Discover Databases

Every year, we ask students to complete several research papers and projects.  Every year, we remind them to use credible sources (and what credible sources are/are not).  It is our instinct to “google” stuff, which is great for quick facts and information.  

But how do we find credible, research-paper-worthy information quickly?  

And how do we help our students do that?  

The answer is databases.  

The libraries utilize several subscription and free databases, which are available for anyone to use on and off campus.  They are accessible through the school library websites:

High School Library Resources

Middle School Library Resources

This short video explains what databases are and why we need them.

Databases cover topics from history and science to literature and art to engineering and current events, plus everything in between.  Benefits of databases include:

• Better information faster
• Availability of current, historical, and primary source materials
• Access to information from anywhere, anytime (it’s online!)
• Pre-formatted MLA citations available

Please encourage your students to begin their research using databases.  From there, they can branch out to other internet sources.  And of course, we have plenty of books available!

If you would like to learn more about databases, or for your students to learn more, please contact your nearest librarian!

English Language Arts and Educational Technology

This week, we’ll wrap up our theme of edtech in specific content areas.  We will continue sharing exciting, content-related tools, resources, and ideas -- of course!  In recent weeks, we’ve highlighted math, science, elementary classrooms, and social studies.  This week, we focus on ENGLISH and LANGUAGE ARTS.  In the post below, you’ll find TOOLS, RESOURCES, and IDEAS related to ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS and EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY*.  

TOOLS

Noodle Tools

Student research platform with MLA, APA and Chicago/Turabian bibliographies, notecards, outlining.  Students in the middle school use the express version, which allows them to create citations, while students in the high school use the paid subscription, which helps them through every step of the research process, including collaboration with teachers and classmates.

Google Tools for ELA K-12

Steve Wick shares a thorough list of resources that “cross over multiple categories of curricular skills.”  His list includes Chrome extensions, Google Drive Add-Ons, and Drive Apps.

Zaption

Zaption provides free interactive video tools and ready-to-use video lessons to engage learners.  Teachers can search in the gallery, customize videos to meet specific needs, share lesson with others, and track learner data.  EDpuzzle is a similar tool.  Both web tools offer teachers and students access with a Google single sign-on.

RESOURCES

Shmoop: English & Literature

Shmoop’s Learning Guides are like a new-school Cliff’s Notes.  For English Language Arts, students can access learning guides in Literature, Grammar, Poetry, Shakespeare, and more.  Students and teachers can prepare for AP English tests too!  Shmoop offers accounts for teachers and students through Google single sign on.

NEWSELA

Unlimited access to hundreds of leveled news articles and Common Core–aligned quizzes, with new articles every day.  Every article at five (!) levels: Newsela makes it easy for an entire class to read the same content, but at a level that’s just right for each student.

Digital Storytelling

There are many apps and web tools available for digital storytelling -- peruse Kathy Schrock’s page above, or view Christopher Pappas’s list here.  Digital storytelling allows students and teachers to be more interactive in their storytelling.  We know students learn best when they have a combination of words, pictures, and sound, plus many enjoy hands-on activities; it follows that students would be able to SHOW their learning with a combination of these things as well.  Give digital storytelling a try!

IDEAS

Book Talks

For their third independent reading project this year, students in English 9 classes created digital book talks using Sound Cloud.  Students worked independently to write a script, record a book talk podcast to share with everyone, then listen to and comment on their peers’.

App Design Project

After learning about propaganda in Miss Allen’s and Mrs. Cooper’s 8th grade ELA classes, students put those concepts to work.  They developed new apps for electronic devices and advertised them using the persuasive techniques they learned in class.

Storyboarding

In English 10, students read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.  Afterwards, they created comic strips online, incorporating the themes of friendship and betrayal, set in Ancient Rome, and including Shakespearean English.  Students used Shmoop to unpack literary themes and “translate” into Shakespeare, and shared their storyboards with their peers, who then critiqued.  Mrs. Berry, Mrs. Dalrymple, and Mrs. Travelpiece collaborated in planning and implementing the project.  View student examples here, here, here, and here.

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* Please note, just because technology is new, doesn’t mean it’s always better.  If traditional flashcards work for you and your students, keep using them!  But if StudyBlue could work for you, ask some of your kids to give it a whirl.