Library Links

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

13.4.12

Nature Magazine

Science knowledge for culture and daily life

"Nature's mission: first, to serve scientists through prompt publication of significant advances in any branch of science, and to provide a forum for the reporting and discussion of news and issues concerning science. Second, to ensure that the results of science are rapidly disseminated to the public throughout the world, in a fashion that conveys their significance for knowledge, culture and daily life."

More suitable for secondary level

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AppAdvice Daily: Appisodes to watch

Appisodes - Short Clips demonstrating some cool tools

Example: Make great Videos
"Today we're going to show you how to make an awesome, stylized home video or podcast that you'll want to share with the world – or maybe just your friends and family. Either way you're going to want to show it off."


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iPad AppGuides by AppAdvice

Looking for a new app?

"AppAdvice simplifies the cluttered App Store to help you pick only the best apps to download. Looking for a new app? Do you have a certain kind of app you're looking to download? Browse the AppGuides of highly detailed sub groups to discover exactly what kind of apps exist and which ones are worth a purchase and which ones should be skipped. Say goodbye to the confusion of tedious research and reading countless user reviews, and hello to AppGuides."

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iBooks Author in Education - Handbook Dowlload

Create interactive multi-touch textbooks

"With iBooks Author, you and your students can fulfill your potential as publishing authors. Not only can you create interactive multi-touch textbooks, but your students can create their own books, included embedded images, movies, audio clips, and links to the Internet. This website will support you in creating books that can be shared and enjoyed on an iPad."

Using the link above, download the ".ibooks" formatted handbook that you can read right on your iPad. (Look under Resources.)

Also, check out this article for 7 reasons to learn "iBooks Author".

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Toward an Index of All Stories

Small Demons - A story "names" database

"How useful might a proper-name index to all novels and movies be? If, for example, you wanted to discover all instances of Peeps in fiction, or every time someone drove a Mustang, or took a picture of Big Ben?

That is the humble goal of Small Demons, a new service (still in beta) that aims to allow readers to discover connections between works, as well as to more fully understand the way novels and movies they love represent the world."

I'm not sure when we'll see more YA fiction added, but I can see great potential for both academic folks as well as the interested casual reader.

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Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History: Mystery Quests

Be a detective: solve historical mysteries!

"Welcome to the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History MysteryQuests, where you can use the popular WebQuest format as you develop your detection skills to solve the historical mysteries on any one of our sites.

These interactive, user-friendly lessons are designed for use by individuals working alone or with a partner; suggestions for adapting these resources for use by an entire class are found in the "Teacher Notes" attached to each MysteryQuest."

Mysteries are arranged by age (11-14 years, 14-16 years and 16-18 years) as some of the investigations deal with concepts that require a more mature outlook. These activities could be part of a forensics unit in science,  a writing unit in language arts, a historical evidence unit in socials or an integrated activity combining several outcomes. Check the links before using with a class.


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Secondary Socials: How do we construct historical knowledge?

Take 2: Evidence and Interpretation

"How do we construct historical knowledge? This six-minute video introduces students to three key criteria for judging primary sources of information. Photos and letters about Chinese builders on the Canadian Pacific Railway reveal the importance of questioning, corroborating and carefully interpreting all types of evidence. (Social studies, Social responsibility) From The Thinking Teacher (April Issue)"

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The Johnny Cash Project: A Participatory Music Video That Sings

Creative Crowdsourcing

Final Result

This project is an excellent example of how the internet can leverage the creative impulses of many people to produce a mashup/remix that touches both the artists and the audience. The producers developed a simple Flash based interface that allowed any interested fan to "enhance" a frame of an existing music video. Each retouched frame is then combined with others to create a seamless tribute to Johnny Cash.  (Something similar would be a great project for a Visual Arts class, or even a joint project between a Music Composition course and an Animation class.)

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12.4.12

The Virtual Choir - harnessing beauty across time and space

A musical experiment in social media
(See previous performances on the site as well)

The Virtual Choir began in May 2009 as a simple experiment in social media, when Britlin Losee – a fan of Eric's music – recorded a video of herself singing "Sleep" and shared it on YouTube. After watching the video, Eric responded by sending a call out to his online fans to purchase Polyphony's recording of "Sleep", record themselves singing along to it, and upload the result.

Virtual Choir 1.0 received over 1 million hits in the first two months of its release.

Ever ambitious, for Virtual Choir 2.0 Eric called for 900 singers to record themselves singing "Sleep". At the final tally he received 2052 contributions from singers in 58 countries.

Upon previewing the video at TED 2011, Eric (and the choir) received two standing ovations – testimony to the power of the internet to connect people of all backgrounds and abilities and create something beautiful across time and space.

(To show to students, you may have to download using keepvid or some other service in order to prevent freezing during playback.)

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Virtual Microscope Interface

Introduce your students to high-resolution browsing

"The Virtual Microscope interface supports the browsing of high-resolution, multi-dimensional image datasets from our Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and our Light Microscope (LM). The download below comes with three specimens, but any one of the specimens on our data page can be downloaded and viewed with this interface."

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stereomood - playlists by "mood"

Find music to match your mood

"Stereomood is a free "emotional internet radio" that suggests music that best suits your mood and your daily activities. it's much more than an online radio, it's a tool to create playlists for every occasion, a tool to share emotions through the music."

Find artists you might not know about. There are links to amazon and iTunes, so if you find that perfect song, you can get your own copy!

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Musée d'Orsay: Explore the museum

A virtual Field trip: le musée d'Orsay

The site features an introductory video that shows the original building being turmed into a museum. The webpage also has links to an interactive floor plan, a video gallery and links to the collections currently being shown. (Site can be toggled into French, English, German, Spanish and Italian as well.)

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Escher's studio - animation project

Inspiration - Escher's studio imagined.

Cristobal Vila brings to life the varied sources of inspiration for Escher's works by imagining what the man's studio workshop might look like. There are many hidden "Easter eggs" for those who know about the influences on Escher work. The result is an animated fly-over of an imaginary workspace, accompanied by a beautiful piece, "Lost Song" composed by Ólafur Arnalds, an Icelandic musician.

The movie:

Detailed explanations of the images:
Here you will find some brief explanatory notes about those elements which have a highly mathematical nature, including the works of the great Dutch artist that appear in the film.

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Nature by numbers - Math made beautiful

A short Movie inspired by the numbers in nature

A beautifully made video that explores how the Fibonacci Sequence, Golden Ratio and the number Phi (not Pi) appear in nature.

"The animation begins by presenting a series of numbers. This is a very famous sequence, recognized for many centuries in the Western World thanks to the work of Leonardo of Pisa, a thirteenth century Italian mathematician, also called Fibonacci. It is known as the Fibonacci Sequence."

Teacher resource explaining the various elements of the film

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11.4.12

Recettes - vidéos (French)

Donnez le "goût du français" à vos étudiants avec ces sites-web savoureux!

Recettes du Québec

Ecole de cuisine

France Chef

Saveurs du monde
Clips sans bande-sonore, mais avec sous-titres

Cuisine Plus

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Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us - YouTube

Dan Pink speaks about motivation

This lively RSAnimate, adapted from Dan Pink's talk at the RSA, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace. There are clear messages for how we assess and give feedback to students.

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Facebook for Educators

Learn more about Facebook

Wondering about how teachers use Facebook? What to look out for? What do students need to know? How about privacy settings?

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Using the Facebook "Pages" feature

"Here's what you need to know: You don't need to "friend" students or accept friend requests from them to interact with them on Facebook. Instead, we encourage you as an educator to set a Facebook Page and/or a Facebook Group for these interactions, which we will explain below. You may find that you have the need for multiple Pages and/or Groups. This approach is a good way to respect student privacy—and to have students respect your privacy."


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A Facebook "Page" for teachers learning about Facebook


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Poetic Table of the Elements: A Periodic Table of Poetry

Poetry meets Science!

Adapting this could make a fun assignment for either an English class or a Science lab, or for an Elementary teacher who wants to fuse the two. The example URL allows you to click on any element and read a student poem (or two) about it. Some are inspired, some are not so much. But with some guidelines, the results could be quite interesting. (haiku, diamante, limerick, etc.) Perhaps one challenge might be to work in the discoverer, or a property, or practical use. (Note: some of the poems submitted are for an older audience, so you might want to create your own.)


Oxygen: By Debra Mathis

An unseen blanket
in which we dance...
a gift of the gasp,
filling us with unspoken light...
and finally leaving us

in that quiet, final night.     


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"Là est la question" - Video Clips for Immersion

Emission pour les jeunes en immersion
- Episode - Le soccer

"Adrien, Gabrielle, Olivier et Tamara sont quatre amis âgés de 12 à 14 ans, qui enquêtent afin de répondre à quatre questions qu'ils se posent dans leurs activités quotidiennes. Ils découvrent, grâce à leurs reportages colorés et dynamiques, que la science n'est pas composée uniquement de formules chimiques ou de calculs savants, mais qu'on la retrouve dans les éléments de la vie de tous les jours. Présentant sujets étonnants et informations surprenantes, Là est la question! est une série scientifiquement... urbaine!"

(Pour voir un épisode au complet, cherchez la rubrique "Pour voir cet épisode clique ICI". Aussi, pour plus facilement visionner les clips, laissez jouer la vidéo pendant 2 ou 3 minutes avant de la montrer à la classe. Ensuite, rembobinnez la clip et elle devrait jouer sans hoquets.)

Teacher Resource - Curriculum tie-ins

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10.4.12

Explore poetry through a class blog and podcasting

Poetry Workstations
Grades 4-8, ELA, Technology

Lesson Objective
Students analyze and explore poetry through a class blog and podcasting

Questions to Consider
  •    How do the "guiding reflection questions" support students' thinking?
  •    What skills are students practicing as they create their podcast?
  •    How did the class blog contribute to collaboration among students?
Support Materials Include: Lesson plan, worksheets and more.

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Pingpong Perry Experiences How a Book Is Made

Making a Book (Vimeo clip)

The steps to having a book published explained in this short animated clip. (2:13)

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PBS Learning Media - Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Resources

A collection of videos, sound files, readings, images and lesson plans on this topic. You might find something useful for "Earth Day"!

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Just for Fun - 10 Crazy and Unusual Book Designs

When is a book more than a book?

...when it's a ChiaPet, a pasta cookbook, or a sugar cookie...(read on)....

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TimeMaps - World History Atlas

The TimeMap of World History

"The TimeMap of World History is an all inclusive look at world history. It combines maps, timelines and chron- ological narratives that work together to enhance historical understanding. New content added daily. Teachers can also sign up for a monthly newsletter containing complimentary lesson plans, history teaching resources, games, news, special offers and much more."

Video Tour

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3rd Grade Group Science Lesson - Exploring Garden Ecosystems

Exploring attributes of ecosystems first-hand

Lesson Objective
Students work in groups to explore attributes of ecosystems first-hand.

Questions to Consider:
  • What does the teacher do at the beginning of the lesson to manage 3 different groups doing 3 different activities?
  • What advice does Ms. Reed give for outside activities and why?
  • How are students informally assessed during and after the activities?
Support Materials included: Lesson plan, instructions for students.

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Hear Neil Gaiman Read The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman reads "The Graveyard Book" in chapter instalments.

"Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other. This chilling tale is Neil Gaiman's first full-length novel for middle-grade readers since the internationally bestselling and universally acclaimed Coraline. Like Coraline, this book is sure to enchant and surprise young readers as well as Neil Gaiman's legion of adult fans."

Chapter 1 online:

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The Habitable Planet - Many Planets, One Earth

A multimedia course on environmental science

The Habitable Planet is a multimedia course for high school teachers and adult learners interested in studying environmental science. The Web site provides access to course content and activities developed by leading scientists and researchers in the field.

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MIT First Year Writing Students’ Magazine

"Angles" - First Year Writing Students' Magazine

An annual online magazine (2008- 2012) that publishes exemplary writing by students enrolled in one of MIT's introductory writing subjects. A range of compelling stories, essays and opinions on a variety of topics.

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30 Second Thought Leadership for TLs

Insights from Leaders in the School Library Community

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) presents 30 Second Thought Leadership: Insights from Leaders in the School Library Community, a new video podcast series delivering brief and practical advice from respected school library leaders on important questions about school libraries today and in the future. Questions are based on the themes of Knowledge Quest issues.

Jan/Feb 2012 Issue
Q: Are school librarians an endangered species?

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The Benefits of Taking Students Outside to Inspire Writing

A walk with my students every Friday morning

"During the past few years, I have developed the tradition of taking a walk with my students every Friday morning, as soon as students arrive in class. ... Over the years, however, I've adapted the activity to be more focused on the habit of mind that can best be described as attentiveness. ... I started to use the walks to focus attention on things that may not be familiar to them, even though they may have walked this same path for many years. (follow the link to read more...)"

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Composition Texts from CK12

Two Customizable eTexts for teaching writing:

The Glyfada Method
The Glyfada Method is a formula to help you write essays by focusing on the most difficult part of an assignment—getting started. This method helps you, the writer, discover what your main points are and what you have to say about each main point.

Commonsense Composition
This textbook follows California Language Arts Standards for grades 9-12 to provide a generalized understanding of composition and to serve as a supplementary aid to high school English teachers.

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The National Writing Project (NWP)

Help students become successful writers and learners.

"The National Writing Project (NWP) is a nationwide network of educators working together to improve the teaching of writing in the nation's schools and in other settings. NWP provides high-quality professional development programs to teachers in a variety of disciplines and at all levels, from early childhood through university. Through its network of more than two hundred university-based sites located in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, NWP develops the leadership, programs, and research needed for teachers to help students become successful writers and learners."

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Worlds of Words

Building bridges between cultures

"Welcome to Worlds of Words. You will find useful resources on this site for building bridges between cultures. These resources include strategies for locating and evaluating culturally authentic international children's and adolescent literature as well as ways of engaging students with these books in classrooms and libraries. Use the blue navigation bar at the top of the page to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission. Take time to explore the site and return often as we expand to include more voices like yours."

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A youth-led campaign to combat cyberbullying

The Great American NO BULL Challenge

"The Great American NO BULL Challenge is the only National Video Contest and Teen Video Awards show that brings awareness to the issue of cyberbullying in America. It is the largest, youth-led national campaign in America's history to combat this issue. We're using the power of social media to inspire 25 million middle and high school students to build each other up, instead of tear each other down."

View the almost 300 entries.

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Environmental Science Course content

The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science 
 This course will help teachers of biology, chemistry, and Earth science provide more content in their classes. The course components include 13 half-hour video programs, a coordinated Web site which includes the streamed video programs, the course text online, five interactive simulations, background on the scientists who created the content and those whose research is documented, a professional development guide (also available in print form), and additional resources.

The site also features videos, interactive lab exercises, additional visuals, an online textbook for each topic, and a helpful glossary of terms that runs from "acid rain" to "zoozanthellae." Each program is well-written and executed, and anyone looking for a bit of a refresher on these topics will find this resource most interesting.

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