Books Archives - Page 4 of 14

Published September 4, 2012

Not As It Seems: Tales of Disguise and Deception

Spy stories grab readers with their action and suspense. Below are recommendations of good gripping tales for students of all ages. Perhaps one of these stories will be the book for a book report or for fun reading when homework is done. Enjoy! Spy School (grades 3-5) When Ben Ripley learns he’s been recruited to the C.I.A.’s top secret Academy of Espionage, it sounds too good to be true – and it is! The Black Paw (Spy Mice #1) (grades 4-6) At the International Spy Museum, Oz Levinson befriends mouse superspy Glory, to foil the plans of both human and…

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Published August 28, 2012

Top 10 Bookshare Tips for Back-to-School

Many educators working with students with print disabilities seek new ideas to motivate their students to read more. Giving students individual memberships, according to multiple anecdotal reports, does encourage independent reading, change students’ view of their ability to learn, and improve self-esteem, among many other benefits. From teachers around the country, we’ve gathered a list of ten top tips that have worked to get students to start reading more. Perhaps you’ll want to try some of these! Before Back-to-School night, print individual membership forms for all your students. Then at Back-to-School night, get parents to sign them. Gather the forms…

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Published August 14, 2012

Are You Using Open Educational Resources (OER)?

Open Educational Resources (OER) are digital teaching materials that can be used freely by anyone. They are published under creative commons licenses which allow uses of materials that would not be permitted with materials published under traditional copyrights. As free digital teaching resources, many schools, districts, community colleges, universities, and some states are beginning to use and adopt them instead of textbooks. However, just because OER are digital, they are not necessarily accessible. Several OER publishers including CK-12, Flat World Knowledge, Connexions and Curriki, recognize that their formats are not accessible to all students and contribute files to Bookshare for…

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Published August 2, 2012

A Computer Science Degree to a Job with Bookshare

I learned about Bookshare in 2004 just before my senior year of high school. Bookshare wasn’t free for qualified students back then, so I paid for my first subscription with money I received for my high school graduation. I joined six weeks before I started college, knowing I would need as many sources of accessible materials as possible. While there weren’t many textbooks, I thought I would find materials that would help with research papers. However, another use was rather surprising. For a political science class, I was required to read the newspaper, e.g. The New York Times, several times…

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Published July 5, 2012

Planning a Trip with Bookshare

The communication below from Bookshare member Gayle Yarnall, recently retired from The Perkins School for the Blind, inspired a blog about planning a trip with Bookshare. A year ago, almost exactly, we booked tickets for a retirement trip to Paris, and six months after that we booked an apartment through VRBO.com. Now it was up to me to plan the trip. For me, one of the best things about planning a trip is reading all I can about where I am going. You could read books about Paris, by Paris writers and about people who wrote about Paris for the…

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Published June 28, 2012

Fun Summer Titles for Adults

Any game players? My Life as a Night Elf Priest – Examines an online community the size of Ohio – the players of World of Warcraft. Bestsellers for the beach and beyond: Calico Joe – John Grisham’s latest novel follows the divergent paths of Joe Castle, a rookie hitter for the Chicago Cubs, and Warren Tracey, a hard-throwing Mets pitcher. It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership – Colin Powell, one of America’s most admired public figures, reveals the principles that have shaped his life and career in this inspiring and engrossing memoir. Maine – Three generations of…

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Published June 28, 2012

Fun Summer Titles for Kids

Try these stories about games: Gollywhopper Games – Twelve-year-old Gil Goodson competes against thousands of other children at extraordinary puzzles, stunts, and more in hopes of a fresh start for his family. Goblins Don’t Play Video Games (Bailey School Kids #37)– Could the new computer teacher be the king goblin in Melody’s video game? The Summer Olympics are next month. Get in the mood with these stories: Buzz Beamer’s Radical Olympics – Buzz offers wacky suggestions for new summer Olympic sports Hour of the Olympics (Magic Tree House #16)– No girls allowed at the ancient Olympics! What will Jack…

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Published June 28, 2012

Fun Summer Titles for Teens

Justin Bieber’s Own Story: First Step 2 Forever: My Story. By Justin Bieber. “It’s a big, big world It’s easy to get lost in it…” -Justin Bieber, “Up”. I love those lines in the lyrics. Sometimes I feel like that’s what everyone’s expecting. Fun stories about video games and gadgets: Attack of the Video Villains (Hardy Boys #106) – Joe, Frank and Chet attend a national Hack Attack tournament in New York City and get involved in a deadly video game mystery! Daniel X: Game Over – A duo of evil extraterrestrials is plotting to control kids around the…

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Published June 27, 2012

GoogleServe Volunteers Write Image Descriptions

On June 14, Google invited Bookshare to participate in their annual GoogleServe volunteerism week. We were warmly welcomed by Googlers, Seth Marbin and Kat Pham-Ouyang, who set us up in a computer lab. Before I had read through the instructions, our highly astute group of volunteers had already registered on the Poet image description tool and delved into the guidelines. Nineteen Google employees participated in the highly successful event (two remotely). In just four hours, Google volunteers wrote over 1,200 descriptions for images in four different text books! With the great success of this event, we plan to host many…

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Published June 5, 2012

Summer Crafts and Activities

Summertime is a great time to show off your creativity and try new things – especially when you can make them from old things! Here are some books which might spark your imagination and get fun new projects rolling with your family. What Can You Do With An Old Red Shoe? A Green Activity Book About Reuse by Anne Alter. In this “green” craft book, children can appreciate that recycling is a part of everyday life, and with a little creativity, exciting projects are only a few steps away. Turn a worn flip-flop into an art stamp, a ripped shower…

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Category: Books