iPhone Life Tip of the Day

Here's a free tip of the day for iPhone users-- sign up on the iPhone + iPad Life Magazine website.  Check the tiny box at the bottom of the screen on this link.

Click to visit this site

I enjoy these tips and I have learned something new every week.
Many tips carry over to ipads also- so it's helping me help my students...

http://www.iphonelife.com/blog/31961/announcing-tip-day-newsletter

Fun Switcher http://www.funswitcher.com/

Fun Switcher is a free collection of random sounds, theme songs, and other random sound clips.  Each sound can be tweeted easily with one click. The sounds are not school-appropriate, but adults could spend hours searching and playing fun clips.  (you've been warned!)

Heart of the School: Media Center Blog from the U.K.

I stumbled upon a great Library blog from the U.K. today: http://heartoftheschool.edublogs.org

I especially love the book awards section which can really help with collection development and new title discoveries. 

Printable Version: tinyurl.com/ukbookawards 

National Book Awards

Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction	Previously the Orange Prize
Blue Peter Book Award	Fiction and non fiction categories
BookTrust Best Book Award	Voted for by children.  Shortlists in March, Winners in July
Branford Boase Award	Outstanding debut novel for children.  Shortlist in May, Award in July
Carnegie and Greenaway Awards	Shortlist in March, Awards in June.  Official Shadowing site.
CityRead London	Londonwide reading event, one adult and one children’s book.  Launched in April
CLPE Poetry Award	UK Award for published poetry for children. Shortlist in May, winner in July
Costa Book Awards	Children’s and Adult categories. Shortlists in November, winners announced in January
Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize	Judged by children’s authors.
ManBooker Award	Shortlist announced in September, Award in October.  Good for sixth form reading groups.
Red House Children’s Book Award	Books for all ages voted for entirely by children.
Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize	For a Science book written for young people.  Shortlist in May, Award in November
SLA Information Book Award	All ages, winner announced in Autumn term.  Voted for by children as well
Stan Lee Excelsior Book Award	The only nationwide book award for graphic novels and manga.  Shortlist in December, Award in June/July
Waterstones Children’s Book Prize	Winners announced in April

Local (International)  Book Awards

Red Dot Book Awards

Initiative of International School Libraries in Singapore.

Blendspace for Easy Virtual Lesson Organization

Attended a great session at #DENVirtcon 2014 in @FultonCoSchools about Blendspace:
Free version
https://www.blendspace.com/
or paid version
https://www.blendspace.com/schools

Simple steps to get started: 

1. Create a free Account in Blendspace 
2. Create a lesson
3. Choose a theme
4. Preview resources
5. Add to your canvas by dragging and dropping into your lesson
6. Embed in Edmodo (using app in Edmodo) or on a website
7. Blendspace gallery- copy and take into your own account, edit, etc.
8. Print a nice page of resources with URLS for technology centers, menus,  absent students or remediation
9. Idea- go ahead and make Tile 1 = standards (use Text box) Tile 2 = essential questions 

Goobric and Doctopus - if you haven't heard of them you will soon!

Goobric is an add-on idea as an answer to rubric assessing for teachers/students who use Google made by 3rd party 'New Visions for Public Schools'...Rubrics are attached directly to docs and returned to students with their work.

Doctopus is a document and project management add-on in Google Drive. 

These add-on programs (and many others) are continually being improved- start checking out the tutorials others have shared:

https://sites.google.com/a/flippededucation.com/flippedevents/home/google-apps-summit-presentations/google-scripts---formemailer-doctopus--goobric-and-autocrat 

http://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFE3dX9R6oqNVuE_hDyBi_cSkO7BwZo99

http://ipadsandbox.wikispaces.com/file/view/jlGoogleDoctopus.pdf 

Sample how-to video: http://youtu.be/evFN1m82JiY

Georgia Book Award Nominees Announced for 2014-2015

The 2014-2015 Georgia Children's Picture Storybook Book Award nominee list is here- the list even correlates with curriculum!

Check out the complete list, and read some great nominees so you may send in your vote next year.

(BONUS: Activity Kit for Mr. Tiger is here)

I use Follett Titlewave to order the complete list each Spring.  I also add the titles to our Summer Reading list so my students will read enough to qualify to vote next year!
(Coming soon- I'll post the Book Nominee list for grades 4-8 and ages 10/11 up!)

Google Docs Tips for Students

Check out this great article with 52 Google Docs secrets to make life easier!

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/04/04/52-great-google-docs-secrets-for-students/