Monthly Archives: December 2013

Device & Conquer: SLJ’s 2013 Tech Survey | The Digital Shift

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As education technology has evolved, so, too, have the kinds of digital tools that school librarians use with their students, as shown in School Library Journal’s 2013 School Technology Survey. Handheld tablets and devices are coveted items for classroom and instructional use, along with access to online sites and apps that school librarians believe can revolutionize the way they instruct—and the way students learn. More than 750 school librarians responded to SLJ’s survey, representing K–12 public and private schools across the country. According to the data, school librarians make the most of what they have, learning one day and sharing that knowledge the next. They not only make tech tools available for students and teachers, but teach them how to use the tools as well.

Read More: Device & Conquer: SLJ’s 2013 Tech Survey | The Digital Shift.

School Library Journal’s 2013 School Technology Survey

 

35 Free Live Webinars for Librarians in December | Ellyssa Kroski | OEDB.org

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‘Tis the season for online learning, especially in the library field!  December’s calendar is brimming with exciting and free learning opportunities for librarians looking for professional development.  Check out this list of 35 gratis webinars, just in time for the holidays!

Read: 35 Free Live Webinars for Librarians in December | Ellyssa Kroski | OEDB.org.

Nelson Mandela dies at 95: Five touchstone film moments about his life | EW.com

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Nelson Mandela passed away Thursday at the age of 95. Imprisoned from 1962 to 1990, the former South African president (1994-1999) fought to abolish apartheid and worked to end poverty. Known as “The Father of a Nation” the celebrated leader was the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner and received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many other honors.

It’s no surprise that his inspirational story has made its way to the big screen. In addition to the current film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which is in theaters now, the South African leader has been the subject of several feature films and documentaries in recent years. Check out five iconic portrayals of Mandela in pop culture.

Read: Nelson Mandela dies at 95: Five touchstone film moments about his life | PopWatch | EW.com.

Enter into the 4th Industrial Revolution | Dassault Systemes

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Readworthy: Amazon Drones News

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FAA Reminds Us: The U.S. Has Approved One Commercial Drone Operator, And It’s Not Amazon | FastCompany
The federal aviation administration says it will establish drone regulations and standards in the coming years.

Amazon ‘drones’ stir up privacy concerns among lawmakers | CNET
Sen. Edward Markey says the Federal Aviation Administration needs to adopt privacy regulations before allowing services like Amazon Prime Air, which will use drones to deliver packages, to get off the ground.

Amazon drones: Bold experiment or shrewd publicity stunt? | CNET
Amazon faces a ton of hurdles when it comes to deploying delivery drones, but the idea isn’t as farfetched as it first might sound.

Amazon Prime Air drones revealed on 60 Minutes, aim to deliver in half an hour (video) | Engadget
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took to 60 Minutes to reveal the company’s latest delivery method: drones. In what is likely a cunning reminder of the e-tailer’s upcoming Cyber Monday sales, these bots will apparently be capable of delivering packages up to five pounds (86 percent of orders are apparently less than that), with the aim of getting them to your house in under half an hour. The system is called Prime Air and the octo-copter drones, which wait, ready to deliver, at the end of conveyor belts, have a range of 10 miles. As Amazon puts it, “Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance the technology and wait for the necessary FAA rulesand regulations” and Bezos himself added in the TV segment that it won’t be before 2015 at the very earliest. While it sounds like they”ll take their time to get here (if they ever do), we’ve at least got a video of the drones in action — it’s right after the break.

Readworthy: Books & Publishing, Music & Film

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Books & Publishing

Harry Potter: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone voted UK’s favourite children’s book | theguardian.co.uk and The Best YA Novel of All Time bracket game: And the winner is… | EW. From mid-November Harry Potter Stamps Coming to USPS | BookRiot

Music & Film

Readworthy: Education & Technology, Librarianship

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Education & Technology

Librarianship

Video: official trailer for Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten TV series | Quill & Quire

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Canadian cable network Space has released the official trailer for Bitten, a television-series adaptation of Kelley Armstrong’s 2001 debut novel.

Published by Random House Canada, Bitten follows Elena Michaels, a Toronto journalist who also happens to be the only existing female werewolf. The fantasy novel turned Armstrong into a best-selling author and kicked off her popular 15-title Women of the Otherworld series. Bitten premieres on Space Jan. 11

via Video: official trailer for Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten TV series | Quill & Quire

London book benches: are you sitting comfortably? | The Guardian

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Visitors to London will able to enjoy books in a new way next summer – by sitting on them. Benches resembling giant open books, the volumes ranging from Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows to George Orwell’s 1984, will be installed at various sites in the capital for a stretch of 10 weeks.

London Book Benches

Read: London book benches: are you sitting comfortably? | Books | The Guardian.

18 Insanely Addictive Font Games | Mashable

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Typography helps you engage your audience and establish a distinct, unique personality on your website. Knowing how to use fonts to build character in your design is a powerful skill, and exploring the history and use of typefaces, as well as typographic theory, can help.

But it doesn’t have to be boring. This selection of online and mobile font games will help test and expand both your knowledge and identification skills.

See: 18 Insanely Addictive Font Games | Mashable.