Monday, January 30, 2012

Ebooks now available!

Our library now owns ebooks, books that can be read on any computer with Internet access without ever having to step foot in the library!  These books are all from a publisher called Bearport.  How do you access these books?  You can access them right from Destiny.  Once you find an ebook in Destiny (see the list below for specific titles or search "ebooks" in the catalog), double click on the book's pictures.  You will see a link in the library record that says, "Available via Bearport Publishing.  Click here to access."  Clicking on this link will take you to the full text of the book for you to read right on your computer.  (See the picture below).  Think of all of the great books that you can read at home when you have nothing to do.  See Mrs. Young for more information or with any questions.

Bearport ebook titles available in Destiny:
Animals with Super Powers: Color-Changing Animals, Electric Animals, Glow-in-the-Dark Animals, See-Through Animals


 Built for Cold: Caribou and Wolverine

Dog Heroes: Baghdad Pups, Eco Dogs, Prison Puppies

Cat-ograhies: Abyssinians, American Shorthairs, Maine Coons, Persians, Ragdolls, and Siamese

Fast Rides: Dynamic Racers, Electrifying Eco-Race Cars, Hot Hot Rods, Jet-Powered Speed

Rescuing Animals from Disasters: Saving Animals after Earthquakes, Saving Animals after Floods, Saving Animals from Fires, Saving Animals from Hurricanes, Saving Animals from Oil Spills, Saving Animals from Volcanoes


Scary Places: Cursed Grounds, Monstrous Morgues, Horror Hospitals


So Big Compared to What: Amazing Amusement Park Rides, Freaky Strange Buildings, Spectacular Skyscrapers, Stupendous Sports Stadiums


Super Bowl Superstars: Aaron Rodgers


Up Close & Gross: Creepy Backyard Invaders, Disgusting Food Invaders, Gross Body Invaders, Icky House Invaders


Yummy Tummy Recipes: Artful Snacks, Cool Cookies, Super 'Wiches, Way Cool Drinks


Big Dogs Rule: Great Dane, Rottweiler, St. Bernard

Lit Masters and Michigan Book Club

Our Lit Masters book club has been involved in a very exciting project.  We have connected with a group of fifth grade boys at University Ligget School in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit), and together we are reading the book Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt.  Today we Skyped with the Michigan students to discuss our thoughts on the first half of the book.  Students also asked each other questions about life in their respective cities and what they do in their free time.

In addition to Skype, our groups are connecting through Moodle, an online classroom space.  We use Moodle to discuss the book when we are not meeting through Skype.

We will meet again for one more Skype chat on Tuesday, February 7.  See a few pictures below from today's chat.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Integrated Technology Vokis

The fifth grade students in Mrs. Young's Integrated Technology class finished the semester by creating a voki sharing their advice for next semester's students.  They highlighted their favorite units and projects and shared some important tips for success with the new students.  See a few examples below.





Monday, January 16, 2012

Sweet Search vs. Google


I know that for most of you Google is your first stop when you need an answer to a question or you are given an assignment that requires research.  Those of you who know me well know why I am cringing just thinking about you using Google as your primary tool for research.  While Google is an amazing tool (and makes some awesome products), the content available through a Google search is not reviewed or often reliable.  You may have to sift through a lot of junk just to find what you are looking for.

I have an alternative for you that will change the way that you search on the web.  One of my favorite search engines is one called Sweet SearchSweet Search content is pre-selected by information professionals.  Only the highest quality websites are entered into Sweet Search's database.  This makes your life a whole lot easier!  Instead of having to sift through millions of unreliable websites, you are given some links to the best information on the web through Sweet Search.  Think of all the time that you will save!  Give Sweet Search a try by visiting www.sweetsearch.com or try typing a search topic into the search box below. 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Your 21st Century Library

Want to see some of the things that your library offers in the 21st century? Check out this video below created on the website Stupeflix.

Monday, January 9, 2012

5th Grade Capzles Timeline Project

All of the 5th grade Social Studies classes are working hard at creating online Capzles timelines about the events leading up to the Revolutionary War.  Working in pairs, their job is to explain the five most important events leading up to the war and explain the who, what, when, where, and why of each event.  See Connor and Trent's timeline below as an example. 


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Academic vs. Non-academic Sources

Do you know the best resources to use when doing school research assignments? Test your knowledge with this game. "Academic sources" refer to the best research sources. These are high quality, professionally written and edited, reliable sources of information. "Non-academic sources" are just the opposite. These sources cannot always be trusted because they lack authority and credibility. It is important when doing any type of research to always use those high quality "academic" sources.

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