Ways to create different effects with photos - free, no registration...
Cartoon, inkify, colours etc
www.befunky.com
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tiny URL
This is a good way to make shorter URLs - I've just learned to do it for my previous post.
Go to http://www.tiny.cc/
"Tiny URLs are easier to post on blogs or forums. Make email friendly URLs. Simplify links to your website. Hide an affiliate link. Create personal or unique addresses using a keyword. Tiny.cc turns a ridiculously long URL into a tiny URL... short, meaningful and permanent."
Go to http://www.tiny.cc/
"Tiny URLs are easier to post on blogs or forums. Make email friendly URLs. Simplify links to your website. Hide an affiliate link. Create personal or unique addresses using a keyword. Tiny.cc turns a ridiculously long URL into a tiny URL... short, meaningful and permanent."
Struggling readers
Here is a link to an article about teaching struggling readers - about some of the unfortunate lessons they have learned from school - Are schools wounding kids? by Kathie Marshall.
http://tiny.cc/kathiemarshall
She quotes teacher-consultant Bill Page who defines at-risk students as “Children who are expected to fail because teachers cannot motivate, control, teach, or interest them using traditional methods and prescribed curriculum.”
I found this an interesting comment from "Prof", posted underneath this article :
We (and I use the inclusive pronoun advisedly) teach children early on several lesson about school.
First, we teach them that one has to be "smart" to get along in school. This really has nothing to do with working to learn something. Instead, a kid is perceived as smart if he seems to "get it" quickly and without much effort. Effort is rarely rewarded or recognized in school. Not convinced? Think about how most of us grade students. The kid who gets high marks on homework, on assignments designed to help kids "practice", get the better grades. We look at all of a kid's practice, not just the end result. We certainly do not grade drivers on how they drove the first time they got behind the wheel, but we grade "learning" that way!
Second, children get the idea that getting done is the same as learning. We focus on completing work rather than on learning the skill or concept. We keep kids in from recess, pester them about missing work, etc. We rarely look at whether or not they've actually learned the concept without completing all of the assignments. The system as it currently stands consistently demonstrates that what counts is getting "it" all done, not learning.Many of these students come to college expecting that showing up is the same as learning. A recent case in point is the student who came every day to class. He handed everything in, but none of it demonstrated that he had learned or could apply the concepts. He was asked to do the work over, to come talk to the professor, given many chances to demonstrate learning. When he failed the class, his appeal to the Dean was, "I came to class every day and I turned in something for every assignment. I deserve a passing grade." That is a person who learned this lesson well, however, it did not serve him well in trying to prepare for a career.
Third, children are taught not to take risks. Few students will take a chance to answer a question if they could be wrong. We have focused on making our schools physically safe, but we have not yet consistently created classrooms where children can risk being wrong.
Fourth, children learn that education is something done TO them, not something they participate in. We tend to decide what children will learn, when they will learn it, and how they will learn it, but never enlist their help in doing that learning. We say, "Learn the multiplication tables." We provide time for practice. We have timed tests. We play multiplication games. But we too often forget to ask the child something like, "One of our goals this year is to learn multiplication facts. How many of these do you think you can learn this week?" We ask students to set goals in athletics, but we've forgotten to include them in their academic ventures.
How do these factors play out? Our students most at risk of dropping out or of turning off to school, do so, and they do at shockingly early ages. Our "good" students learn to play the game but not to learn. Talking to students and asking them the kinds of questions the author of this article asked is exceptionally valuable. We should do it more often! As a former principal, I had the opportunity to hear students talk about their dislike of school, and why they acted out. It is a tale that needs to be told!
http://tiny.cc/kathiemarshall
She quotes teacher-consultant Bill Page who defines at-risk students as “Children who are expected to fail because teachers cannot motivate, control, teach, or interest them using traditional methods and prescribed curriculum.”
I found this an interesting comment from "Prof", posted underneath this article :
We (and I use the inclusive pronoun advisedly) teach children early on several lesson about school.
First, we teach them that one has to be "smart" to get along in school. This really has nothing to do with working to learn something. Instead, a kid is perceived as smart if he seems to "get it" quickly and without much effort. Effort is rarely rewarded or recognized in school. Not convinced? Think about how most of us grade students. The kid who gets high marks on homework, on assignments designed to help kids "practice", get the better grades. We look at all of a kid's practice, not just the end result. We certainly do not grade drivers on how they drove the first time they got behind the wheel, but we grade "learning" that way!
Second, children get the idea that getting done is the same as learning. We focus on completing work rather than on learning the skill or concept. We keep kids in from recess, pester them about missing work, etc. We rarely look at whether or not they've actually learned the concept without completing all of the assignments. The system as it currently stands consistently demonstrates that what counts is getting "it" all done, not learning.Many of these students come to college expecting that showing up is the same as learning. A recent case in point is the student who came every day to class. He handed everything in, but none of it demonstrated that he had learned or could apply the concepts. He was asked to do the work over, to come talk to the professor, given many chances to demonstrate learning. When he failed the class, his appeal to the Dean was, "I came to class every day and I turned in something for every assignment. I deserve a passing grade." That is a person who learned this lesson well, however, it did not serve him well in trying to prepare for a career.
Third, children are taught not to take risks. Few students will take a chance to answer a question if they could be wrong. We have focused on making our schools physically safe, but we have not yet consistently created classrooms where children can risk being wrong.
Fourth, children learn that education is something done TO them, not something they participate in. We tend to decide what children will learn, when they will learn it, and how they will learn it, but never enlist their help in doing that learning. We say, "Learn the multiplication tables." We provide time for practice. We have timed tests. We play multiplication games. But we too often forget to ask the child something like, "One of our goals this year is to learn multiplication facts. How many of these do you think you can learn this week?" We ask students to set goals in athletics, but we've forgotten to include them in their academic ventures.
How do these factors play out? Our students most at risk of dropping out or of turning off to school, do so, and they do at shockingly early ages. Our "good" students learn to play the game but not to learn. Talking to students and asking them the kinds of questions the author of this article asked is exceptionally valuable. We should do it more often! As a former principal, I had the opportunity to hear students talk about their dislike of school, and why they acted out. It is a tale that needs to be told!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Kindle
Link here to a great article by Nicholson Baker about Kindle e-book from the New Yorker magazine...
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/03/090803fa_fact_baker
A New Page [The New Yorker]
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/03/090803fa_fact_baker
A New Page [The New Yorker]
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Web
AASL - the American Association of School Librarians (a division of the American Library Association) has various toolkits - resources to download on topics such as parent outreach, advocacy - even a "crisis" toolkit for when there is an emergency pressure situation for your library... http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslissues/toolkits/toolkits.cfm
Here is a link to their "Top 25" web sites which foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration, grouped according to their Standards for a 21st century learner. They are free, web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25.cfm
Here is a link to their "Top 25" web sites which foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration, grouped according to their Standards for a 21st century learner. They are free, web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25.cfm
Michael Rosen and poetry friendly classrooms
More from Michael Rosen - on poetry - check out his suggestions for a Poetry Friendly Classroom on his website http://www.michaelrosen.co.uk/poetryfriendly.html
His essay / video gives some great advice about creating a "poetry friendly classroom" and about helping children write poetry themselves.
His essay / video gives some great advice about creating a "poetry friendly classroom" and about helping children write poetry themselves.
Michael Rosen
Farewell to the outgoing UK Children's Laureate poet Michael Rosen... (new Laureate 2009 - 2011 Anthony Browne).
Some comments on what he has seen visiting UK schools :
"There is a huge push on to create an environment (in junior classes) where books are secondary to the process of reading. This seems oxymoronic to me. We must, must have at the heart of learning to read the pleasure that is reading. Otherwise why bother?... You need a reason to read..."
"The core idea of literature is that we can re-present our lives and imaginations and that is much more important than the business of getting letters right. The stuff going on in schools (worksheets) is denying the basis of what literature is for - the shared conversation about who we are or might be, what we think, what we imagine, what we feel..."
"If we believe in the value and power of books, stories, poems and plays, we also have to remember that it will never be enough simply to publish good stuff. We have to be committed, ingenious, flexible and experimental in coming up with ways of making all that literature come alive for every single child - no exceptions allowed."
Some comments on what he has seen visiting UK schools :
"There is a huge push on to create an environment (in junior classes) where books are secondary to the process of reading. This seems oxymoronic to me. We must, must have at the heart of learning to read the pleasure that is reading. Otherwise why bother?... You need a reason to read..."
"The core idea of literature is that we can re-present our lives and imaginations and that is much more important than the business of getting letters right. The stuff going on in schools (worksheets) is denying the basis of what literature is for - the shared conversation about who we are or might be, what we think, what we imagine, what we feel..."
"If we believe in the value and power of books, stories, poems and plays, we also have to remember that it will never be enough simply to publish good stuff. We have to be committed, ingenious, flexible and experimental in coming up with ways of making all that literature come alive for every single child - no exceptions allowed."
Friday, July 24, 2009
Frank McCourt on teaching
Author and teacher Frank McCourt
A: Yeah, I do. Because if you have ideas about what’s going on in the world, you can talk to kids about them. You can develop ideas about poetry and everything else under the sun. You’re always fresh. That’s the difference between being a policeman or a firefighter. They’re dealing with the darker side. But when your teaching is going well, walking into the classroom is like walking into a garden.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Batman, poetry, olives and opera
Robin: "Batman, maybe I should stay home tonight. Homework, you know."
Batman: "I think you should acquire a taste for opera, Robin, as one does for poetry and olives."Cilla McQueen new poet laureate
When winter comes to Bluff, poet Cilla McQueen usually just hunkers down in her draughty, freezing home and keeps on writing. So the newly announced poet laureate's first idea for the $100,000 windfall coming her way with the role is simple: "Pay the electricity bill." For 20 years, the 60-year-old has eked out a living from poems and occasional teaching. "I don't know how I manage it. I just do. I live below the bread line," she said before accepting the role at the National Library in Wellington ast night. She might owe a bit to Bluff fishermen too. The generous seafarers always made sure no one went hungry in the town she had lived in for 13 years, McQueen said. There were plenty of other lures to the icy southern town, apart from cheap living. "The fresh air. The openness. Not too many people. The beautiful natural environment and plenty of privacy ... I can have a life I want."
So how would the "very private person" deal with the demands of the most public role in New Zealand literature? Although it felt a little overwhelming, McQueen said she was feeling "increasingly confident" about the role. She planned to attend readings throughout the country, visit schools and libraries, and possibly continue a blog started by Michele Leggott, her predecessor and the first Government-sponsored laureate. "But mostly I'll be doing that mysterious business of writing poetry."
Asked how much time she spent writing poetry, she said: "All day. All my life. Thinking, jotting, wandering." McQueen refused to accept that poetry was "difficult", instead suggesting it was enjoying a resurgence. "It seems to me that in 30 years I've been writing that the profile of poetry has increased enormously." The laureate awards were established by the winery Te Mata, but became more lucrative when the government became involved in 2007.
The role has existed for centuries in Britain. In New Zealand, laureates are selected every two years and charged with producing a collection of poems, participating in poetry functions and raising awareness of the art form. Laureates personally receive at least $70,000 of the $100,000 award with the remainder going toward their poetry activities. They also receive a carved matua tokotoko, or storytelling stick.
AXIS
shells pipe sea music
and fern fronds punch
soft green heads into my palm
within
the tiny ladder of the DNA
the mighty spiral of the Milky Way
living
in circles of time
growing towards the light
Cilla McQueen
From Axis, Otago University Press (2001)
So how would the "very private person" deal with the demands of the most public role in New Zealand literature? Although it felt a little overwhelming, McQueen said she was feeling "increasingly confident" about the role. She planned to attend readings throughout the country, visit schools and libraries, and possibly continue a blog started by Michele Leggott, her predecessor and the first Government-sponsored laureate. "But mostly I'll be doing that mysterious business of writing poetry."
Asked how much time she spent writing poetry, she said: "All day. All my life. Thinking, jotting, wandering." McQueen refused to accept that poetry was "difficult", instead suggesting it was enjoying a resurgence. "It seems to me that in 30 years I've been writing that the profile of poetry has increased enormously." The laureate awards were established by the winery Te Mata, but became more lucrative when the government became involved in 2007.
The role has existed for centuries in Britain. In New Zealand, laureates are selected every two years and charged with producing a collection of poems, participating in poetry functions and raising awareness of the art form. Laureates personally receive at least $70,000 of the $100,000 award with the remainder going toward their poetry activities. They also receive a carved matua tokotoko, or storytelling stick.
AXIS
shells pipe sea music
and fern fronds punch
soft green heads into my palm
within
the tiny ladder of the DNA
the mighty spiral of the Milky Way
living
in circles of time
growing towards the light
Cilla McQueen
From Axis, Otago University Press (2001)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Living Heritage
Have you checked out Living Heritage lately ?
Everyone has their own heritage story to tell about the place where they grew up. Living Heritage, a free online bilingual (Mäori-English) initiative, captures special stories through the voices of New Zealand students to ensure these unique insights into our culture and heritage are not lost. Check out http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/ which is hosted by the National Library of New Zealand. More than 70 stories from 50 schools are currently available on a heritage taonga in their community - this page gives some examples of the sort of aspect which students might research locally - http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/Participate/Story-ideas
Give it a go and publish your special story on Living Heritage! The team at CWA New Media will provide your school with technical support, story ideas and curriculum advice.
Some of my favourite stories are :
Te Hononga O Ngā Wai Westmere School - Primary – Published 08/12/2008
The students in the teina class of a Māori Bilingual Whānau - Ngā Uri O Ngā Iwi and in their classroom called Te Hononga O Ngā Wai, The Meeting of the Waters wanted to find out what the name of their class meant. They decided to research their local waterways in memory of their first kuia, Whaea Dianne, who also composed waiata for them so they would remember the Māori place names and tupuna of their local area. Read this story
Mangroves: asset or pest?
Hauraki School - Primary – Published 25/07/2008
A school science project gave four students from Hauraki Primary School a chance to explore their local mangrove forest. They studied the plants, trying to decide if mangroves are good for the environment or whether they are a pest. They also investigated local opinion through questionnaires and interviews. Explore their website to find out more. Read this story
Stellin Memorial Park Northland School - Primary – Published 22/08/2008
Stellin Memorial Park is situated near Northland School in Wellington. A group of year 7 and 8 students researched the story behind the naming of the park. Browse their website to find out the history of James Kingston Stellin, a young New Zealand fighter pilot who was killed in France during the Second World War. Read this story
Opiki Toll Bridge St Peters College - Secondary – Published 03/09/2003
A St Peter's College student in Palmerston North has created a website that contains a brief history of the Opiki suspension bridge, from the draining of the Makurerua Swamp, through the swamp's flax industry, the construction of the bridge, its conversion to a toll bridge, to the closing of the old toll bridge, and the opening of the new bridge at Opiki. Read this story
Everyone has their own heritage story to tell about the place where they grew up. Living Heritage, a free online bilingual (Mäori-English) initiative, captures special stories through the voices of New Zealand students to ensure these unique insights into our culture and heritage are not lost. Check out http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/ which is hosted by the National Library of New Zealand. More than 70 stories from 50 schools are currently available on a heritage taonga in their community - this page gives some examples of the sort of aspect which students might research locally - http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/Participate/Story-ideas
Give it a go and publish your special story on Living Heritage! The team at CWA New Media will provide your school with technical support, story ideas and curriculum advice.
Some of my favourite stories are :
Te Hononga O Ngā Wai Westmere School - Primary – Published 08/12/2008
The students in the teina class of a Māori Bilingual Whānau - Ngā Uri O Ngā Iwi and in their classroom called Te Hononga O Ngā Wai, The Meeting of the Waters wanted to find out what the name of their class meant. They decided to research their local waterways in memory of their first kuia, Whaea Dianne, who also composed waiata for them so they would remember the Māori place names and tupuna of their local area. Read this story
Mangroves: asset or pest?
Hauraki School - Primary – Published 25/07/2008
A school science project gave four students from Hauraki Primary School a chance to explore their local mangrove forest. They studied the plants, trying to decide if mangroves are good for the environment or whether they are a pest. They also investigated local opinion through questionnaires and interviews. Explore their website to find out more. Read this story
Stellin Memorial Park Northland School - Primary – Published 22/08/2008
Stellin Memorial Park is situated near Northland School in Wellington. A group of year 7 and 8 students researched the story behind the naming of the park. Browse their website to find out the history of James Kingston Stellin, a young New Zealand fighter pilot who was killed in France during the Second World War. Read this story
Opiki Toll Bridge St Peters College - Secondary – Published 03/09/2003
A St Peter's College student in Palmerston North has created a website that contains a brief history of the Opiki suspension bridge, from the draining of the Makurerua Swamp, through the swamp's flax industry, the construction of the bridge, its conversion to a toll bridge, to the closing of the old toll bridge, and the opening of the new bridge at Opiki. Read this story
Friday, July 17, 2009
TED for inspiration
Have you come across TED ?
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).
This site makes the best talks and performances from TED and partners available to the world, for free. More than 400 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week. All of the talks feature closed captions in English, and many feature subtitles in various languages. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.
I have heard amazing people give the most wonderful talks - Amy Tan, Nicholas Negroponte, Ken Robinson on creativity, and Elizabeth Gilbert on genius... http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
The TED Prize is designed to leverage the TED Community's exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to three exceptional individuals who each receive $100,000 and, much more important, the granting of "One Wish to Change the World." After several months of preparation, they unveil their wish at an award ceremony held during the TED Conference. These wishes have led to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact.
Check out Dave Eggers talking about a radical new approach to education in the community...
http://onceuponaschool.org/?page_id=191
Brilliant.
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).
This site makes the best talks and performances from TED and partners available to the world, for free. More than 400 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week. All of the talks feature closed captions in English, and many feature subtitles in various languages. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.
I have heard amazing people give the most wonderful talks - Amy Tan, Nicholas Negroponte, Ken Robinson on creativity, and Elizabeth Gilbert on genius... http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
The TED Prize is designed to leverage the TED Community's exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to three exceptional individuals who each receive $100,000 and, much more important, the granting of "One Wish to Change the World." After several months of preparation, they unveil their wish at an award ceremony held during the TED Conference. These wishes have led to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact.
Check out Dave Eggers talking about a radical new approach to education in the community...
http://onceuponaschool.org/?page_id=191
Brilliant.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Jim Trelease and Wilbur Schramm
I've long been a fan of Jim Trelease and his passionate advocacy for the power of reading aloud - see his book The Reading-Aloud Handbook, 6th ed., Penguin 2006.
Visiting his website this afternoon http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/ I came across this interesting item he has written about the formula devised by Wilbur Schramm, called the Fraction of Selection http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/fraction-selection.html
What it talks about is how often we do something - frequency - based on what we expect the rewards to be in relation to what the effort or difficulty might be...
Applied to reading, Trelease suggests the "rewards" might be pleasure - in escaping to another world, in finding answers to questions, in helping us study or achieve... The "effort" or difficulties might be distractions, lack of print, lack of time, learning disabilities, noise at home, negative attitudes...
"Where you maintain strong REWARD factors and lower the EFFORT factors, the stronger will be the frequency of reading. And the higher that number is for students, the higher will be their chances of success in school. Those who read the most, read the best."
It is a different way of thinking about the relationship of factors that set children up for reading success...
Visiting his website this afternoon http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/ I came across this interesting item he has written about the formula devised by Wilbur Schramm, called the Fraction of Selection http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/fraction-selection.html
What it talks about is how often we do something - frequency - based on what we expect the rewards to be in relation to what the effort or difficulty might be...
Applied to reading, Trelease suggests the "rewards" might be pleasure - in escaping to another world, in finding answers to questions, in helping us study or achieve... The "effort" or difficulties might be distractions, lack of print, lack of time, learning disabilities, noise at home, negative attitudes...
"Where you maintain strong REWARD factors and lower the EFFORT factors, the stronger will be the frequency of reading. And the higher that number is for students, the higher will be their chances of success in school. Those who read the most, read the best."
It is a different way of thinking about the relationship of factors that set children up for reading success...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
LIANZA Library Week 2009
LIANZA Library Week is 10-16 August, celebrating libraries ! http://www.libraryweek.org.nz/
The theme for Library Weeek is "Escape, Explore, Discover" - the key message is that libraries enable you to escape into a world of discovery and exploration that will bring about an enriching and positive experience.
If you have any questions or suggestions for Library Week 2009 please contact Megan Button Communications & Publications Coordinator LIANZA http://www.lianza.org.nz/
The theme for Library Weeek is "Escape, Explore, Discover" - the key message is that libraries enable you to escape into a world of discovery and exploration that will bring about an enriching and positive experience.
If you have any questions or suggestions for Library Week 2009 please contact Megan Button Communications & Publications Coordinator LIANZA http://www.lianza.org.nz/
Robert Sabuda and pop-ups
A wonderful website for making pop-ups : http://robertsabuda.com/popmake/index.asp
Bradbury, Cleavers, and libraries as educators
Kate De Goldi is talking to Kim Hill this Saturday about the authors Vera and Bill Cleaver - husband and wife writing team perhaps best known for their novel Where the lilies bloom about an orphan family growing up in the Appalachian Mountains, earning a living from finding medicinal plants... Though neither of the Cleavers finished college, they both put a great emphasis on self-directed learning, claiming to be "graduates of the public libraries of America."
In the quirky way that things connect, the same day I read about the Cleavers, a friend sent me an article by Alison Flood at the Guardian newspaper on Ray Bradbury, the author of Farenheit 451, who has launched a series of fund-raisers with a passionate defence of the US public library system...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/22/ray-bradbury-defends-libraries
"Libraries raised me. I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don't have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn't go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years," he said. "I read everything in the library. I read everything. I took out 10 books a week so I had a couple of hundred books a year I read, on literature, poetry, plays, and I read all the great short stories, hundreds of them. I graduated from the library when I was 28 years old. That library educated me, not the college." Ray Bradbury
In the quirky way that things connect, the same day I read about the Cleavers, a friend sent me an article by Alison Flood at the Guardian newspaper on Ray Bradbury, the author of Farenheit 451, who has launched a series of fund-raisers with a passionate defence of the US public library system...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/22/ray-bradbury-defends-libraries
"Libraries raised me. I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don't have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn't go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years," he said. "I read everything in the library. I read everything. I took out 10 books a week so I had a couple of hundred books a year I read, on literature, poetry, plays, and I read all the great short stories, hundreds of them. I graduated from the library when I was 28 years old. That library educated me, not the college." Ray Bradbury
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
NZ Book Council
Sarah Maxey, mentioned in the previous post, has also designed the NZ Book Council's new newsletter for schools, called The School Library at this link... http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Education/Whats%20New/School%20Library
The Book Council's redesigned website has an Education zone... "Teachers and school librarians can use our Schools channel to learn all about our Writers in Schools programme, book an author, give us their feedback and find additional resources to use alongside the programme. Pop into the Kids' Zone for fun with reading, with competitions, word and reading games, and news about great new books. Head over to the Parents channel if you are looking for New Zealand book recommendations for children of all ages and other useful material for supporting your children’s reading."
While visiting the Book Council website, secondary school teachers and librarians should check out Wordspace http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Education/Writer%20Interviews/Wordspaces
"WordSpace is a series of video conference discussions between secondary school students and leading New Zealand writers. It provides a forum for inspiration, education and the exchange of ideas, and is offered as part of the New Zealand Book Council's Writers in Schools programme."
There are DVDs available for purchase http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Products/DVD
with a range of authors discussing creative writing, journalism, script writing, poetry, reviewing, playwriting, YA fiction, fantasy writing etc according to their speciality...
The Book Council's redesigned website has an Education zone... "Teachers and school librarians can use our Schools channel to learn all about our Writers in Schools programme, book an author, give us their feedback and find additional resources to use alongside the programme. Pop into the Kids' Zone for fun with reading, with competitions, word and reading games, and news about great new books. Head over to the Parents channel if you are looking for New Zealand book recommendations for children of all ages and other useful material for supporting your children’s reading."
While visiting the Book Council website, secondary school teachers and librarians should check out Wordspace http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Education/Writer%20Interviews/Wordspaces
"WordSpace is a series of video conference discussions between secondary school students and leading New Zealand writers. It provides a forum for inspiration, education and the exchange of ideas, and is offered as part of the New Zealand Book Council's Writers in Schools programme."
There are DVDs available for purchase http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Products/DVD
with a range of authors discussing creative writing, journalism, script writing, poetry, reviewing, playwriting, YA fiction, fantasy writing etc according to their speciality...
Word art and book design
This is a wonderful UK blog/website I came across which is about the art and design and look of words - check out the messages/words made in clouds, concrete, coins, on tree trunks, in signs, buildings, pavements.… It is worth waiting for the pictures to download http://www.ministryoftype.co.uk/words/category/C12/
"The Ministry of Type is a weblog by me, Aegir Hallmundur, about type, typography, lettering, calligraphy and other related things that inspire me."
While on the subject of word as art, NZ artist / calligrapher / book designer Sarah Maxey has a website with a scrolling parade of her art work http://www.sarahmaxey.co.nz/
Kate De Goldi chose Sarah to design the cover for her brilliant, award-winning book The 10 PM Question.
"The Ministry of Type is a weblog by me, Aegir Hallmundur, about type, typography, lettering, calligraphy and other related things that inspire me."
While on the subject of word as art, NZ artist / calligrapher / book designer Sarah Maxey has a website with a scrolling parade of her art work http://www.sarahmaxey.co.nz/
Kate De Goldi chose Sarah to design the cover for her brilliant, award-winning book The 10 PM Question.
Judy Freeman and reading aloud
I explored the website of Roxie Munro http://www.roxiemunro.com/ whose book Mazeways A-Z (Sterling, 2007) is one of my 2 year old nephew's absolute favourites - detailed maze pictures for each letter of the alphabet with different settings - A = Airport, B = Boats, C = Circus, each with hundreds of details to discover... I really recommend it - is available to purchase in NZ and is in the National Library CIS collection for schools. Her website has lots of information, including a step by step guide for children to creating their own mazes...
Roxie's website offers a free signed bookplate, so I wrote away and we now have a friendly correspondence. Roxie mentioned a good friend of hers - Judy Freeman, so I looked her up too and found she is someone I have come across in other capacities - she wrote the wonderful teacher guide to another of my favourite books by Kate Di Camillo The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane available here http://www.edwardtulane.com/
Judy also writes content for James Patterson's website ReadKiddoRead which has a fabulous selection of recommendations and advice... http://readkiddoread.com/home
And I came across this great article Judy wrote for School Library Journal - Books kids will sit still for : 10 ways to recognise a great readaloud - at this link.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6378376.html
Roxie's website offers a free signed bookplate, so I wrote away and we now have a friendly correspondence. Roxie mentioned a good friend of hers - Judy Freeman, so I looked her up too and found she is someone I have come across in other capacities - she wrote the wonderful teacher guide to another of my favourite books by Kate Di Camillo The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane available here http://www.edwardtulane.com/
Judy also writes content for James Patterson's website ReadKiddoRead which has a fabulous selection of recommendations and advice... http://readkiddoread.com/home
And I came across this great article Judy wrote for School Library Journal - Books kids will sit still for : 10 ways to recognise a great readaloud - at this link.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6378376.html
Monday, July 13, 2009
Reading and boys
Riveting Reads: Boys into Books 5 – 11, 11–14
http://www.boysintobooks.co.uk/ or http://www.sla.org.uk/boys-into-books-overview.php
These are great booklists for boys and also have a lot of good information about getting boys reading.
Another wonderful resource FULL of information, ideas, research, strategies about boys and reading is Me read ? No way ! from Ontario Ministry of Education, Canada. It can be downloaded as a pdf from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/meread/
http://www.boysintobooks.co.uk/ or http://www.sla.org.uk/boys-into-books-overview.php
These are great booklists for boys and also have a lot of good information about getting boys reading.
Another wonderful resource FULL of information, ideas, research, strategies about boys and reading is Me read ? No way ! from Ontario Ministry of Education, Canada. It can be downloaded as a pdf from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/meread/
Joining the School Library Listserv
It is well worth belonging to the NZ school library list serv...
To subscribe - send a message to schoollib-request@it.canterbury.ac.nz
Leave the subject line BLANK and turn off your signature.
In the message box type subscribe schoollib then send the email. If you have completed this successfully you will receive a confirmation message.
To unsubscribe - send a message to schoollib-request@it.canterbury.ac.nz
Leave the subject line BLANK. Type in the message box unsubscribe schoollib
To send a message to the listserv the address is schoollib@it.canterbury.ac.nz
You'll connect with school library teams all around New Zealand, have a forum to ask questions and be part of the wider school library community.
To subscribe - send a message to schoollib-request@it.canterbury.ac.nz
Leave the subject line BLANK and turn off your signature.
In the message box type subscribe schoollib then send the email. If you have completed this successfully you will receive a confirmation message.
To unsubscribe - send a message to schoollib-request@it.canterbury.ac.nz
Leave the subject line BLANK. Type in the message box unsubscribe schoollib
To send a message to the listserv the address is schoollib@it.canterbury.ac.nz
You'll connect with school library teams all around New Zealand, have a forum to ask questions and be part of the wider school library community.
Reading promotion and Web 2.0
Promoting Reading Using This 2.0 Stuff / Stephen Abram
This interesting article suggests 15 things Web 2.0 can do for books and reading, and suggests that "if we are really about connecting kids and books and reading then we have many simple, new and exciting opportunities."
“Reading is a social activity. There, I said it. I know a lot of people see it as solitary, introverted, internalized, quiet, and even as anti-social! And frankly it isn’t.”
from Stephen's Lighthouse blog (Stephen Abram), 1 February 2009.
http://stephenslighthouse.com/files/MMIS_26.pdf
This interesting article suggests 15 things Web 2.0 can do for books and reading, and suggests that "if we are really about connecting kids and books and reading then we have many simple, new and exciting opportunities."
“Reading is a social activity. There, I said it. I know a lot of people see it as solitary, introverted, internalized, quiet, and even as anti-social! And frankly it isn’t.”
from Stephen's Lighthouse blog (Stephen Abram), 1 February 2009.
http://stephenslighthouse.com/files/MMIS_26.pdf
Information Literacy framework - Scotland
Check out Scotland’s information literacy website http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/ils/index.html
The Scottish Information Literacy Project: working with partners to create an information literate Scotland. The draft National Information Literacy Framework (Scotland) includes identified skills at mid - upper primary and secondary levels. Page 20 is Level A, 8 years old and on from there…
The Scottish Information Literacy Project: working with partners to create an information literate Scotland. The draft National Information Literacy Framework (Scotland) includes identified skills at mid - upper primary and secondary levels. Page 20 is Level A, 8 years old and on from there…
Reading Rockets newsletters
Reading Rockets http://www.readingrockets.org/newsletters/extras
From this US website you can download or be sent Ed Extras - a free monthly service that offers articles about learning aimed at preschools, primary schools and PTAs.
The one page articles can be downloaded either as a PDF or a Word document, and contain helpful suggestions to encourage home literacy practice eg bedtime reading, "grocery store literacy", the role of fathers, etc.
Though you probably wouldn't use them exactly as they are, they would be better "translated" to the New Zealand context, they could be a good starter for items to go to parents in a school newsletter maybe...
Click below to:
· Download the latest Ed Extras article
· Sign up for Ed Extras
· Get past articles
Reading Rockets is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
From this US website you can download or be sent Ed Extras - a free monthly service that offers articles about learning aimed at preschools, primary schools and PTAs.
The one page articles can be downloaded either as a PDF or a Word document, and contain helpful suggestions to encourage home literacy practice eg bedtime reading, "grocery store literacy", the role of fathers, etc.
Though you probably wouldn't use them exactly as they are, they would be better "translated" to the New Zealand context, they could be a good starter for items to go to parents in a school newsletter maybe...
Click below to:
· Download the latest Ed Extras article
· Sign up for Ed Extras
· Get past articles
Reading Rockets is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
Wordle
Wordle is a great tool for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide.
Simply go to http://www.wordle.net/ and then to Create - type your words - eg a piece of text, a list, a poem... into the box and then Go... Randomize will give you many different options, and you can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and colour schemes. To keep words connected to each other use the tilde ~ to link them. The images you create with Wordle are yours to print, or save to the Gallery... I've made cover sheets for course booklets, thank-you notes and birthday cards, pictures from poems...
The more often a word appears, the more prominent it will be in the resulting word cloud which can be used for artistic effect but also can help analyse text to find the predominant words or themes...
Here is a link to a great blog with information on how teachers might use wordle for in the classroom...
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/07/more-wordle-in-classroom-ideas.html
Simply go to http://www.wordle.net/ and then to Create - type your words - eg a piece of text, a list, a poem... into the box and then Go... Randomize will give you many different options, and you can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and colour schemes. To keep words connected to each other use the tilde ~ to link them. The images you create with Wordle are yours to print, or save to the Gallery... I've made cover sheets for course booklets, thank-you notes and birthday cards, pictures from poems...
The more often a word appears, the more prominent it will be in the resulting word cloud which can be used for artistic effect but also can help analyse text to find the predominant words or themes...
Here is a link to a great blog with information on how teachers might use wordle for in the classroom...
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/07/more-wordle-in-classroom-ideas.html
Home -school reading partnership resource
The UK National Literacy Trust have produced a very useful Family Involvement Toolkit Reading Connects family involvement toolkit (pdf) to help schools reach out to families and encourage them to make their homes reading homes.
(To save a PDF, right click on the link, then select Save Target As and select a folder on your computer in which to save the document.)
The Reading Connects Family Involvement Toolkit was written following a cafe-style discussion conference in 2006 which brought together a wide range of experts in engaging parents and other family members with their children's reading. It was written for primary and secondary schools
(To save a PDF, right click on the link, then select Save Target As and select a folder on your computer in which to save the document.)
The Reading Connects Family Involvement Toolkit was written following a cafe-style discussion conference in 2006 which brought together a wide range of experts in engaging parents and other family members with their children's reading. It was written for primary and secondary schools
Science in the Library
NEMP reports on Science and Visual arts were sent to schools in Term 4 2008. In the science report, one area of concern was the huge increase in the number of Year 8 students expressing a dislike of science…
How can the library rekindle the interest in the scientific world ? Resources - there are so many great science books ! but also displays, activities, experiments, visitors etc
See also this article in School Library Journal Mad scientists by Jennifer Prince about a science programme run in a library to great effect...
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA406676.html?q=mad+scientists
Both the books full of science activities mentioned in this article are available from National Library Curriculum Information Service (CIS).
How can the library rekindle the interest in the scientific world ? Resources - there are so many great science books ! but also displays, activities, experiments, visitors etc
See also this article in School Library Journal Mad scientists by Jennifer Prince about a science programme run in a library to great effect...
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA406676.html?q=mad+scientists
Both the books full of science activities mentioned in this article are available from National Library Curriculum Information Service (CIS).
Library professional reading journals
Do you subscribe to library professional reading journals at your school library ?
These valuable resources keep you up to date with new authors, titles, series, award winners... inspire you with interviews and articles... provide booklists, reports on events, and suggest ways to promote reading etc. They are a valuable tool for helping teachers increase their knowledge of children's literature, as well as obviously informing your book buying / collection development for the school library.
I'd recommend Magpies and Around the Bookshops especially, and also The Literature Base for for suggested classroom activities based on themes / genres / individual titles...
Magpies and The Literature Base http://www.magpies.net.au/magpies/public/?MIval=m_pages&pagename=SAOI
Around the Bookshops http://www.marigold.co.nz/subscription.html
These valuable resources keep you up to date with new authors, titles, series, award winners... inspire you with interviews and articles... provide booklists, reports on events, and suggest ways to promote reading etc. They are a valuable tool for helping teachers increase their knowledge of children's literature, as well as obviously informing your book buying / collection development for the school library.
I'd recommend Magpies and Around the Bookshops especially, and also The Literature Base for for suggested classroom activities based on themes / genres / individual titles...
Magpies and The Literature Base http://www.magpies.net.au/magpies/public/?MIval=m_pages&pagename=SAOI
Around the Bookshops http://www.marigold.co.nz/subscription.html
School Library Network meetings
Well, here is my first post to this blog ! Just a quick note about the National Library facilitated school library network meetings held each term after school.
The Far North meetings are on Wednesdays of Week 4 each term at REAP in Puckey Ave, Kaitaia, and the Mid North meetings are on Thursdays of Week 4 each term at Kerikeri High School Library. Many thanks to these two venues for their hospitality for these meetings.
This blog will provide a forum to post information regularly throughout the term, leaving more time for discussion and sharing rather than "information distribution" at the meetings themselves. Please come along to the meetings to meet your colleagues and share achievements, challenges, questions, inspiration and ideas... The networks provide a way to keep up to date with events locally, nationally and internationally and to be part of a welcoming school library community. Looking forward to seeing you there...
The Far North meetings are on Wednesdays of Week 4 each term at REAP in Puckey Ave, Kaitaia, and the Mid North meetings are on Thursdays of Week 4 each term at Kerikeri High School Library. Many thanks to these two venues for their hospitality for these meetings.
This blog will provide a forum to post information regularly throughout the term, leaving more time for discussion and sharing rather than "information distribution" at the meetings themselves. Please come along to the meetings to meet your colleagues and share achievements, challenges, questions, inspiration and ideas... The networks provide a way to keep up to date with events locally, nationally and internationally and to be part of a welcoming school library community. Looking forward to seeing you there...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)