Library focuses on digital literacy

by Amanda Bohman, News Miner

Melissa Harter, the new digital literacy librarian, teared up as she told the story. The task of finding the obituary was easy for Harter, who is well-versed in the digital world, but for many people, even in 2015, the Internet is a mystery. It’s Harter’s job to guide them. The daughter of a journalist, the 50-year-old mother of two is passionate about helping people find information. The library created the new digital literacy position in September after noticing a need. “People will buy their first laptop. They come in. They are not sure where to start,” Harter said. “You have to be ready to drop something at any moment and help people.” Those who need a digital literacy guide include job seekers, elders who want to take an online course and students working on a research project.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/library-focuses-on-digital-literacy/article_bb8fce6a-a6f2-11e5-a766-9bf30ec09ac8.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14619

15 Tips and Tools for Teaching Grammar

By Kristen Hicks, Edudemic

Who doesn’t love grammar? Well, most people as it turns out. The subject is often regarded as tedious by students, if not also by many teachers. Learning a set of rules that should govern the language you already thought you knew can be frustrating work. Some of that comes from the subject itself, but some if it has to do with how grammar has been traditionally taught. Memorizing parts of speech and the proper rules for using each one just isn’t the most fascinating of tasks. Educators are nothing if not creative though, and some have been working to find more innovative, entertaining, and effective ways to teach grammar to students. Here are a few ideas and resources that can help you make one of the most dreaded classroom subjects one that students actually look forward to.

http://www.edudemic.com/15-tips-tools-teaching-grammar/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14473

Khan Academy Releases All Classes for iPad

by Michael Foster, Khan Academy

For the first time ever, Khan Academy has released all of its classes specifically for the iPad. Khan Academy has positioned itself as a stopgap for people who are being failed by their education system. While the site is great for self-study, often it’s being used by students who are being let down by their teachers. When lessons are confusing, fail to cover the material adequately, or assume knowledge that students lack, they can go to Khan Academy and fill in the gaps that their education system has thrust on them. Further distribution and simplification will only help Khan Academy shore up the holes in otherwise lacking educational programs, which is why the iPad release is such a big deal. Additionally, the growing popularity of teaching by tablet around the world means that more teachers will likely resort to teaching lessons through Khan Academy instead of through costly and often lackluster textbooks. This will save schools money, it will make the education process more efficient, and it will likely make more students learn to love learning.

http://www.allvoices.com/article/100003270

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/gbrOtB06U94/