Booklist

This webinar is all about makerspaces. The webinar was sponsored by Booklist and occurred on October 8, 2013. It is hosted by University of Michigan School of Information professor Kristin Fontichiaro. There is also a panel of authors who contribute to the webinar, each having written a relevant book. The webinar discusses webinar culture. It first introduces listeners to the concept of makerspaces. It covers service learning makerspaces, makerspaces in schools, community maker culture, makerspaces in the public library, and why makerspaces are important and what they mean. Makerspaces are spaces where kids can come make and build things. They are currently becoming popular as they encourage creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning in kids. Makerspaces are a great way to support STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Aesthetics, Math) learning. Kids develop skills and are able to create or make something. The webinar was highly informative and it explained things well enough that even a viewer who knew little to nothing about makerspaces beforehand would be able to follow along and learn valuable ideas. Each presenter did discuss a book they had written or edited at the beginning of their portion and that book promotion did take away from the webinar’s overall appeal and usefulness. Nevertheless, the information and ideas presented in the webinar are extremely helpful and could provide librarians or teachers insights for bringing a makerspace to their organization.… (plus d'informations)

This webinar was presented four authors and publishing representatives who book talked titles that address effects of bullying and bullying prevention.

Emily Bazelon, author of the nonfiction book Sticks and Stones and Senior Editor at Slate, talks about how storytelling builds empathy for differences. She strongly recommends using discussion questions and asking why questions that encourage readers to consider the multiple perspectives involved. She provides links to discussion questions for her book and anti-bullying resources for parents, kids, and educators.

Cheryl Herman, Marketing director for Listening Library and Books on Tape, book talked several fiction audiobooks, including ones told from the bully’s point of view to help motivate reflection and change. Judy Galbraith, Founder and President of Free Spirit publishing, highlighted nonfiction titles that include resources for bystanders to safely become upstanders, and a title on cyberbullying written by a judge.

Finally, Carrie Gleason, an editor at Lorimer discussed a nonfiction middle school series that includes quizzes, Q & As, and myth busting about bullying. Lorimer books are distributed through Orca and include Hi Lo series for teens to address bullying.

Programming ideas for bullying prevention would have been an interesting aspect for this webinar to include. However, the webinar effectively showcases titles that will help librarians to create dynamic collections to support kids in building empathy and taking action against bullying.… (plus d'informations)

Booklist’s Creating a Makerspace Culture webinar, presented in the fall of 2013, featured several speakers, all Ann Arbor-based educators, authors and makerspace advocates. During the webinar, the concept of makerspaces was explained, the learning it supports, and some of the projects and technologies that can be used in a makerspace were described, like e-textiles, the computer system Raspberry Pi, 3-D printing, Arduino, and game design.
The most important takeaway to consider when understanding makerspaces are the ways in which they promotes STEAM, or science, technology, art/aesthetics and math. Projects in a makerspace can range anywhere from origami and crochet to building with circuitry and assembling your own computer with Raspberry Pi. It’s an opportunity for any adult to share their expertise with a child, learn from each other, and to expand that child’s understanding of the kinds of careers and educational paths that are possible for them in the future.
While overall informative and enjoyable, the significant amount of time spent to promoting books for purchase, while understandable, did cause the webinar lose steam at the very end. Regardless, Creating a Makerspace Culture is incredibly helpful for any educator, librarian, or adult working with children that wants to try to create a makerspace in their school, library, or community.… (plus d'informations)

Focusing on new nonfiction titles from World Book, this webinar from Booklists shows how publishers are creating new materials that specifically apply to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Materials for students of all ages are represented in a panel-style presentation with corresponding slides. One of the most intriguing products is a website for young learners that assists with reading skills while they learn nonfiction subjects. The books for older students incorporate multimedia aspects, like QR codes and URLs on pages that link to corresponding online material, though students may not find it easy to peruse the web content on their phones. While there is some overlap between the print and electronic content, the online content is much more thorough and useful than what has been available previously (i.e., access to more pictures and actual information instead of just a five-question quiz about the print content). World Book is a leading publisher of nonfiction materials for schools, and although the webinar plays out a bit like a sales pitch, the products presented could be viewed as standards by which teachers and librarians can evaluate books and materials from other companies. A Q&A segment at the end addresses questions about pricing. Recommended for teachers and librarians who are looking for informational texts to fit the CCSS.… (plus d'informations)