Let's celebrate School Libraries Month, reading !

http://iasl-online.mlanet.org/

"A book is like a garden, carried in the pocket."

Chinese Proverb

Every October school librarians - United States is on April - are encouraged to create activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student's educational career.

Throughout October, every year, the world celebrates International School Library Month, the perfect time for students to visit their own school library and browse through the hundreds of books and nowl e-books as well, available.

October is the International School Libraries Month. In Portugal, schools celebrate this event on 27 October. This is the reason I am writing today about the SLM, thinking in all students and school libraries that will be celebrating it on the next Monday.

The SLM theme 2014 is "Your School Library : Mind-Map Central"

ttp://eduscapes.com/

International School Library Month allows those in charge of school libraries around the world to choose a day, week, or the entire month in October to celebrate the importance of school libraries.

The first International School Library Day was celebrated on 18 October 1999, with the theme, "A Day in the Life..."

The change to International School Library Month was approved by the IASL Board in December 2007.

http://www.ala.org/

Education:

“I don't know where I'd be without my school library,” said Kinney. “Our librarians were passionate about putting great books in the hands of kids, and making us into lifelong readers. School libraries introduce kids to whole new worlds and new perspectives and are so important in broadening kids' minds. It's crucial that we support our school libraries, especially in times of tightening budgets. I'm so grateful for the well-stocked libraries and knowledgeable, dedicatedschool librarians that were a part of my childhood."

Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

Kinney is right. School libraries and Languages teachers are passionnate about putting great books in the hands of our students and making them into lifelong readers. If you speak Potuguese, you must read my post Concurso Literatura Portuguesa : Achas que sabes ler?

www.google.com/images

Activities :

You will find some suggestions to celebrate this day on my post International School Libraries Day 2012

Hoping some of the activities could inspire you.

But the ISLM is organizing special activities. There is information on the ISLM website to help you. Take part in one of the special activities : 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/

• ISLM Bookmark Project

The ISLM Bookmark Project involves matched schools making homemade bookmarks (any style, shape, etc - be creative) that reflects the International School Library Month theme. 

Ask your students to be creative !

The Bookmark Exchange Project is a simple, fun way of sharing the pleasure and delights of books and libraries and of making new friends through school libraries worldwide. 

If you and your students did not get involved last year perhaps you will in 2014. If you have a matched school early enough you may wish to your students communicate with each other before you make your Bookmarks exchange in readiness for International School Library Month in October.

I am sure you registered your school early in September.

Please note the following:

• You should aim to send the bookmarks to your matched school in October
• In order to avoid disappointment for students and teachers in your matched school, please follow through on your bookmark commitment.

• ISLM Skype Project

Would your students like to talk to others in a far away country during International School Library Month? 
The trick is finding someone in a time zone where you can link up via Skype during a school day. Next Monday will be perfect here in Portugal.

Luis de Camões 

illustration : Gonçalo Mar / Miguel Ram

http://visao.sapo.pt/

• What people are doing for ISLM 2014

Send in your submissions for "What people are doing for ISLM 2014" by email to the IASL Secretariat.

Subject line: ISLM activities

Include in your email message the following information:

• Country
• Name
• Title of your position
• School or organization
• Brief outline of the ISLM activity
• Web link, if appropriate
• Up to 6 pictures to accompany your report [more than 6 will not be used on the web)

If sending images to accompany your report on ISLM activities, please send them as *.jpg or *.gif files. Keep them as small as possible, for example under 500KB. Send no more than 6 pictures with your report.

Please note: Submissions received after 8 November 2014 may not be included on the ISLM "What people are doing" web pages.

e-books

http://www.stargazersworld.com/

Some thoughts:

A school library in the XXI century must have the new books, e-books, e-readers and other kind of material in order to motivate the new generations.

A school library meets the needs of all kind of learners. Never forget chidren's preparation for e-readers, especially  the students from disadvantaged social backgrounds or having special needs.

Integrating digital and media literacy as critical elements for education at all levels is essential to keep our students near the school libraries.

As I already wrote on this blog, implementing these new digital books is about more than just jumping on the latest technological bandwagon or attempting to reinvent the library and printed books in order to stay relevant.

School libraries must be prepared to introduce innovative devices but also not to forget the enchantment of printed books. The smell of paper, the illustrations, some times in relief (children's books), the pleasure to turn the page. Just beautiful things that we must keep.

Teachers librarians anda languages teachers must be innovative of course. Both are awesome. Printed books and/or e-books. Even reading online. Remember Digital Reading in the classroom.

At school, the teachers librarians around the world are always looking forward to a future with e-books and printed books.

School libraries are integrated learning spaces that values connections between home, school, community, and the world.

Encourage students to be creative and never let them lose their sense of wonder. So let's keep reading all over the year encouraging our students to become lifelong avid readers.

"We should teach great books; we should teach a love of reading."

B.F. Skinner

G-Souto

24.10.2014

Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Let's celebrate School Libaries Month, reading ! by  GinaSouto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Apps in Education : Photomath, the 'dream' for students

Photomath app

https://photomath.net/

Wow ! Math students will be happy to have this app in their pocket ! PhotoMath will solve some of your math problems.

You are a young student. You need to do this really difficult math exercise for your math class tomorrow. And you have no idea how to do it. 

What if you could just open an app on your phone, point your camera at your textbook, snap a picture and get the detailed instructions to solve your equation?  This is exactly what PhotoMath does. Awesome, isn't it?

PhotoMath app

https://photomath.net/

You think it's not possible? Wrong! PhotoMath is the world's first camera calculator. 

Just point the camera towards the mathematical expression, and PhotoMath instantly displays a correct result.

Features:

PhotoMath reads and solves mathematical expressions by using the camera of your mobile device in real time. It makes math easy and simple by educating users how to solve math problems.

PhotoMath app

https://photomath.net/

Supported features ? Go on the website here

Available:  for iOS and WP. Android early 2015

iPhone / iPad : 

The app is Free. You can download the app on iTunes

Language: English

Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

screenshot iPhone

http://a5.mzstatic.com/

WP : 

The app is Free. You can download the app on Windows Phone

Language: English

Compatibility: Requires Windows Phone 8.1 ; Windows Phone 8

screenshot WP

http://cdn.marketplaceimages.windowsphone.com/

Education:

Maths is useful. Young people need a better grasp of maths to compete in the job market, where an understanding of technology and numeracy are increasingly important.

The OECD’s PISA 2012 tested more than 510,000 students in 65 countries and economies on maths, reading and science. 

The main focus was on maths. Math proficiency is a strong predictor of positive outcomes for young adults. It influences their ability to participate in post-secondary education and their expected future earnings.

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) focused on young people's ability to use their knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. 

Students :

Photomath is really the dream of all the students who have big problems at math curriculum.

PhotoMath reads and solves mathematical expressions by using the camera of students mobile device in real time.

Officially, it's meant to save you time flipping through a textbook to check answers when you're doing homework or cramming for a test. It's your math problems solved in your pocket. 

However, there's a concern about learning. Just because the app shows students how to solve a problem doesn't mean that the knowledge will actually sink in. 

Teachers :

If teachers don't confiscate iphones, smartphones at the door, some students could cheat when no one is looking. 

The chances of that happening aren't very high at this stage, but apps like this suggest that schools might have to be vigilant in the future.

Really ! I think the use must be moderated. It's very useful to do homeworking or cram for a test.

Teachers can also allow the app in the classroom at a moment of solving some math exercises, but always explaining how students get to those results.

And of course, during math tests or exams, iphones and smartphones are not allowed. Teachers can keep them on their desk until the end of the hour.

Finally, watch the video below:

PhotoMath from MicroBLINK on Vimeo.

Some thoughts:

Maths is useful. Young people need a better grasp of maths to compete in the job market, where an understanding of technology and numeracy are increasingly important.

But maths should also be studied for the same reasons we study Literature and Languages. It's our intellectual and cultural heritage. 

Most students are scared about math curriculum. A great number just hate math. However numbers can be wonderful, fascinating things.

Maths makes students more creative and gives them a deeper understanding of the way things really are.

Photomath can help the students to feel more comfortable with numbers and equations, if teachers are innovative in their own teaching. 

Did you read the interesting article Listen by numbers : music and maths by Marcus du Sautoy, professor of mathematics? You must ! All math teachers could read it !

So, tell your students that Photomath is only a tool to help them to facilitate math.

"I must confess that only with the aid of mathematics did my ideas become clear."

Rameau, French baroque composer

G-Souto

22.10.2014
Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Apps in Education : Photomath, the 'dream' for students by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Catching the Orionid Shower : Science curriculum

Orionid meteor streaks above Norway in 2013  

credits : Tommy Eliassen

http://i.space.com/

Tonight (October 21-22, 2014), could we see meteors in the annual Orionid shower? 

Scientists say that we have a good chance, even though this morning before dawn might have presented the peak numbers. 

Perhaps "the year's best meteor showers occurs in October: the Orionids, which result when Earth plows through debris shed over the years by the famous Halley's Comet. 

This year, the Orionids peak overnight from Oct. 21-22. Stargazers under dark, clear skies can expect 20 or so meteors per hour after midnight, NASA officials said. 

Credits . Dr. Tony Philips/ Science@NASA

http://i.space.com/

About the Meteor Shower:

The Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. 

If the meteors originate from Comet Halley, why are they called the Orionids? 

The answer is that meteors in annual showers are named for the point in our sky from which they appear to radiate. The radiant point for the Orionids is in the direction of the constellation Orion the Hunter. Hence the name Orionids.

Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed. These meteors are fast - they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into the Earth's atmosphere. 

Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) which last for several seconds to minutes. 

Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.

The Orionids are also framed by some of the brightest stars and planets in the night sky, which lend a spectacular backdrop for theses showy meteors.

NASA

Possible Orionid meteor moving by the Gemini stars Castor and Pollux

The constellation Orion the Hunter is found at the upper right and the star Sirius below Orion’s Belt

Image: via Mike Lewinski

http://en.es-static.us/

Skywatchers :

Skywatchers could get good looks this month at several different planets. In early October, for example, Mars and Saturn were visible low in the southwestern sky in the evening. Jupiter, meanwhile, is king of the predawn hours throughout the month.

The shower may be active for several days before or after its broad maximum, which may last from the 20th through the 24th. 

Step outside before sunrise on any of these mornings and if you catch sight of a meteor, there’s about a 75 percent chance that it likely originated from the nucleus of Halley’s Comet. 

After peaking on the morning of Oct. 21, activity will begin to slow, dropping back to around five per hour around Oct. 26. 

Orionid shower tonight :

The best time for viewing for these fast-streaking Orionid meteors is between midnight and dawn. That time holds true no matter what time zone you’re in. 

In 2014, virtually no moonlight will interfere, as the slender lunar crescent wanes toward new moon.

How many meteors can we expect to see? 

The number of meteors we will see in any meteor shower always varies greatly depending on when and where we watch. Meteor showers are not entirely predictable. That’s the fun of them! 

At most – on a moon-free night – we might see about 25 meteors per hour, or one meteor every few minutes, during the Orionid peak. 

The dark skies make 2014 a favorable year for watching the Orionid meteors tonight.

Education:

Most of us are excited about Orionid shower. Science students too. Do you remember the Perseid meteor shower in August 2013? What a sky show full of stars. 

But this time, teachers and students are in school time. So, science curriculum will be enhanced with the help pf this incredible event.

Do you want a better science lesson ?

During skywatching, teachers, students can do some good shots, or videos with iphones, smartphones or tablets to discuss the theme tomorrow or next lesson. May be compare it with the Perseid meteor shower of last year?

Meteor showers aren’t just one-night events. In fact, they can last for several days nutil Friday.

Fortunately, in 2014, the slim waning crescent moon rising shortly before sunrise is not in the way and will only enhance your enjoyment of the meteor shower if you find yourself out before dawn. 

Resources :

NASA Science | News

Space.com | October Skywatching

Space.com Webcast

Meterwatch

EarthSky

NASA

Social media in education:

Space.com Facebook

Space.com Twitter

Earth Sky @earthskyscience

NASA @NASA

Hoping to be lucky! After two rainy weeks, since last Saturday, the weather is warm and shiny, and the night will be so bright.

G-Souto

21.10.2014
Copyright © 2014G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®


Catching the Orionid Shower : Science curriclum by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

sources :Space.com ; Earth Sky ; NASA