All the latest free professional development opportunities have been added to our feature page here:
Be sure to bookmark it and check back monthly for updates!
The post 53 Free October Webinars for Librarians appeared first on OEDB.org.
Wearable technology has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past few years and has finally reached the consumer. Although not yet at the tipping point with the mainstream user, early adopters and the tech-savvy are certainly taking advantage of these smart devices. iLibrarian’s readers are always on the cutting-edge of new tech developments, so let’s find out which of these new devices you’ll be embracing over the next year or two?
The post Which Wearable Technology Will You Be Adopting? appeared first on OEDB.org.
One of the best parts of the new semester is shopping for all of the geeky gear that’s available for students (and teachers!) Here are 15 suggestions of truly geeky back to school supplies.
Every student needs a bag that shows their personality and pop culture preferences and these are all great choices. But if you don’t see one you like, check out 40+ more geeky bags here!
1) Star Wars Darth Vader Lunch Bag with Sound
Represent the Dark Side with this Sith Lord lunch bag which makes Vader’s signature sound effect.
2) Aperture Laboratories 80’s Logo Messenger Bag
If you’re a Portal fan, this Aperture Laboratories sling bag is perfect to carry all of your testing supplies, I mean school books!
3) Firefly Kaylee-Inspired Messenger Bag
With two side pockets, two pockets under the front flap, and four small pockets that line the interior, this is the best messenger bag in the ‘Verse! Based on Kaylee’s coveralls in Firefly.
The hoodie is a fundamental item in every student’s wardrobe. And there are now many geeky creations to choose from.
Gamer geeks everywhere will want one of these Connor Kenway jacket hoodies. Available in 3 different colors, the garment is not guaranteed to increase stealth or stamina.
Billed as “What the High Council wears on casual Fridays”, this stylish hoodie is sure to impress Dr. Who fans everywhere.
6) Captain America Men’s Fleece Hoodie
Marvel fans assemble for this stylish yet comfortable hoodie jacket!
7) Star Trek The Next Generation Uniform Hoodie
We can’t have a Star Wars-inspired item on this list without also mentioning these amazing Star Trek: The Next Generation hoodies. Make it so!
8.) Mimibot Pop Culture Flash Drives
Mimoco creates USB flash drives inspired by pop culture, artists, or legendary figures such as Albert Einstein. Sizes range between 8GB – 64 GB for these adorable drives.
9) The Smartphone And Tablet Virtual Keyboard
This futuristic Bluetooth device projects a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface. It will connect to most any Bluetooth-enabled device including iPad, iPhone and most laptops.
This amazing pen will bring your imagination to life by creating actual 3D objects as you draw them! Check out this brief video for a demonstration:
Who eats more ramen than students? The answer is no one!!! Which is why this iPad and iPhone dock made of a bowl of ramen is the perfect addition to any student’s school supplies.
12) Star Trek Borg Cube Fridge
The perfect appliance for any dorm room, this Borg Cube will cool all of your food collective-ly! As a big Star Trek fan, I personally will be ordering one of these for my own home!
13) The NASA Sleep Promoting Light Bulb
For the space fan who wants to get a good night’s sleep. This hi-tech bulb is used by NASA to help astronauts sleep in space by encouraging the production of melatonin.
14) The Caffeine Craver’s Colossal Coffee Cup
And for those times when you don’t want to sleep, this giant coffee cup that holds 20 servings is guaranteed to keep you up! Great for those all-night study sessions!!!
15) The Barisieur Coffee Brewing Alarm Clock
What’s guaranteed to wake up students first thing in the morning? Coffee being brewed while their alarm clock is going off!! This one is genius!
The post 15 Geeky Back-to-School Supplies appeared first on OEDB.org.
This morning I’ll be presenting at the SLA-NY conference on 15 Free Technologies for Libraries. I’ve been using each of these technologies for a number of years and currently use them in my library and for teaching. Here’s my entire presentation:
Read the full post 15 Free Technologies for Libraries on OEDB.org.
This is a roundup post filled with articles, videos, and even Pinterest boards with tips on how to get published in the academic world. Are you a first-time or aspiring author? These resources will provide you with strategic advice for breaking into the academic publishing arena.
Read the full post 25 Great Resources for Breaking into Academic Publishing on OEDB.org.
Each semester I try to incorporate interactive tools into my teaching to keep my students engaged and interested. One such technology that I found free and easy to use for all involved was polling software.
Last semester, I held a “game show” night in which I challenged my students on their knowledge of the library indexes and databases that they learned about the week before. Winners of each poll question received a prize in the form of chocolate, candy, or some sort of fun trinket I picked up at Party City before class. The class was a huge success – not only did my students have a great time, but they demonstrated to me that they had actually retained one of the more critical lessons of the semester.
Game Night with Poll Everywhere
If you’d like to integrate polling into your classroom, check out these tools:
Poll Everywhere – This is the polling software that I use for my classroom and also to present at conferences and events. You can easily set up polls and deploy them from a desktop computer or your smartphone. Participants can use their desktops, smartphones to text in their answers, or even tweet their responses on Twitter! Results display in real-time in a beautiful interface for all to see.
PollDaddy – Probably the best known polling software on the Web, PollDaddy offers the ability to create beautiful polls, view results in eye-catching pie and bar charts, export results, and more. There is also a Polldaddy Polls and Ratings plugin for WordPress if you’d like to incorporate them into your blog. I’ve been using these polls for years and have not been disappointed yet. Here are the results of just one of the many polls I’ve taken of iLibrarian readers:
iLibrarian poll results with PollDaddy
Read the full post Polling the Classroom: 4 Free Polling Tools to Keep Students Engaged on OEDB.org.
The last month of the summer was chock-full of library and information stories ranging from articles about special collections, eBooks, library robots, and Legos to digital citizinship, makerspaces, and gamified instruction! Check out these 48 posts, infographics, and articles to get you caught up on what’s happening in the LIS world.
Read the full post 48 Library Stories You May Have Missed in August on OEDB.org.
It’s that time of year again when we all need to get back on track and start to get focused. But with all of the many distractions online that can prove difficult. Here are five applications that can help.
Cost: $4.99
Device Compatibility: Phone, iPad and Mac
The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity method in which you break down tasks into 25 minute sessions or pomodori during which you work solely on that task and then take a 3-5 minute break once the time period is complete. Following 4 pomodori a longer break of 15-30 minutes is taken. The FocusTime app supports those using the Pomodoro Technique through timers and graphs of progress and completed work.
Read the full post Stay Focused! 5 Tools to Avoid Distractions on OEDB.org.
All the latest free professional development opportunities have been added to our new feature page here:
Be sure to bookmark it and check back monthly for updates!
The post 48 Free September Webinars for Librarians appeared first on OEDB.org.
What better way to teach people – both young and old – about great literature than to intrigue them with a captivating Lego display? These Lego creations each depict scenes from well-known classic and modern works of literature.
These legos traverse the seven circles of Hell.
Glaucus and Circe chilling out.
The port city of Grey Havens comes alive in this intricate creation.
Capt Ahab and crew take their best shot at the famous white whale.
Read the full post 7 Scenes from Great Literature in Legos on OEDB.org.