Monday Medley: Special Collections Available Through Hoopla Digital

 Good Morning and Happy Monday!

In case you still haven't had the time to explore Hoopla, here are a few things that may motivate you to "check it out":

1. EBooks, Graphic Novels and Comics, Movies, Music, and Television shows on Hoopla are always available with no waitlists

2. Every student in your class can access the same content simultaneously

3. All content is easy to access via a school issued Chromebook or laptop. (And if you have a Smart TV at home you can access content through your TV)

4. If you have children at home there is an entire section of Hoopla just for kids.

3. It's FREE

Here are some special collections you may be interested in exploring: 

AP Courses

Be Calm-eBooks

Conversations Around Race

Conversations on Race (Young Adult Reads)

Critics' Picks: Can't Miss Books of 2020  

Festive Baking

Hoopla Book Club Hub

Music-2021 Grammy Award Nominees

PBS (Movies and Television)

Teacher Professional Development:  ASCD    Dave Burgess Consulting  

Science (Videos from National Geographic, Nature, NOVA, PBS)

Stories for Everyone-Diversity in Comics

World Languages-French

World Languages-Spanish

Still not on board? 

Here's a brief description from Hoopla about the platform: 

"hoopla digital partners with libraries across the United States and Canada to provide online and mobile access to eBooks, comics, music, movies, and TV. With hoopla and a valid library card, patrons can borrow, instantly stream, and download dynamic content via hoopla’s mobile app or www.hoopladigital.com. Simple to access and use, with no waiting and no hassles, hoopla digital is a service of Midwest Tape – a trusted partner of public libraries for over 25 years. All you need to get started is your library card and a web browser, smart phone, or tablet. Sign up today!"

Here is a direction sheet to help you get started today.  

Monday Medley: OER Resources

 

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

Are you looking to remix or refresh your curriculum by adding new content?  

Check out this collection of Open Education Course Resources (Organized by Academic Department)

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education explains that, 

“Open educational resources (OER) are learning materials freely available under a license that allows them to be reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed.”

Didn't find what you were looking for? There's a lot more content out there. Reach out if you have any questions about using OER materials or would like me to locate additional resources for you. 

Enjoy the remainder of your Monday!

Kim

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Monday Medley: Media Center Website Redesign

 

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

The Media Center Website has recently undergone an overhaul. Please check out the new design and feel free to give me feedback on it. The shortcut that you can use and share with students is: bit.ly/NRHSLibrary

For those of you who have never collaborated with me on a project, the Media Center Website is the place where links to all of our databases "live" and where I can create customized pages of content specifically for your class. Currently there is a generic page for each department but you will notice subpages for specific classes that I have worked with. Here are a few examples of customized pages that have been created this year:  

• Chemistry-Ms Francis-Underrepresented Voices in Chemistry 
• USHistoryII-MR Emerton/Ms Tully-Immigration Project
• French V-Former French Colonies in Africa-Ms Cahill

What are the benefits to working with a certified librarian? 

Future Ready Librarians:

• "Inspires and supports the reading lives of both students and teachers- Creates inclusive collections that acknowledge and celebrate diverse experiences and provide instructional opportunities to empower learners as effective users and creators of information and ideas."  

• "Curates Digital Resources- Leads in the selection, integration, organization, and sharing of digital resources and tools to support transformational teaching and learning and develops the digital curation skills of others."

•  "Invests Strategically in Digital Resources- Leverages an understanding of school and community needs to identify and invest in digital resources such as books and ebooks to support student learning."  

•  "Ensures Equitable Digital Access- Provides and advocates for equitable access to collection tools using digital resources, programming, and services in support of the school district’s strategic vision."  
  

•  "Advocates for Student Privacy- Teaches and promotes student data and privacy through his or her instruction and role as an educational leader. " 

•  "Facilitates Personalized Professional Learning- Leads professional learning to cultivate broader understanding of the skills that comprise success in a digital age (e.g., critical thinking, information literacy, digital citizenship, technology)."  

Works Cited:

“Future Ready LibrariansTM | Future Ready.” Futureready.org, Alliance for Excellent Education, 2019, futureready.org/thenetwork/strands/future-ready-librarians/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2020.

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Have a magnificent Monday!

Kim

Photo by Pankaj Patel on Unsplash

Monday Medley: Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit

Hello Everyone,

Happy Monday!

You are probably completely over the idea of spending more time in front of your computer. However, I wanted to share some information about a free online conference for teachers in December that I signed up for. It’s called the Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit. There are nine video presentations from awesome presenters on topics related to tech and solid teaching and learning. Get your free ticket at: DitchSummit.com.

HOW IT WORKS: New presentations are released every day from Dec. 21-31 (except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). They remain available until Jan. 8 so you can re-watch or catch up on any you’ve missed. They’re pre-recorded, so you can watch them whenever you want until Jan. 8. After that, the summit ends and the videos are unavailable to watch anymore.

FREE PD HOURS: You can get FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDITS for watching the videos. There’s a form to fill out after each presentation, and you’ll get an automatic PD certificate emailed to you.

Sign up for the digital summit at DitchSummit.com.

This year’s new speakers include: 

• Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist
• Jam Gamble, educator/speaker/entrepreneur extraordinaire
• Nate and Angie Ridgway, co-authors of Don't Ditch That Tech
• Toney Jackson, teacher-poet and all-around inspiration
• Matt Miller, author of Ditch That Textbook
• Omar López, a teacher doing amazing things with project-based learning
• Jaime Donally, a guru in immersive tech, AR, VR and more
• Karon Weber, from the Hacking STEM team at Microsoft
• Pooja Agarwal and Patrice Bain, co-authors of Powerful Teaching

 Photo by lucas law on Unsplash

Monday Medley: Newsela Resources for Anti-Racist Teaching and Instruction

 

Happy...Tuesday(?)

Sorry, not being at school put me out of the normal routine and I forgot to send this week's Monday Medley.

Newsela has a wealth of resources to explore around the topic of anti-racist teaching and instruction https://go.newsela.com/blackstudentsmatter.html and includes text sets that can be shared with your classes. These resources can be incorporated into our shared goals this year for educator evaluations. 

I hope that everyone has a restful Thanksgiving. One of the things I am grateful for, particularly this year, is that we work in a high school filled with educators who go above and beyond each and every day to provide a high quality educational experience for students. 

Thanks,

Kim

Photo by Danny Lines on Unsplash

Monday Medley: Teaching Online Masterclass

 

Hello Everyone,

Are you interested in improving your online instructional practices but don't have a lot of time? Good news! Infobase Classroom Video Master Curriculum Collection recently added a series of 61 very short videos (less than 5 minutes each) that can help. 

Here is a description of the series:
"There have been a lot of changes to the education and learning landscape over the past six months. While the education community is adapting rapidly to the landscape, there’s still a long way to go. Educators now more than ever are hungry for pedagogy-focused professional development to help them motivate and engage students in online teaching environments.  
Acclaimed educational producer Makematic has designed a video course to help educators quickly adapt to online teaching and learning. With a focus on pedagogy over technology, its new Teaching Online Masterclass series—just added to Infobase's streaming video products—has been made by teachers for teachers." 

There is a generic username and password for all of our Infobase subscriptions.
Username: North-ReadingHS
Password: Hornets
Once you are logged in with the generic credentials you can create a personal account to customize playlists, save favorites, and take advantage of other features.   (remember that you need to sign in using the generic username and password first in order to create your personal account)

Photo by Seema Miah on Unsplash

Monday Medley: Google for Education EDU in 90 YouTube Videos

 

Hello and happy Monday! Are you short on time but want quick tips and tricks for using G Suite tools to streamline prep time for teaching and learning? (Seriously...who isn't short on time right now?!?!) 

Check out Google for Education's video series "EDU in 90" to get information on product updates, helpful resources, and quick how-to demonstrations. The videos are less than 5 minutes long and can help keep you "in the know" about updates and improvements to G Suite tools. 

In the October 2020 episode of "EDU in 90" I learned about a new (free) course in the Google Teacher Center titled Inspire Creativity Through Learner Engagement. This 4 hour long online course might help you to formulate an ed eval goal related to hybrid instruction 

Here is the course description: "Unlock unlimited creative learning opportunities, whether students are in front of you or attending remotely. Go beyond the walls of your classroom and learn how digital tools can support creativity, promote student voice, and increase student engagement. Develop new ways to deliver instruction through learning models and digital tools while infusing creativity to support learning anywhere."

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Monday Medley: Independent PD opportunities that address Hybrid Learning and Reaching/Teaching all Learners

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

You may have recently received an email from the National Education Association letting you know that one of the benefits of membership is access to free, independent learning opportunities via the NEA Professional Excellence Learning Portal. In looking through the catalog there were several courses that are applicable to our district-wide goals for the 2020-2021 school year of applying best practices for hybrid teaching and learning, and working to ensure equity by promoting a school culture of anti-racism and social justice. 

Supporting All Students in an Asynchronous Environment (Independent Study-3 hours)

In this course, you will explore asynchronous digital tools and learn how you can use them to write engaging lessons that meet the needs of all of your students—including the needs of English language learners, special needs students, and students who are above or below grade level in reading and writing. 

Equity and Challenges for Remote Learning (Independent Study-3 hours) 

In this course you will explore equity and access issues that relate to remote learning.  The 3 main topics you will explore are:

• The digital divide
• Teaching and learning resources
• Other issues 

Getting Started With Google Classroom (Independent Study-2 hrs)

Now’s the time to take your Google Classroom to the next level! Come learn how to maximize Google Classroom for remote teaching and learning purposes with embedded opportunities for social emotional learning, more complex assignments, interactive learning environments, tools for one-on-one student support and opportunities to differentiate practice to fit your students’ needs’

Remote Learning 101 (Independent Study-3 hrs)

Remote learning, also referred to as distance learning, gives learners who aren’t in a physical location for in-person education, access to online learning and materials.  There are a variety of tools and strategies to make remote learning a positive and enriching experience for your students.
In this course, you will learn about best practices for remote learning, as well as how to implement a successful remote learning program by utilizing  strategies that encourage community building, effective communication, and peer-to-peer collaboration.

Trauma Informed Remote Learning (Independent Study-3 hrs) 

Anyone in the education profession knows that working with students involves more than just subject matter and teaching methods. We teach students first, building relationships with young people that necessitate our awareness of when things might be going wrong for them.  This course will take you through how to become a trauma-informed educator, with special application to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The activities, journaling, exploration, and sharing that is suggested in this course will help you solidify concepts about trauma-informed teaching and process how they can be useful in your online or physical classroom.

Webinar: Providing Accommodations and Scaffolding Online (1 hr)

How do you support students with IEPs, English language learners, and older students with developing literacy skills in an asynchronous distance learning environment? Using Google Classroom, learn strategies for providing accommodations, scaffolds, SIOP features, and elements of explicit instruction in an asynchronous setting that support all students.

Webinar: Leveling Up Google Classroom for Distance Learning (1 hr)

Now’s the time to take your Google Classroom to the next level! Come learn how to maximize Google Classroom for remote teaching and learning purposes with embedded opportunities for social emotional learning, more complex assignments, interactive learning environments, tools for one-on-one student support and opportunities to differentiate practice to fit your students’ needs. (1 hr)

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Monday Medley: edWeb for FREE MA DESE approved PD

 

Good Morning and Happy Monday,

This week I want to share a valuable resource for free professional development. Since we are all looking for ways to apply best practices for remote learning and incorporate social justice and equity goals into our daily instruction I thought this would be an appropriate tool to share. The following is a review I wrote for School Library Connection back in September, 2017. Since the information is still accurate and relevant in 2020 here it is:

EdWeb.net
http://home.edweb.net/
EdWeb.net provides free professional development Webinars and Podcasts for educators with
options for a broad range of topics/areas of focus. There are more than 1400 Professional Learning
Communities to join. This is a great resource for academic as well as special subject educators
working with students in grades Pre-K through grade 12. In addition to free webinars many
communities provide access to downloadable resources. There are also discussion forums.
Webinars cover popular topics such as Open Education Resources, STEAM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), and Social Emotional Learning. Educational
partners and sponsors include familiar names such as Common Sense Education, ISTE, Library Media Connection, Time for Kids, and Britannica Digital Learning. Earn CE Certificates for 1 clock hour by participating in live Webinars or by viewing pre-recorded content and successfully completing a short quiz. The site includes an interactive state map which can be used to determine if EdWeb Certificates are accepted for PD in the state where the educator is employed. Additional information is provided including links to the state’s department of
education Website and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) Guide to Digital Instructional Materials for the state. Educators who are interested in presenting a webinar can submit an application specifying the educational topic and who the intended audience would be. Learn about upcoming webinars via Twitter, email summaries, and directly on the Website.
EdWeb.net Social Media Accounts:
Blog: http://home.edweb.net/category/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/edwebnet
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edweb.net
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/edwebnet/
Kim Marie Brown, Library/Media Specialist, North Reading High School, North Reading, MA
Highly Recommended 

Here is some additional information that you may find helpful when planning out your professional development for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond: 

edWeb is approved for PD Points in Massachusetts as of 1/8/2018

edWeb.net is authorized by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) to award Professional Development Points (PDPs) to Massachusetts educators. Provider number 2017F0021.

Here are requirements for PD Points:

• You must pass the quiz for your certificate to be accepted.
• You must earn a minimum of 10 PDPs (for 10 edWebinars) in 5 years for them to count.
• edWebinars viewed live or on-demand beginning 1/8/2018 can count for your PDP Points.
• Learn more about using edWeb for Massachusetts PDPs.

Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

Monday Medley: Swank MS/HS Streaming Movie Collection

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

We are now set up with a Swank Streaming Movie Collection. Currently we have digital access to 200 of the most popular films used in k12 education. (See the attached PDF to see the list of titles along with links to descriptions and video trailers.) If you would like to request a movie that is not currently available in the collection, please let me know. We have the ability to add an additional 15 movies to our HS collection during the 2020-2021 school year. 

Right now we have a generic username and password for all teachers to use. I will be setting up individual teacher access using your school email address and a generic password. Once I have completed that process you will receive another email stating that the transition has been completed. Please contact me directly if you need the generic username and password. 

     This is the link to the main portal:

              https://digitalcampus.swankmp.net/NRHS375678  

Here are the directions for in-class use and assignments  

If you are assigning movies for students to view at home please note that you will need to share the link to the specific movie. Students do not have access to the entire collection when they are signed in.  

Please share this information with students when you are instructing them to view a movie from home: 

Generic Student Account***

User Name: NRHSStudent

Password: Student1

***Note that the student username and password will not change after we migrate to individual teacher accounts.

As always, feel free to email me with any questions.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

 

Monday Medley: Print Books, eBooks, and AudioBooks

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

In case you haven't heard, students and teachers now have the ability to request print titles from the Media Center.  Want to check out a book from the HS Media Center but don’t know where to begin? Scan the QR code on the doors to the Media Center or go to http://bit.ly/NRHSBookForm to get started.

Please spread the word about this!

High School students and staff also have access to a collection of bestselling eBooks and Audiobooks from Sora, the student reading app. The app is available via CLEVER log in and works on a Chromebook, laptop, and desktop computer. You can also download the app to read/listen on your phone. Attached is a one page direction sheet you can share with your students to get started. This collection is built on the one book, one user model. This means that it's not possible for all of your students to be reading the same title simultaneously unless the title is part of one of the special collections in Sora that allows for an unlimited number of users.

Students and staff who sign up for a free Boston Public Library eCard have access to eBooks, Graphic Novels, Movies, and Music. This collection supports an unlimited number of simultaneous users for all materials. Users can borrow up to 10 titles each month. Attached is a directions sheet for getting started with Hoopla.

Last of all, students and staff have access to a new collection of reference titles available from Infobase. Please contact me directly if you need the username and password.

Monday Medley: New Online Resources from Infobase including Streaming Video

Happy Monday!

I wanted to let everyone know that students and teachers now have access to 3 new subscription resources from Infobase. Right now we have trial access with a temporary username and password. but once the bill has been paid we will have a permanent username and password for all 3 resources.

Here are the details for each resource:

• World News Digest 

"Exclusive, extensive coverage: World News Digest is packed with more than 300,000 original articles from 1940 to today. These include overviews of historic events, country profiles, historical documents, biographies, research features, special reports, editorials, and editorial cartoons."

*See a screenshot of the homepage in the attached PDF. Also note that historic video footage, infographics,  and social media reactions are included so that users get a broader understanding of topics and issues. There is an entire section dedicated to the 2020 elections. Personally this is one of my new favorite resources!! I'll be creating a video tour of this database very soon.

• Infobase Classroom Video On-Demand Master Collection 

"Classroom Video On Demand—created for high schools—is a curriculum-focused video subscription providing unlimited access to thousands of videos for ALL departments. This multisubject solution is an exceptional value and offers onestop shopping for librarians and educators, with a wealth of material appropriate for basic through AP courses. Increase learning with this engaging, visual content!"

See the attached PDF for more details. The collection currently contains 29,951 titles and 226,722 segments. Users can search for videos by subjects, popular categories, producer (HBO, BBC, CNN etc)  or by Calendar (useful for "This Day in History")

• Mid/High School eBook Subscription Collection

"Now with a fresh new look, expanded customization options, and even better functionality, Infobase’s Middle/High School eBook Collection gives you convenient access to more than 5,200 acclaimed eBooks from the award-winning Facts On File, Chelsea House, Ferguson’s, and Bloom’s imprints at a fraction of the cost of purchase. Easy to use and correlated to all major educational standards, the Middle/High School eBook Collection is a perfect fit for any classroom or library and an ideal way to grow your eBook collection. The collection includes a wide range of subjects—from ancient history and biographies, to mathematics, animals, nature, and more."

See the attached PDF for more details. This product allows for an unlimited number of users the ability to access the same title simultaneously. There is also a mobile app for Apple and Android phones so students can read titles on the go. Our collection also includes the LIterary Classics eBook Collection and Sacred Texts eBook Collection.

Here is the link to all 3 of the above mentioned resources.

Please reach out to me if you need the username and password for these resources. 

Feel free to start sharing and using any of these resources with your students.

I'll be sending out another email once we are officially set up with a HS username and password. In the meantime, feel free to contact me if you would like me to work with your class to show students some of the available features in these new resources. 

Thanks,

Kim

Monday Medley: A Mix of Resources from the NRHS Media Center

Hello Everyone!

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

This will be a weekly (hopefully!) email that highlights resources, tricks and tips, and more, brought to you by the NRHS Media Center.

Did you know that the MS/HS Media Center is a member of the Massachusetts Library System? There is a list of criteria for membership that must be met, including the following: "For public schools, each secondary school* library member must be staffed by a full time certified school library teacher or media specialist..."

Membership-MLS." MLS. Massachusetts Library System, 2017. Web. 18 Sept. 2017.

So what does that mean for you as an educator?? 

It means free access to databases that normally cost thousands of dollars!!

Check out the Media Ctr Webpage for Databases*

Do you have questions about the databases? Do you want to know how to save Gale database articles to your Google Drive or share articles with your students via Google Classroom or TeacherPlus Portal? Come visit me in the Media Center to learn the answer to these questions and more!

I love forward to working with you during the 2020-2021 school year.

Sincerely,

Kim

 *Please note that we have access to additional resources paid for by North Reading Public Schools. I will highlight some of these databases in another email later in the year. Be on the lookout next Monday for an email to inform you about some new video databases that we will have access to soon. One will give you the ability to share full-length popular videos that have curriculum connections with your classes. The other will allow you to share informational videos of varying lengths on curricular topics. Also coming soon, World News Digest database.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash