
Robi Repository
Resources & updates from the Hudson High School media center
March 2022
Thank you HHS!
Meet Dr. Griffiths-Ward, our new media aide
Megan is an experienced researcher, having earned her PhD in Biology from Tufts University. From 2003 to 2015 Megan served as a research associate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. She was a university lecturer in South Africa, Germany, and most recently at Kent State University. Last year Megan and her husband published a book Problem Plants of Ohio.
Megan has always been a prolific reader. She particularly enjoys Young Adult fiction, which makes her a perfect fit for a high school library. Megan is a member of the Genreflections Young Adult Book Discussion Group at the Hudson Library & Historical Society. She has always wanted to work in a high school library where she can share her love of YA literature with teenagers.
Please stop by the media center and introduce yourself to Dr. Griffiths. You will be greeted with a (masked) smile! :-)
New display options in Gale
Our amazing Gale databases now offer an array of different view options, which aim to make articles more easily readable by students of all abilities. When viewing an article in a Gale database, users can select the Display Options icon to enact a dyslexic font, as well as alter the spacing of the lines, letters, and words. You can also add a color background to the article, which helps many users track the text more effectively.
Bring your classes to the media center
- A wide-open space with many tables. Great for group projects.
- An instructional space to accommodate 30+ students. This classroom has moveable desks, dry-erase walls, a Mac Mini computer, an Apple TV with projector, and speakers. We'll supply dry erase markers if you need a space for your students to brainstorm on the walls.
- A Digital Den with 14 brand-new Mac computers, two smart TVs (with Apple TVs), a large green screen for chroma key video recording, four Oculus Quest virtual reality headsets.
- A Collaboration Station where small groups can work together on projects. This room has two HDTVs with cables to connect iPads.
- A small-group study room with comfortable couches.
NoodleTools just got better
NoodleTools integrates very well with most of our databases, including Gale. As a student locates an article in a database, they can click the NoodleTools logo to instantly send the citation to their collection. I highly encourage teachers to use NoodleTools whenever their students are conducting research. It is so easy to use, and it takes the guesswork out of writing citations in the correct format. It even generates a works cited document that can be sent to Google Docs in a hot second.
Below is a link to a webinar that shows teachers how to take advantage of the features in NoodleTools. But you'd rather skip the webinar and come to me, I'd be most happy to get you and your classes going on your next research project!
New VR Expeditions now available
A company called RobotLAB is filling the void with a product called VR Expeditions 2.0. Using VR Expeditions, students view 360° images of a location chosen by their teacher. They hold VR ViewMaster goggles to their eyes and see the location from all sides as if they are standing there. The teacher directs the experience on a tablet and guides the students on the field trip. Teachers can read information on the tablet that describes what the students are seeing.
I recently obtained licenses for 10 student devices. If VR Expeditions become popular, I will look into increasing our collection to 30 devices. I encourage teachers to contact me this spring to arrange some VR field trips.
Below is a link to VR Expeditions available on the devices. You will be prompted for a password when accessing this site. Copy and paste this password: XK!sJ86sNq2Lt5d9 . You can then search for keywords on the list by typing CTRL+F (or CMD+F on iPad or Mac).
XK!sJ86sNq2Lt5d9
Recommend your favorite books to students
The media center has a new display of staff recommended books. Students are flocking to the display to discover which books are recommended by their favorite faculty and staff. To recommend a book (or two or three ...) please follow the link below.
We also have printed Staff Picks forms in the media center if you'd like to fill one out in person. Thank you for sharing the love of reading with our students. 🤓
Gale offers great resources for DEI and SEL
Gale recently added an impressive collection of topics in their For Educators resource that focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Social Emotional Learning. Educators can browse through the topics and easily assign them to their classes via Google Classroom. (There is a lot more that Gale in Context For Educators can do, and I would gladly meet with you to discuss the features.)
Each of these two areas contain lesson plans, journal articles, ebooks, magazine articles, videos, images, audio recordings, biographies, and so on.
The area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion contains the following topics:
- Identity
- Diversity
- Justice
- Action
- Contemporary activists
- Commemorative months and celebrations
The area of Social Emotional Learning contains the following topics:
- Self awareness
- Self management
- Social awareness
- Relationship skills
- Responsible decision making
The direct links to these resources can be found below. To sign into Gale in Context For Educators, simply click the Google sign-in button.
Please reach out to me if you would like to discuss these resources further or plan an integrated lesson.
iCloud.com
Checking your library account
- Click on the iSearch icon on the main library website.
- Select My Account in the top-right corner.
- For the User ID, type your 7-digit employee ID number.
- For the PIN, type your birthday in MMDD format. (Use four digits. Eg., April 9 is 0409.)
- Select the Checkouts tab to see your current loans.
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Contact Mr. Robitaille
Email: robitaia@hudson.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.hudson.k12.oh.us/domain/798
Location: Hudson, OH, USA
Phone: (330) 653-1412
Twitter: @aussieandrew
View past newsletters at https://www.hudson.k12.oh.us/Page/14764