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New Online Tools from Leapfrog, Gale, PBS, Knowledge Adventure

This article originally appeared in SLJâs Extra Helping. <a href="https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/subscribe.asp?screen=pi8">Sign up now!</a>

SLJ staff -- School Library Journal, 02/11/2008

LeapFrog School has launched a new, online version of Link to Lessons, an educator resource featuring easy-to-use classroom tools and activities. Designed for use with LeapFrog School products geared for PreK-Grade 2—such as English Picture Dictionary for Spanish Speakers and Leapster portable technology centers—Link to Lessons provides a searchable collection of more than 6,000 skill-based, standards-aligned activities and tools. Due for release March 1, the site will offer a free activity each week and a 90-day free trial.
Readers—and those who serve them—face a never-ending quest: what to read next. Now there’s Books & Authors, a new database product intended to help bibliophiles determine their next read. Released by Gale, Books & Authors is designed to complement today’s Web-browsing, providing users with simple menus that allow them to to broaden and narrow their searches according to author, title or series, and awards, among other criteria. An "if you like" search suggests related themes and genres. Books & Authors is adapted from the “What Do I Read Next?” print series by Gale, a division of Cengage Learning.
PBS TeacherLine, a provider of Web-based professional development for educators, has announced a new program, Course Licensing for Schools and Districts. The course-licensing arrangement enables districts to expand their staff professional development programs or create new instructional initiatives in a cost-effective way. With PBS TeacherLine Course Licensing, schools or districts can select from more than 100 research-based courses in reading/language arts, math, science, instructional strategies, and instructional technology. Two course-licensing plans are available: flat-rate pricing based on organization size for unlimited learner usage, or per-seat pricing based on number of enrollments per course so institutions only pay for what they use. Site licensing terms include a one-time set-up fee of $750, an annual license fee, and options for content updates.
Word searches, flash cards, Bingo. Elementary teachers spend a lot of time and effort creating materials for these activities to make learning fun. Enter Knowledge Adventure’s Activity Builder, a new Web-based program. It helps teachers create activities such as Bingo boards, clock cards, flash cards, Go Fish, Old Maid, puzzle pieces, scrambled words, and more. To generate an activity, simply choose an existing word list from the Knowledge Adventure library of 100,000-plus words, or customize it by entering your own terms. Activity Builder creates that project using the specified word list and you’re ready to print and share it with students.