k12 Online Conference 2009 - Around the World with Skype – Alrededor del Mundo con Skype

Posted by Durff on November 29, 2009 at 10:35am

Silvia Tolisano's presentation, Around the World with Skype or Alrededor del Mundo con Skype will go live on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 12:00:00GMT -->Time Where You ArePresentations for years 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 are on the k12Online blog. Check out the conference schedule --> Here.

Week 9 Brainypics Winners, 1 More Week Left!

Posted by Jack on November 29, 2009 at 6:30am

Here are 5 tough SAT vocab words, taught by our hilarious winners from last week's Brainypics contest. Some were Thanksgiving-themed, others were just flat-out hilarious. All can be enjoyed. :]P.S. - We had some really great submissions which we had to pass on because there was no source listed. Ooooffffff. Please remember to tell your students to show the source!

Congrats to Misfit1, Lsliker, Asentimentalman, AlbertWesker and Anna Ellis. And thanks again to everyone who participated!

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If you and your kids still want to win iTunes and get a shot at our $200 Grand prize, THIS IS OUR FINAL WEEK OF COMPETITION!Anyone can get involved. You just need to create a Brainypic at Brainyflix.com.Good luck, everybody! :D

Final Week of the Brainypics Competition :)

Posted by Jack on November 28, 2009 at 1:00pm

Hello teachers! I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving eating til your bellies bulged.

This is the final week of the Brainypics contest. We'll be picking the last 5 finalists who will compete for our $200 Grand Prize and win themselves iTunes songs. Ooooohhhhh~We won't be setting a special theme this week. Just get your kids to Brainypics that are funny and memorable. :] Getting started is easy (of course): http://Brainyflix.com.

k12 Online Conference 2009

Posted by Durff on November 28, 2009 at 12:02pm

The K12Online Conference 2009 is about to begin! So far this year we have enjoyed 3 LAN parties leading up to the main conference. The LAN parties featured past presenters, their presentations, and chat room hullabaloo. While this was all connecting and learning, the main event really gets me dancing! The preconference keynote goes live on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 12:00:00GMT --> Time Where You Are. This doesn't mean you have to be there the moment it goes live (although a bunch of us may be). The discussion of the preconference takes place on Friday December 4, 2009 from 1 - 2:30 am GMT --> Time Where You Are. That live event will take place at EdTechTalk with Kim Cofino live discussing the themes of her keynote with those participants in the chatroom. Of course, you may want to be there live, but if live intervenes, there will be a recording for later.Below is a conference flyer for you to print and disseminate at your school, church, workplace. The conference is totally free. One only needs the internet, a computer, and a way to listen. Many libraries where I live provide all of these to their patrons. Come join us at the k12Online Conference this year and begin to bridge the divide...K12_2page_09

Inquiry Circles Book Group

Posted by Beth Friese on November 25, 2009 at 3:58pm

Hi everyone. As some of you may have heard on twitter, we are putting together a book group for teacher librarians and other educators. For our first book, we've decided to read "Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action" by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels. This book matches our current professional focus on inquiry, and promises to give all of us some practical ideas to implement in our schools. We hope this book will be relevant to all librarians, regardless of your school level. Currently, this book is on sale from the publisher and offered with free shipping here: http://www.heinemann.com/products/E01230.aspx We are planning to read the book over the winter break. I haven't quite decided how the discussions will be structured. I'd love any suggestions you have about starting dates or other points such as: should we have a weekly synchronous chat? If so, where? Should there also be a discussion board where you can post anytime? What other modes of communication would enable a rich discussion? If you are interested in participating, please post your information here so I can keep you updated. In the mean time, order the book and get ready for some great conversation! Thanks, Beth Friese Twitter: @librarybeth

Your Thanksgiving Brainypics :)

Posted by Jack on November 23, 2009 at 12:30pm

Ohai. This week's Brainypics contest: THANKSGIVING! (What else?)Here are some examples to get you into the turkey (eating) spirit. :]

And you can start making pics at Brainyflix.

Brainypics: Week 8 Winners

Posted by Jack on November 23, 2009 at 6:03am

Hi-yo! Here are 5 tough SAT vocab words, taught by our hilarious winners from last week's "Brainypics About Brainypics" contest. As always, choosing them was very tough cause our users are funnaaaay.

You can thank Elgringoalex, Insomniacmushroom, Ipopstar, Ez Mac + Rice + Anna, and Jberestovoy for the lols. Well done, well done. :]

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Feeling "emoticon sadface" because your students' Brainypic was not picked? Do they still want to win iTunes and compete for our $200 grand Prize?We still have 2 more weeks of competition left! This week's contest: Thanksgiving (what else). Give us your funniest Brainypics with a Turkey Day theme.Get gobblin' at Brainyflix.com.

ISTE Webinar: Library Media Marketing Through Easy Animation

Posted by gwyneth jones on November 18, 2009 at 6:29am

NEW! ISTE SIGMS Webinar Promoting your library media center and program has never been easier. Using quick, free, and easy animation studios teacher librarians can create engaging videos to market their media center, databases, research resources, special programs, and their love of reading to students, teachers, and the community. Combining easy animation with a wiki, website, or a blog your message will captivate your audience and reach beyond the brick and mortar walls of your school. Join us Dec 10th at 8pm! Details on where to tune in coming soon! Feel free to embed or pass along to any you think might be interested! Here's the YouTube Version:

Week 8 Contest: Brainypics About Brainypics

Posted by Jack on November 17, 2009 at 7:30am

This week’s Brainypics theme is: Brainypics About BrainypicsWe got this idea from some really funny users. Basically, you create Brainypics with sentences that refer to other Brainypics, you as the creator, the Brainyflix website, etc. We want you to get "self-referential".Why participate? Because between now and Dec. 7, we'll be picking 5 Brainypics vocab flashcards every week which will compete for our $200 Grand Prize. Oh yeah, and we're giving out iTunes songs along the way to our most prolific contributors.You can get started immediately by going to Brainyflix.com.

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:57pm

Couldn't put this one down and so compelling too! Jennifer Harris is 9 years old, fat and a social outcast and recalling a scary time when she was at her best friend, Cameron Quick's (LOVE HIS NAME)house without permission and his father is yelling and scary and lots of other things. Fast forward to Jennifer at 17 and she is now Jenna Vaughn, pretty, thin, funny, with lots of friends and a boyfriend of 3 months, Ethan. But Jenna Vaughn's carefully constructed world is about to fall apart when Cameron Quick (who she thought was DEAD) comes walking back into her life. So begins the saga of Jennifer and Cameron, his sudden death/disappearance, her happy family and his non-family. Cameron is drop dead handsome now and Jenna's friends want him, but so does Jenna--doesn't she? This will be going into one of those sad, depressing books categories but I loved the depth of feeling in Cameron and Jenna,of and her mom's husband, Alan-- especially when all of her friends seemed so superficial and her mother doesn't have a clue. I loved Jenna's final chapter about Cameron where she says Still, by the time I've had my share of boyfriends, I discover that even the ones I truly love never bring on the same kind of feeling that I get when I think about Cameron. In the end, I decide that the mark we left on each other is the color and shape of love. That's the unfinished business between us. Because love, love is never finished." A must read, tugged at my heartsrings!!!

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:57pm

Couldn't put this one down and so compelling too! Jennifer Harris is 9 years old, fat and a social outcast and recalling a scary time when she was at her best friend, Cameron Quick's (LOVE HIS NAME)house without permission and his father is yelling and scary and lots of other things. Fast forward to Jennifer at 17 and she is now Jenna Vaughn, pretty, thin, funny, with lots of friends and a boyfriend of 3 months, Ethan. But Jenna Vaughn's carefully constructed world is about to fall apart when Cameron Quick (who she thought was DEAD) comes walking back into her life. So begins the saga of Jennifer and Cameron, his sudden death/disappearance, her happy family and his non-family. Cameron is drop dead handsome now and Jenna's friends want him, but so does Jenna--doesn't she? This will be going into one of those sad, depressing books categories but I loved the depth of feeling in Cameron and Jenna,of and her mom's husband, Alan-- especially when all of her friends seemed so superficial and her mother doesn't have a clue. I loved Jenna's final chapter about Cameron where she says Still, by the time I've had my share of boyfriends, I discover that even the ones I truly love never bring on the same kind of feeling that I get when I think about Cameron. In the end, I decide that the mark we left on each other is the color and shape of love. That's the unfinished business between us. Because love, love is never finished." A must read, tugged at my heartsrings!!!

Retaliation by Yasmin Shiraz

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:54pm

Retaliation by Yasmin Shiraz had my heart pumping the whole time I read it. Now I understand why it received 2009 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers! What would you do if someone you loved was senselessly targeted, beaten up and left for dead? This is the premise of this book and what happens continues to reverberate through each chapter. People's lives are changed (Sheila Odom and her son Khalil who was in a gang and now spends his days in a wheelchair)--- they jump to conclusions that are unwarranted and they want justice and they don't care as long as Tashera who was beaten by a group of girls who are disguised, doesn't suffer anymore and is vindicated whether it be a beatdown on one of the girls who commandeered her friends to beat, kick and assault Tahsera. They run away when help comes from Ashe, an EMT who saw and heard it from a nearby building. Each chapter involves some other person who has been drawn into this nightmare....I purchased three for my library and they are all out in students hands, I think it will continue to generate buzz and also hopefully some sensible conversation about the CHOICES many of these characters make....

Stitches by David Small

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:51pm

First of all, I love David Small as an illustrator and author, especially his children's book, Imogene's Antlers, and I think he illustrated the book written by his wife, The Gardener (Not sure of the title) and my idea was this was one happy man. Stitches totally blew me out of the water with his horrendous childhood graphically depicted (a graphic biography)and the fact that he was able to overcome his family dysfunction. Small's words and drawings are superb in what they show and don't show and what they say and don't say all from a child's viewpoint through to his adulthood. His mother was an angry woman who didn't speak much, but banged around the pots and pans or slammed doors. His father was a doctor who came home and hit a punching bag in their basement. His brother banged on his drums. David tells us he was a sickly child, an inquisitive child, and a nervous child. He loves Alice in Wonderland, fantasy and above all else, drawing. When a growth is discovered in his neck, it takes his parents three and a half years to get it looked at and by the time it is operated on, it is cancerous, something his parents decide not to tell him. He wakes up in a hospital with stitches gaping down his neck and he is less one vocal chord. Life doesn't get much better for a teen with no voice, but David hangs in and with the salvation of a therapist (drawn as the White Rabbit) David is able to overcome. A great story of redemption about a truly great artist and his love of drawing.

I Heart You You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:48pm

I just love novels in verse and Ava has just lost her boyfriend, Jackson in a freak accident. She feels responsible and is now "feeling" he is still with her. The spare words are perfect in describing Ava's profound love for Jackson. She has a strong support system with family and friends but wants to just "sleep" or stay close to home to be with him. I ached for her desolation, loved her friends for supporting her and rooted for her to find happiness and peace without Jackson.

I Heart You You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:48pm

I just love novels in verse and Ava has just lost her boyfriend, Jackson in a freak accident. She feels responsible and is now "feeling" he is still with her. The spare words are perfect in describing Ava's profound love for Jackson. She has a strong support system with family and friends but wants to just "sleep" or stay close to home to be with him. I ached for her desolation, loved her friends for supporting her and rooted for her to find happiness and peace without Jackson.

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:46pm

Alice lost her mom to cancer many years ago, dad remarries and Alice feels he doesn't spend enough time with her and now she has a half sister, Ivy. Spending time with her boyfriend, Blaze, going to church with her best friend and playing her guitar, Alice is doing her best to live life and remember her mom's awesomeness. A Thanksgiving trip to visit relatives changes abruptly as a snowstorm strands Alice, her stepmother and baby, Ivy. I loved Alice's pluck and determination, her teen moodiness and drama, and her reawakened sense that change is good and she wants to share herself with this new family. I loved this novel in verse and highly recommend it.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:44pm

Ouch, this book hurts. I put off reading it for a long time because of the content and I am not usually like that. Also, I have so enjoyed Elizabeth Scott's books up to this point and this one is so totally different. Alice, is a living dead girl, abducted at age ten and brutalized over and over by Ray for the last five years, and now as we read her story, past and present---she really is a living dead girl, a robot who suffers at the hands of the nastiest pedophile you will ever want to meet. It really makes you afraid to let your children out of your sight, ever....A compelling read, but one I would have definitely preferred not to experience.....

Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:41pm

James likes to rant and rave against society's ills---hence the title---he wants all cars gone because of the damage they do,his father doesn't understand him at all and wants to buy him a car for college. James is not even thinking of college. I liked the way the reader can see all of James' anger, angst,humor and wisecracks. We see his Sadie, sweet, concerned, active and passionate about her causes. James' writing is great, so many of the papers he submits to his teacher are hilarious and his teacher's comments show he knows how to get masterpeices from James time and time again. Where his exgrilfriend Sadie is concerned, James is still totally in love with her, it is James' anger, negativity and mean spirit that ended their relationship before, but time has passed, James sees an opening when Sadie and her current boyrfiend break up and even though he crashed and burned before, James knows he will ineveitably be with Sadie again. But how will Sadie & James be, how will James be when he is with Sadie? Totally different from Paranoid Park, but I enjoy Blake Nelson's books and he gets teens with all of their baggage.

Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson

Posted by bj neary on November 15, 2009 at 12:41pm

James likes to rant and rave against society's ills---hence the title---he wants all cars gone because of the damage they do,his father doesn't understand him at all and wants to buy him a car for college. James is not even thinking of college. I liked the way the reader can see all of James' anger, angst,humor and wisecracks. We see his Sadie, sweet, concerned, active and passionate about her causes. James' writing is great, so many of the papers he submits to his teacher are hilarious and his teacher's comments show he knows how to get masterpeices from James time and time again. Where his exgrilfriend Sadie is concerned, James is still totally in love with her, it is James' anger, negativity and mean spirit that ended their relationship before, but time has passed, James sees an opening when Sadie and her current boyrfiend break up and even though he crashed and burned before, James knows he will ineveitably be with Sadie again. But how will Sadie & James be, how will James be when he is with Sadie? Totally different from Paranoid Park, but I enjoy Blake Nelson's books and he gets teens with all of their baggage.

Brainypics: Funniest Photo Winners

Posted by Jack on November 15, 2009 at 10:12am

Here are the 10 "Funniest Photo" Winners. You'll notice that we have an affinity for picking Brainypics where the creators weren't afraid of getting a bit goofy (kinda like us). Enjoy!

Congrats to Maddio28, Drewprice11, Sarahskewl, Countrymusiclover, Isaac12, Bsaia, A. Damitz, B. Rudy, E. Knezz, and C. Vandersnick for these Brainypics. And thanks again to everyone who participated by creating, voting and leaving comments.If you'd still like a chance to win iTunes and compete for our $200 Grand Prize, we've got 3 more weeks of our Brainypics contests left! This week's theme: Brainypics about Brainypics. Click here to learn more. :]

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Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.