This year, bring your spring cleaning to the office and add your smartphone/laptop to the top of the to-do list.
Gizmodo is a blog, started in 2002, that focuses on gadgets and technology. This month, they posted tips and trick to refresh your technology. In the article titled, “Give your smartphone or laptop a spring cleaning, read about how to tidy up your device(s) both inside and out.
This week, CMLE’s Recommended EdTech Tool and Recommended App(s) have been combined. MIT Libraries has created an online site with a collection of apps hand selected for academic librarians. This link will direct you to a page titled Apps for Academics: Mobile Websites and Apps. The tabs long the top or the column on the left hand side can be used to navigate the site content. The information is categorized by the following areas of interest;
This month, PEW Research Center released a report on the importance of libraries. This report explores the relationship that parents of minor children have with public libraries. More than 2,000 people completed a phone survey in October-November 2012. The research found adults with children valued libraries; directly linking library experiences with the increased love of books and enhanced reading skills in their children. Other findings include;
Click here to link to the full report.
Infographic released an article (April, 2013) referring to the challenges facing many public libraries today. It starts by identifying the opening of an all digital and technologically advanced library in Texas. Using this as a discussion point, it touches on the role these facilities play in their communities, damaging budget cuts and the shift in patron demand(s) on these providers. Click here to read the full article titled, “The Changing Face of Public Libraries.”
Have you considered using Skype in a classroom setting?
Skype can be viewed as a mini and potentially mobile I- TV session-accessible on several gadgets. If you have a device with a webcam and internet access, this resource can often be used at no additional cost. Once a free account is created, a program can be downloaded for a computer, television and/or an app for a mobile phone, tablet, iPod, etc.
Because of its flexibility and relatively easy set-up process, some schools are developing “Skype lessons.” This is a pre-scheduled lesson in which a teacher invites a content expert into their classroom via Skype. The students are able to hear and see the guest speaker, in real-time, via streaming video.
Recently, Edudemic posted an article on “21 Skype Lessons For Active Learning, Sorted by Topic.” Click here to read the entire article.