Infotopia Weblinks

Infotopia is an academic search engine providing trusted websites that have been previously selected by both Librarians and teachers for use by teachers and with students.  

As you would expect from something put together by Library professionals,  it covers a huge variety of subjects and areas, possibly making it one of the better sites for providing resources in schools and at home.

Below are a couple of links I have taken from the site for you to have a browse though and see what you think.

http://www.infotopia.info/

http://www.infotopia.info/citations.html

http://www.infotopia.info/games_educational.html

http://www.infotopia.info/mathematics.html

Weblink with Games for building empathy

I found this one on the Mindshift website, which covers a huge lot of articles and resources on education.  It could be worth a look.

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2017/05/15/4-games-to-spark-empathy-building-in-the-classroom

And a cheering thought - we are into the second half of the term!!  A four week break coming up - we can do this!!

Carry on being awesome!

Global Statistics for our blog.

Just sharing an update on the use that our Library Blog appears to be getting!  168 pageviews from Russia - and that is just this week!  I'm glad it's being used!

Entry	Pageviews
Russia	168
Australia	66
France	29
Ireland	6
United States	6
Switzerland	1
Germany	1
India	1

Have a wonderful weekend!

Few thoughts on the 'Age of Information'

So ...  my offering for today.  Some things to mull over and discuss ....

Check out the YouTube link below on 'What the Internet is doing to our Brains'.  Take a quick look - it's a total of 4 minutes.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKaWJ72x1rI

And for those interested - it could be worth reading the book 'Filter Bubble' by Eli Pariser.  This term was coined by the author and refers to what happens when a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would like to see based on previous searches.  The theory is that users get less exposure to conflicting viewpoints and then can become isolated intellectually within their own little 'informational bubble'.  I have previously mentioned this title:
http://barklycollegelibraries.blogspot.com.au/2015/

The 'personalisation tools' that Google and other information sources use increase  the chance that people are more likely to continue to be offered information that often helps to reinforce their world views.   This then goes some way towards negating other points of view - and can therefore have an impact by limiting empathy and understanding of other peoples thoughts and feelings.

Maybe take a few minutes to watch the TED talk by the author:
https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles

I'm not advocating barring Google, YouTube and so on - I doubt that I would survive in this job today without them!  There is often a perception (Filter Bubble again) that Libraries and the Internet are in some sort of competition as sources of information but in fact, truth is - we need each other in today's Age of Information and serving clients needs! 

Have an awesome day folks!

New Books in the Library

The cataloguing training may have paid off - as I have finally managed to successfully catalogue some books into our collection!  

We have on offer:

AFL: Amazing Footy Facts - this one has lots of snippets of information and trivia facts such as  - Which team holds the record for the highest score ever recorded in VFL/AFL history?  or Which player holds the record for kicking the most goals?  

Desert Lake: The story of Kati-Thanda - a gorgeous picture book that follows Lake Eyre over a season from dry to what happens when the rains come.  Beautiful illustrations and small amounts of writing.  

Edge of Extinction - "two hundred years ago dinosaurs were brought back from extinction - and they do NOT like to share.  They reclaimed the earth and humans were driven underground.  But ... they are not the most dangerous predators out there, it seems"

In the Realm of Dragons - this is a 'Choose your Own' adventure story, which are quite popular with some of the students.  In this one you find and care for some dragon eggs - but will you gain a powerful magical friend - or be cast into a dangerous world of fire and ice?  Your choice!

Skyfire: Book 1 - Seven young people enter the mysterious DARE awards - and WIN!! However, they are not prepared to be caught up in the events that follow.  Seven weird symbols pit them against a mastermind of terrifying power and they will be racing the clock to save the world.  If you could be a hero - would you DARE??

Have a wonderful weekend!

Neil Gaiman on Children and Reading

"Gaiman said reading fiction was one of the most important things people can do and he was passionate in his defence of libraries, the closure of which was stealing from the future, he said. "It is the equivalent of stopping vaccination programmes. We know what the results are. In order to remain a global power, in order to have a citizenry that is fulfilled and fulfilling their responsibilities and obligations, we need to have literate kids."

Above is a direct quote from a speech made by Neil Gaiman, author, concerning closure of libraries and why it is so important for children to read fiction and to read widely.  Check out the link below.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/14/neil-gaiman-children-books-reading-lecture

Have an awesome long weekend!

Couple of Weblinks to check out.

Below are a couple of weblinks that may be interest to some teachers.  Have a look and see what you think ....

With BloxMob, students and teachers can create apps and share them with others who have downloaded the BloxMob app.  They can download to access the apps that others have made - but the real fun is in creating original apps using the BloxMob website.  Students can start from scratch or work with a template - no coding experience needed.  
https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/bloxmob

The best interactive fiction apps are those ones that are like the usual choose-your-own adventure stories - but have an added set of graphs showing the consequences of your choices, on things like friendships, personalities and your moral standing on issues.  Often, the main character is customisable - plus the best ones also leave room for solving mysteries by entering solutions to problems.  As well, like all good fiction they raise some interesting ethical and philosophical issues to be discussed or pondered over.

https://seanhamptoncole.wordpress.com/2017/04/09/interactive-fiction-the-coolest-way-to-teach-critical-thinking-decision-making-ethics-social-skills-consequential-thinking-engaged-literacy/

I know that the Choose-Your-Own adventure books are pretty popular so these may also catch their attention.  It's always worth a try.

Carry on being awesome .....

Literature Quiz and the End of Term

Below is a link to paste in that should take you to a literature quiz which is all things book related - and lots of 'really??' moments.  
Have a try - and I would be interested to know how you went.  The best I could manage was 26 - and out of 50 that's not really good.  (I think it is a pass though??)

http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/quizzes/great-big-literature-quiz/16503

The holiday break is on the horizon with lots of down time and recharging of batteries happening, I hope.  

Don't forget to include some non-work related reading in there as well.   It's great for your health as it's relaxing and lowers the blood pressure - and a bit of time out in a nice little fantasy world of some sort is always good for the soul.

Make it a good one! 

Digital Citizenship Survival Kit

Always being one for visual props and ideas, I came across a Digital Citizenship Survival Kit for students.  This has been designed by a teacher in the USA for his digital citizenship classes, to hand out to his students, mainly to reinforce some of what he teaches.  
What do you think?  Any other suggestions?

Padlock: to remind you to have strong passwords
Toothbrush:  Would you share your toothbrush?  No? Don't share your passwords either.
Permanent Marker:  EVERYTHING you put on the Internet is there forever
Toothpaste:  You can't get toothpaste back into the tube - nor can you ever take your posts off the Web.
Magnifying Glass:  What shows up when people search you on Google? Is that what you want people to know about you?  Will it get you a job later?
Fake Tattoo:  'Digital Tattoo' instead of 'Digital Footprint'.  Footprints can be washed away - a tattoo is much harder to get rid of.
Sheet of paper:  Screw it up, stomp on it - now smooth it out and try to make it as new as it was.That's what happens with cyber bullying - the marks are always there.
Strainer:  Know how to 'strain the real' from the Internet.  In other words, know how to spot fake stuff and don't get caught out by hoaxes.

Below is a link to paste in that is a quiz about Digital Citizenship.  It could be interesting to try it out on your class. 

http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=andretrace_1 

And an infographic that shows you how to go about finding out whether a site is fake or not.  
http://www.stonesoupcreative.com/infographic-fake-news-real-news-10-tips-getting-facts/

The Future of Libraries and the Why of Daydreaming

Below is a website that has a talk by Neil Gaiman on the future of libraries, and the absolute need for reading, imagining and daydreaming.  

Although it is British based - it really is NO different anywhere else.  There are many salient points in the article - such as being able to work out how many people will end up in prison in the next 20 or so years.  It is done using a very simple algorithm which is based on the number of 11 year olds who can't read!  
Or why China is now finally allowing Sci-Fi conventions to happen there - or even why a book is like a shark!

I love Albert Einstein's answer when asked how we can make our children intelligent: "Read them fairy tales - if you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

This article is something that we all need to read - even if it is the only thing you read this weekend.  

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Have an awesome weekend - and may the Force (of reading) be with you!

Web Pickings - Technology and Hybrid Thinking

Just a couple of 'web pickings' that may be of some interest - a little light reading for the weekend. 

http://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/the-future-is-smart/article24586994/

http://www.easybib.com/guides/5-ed-tech-trends-to-look-for-in-2017/

https://www.ted.com/talks/amber_case_we_are_all_cyborgs_now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVXQUItNEDQ    - Get Ready for Hybrid thinking.

And a science fiction trilogy to put it all into perspective:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWW_Trilogy

Crystal Pyramids, Bermuda Triangle and Snopes

Well, apparently the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle has been solved after all this time!  Score one for modern technology and sonar.  It seems that there is a HUGE crystal pyramid underwater using some totally unknown technology, which is why there has been such a loss of planes and ships.  
See the link below:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1945098/crystal-pyramids-discovered-lurking-beneath-tropical-seas-of-bermuda/

Of course, in today's world of fake news, and so many people believing everything that they read on the Internet, I can't help thinking that it is just as well we have Snopes on hand to sort out the urban myths running wild. 
http://www.snopes.com/?s=crystal+pyramid+bermuda+triangle

There are lots of urban myths and hoaxes that regularly circulate on the Internet and FaceBook - and they seem to just keep looping around.  Sometimes they undergo a slight mutation as someone updates them, but mainly, they just keep on going.

The best way to check these sort of facts is to run it through snopes.com which is a independent fact checking site.  
Please see the link below:
http://www.snopes.com/frequently-asked-questions/

Probably a good site to pass onto your students - and your friends.

Reasons for Reading

My offering for today is a list of websites with reasons as to why we should be reading everyday - and why it is SO important.  For most of us, the benefits are self -evident, but it is always an issue to convince student's as to the value of reading. 

By this I mean REAL reading, rather than what they do on a computer.  There are various different types of reading and all are valid - but to be able to read well and with understanding, from a computer screen, you do need to have reading skills to start to start with.  

Apparently,  the Silicon Valley people who design computers, quite often won't have their kids in a school that uses the things!  Whether this is actually true or not is debatable - but I can appreciate the reasons why.  

Their reasoning is that learning to use computers is about as complicated as learning to use toothpaste - so they want their kids to have the opportunity to gain a variety of skills and to be able to think outside the square. People that have this ability are very much in demand in almost any workplace.

These are not skills that can be gained from computers or TV - but are absorbed through books - the old fashioned print and pages style - which leads on to a better development and strengthening of their neural pathways.

Anyway, enough of my soapbox.  Take a few minutes and have a look - then be sure to make time for 'strengthening your neural pathways" this weekend.   Or just grab a good coffee and a good book and take some time for yourself. Either way it works.  

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-read-everyday.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201401/reading-fiction-improves-brain-connectivity-and-function

https://selfhelpfix.com/benefits-of-reading.php

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-reading-reasons-reluctant-readers-rebecca-alber
http://www.inspirationboost.com/8-reasons-why-reading-is-so-important