Over the summer and at the beginning of the school year, many of us just can’t walk away from the library world when we’re on vacation. As we sit down to m
orning coffee, we might see websites, articles and blog posts that we think might be of interest to others. Here are a few from the QSLiN group:
The following book is available for download: Digital Learning Strategies: How do I assign and assess 21st century work? According to the publisher’s description, Digital Learning Strategies “…explores what types of assignments are worth engaging online, how teachers and students can leverage global interactions to improve their work, and how teachers can assess digital projects and other work. Michael Fisher offers practical advice on rigor and relevance, digital citizenship, formative assessment, and digital portfolios.” Just click on the above link to access it, (Submitted by Suzanne Nesbitt)
Newsela.com is a website that provides news content for children ages 8 and up. It is free, and with a parent overseeing children’s registering for the website, students can have news stories emailed to them. There are also quizzes on the stories that can be used by teachers. Common Sense Media gives Newsela four out of five stars. This website is used widely in the United States as it supports the Common Core curriculum, but might be handy for a variety of subjects and research projects here in Quebec and Canada. It should be noted that the site does contain advertising.
If you’re looking for a research study that shows the effects of reading for pleasure on children as well as adults, here’s a useful literature review, Literature Review: The impact of reading for pleasure and empowerment. This study was published in the UK by The Reading Agency in June of 2015 and can be downloaded by clicking on the link above. The executive summary in the beginning of the document points out that the following effects of reading for pleasure were noted for children: “The majority of the research reviewed for this study related to this group, indicating a broader and stronger evidence base.The main outcomes reported were enjoyment, knowledge of the self and other people, social interaction, social and cultural capital, imagination, focus and flow, relaxation and mood regulation. Improvements in young children’s communication abilities and longer-term education outcomes were also reported for early years children.”
