A heads up on the latest hardware (ipods, handhelds, portable storage, and more) for the k-12 audience from School Library Journal
Test Drive: SLJ reviews the Lenovo ThinkCentre M58p Desktop PC By Jeffrey Hastings - 07/01/2009
Wow, I can’t believe I’m kicking it old school and actually reviewing a desktop PC. It seems like years since I’ve looked at any computing device that wasn’t a mini-netbook or some eco-friendly, Webcentric, Linux-based thingy. So what’s been going on with desktop computing while my eyes have been off the ball? Apparently, the same evolutionary forces that have spaw...
More
The Buzz: Tools, Trends, and Gizmos 07/01/2009
Bringing Up the Rear at BEA BEA (BookExpo America) has come and gone, but there are still goodies to be had. A hint of things to come in publishing, namely digital delivery of content, HarperCollins offered downloadable ARCs (advance reading copies), including nine kids’ books on cards containing a pin number.
More
Mind the Time: Apps for Managing a Busy Schedule By Steve Hargadon - 06/01/2009
Web-based telephony, desktop video conferencing, and other digital tools make it easy to connect with people in real time. Virtual meetings have become standard fare, and the once arcane task of calculating time zones is now regularly performed in classrooms, where students and teachers collaborate with distant peers or welcome guest experts from around the globe.
More
SLJ Reviews the Amazon Kindle 2 Ebook Reader By Jeffrey Hastings - 06/01/2009
Remember how the original Apple iPod suddenly made the MP3 player a must-have for music fans back in 2001? The Amazon Kindle 2 just might be the device that finally has ebook readership exploding in similar atomic fashion. While the first incarnation was undeniably impressive, the original Kindle was still a bit rough around the edges.
More
Social Media Specialists?: The use—or nonuse—of social tools sparks Twitterstorm By Lauren Barack - 06/01/2009
A recent firestorm on Twitter involved media specialists and education technology experts who considered whether librarians who don’t engage in social media are jeopardizing their careers not to mention student learning. “Can a media specialist do their job now if they are not also a social media specialist? I’m not sure,” Karl Fisch (on Twitter: karlfisch), director of ...
More
Site of the Month: Facebook Book Clubs By Debra Lau Whelan - 06/01/2009
bit.ly/42jjOe What better way to get kids talking about books than on one of their favorite pastimes—Facebook. A recent application on the social networking site, Book Clubs offers students a free and convenient place to share ideas about books, authors, and related interests. With it, Facebook members can create or join a reading group devoted to any category, region, interest, or author.
More
You Are There: No budget for travel? Try video chat. By Eric Langhorst - 06/01/2009
It was the sort of exchange that could only happen on a field trip. One of my students, noticing the unusual bow attached to Alexander Hamilton’s ponytail, asked our guide about the odd accessory. “That’s a bag wig,” replied Eli Lesser, director of education at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
More
BookExpo America 2009: SLJ's Day of Dialog School Library Journal held a Day of Dialog in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America on May 28, 2009 at the Brooklyn Public Library. Full story: bit.ly/1a0G7o
2008 National Book Awards Nominees in the young people's literature category graced the red carpet on Awards night Nov. 20, 2008.
The Buzz Nov. 2008 So the economy’s gone south, you still need your gadgets.
Folktales from Around the World: The Bear Prince. DVD. 11:56 min. with tchr’s. guide. Prod. by Colman Communications. Dist. by 100% Educational Media (schoolvideos.com). 2008. $39.95.
K-Gr 4–While this animated Mexican fairy tale will be new to most viewers, the story contains familiar elements from such popular tales as “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Puss in Boots.”
Let them eat cake! Library aide Shanta Ramkhelawan (left), librarian Camina Raphael, and Colleen McCrea, head of the children's library, served delectable dessert to more than 130 people celebrating the 85th anniversary of the historic Robert Bacon Memorial Children's Library in Westbury, NY. Upon opening its doors in 1924 it was only the third children's library in the world.
View All Stories
