Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Rise of Political Parties

Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Rise of Political Parties is the theme of September's Cobblestone magazine.

The September issue of Cobblestone is now available in the BMMS Library Media Center in print. Also find the articles in EBSCO Primary Search. To access the articles click here. Access to EBSCO Primary Search is provided to all New Yorkers through NOVEL [New York Virtual Electronic Library]. See Ms. Levine for the passwords for 24/7 access.

Cobblestone is a publication of Carus Publishing, well known for high quality magazines written for children (Dig, Calliope, Faces, etc.)

Online access to earlier issues of all Carus magazines is available in Cobblestone Online. See Ms. Levine for the passwords.

Helping Diverse Readers Connect

Helping Diverse Readers Connect is the theme of the September issue of Middle School Journal.

The September issue of Middle School Journal is available in the BMMS Library Media Center in print. Published by the National Middle School Association, the articles are found online as well. Note: Some of the articles can only be viewed online if you are a paying member of NMSA.

September 2008 • Volume 40 • Number 1
Helping Diverse Readers Connect
A Whole-School "Read" Creates a Reading CommunityJennifer Wilson, Pamela Jewett, & Michelle Vanderburg
"Stay Gold," Students: Helping Young Readers Connect to The OutsidersMichael Modleski
A Book Club Sheds Light on Boys and ReadingTimothy G. Weih
"Books in Action!"Laurel Chehayl
Exploring Mathematical Concepts in LiteratureChristopher M. Kribs Zaleta & Kim K. Ruebel
"Pick a Word— Not Just Any Word": Vocabulary Self-Selection with Expository TextsJanis M. Harmon, Karen D. Wood, Wanda B. Hedrick, & Michelle Gress
Departments
The Editor ReflectsTom ErbBeyond Test Scores: Reading for Life
NMSA in ActionInformation about what's going on at NMSA and with NMSA affiliates and members.
Copyright © 2008 by National Middle School Association

Egypt’s Valley of the Kings

Egypt’s Valley of the Kings is the theme for the September issue of DIG.

The September issue of DIG is now available in the BMMS Library Media Center in print. Also find the articles in EBSCO Primary Search. To access the articles click here. Access to EBSCO Primary Search is provided to all New Yorkers through NOVEL [New York Virtual Electronic Library]. See Ms. Levine for the passwords for 24/7 access.

Find the teachers guide to this issue.

Dig is a publication of Carus Publishing, well known for high quality magazines written for children (Cobblestone, Calliope, Faces, etc.)

Online access to earlier issues of all Carus magazines is available in Cobblestone Online. See Ms. Levine for the passwords.

Cyberbullying

Bullying is an unacceptable behavior. We see it often enough in our schools but what does it look, feel and sound like when the bullying occurs online? Cyberbullying has features that are unique given its context. To learn more about cyberbullying consider the following resources.

For information on cyberbullying, check out this recent article Cyberbullying Dissected - 10/1/2008 2:10:00 PM - School Library Journal. "Shaheen Shariff tackles the nuanced subject of cyberbullying in her book, Cyber-bullying: Issues and Solutions for the School, the Classroom and the Home (Routledge, 2008). We asked her how educators can work with students, and within their own communities, to stem this troubling concern."

Stop Cyberbullying provides information and resources to learn about the issue. The site helps us to think about the questions/components: definitions; understanding cyberbully; prevention; taking action; the law.

Dealing with Cyberbullies: "Bullies are now taking advantage of technology to intimidate and harass their victims. Dealing with cyberbullying can be difficult, but there are steps you can take." Hosted by the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team in their Cyber Security Tip ST06-005

The Future is Now with E-Books!!

New E-books have "arrived" at BMMS.

What is an e-book, you may ask?

E-books are books that are published electronically in one of many formats.
Our e-books

• are accessible via the Internet and there are some features of these e-books that make them particularly attractive to teachers and their students.
• are accessible in school and/or from home (or any remote location).
• can be used by unlimited simultaneous users, so an entire class can access the same e-book (even the same page) at the same time in a lab environment. You can teach an entire class to search for information in the e-book, and teach with the content. In fact, you might view the e-books as electronic textbooks to supplement your traditional text.
• are incredibly searchable. Search one, all or a specified combination of e-books for best effect using the Google style search.
• have great tools and features. The articles can be printed, emailed and embedded in a Power Point presentation or webpage (and projected on a screen).
• can be used to teach higher level thinking, vocabulary strategies, paraphrasing, notetaking, and content.
• are written primarily for middle school students.
  

What ebooks do we own? Titles introduce articles, and images about science, history, literature, popular culture, the twentieth century, fashion, and more. To see a list of our e-books, follow the link: Gale Virtual Reference Library, and click on Show All.
Our newest titles include: Alternative Energy, Biology, Biotechnology; Changing Life Through Science, Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America ,Harlem Renaissance, Reconstruction Era Reference Library, French and Indian War, Great Depression and New Deal Reference Library, Contemporary Poets, Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, and Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers.

Finding the e-books is simple for students. Begin with opening Internet Explorer. Start at the BMMS website. Select Online Databases and GVRL (Gale Virtual Reference Library). These resources are password protected, so using them from home requires logging in at our remote site for BMMS Home Access. All of the e-books are found in the OPAC, so students searching for "books" will also find the e-books. (OPAC can be searched via the Internet too!!)

So, take a look at these wonderful resources. If you would like a guided tour of one or more, please let me know. For additional assistance in using these and other library resources, please see me, or email me at your earliest convenience.

Teaching with and about books

Three great email based newsletters keep you abreast of new titles of interest to students and their teachers. Find suggestions for independent reading, thematic lists of titles, website recommendations, author websites, discussion guides, and so much more. Sign up is free and easy. These newsletters are made available to you by School Library Journal and TeachingBooks.net. Access the sign up at https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/subscribe.asp?screen=pi8

SLJ Extra Helping (Weekly)

You'll find Hot Picks, our latest reviews: Remarkable Reads, with read-alikes and other book suggestions: Librarian's Internet, Gail Junion-Metz's selection of a site not to be missed:TechTrends, to keep you ahead of the curve.

Curriculum Connections (Monthly)

What are the best resources to use in your classroom? Curriculum Connections reviews the latest books and other materials for children and young adults, links them to the curriculum, and offers expert advice on activities and programs to keep your students reading and learning.

SLJTeen (Twice a month)

This newsletter provides young adult librarians in public libraries, high school librarians, and high school teachers with the latest information about content for teens (books, graphic novels, anime, films, and games), technology (handheld hardware, social networking and other software), and teen consumer information.

Cornell Notetaking

Cornell Notetaking is a system of notetaking introduced years ago at Cornell University and widely promoted among colleges and universities today. It is a great tool for taking notes during a lecture, viewing, interview or seminar. It can be adapted to notetaking on a printout as well.

Resources for learning about the Cornelll system are available in our Professional Library in the BMMS library media center.

Template generators for Cornell notetaking sheets can be found at:
Cornell notetaking sheet template generator
http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/cornelllined/

http://www.eleven21.com/notetaker/

For additional information stop by the LMC.

Video for your classroom

Discovery Streaming is an online MEDIA streaming service. You may remember using United Streaming, a largely video streaming service provided to teachers across New York State several years ago. When the owners violated their contract with partner PBS, the service was curtailed.

Along with my 4 library colleagues in HHSD, I have lobbied the district administration to subscribe to United Streaming for your use. Until now, that effort was in vain.

Our former principal, John Sieverding, was receptive to the idea and has provided the funding for this school year only to subscribe to Discovery Streaming.

So, begin at my website, on the Online Databases page: http://www.henhudschools.org/libraries.cfm?subpage=100096 Find Discovery Streaming in the alphabetical listing of databases.

If you had/have an existing United Streaming user ID and password, use them to access your account.
If you are new to Discovery Streaming, use the generic login information that was in your mailbox. Create your own account by following the prompts.
If you need help, let me know.

What's in Discovery Streaming? Audio such as podcasts, video, images, teacher resources, and more.
Find tutorials, user guides and technical support within the program.

Is there interest in some sort of class to learn about Discovery Streaming? Let me know and I will try to organize something.

Remember that this is a one year deal. If these resources enhance your instructional program, please let the administrators know. Funding levels will need to be maintained at current levels to continue the subscription.