Vi Bergquist, chief information officer, talks Wednesday about the features in the new media center under construction at St. Cloud Technical and Community College. (Photo: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)
In the news recently, there was an update on the construction of a new media center on the St. Cloud Technical Community Collge (SCTCC). The St. Cloud Times article shared details about the new space as well as other construction going on at the SCTCC campus.
Vi Bergquist, chief information officer at the college, shared that “the media center… will be a space for students to study, relax and have a snack, and it may also be used for community events.” For those familiar with the school, the current media center — in the main campus building — will become expanded space for the college bookstore.
“We want the students to feel like this is their space,” Bergquist said.
The media center will be ready for next semester and the school will host an event on Dec. 3 to introduce the center to the community.
Saturday, October 10th marks the fourth annual Star Wars Reads Day. You can find all you need to know from StarWars.com and their Facebook page (where they encourage you to go with any questions); as well as information about the participating publishers and authors.
StarWars.com tells you how simple it is to hold a Star Wars Reads Day event: “All you need to do to stay informed as a participating location is sign up for our newsletter, which will put you on the official mailing list, and will keep you in the know of exclusive access to giveaways and marketing, promotional, and activity ideas that will help enhance your event.” Is your library closed on Saturday? No worries – school libraries can hold their events on Friday, October 9th.
Who doesn’t like the serene landscape of Glacier National Park? Or the stateliness of the Lincoln Memorial? What would you say if you could see them all free for a year?! Well if you are a 4th grader, or in a family with a 4th grader, you can! “To help engage and create our next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates, the White House, in partnership with the Federal Land Management agencies, launched the Every Kid in a Park initiative”
Beginning September 1st, all kids in the fourth grade will have access to their own Every Kid in a Park pass at www.everykidinapark.gov. This pass provides free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more! The Every Kid in a Park pass is good for the 2015-2016 school year, until August 31, 2016. Information on obtaining the pass is available by visiting www.everykidinapark.gov.
The following post was submitted by CMLE scholarship recipient Angie Kalthoff, Technology Integrationist at St. Cloud Area School District.
Powerful Connections
Edurockstars. Attending ISTE 2015 was a great experience. I was able to connect with many people in my Personal Learning Network (PLN) in person, I refer to these people as Edurockstars. I greatly value the relationship I have formed with other teachers in similar positions. I often reach out via Twitter and Google+, when I need to bounce ideas off of others or have questions. Now, after attending ISTE, I have the personal connection that was made at the conference. An added bonus, was meeting the companies and sometimes person, yes singular, who create the wonderful tools I use on a daily basis. One day of the conference, while walking down the hall I saw the creators of Padlet, Kaizena and EDusight. I pointed out their shirts to my friend and they heard me say their names, they stopped and asked if we use the tools and told us they created them. So neat! This was one of many experiences I had talking with companies and creators. It a great experience because I was able to tell them about the features I love to use, and things I would like to see added or changed. I guess I will have to wait and see if anything comes of it.
I also had the privilege of presenting at ISTE. This was my first large national conference presentation. It was an interesting experience for me to present in front of people from all of the world. My birds-of-a-feather session turned into a lecture at the last minute and the ignite I participated in was held in the vendor hall on a stage. Both were in settings I have never presented in before and I feel went well. I look forward to more opportunities for presenting.
Are you having trouble engaging students with ELM Resources? Do they enjoy finding clues and completing missions? Do they like to be the hero in their own adventure? Look no further than the Minitex Digital Scavenger Hunts! The “Scavenger Hunts are a collection of stories designed to require an adventurous dive into ELM database content in order to solve a mystery, rescue a team, or open a snack stand. Choose from one or more of the following adventures and win badges for completing the missions.” The content looks fun AND gets students exploring ELM Resources.
What is ELM you ask? “The Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) is a collection of databases available to Minnesota schools, libraries, and residents. The ELM databases give Minnesota residents online access to magazine, journal, newspaper, encyclopedia articles, multimedia and more on a vast array of subjects. ELM is brought to you by your local library or school media center, Minitex, and State Library Services, the Minnesota state library agency, with state appropriations to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the Minnesota Department of Education, and federal LSTA funds under the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.”
