PHS Media Center Newsletter
Plainfield High School - Summer 2014
Have a safe & relaxing summer break!
Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library - Summer Reading Program (June 2 - July 31)
Fizz! Boom! Read! Summer Reading (June 2 - July 31)
- Reading Club Kick-Off on Monday, June 2nd from 5:30-8:30 pm
- Birth - 5th Grade: Receive a free SRC shirt at kick-off (while supplies last); set a goal of how many books you can read - reach goal and receive a FREE book and coupons
- 6th Grade - Adult: Enter to win a prize for each book you have read. Prizes will be drawn the first week of August. Win a Family membership to the Plainfield Rec & Aquatic Center for 1 year, State Fair Tickets, U Paint gift certificate, Three Pints gift card, Black Swan gift card, iTunes gift card, Carmike gift card and much more.
Online Resources:
- Evergreen Catalog - search the online library catalog
- Overdrive - download books and audiobooks right to your digital device
- Hooopla - borrow free videos, music and audiobooks
- Freegal - download songs and music videos
- A to Z Databases - online reference information
- Mángo - learn a new language online
- Zinio - online magazine collection
*The public library also has drop in technology classes every other Monday from 4-6 p.m.
myON - online books
Through the Hoosier Family of Readers initiative, students and their families across the state will have unlimited access to reading material on myON, giving families an opportunity to share rich literacy experiences together regardless of their socioeconomic status or whether or not there is a proficient reader in the home.
- More than 3,000 digital books from Capstone and additional publishing partners, ranging from illustrated and picture books to chapter books, graphic novels, literary non-fiction, photo and informational texts spanning multiple eras and cultures.
- Digital books from the following publishing partners will also be available: August House Little Folk/ Story Cove, Bellwether, Hothouse, Mikaya Press, Orca, ReferencePoint, Saddleback and Sylvan-Dell.
- The collection includes 70% nonfiction, 10% Spanish or dual language and 20% Hi-Lo titles, and is continually growing.
- A wide range of titles and topics provides varying levels of text complexity and support close reading in a range of genres and content areas, including history/social studies, science and technical works.
- Books are available online anytime, anywhere students have access to an Internet connection, 24x7,
- There’s no limit to the number of students who can read the same book at the same time on myON.
- Students can download up to 20 titles for offline reading using free mobile apps for iPad and Android tablets.
*Taken from the Indiana Department of Education website.
Access myON at: http://www.myon.com/login/index.html
School Name: Hoosier Family of Readers
Username: read
Password: read
EdCamp Indy
EdCamp Indy is a FREE learning opportunity for educators of all types. Though it is sponsored by the Association of Indiana School Library Educators (AISLE), the concept is created by attendees and will include education and technology. You come to EdCamp with questions--and you get answers--by fellow educators. Professional Growth Points are available for four sessions--and there is a fun Smackdown at the end which is rapid-fire tips, tricks, and tools for educators. EdCamp is unique as the presenters are the attendees. Bring and share your knowledge and take away from others. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.; the event releases for lunch at 11; and the day is over by 3 p.m. Bring your own caffeine, snacks and a device if you have one. There will be computer access on site as well as presentation equipment.
2014 Summer of eLearning Opportunities
Conference on a Couch
"Conference on a Couch" is on Friday, June 20th. Danville Community Schools invite everyone to come in, relax, have some coffee, and learn from each other. The breakout sessions will include presentation, discussion, and fun activities in a relaxed yet focused setting. Don't forget to 'BYOD' (Bring Your Own Device).
The keynote speaker is Dave Burgess, renowned author of "Teach Like a Pirate."
Register now at www.couchconference.org. There is limited seating. The cost is $25.
*taken from the INDOE Learning Connection forum posting
Tools to Know
- Twenty Collaborative Google Apps is an article that contains great ways to use Google Apps in the classroom. It provides ideas from shared presentations to hangouts - with explanations of all.
- Buncee is a unique presentation tool that allows for more versatility than a traditional PowerPoint and allows students to be interactive.
- Indiana Humanities has class sets of books that they will share with schools around the state. Click on the link and see what they have available. If you are interested, I'm happy to help you get these delivered to the school.
- Google EdCamp will be held on July 10 in Wayne Township. Registration is online and free.
Crash Course by John Green and Hank Green
Crash Course is a phenomenal educational resource that truly highlights how educational material can organically emerge online. Started by John Green, New York Times Bestselling Author of books like The Fault in Our Stars and Looking For Alaska, and his brother Hank Green, an entrepreneurial musician and ‘vlogger,’ Crash Course is a YouTube channel with tons of instructional videos on subjects as varied as biology, world history, US history, chemistry, English literature, and ecology.
John and Hank Green have a knack for explaining complex ideas in simple, comprehensible terms. With over 1 million subscribers and over 45 million views across the channel, Crash Course has developed an avid following largely because of John and Hank’s lively approach to subject material, which keeps viewers interested and engaged. If you want to understand why Crash Course has developed such a huge following online, you need look no further than the videos themselves; here are a few of our favorites:
- Crash Course World History: The Persians and Greeks
- Crash Course Biology: Water – Liquid Awesome
- Crash Course US History: The New Deal
*from the Digital Learning Day website http://www.digitallearningday.org/
Civil War Sesquicentennial Exhibit @ the Indiana State Library
The Civil War Exhibit will be open May 9th through August 29th during regular hours. After 150 years, the American Civil War remains a defining moment in our nation’s history. The Hardship & Hope: The Life of the Hoosier Soldier During the Civil War (in.gov/library/150.htm) exhibition gives a more personal understanding of the everyday realities from the Hoosier soldier on the battlefield. Unique letters, photographs, and artifacts from the Indiana State Library’s collection are now available for the public view.
*taken from the Indiana State Library press release
Students Understand Texts Less When They Read On Computers, Research Suggests
Books/Materials Purchasing
PHS Media Center APP Smackdown
Create a PDF using the camera on a smartphone
Take your photos and make a collage
Pay your electric bill, receive outage updates and more - works with Hendricks Power Cooperative
Find your way using navigation apps
Keep Track of Your Reading
May Top 10 Student Book Checkouts
Have a safe & relaxing summer break!
Lael DuBois
Email: ldubois@plainfield.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/index.php/phs-mediacenter.html
Phone: 317-839-7711
Facebook: facebook.com/phsmediacenter
Twitter: @plainfieldmc