Category Archives: School Media Specialist

Insurance for iPads? You Bet!

ipadLast night on the local news there was a brief blurb about a few Minnesota school districts that have looked into insuring their devices (like iPads). Today, I came across the topic again via the St. Paul Pioneer Press. According to the article, Farmington and South St. Paul are just two of a growing number of school districts that are pursuing insurance for their devices.

It works like this… “Parents of Farmington students taking iPads home, typically fourth- through 12th-graders, can buy a $28-a-year insurance policy through the district to cover damage. The insurance fee is capped at two devices per household. If families decide to opt out, they must agree to pay for the devices if they are damaged. The district will pay roughly $50,000 to insure iPads for students who qualify for free and reduced-price school meals, a federal indicator of poverty” (Magan, 12/9/12).

Officials at Farmington explain that putting expensive devices into the hands of their students has many positive outcomes, but that kids have a greater potential of accidently damaging or breaking the device. Insurance is a protective measure to either pay for fixing a device or to go towards purchasing a new device.

Farmington’s insurance plan is provided by a company called Worth Avenue Group. Currently, this is one of the largest insurers of devices for schools – with a total of 1,000 current clients in the education field. This number is only expected to increase over time as more schools invest in one-to-one initiatives.

If your school has a one-to-one initiative, or is thinking about a one-to-one initiative, have you discussed the possibility of insurance for the devices? What is your school’s approach to the very real potential of broken or damaged devices? This is a new frontier… we need to share and learn with one another whenever possible!

Recommended App: Zite

Do you ever find it difficult to find all the news of the day that interests you? Enter Zite!

ZiteZite 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.

Job Posting

Posted by Anita Hagen from New London-Spicer Schools…

New London-Spicer – District Media SpecialistJobs
Library Media Specialist Licensure Required
Full Time
Salary: Per Union Contract
Start: January 3rd, 2013

Send letter of intent, online application, resume, credentials, and copy of license to:
Superintendent Paul Carlson
New London-Spicer Schools
101 4th Ave SW
New London, MN 56273
Deadline: December 21st, 2012
EOE

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 – TextingDamn 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

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! music

Jango

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

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?