Have you checked out ClassBadges yet? ClassBadges is a free online resource that allows educators to connect with their students and present them with awards, in the form of digital badges, 
for their successful work or completion of a project. The digital badges can be customized to your school, class, or the project your students are working on. For example, on their About Us page, they provide an example of badges utilized to track the progress of a research paper. If the student chooses, they can also share the badges they’ve received with friends or family – truly showing off their accomplishments! I love this idea, because it gives students a visual aid and provides a free extrinsic reward system – which definitely has impact on some students. Visit www.classbadges.com to learn more and get your class account set-up.
Category Archives: General
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Wants Your Opinion!
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Libraries Initiative is seeking input from library professionals on how public libraries can continue to serve (and better serve) their communities, as devices are becoming increasingly popular and information is literally in the hands of many. It is an anonymous survey that should take about five minutes to complete. Those interested in taking the survey can access it at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W3DBZ96
Recommended App: Zite
Do you ever find it difficult to find all the news of the day that interests you? Enter Zite!
Zite is a free personalized magazine for your device that automatically learns what you like and gets smarter every time you use it. Zite delivers all the great news, articles, blogs, and videos you want – and helps you discover new stuff that you’ll love. With Zite, you can select your unique interests, and the more you interact with the app, the better it’s able to highlight items that may be of interest to you.
Zite is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It was just updated December 4, and the newer version requires iOS 6.0. It is also compatible with Android and requires 2.1 and newer.
Just for Fun: Funniest Auto Correct Text Messages of the Year
So, this isn’t exactly “library”. But, I couldn’t resist sharing this piece from Mashable – 
‘Damn You Auto Correct: 11 Funniest Texts of 2012‘. There are some pretty good ones here, but be warned, there are some that are not for the faint of heart!
Although it isn’t “library” exactly, something important could be taken away from these oh, so embarrassing, texts. Consider discussing embarrassing auto-correct texts with students and then remind them to:
1) ALWAYS proofread, whether it’s a text, email, or research paper
2) NEVER trust auto-correct or spell-check; it’s the writer’s job to ensure that what they’ve written is spelled correctly and/or grammatically correct!
Just my two cents!
Just for Fun: Holiday/Winter Music
Got music? Chances are good that sometime soon you’ll be in need of some holiday or winter-themed music. Do you have a holiday bash coming up? How about a holiday party at your library? Or, maybe you just want something quiet, yet festive to listen to at your desk? See our suggestions below for finding just the right song…
Pandora has a free and a for-fee option for your computer or device. I utilize the free version of Pandora, and it suits me quite well. You get unlimited music, but note that there are advertisements with the free service (maybe 2 commercials an hour, and colorful advertisements around the player). There are a variety of holiday stations just waiting for your perusal! Examples of holiday stations include: Classical Christmas, Country Christmas, R&B and Pop Holidays, Peaceful Holidays, and Hanukkah. My favorite is Swingin’ Christmas – with artists like Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Michael Buble’, and Ella Fitzgerald, you really can’t go wrong! 
Jango provides free internet radio – their claim is that they’re like Pandora, only with fewer advertisements and more variety. Examples of holiday stations available on Jango include: Jango Bell Rocks, Feliz Navidad, Independent Christmas, Christmas Mix, and New Year’s Eve Party.
iHeartRadio is a free service that allows you to stream live radio from around the world to your computer or device. In addition, you also have the option to create your own custom stations. iHeartRadio’s holiday selection is somewhat unique because it connects you to live radio stations from coast-to-coast with holiday music in heavy rotation. So, if you’re a radio fan – with DJs and their hoopla – you may enjoy checking out a iHeartRadio holiday radio station. You can also select iHeartRadio’s custom holiday stations.
These are just a few of many internet music options! What are some of your favorites?