Technology news and how-to's including Google Game, blogs in schools, social networking and more from School Library Journal en-us http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/community/Technology/47078.html?nid=3269 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/info/260304.html Terms of Use. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:45:51 MST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6705631.html?nid=3269 With both the Swine flu and various strains of seasonal flu hitting schools hard these last couple of weeks, it’s definitely time to make sure kids and parents have up-to-date information about how to protect themselves from the flu, how to help stop it from spreading, and what to do if they or a family member comes down with it. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6704981.html?nid=3269 If your school library is in need of a tech overhaul, enter Acer's School Library Technology Makeover Contest and possibly win 10 new notebooks and two desktop computers for your media center. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6704732.html?nid=3269 Media professionals and educators converged on Google’s campus in Mountain View, CA, to discuss technology, teaching, and new ways to enthrall children at last week’s Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age forum. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703706.html?nid=3269 ALA Grants & Fellowships bit.ly/1lNIAb The American Library Association (ALA) has created numerous grants and awards to help support programs and provide funds to individuals wanting to attend professional meetings. This handy page provides links to not only ALA grants, but also awards sponsored by the various divisions, including PLA (Public Library Association), YALSA (Young Adult Library... Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703705.html?nid=3269 I fought for the retention of our elementary librarians this past year. I did everything I knew how to do and still 100 percent of the positions were cut (10 librarians covering 18 schools). We now have volunteers that are “running” the show. When I found out cuts were in the air, I contacted [author] Ann Martin, she wrote letters to our superintendent, commissioner of education, an... Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703704.html?nid=3269 Conference season is upon us. But school and library budgets being what they are, funding for travel is scarce these days. But a growing trend toward bringing these events online makes it easier than ever to attend sessions virtually and even join in the rich conversations that make conferences so valuable. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703703.html?nid=3269 LS2 Kids features “cover flow” animation After a soft launch this summer at the American Library Association annual conference, The Library Corporation (TLC) released its LS2 Kids catalog interface in October. LS2 Kids emphasizes book covers and “cover flow” animation over hard-to-interpret bibliographic result lists, based on children’s responses to usability tests. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703702.html?nid=3269 Windows 7, Microsoft’s answer to the ill-received Vista operating system, was released on October 22, just days before this review was due. I started using Windows 7 in beta last winter and was impressed by how well it performed on my old Thinkpad T40. Since then, I’ve been eager to see if Windows 7 would perform equally well on a more Spartan device: the typical netbook. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703701.html?nid=3269 Children, especially girls, are finding supporters across the globe—some their own age—who are engaging with virtual education programs, an online game, and books that promote social justice and a better world. “Education seems like a simple thing,” says Greg Mortenson, coauthor of Three Cups of Tea (Viking, 2006) and founder of the nonprofit Pennies for Peace. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703692.html?nid=3269 A magazine article changed my life. Admittedly, that sounds like a bit of hyperbole, but it's true. There I was in New York City, with my shiny new MLIS degree, working at my very first children's librarian post. I was still experiencing that first flush of excitement people have when they start a new job in an occupation they love, and I was reading every article in every children's literature... Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703690.html?nid=3269 Props for the iPod Another day, another stylish gizmo for the Apple line. Portable stand iBend props up an iPhone or iPod Touch for viewing a movie or video. There’s a basic model ($4.99 for two) and three colorful artists’ versions. Increasingly, schools are adopting iPods for the classroom and on a larger scale. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703810.html?nid=3269 With the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) decision last week to consider how to protect—and regulate—the free nature of the Internet, the battle over Net neutrality went into high gear, and librarians, of course, were in the mix. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703664.html?nid=3269 With just 100 words, several lucky schools can win laptops, Microsoft software, PC monitors and a slew of other technological tools by entering this year’s Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope contest. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6702816.html?nid=3269 The Windy City just landed one of the hottest spots for teens—and it’s at the public library. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:05:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703477.html?nid=3269 Next week kids will be carving pumpkins and figuring out what they'll be for halloween. They’ll also start anticipating the sweet and gooey treats they’ll receive. Why not provide the kids in your library with three sweet Halloween games as well? Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:03:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6702647.html?nid=3269 Teachers, media specialists, and students around the world are gearing up for the 4th Annual K12 Online Conference—a chance for tech-savvy educators to virtually mingle and share, while those less familiar with Web 2.0 tools can learn about their use from the experts themselves. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6702217.html?nid=3269 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This well-written, age-appropriate Web article explains to teen girls why they need to start examining their breasts, teaches them how to properly perform a self-exam, and explains, in a very reassuring way, the warning signs to be aware of. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:46:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6701479.html?nid=3269 Media specialists and other members of the K–12 community are gearing up for the T+L Conference, set for Oct 28–30 in Denver. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6700778.html?nid=3269 The folks at Gale and Cengage Learning have created this excellent Hispanic Heritage Web site specifically for teens. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:37:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6700414.html?nid=3269 With so much focus on 21st century skills, shouldn’t school librarians be recognized as leaders in this new era of learning? More than 200 media specialists and influential education and government officials descended on Washington, DC, this weekend to help answer that question as part of School Library Journal’s fifth annual Leadership Summit. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST