Snippets from Sturgeon
Some things that just caught my eye (Vol. 1, No. 23)
It's Thursday, March 19 (COVID-19 Issue 1)
Booktalk
Deadline!
Whew!
Stay-in Storytime
COVID-19 in digital resources (UPDATED)
Updated resources since last week -
Britannica now has information on COVID-19 in its elementary level
Learn360 will livestream an Iowa Press special edition tonight at 8 p.m. focused on the pandemic
Learn360 also has a NOVA episode on the cornavirus
SIRS - From the March 18 Washington Post, "Across the Nation, Disparity in Containment Policy is Vast"
Teen Health and Wellness includes updated statistics from the WHO, although since testing is so spotty, it's likely these are wildly inaccurate
Stay healthy, friends!
Middle Grade Magic still on!
Sharing resources with Smore
Might I suggest making a Smore like this one? Feature a few things of interest, showcase resources that they can access at home. One thing I do is keep a spreadsheet so I can keep track of things upcoming that I want to feature. For instance, months ago, I put in for this week to feature Kate DiCamillo's birthday next week - I thought you might want to do a display in your library. :-(
Just like you know you can't read or display every great book in your library, you can't share every great resource that's out there right now. Do what you can, keep it manageable, and Smore (which does have a free options) is a good tool for that. Padlet might work well too.
What are you using?
Learning languages at home
(I have been learning French at home and by myself for several years.)
How? I've been using Duolingo which is free. (But to support the work, I do the paid version, which is $7 a month.) They have courses in English for 35 languages including not French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, and others you might expect, but also Hawaiian, Gaelic, Ukranian, and High Valyrian (from Game of Thrones). (Klingon is in Beta version.)
Other options for language learning are Rocket Language, Babbel, LiveMocha, Learn a Language (created by the U.S. Institute of Languages), and Mango Languages, which many public libraries - maybe yours! - purchase for their patrons.
Iowa award books
When classes resume, your students can be ready to vote for the Iowa award books. Students can access the books on Mackin Via - go to Groups and look for the 2019-2020 books listed. IASL responded to a question about the voting deadline: "Since the entire state has closed schools or is considering doing so, we will postpone the vote for all awards. We will make an announcement as to when voting will resume and the new end date once schools have resumed."
BootUp PD - Coding for Kids
The Amazon Future Engineer sponsorship provides three years of ongoing onsite professional development to elementary teachers on the content and pedagogy of computer science education. The sponsorship provides everything districts need to implement a sustainable computer science initiative. This includes eight onsite professional development workshops, ongoing model teaching and coaching, curricula and teacher lesson plans, and an online Instructional Coach Course to ensure the sustainability of the program.
Other Free Learning Opportunities for You
- A lot of free courses from Iowa AEA PD Online (courses on digital citizenship look especially good for TLs)
- Free webinars from the State Library of Wyoming
- Library Juice Academy (there is a cost to these)
- Free Coursera courses from top universities including Python (programming language); Learning How to Learn; Graphic Design;
Resources from Authors
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
Jarrett Lerner (comic artist) free activities
That last one is very important - just because it is a pandemic doesn't mean we throw out ownership and copyright. We must model proper behavior for our students and teachers.
Museum Visits
Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world. Find the list here.
(From Travel and Leisure.)
Storyline Online
Looking for school calendars
Van routes changing next year?
Christine Sturgeon
Email: csturgeon@plaea.org
Website: plaea.org
Location: Pocahontas
Phone: 712-335-6004
Twitter: @c_sturgeon