Our Google Alerts delivered a few stories you may be interested in….
Have we missed any? Share them in comments below…
Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/lah599f, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Much has been written about how Minecraft can be used in teaching. But one Alaska teacher recently noticed another benefit: improving attendance. Cindy Duncan decided to take that observation and put it to the test. She organized a “Morning Craft” program where students could come in before school and work with and use Minecraft. She structured her program to reward students and also have it be more than computer-play-time before school. Her article on EdSurge details the program but a few things stand out:
Read the whole article now for more details on the Morning Craft program and how Duncan got started.
Image Citation: WikiMedia Commons CC BY SA 3.0
TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: March 24, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services
Learn More about Our Current LSTA Grant Opportunities
To learn more about our two current LSTA grant opportunities, please attend an upcoming grant guidance webinar–Thursday, March 31, 2016, 1:30-2:30 p.m. or Tuesday, April 12, 2016, 4:00-5:00 p.m. There is no need to pre-register; just click on the link for the webinar you’d like to attend. Grant applications and instructions are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management site. Visit the LSTA webpage, view the 2016 grant opportunities timeline or contact Jackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) for more information.
Register Today for the Libraries Serving Youth Meetup
Join dozens of colleagues at this annual opportunity for school and public librarians to meet, network and share ideas in a casual, yet educational setting. We’ll meet at MDE in Roseville on Saturday, April 16, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get creative ideas, connect with like-minded professionals about issues important to you, and learn about diversity in children’s literature from Cathy Camper—author of the critically-acclaimed and fan-favorite graphic novel, Lowriders in Space. At the Meetup, you’ll also get a sneak peek at Lowriders to the Center of the Earth, scheduled to hit bookstore and library shelves on July 5, 2016. Lunch is provided so register today to ensure you’ll be fed. For more information, please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356).
Attend Regional Meetings to Strengthen Adult Learning Communities
The reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act creates a great opportunity for libraries, adult basic education and workforce organizations to work together to build a stronger, more highly skilled workforce. Better Together: Strengthening Adult Learning Opportunities is an educational and networking event designed to foster local partnerships between all three types of organizations to achieve this goal.
At each session, you’ll hear promising practices for collaboration across organizations and learn about free resources that promote digital literacy and workforce skills. You’ll also have a chance to work with your local partners to develop a collaborative project. Register today for the workshop nearest you:
April 29, 2016 – Roseville at Minnesota Department of Education
May 9, 2016 – Mankato at Country Inn and Suites
May 16, 2016 – Grand Rapids at Saw Mill Inn
To help participants put their ideas for collaboration into action, we are able to offer a competitive grant opportunity that offers up to ten grants with a maximum award of $5,000/applicant. Proposed projects must be designed to increase collaboration between the three partners and improve adult literacy and/or workforce outcomes, especially in the area of digital literacy. At least one partner must attend a Better Together workshop and proposed projects must show promise for sustainability. More information, including an application, will be available at Better Together sessions.
For more information, to request an accommodation, or to be included on a mailing list for future announcements, please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508).
In This World, Nothing Can Be Said To Be Certain…
… except death and taxes…and the Annual Public Library Report. (Apologies to Benjamin Franklin!) By law, all of Minnesota’s public libraries submit an annual report to the Minnesota Department of Education. Directors and filers have been faithfully collecting last year’s statistics and plugging the data into the state’s online survey to meet the April 1 deadline. Thank you to the 62 of our 141 public libraries who have submitted their reports as of March 22. State Library Services greatly appreciates the time and expertise of everyone who ensures that the annual gathering of data is accurate and on-time. If you have questions about the annual report, please contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640).
Where is Higher Education headed? Expansion? Contraction? Maybe a little of both? What are the things keeping college presidents up at night? That was the premise behind University Business’s interview with 30 Higher Education thought leaders. This easy read identifies the thought leader, and their very short description of a trend. Skim it now….
One common trend was the idea of remote learning. This is the idea of online classes and/or some students taking classes remotely and not in a traditional classroom. How will Academic Libraries evolve to serve these students? Some are already serving remote students with a robust website and online content. While others have decided to position themselves in the hands-on, in-person niche. Regardless of which type of student you serve, ensuring access to the materials they need will always be important!
Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/o9gpyt6, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) came out with their 25 Best Apps for Teaching & Learning for 2015. The apps were chosen because they foster innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration.
Get your students creating web-based interactive posters with Glogster. With the easy to use drag-and-drop Glog canvas, students will have them created in no time! “There’s an impressive library of educational graphics, categorized by subject, as well as handy templates and a sweet collection of text displays. Finished Glogs are sharable on Pinterest, Facebook, or may be tweeted, emailed or exported.”
The app is FREE for iOS devices and AASL recommends it for All grade levels. Check out the Glogster iPad promo video below: