Chansons françaises et francophones - French through Songs and Singing

Song resources for students and teachers of French

http://people.southwestern.edu/~prevots/songs/

This multimedia site features streaming MP3s, annotated lyrics, articles and links. The recordings are of songs in the public domain plus artists' originals used with permission. The emphasis is on providing resources for students and teachers of French. The site is best viewed in Firefox or Safari.

Its goals are:

1. To promote French and Francophone cultures

2. To encourage the use of songs in the classroom

3. To provide a resource bank that can grow over time

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Connectome is a mind-bending adventure story

Neuroscience: understanding what makes us who we are

http://connectomethebook.com/

http://connectomethebook.com/?page_id=1233 (TED talk)

"Sebastian Seung, a dynamic professor at MIT, is on a quest to discover the biological basis of identity. He believes it lies in the pattern of connections between the brain's neurons, which change slowly over time as we learn and grow. The connectome, as it's called, is where our genetic inheritance intersects with our life experience. It's where nature meets nurture."

(Thanks CW for the link)

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Interview with Heather Reisman - Chapters/Indigo

What the future holds for Canadian booksellers

http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/shows/2012/04/15/heather-reisman---renee-fleming---cbc-drama/

"Michael Enright speaks with Heather Reisman, the founder and CEO of Indigo Books and Music, about what the future holds for Canadian booksellers and how her company fits into the picture."

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Canada's History - Canada and a Better World - digital version

Kayak Magazine: Canada and a Better World

http://canadashistory.ca/Subscribe/Canada-and-a-Better-World.aspx

Free educational access of this issue is made possible by a contribution from CIDA  (Subsequent digital issues of Kayak require a subscription.)

"Sixty-four pages about Canada and the world — how we've helped others in the past and how we still help today. And not just adults, young Canadians are out there volunteering in all kinds of ways to build a brighter future for everyone on the planet."

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Histoire Canada - et Kayak - revues numériques

"Des voix unies pour l'espoir" - Revue

http://canadashistory.ca/Subscribe/Aider-les-nations.aspx

Histoire Canada a publié un numéro intitulé "Des voix unies pour l'espoir".  Le magazine "Canada's History" est en anglais normalement, mais grâce aux commanditaires, il y a de plus en plus de français.   La version numérique pour ce numéro est toujours disponible gratuitement en ligne.  (voir lien ci-haut)

La revue Kayak, "Vers un monde meilleur"

 http://canadashistory.ca/Unmondemeilleur

Revue pour les plus jeunes aussi disponible en ligne.

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Literature Circle Models

Some ideas and downloadables for Lit Circles

http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/litcirclemodels.php

Laura Candler writes: "On this page you can also learn about different types of Literature Circles. I've had some success with all the models below, but all models haven't been successful with all groups of students. Read through the various descriptions and find something that feels right to you. Each description has a link to the part of the page that describes how to do a specific type of Literature Circles."

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Junior Book Award Nominees (South Carolina)

Titles, excerpts, reviews and discussion guides

http://studysc.org/sc-book-award/2012-2013-sc-junior-book-award-nominees

"Come discover the 2012-2013 South Carolina Book Awards, where each title is chosen to encourage students to read good quality contemporary literature."

The downloadable discussion guides (sample) give an overview of the title and suggest some ideas for discussion, as well as extension activities. Great for supporting lit circle titles. (The South Carolina Junior Book Award nominees are appropriate for 6-8 grade levels. Elementary and High School titles are linked in the sidebar.)

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Bessie Chin Library Facebook Page

Using a Facebook Page for "Good"

http://www.facebook.com/BessieChinLibrary

Here's an example of a school library that uses FB to communicate with patrons. Students and parents can get updates on their own newsfeed when BCL makes a post.

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Science News for Kids

Resources to help students learn more about Science

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/

"Science News for Kids was launched in 2003 by Society for Science & the Public (SSP) as a youth edition and companion to the Society's Science News magazine. Educators will find timely, interesting news stories and longer in-depth articles about a wide variety of science topics, suggestions and resources for hands-on activities, books, articles, and web resources, and coverage of the world's leading science, engineering, math, and technology competitions for young people."

Many articles in SNK include resources to help students learn more about the topic covered, including: Going Deeper, Power Words, Related Articles, Teachers Questions, and Word Find.

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Comptines et chansons pour enfants

Songs for Kids in French - words and music

http://comptine.free.fr/

Pendant plusieurs années nous avons préparé pour la Classe Maternelle des documents qui permettent aux parents de suivre les comptines que les enfants apprennent à l'école. La plupart de ces textes proviennent du domaine public. Les archives des comptines illustrées sont disponibles sur la page de téléchargement.

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DOAB: Directory of Open Access Books

Discover Open Access books

http://www.doabooks.org/doab?func=subject&uiLanguage=en

The primary aim of DOAB is to increase discoverability of Open Access books in order to help scholars and students to access these materials. The directory is open to all publishers who offer academic, peer reviewed books. These resources can be downloaded in PDF format. The list is small, but growing.

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Poems for a Small Park

Poetic connections between Canadian nature and the sublime

http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120149

(Download entire book)

Blodgett wrote his "Poems for a small park" in English and some in French, but was able to have some of them translated into Cree, Michif, Chinese, and Ukrainian. This reflects Edmonton's unique multicultural ambience and the roles of diverse cultures in the making of the city.

The powerful images and thoughtful metaphors in these short lyrics show readers the connections between Canadian nature (even within city limits) and the sublime, especially in the overwhelming silence we can sense outdoors – if we pay attention. The poet speaks to change by helping us see natural phenomena around us in a different light each time we read his poems.

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Bricks to Brains: The Embodied Cognitive Science of Lego Robots

Embodied cognitive science via LEGO Mindstorms robots

http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120175#detailsTabArea

(Download the PDF of the book)

From Bricks to Brains introduces embodied cognitive science, and illustrates its foundational ideas through the construction and observation of LEGO Mindstorms robots.

Discussing the characteristics that distinguish embodied cognitive science from classical cognitive science, From Bricks to Brains places a renewed emphasis on sensing and acting, the importance of embodiment, the exploration of distributed notions of control, and the development of theories by synthesizing simple systems and exploring their behaviour. Numerous examples are used to illustrate a key theme: the importance of an agent's environment. Even simple agents, such as LEGO robots, are capable of exhibiting complex behaviour when they can sense and affect the world around them.

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Earthday download from Amazon - The Midway Albatross

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross  - FREE Kindlebook Download.

http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-the-Midway-Albatross-ebook/dp/B006VW4Z9S/

(For 48 hours before Earth Day there will be a free Kindle download (April 19-20.)

Save to your Kindle or your Kindle App. Great for projecting in a classroom.

"On December 10, 1956, early in my first visit to Midway, I banded 99 incubating Laysan Albatrosses in the 'downtown' area of Sand Island, Midway. Wisdom is still alive, healthy, and incubating again in December 2011. While I have grown old and gray and get around only with the use of a cane, Wisdom still looks and acts just the same as on the day I banded her. . . remarkable true story. . . beautifully illustrated in color."

Resources listed on the book page: http://albatross.darcypattison.com

• Creative Coloring Pages
• Top 108 Tsunami Resources for Teachers
• Albatross Videos
• Plastic Pollution:
  

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Ideas to Go (PBS KIDS Lab)

Help kids to learn simple math concepts

http://pbskids.org/lab/ideas-to-go/

Here are many great activities for you to do with your child while on the go! These easy-to-do ideas are fun ways for you and your kids to learn simple math concepts. Each activity extends the math ideas also presented in the online games.

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"Embedded Formative Assessment" Book and links

The Importance of formative assessment

"Embedded Formative Assessment" - Dylan Wiliam (2011)

(Book on order for DRC.)

"Formative assessment plays an important role in increasing teacher quality and student learning when it's viewed as a process rather than a tool. Emphasizing the instructional side of formative assessment, this book explores in-depth the use of classroom questioning, learning intentions and success criteria, feedback, collaborative and cooperative learning, and self-regulated learning to engineer effective learning environments for students."

Read introduction and Chapter 5 of the book online

("Providing feedback that moves learning forward".)

http://archive.solution-tree.com/Public/LookInside.aspx?ProductCode=BKF418

Short videoclip of the author

[LINK here]

Playlist of assorted D Wiliam clips.

(You may have to click past the 2nd clip if it doesn't play)

[Link to playlist here]

Links to some of his published papers.

http://www.dylanwiliam.net/

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Teacher librarian Magazine - The Learning Commons edition

So just what is a "Learning Commons"?

(Teacher librarian Magazine. Dec 2011)

[LINK to digital version]

Read more about this exciting reconceptualization of library space. Is it new or just a new way of talking about what we are already doing?

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A "document camera" that won't break the bank

The perfect "camera" solution for teaching and presenting

http://www.ipevo.com/prods/Point-2-View-USB-Camera

I have tried this compact $70 camera and it works like a charm. Project manipulatives for math, show close-ups of specimens for science and share picture books in the library. Easy setup, great sharp images!

"The Point 2 View USB Document Camera provides real-time video capture for documents, pictures, and three-dimensional objects — all at hundreds or even thousands less than conventional document cameras and overhead projectors. With its ultra-portable size and featherlight weight, the Point 2 View is a perfect mobile solution for teaching, presentations, distance learning, and video communication of all types."

Burnaby Vendor.

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Internet @ Schools (Jan/Feb issue)

Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Internet @ Schools

(table of contents from the website)

(Full content through EBSCO.  For home access, contact your teacher librarian for a login & password.)

(Free website article):

- Learning Together: The Evolution of a 1:1 iPad Program by Carolyn Foote

The article offers information on the iPad pilot initiative and explores its impact on teaching and learning.

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- Elearning and Libraries: Critical Questions Librarians Need to Ask by Stephen Abram  (EBSCO link)

Stephen points out that the reading ecology is changing. Reading may be fundamental, but the way we use reading materials in teaching and libraries will necessarily change as that ecology does.

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Ecological footprint calculators

What if everyone on earth lived like a Canadian?

1) Global Footprint Network (with adult and student version)

2) WWF

3) Green School Initiatives

"If everyone lived like a Canadian, it would take 4 planets to support us all."

Do you believe this? Use these sites to check your ecological footprint using lifestyle calculators.  Make this as a starting point to talk about what you can do to make meaningful changes.   (Includes a list of many different calculators e.g General environmental footprint calculators, Carbon and energy calculators and Water footprint calculators, etc.)" (Thanks JH)

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