Schools

How to Get and Hold Student’s Attention

Posted on December 18, 2015

By Megan McCarthy

We’ve all heard the saying, “information is power.” That being said, sometimes too much information makes you feel powerless. Take for example, my experience making lasagna. I needed a good recipe for lasagna one night. So, I googled “great lasagna recipes.” I got 247 great lasagna recipe posts. Completely overwhelmed by the amount of information, I quickly closed my computer and ordered pizza. The lasagna would have to wait for another night.

The same is true in the classroom. Students and teachers can be completely overwhelmed by the amount of information available today. Finding the right balance for success can be tricky. If teachers overload their students, they are likely to shut down. If they pick the wrong subject matter or use the wrong content, students can lose interest. That’s why CLiC (Classroom in Context) is such a valuable tool in the classroom.

Read moreHow to Get and Hold Student’s Attention

Product Updates for Literature Resources

Posted on December 17, 2015

On December 21st, Literature Resources Center, LitFinder, and MLA International Bibliography will fully transition to a mobile-responsive interface, with enhanced features. The outstanding content remains the same, as well as the ways you search. Here are the exciting changes coming to your library:

  • Google Drive Integration: After authentication, users can seamlessly login with their Google Apps for Education account to access tools like Google Drive and Docs Learn more
  • New Look and Feel: Modern design with high-quality and easy-to-use toolset
  • Mobile Responsive Design: Optimized for all screen sizes, regardless of device
  • Improved Navigation: Content featured in prime locations with toolbars and filters on the right
  • Enhanced Accessibility: High-contrast banners and improved tool buttons make web content easier to locate

No Action Required: If your library has yet to upgrade to the new experience, an automatic migration will take place on December 21st. If your library took advantage of an early migration, we hope you are enjoying your new experience!

Read moreProduct Updates for Literature Resources

Content Updates for Kids InfoBits (week ending 12/18/2015)

Posted on December 14, 2015 Kids InfoBits has added new content to its product. The following now appears: Kids InfoBits Presents Astronomy Over 60 update entries have been posted including some of the following topics: Asteroids Constellations Earth Galaxies Hubble Space Telescope Mars Meteors and Meteorites Moon Pluto Space Stations Stars   Kids InfoBits Presents Canada … Read more

Prosper (TX) High School Streamlines Research Lessons with Gale’s In Context and Google Drive

Re-posted December 9, 2015

Located north of Dallas, Prosper ISD is experiencing a population boom. Prosper’s sole high school, Prosper High School, is home to approximately 2200 students and 190 staff members.  Prior to the 2015-2016 school year, I was the only librarian on campus, which proved very challenging when trying to schedule and teach research lessons with multiple teachers at one time. I had to find more efficient ways to teach research skills while still providing in-depth and engaging lessons. That’s where Gale’s In Context and Google Drive comes in!

I was so excited to see the connection between In Context and Google Drive. I had taught myself, and my students, workarounds to save In Context articles to their Google Drive accounts. These workarounds involved a lot of clicks and a lot of practice, which took up a lot of time. While the end result was worth it, I no longer had the luxury of time when I was trying to teach in two (sometimes three!) different classrooms during the same class period.

Read moreProsper (TX) High School Streamlines Research Lessons with Gale’s In Context and Google Drive

A Holiday Present for Our Planet, From Your Class

Posted on December 8, 2015 SANTA IS COMING! As this holiday approaches, why not task your students with creating a present for the planet Earth? Some possible approaches: A critically endangered white rhino just died, leaving only THREE left on our planet. This is alarming! Grab Science In Context and search “Endangered Species” to discover … Read more

Student Challenge: Who Changed the Course of U.S. History without Uttering a Word?

Posted on December 4, 2015

Good question, isn’t it?  Where can students go to find the answer?

Biography In Context for starters, where you’ll find a feature this month on the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks. Her quiet defiance of sitting in a “whites-only” section of a bus on December 1, 1955, galvanized support for the Civil Rights Movement, sparking Freedom Rides, boycotts, and sit-ins. Transport students back in time to visit this tumultuous era in our nation’s history – students can read about Parks and her work, hear her speak in a video, and look at her statue that President Obama unveiled in the Capitol.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, and Student Resources In Context covers that legal precedent as well as recent challenges to it. While on the topic, Women’s Suffrage hit the big screen recently, and the fascinating stories behind that movement can be found in US History In Context. Read Susan B. Anthony’s “Speech on the Right of Women’s Suffrage,” from 1873, when she was arrested for the having the audacity to vote!  Look at photos of suffrage parades, read the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments, as well as other primary sources from Carrie Chapman Catt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others.

Read moreStudent Challenge: Who Changed the Course of U.S. History without Uttering a Word?

The Hunger Games, Classroom Lessons

Posted on November 20, 2015

By Traci J. Cothran

Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 has finally hit the big screen, enthralling young minds with the drama, action and adventures of Katniss Everdeen. Nestled in with all the unfavorable odds and pageantry are real issues that students can explore – while flexing their critical thinking skills – under this pop culture umbrella.

Global Warming and Climate Change. In The Hunger Games, the US has collapsed following a devastating series of drought, fire and storms, resulting in a fight for the remaining limited resources. The resulting society, Panem, rose in its wake. Science In Context provides factual overviews as well as in-depth articles on global warming, air pollution, and their lasting effects.

Read moreThe Hunger Games, Classroom Lessons

Content Updates for Gale’s In Context (week ending 11/13/2015)

Posted on November 16, 2015

Take a look at the new resources now available in many of your favorite In Context products:

Biography In Context
New homepage spotlights were added in the past few weeks that include:

  • Country music star Carrie Underwood who recently co-hosted the 2015 Country Music Awards with fellow artist Brad Paisley.
  • Native American leader Geronimo, in recognition of Native American Heritage Month.
  • Actress Jennifer Lawrence will be appearing in the final installment of the Hunger Games series, Hunger Games Mockingjay, Part 2 opening November 20.
  • New Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau
  • Journalist and author Ta-Nahisi Coates who won a MacArthur Genius grant this year and whose book Between the World and Me was shortlisted for the 2015 National book Award in Nonfiction.

New portal pages and a homepage video were posted including:

  • Notorious pirates Edward Teach (“Blackbeard”) and William Kidd (“Captain Kidd”)
  • Feminist writer and activist Mary Wollstonecraft, mother of Mary Shelly who is the author of “Frankenstein”
  • Stephen Curry, player for the Golden State Warriors
  • “The Walking Dead” actor Steven Yeun
  • Video “Out There: Einstein’s Telescope”: A nod to the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity

Read moreContent Updates for Gale’s In Context (week ending 11/13/2015)

2015 TEAMS Award Ceremony and Celebration

2015 TEAMS Awards

Posted on November 12, 2015

Congratulations to our 2015 TEAMS Award winners. Last week award sponsors Gale and Library Media Connection (LMC) hosted a celebration event at COSI Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, OH during the AASL Conference, to present winners with their certificates and award prizes. This year’s voting committee had amazing applications to review and discuss – from a school community garden putting a new spin on “farm to table”, to a 3D gallery walk featuring student artwork and videos, to a social action research fair with fundraising muscle – and all displayed exciting, creative ways in which teachers and media specialists are working together to promote learning and student achievement.

Winners receiving awards included:

Read more2015 TEAMS Award Ceremony and Celebration