Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
What are Primary and Secondary Sources?
Need a Last Minute Christmas Gift for a Baby?
If you haven't already heard, I have been a songwriter since I was in high school. My CD for the nursery, "Welcome to the World" was written a while back, before technology took hold of me. I created the music to lull children to sleep, and it has gotten rave reviews. You can listen before you purchase on CD Baby, Amazon.com, or iTunes. (Just search "Julie Greller".)
Babies love it.
Parents love it.
You will love it too.
Babies love it.
Parents love it.
You will love it too.
Loads of Resources and Lesson Plans for Speech Teachers
RESOURCES
100 Best Websites for Speech Pathologists
Child Speech and Language- from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Crazy Speech World- blog written by speech-language pathologist Jenn; many great suggestions
Famous People Who Stutter- from the Stuttering Foundation
Information for Speech-Language Pathologists- from publications to connecting with your peers
Internet Resources for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Serving Students Who Stutter- last update was 2012, but this is a comprehensive list worth using
iPads in Speech-Language Therapy
A Special Page for Kids Who Stutter- resources for you to use with your students
Speech and Communication Disorders- from MedlinePlus
Speech Techie- blog written by Sean J. Sweeney, CCC-SLP
Stuttering Foundation of America- resources for parents, teachers and students
Teacher Checklist: Fluency- for stuttering students
LESSON PLANS
The Best Speech Therapy Activities and Ideas on the Planet- from specific disorders to seasonal
Examples of Materials Which Can Be adapted for Therapy- extensive listing covers interactive sites, handouts, templates and so much more!
Sample Lesson Template (Google Doc)
SLP Lesson Plan Freebies- Pinterest board
SMART Exchange- lessons to download using SMART Notebook Express
Speech Therapy Activities- free!
Speech Therapy Ideas- extensive listing divided into 9 categories
Speech Therapy Lesson Plans- from Speech Buddies
Speech Therapy Songs
100 Best Websites for Speech Pathologists
Child Speech and Language- from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Crazy Speech World- blog written by speech-language pathologist Jenn; many great suggestions
Famous People Who Stutter- from the Stuttering Foundation
Information for Speech-Language Pathologists- from publications to connecting with your peers
Internet Resources for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists Serving Students Who Stutter- last update was 2012, but this is a comprehensive list worth using
iPads in Speech-Language Therapy
A Special Page for Kids Who Stutter- resources for you to use with your students
Speech and Communication Disorders- from MedlinePlus
Speech Techie- blog written by Sean J. Sweeney, CCC-SLP
Stuttering Foundation of America- resources for parents, teachers and students
Teacher Checklist: Fluency- for stuttering students
LESSON PLANS
The Best Speech Therapy Activities and Ideas on the Planet- from specific disorders to seasonal
Examples of Materials Which Can Be adapted for Therapy- extensive listing covers interactive sites, handouts, templates and so much more!
Sample Lesson Template (Google Doc)
SLP Lesson Plan Freebies- Pinterest board
SMART Exchange- lessons to download using SMART Notebook Express
Speech Therapy Activities- free!
Speech Therapy Ideas- extensive listing divided into 9 categories
Speech Therapy Lesson Plans- from Speech Buddies
Speech Therapy Songs
Have You Heard of Crash Course Kids?
The ever-popular Crash Course also has a junior version called Crash Course Kids. There are science videos for elementary and middle school students which are presented in an easy to understand way. Take a look a the videos below to see if you would like to use them in your classroom.
By the way, the original Crash Course is not only available on YouTube, but they have partnered with The Khan Academy, with videos in math for K-8, and areas of test prep, economics, arts and humanities, and computing.
NOTE: It is important to preview Crash Course videos, (not necessary for Crash Course Kids) since there are some sarcastic comments which might not be acceptable in your classroom. You be the judge.
By the way, the original Crash Course is not only available on YouTube, but they have partnered with The Khan Academy, with videos in math for K-8, and areas of test prep, economics, arts and humanities, and computing.
NOTE: It is important to preview Crash Course videos, (not necessary for Crash Course Kids) since there are some sarcastic comments which might not be acceptable in your classroom. You be the judge.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
9 Resources to Flip Your Classroom
The flipped classroom model reverses homework and classwork, so that students can learn at their own pace on their own time.
HERE ARE THE RESOURCES:
Educreations- free accounts and $$ accounts
EDpuzzle- students watch videos and add their comments as they are watching; EDpuzzle lessons now integrate with Google Classroom.
Educanon- interactive video learning; free
Explain Everything- interactive whiteboard; $3.99 iPad app
Haiku Deck- presentation software; education account is only $5.00 per month
Jing- download the program to your computer and once you create a video it is hosted on screencast.com
Khan Academy- instructional videos for math, computer programming, history, art, economics.
Screencast-o-matic- create and share your screen recordings
Teachum- build courses that are hosted on YouTube; collaborate with colleagues to create courses
Friday, December 4, 2015
What to Do When the Budget Has Been Crushed
I intentionally chose the cartoon at the left because sometime in the future, I am afraid that "free" libraries might be a thing of the past. Budget and job cuts are happening all over the country, and teacher-librarians have had to come up with ways to buy books for their collections.
Are you in that majority?
This school year I was not given any money for my budget. I have needed to pull out all the tricks in my magic bag, and although I have not been able to adequately stack the shelves, I've done about as good as one can do considering the circumstances. If you find yourself in this spot in the future, here are some of the things I have done to generate ca$h:
1, Keep a small school store stocked with book covers,(jumbo Book Sox, the original one) pens, pencils (students are always unprepared..) erasers, notebooks and ear buds. Can you guess which item we sell the most of? It's the ear buds. Price markup is the key, folks. Purchase from clearance sales, discount warehouses etc.
2. The raffle sale. See if you can get a local business to donate an item, or take the price of the item out of the raffle sales. With the second choice you won't make as much, but you'll still make something. If you attend a book fair, you might have gotten the author to autograph your copy, The autograph will make your book raffle more appealing.
3, Charge students 10 cents per sheet for printing from the computer. Believe me, this money adds up.
4. Charge students for copying in color or black and white. Many companies like Apple are giving away free all-in-one printer/scanners with the purchase of a computer. See if a colleague will donate it so that it will cost you nothing. (Old printer/scanners as donations can work as well. You will have to pay for the ink if your technology department or supervisor does not have the funds for it.)
Hope this takes the sting out of the "zero dollar game." If you have any suggestions to share, please add to the comments. I still haven't found a high school library with no budget other than us.
Are you in that majority?
This school year I was not given any money for my budget. I have needed to pull out all the tricks in my magic bag, and although I have not been able to adequately stack the shelves, I've done about as good as one can do considering the circumstances. If you find yourself in this spot in the future, here are some of the things I have done to generate ca$h:
1, Keep a small school store stocked with book covers,(jumbo Book Sox, the original one) pens, pencils (students are always unprepared..) erasers, notebooks and ear buds. Can you guess which item we sell the most of? It's the ear buds. Price markup is the key, folks. Purchase from clearance sales, discount warehouses etc.
2. The raffle sale. See if you can get a local business to donate an item, or take the price of the item out of the raffle sales. With the second choice you won't make as much, but you'll still make something. If you attend a book fair, you might have gotten the author to autograph your copy, The autograph will make your book raffle more appealing.
3, Charge students 10 cents per sheet for printing from the computer. Believe me, this money adds up.
4. Charge students for copying in color or black and white. Many companies like Apple are giving away free all-in-one printer/scanners with the purchase of a computer. See if a colleague will donate it so that it will cost you nothing. (Old printer/scanners as donations can work as well. You will have to pay for the ink if your technology department or supervisor does not have the funds for it.)
Hope this takes the sting out of the "zero dollar game." If you have any suggestions to share, please add to the comments. I still haven't found a high school library with no budget other than us.
UPDATED POST: Do Your Students Know How to Evaluate a Website?
Most students are really not sure how to tell if a website is trustworthy. In fact, when I teach classes on research, several students mention at the beginning of the lesson that all they need is Google to do their paper. By the end of the lesson they have retracted that statement. How savvy are YOUR students? Here are 16 resources on website evaluation:
WEBSITES
Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources
Credible Sources Count- view a 10-minute tutorial about how to find sites you can trust. EXCELLENT!
Critical Evaluation of Information- Kathy Schrock's guide by grade level; covers elementary through secondary
EasyBib Research- students can enter a topic to search and EasyBib tells them if the site is credible or not. (NOTE: Not all sites have been rated)
Evaluating Internet-Based Information- from Media Smarts
Finding Reliable Information Online- slide presentation from middle school teacher Sean Hinger
The Five Ws of Website Evaluation- from Kathy Schrock
Museum of Hoaxes- bogus web sites from A to Z
University of Berkeley Library- an excellent tutorial on finding information on the Internet
Using Critical Thinking to Find Trustworthy Websites- video from Common Sense Media
Website Evaluation- I have put together three important links for your students
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
WEBSITES
Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources
Credible Sources Count- view a 10-minute tutorial about how to find sites you can trust. EXCELLENT!
Critical Evaluation of Information- Kathy Schrock's guide by grade level; covers elementary through secondary
EasyBib Research- students can enter a topic to search and EasyBib tells them if the site is credible or not. (NOTE: Not all sites have been rated)
Evaluating Internet-Based Information- from Media Smarts
Finding Reliable Information Online- slide presentation from middle school teacher Sean Hinger
The Five Ws of Website Evaluation- from Kathy Schrock
Museum of Hoaxes- bogus web sites from A to Z
University of Berkeley Library- an excellent tutorial on finding information on the Internet
Using Critical Thinking to Find Trustworthy Websites- video from Common Sense Media
Website Evaluation- I have put together three important links for your students
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
If You Dislike Lorem Ipsum, Fillerati is For You
If you are either creating a template or working on a document and need text to fill in so you can see the big picture, Fillerati is for you! I personally am not a fan of Lorem Ipsum and have been using Fillerati because it uses English text from seven famous authors' books. (Teacher-librarians and media specialists take note.) The diagrams below give you an idea how this text filler works.
The drop-down menu offers seven famous authors and their books. |
Choose paragraph, header, list or text for your sample. |
Slide to the right to increase the number of words. |
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Textbook S'Mores: A Delectably Different Kind of Post
As I was looking for books to order for our library, I came across a cookbook ( Nerdy Nummies Cookbook, by Rosanna Pansino) which featured books which were made out of graham crackers. They looked so awesome that I decided to see what else was offered in the book. The table of contents (on Amazon, you are allowed to look inside) told me that the chapters was based school subject areas, as seen below:
You can find a host of video tutorials from Rosanna and her book, Nerdy Nummies Cookbook HERE on youtube.
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Under the chapter, "Geeky Treats", there is a recipe for Textbook S'Mores. This book gives you all the information you'll need to follow the recipes, including all the supplies you need to have on hand and a conversion chart. So if you'd like to try this recipe out before buying the book, (you really should buy it!) here's a video of the the author Rosanna Pansino making Textbook S'Mores. Enjoy!
You can find a host of video tutorials from Rosanna and her book, Nerdy Nummies Cookbook HERE on youtube.
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Thursday, November 12, 2015
Loads of Book Display Ideas for Your School Library!
Spice up your library environment with tempting book displays. Students DO judge a book by its cover, so don't let them judge your library as dreary! Special H/T to Library Girl Jennifer LaGarde for the terrific infographic.
You can find this post and a HUGE collection of resources for teacher-librarians HERE.
Book Displays to Attract Reluctant Readers- from EBSCO
Fiction Book Display Ideas- Pinterest board
High School Library Book Display Ideas
Library Book Displays- Pinterest board
Library Displays- Pinterest board
School Library Book Display Ideas- Google image search
School Library Displays- Flickr pool of over 700 photos!
School-Library Displays- Pinterest board
Twenty Rules for Better Book Displays-from EBSCO
You can find this post and a HUGE collection of resources for teacher-librarians HERE.
Book Displays to Attract Reluctant Readers- from EBSCO
Fiction Book Display Ideas- Pinterest board
High School Library Book Display Ideas
Library Book Displays- Pinterest board
Library Displays- Pinterest board
School Library Book Display Ideas- Google image search
School Library Displays- Flickr pool of over 700 photos!
School-Library Displays- Pinterest board
Twenty Rules for Better Book Displays-from EBSCO
TED Talks About Libraries and Librarians
In case you haven't seen these wonderful TED Talks.................
2016 School Libraries Work!
Scholastic has released its 2016 document, School Libraries Work! and I'm hoping all my library colleagues will download a copy. It's important to note that the majority of administrators have no idea what we do every day as teacher-librarians, so it is up to us to let them know.
Always keep a log of what you do every hour of the day. I use a Google document and constantly add to it, inserting visuals for clarification. Don't risk forgetting how busy your day was!
My recommendation is to download a copy and use it to show your district how important school libraries are for our students. Here are some screen shots from the document:
Always keep a log of what you do every hour of the day. I use a Google document and constantly add to it, inserting visuals for clarification. Don't risk forgetting how busy your day was!
My recommendation is to download a copy and use it to show your district how important school libraries are for our students. Here are some screen shots from the document:
Monday, November 9, 2015
Are You Ready for Google Jamboree?
Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 5th. EdTechTeacher is presenting Jamboree in Medfield, MA, and it looks like it's going to be terrific! The event will take place at Medfield High School and feature the following workshops: Google Drive and Google Classroom, The Magic of Chromebooks and Google Web Tools, Google Drive as Collaboration Station, Student Creations with Google Drive Add Ons and Chrome Extensions, and YouTube-It's Not Just Cats and Khan Academy.
For more information and to register, click HERE.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Doodle 4 Google Contest Open
It's that time of year again for the Doodle 4 Google competition! Students in grades K-12 can submit their entries from now until December 7, 2015.
Here's what Google has to say about the contest:
"For this year’s contest, students can create a doodle that tells the world “What makes me…me.” Kids have all kinds of things that make them unique, so they can use all kinds of materials to create their doodles, from crayons, to clay, to graphic design, even food and video games.
Students in grades K-12 are invited to take part in the 2015 Doodle 4 Google contest. Like all Google Doodles, each doodle must incorporate the letters G-o-o-g-l-e. One national winner will also receive a $30,000 college scholarship."
The online entry form is HERE.
Here is the winning doodle from last year.
Here's what Google has to say about the contest:
"For this year’s contest, students can create a doodle that tells the world “What makes me…me.” Kids have all kinds of things that make them unique, so they can use all kinds of materials to create their doodles, from crayons, to clay, to graphic design, even food and video games.
Students in grades K-12 are invited to take part in the 2015 Doodle 4 Google contest. Like all Google Doodles, each doodle must incorporate the letters G-o-o-g-l-e. One national winner will also receive a $30,000 college scholarship."
The online entry form is HERE.
Here is the winning doodle from last year.
Monday, November 2, 2015
5 USB Microphones Under $250.00 for Podcasting
So you say you are ready to podcast? I have already posted loads of information for you to get started as well as sample technology and education podcasts. Today's post specifically covers USB microphones which are priced under $250.00. These are the previous 2 posts:
All About Pocasting: 82 Sites Which Will Show You Everything You Need to Know
The Best 30 Technology and Education Podcasts
My Top 5
1. Audio-Technica AT2020- with a list price of $225.00, this cardioid mic picks up sound from in front and limits the sounds from the sides and rear. It's currently on Amazon.com for $169.00 with free shipping.
2. Blue Microphones: YETI- this retro-looking microphone offers multiple pattern selection: cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional & stereo. It can be used in any situation, including podcasting,
It's currently on Amazon.com for $84.95 with free shipping. (It is a #1 Best Seller on their site)
3. CAD Audio U37- studio-quality mic for vocals, instruments and podcasts. This is a cardioid mic which limits side and back sounds, concentrating on the sound from in front of the mic. The USB cable is 10 feet long. It's currently on Amazon.com for $43.03 with free shipping.
4. Rode NT-USB- package includes a pop shield, tripod desk stand, ring mount,
and storage pouch. Currently, this low-noise condenser mic has a 5-star rating (59 reviews) on Amazon.com where it is $169.00 with free shipping.
5. Zoom H2n- this mic runs on (2) AA batteries, Mid-Side (MS) stereo, 90° X/Y stereo, and both 2-channel and 4-channel surround. Comes with a 2GB SD card. Currently available on Amazon.com for $159.99 with free shipping.
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Labels:
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Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Want More Theme Choices in Google Slides?
Tired of the limited choices of Themes in Google Slides? Why not try Slides Carnival, which offers free presentation templates in 8 different categories, including Formal, Inspirational, Creative, Simple, Startup, Elegant, Playful and Business. Once you are logged into Google Drive, simply choose the template by clicking "USE THIS PRESENTATION TEMPLATE" and it is brought right into your Google Slides to edit. Instructions are written on the actual slides. Here are a few sample templates:
H/T to Joyce Valenza for the info!
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
New Page Added: Special Education
With a limit on the number of pages Blogger offers, I condensed the Web 2.0 resources so that Special Education could get its own page. Sorry it took so long.
4 Fonts Designed for Students with Dyslexia
For any student with dyslexia, reading can be very difficult. Fortunately, designers have created several fonts to aid students when reading online, saving them from trying to flip, swap or reverse letters. (Currently, Arial, Courier, Helvetica and Verdana are easiest for dyslexics to read.) Here are 4 fonts you can load on your school's computers:
1. Dyslexie
4. Sylexiad
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Cheating is Sometimes Okay: This Cheat Sheet is Awesome!
Here's a big shout-out to Kasey Bell, whose blog Shake Up Learning has some of the best technology tutorials on the web! I am currently teaching our new 9th graders how to use Google Docs and Drive, and found this cheat-sheet which Kasey created. It is easy to follow and I love the design! (What is that handwriting font? Love it!)
Monday, August 3, 2015
Your Resource List for the Start of the School Year
Although we don't return to school until after Labor Day, I understand that many of you have already begun the 2015-2016 school year. So......I've put together a megalist of resources which will assist you in becoming more organized.
Award and Certificate Templates
Back to School Templates
Best Education and Technology Podcasts
Books for Reluctant Readers: Grades K-12
Bulletin Board Ideas
Classroom Guides from Edutopia
Classroom Management Templates and Forms
Free eBooks Listing
FREE Stuff for Teachers
Getting Started with Icebreakers
Grants and Grant Writing Information
Great Blogs to Follow By Subject Area
Holidays from September-June
Resources for New Teachers
Technology eBooks from MakeUseOf
What a Listing! Holiday Resources From September to June- all the links you'll ever need
Friday, July 31, 2015
Guest Post: On Digital Citizenship
Our 21st Century libraries are the perfect place to explore, and what better way to practice digital citizenship than by connecting with others around the world!
Common Sense Media’s vast website is chock-full of resources related to kids, tweens, teens, parents, and media. Their Digital Literacy and Citizenship educational resources and curriculum are well written, aligned with the Common Core State Standards, and they are kid, tween, and teen friendly. Their Power of Words, Pause and Think Online are great videos to share with elementary school students, and Oversharing: Think Before You Post is perfect for tweens and teens.
One way to incorporate the Digital Citizenship curriculum and to honor the Digital Citizenship pledge is to connect with other schools via Google Hangout or Skype, and practice what they have learned in a fun way. By celebrating various literature-inspired holidays with other schools within your district, the United States, or worldwide, elementary students can hone their 21st Century communication skills.
In September, we celebrate courage, creativity, and collaboration with International Dot Day, We read books about art and taking risks, and share dot-inspired art with other schools.
In October, we celebrate Read for the Record and collaborate with other schools to share the book of the year. Also in October is Digital Citizenship Week - the perfect time to teach this topic, and practice new skills like communicating kindly with someone else online.
In March we celebrate World Read Aloud Day where my students connect with other classrooms around the United States to share information about each other’s state and read aloud to one another. Mo Willem’s Elephant and Piggie books are perfect books for Gerald, and the other, Piggie, Older students can the younger grades - one school can read the part of read two-part poems such as Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman or read a Readers’ Theater version of a book, such as Judy Schachner’s Skippyjon Jones- Lost in Spice, dividing the parts between the two schools.
Another favorite holiday I celebrate with my students Poem in Your Pocket Day. This year, after reading a few examples of list poems, we collaboratively created list poems, using Google Hangout, and typing together on Google Drive as our students created and dictated the lines of the poems.
As students go farther and farther into their exploration of cyberspace, powerful digital citizenship lessons such as these will serve them well.
Melissa McDonald is the School Library Media Specialist at Flower Hill Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and is the author of the blog, The Creative Librarian - Adventures in School Librarianship.
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