National Geographic Kids is a fun and educational site by the reputable crew from National Geographic. Featuring kids’ games, activities, animals, photos, videos, stories and more, this site is sure to be a hit with both students and teachers.
The site is choc full of content that is both educational and fun. Lots of geographical information on countries that includes facts, photos, videos, maps and more. Highly recommended!
Don’t forget that the SLAV Conference, 13 November 2009 is fast approaching. SLAV, in partnership with NGV Education and Programs present:
Seeing things differently: New perspectives on reading and literacy at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Places are still available for this very exciting conference which addresses issues of visual literacy, multimodal literacy, graphic novels, use web 2.0 to engage students with reading and story and features the knowledge and skills of the NGV Education staff. Here is the registration form:
http://www.slav.schools.net.au/downloads/07conference/13Nov09.pdf
Don’t miss out. Register now! See you there!
Looking for a fun activity with your students? Previously profiled Teen Librarian site (UK) written by the very creative Matthew Imrie (@mattlibrarian) developed a Library Myth Busters activity that is sure to be a winner. Students love Myth Busters and they are a great tool for engaging learners. ‘Library lessons’ will never be the same again!
Matt kindly forwarded his entire Word document for Bright Ideas to publish:
This is an idea I have been working on that can be run with a Reading Group and also for breaking the ice for new users in the Library:
This event can be run by following the Myth Busters format of having small teams investigating various Library Myths and then presenting their findings to the entire Reading Group. If permission can be obtained for filming, a short DVD could be made of the proceedings. This could tie into a larger media and film-making programme that can be run over half-term or summer holidays. It is fun and educational – teenagers learn how the library works and what the staff do all day as well as debunking misconceptions they may have on what goes on in libraries.
Here are a a list of library myths that can either be debunked or confirmed:
- Librarians have lots of time to read on the job
- All librarians are fast readers
- Public libraries are only busy during the school year
- Public libraries are only busy during summer holidays
- Libraries are used only by those who cannot afford to buy their own books.
- Librarians have no stress
- Librarians have read every book in the library.
- Librarians know the answer to everything
- Everyone who works in the library is a librarian
- Libraries are just about getting books
- Libraries aren’t necessary because everything’s available on the internet
- Libraries have plenty of funding because they get so many donated books and charge so much in fines
- The librarian can be held responsible for everything that kids check out because they work for government and must protect the kids from bad things
- School libraries aren’t needed because kids can get everything they want at the public library or online
- Librarians wear their hair in buns, have wire-rimmed glasses, and say shhhhh! all the time
- Librarians only issue books
- Everything in the library is free
- You have to know Dewey to use the library
- Libraries are serious and quiet all the time
- Library cards are hard to get
- Libraries are for English readers only
The list is by no means complete and if anyone would like to add library myths in the comments you are most welcome.
Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic work Matt!
If you are interested in gaming and handheld devices for learning, then you may be interested in the proceedings from the recent Handheld Learning Conference in London. Thank you to presenters and organisers for sharing both audio and video files from the numerous sessions.
| Proceedings |
Plenty here to keep you busy for weeks!
It might be a bit much for us all at the moment, what with many schools having bans on mobile phones, but this innovative presentation is worth keeping in mind. Teacher librarians have always been wonderful at managing change, so is this our next frontier?
Go Mobile: Top 5 Mobile Services for Libraries ALA2009
Thank you to Lisa Carlucci (@lisacarlucci) and Joe Murphy (@libraryfuture) for the poster and this abstract:
Today’s patrons expect information in the palm of their hand. Using cell phones as their primary interface, patrons expect libraries to seamlessly meet their information needs on the go. This poster introduces and describes the leading methods innovative libraries will use to deliver services through mobile devices. Text Message Reference: Answer reference questions sent by patrons on their cell phones by SMS. Electronic Collections: Promote and enhance access to online library collections via mobile devices, and consider best practices for developing new digital projects with mobile interfaces. Access Services: Provide interactive account information and support access services functions for patrons anywhere, anytime, on their cell phones. Online Social Networks: Provide services and resources to build community and develop a sustainable home for your library on popular mobile social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Mobile Applications: Create software that serves as a customizable mobile interface to the library for patrons to download and access on their iPhones and other smart phones. Together, these top five methods promote the relevance of traditional services in the modern environment and advance the ability of librarians to think forwardly about new mobile services. “Think Forward, Think Mobile.”
Some schools are rethinking their ban on mobile phones; allowing them in schools but not allowing students to make or receive phone calls. This paves the way for school libraries to consider using these technologies.
Thanks to Lisa and Joe for the excellent presentation; certainly food for thought.
Thank you to the International Association of School Librarianship for ways to celebrate International School Library Day.
Suggested Activities for InternationalSchool Library DayFor School Libraries and Other Organisations |
| I | If your school library has a Web site, create a special page to publicise International School Library Day. Include the work of students. Tell the IASL Webmaster so we can link to your page. |
| N | News… Send a press release to your local newspaper with information about International School Library Day activities. A sample press release is available on this Web site. |
| T | Tell people in your school community about International School Library Day and the importance of school libraries in teaching and learning. |
| E | Encourage reading. Have your students compile a list of five books from your country (no more than five — this will force them to discuss their choices) that they think school students in other countries should read. Send the list to IASL-LINK, with information about the age level of the students who compiled the list. |
| R | Recognise excellence. Use International School Library Day as an opportunity to recognise the contribution of other people to the school library programme — student monitors/aides, support staff, teachers, parents, staff of the local education/library authority, volunteers, donors. |
| N | Notify the IASL Newsletter Editor and/or the IASL Webmaster about your activities and share your ideas with others. Send a message about what you are doing to IASL-LINK… |
| A | Arrange a book fair with an international theme. This might include highlighting books about other countries, books by authors from other countries, books in other languages… |
| T | Take part in one of the special activities organised by IASL to celebrate International School Library Day this year. There is information on this Web site to help you. |
| I | IASL-LINK… Use the IASL listserv, IASL-LINK, to tell other members of the Association what you are doing for International School Library Day. Share ideas for activities… |
| O | Organise a visiting speaker from an international organisation, or a speaker who has worked in another country, or someone who has been involved in an international project. |
| N | Newsletter. If your school (or your school library) has a newsletter, write a short article about International School Library Day and the importance of the school library in education. Ask students to write about their school library and publish the best articles. |
| A | Americans call them mousepads; Australians and Europeans call them mousemats. Ask your students to design one that will remind the user of school libraries every time she/he uses a mouse! A Christmas present for the school principal, perhaps? |
| L | Link up with the local public library for a cooperative activity. Ask the local public library to host a display about the school library; support the local public library by hosting a display for them in Library Week or at another time. |
| S | SLAV (the School Library Association of Victoria) is producing some promotional materials for International School Library Day. Check out their Web site and consider placing an order. |
| C | Contact a school library in another country to exchange messages or undertake a co-operative activity, perhaps using email or the Web. If you are an IASL member, use IASL-LINK to make contact… |
| H | Help a school library in a developing country by raising money to enable them to buy books and other materials that they need. Contact IASL to contribute to the IASL Books for Children Project. |
| O | Organise an Open Day in your school library and invite parents and other members of the local community. Have students demonstrate the online catalogue, computer-based services… or show new books or other resources. |
| O | Organise (or attend) a function through your local school library association or library association to celebrate International School Library Day — a seminar, a party… |
| L | Logo. Ask your students to design a logo for International School Library Day, such as might be used on a Web page. Send the best to the IASL Webmaster (electronically if possible) for mounting on the IASL Web site, with the name of the student and the school. |
| L | Library monitors/aides. Organise a visit to another school library (or another library) for your student library monitors, so that they can meet other people who are interested in libraries, and see how another library functions. Make them feel important, show them that the school values their contribution. |
| I | Interview (with your students) parents and others in the school community to find out what school libraries were like when they were at school. Share stories about the changes in school libraries over the years. Display the interview transcripts and any photos that are available. |
| B | Bookmarks (the paper or cardboard ones!). Ask students to design bookmarks promoting their school library and/or International School Library Day, for the principal, teachers, their parents. |
| R | Reach out. Invite a local politician, or journalist, to spend half a day in the school library. Talk to them about school libraries; let them see a school library “at work”; have your students show them what they have achieved through the school library; show them the resources; talk about needs. Be positive — emphasise the importance of school libraries for learning. |
| A | An activity organised in conjunction with the library staff of a local university or college, for senior secondary school students who will be going on to higher education. |
| R | Run a School Library Trivia Afternoon (or evening, depending on the audience), with questions being related to the school library or capable of being answered through its resources. One group might compile the Trivia Quiz questions in advance for another group to answer. You could share your questions (and answers!) with others through IASL-LINK or the IASL Web site. |
| Y | Yahoo! With your students, search the Internet for information about school libraries in other countries. Use the results as the basis for a discussion of the ways in which school libraries differ around the world. |
| D | Displays with an International School Library Day theme, not just in the school library but in the school entrance area, or at an outside location. Involve the students… |
| A | Associations and organisations of school librarians and school library media people. Support your local association; take part in its activities; contribute to its newsletter or magazine; attend conferences and seminars. Ask the association to support International School Library Day. |
| Y | Yay! Let’s party! Join together with other local school librarians, librarians, and people who support school libraries, to celebrate International School Library Day! Invite your school principal. Invite school district or library authority personnel. Present them with reminders of school libraries (mousemats/mousepads, bookmarks, balloons, badges). See above for ideas. |
Glenys Lowden, Head of Lowther Hall AGS’s LRC has developed a well-used blog for her students. A previous post explained how Glenys used a wiki for this topic, but on reflection of practicalities, she decided to change over to a blog. Glenys explains:
The program is called Round Reading. It was originally on a wiki, however I found I actually preferred the discussion aspect of the blog and I had successfully used this method in a Year 7 blog. Students are divided into groups depending on the novel they chose. They had a couple of weeks to read the novel and then are to post responses to questions which are outlined on each page.
As you can see by the number and extent of student responses, this is a widely used blog which gives students a forum to discuss their thoughts on books studied. Well done Glenys!
Screenr is a website that allows users to create screencasts for Twitter.
Screenr homepage
Screenr is free and easy to use.
If you are in a secondary school, you may like to pass information on this short story competition on to your students. (Right click the image, save as, then open to print.)
The Thousand Words Festival is a YA author event and is being held in Melbourne in November, so anyone in Melbourne may be interested in passing on details of the festival to their students. Sounds like it should be a fantastic day.
Take a sneak peek at Storybird – “collaborative storytelling for friends and families”. Storybird is a beta application that is still in development. The website says “Storybirds are short, visual stories that you make with family and friends to share and (soon) print.”
The webiste gives ideas for use which include:
Stories can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon and email. Storybird looks like a useful site for students and teachers.