Must-Read K-12 Blogs

I'm a huge fan of sharing ideas, especially through the many many different blogs that are floating around the internet. The only problem is that there are so many blogs around that it gets overwhelming trying to sift through to find the good ones. I've just come across this list '50 Must-Read K-12 IT Blogs 2013' by EdTech Magazine which will hopefully make finding some great blogs much easier for you. The blogs listed are all authored by a combination of teachers, librarians, administrators and technology experts. They share real-world classroom experiences, offer inspiration and ideas and distribute valuable best practises.

The Best Advice

I recently came across a commencement address given by David Foster Wallace in 2005 that hit me squarely in the forehead. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sad, annoyed, or bored by “the average adult life” this just might be the best nine minutes of your day. It’s some of the most sound life advice I’ve ever heard, not to mention a simple, clear argument for education. Absolutely beautiful.

It is about simple awareness — awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, that we have to keep reminding ourselves, over and over: “This is water, this is water.” It is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive, day in and day out.

I think this would be a fantastic video to share with not only our year 12 students, but all staff. It's a great reminder to be aware of how we think about the every day situations we all go through, day in, day out and how that can impact our lives.

Accessing Websites through Library Catalogue

You may or may not be aware that we are now able to add websites to our Library catalogue. The major positive about this is that Students (and staff) will be able to search for a subject on our catalogue and not only find resources that we have in our library but also websites that have been vetoed by Library staff.

If you have any topics you’re currently teaching that you would like me to find websites for please let your LAL know so they can pass along the list of topics to me. If we could maybe stick with one or two topics each to start with while I get this going I’d appreciate it.

 

If you’re unsure of where to access the Library Catalogue you can find it at http://v-library.scr.vic.edu.au/vlibrary From there you will be able to conduct your search. Please let me know if you need any help accessing and searching websites using vLibrary.

Viewing Ancient Italian sites

After posting about the ParisAppTours back here I was asked if there might be anything similar or by the same company about Ancient Italian locations such as Pompei. I was able to find a couple of websites and an app that I shared with the teacher, but I thought I'd also share them with everyone on here as these fall under a couple of different subjects.

Firstly there's this app called Ancient Sites in Italy which is available on the App store on your iPads. On the app you can scroll through the different sites and view images of each.

The next option is done by simply searching on Google Maps for Pompei, Italy ruins or by clicking here This will allow you to virtually visit the streets of ancient pompeii (in ruins) and 'walk' through them by clicking on the arrows on your screen. You can do the same with the Colosseum by clicking here

The third is another Google tool - it gives a close up 360 degree view of a few different Italian sites including the Colosseum, the baths of Caracalla,  the Palazzo Reale de Caserta and more.

             

 

Harmony by Prince Charles

The Library has just received a copy of Prince Charle's new book called Harmony. The following explains better than I can what the book is about. I for one think it sounds really interesting and worth a read. I really like the following quote which comes from the back of the book: "We are at a historic moment - because we face a future where there is a real prospect that if we fail the Earth, we fail Humanity. To avoid such an outcome, which will comprehensively destroy our children's future, we must urgently confront and then make choices which carry monumental implications" HRH The Prince of Wales. I have also included a video at the bottom of this post which shows Prince Charles talking about his book and his passion for the subject of the environment.
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For the first time, HRH The Prince of Wales shares his views on how our most pressing modern challenges--from climate change to poverty--are rooted in mankind's disharmony with nature, presenting a compelling case that the solution lies in our ability to regain a balance with the world around us

With its holistic approach, this provocative and well-reasoned book takes the discussion of sustainability and climate change in a new direction. Prince Charles shows how the solutions to problems like climate change lie not only in technology but in our ability to change the way we view the modern world.

For decades, the Prince of Wales has been studying a wide array of disciplines to understand every aspect of man's impact on the natural world, and in that time he has examined everything from architecture to organic farming to sustainable economics. Now, for the first time, he speaks out about his years of research, presenting a fascinating look at how modern industrialization has led us to a state of disharmony with nature, created climate change, and pushed us to the brink of disaster.

From the rice farms of India to the prairies of America's corn belt, from the temples of Ancient Egypt to the laboratories of industrial designers, Harmony spans the globe to identify the different ways that contemporary life has abandoned the hard-earned practices of our history, a shift that has spurred a host of social problems and accelerated climate change.

Drawing on cases from farming, healthcare, transportation, and design, the Prince of Wales also offers solutions for change, creating a new vision for our world, one that incorporates the traditional wisdom of our past with the modern science of our present to avert catastrophe. In the end, Harmony paints a holistic portrait of what we as a species have lost in the modern age, while outlining the steps we can take to regain the harmony of our ancestors.

Illustrated with lush, four-color photographs and charts, this intelligent, practical, and well-reasoned guide is an indispensable weapon in the battle to save our planet.

Harmony by Prince Charles is currently available for loan in the Library. If you wish to borrow it please feel free to contact any of the Library Staff and we can organise that for you. Alternatively you're welcome to come down to the Library to have a flick through the book yourselves.

Tech Shortcuts

I found this great video with a short TED talk by David Pogue sharing 10 great little Tech Shortcuts that everyone should know about. You may know about some or all of these, but there will be some out there who don't. I've listed a couple of my favourite tips, but it's worth watching the video below to see what the others are (it's only about 6 minutes after all!)
My Favourite tips:
1. Don't use the mouse to scroll down a page! Pressing the space bar in any internet browser will allow you to scroll down. Alternatively pressing the shift key and spacebar at the same time will scroll up.
2. When the text on your page is too small press the CTRL and + keys at the same time to enlarge the text - keep pressing these keys and the text will get bigger each time. Alternatively pressing the CTRL and - keys together will cause the text to grow smaller.
3. Google is not only a tool that allows you to look up webpages but it is also a dictionary, a calculator, a flight tracker and much more.
Dictionary: type define and the word you want to look up (eg. define doppelganger) and your definition will appear
Calculator: type your equation into the search bar and your answer will appear
Flight Tracker: Type the flight you wish to find in the search bar
Have a look at this article for more great Google Shortcuts

ParisAppTours: Beware Mme la Guillotine, A Revolutionary Tour of Paris

I've just been introduced to, and watched this video for a fantastic looking app called Beware Mme la Guillotine, A Revolutionary Tour of Paris. It is described by the School Library Journal as:

"Drama of historical proportions, an awesome guide, and games and challenges, what more could a teen on vacation ask for? In Beware Madame La Guillotine (Time Traveler Tours, LLC) Sarah Towle offers iPhone and iPod users a tour through the streets of Paris with stops at the sites associated with the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. Their guide? Charlotte Corday, the 24-year-old from Normandy who killed journalist and Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat in his bath in 1793.
A storyteller’s pacing, choice details, archival images, and music punctuate and propel Corday’s gripping first-person narration and tour forward. En route, listeners can stop to access travel directions, street and site maps, and related information about people and the times, and “challenges” that will encourage them to observe their surroundings."

The app costs $5.49 from the iTunes store.