Tuesday, November 26, 2013


Google has just created a special site for the Street Views they’ve done in remote and/or unusual sites, including Venice, Burj Khalifa, Iqaluit, Mt. Everest, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon Basin and the Kennedy Space Center.
Take a virtual audio tour, see images in 360° view, and read more about the location. 

Monday, November 25, 2013

Friday, November 22, 2013

Flipboard



Flipboard is your personal magazine, filled with the things you care about. Catch up on the news, discover amazing things from around the world, or stay connected to the people closest to you—all in one place. Once you pick a few topics, your Flipboard is built and you can instantly start flipping through the pages of news you care about and stories and photos friends are sharing. 

With news and social networks all in one place, it’s easy to quickly catch up on the news you care about. Search for anything—people, topics, hashtags, blogs, your favorite sites—and flip through articles, updates, photos and videos in a beautiful magazine format. Connect Flipboard to up to 12 social networks, streamlining your reading and activities like commenting, liking and sharing. Flip through the news from your Twitter or Facebook timeline as well as from outlets like the Financial Times, the New York Times, and Rolling Stone. Find inspiration for your travel, style and life from places like National Geographic and Etsy. Create your own magazines on anything from Cooking to Chemistry.


Download the app for Apple, Android, Windows, or Blackberry. 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Google Story Builder

Google Story Builder allows you to create mini-movies or video stories with the feel of Google Docs. You can personalize the videos you create using the characters, story, and music of your choosing. When you finish, you can share your story with others!

Story Builder can be used by students to create their own stories. Complete these four steps and your story is complete: add characters to your story builder, write your story, give the title and add sound track, and share your story with others.

Watch Google's short video of how it works: 


Thursday, November 14, 2013

Daily Lit

Always wanted to read War and Peace, but find the number of pages overwhelming? DailyLit makes it more manageable! 

DailyLit lets you read literary classics and great new fiction in short installments (installments will take you less than 15 minutes to read) that you can pick up and put down anytime. Once you’ve found a book, just select when you want your installments to arrive in your inbox. Before you know it, you’ll be knee-deep in a title you've always wanted to tackle!

Check out children's, mystery, short stories, and more!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Skype in the Classroom

Imagine collaborating with other classes, no matter where they are in the world or having an author read a few pages from his latest book. You can do both of these and lots more with Skype in the ClassroomSkype is a free communication software that allows you to make calls, instant message and video conference online.

Start a penpal group with another class, have an author drop in for a visit, invite a guest speaker into your room, discuss a novel with a class halfway across the world, take a field trip, or practice a language face-to-face!

Browse the Skype in the Classroom website for more ideas on how to bring this technology into the classroom. 

Friday, November 8, 2013

TED playlists

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. TED conferences bring together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes or less). On TED.com, the best talks and performances from TED and partners are available to the world, for free

TED Playlists organize these fabulous talks into curated collections on a variety of topics and subjects. You scan the full archive, the most viewed, the newest stuff, or surprise me (for talks that are persuasivecourageousingeniousfascinatinginspiringbeautiful, and funny). Perfect for an introduction or inspiration on a particular topic!



Tuesday, November 5, 2013

It's Tuesday... what are you reading?

I'm halfway through Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (...for the second time- I enjoyed it that much the first time around!).



After dying in a fiery car crash, high school senior Sam Kingston wakes up on Friday, February 12 over and over again- reliving her last day seven times. The characters, including Sam, are very difficult to like at first, but throughout the story, Sam changes and develops into someone completely different. You spend the majority of the book waiting anxiously to find out what happens to Sam in the end!

Monday, November 4, 2013

YALSA Top Ten List

YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) announced its Top Ten List for 2013. The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in sixteen school and public libraries around the country.

This year's winners are:

  1. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
  2. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
  3. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
  4. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
  5. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
  6. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
  7. Crewel by Gennifer Albin
  8. Every Day by David Levithan
  9. Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
  10. Butter by Erin Jade Lange

We have many of these books in the Media Center- check one out today!

November newsletter

Find out what's happening in the Media Center in this month's newsletter!

Do you have suggestions for apps, events, or other noteworthy news that should be feature in the newsletter? Stop by the Media Center and let Mrs. Klemm know.