LMNnews@WHS

The increased prevalence of PowerPoint presentations, DVDs, Internet research, and technology use in general has created a noticeable gap in resources. If your students create PowerPoint presentations in class, how do you present them? Labs are always full, and the cords just don’t reach from the computer to a projector in the middle of the class (not to mention the insurance liability when someone trips over them!). How do you show your class what you expect them to be doing in the labs? What if you want to play a review game on the computer? Are you afraid your class will sleep through that DVD on Ernest Hemingway? If any of these scenarios apply to you, a media cart is the answer. The technology department has taken all the equipment you would need to do any of these things and more, and placed it on a self-contained cart you can wheel to your classroom. Projector, laptop, DVD/VCR combo, and speakers combine to allow you the ultimate multimedia experience. Teachers who have tried them find them to be convenient and an enhancement to their curriculum. A media cart can be checked out from Sandy in the Nexus. If you would like additional information or a demonstration, please contact Bridget at bfitzsimons@sd129.org.

A feature in NetTrekker allows students to select websites at specific reading levels and to highlight sections of text which are then read aloud to them!NetTrekker is a district subscription for online research that enables students to do Internet searches within an evaluated database of educational websites. The sites are rated and each has a grade level readability designation. Results can also be sorted by or limited to grade level readability.

To get to NetTrekker:
It’s listed as a “Favorite” on the Internet Explorer toolbar. If you need a user name and password, please see Kathy, Bruce, or Bridget.

The “Read Aloud” feature can be selected by clicking the button “OPEN Read Aloud” under the purple toolbar.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us!

Those who have used EBSCO for full text magazine articles will notice a new look this fall. And if you haven’t used EBSCO, this would be a good excuse to login and see how it might be useful for you and your students. The name has also changed, to Student Research Center, and several formerly separate databases have been added. The added databases include EBSCO Animals, Health Source, and Newspaper Source.
In addition, users can now select which content sources (e.g., Magazines, Newspapers, Biographies, Radio & TV News Transcripts, Film & Video, Primary Source Documents) will be included in their search. They can also make use of an online dictionary and encyclopedia, and even limit searches according to appropriate Lexile reading levels.
The Student Research Center is available under the favorites menu on all computers at West High. For home access, see Bruce, Kathy or Bridget in the Library Media Nexus.