Pro/Con database for all your controversial issue needs

ProCon.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is "Promoting education, critical thinking, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan primarily pro-con format."

Just click on the site links to go to specific controversial issues databanks. If you would like to suggest topics there is a link for new topics and topics in current development. Procon links with high schools throughout the United States. Check out the "In the Classroom" link or use the "In the News" link to go directly to media references.

Big Think: How to brainstorm for your senior project

Big Think is a forum on issues related to

• arts and culture
  


• science



• history



• media



• philanthropy (charitable works)



• rest and diversions (sports, hobbies, leisue)



• politics



• the world
  

This is the place to get information from professionals and academics. Get ideas for your senior project topics. Add ideas to the forum and meet authors and experts in every field. http://www.bigthink.com/

Google Custom Search Engine/GHCHS Collaboration Archives

Google custom search engine is a way to create a unique list of websites centered on a particular topic. Students and teachers can add websites to the search engine to build an easy, accessible grouping of online links. Custom search engines allow students to go beyond just Google, or Yahoo and allows them to choose and evaluate how well websites meet their information needs.

We have linked a new section to both the original GHCHS website and this virtual learning commons blog. Check the sidebar and look for "GHCHS Collaboration Archive"

All collaborative research projects from 2007-2008 are available listed by teacher(s), subject area tags, and title of project

Are you a critic?

Teenagers can be the best judges of "teen literature" and publishers are willing to let you be the judge of great books for young adults.

HarperCollins Publishers announces First Look Teen, a program to preview books in a variety of genres, with readers who make a difference – you!Each month, HarperCollins will offer Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) of great books by fabulous authors that you will have the opportunity to review. Reviewers are selected at random, but you must enter the program to be eligible. Join First Look Teen now – the sign up will take approximately two minutes.

IGoogle

Give us twenty minutes and we can help you create your own personal information space with IGoogle. This space can allow all members of the GHCHS community the opportunity to centralize information in oneplace.

You can

• design your own unique IGoogle page


• insert gadgets to help you organize your day (calendars, to-do lists, calculators)


• link to live online homework help


• link to all your teachers' websites


• get immediate information on colleges, great books, scholarships, and more.

Sessions are available in the library Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. -4:30 p.m. Teachers who would like to bring classes, please feel free to contact the library and schedule time via EMS calendar.

IF YOU ALREADY HAVE IGOOGLE AND WOULD LIKE TO COACH STUDENTS AND STAFF IN BUILDING THEIR OWN SPACES, PLEASE COME TO THE LIBRARY. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR EXPERTISE.

Free Books

Want to get free books just for reading for pleasure. Earn Free Books from YA Books Central!

YA and Childrens' books central has reading contests and promotions. Students can earn books for their personal libraries, and teachers can earn book for their classroom libraries. It's an easy way to read books, write quick reviews and join a national reading community.

http://www.yabookscentral.com/cfusion/index.cfm?fuseAction=home.contests

The Grouchy Cafe

Great name. great site.

The Grouchy Cafe is a discussion board for young adult literature divided into themes such as diaries, fitting in, healing, meeting challenges.

Somewhere in this site will be a book that you will find interesting.

CLICK ON THE GROUCHY PEOPLE TO ENTER

Reading Wonderland

There are a lot of bibliophiles out there who love to read, love to discuss books, and love it when they find a kindred spirit.

Book Spot is for us with numerous online book clubs, chats, new releases news, literary magazines, and discussion groups, international prize winners and audio books

http://www.bookspot.com/

Bibme

Easybib works great...but if you want to be able to keep your bibliography and revise it as you do your research, you have to pay Easybib a fee.

Bibme is a free service that allows you to create MLA and APA styles bibliographies that you can save and access at anytime. Bibme also has methods to look up books and journal articles and downloads quick citations. At the bottom of the screen, Bibme will also alert you to other resources that you may want to include in your research.

It's easy to build, easy to download into MS WORD and simple to change so you can get citations for books, video, journals, etc. You can also share your bibliography with colleagues in group projects or even build a class bibliography to help everyone with their research on a particular subject.

Write, Share, Revise, Compare

Many students will be working on group projects. Often it is difficult to find time outside class to work with colleagues on their research notes, and the organization of your project.

Writeboard Collaboration (http://www.writeboard.com/) gives students a central web location to work together on projects without worrying about trying to e-mail documents or find other students during the school day to check facts, data, and ideas.

You can see your group's cumulative work and use contributions to build better, more innovative ideas for your group project.

Writeboard makes it easy to...

• Write without fear of losing or overwriting a good idea Compare different versions of a document
• Collaborate with colleagues on copy, proposals, memos, etc.
• Subscribe to documents via RSS and be notified of changes
• Keep your writings organized with Backpack integration

Get answers to your math questions: Ask Dr. Math

Here is a site that may help you understand specific math concepts and equations.

Try going to the Drexel Math Forum. You can choose math by level, ask Dr. Math a question, get homework help, see similar math problems and get step-by-step solutions.

If Hotmath does not support your particular math textbook, this is good quick option.

http://mathforum.org/students/

X Timeline

I found an interesting collaboration tool for you (and it's free). X timeline allows one or more people to create a comprehensive linked timeline covering any variety of subjects.

The good thing is that the timelines can be shared online so you can create a timeline or research project that can be worked on collaboratively by more than one student. Because the program is web sourced, you don't have to worry about students being forced to e-mail attachments back and forth to each other.

Students can work on the project at home, or in the library before school, during lunch and afterschool. Students can work simultaneously communicating changes and revisions from two different computers.http://www.xtimeline.com/Here is the link. Search through the system for sample timelines

Learn Vocabulary...Feed the Hungry

Check out this awesome vocabulary game: Free Rice. For every correct answer you get to donate a handful of rice to the UN World Food program. Vocabulary building has never been so humanitarian (here's one of your first words)

Why Research Alone/ Collaborate

When students come to the school library to research projects they often do so in isolation. Consider changing the research process from the individual looking for content to a student-centered research community by building a custom Google search engine. Using this IGoogle gadget and the metasearch engines like Dogpile, classes can create a community search engine specifically designed for any research subject. Search engines can easily be added to any teacher or student IGoogle page for easy access.

Use Google Docs to help you write your personal essay

Many seniors will be working on personal essays as part of their admissions and scholarship applications for university. Why do it alone. Google docs communities can help students collaborate and offer critical support in the personal essay.
The Library Media center can help you build a Google docs community linked to your school e-mail. Upload drafts of your personal essays for others to read and review. Meet online to discuss writing techniques and the admissions process. Be a mentor or just call out for help. :)
Google docs can be accessed from any computer at home or at school.
(This post is the brainchild of Leslie Liberman)