Move over Minecraft enthusiasts, you’ve got some stiff competition! Did you hear about the first ever Tech Tool Tourney that KQED MindShift and Common Sense Graphite recently hosted? 32 games were selected because of their outstanding quality and educational value. The purpose of this tourney was to introduce game enthusiasts and educators to new games, then give them three days to vote for their favorites. Sounds like some craziness happened during voting, so two winners were declared: Construct 2 and Kerbal Space Program!
The 32 games were grouped; eight to each of the following categories:
– Social & Emotion Learning
– School Subjects
– Critical Thinking
– Creativity-Game Making
Hmmmmm…..Literature Map is so incredibly easy to use, I am skeptical about how good it is. Suggested for folks who have exhausted their favorite author’s books, and want similar works by others. The Literature-Map is part of Gnod, the Global Network of Discovery. It is based on Gnooks, Gnod’s literature recommendation system. The more people like an author and another author, the closer together these two authors will move on the Literature-Map.
All you do is type the name of your favorite author in the search box, click on search and notice your author is in the middle of your screen. Watch other author names swirl around the screen a bit until some come to rest close to your author’s name. Supposedly, these authors offer similar fare. Try it out and let me know in the comments what you think. I would think your “avid reader” students would love this tool.
Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/lw8nkjr, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Although this post was written for schools, it is just as applicable to libraries. People seem to love Canva, and it is a great way to share what is going on in your library, lab, or classroom. More pictures, fewer words are what most people enjoy most. According to freetech4teachers.com…”When you’re creating graphics to use in your library Facebook posts, try to limit the text to only the most important information. In the post itself you can link to more information for parents and or students to read.”
I gave it a whirl based on the little tutorial embedded in this blog post. I didn’t do half bad in the 15 minutes I gave it. Let us know what you think or whether you already use Canva in this way! Better yet, send your Canva creations to admin@cmle.org
Are you familiar with Library Reads? Quite simply, LibraryReads is a process to involve public librarians in recommending adult books. Then, each month the top ten most loved published adult books are shared in a list for book lovers.
If you are interested in participating in the LibraryReads process of nominating titles, getting advanced copies of books, or voting, see their FAQ page.
Library Journal reached out to academic and public library directors and other thought leaders to find out what new skills they expect to need in librarians in the next 20 years. Eleven skills emerged as the essentials. Don’t expect fancy new skills, indeed, many of them build on what is already needed in the library community!
It strikes me that our profession seems to attract lots of introverts, when in fact, many of the needed skills may really push introverted librarians outside of their comfort zone. As you review this list, consider how many of these things are areas you are strong in and where you need to grow to stay on top of your craft!
Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/q4ce8mw, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
Move over Minecraft enthusiasts, you’ve got some stiff competition! Did you hear about the first ever Tech Tool Tourney that KQED MindShift and Common Sense Graphite recently hosted? 32 games were selected because of their outstanding quality and educational value. The purpose of this tourney was to introduce game enthusiasts and educators to new games, then give them three days to vote for their favorites. Sounds like some craziness happened during voting, so two winners were declared: Construct 2 and Kerbal Space Program!
