How to be a better reader!

Meeting Readers Where They Are:

Mapping the intersection of research and practice

Carol Gordon (carol.gordon@rutgers.edu) is an associate professor in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University, and director of research for the Center for International Studies in School Libraries.

"Examining current reading practices—and the underlying research-based beliefs that may or may not guide those practices—can not only help us improve our work today, but it can also help us create future practices. [...] Below are the seven most prevalent beliefs about reading examined in the light of previous research."

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/887308-312/meeting_readers_where_they_are.html.csp

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Grades - When, Why, What Impact, and How? - Ken O'Connor

 Grades - When, Why, What Impact, and How? by Ken O'Connor

http://www.cea-ace.ca/sites/default/files/EdCan-2010-v50-n2-O%27Connor.pdf

"The purpose of this article is to provide some background [...] about the history of grading, the purposes of grades, the impact of grades, and how grades have and should be determined."

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Primer on eBooks, eReaders and more

From PC Magazine, here's a multipart article on the current state of ebooks (from the consumer point of view), along with the latest info regarding the quickly changing face of the eReader market.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371575,00.asp

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Media That Matters - short films on important issues

"The Media That Matters Film Festival is the premiere showcase for short films on the most important topics of the day. Local and global, online and in communities around the world, Media That Matters engages diverse audiences and inspires them to take action."

"The films are diverse in style and content, with documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental work and everything else in between. What all the films have in common is that they spark debate and action in 12 minutes or less."

Most of the issues presented are more appropriate for High School.

http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/films

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Diamante Poetry creator

Use the prompts on this webpage to generate an original Diamante poem.

http://www.boobis.com/students/poetry/diamante.html

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Arkive - images of life on Earth

"With the help of the world’s best filmmakers, photographers, conservationists and scientists, ARKive is creating the ultimate multimedia guide to the world's endangered species."

The videos and images in this searchable visual database are perfect for animal research projects. Videos can also be embedded, downloaded and linked.

http://www.arkive.org

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X-Stream Science Videos - free viewing & downloads

The X-Stream Science site offers a series of videos (à la Bill Nye) to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and is targeted at middle school students. Episodes are available for free online viewing or downloading. Lesson plans can also be downloaded.

http://x-streamscience.com/

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Rapid-Reads: new from Orca

"Orca Book Publishers is excited to introduce Rapid Reads, a new line of short novels for adult readers. Rapid Reads are intended for a diverse audience, including ESL students, reluctant readers, adults who struggle with literacy and anyone who wants an high-interest short novel."

These titles may also be good for grade 11 and 12 students reading at lower levels.

http://orcabook.com/rapid-reads.com/

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Choices Reading Lists - from IRA

"Each year, thousands of children, young adults, teachers, and librarians around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the “Choices” reading lists. These lists are used in classrooms, libraries, and homes to help young readers find books they will enjoy."

http://www.reading.org/resources/booklists.aspx