All posts by Theresa

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Recommended App: Water Cycle HD

Water Cycle HD iconRecently, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) came out with their 25 Best Apps for Teaching & Learning for 2014.  The apps were chosen because they foster innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration.

Water Cycle HD is one of these apps.  The app is very visual and interactive – students can view photographs and videos that describe all stage of the water cycle.  While students learn the basics of the water cycle, they also learn about how it impacts life on Earth.  AASL says, “the content correlates to Common Core Science Standards.”

At $1.99, the iOS-only app is a great investment for students K-5.  Here is a screenshot from the app (you can see more screenshots on the App Store):

Water Cycle HD

 

For more apps, check out our 2014 Recommended App archive!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Featured Book: The Aviator's Wife

The Aviator's WifeThis post is part of an original series created by librarians/media specialists across Central Minnesota featuring books.

Title: The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin
Written by Maria Burnham, Media Specialist at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

I’m going to start this review by admitting that I am from Little Falls, MN, the hometown of Charles Lindbergh, so reading this historical fiction about Charles’ personal life was particularly fascinating for me. I was raised a Little Falls “Flyer”, attended Charles Lindbergh Elementary School and have visited the boyhood home of the American hero.

Much like the novels The Paris Wife and Loving Frank, The Aviator’s Wife is the fictional account of a marriage between a woman and her famous partner, in this case, Charles Lindbergh. Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s voice in this novel is personal, compelling, and unforgettable. And I just love that the book is told from her perspective, mostly because Anne Morrow Lindbergh was a famous author and poet in real life. Swept up in the grandeur of this American hero, Anne falls in love with the pilot, but as with most marriages, over time learns that her husband isn’t always a hero. Gone for long periods of time leaving her to raise their children alone, cold and cruel with his children when he was at home, and expecting Anne to be a co-pilot over motherhood, Anne struggles to find herself and balance within the marriage. Eventually, she learns of Charles’ extra-marital affairs while he is on his death bed, and Anne works to make peace with her husband about it. Told from varying decades, this story is gripping and emotionally heart-wrenching.

I gave the book 4/5 stars because I wanted more from the part of the book dealing with Charles’ infidelity, but it’s certainly a book I would recommend to any history buff or someone who enjoys historical fiction!

Image credit: Random House LLC

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Struggling Elementary Readers find Assistance in Personal Tutors

Summer ReadingMany educators see that there is a need to provide tutors to children who fall behind in their reading level.  As Tina Rosenberg of The New York Times says, “People disagree, quite strenuously, on the best curriculum for teaching children to read.  But all participants in the reading wars agree on some other things:  Early reading is crucial. . .and any reading curriculum works better if children who are struggling get the chance to work, one on one, with a tutor.”

Rosenberg’s article in The New York Times features two programs, Minnesota Reading Corps and Reading Partners, that are designed to help children who fall behind in their reading.  Minnesota Reading Corps proved most beneficial for kindergarten students, who “learned twice as many letter sounds in 16 weeks as children in a control group.”   Reading Partners proved to be best in assisting 2nd to 5th graders.

One reason these programs are so effective is the unique relationship between student and tutor.  “Children need to have that one person they can turn to, to say ‘I don’t understand’,” says Kristina Beecher.  Beecher is the principals of Public School 3 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.  Because of this relationship, Rosenberg says, absences matter and have an impact on the child’s learning progress.  While there are certainly things to improve upon, Minnesota should be proud to have one of the first programs like this.

Are you interested in becoming part of the Minnesota Reading Corps?  Check out our previous post, Reading and Math Tutors Needed!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/q78lalt, licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

10 New Technologies to Catch Up On

UntitledWe know that librarians, media specialists, and information specialists find it important to know a little bit about a lot of things – and to be able to make connections across topics.  Justin Dennis of Make Use Of has a quick snapshot of new technologies to keep us up-to-date.  From solar power to agricultural drones, there’s something for everyone here!

Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/mab6pc4, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0