Internet Media Specials

Personally, I am having a hard time understanding many of the things this generation does, especially when it comes to communication. I enjoy speaking face-to-face with someone, not hiding behind text messages and emails. I am well aware that there is always a time and place for emails and texts, just as long as it is not done in excess. Generation Y kids seem to be so attached to their phones; just try and take it away from them. They want you to believe that they can multi-task efficiently while texting on their phone. I don't think so. In my search to better understand my students, I located this list online of Gen Y characteristics:
Personally, I think all generations of kids are influenced by peers, so number 4 is a moot point. I'm sure Gen Y kids are easily bored because they grew up in a digital world filled with instant gratification, from fast food to Internet searches. (When I think about searching through the card catalog drawer, while someone waited for me to finish so they could use it...)   One characteristic of today's Gen Y that I admire is the fact that they are more accepting of their gay peers. (See number 7)  When I was growing up, most gay people were still afraid to "come out of the closet" .   Times sure have changed; number 7 is definitely for the better.
So as I continued my search to understand my students, I came across many interesting articles. Crystal  Kadakia's article, "Escape the Digital Coma: Who Are You When You Close the Laptop?"  talks about today's millennials (AKA The Me Generation) and has some great advice for them. Here are some quotes: "We fill the silence with virtual chatter."  "The ability to switch on and off is becoming the new silver bullet, the strength of the future."   Read the full article here.  Here is her video from TED X Talks:



So, if you are interested in some resources about our Gen Y kids, try these below:

4 Warning Signs You Don't Understand Generation Y

Are Millennials Really the Me Generation?- from USA Today

Gen X is From Mars, Gen Y is From Venus: A Primer on How to Motivate a Millennial- Forbes article 




                

If you aren't already using Edmodo in your classroom, you should seriously consider using it. With a close resemblance to the Facebook interface, (and a secure online community) students will enjoy using Edmodo. Whether you are a beginner or someone trying to get used to the regular changes and updates, this list should have something you can use. I have added this list under the Web 2.0 Tools A-H.

7 Brilliant Ways to Use Edmodo That Will Blow.Your. Mind.- from Edmodo's site

7 Steps on How to Use the New Edmodo- videos were posted in July 2013

10 Reasons Why Edmodo is an Excellent (and Hugely Popular) Digital Learning Platform

15 Things You Can Do With Edmodo and How to Get Started- from Richard Byrne's Free Technology For Teachers

Android App for Edmodo

Class Charts is Now Available as a Free Edmodo App- chart behavior and classroom seating in this app

Edmodo Cheat Sheet- PDF file from 2010

Edmodo Digital Citizenship Poster- available in English, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Portugese and Spanish; different sizes and color or black and white

Edmodo: Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom- Livebinder

Edmodo in the Classroom

Edmodo Free Training Videos

Edmodo Infographic

Edmodo Support Page- ask a question and hopefully you will find the answer here; official Edmodo site

The Edmodo Teacher Guide- very complete 50-page PDF file

Edmodo's Official Blog- get the latest news and updates

Everything Edmodo: Symbaloo Page- links other programs and sites with Edmodo

Getting to Know Edmodo- scavenger hunt

A Handy Guide to Everything Teachers Need to Know About Edmodo

iPhone App for Edmodo

My Flipped Math class and Edmodo

Now You Can Add Educlipper to Edmodo- Educlipper is the educator's Pinterest

Share ThingLink Images in Edmodo- interactive imags

Why You Should Give Edmodo a Try

We all know that the Super Bowl is this Sunday, but it also Groundhog Day. This post is probably just for K-6 teachers and will be added to the holiday collection of resources here. I will be adding to that mega list whenever a holiday pops up on the calendar. How's the weather where you are? In New Jersey, we are experiencing the coldest temps in twenty plus years. That's why I am sure that the groundhog will see his shadow and retreat, giving us a longer winter. Here's a list of cool lessons and activities for Groundhog Day.

Crafts, Worksheets and Printable Books- from Enchanted Learning

DLTK's Crafts for Kids- lots of handouts for younger kids

Groundhog Day Activities- Pinterest board has a lot to choose from, including handouts, worksheets, posters, games, crafts

Groundhog Day Activities and Games- from Apples4theTeacher; nice listing

Groundhog Day Activities, Lesson Plans, Activities and Teaching Resources- from a to Z Teacher Stuff

Groundhog Day for the Classroom- NEA has a long list containing lesson plans, games, activities, resources

Groundhog Day Lesson Plans and Resources- from Edutopia

Groundhog Day Teacher Resources- TeacherVision's site has videos, printables, quizzes

Groundhog.org- Yes, there is a site just about Groundhog Day! The activities here are for elementary school teachers, and include a groundhog newsletter and club.

ReadWriteThink- great lesson for grades K-6; includes links to other related sites and lessons for specific grades

The Teachers Corner- lots here: worksheets, resources, activities

Will He See His Shadow? Groundhog Day Activities- from Scholastic

Yesterday, my colleague and friend Alex stopped by my office to ask  if  I could post a load of resources for sex education class. I immediately checked my blog to see if I had already done this, (I just can't remember everything, you know...) and after doing a search, noticed the need for these resources. This list will also be added to the PE and Health tab at the top of the page. If you are ever looking for any resources in particular, feel free to comment at the end of the post. I would be more than happy to post them for you.


GENERAL SITES
Hawaii AIDS Education and Training Center- lessons in PDF format, from puberty to menstruation

HIV and AIDS Lessons and Activity Plans-

Lesson Plans for Grades 4,5,6- PDF and PowerPoint downloads from the Seattle and King County Public Health

Lesson Plans for Grades 7,8- PDF and PowerPoint downloads from the Seattle and King County Public Health

Lesson Plans for Grades 9-12- PDF and PowerPoint downloads from the Seattle and King County Public Health

Lesson Plans for Special Education- PDF and PowerPoint downloads from the Seattle and King County Public Health

Sex Education Articles, Worksheets and Lessons- from TeacherVision

Sex Education Teacher Resources- over 200 lessons

SexEd Library-over 100 lessons covering many topics

Sexual Pressures- lesson plan from Discovery Education

Sexuality and Responsibility- 10 lesson plans for each grade 6, 7, 8

Teaching Sexual Health- Canadian site has lessons in both English and French; covers grades 4-12

SPECIFIC TOPICS
Abortion
Adolescents and Abortion

The Lesson Corner- list of lessons on abortion

The Lesson Planet- lesson plans and worksheets

Revisiting Roe v. Wade- NY Times lesson plan

A.I.D.S.
AIDS: Who's at Risk?- from Discovery Education; grades 9-12

The Body: The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource

HIV and AIDS Lessons and Activities

HIV/AIDS- several lesson plans on HIV/AIDS (and related areas) from the NY Times

HIV/AIDS Awareness Printables, Lessons and Resources- from TeacherVision

HIV/AIDS/STIs- lesson plans for ages 12-18

Reproductive Anatomy- lesson plan from Planned Parenthood includes worksheets, activities and games

STIs and HIV- lesson plan for grade 9 from Needham, MA Public Schools

Conception
Conception Lesson Plans and Worksheets- from Lesson Planet

From Conception to Birth: Teacher's Guide- from Discovery Education; subscription necessary to view the videos; grades 9-12

Reproductive Anatomy, Conception, Pregnancy and Birth- grade 9 lesson from Needham, MA Public Schools

Contraception
Contraception Lesson Plan- from Canadian site TeachingHealth; very complete, including handouts

Reasons and Methods for Preventing Pregnancy- grade 9 lesson from Needham, MA Public Schools; contains glossary and printable worksheet

Studying Contraception- lesson 1; for grade 8; from Canadian site TeachingHealth

Studying Contraception- lesson 2; for grade 8; from Canadian site TeachingHealth

Human Sexuality
The Circles of Human Sexuality- teacher's resource included (PDF)

Human Sexuality Lesson Plans - from Lesson Planet; also has worksheets and presentations

PBS Teachers- lessons on abstinence, smart choices about sex, and STDs

Sexual Pressures- grades 6-8 lesson from Discovery Education

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender)
Anti-Homophobic Bullying Lessons- from nobullying.org

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Network- assorted lessons

The Gay-Straight Alliance Network- LGBT-Inclusive Lessons

Not in Our Town- lessons about sexual identity and gender

Safe Schools Coalition- lessons for K-12

Teaching and Learning About Gay History and Issues- from NY Times; long list of lessons and resources here

Teaching Tolerance- Southern Poverty Law Center's site; lessons for grades 3-12

Reproductive Systems
Female Reproductive System- from InnerBody; interactive diagrams

Kids' Health- all about the female reproductive system

The Lesson Corner- all grades covered on this very long list

The Male Reproductive System- from HotChalk; grades 6-8

Reproductive Anatomy- lesson plan from Planned Parenthood includes worksheets, activities and games

Reproductive System from the Body Human Series- if you are a Discovery Education subscriber, this lesson goes with the video; includes worksheets, quiz, vocabulary sheet

Teen Pregnancy
Do I or Don't I?- a lesson in making healthy sexual choices; has various scenarios and a pre-test

Pregnancy Prevention- NY Times lesson for grades 9-12

Sex and Teen Pregnancy- lesson plan list from the NY Times

Teen Pregnancy Lesson Plans- from the Lesson Corner

Teen Pregnancy Lesson- from Discovery Education; grades 6-8




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There are so many great apps out there and so little time to see them all. Some are available for just the iPad, and some are available for iPhone and Android. Teacher-librarians are always on the lookout for great apps and programs for their students and colleagues. This list will be added to the MEGALIST FOR TEACHER-LIBRARIANS. Just click the tab at the top of the page. 





Easy Bib for iPhone and iPad

Easy Bib for Android- app reads barcodes for citations of books, MLA citations


Evernote for iPhone and iPad- terrific program to organize your life and the library; Evernote site

Evernote for Android


FEEDLY- follow RSS feeds 

Feedly for iPhone and iPad

Feedly for Android


FLIPBOARD: Your News Magazine- social and world news brought together in one feed

Flipboard for iPhone and iPad

Flipboard for Android






iBooks- for iPhone and iPad; download and read books









Free Books: 23,469 Classics to Go- for iPad; "Browse our handpicked collections, download any of our 23,469 classic books, and read with our fully featured  eReader. Notes, highlights, bookmarks, dictionary support -- it’s all here."






Goodreads for iPhone, iPad

Goodreads for Android





LIBRIVOX AUDIO BOOKS-access over 10,000 books

App for iPhone

App for Android









NPR App for iPhone

NPR App for Android







TED App for iPhone

TED app for Android








VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE LIBRARY OF CO

For iPhone and iPad








WordFoto- available on iPhone and iPad, I found librarian Tiffany Whitehead using it to create signage for her subject areas.









World Book: This Day in History-for iPad; excellent source for daily updating on your media center's website

Active Weather Alerts- from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

American Meteorological Society

Build Your Own Weather Station- Discovery Education lesson plan

Commuter Forecast- just enter destination

Discovery Education Lesson Plans

EdHeads: Weather Activities






Hands-On Science and Literacy Lessons About Weather and Climate- grades K-5




How's the Weather Today?- National Geographic Education

Inside the Climatologist's Toolbox

Interactive Weather Maker

Interactives on the Weather- from Annenberg Learner

Introduction to Weather Map Symbols and Terminology

Kid Info- weather facts and weather resources

Lesson Plan Central- weather lessons

National and Local Weather- weather.com

Preschool Education Theme: Weather

Preschool Weather Arts and Crafts

The Science Spot- weather lesson plans

Stop Disasters!- disaster simulation game

Tree House Weather Kids- Interactive site is also available in Spanish

Weather Activities and Smartboard Activities- very good site with a weather game, research section and so much more

Weather Lesson Plans- from TeAchnology

Weather Lesson Plans, Themes, Printouts, Crafts- The Teacher's Guide

Weather Map- shows U.S. weather map and some streaming video from weather cams

Weather Printables, Lesson Plans, Resources- from TeacherVision; covers grades K-12

Weather Scope: Make a Weather Station






Web Weather for  Kids

The word "Boolean" is unfamiliar to most of my students. It sounds harder to understand than it really is. When you use Google's advanced search, it is really doing a Boolean search for you, yet most people will not venture to do a Boolean search on their own. I'm here to assure you that it's very easy to understand.




The image at the left shows the three Boolean operators used in an advanced search.






This illustrates a search of A NOT B.









This illustrates a search of A AND B.









This illustrates a search of A OR B.

It's true that Google is constantly adding and modifying things. One place we have all seen changes is in the Gmail account. One day, I opened up my inbox and found the black strip across the top was missing. So how do you get to everything like Google Drive, Blogger etc.? Look for the little box in the upper right hand corner which is made up of nine dots. When you click on it, there is a drop-down menu of all the apps. Here's a screenshot which shows where you can find everything:







Google search is another place where things were changed. Advanced search used to be located at the bottom of the page, but now things are easier with "Search Tools" added under the search box.  Look at all the choices you have, including the time, (past week, past month, etc.) and the reading level of the webpage.






You can now see that 82% of the articles are on the intermediate level, with 14% basic and 4% advanced. Click on your level and only those articles will appear.







On the left you can see an example of your choices for the currency of the article. If you would like a specific range of time you can choose "Custom range".









Search tools also work when you are doing an image search. Choose your size, type of image, (clip art, photo, face, line drawing, animated) usage rights and whether or not you want the sizes of the images to be show.




When you choose to show sizes (you can choose the exact size, if you like) it makes it easier to find what you need. For printing, choose "large"; for PowerPoint presentations or websites, choose "medium". There is also a choice for choosing icon size.






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Here's a wonderful video of Taylor Mali performing as part of the Page Meets Stage Series at the Bowery Poetry Club. If you've ever been bumped from the library, you'll understand why this is so funny.

This is such an inspiring story. I had to share it with you. Reminds me how fortunate I am.

Although January 15th is Martin Luther King's actual birth date, we will be celebrating Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 20th this year. The late civil rights leader and clergyman was assassinated 45 years ago in Memphis, Tennessee. His convicted assassin, James Earl Ray, died 30 years later in a Nashville prison.
NOTE: This list is included in my Holiday Resources From September to June.


Bio.com- biography of Dr. King

A Box of Crayons- lesson plan for primary grades, based on the book, The Crayon Box That Talked

Education World Resources

Exploring the Power of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Words Through Diamante Poetry- grades 9-12; from ReadWriteThink




I Have a Dream Speech Analysis Lesson Plan- from Flocabulary

Infoplease- covers biography, facts, timeline and activities

The King Center- "Established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King, The King Center is the official, living memorial dedicated to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."

King Papers Project- primary and secondary documents pertaining to Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Lasting Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.- interview with his daughter 

Library of Congress Resources

The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr- from FactMonster (younger kids)

Lesson Plans, Worksheets, Activities- from Lesson Planet

Martin Luther King Online- biography, speeches, (text) quotes, videos and pictures

Martin Luther King Quotes

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Power of Non-Violence- for older students; from EDSITEment

Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute

NAACP- King's biography

NAACP Honors Dr. King's Legacy- includes links to speeches

Nobel Peace Prize: Martin Luther King, Jr

Printables and Worksheets- from Enchanted Learning; for younger students

Videos About MLK- History.com

Visit the MLK National Memorial in 3D- Google Maps

Worksheets and Activities- from ABCTeach