Apps That Rise to the Top: Curated by a TL

The best, most extensive list of apps voted on by educators

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/apps-that-rise-to-the-top-tested-and-approved-by-teachers/

Michelle Luhtala, a savvy librarian from New Canaan High School in Connecticut has crowd-sourced the best, most extensive list of apps voted on by educators around the country. "I wanted to make sure we had some flexibility because there's no one app that's better than all the others," Luhtala said. Some apps are best for younger students, others are more complicated, better suited for high school students. Many apps do one thing really well, but aren't great at everything — so it's always good to know about an array of tools to suit the need at hand.

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Apple Learning Tour Resources

At a recent Apple Learning Tour, I was introduced to a number of great resources.

Here are some links to explore:

• See educator Larry Reiff's literature projects->  If Shakespeare Could Tweet: Transforming Literature with iOS, his new book at the iBooks Store and his The Literature of Global History course on iTunes U.
  
• To view engaging apps like the ones we explored at the event, visit the Education Collections on the App Store.Visit the Textbooks category on the iBooks Store to view a wide collection of iBooks Textbooks.Some free iTunes U courses include the William Shakespeare, Primary Sources, and For the Classroom collections. (Explore Apple's content creation apps that are included with every new iPad and Mac.)
  

Visit www.apple.com/education to access additional resources. You can also view free informative webcasts featuring administrators, educators, and IT professionals at Education Seminars Online.

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Free Archived Library Webinars

Asynchronous Pro-D - on your own time

https://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived

"Sharpen your professional skills by taking Infopeople training! Infopeople training is open to all members of the library community - academic, public, school, and special."

Here's a sample of the many free webinars available.

(Name, and email needed to view/listen)

• What's New in Young Adult Literature 2014 Webinar
• What's New in Children's Literature 2014 Webinar
• Using Twitter for Professional Development Opportunities Webinar
• Innovative & Engaging Teen Programming Webinar
• Young Children, New Media & Libraries Webinar
• Graphic Novel and Comic Collections for Teens Webinar
• Beyond the Rhymes: Rethinking the Who, Where, and How of Storytimes
• Street Lit and Libraries Webinar
  
  

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Genius hour: Making time for passion in the classroom SmartBlogs

Every student has a passion project inside

http://smartblogs.com/education/2014/06/11/genius-hour-making-time-for-passion-in-the-classroom/

Learn more about this exciting concept:

"Genius Hour — a regular time in class during which students get to pursue their own passion projects — is a gift that opens students up to the world of their own talents and interests. It allows them to reach beyond the routine, unlearn the rules they've been programmed to follow and embrace the uncertainty of their own audacious dreams."

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Create a Reading culture in your school

READ, READ, READ

Looking for ways to support a reading culture? Here are some ideas that have been tried at a school near you!

1. Create an intermediate book club and invited your staff to participate:

Buy brand new books for the kids to read (and return after to build library collection). Give copies of the book to staff as well that they can keep to build their class libraries. Don't forget to invite EAs and Admin assistants!  Books read: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Freak the Mighty and Because of Mr. Terupt.  Meet in the library regularly to discuss and share. (Enticements...Pizza lunch? Movie viewing?)

2. Support teacher professional reading:

The school provided an allowance of $30 per staff member to purchase a professional book to improve their practice.

3. Primary Readers' Choice Awards with our primary kids K - 4.  

Students read a total of 10 titles over 5 weeks, chosen from the library collection. They voted for their favourite and  the winner was announced at  Recognition Assembly. This generated a lot of excitement.

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How to Stress Less

Australian MHA suggestions

http://guardianlv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Mental-Health-1-650x461.jpg

This graphic from the Australian Mental Health Association might just have some useful tips for all of us at the moment!

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