It is quite possible that you could tell us all about your love and use of Animoto, which I hope you will do in the comments area of this blog post! In a nutshell , Animoto allows you to create video-based lessons and presentations for the classroom. And, the Animoto site claims it is easy as pie! We know that teachers in some districts regularly use this tool, but we’ve also heard that media specialists and librarians alike are creating cool book trailers using it too! Care to share a link to your book trailers in the comments area?
Category Archives: Special
Spotlight on Books Conference
Press Release
Spotlight on Books Book Conference Coming in April
(Wednesday, January 16, 2013)
Moorhead, MN – A conference for adults concerned with helping youth find involvement and satisfaction with the best books have to offer will be held April 11 – 13, 2013, at Ruttger’s Sugar Lake Lodge Resort, Grand Rapids, MN. This will be the 25th anniversary of the conference Spotlight on Books.
Conference workshops will include a Caldecott Crash Course where members from the 2009 and 2012 national Caldecott committee will describe how the annual award is chosen. Featured authors for this year’s conference include Susan Marie Swanson, winner of the 2009 Minnesota Book Award, and Karen Cushman, author of Will Sparrow’s Road which was named one of Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2012.
“Over the years, Spotlight on Books has proven to be both entertaining and informative, helping people who work with young people share the joy of books,” said Kathy Enger, executive director of the Northern Lights Library Network (NLLN). “This year’s program promises to fully carry on this 25 year tradition.”
A full conference schedule and registration can be found at http://spotlightonbooks.weebly.com or by calling the Northern Lights Library Network at 1-800-450-1032. Early bird registration for the full conference is $160 per person and must be received by March 15. Full time students can attend for just $85. A special conference rate for accommodations of $90 is available from Ruttgers. Visit http://nlln.org/Ruttgerslodging2012.pdf for resort registration.
Spotlight on Books is organized by the following library agencies: Arrowhead Library System, Minnesota Library Association Children’s and Young People Section, Friends of the Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids Public Library, Kitchigami Regional Library, Lake Agassiz Regional Library, Minnesota Education media Organization Literature Special Interest Division, Minnesota reading Association, North Country Library Cooperative, Northern Lights Library network, Northwest Regional Library, Viking Library System
Google Helps with Online Searching
Did you know that Google has an instructional site for digital literacy? Google’s Search Education provides resources, lesson plans, activities and advice for students and teachers alike. Individual categories of assistance provided include: Lesson Plans and Activities aligned to Common Core Standards, free self-paced “Power Searching” tips, “Google a Day” challenges or quizzes, and live or recorded webinars. To learn more visit Google Search Education and EdTech’s article on the topic.
A Sincere Thanks from Kate!
Hello from Kate at CMLE! 
As some of you may have heard, today (January 16th) is my last day at CMLE. Starting next Tuesday (January 22nd), I will embark upon new adventures in my position as a solo librarian at Rasmussen College – Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove campus. Lots of exciting changes are on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to working with students and faculty again (prior to CMLE, I worked at Rasmussen College – Eden Prairie campus for three years).
So, before I leave, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you (our CMLE members) for all of the memorable, enlightening, and fun experiences I’ve had with you over the last three years. The libraries in this region do a lot of great work. It has been a privilege to work with each of you, and I have learned a lot along the way. I hope to see many of you again at future library conferences and events!
Please contact papost@stcloudstate.edu with any questions about this change in staffing.
All the best!
Kate Bessey
Advice for Schools on Technology, BYOD, and 21st Century Learning
EdTech’s recent article What Districts Should Know About BYOD and Digital Learning by Jonathan P. Costa Sr. delves into a topic of interest to so many of us. Costa writes about the challenges most schools face as they move towards BYOD and 21st century learning environments. To combat common difficulties, Costa provides five pieces of advice to schools. The advice ranges from “Don’t sweat the small stuff”, to getting the proper infrastructure in place, to doing your homework in order to thoroughly understand upcoming changes/challenges.