Story Time

Podcasts are an excellent source of information for learning and sharing. Educators and librarians are looking into podcasts now more than ever. Podcasts have a wide range of usage which make them even more popular. Listeners can tune in at home, in their car, at the office, park, or even while shopping for groceries. The possibilities are endless when you can stream or play podcasts through almost any electronic device that has a connection. There are tons of ways that you can access podcasts; Blogs, websites, radio stations, apps, and more. Whether you are looking for a good podcast to listen to, or wish to create one yourself, read below to find out my top picks. My top picks for podcast creators: Podbean Podbean is a free website/app. It is accessible through website or a downloadable app. Creating an account and registering is simple and free, you can also sign up through a Google account which is great. There is a free basic account, or you can upgrade for more featu

The history of cartoons and comics in the United States wasn't always fun and exciting. They were labeled as "bad" and having negative effects on young children and teens. They were frowned upon by the church and went against good family values.  Over the years, cartoons and comics have proved otherwise. Now, cartoons and comics have definitely flourished in the book world. They give children and young adults a different perspective on various subjects and genres. The following are different programs that educators can use to encourage students to learn as they read for fun.  Pixton https://www.pixton.com/ Types of Conflict in "The Book Thief" To begin with, the website is very inviting. It's colorful and easy to navigate through the home page, and you can register for free. Before you register, there is an option for educators, students, parents, or business. You can create an account using your Gmail (which is great for me because I lik

As educators and librarians, sometimes we need inspiration and examples to follow when creating helpful and interesting videos for our students and staff. The following YouTube channels provide a variety of videos from school libraries that are great examples to follow. YouTube (Channel):  Calypso Gilstrap https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNHSLibrary/videos (Most Helpful) How to Use EBSCOHost https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BezObVKkqOo&t=51s I found this video to be the most helpful for students since it teaches the process of how to navigate through EBSCOHost. This video gives students (middle to high school) a step-by-step guide on how to use the database, EBSCOHost, for research. (Student Favorite) Tiger Visits The Norman High Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeUhXLvFAi4 I found this video to most likely be a student favorite since it teaches students how to navigate through the library starring the school's mascot in full costume. The video gu