shortly – please feel free to send any of your own creations to redcedaraward@gmail.com to share with the rest of the clubs out there!)

Stellar Award website:  http://stellaraward.bclibraries.ca/

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Middle Shelf digital magazine - by Shelf Unbound

Interviews with authors and illustrators, book reviews, excerpts, and more

http://issuu.com/middleshelf

http://issuu.com/middleshelf/docs/middle_shelf_september-october_2014

Read online, via laptop or iPad.

"Middle Shelf curates the best fiction and non-fiction books for readers 8 to 14. Read by parents, teachers, and librarians as well as kids, visually dynamic Middle Shelf features interviews with authors and illustrators, book reviews, excerpts, and more. Since launching in 2013, Middle Shelf has received more than 400,000 impressions on the digital newsstand and is a 2014 Maggie Award Finalist for Best Digital-Only Magazine."

"Everything is a Remix"

The old is made new again

http://everythingisaremix.info/watch-the-series/

"Everything is a Remix" is a multi-part series produced Kirby Ferguson, a New York-based filmmaker. He offers many insightful observations on the role of remixing existing material in pop culture.

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Being skeptical when presented with information (Gr5-9)

Check the credibility and adequacy of textual and visual information

http://tc2.ca/uploads/PDFs/TIpsForTeachers/Raising_doubts_Tutorial.pdf

"With the "Raising doubts: Tools for Thought" tutorial (download link above), students (Targeted grades: 5-9) learn how to be skeptical when presented with information, and to differentiate between cynicism and raising doubts. They learn to generate probing questions about the credibility and adequacy of textual and visual information. The tutorial includes instructional suggestions for teachers, student resources and samples as well as a self-assessment rubric."

Find out more about the Tools for Thought collection.

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Sharing Social Media as a Family

The joys and perils of...social media

http://mediasmarts.ca/blog/sharing-social-media-family

Andrea Tomkins writes about her family's approach:

"I think every kid should know how to swim. It's one of those crucial life skills that must be in everyone's arsenal. [...] Our kids learned that water is fun, but also dangerous, and we told them they had to be careful around water. [...] I think our approach to social media should be the same as it is for swimming. Shouldn't we teach our kids about the joys and the perils of it, instead of just tossing them in and hoping they can keep their heads up above water – swim, not sink?"

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