News, Features and best practices in technology for the k-12 classroom and media center from wikis and podcasts to the latest gadgets from School Library Journal
Social Networking By Staff - 10/01/2007
Look out Friendster and Xanga. The attorneys general of 50 states have banded together to pressure social networking sites into creating policies that would make it more difficult for minors to access these sites. Led by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, the coalition says it has a “strong and urgent interest in tracking down ... More
Start Your Search Engines Part 2 By Anna Adam and Helen Mowers - 05/01/2008
Are your students struggling to come up with kid-appropriate pictures? Have you ever scrambled to find that perfect image for a presentation? Well, there’s no shortage of search engines that’ll help you do the job, and we’re here to share some of our favorites. There’s no doubt that Google is great for finding images.
More
Masters of the Universe: the Passively Multiplayer Online Game By Christopher Harris - 05/01/2008
Given the choice, would you promote order or chaos? Not good or evil, mind you, but the absolute structure of order versus the free-flowing randomness of chaos. This may seem to be a rhetorical question for librarians, but let me take this opportunity to speak in support of chaos. Shocking, I know, but it just might be the next big thing for libraries.
More
What Would Madison Avenue Do? Marketing to Teens By Anastasia Goodstein - 05/01/2008
Whether you work for Nike or in a library, it’s tough to attract an audience. And that’s where smart marketing can make all the difference. Even though libraries don’t have millions of dollars to spend on slick Madison Avenue ad campaigns to entice today’s teens, you do have access to the media that kids love, and that’s a great place to start.
More
The Buzz: tools, trends, and gizmos By Staff - 05/01/2008
3-D Video Eyes Second Life The clever people at Kapor Enterprises are experimenting with using 3-D video cameras to make virtual environment Second Life, well, more real. Mitch Kapor, chair of Linden Labs, maker of Second Life, has posted a video demo of the new interface, which allows users to control their avatar in real time, using body movement.
More
Are You and Papa Hemingway a Match? Lauren Barack - 04/14/2008
There's nothing like snooping through a person's library to sneak a peak at what they’re reading. Now bibliophiles can compare their fave books to those of Ernest Hemingway—just the latest name to join the “I See Dead People[’s Books]” list, an online repository that attempts to catalog the complete libraries of history's more famous readers.
More
Let’s Meet Online: (Mostly) free software for getting together on the Web By Steve Hargadon - 04/01/2008
Skype www.skype.com Now owned by eBay, this free program for computer-to-computer calls keeps getting better. While technically not a Web-based tool (you download the program and run it from your PC/Mac/Linux computer), it represents a huge step forward in collaboration and thereby merits first-place mention here.
More
Lookybook By Kathy Ishizuka - 04/01/2008
lookybook.com You certainly can’t judge a book by its cover, especially a picture book, in which the illustrations tell a good bit of the story. Now, parents, educators, and other fans of the genre can peruse picture books from cover to cover on Lookybook. If you haven’t already seen—the beta site launched last fall—do give it a whirl.
More
Brian Unbound Brian Kenney, Editor in Chief, May 3, 2007 Does Print Still Matter?
Not to spoil the plot, but of course print still matters. But electronic content is c... More
Digital Reshift Chris Harris, Coordinator, School Library System, Genesee Valley BOCES March 6, 2007 Welcome to the Digital Reshift
Are you looking for ways to use new web-based tools to accomplish traditional library... More
Podcasts are a great way to expand learning beyond the classroom or library. Here are more recommendations from Tech Chicks Anna Adam and Helen Mowers, following up their Dec. 2007 article Listen Up!
View All Stories
