LHS LIBRARY LAIR

Tutorials for creating your own Graphic Novels

2011-11-11T17:29:00.008-06:00

Creating a Graphic Novel Layout
Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

Click here to enlarge

Comic-izing Your Pictures
Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

Click here to enlarge

Cropping Your Graphic Novel Page

Posting Your Graphic Novel

RUBRIC for Graphic Novel

FlexBooks are here

2011-11-08T16:15:00.006-06:00

From time to time, there may be an instance when you won't find on the library shelves the book for which you are looking. Flexbooks allows me, your Media Specialist to create and customize a book for you. Mr. Zachary's Anatomy students used the library this week to look at anatomical systems. Allow me to create a Flexbook for you.

Here is a Flexbook for you to read on the Muscular System.

We Wear the Mask Art Exhibit in Media Center

2011-11-03T23:01:00.002-05:00

Click here to view poster announcement.

Greek Mythology on your smartphone

2011-10-28T11:58:00.003-05:00

We now may be in short supply of Greek Mythology on our library shelves, but your Smartphone and the listed resources here will make up the difference. But first watch this introduction to a Gallery of Gods and Goddesses.

Bulfinch's Mythology

Greek Mythology in Google Books

The Library of Greek Mythology

Aunt Charlotte's Stories of Greek History (downloadable)

Evaluate Everything on the Internet

2011-10-24T22:03:00.002-05:00

Kathy Schrock's Website Evaluation Survey

Soshiku: Smart Way to Track Class and Homework Assignments.

2011-10-20T18:10:00.003-05:00

What is Soshiku?
Soshiku is a simple but powerful tool that manages your high school assignments. Soshiku keeps track of when your assignments are due and can even notify you via email or SMS. Now, haven't you just been waiting on something so helpful to happen?

You're In Control
Save notes, manage tasks, attach files, and share messages with your partners.

Never Miss a Due Date Again
Get notified via email and/or text messaging when there's an upcoming assignment.

Partner up!
Partner up with friends to collaborate, assign tasks, and share files.

Guess what? It's totally free.

Thank you Miss J for sharing!

2011-10-19T11:43:00.001-05:00

I took a peek last week at young Miss J's own personal Pandigital tablet. On it, is her selection of mostly books and music. Miss J, you're that new "it girl."

I"m waiting on the rest of you to show me your etablets and smartphones loaded with your book choices.

What are YOU currently reading?

Library Lair Comics

2011-10-17T22:23:00.001-05:00

I'm sharing my comic book about the library for two reasons. Reason #1, the comic book pages are on display in the library and I want you to come and see them. Reasons #2, I want you to see the possibilities of using these when you read something and you'd like to visual display what you've read. That could be something about Animal Cells, the life of Malcolm X, or an algebraic function. A comic book can be about anything. Take the challenge. Go make the most difficult topic and turn it into something funny. Let's set up small groups after school to get started. You tell me when. In the meantime, flip the comic book below.

Open publication - Free publishing - More activity

Oh I know that I said two reasons, but I just thought of one more. Take something that YOU"VE written and turn it into a comic. Show me what you're working with.

Booklamp helps you find the next book you want to read

2011-10-14T08:29:00.001-05:00

What Booklamp proposes is help you find your next good book to read by match the "story DNA" of the last good book you read. Makes a lot of sense. Try it. Please know that we may not have every book that you find at Booklamp in our library, but it will help narrow your choices to more precisely the kind of book you want to pick up and not put down until you've turned the last page.

Come get a Playaway in the library.

2011-10-07T19:00:00.008-05:00

Take a look at a few of them. Come in and get one.

View Photo Slideshow

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

Taking on the Controversial Issues

2011-09-30T17:39:00.000-05:00

One of the goals of our school is for you to graduate as an objective thinker. One of the ways we want to train your mind is to create circumstance where you must look at both sides of an issue. We want you to think critically about controversial topics. We want you to become well=read on topics and be able to come to your own issues based on your understanding from research. To that end, please look at the site, PROCON.org.

Don't just use it for class assignments. Use this resource.

Happy Constitution Day

2011-09-16T08:37:00.007-05:00

Today is Constitution Day. I know that you U.S. Government and U.S. History students especially should have a lot of thoughts about today. Tell you what, pour some creativity into your commemoration. Have fun with the following image tool and match this Constitution Day visual. You're going to love how you can manipulate your image with Obamaconme to give yourself a very patriotic look. Take a few cues from the fun I had.

One more thing, there are three free Constitutions apps in iTunes for you to download.
Constitution for iPhone
Constitution
Constitution and Federalist Papers

September 24 is National Museum Day

2011-09-12T10:30:00.001-05:00

Grab a friend. Get a free ticket. Do something different. Stretch horizons. Participate with National Museum Day.
View the following link to learn more about the free, but very valuable opportunity.

National Museum Day

Youth Advisory Committee | The Sixth Floor Museum

2011-09-09T10:47:00.001-05:00

Youth Advisory Committee | The Sixth Floor Museum

You are never to young to learn the importance of contributing to your community. Start today by applying to become an ambassador to the Sixth Floor Museum. The application deadline is September 30, 2011. Submit an application. Do it today.

Application

The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a group of 7-12th grade students who care about history and its preservation. The YAC is a service group for the Museum that is valued for its opinions and suggestions. Members serve as ambassadors at special Museum functions, programs and events and assist in community, civic, and school activities that support the Museum’s mission.

Wordfoto takes tagging up a notch.

2011-08-29T19:26:00.000-05:00

English II and IB English students,

We had a lot of fun recently working with tagging didn't we. I can't wait to see what you produce. Please remember to send me a link to your work. Just for fun on your own, try this app, Wordfoto. It does have a small charge, $1.99. I'd be interested to see what you create with this one too. Just to get you started, look at this gallery to see how others are creating with Wordfoto.

Great to see everybody back. Let's get it started.

2011-08-26T19:47:00.002-05:00

Please take a moment to complete the following survey about your reading preference.

Reading For Your Own Satisfaction

Summer job might help you get a tablet for school.

2011-08-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

Walmart has a number of tablets that are waiting for you to load educational apps. Click here to see the deals.

What should you do about Summer Reading Project?

2011-07-19T11:12:00.008-05:00

Click on brochure to go FULLSCREEN

A interesting book for summer. Listen

2011-06-06T00:58:00.007-05:00

Podcast for The Journal of Joshua Loper by Walter Dean Myers.

The Journal of Joshua Loper: A Black Cowboy

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Looking Back on My Favorite Library Activity 2010-11

2011-06-01T17:11:00.003-05:00

Create a Free Web Page with Wix and Weebly

2011-05-23T08:22:00.002-05:00

Seniors, you represent a class that very likely viewed web pages from first grade to now. The internet was fully integrated from the beginning to end of your public school eduction. If you're graduating from high school this month without taking a course in Web Design, aren't you curious about creating a web page? You've viewed so many web pages during this academic lifetime. Wouldn't you like to create one. and I'm referring to a web page other than your Facebook and MySpace page.

Try Wix and Weebly. They're free and user-friendly.

More Social Online Publishing

2011-05-22T22:49:00.007-05:00

Calameo is also a tool to publish and share your documents with the world. Like Scrbd it provides a free account will allow you to do the following:

•Search and browse millions of community publications
•Comment and rate your favorite publications
•Save your favorite publications to read and share later

I especially like the look of this children's ebook created in Calameo. Look both Calameo and Scrbd over and go with your preference. With either, you will produce great documents you'll be proud to present to your reading audience.

Social Online Publishing

2011-05-22T08:40:00.003-05:00

It's normal for a lot of projects to culminate a semester or years worth of work. So this is the perfect time to share this tool that I've had my eye on for sometime now. Try the ease of Scribd for a professionally-done paper to submit to your teacher. Did I mention that you can embed your paper on your webpage. Look at the next posting about a free source, Wix for your free webpage. Back to Scribd Be sure to look at all of the examples. They will give you some ideas how other high schoolers are using the tool.

This is what Scribd has to say about Scribd.
Scribd is the world’s largest social reading and publishing company. We've made it easy to share and discover entertaining, informative and original written content across the web and mobile devices. Our vision is to liberate the written word, to connect people with the information and ideas that matter most to them.

To get your Scrbd account started you may use your Facebook login information.

Great Movie-Making App for all of you iPhone, iPod, iPad2 owners

2011-05-21T22:36:00.008-05:00

Cartoonatic turns the video that you record with an iPhone, iPod or iPad2 into cartoon=like images. It's free and should be a lot of fun for you. Search for the app in the App Store on your Apple, Inc. digital device.

Here is what the Cartoonatic people have to say about their product.
"Record Amazing Videos with awesome cartoon effects!
Add music and create animated masterpieces!"

Go try it. Come back and show me amazing stuff.

Skype Opportunities for the Future

2011-05-20T21:30:00.005-05:00

Today, my daughter Paige concludes her graduate studies in Brasil at the Federal University of Bahia. Fortunately, she has secured several contacts for my own International Baccalaureate students and others at LHS to Skype this upcoming school year. I'm already making plans. I can't wait.

My daughter is the young woman in the middle with Brazilian children surrounding her.

This young Brazilian university student, pictured with my daughter, attends the very institution that we could possibly have a few Skype sessions with our students.

Tiger BookTalks I

2011-05-19T11:23:00.011-05:00

Click on the images of all the students to hear the booktalks.

Tiger BookTalks II

2011-05-19T11:14:00.011-05:00

Click on the image of each student to hear the booktalk.

Xtranormal is popular among you. It's a text-to-movie tool.

2011-05-13T15:18:00.011-05:00

Seniors, you more than rock. It was my task, at least I thought it was my task, to make sure you knew enough about Web 2.0 tools to complete your senior U.S. government portfolio. So, I'm busy rolling out my list of digital tools. I look around the computer lab and everybody is focused and working. I'm thinking to myself, good job, Ms. Stewart. Wait a minute, "I didn't teach you that. That wasn't on the list." Look around again only a little closer this time and I ask, "Hey, what's that site?" I'm flabbergasted.

I knew about Xtranormal, but I just hadn't used it. Xtranormal even has what? It has an EDUCATION tab at the top of its website. Whooooooo Hoooooooo!

Xtranormal is a lot like the tool, Creaza that I blogged about last month. Scroll until you get to it. Compare them. Make a choice, or use them both!

Go ahead and knock yourself out. Add this to your digital toolbelt. Look at the video to get started if Xtranormal is new to you.

Comic Book 2011

2011-05-07T10:14:00.002-05:00

Get to a ComicBook Store today, May 7. In celebration of Comic Book Day 2011, free comicbooks will given to patrons.

Watch this video about the event today. There are some pretty interesting comments. "It's the words and pictures." Also, notice how comic books transcend race, age etc.

Free Comic Book Day 2011

This bookstore in Oak Cliff is putting its entire comicbook collection on sale for half off.
Boomstick Comics

LiveBinders.com is the answer to student ePortfolios

2011-05-03T22:10:00.000-05:00

Take a look at LiveBinders for student ePortfolios. You can place a sample of your work in individual tabs. You can also showcase a specific assignment.

Here is what LiveBinder has to say about it's purpose and mission.

LiveBinders is your 3-ring binder for the Web

Collect your resources
Organize them neatly and easily
Present them with pride
Best of all, it's free!

Take Control of Information

View links like pages in a book instead of URLs on a page
Combine uploaded PDFs and Word docs with links in one binder
Go paperless one LiveBinder at a time

Save Time

Update information conveniently without having to resend links
Avoid layout issues - all documents are organized by tabs and subtabs
Edit LiveBinders anytime, any place

Present with Pride

Share all your documents in an easy presentable format
Use LiveBinders for Smartboard and laptop presentations
Build a library of binders and become a valuable resource for others

Creaza Suite of Digital Tools are for you.

2011-04-14T14:41:00.006-05:00

Creaza pronounced cree-ah-zah offers four tools I'll know you be interested in using. It offers these four, free powerful creative tools that combine themed artwork with your own videos and other content. You can then share and export to open formats in HQ. With Creaza you get Mindomo to organize your creative, Cartoonist to tell your stories, MovieEditor to create stunning movies, and AudioEditor to create soundscapes.

Learn more from this tutorial.

So go ahead and create, publish and share grownup digital stories.

QR Codes in the LHS Library

2011-04-03T11:45:00.002-05:00

Look at the scrambled looking barcode on these three posters. These are QR Codes. They're changing the way we all access information. They come from Japan. I've seen these codes on everything from mail to advertising.

I insist that you on your own find out a little more about QR Codes. I'll tell you this much. They're the new bar codes. If you download on your smartphone a QR code reader, you can scan the codes and you'll be digitally led to where the QR code creator intended. You'll then get more information on a particular topic. It's really the coolest thing. Expect to see poster about the library with codes at the bottom. If you see one, get your phone and be amazed.

See the librarian if you need help with QR Code readers.

Avatars that Speak for You.

2011-03-07T22:17:00.007-06:00

See my speaking avatar on the right? Would you like one? The reasons to have one are endless. For school assignments, holidays, fun, use these tools to create your own avatars. Avatars certainly are safer in an internet environment where you might not want your actual picture everywhere.

Doppelme
Voki
Avatar Maker
My Web Face
Talking Photo
GoAnimate
Sitepal

Virtual Tour of LHS Library

2011-02-17T00:21:00.002-06:00

Click on "View All Images" to get more choices to view the Virtual Tour of the LIbrary slideshow.

Now eBooks are cheaper than any other versions out there

2011-01-13T12:45:00.005-06:00

Click image to enlarge

Notice that Barnes and Nobles website sites charges on $6.99 for the electronic book under the $23.95 for the hardcover. The eBook is still cheaper than the $8.69 paperback version. The iPads, Nooks and Kindles are driving prices down for you to build your personal library. The eReaders will over a short time pay for themselves.

Get on board with eReaders, LHS!

2010-12-14T15:55:00.000-06:00

Hoping for a Kindle or a Nook in a stocking?
Look who else are using Kindles.
Students in Ghana use Kindles in the classroom.

Click image to enlarge

There are Wikis and then there are Wikis

2010-11-30T14:55:00.002-06:00

If you can do group work in a fantastic, online and in realtime, why wouldn't you? Look at the video and see how incredible the possibilities are for your group assignment.

Self Publishing: Online Book Maker

2010-11-19T16:48:00.005-06:00

Click to enlarge image.

Bring out the author in you. Start with the free tools available at the Bookemon website. You are able to add pictures also.

First Book just arrived for Bookemon Author

Gale Databases New Feature: Downloadable Academic Reports

2010-10-27T15:20:00.006-05:00

You students today seem to have had a ball downloading your academic journals from Gale Databases to your mp3 players. I certainly had fun watching. Those of you who don't know, every article found in Gale Databases you may look to the top right of the webpage of the article to find a red, verticle rectangle with the usual database options of email, print, and save. Last year, of course the new feature was to click the "listen" icon. When you did so, a computerized voice read the entire article to you. This year, the new feature is the ability to download articles straight to your digital devices that accept uploads in MP3 formats.

Check the library activity of the day. One student connects his iPod Nano and awaits an upload. Another students uploads an academic journal article and checks his iPhone just to make sure the article uploaded okay.

Online Word Processing and Notes

2010-10-22T16:11:00.002-05:00

Microsoft Word is no longer the dominant game in town. Now there are several options to accommodating your word processing needs.

My Note It

Evernote

Spring Pad It

Throw your poster board away. Digital Posters have Arrived

2010-09-13T17:09:00.005-05:00

It was just a matter of time for the digital revolution trampled on the turf of school posters. Digital Posters Glogster and Nota are both going to pleasantly surprise you. I especially like Glogster. Teens may have learned about it at school, but they certainly use it for personally expression.

Glogster

Nota

Look at my own Glogster that I've created just for you.

Google Earth to Google Moon

2010-09-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

Google Moon

With Moon in Google Earth, you can:

Take tours of landing sites, narrated by Apollo astronauts
View 3D models of landed spacecraft
Zoom into 360-degree photos to see astronauts' footprints
Watch rare TV footage of the Apollo missions

The Next Time You're Assigned Journal Writing, Ask for the Option to Blog.

2010-08-30T08:38:00.003-05:00

Remember that the word blog is a combination of two words: Web Log. It was originally and is still meant to be an online journal. So why not bring those journal writing assignments into the digital world. You know all about Blogger. I've taught many of you how to search them. But a really popular blogging tool is Tumblr. It's becoming really popular because of the easy-to-use and eye-candy appeal.

Book Wizard

2010-08-27T12:49:00.000-05:00

Got Art? Get a Digital Canvas. Do Art Jackson Pollack Style.

2010-07-21T15:29:00.008-05:00

If you haven't studied the artist Jackson Pollack yet, that okay. You can still mimic his style. Go ahead and Google. But here is a head start. Then try your hand at his unique style.

Warning! This is a fun fun fun tool and a time eater. Thirty minutes will slip by and you'll want to drip paint some more.

Quick Instruction for the Jackson Pollack Digital Tool link below.
1. Move the Curse Fast and Click.
2. Move the Curse Fast and Click.
3. Move the Curse Fast and Click.
Got it. Go!

Jackson Pollock Digital Tool

Oh, here is the masterpiece your favorite librarian presents to the world.

Checkout these Jackson Pollock websites if you enjoyed the Pollock-styled digital tool.

The Complete Jackson Pollock
The Story of Jack the Dripper

Now look at a few videos too perhaps?

Oh, BTW, there was a movie about Pollock that was released in 2000.

While you're at it check out the top Pollack paintings.

Harlem Book Fair 2010

2010-07-17T11:14:00.002-05:00

Click image to enlarge

Join me today and watch the Harlem Book Fair on CSPAN. I know you protest because your Summer break is half over. But this will be a good thing. You might even pick up a title or two that you want to tell me about when we see each other the first day of school. If you do, I'll see what I can do to add it to the collection in the library. Enjoy.
;-D

Read Moonwalk in Google Books to celebrate the life of the greatest entertainer ever.

2010-06-25T16:55:00.010-05:00

Virtual Museums. I can show you how to create one.

2010-05-20T15:21:00.010-05:00

Forget about using Powerpoint in the same tired, old way. Place your pictures in frames on a museum wall. The text will go on a placard just the way you see them when you visit the real museums. Place artifacts on a real-looking display stand. I've even built one. Scroll a bit to see it.

Tutorial for Building Rooms in a Virtual Museum

Using Virtual Museum Templates

This is a museum room that I built from scratch, with Powerpoint nevertheless. Amazingly easy.

A Wiki Will Take Your Group Project to the Next Level

2010-05-03T15:12:00.002-05:00

What is a wiki?

wiki |ˈwikē|
noun
a Web site that allows collaborative editing of its content and structure by its users.
ORIGIN coined by programmer Ward Cunningham (1949- ), from Hawaiian wiki-wiki ‘quick-quick.’

The next time you are in a group project and it seems difficult to keep everyone updated with ideas, notes, suggestions, revisions, create a wiki and provide everyone in the group the password-protected website.

A wiki is an collaboration tool in an online environment that allows a group of students to create, edit, and update documents.

Multiple people can edit the same document at the same time. The last person to save the web page is final version that visitors to the webpage will see. All the other versions will be retained in the wiki's history.

You don't need extensive knowledge to create a wiki.

Use the following links to decide which one is best for your group.

Wikispaces

PB Works

Box Net

Take a look at the wiki I created for African-American Fiction Reading Lists

Click here to for a humorous video on Wikis vs Blogs?

Podcasting: You Ought to Audio Better with these tools

2010-04-09T10:10:00.005-05:00

Your iPhone is probably the easiest tool to you to get audio injected into your class project. But then you're not interested in easy anyway. If you're ready to do reports not just for your classmates, but to the entire world use these resources to get started.

Audacity
Audio Expert
Free Audio Recorder
Sound Recorder
Learning in Hand Creating Podcasts
Vocaroo
Podbean

Power Pointless. What's the new presentation tool?

2010-03-12T15:55:00.002-06:00

Power Point has been great for you. You've been using it since elementary school. It has seen you through many reports. But it's time to let PowerPoint go. Turn your photos, video clips, and music into video masterpieces to share with everyone. Fast, free and shockingly easy. Give Powerpoint presentations a rest. You'll increase your skills.

Animoto

Prezi

Learn the basics of Prezi with this tutorial on YouTube
Prezi Tutorial

Timelines have gone digital

2010-02-05T15:13:00.003-06:00

No one survives high school without creating a timeline. It is fortunate that you're digital natives and you have a digital option. The following links will take you to websites that provides you with a free, digital timeline tools.

Dipity

Timerime

Horizontal and Vertical timelines

Ourstory Timelines

Time Glider

BibMe Fast and Easy Bibliography Maker

2010-01-22T14:29:00.000-06:00

Bibme is the fully automatic bibliography maker that auto-fills. It's the easiest way to build a works cited page. And it's free.

1. Search for a book, article, website, or film, or enter the information yourself.
2. Add it to your bibliography.
3. Download your bibliography in either the MLA, APA, Chicago, or Turabian formats and include it in your paper. It's that easy!

Free Online Citation Maker

2010-01-15T10:54:00.002-06:00

Use EasyBib to create citations for your research paper. This is not only a citation maker for the traditional sources such as book, journals and encyclopedias, but it addresses citations for emails, podcasts, comics and digital images.

Graphic Organizers will help you for a long time to come

2010-01-06T19:13:00.001-06:00

Graphic organizers
• will help you classify ideas
• communicate more effectively.
• facilitate understanding of key concepts
• visually identify key points and ideas
• empowering you students to master subject-matter faster and more efficiently.

Use the free online graphic organizer tools

Graphic Organizers from Education Place

Brainstorm and Mindmap

Text2Mindmap

Mindomo

Read Write Think

Read a little over the Winter Break

2009-12-15T08:33:00.003-06:00

What Should I Read Next?

iGoogle

2009-12-14T11:48:00.002-06:00

If you haven't already discovered iGoogle, you may want to look into it. So what is iGoogle? Here is what iGoogle has to say.

iGoogle is a customizable homepage

iGoogle lets you create a personalized homepage that contains a Google search box at the top, and your choice of any number of gadgets below. Gadgets come in lots of different forms and provide access to activities and information from all across the web, without ever having to leave your iGoogle page. Here are some things you can do with gadgets:

View your latest Gmail messages
Read headlines from Google News and other top news sources
Check out weather forecasts, stock quotes, and movie showtimes
Store bookmarks for quick access to your favorite sites from any computer
Design your own gadget.

Learn how to create your own iGoogle page

Primary Sources

2009-11-20T15:32:00.002-06:00

This is a primary source, a census record that documents my family in 1880.

A primary source document is a written account of a historical event by someone who witnessed it first-hand or participated in the event.

What are Primary Sources?

Quick Primary Source Lesson

Primary Sources from the Library of Congress

List of Primary Sources

Repositories of Primary Sources

Using Primary Sources on the Web

Great book with great primary sources in our library

Audiobooks: Listening Libraries

2009-11-17T05:01:00.006-06:00

This site speaks for itself. Multitask. Listen to a book while cleaning up your room. Give your parents two things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season.

To choose a library of classic audiobooks, click the following links.

AudioBooks For Free
Audio Books
Project Gutenberg Audiobooks
Telltale Weekly Audio

Classics Online Library

2009-10-22T09:45:00.005-05:00

Didn't get a chance to make it to the library to get a new book this week. Read a few classics online your cellphone.

Read Print

Historic Speeches

2009-10-13T15:28:00.002-05:00

Speeches are inspiring. They've spurred audiences, congregations, countries to great action. Use excerpts from them to start your speech, fortify your argument etc. Here are a few good resources to help. Don't forget to search the library catalog for more. We have the book featured here in our library collection.

American Rhetoric Speech Bank

The History Place Speech Collection

Famous Speeches in History

50 Historical Speeches to Can Watch Online

Life Magazine Online Archives

2009-09-25T17:09:00.003-05:00

Click the following link. Life Photos Archive hosted by Google

This has the potential to be so valuable to your studies of decades, culture, art, history, society, geography. It's endless where this historical collection of photos can take you. Thank you, Google.

Big Government

2009-09-16T17:47:00.003-05:00

U.S. Government Students, these are some incredible resources that you will want to use this semester.

White House

White House on flickr

U.S. Senate

U.S. Congress

U.S. Courts

USA Gov

Graphs: Top Five Reasons Students Should Use One For Assignments

2009-08-30T16:54:00.002-05:00

1. They're great for presenting research visually.

2. Graphs help present complicated information in simpler graphics.

3. A graph can help get the point across quickly.

4. You'll impress your teachers.

5. Graphs take up space when you're trying to fufill that "5-pages" requirement.

I knew you'd like that last one.

Make a Graph

Illuminations Data Grapher

Crappy Graphs

Lovely Charts

ChartMaker

Pie Color

Chart Go

Social Bookmarking Tool: Only2Clicks.com

2009-08-07T17:54:00.002-05:00

Access your bookmark anywhere, anytime using a social bookmarking tool.
Imagine having your entire bookmark collection in one place. Access it from your home desktop, laptop, airport lounge or using an optimized iPhone interface. Access your links anywhere, anytime.

Be Productive! You can even set this tool as your browser homepage. You'll start your home computer and go right to all of your saved bookmarks.

Organize your frequently visited web sites in tabs. One for your social bookmarks. One for your online shopping. One for your classwork. Ever wonder how many clicks you could save?

Simply set it as your homepage and you are ready to jump into your favorite links in only 2 clicks.

To quickly learn how to use Only2Clicks, view the screencast at this link.

Send an Online PostCard to a friend over Summer Break

2009-07-05T12:07:00.002-05:00

Keep in touch with friends with this simple, but cool postcard that allows you to encapsulate an audio message.

Start by clicking this link. Postcard FM

Step one: Choose and upload a photo
Step two: Select and upload a mp3 file
(You can select a song, or record a message to upload)
Step three: Provide an email for transmitting the postcard.

So quick and easy.

U.S. Presidents and the National Anthem

2009-07-04T18:38:00.001-05:00

Happy Fourth of July, Tigers!

BTW, this is soooooo funny.

U.S. Presidents and the National Anthem

Factbite.com

2009-06-17T20:19:00.001-05:00

Ask factbite any question in natural language. The results can be very insightful and interesting. I wanted to know the richest counties in America. Try it.

Factbites was created by Rapid Intelligence, a content technology company based in Sydney, Australia.
The focus is upon computational linguistics, data mining, data warehousing and artificial intelligence. This information database, Factbites is a search engine that is more interested in content analysis than link popularity. Other credits of Factbite includes AskTheBrain and NationMaster, a free educational resource and the world’s largest statistical database on comparing counties.

Factbite

If you can read this, your Summer Reading Project should be NO PROBLEM.

2009-06-03T17:21:00.001-05:00

Don't ignore this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not,

you can read it.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was

rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig

to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht

oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the

first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a

taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This

is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by

istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

Get a Life! In fact, Get a Second Life

2009-05-08T12:36:00.001-05:00

If you have never heard of Second Life. Google it. It is a fascinating virtual world. If you've thought about delving into this world but are uncertain about how to use it, I certainly hope you come and visit with me. You should also discuss this virtual world with your parents. Some schools and teenagers are making good academic use of Second Life.

We can recreate the LHS library in Second Life. In fact, there are many libraries in Second Life. I've dabbled in this virtual world. You wouldn't recognize me, I have wings and I fly around everywhere. Maybe we could start a bookclub and meet in our Second Life world.

Teen Second Life
Second Life

TeenTribune: Get your News on. Concise and Quick

2009-05-04T19:06:00.001-05:00

To see TeenTribune, click the following link. Teen Tribune

This is a great website for supply the daily news sites for teens and tweens. Each day TeenTribune post the most compelling, relevant and interesing news for teens and tweens. Stories are selected by teens and tweens working closely with professional journalists. Teens and tweens can comment upon these stories. They can also submit their own stories and photos.
Unlike other news sites for kids, TeenTribune and TweenTribune are easy to use, updated daily and allow teens and tweens to participate in so many ways. But most importantly, these sites encourage teens and tweens to seek out news on a daily basis. Our democracy depends upon a well-informed public, so it's important to foster a daily news-reading habit at an early age.
Alan Jacobson is the publisher, the father of two tweens and the president of BrassTacksDesign, which has provided editorial, advertising and technical support to newspapers from New England to New Zealand for almost 20 years.

PicLits for Inspired Writing

2009-04-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

What is PicLits.com?
PicLits.com is a creative writing site that matches beautiful images with carefully selected keywords in order to inspire you. The object is to put the right words in the right place and the right order to capture the essence, story, and meaning of the picture.

PicLits

Online Surveys and Polls

2009-04-08T10:23:00.007-05:00

Mobiode Mobile online surveys

Survey Monkey

Vizu Web Polls

Poll Daddy

Polls Every Where

Kwik Surveys/

Zoomerang

Vizu

I think polls and surveys here at our school are underused. Surveys teach you how to gather information for further reflection. You should design a survey create and administer. Through this kind of activity you'll become skilled at collecting and interpreting data. Not bad. And there are way more opportunities to seize than you think. Here are some examples:

01. After reading the Odyssey, poll the freshmen class to see how many would preserver for 10 years to get home.

02. Survey the school to see if those who've survived some sort of calamity think they are stronger because of it.

03. Find out how many of your peers have been involved in teen gambling, online or otherwise.

04. Do your classmates think cell phones could benefit instruction? Would that be limited to certain courses?

05 Has the internet really benefitted education?

You benefit because you're conducting real research. Statistics are generally a great way to build on argument with some data to support. The link above is for a very popular online survey tool.

Cornell Notes become a campus-wide initiative

2009-03-30T10:21:00.004-05:00

Cornell Notes are now being used throughout the LHS curricula. You students use them in class spanning from theatre to chemistry. I thought it valuable to provide some templates, examples and other resources here.

Cornell Notes Guide

Here is a quick video on Cornell Notes.

World Maps with animation? Yes. All kinds of maps. What's next?

2009-03-09T11:13:00.001-05:00

World Mapper

Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest.
There are now nearly 700 maps. Maps 1-366 are also available as PDF posters. Use the menu on the homepage to find a map of interest. There is every conceivable map here from Illiterate Young Women to Hospital Beds to Species Extinct to Cereal Exports to Cellular Subscribers. The maps drawn are very interesting of course. Use the link above and then click on the "A-Z Map Index.

Newspaper Clipping Image Generator

2009-02-04T13:58:00.003-06:00

Need to add legitimacy to a project you're working on? Would a newspaper article that you'd write help to add believability? Here you go. You can thank me when you come to visit me in the library. Have fun with this.

Newspaper Clipping Image Generator

InthePaper

Tackling the Almighty Thesis Statement

2009-02-03T21:12:00.000-06:00

Most students have an idea how they want to present their arguments for a research paper. Most of them have trouble penning too. Sometimes you need a little help getting over a hurdle of working through the kinks of the thesis statement. There are several online thesis builders. The most popular one among your LHS peers seem to be the one published by Tom March. This site will not only help you deal with a thesis statement, but it provides help for research projects outlines too.

Read and follow the directions closely. The tool may not give you perfect results, but this one is always worth a try. It's a starting point. Use it. Review the results with your teacher. This one is bound to get you over your hump.

Thesis Builder and Online Outliner

The Biography Channel Online: It's a great source

2009-01-21T19:47:00.005-06:00

Updated December 2, 2011

Please use the Library Lair Wiki for more biography reference tools.
______________________________________________________________________________

The Biography Channel (or simply bio.) is an American digital cable television channel owned by A&E and based on the television series of the same name. It may become very important to you the next time you are responsible for knowing more about a famous person whether they are a historical figure, elected official or a pop star. What's great about the website is it has a posted citation for your "works cited? page.

Biography Channel

Comic strips. New ways to tell stories, share how-tos, paraphrase, and explain.

2009-01-08T13:20:00.004-06:00

The next time you have some latitude to be creative on an assignment, try explaining a concept, or paraphrasing something that is usually difficult in the humorous approach of a comic strip. Remember the Riddikulus scene in the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where the overwhelming, frightening huge spider was having a time roller skates? Well, you can turn overwhelming text into comics.

Try these sites to tackle your next difficult assignment into a comical one.

Chogger

ToonDoon

Make Belief Comix

Strip Generator

Piki Strips

Create Your Own Superhero Comic

Pixton

Give Back. Teach an elementary student how to create a comic for class. Comix: Comics for the Very Young

Have fun!

US Presidents - George Washington to Barack Obama

2008-12-01T20:08:00.000-06:00

Simply breathtaking. Incredible history made.

It's simply del.icio.us

2008-11-17T14:38:00.003-06:00

I'm not referring to you favorite deep dish. I know that delicious too. But I'm taking about something tooootally different. In fact, have you ever been in our library and you badly needed to get to some of the webpages you bookmarked the night before on the computer in your bedroom. A lot a good those bookmarks were to you when you were at school. Well, there is a way to have your bookmarks with you all of the time. Go to del.icio.us and create an account. Ta Da. You are close to your bookmarks and favorites all of the time. Use the following link to get started.

Del.ici.ious

Getting inside the author's life is to get inside the mind

2008-11-12T16:02:00.001-06:00

Guess what. The reason why John Steinbeck wrote so much about poverty is the poor guy lived through the depression. So impovered people and tough times are all through his novels. I always tease that Alice Walker must have seen early on a lot of abuse women in her time. She often writes about how these women over come. Remember The Color Purple, In Love and in Trouble. What about the main character in The Third Life of Grange Copeland. Understand that researching the author's background is huge when you are examining his or her short stories. You may be able to weave a little of this information into your draft and final research paper. So the perfect place to start is that database Student Research Center that I've shown you. In this database, you want to search the biographies section. Just be open to the life of your author influencing the writing that flows outward.

Using Literary Guides

2008-11-11T13:44:00.001-06:00

I'm working with few of you sophomores who are working on research papers examining short stories by a particular author. So let me me remind you of a few tools that will help you with this. First, don't forget to look up full-text short stories online by using the term etext in your search. The next tip, I admit, I have some reservation in sharing. I used to abhor the idea of students using Cliffnotes. But lately, I have begun to reconsider using these because most of these literary guides now provide study questions, possible essay topics, and above all a themes component. This is the area that you will need to visit if you are having trouble determining what the themes are. So I'll back off the hesitancy if you guys promise to use these tools wisely. Because there really are few worthwhile shortcuts in life.

Students witnessing history

2008-11-06T20:48:00.000-06:00

It is amazing how much life, thought, joy, ambition, reflection students wrung out of the presidential election on 2008. They are very much aware that the number eight represents new beginnings and they right on the precipice of one. Way to go, kids.

Teachable Moments.

2008-11-04T20:13:00.001-06:00

Teachable Moments are best when the learning goes both ways. Young people I soooooo enjoyed sharing election online resources and library research skills on Election Day with you in your US Government class. Hope today's lesson and skills move with you into your future.

--Remember in third grade when you had to figure out the coded message within that activity sheet. Here's one more for you-- take a shot.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Here is more eye candy for you. Go celebrate by doing your own word scramble at Wordle. Click on the signage to see it fullscreen.

Britannica Online Bring More to the Table

2008-11-03T17:49:00.001-06:00

Students who've visited the library this year have been fortunate to maximize the searches with a Texshare -sponsored database, Britannica High School Edition Online. It's been working great.

Britannica Blog

Britannica has been a pretty good encyclopedia as certainly students just like are using its online version around our state and the country. Recently Britannica Online has added two new features that you will find invaluable for a number of your classes. Britannica has added its own blog and an RSS feed option. The blogs cover a variety of subjects including Campaign 2008, popular culture, environment, geography, international affairs, technology, cult of celebrity and much more. It has an advantage as its collection of blogs are published by acknowledged experts in a particular field.

RSS feed alerts are available on any keyword search that you've conducted. That means if you've research voter suppression on Friday, October 31 and your report is not due until November 11. RSS feed will continue to gather information on your topic and send the updates to your email account past October 31 until you unsubscribe to the feed. Beyond cool, not to mention helpful.

Taggalaxy.com: Eye Candy that feeds the brain

2008-10-31T16:11:00.002-05:00

It is not uncommon for high school students to journal their thoughts as an English class requirement. A great way to feed those strings of thought is with a new Library 2.0 tool called Tag Galaxy. You'll find this tool an absolute eye wonder. Go to Tag Galaxy .

It is a idea starter. Look at the pictures after feeding the search bar a string of words. Let it load. Click on the galaxy that indicates photos and travel worlds away. You should get results with most topics as these are the visuals that come from newspapers around the country.

Enjoy.

Moving Research Forward with Moving Images

2008-10-23T03:09:00.002-05:00

The use of videos in the classroom has certainly changed just over the last few years. And it should have. A few years ago, teachers plopped in a videotape, cut the classroom lights out and 20 minutes later everyone was asleep. Beside, being in copyright violation, this was not the best use of videos. We have to remember that we must blend clips with instruction. So now we have United Streaming, Safari Montage, Power Videos (in Dallas County) and other more sensible choices. These clips are shorter and often aligned with state standards. They take instructional use of videos to another level. Librarians have discovered TeacherTube, SchoolTube and provided that the school filters don't block it, YouTube. But I lucked up on these two US government-sponsored video databases. http://www.archive.org/details/FedFlix
http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/results.php?cat=7
Students don't need passwords to access these two choices. They may view clips on their own at home. It's win-win. Before I forget, Britannica Online Videoclips have really delivered for our students.

Visual Research

2008-10-20T12:41:00.003-05:00

Often during library skills instruction, I'm so driven to introduce and reinforce skills for database navigation that I forgot about the wonderful visuals that are included in them. Frequently, the students in addition to submitting a paper, are required to develop a visual presentation, i.e., powerpoint, slideshow, or short videoclip. So, in the future, I'll have to make sure that I reserve time for visual research as well. Last week, students and I had a lot of fun looking at pictures of religions around the world. The pictures provoke even more probing and questioning. We looked at interesting details and tried to make certain intelligent deductions making sure they weren't just assumptions. This activity take students right back to the articles found in Ebscohost and Britannica Online. Pictures gave the students a different view of their assigned religions. Pictures really transport a student right there where the religion is practiced and helps them understand the topic in ways that words may not. To maximize this opportunity, students should write down their observations about the pictures. Later with reflection, these notes may be developed and incorporated into the final report. The best part of the using the photos from the subscription database is right to use them. Students aren't violating copyright law when they use these. The same benefits and opportunity exist when students engage visual research through paintings, illustrations, diagrams, charts, and maps.

World Religions in LHS Library

2008-10-17T23:06:00.001-05:00

Many of the World History students in Coaches Williams and Harding classes who visited the library this week were studying the popular and not-so popular religions of the world. A few of you may have religions that are a challenge to find resources with normal efforts. With a topic like Spiritism and Stone-Campbell Reformation Movement, you'll have to dig deeper. To help, I've created a Google Custom Search Engine that I will continually update until the students complete this unit. Be sure to visit it for help. Good luck hunting.

Periodical Power

2008-10-08T18:45:00.001-05:00

In one year, the collection of magazines has grown from eight to almost 50. You may leisurely sit and read anything from Hoops to People en Espanol to Vibe to Latina to Car and Drive. Whatever your interest are, you probably will be able to match it in our periodical section collection. A good number of you spend the lunch period in the library to catch up on assignment. On the other days when you taking a break from cafeteria activity, remember to leisurely browse this section of the library. It'll be a nice break to read without an assignment attached to the reading. You may also check out these magazines overnight. That is also a first for this library. We have a way more robust collection of emagazines in our databases.

Teen Read Week

2008-10-03T11:55:00.003-05:00

Teen Read Week is fast approaching. The national library event will be celebrated October 12-18. Found this little fun idea of Biography Bookheads and I'm actually thinking I can duplicate this on our campus. Any takers?

Biography Bookheads

Banned Book Week Activity

2008-09-30T17:47:00.005-05:00

This year's Banned Book Week came and went without the usual attention paid to it. So much going on at the beginning of the school year. We did manage to get something on the library online class.

National Hispanic Heritage Month Book Display

2008-09-26T14:28:00.002-05:00

It took all but a few hours to display our collection of hispanic-related books before the requests for them to start popping. We're loving it in the library for a whole lot a reasons. The students are picking them up. Teachers are talking about how they'll use them. But more than anything, we're an International Baccalaureate School. This display has that international flavor. Some of these books were purchased for that purpose. Come and see the display. Check it out (pun intended).

Hispanic Heritage Visuals
Also, the freshmen a great time taking me up on my challenge to determine which was my favorite Hispanic art work. See if you can guess?

Second Year of Freshmen Orientation Successful

2008-09-25T18:00:00.003-05:00

Every freshmen in Lancaster High School has successfully completed the Library Orientation. I can't believe that the school has graduated class after class of students without this important rite of passage. Oh well! This is my second year and we're off and running. This year's group of freshmen christened the LHS Library Online Class. This little twist greatly improved and updated library orientation. It is the hope of the current library staff to offer an online version complimenting every library instructional session. Students must register to complete the library online class at www.classjump.com/lisdlibraries.

Viewzi, the Visual Search Engines

2008-09-23T12:36:00.002-05:00

There is a new search engine in Lancaster town. Viewzi claims that it brings your favorite stuff together in once place in a new and highly visual way!. This new innovative search engines is in beta form. But it very radical as it provides its users with screen snapshots rather than a list-view of hits. The creators describe search engine as "a highly visual and very different way to search the web. Rather than throw millions of results at you in a big list, each search delivers a list of "views" - each containing a different mix of presentation and results " Please provide me with feedback on your successes or lack of it with Viewzi.

Obama Nation

2008-09-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Some of the students from Ms. Brown and Ms. Hawkins classes may remember from last school year the library instruction on government and election resources available in the library, physical and virtual. Back then, we discussed how ours is such a ubergoverment and that it impacts the entire world. I think those students walked away from the instruction a bit more enlightened and empowered to research the campaign issues and platforms on their own. But it was almost this time last year that we wondered if the Obama candidacy would still be alive to see the convention. What a difference a year makes. We've started the school year with historical precedents on the horizon. WOW!