All posts by Theresa

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Using Digital Badges in Education

Starring role...Remember earning gold stars as a child?  For many, they were (and are) great incentives to keep up good behavior.  Digital badges present a new way to give those gold stars digitally and publicly.  When earned, digital badges can be displayed publicly online, with linked information as to “who issued the badge, the specifics of what had to be done to earn the badge and a description of what was learned or accomplished,” Jacob DeDecker (Michigan State University Extentsion) reports.

Do you struggle to motivate students?  Maybe digital badges can help!  Michigan State University Extension had some very useful findings after a trial-run of using digital badges for the 4-H program.  After completing a project in which they were able to earn digital badges, the “youth participating . . . were asked a series of questions to learn their thoughts about digital badging.” Here are the results, as reported by Michigan State University Extension:

87% of students felt that receiving a digital badge validates the knowledge and skills gained at camp
92% of students reported that receiving a digital badge helps document all the knowledge gain; including which takes place outside of school
89% of participants are interested in earning more digital badges in the future

Those are some big numbers!  To learn more about digital badges, check out the pre-study post by DeDecker.  The article sets up the study that was done with 4-H students.  The second post in the series provides further detail into the study.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/kj964yv, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Booklist: 10 Experimental Novels

I see youAs Emily Temple of Flavorwire tells us, September 9th marked “the US publication of Eimear McBride’s A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing.”  Temple describes the book as “a highly experimental, Joycean novel” – experimental meaning that the book emphasizes innovation, especially when it comes to writing technique.  Temple tells us that, while the book is more difficult to read, it is worth the extra effort, and the book has won numerous awards.  Once you’ve wrapped your head around the book, she gives us a list of ten more experimental books to try.  Tell us what you think!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/k463mt6, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Cosplay: The Book Lovers' Wearable Art

NC_CCC_20140524_014Cosplay is a hobby that has seen increased popularity within the last few years.  But many aren’t sure what it is, exactly.  We’ve found a great blog post on this very topic.  Blogger Varia writes, “For someone new to the community, cosplay can be very intimidating, and attending a convention feels a little too reminiscent of Frodo’s journey through Mordor.”  The post is a great resource for you, whether you are interested in becoming a cosplayer or simply want to know more about it.  It walks you through the who, why, and how of cosplaying, and readers are encouraged to ask any further questions they have.  “Cosplay is a wonderful artform,” Varia says, “that challenges you continually to learn new skills and expand on developing as a craftsperson.”

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/m8rmub2, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Free Minitex and MNKnows Materials

It's free! timeThe school year is in full swing, and we are well on our way to parent-teacher conferences!  Minitex and MNKnows have some great – and FREE – promotional materials for you.  In their post about the free products, Minitex says the materials “can be displayed in your library; used in welcome packets; distributed to patrons, teachers, students, and parents; and for a multitude of other uses.”  Act now to get them in time for those parent-teacher conferences!  You can order the materials here.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/lgvcfl6, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Turn 'Good Morning' into 'Great Morning' with Book-Inspired Mugs

Book mug

Getting up in the morning is easier when there’s something to look forward to – a favorite mug, perhaps?  Now if only we all had seven favorite mugs to wake up to each day of the week (maybe you do)!  Find your new favorite here – thirteen mugs inspired by some of the world’s bestselling books.  From Dr. Seuss to William Shakespeare, there’s something here for everyone!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/q3enavv, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0