The Daring Librarian

Like Bitmoji?   I love mine, she's like a cartoon doppelganger version of me (Ok, ok, she's a younger skinnier aspirational version of me!)   Don't have Bitmoji yet? Don't worry! I Got You ! Do you love your Bitmoji and want to use it everywhere? Well, you're in luck because now your customized Bitmoji, that animated cartoon of yourself set in hundreds of fun & pop culture savvy vignettes, is available in a FREE Chrome extension that lets you insert these avatars just about anywhere! Who knew!? How to INSTALL the Extension Open Chrome - (if you're not already in it) find this blog post again by Googling "The Daring Librarian" and then click on the LINK to install the Bitmoji Extension on your Chrome Browser OR go to Window in the toolbar ,  click Extensions & search for Bitmoji   You'll then be taken to a new screen where you can enter your Bitmoji login information from a previously created an account (save pas...

I've been a fangirl of Lisa Johnson aka the @ TechChef4u for years, this an infographic from her latest book: Cultivating Communication in the Classroom: Future-Ready Skills for Secondary Students and it's AWESOME so and I just have to share it with you!  As a middle school teacher and a future ready librarian, I want to make sure our kiddos have what they need going on to High School. These are some the communication skills they need before college and career, so wouldn't it be major if we could get a head start on it? Check it out! Ok, to be honest, books about technology can sometimes be outdated before they're even printed - but this book is about the IDEAS and SKILLS that our kiddos need to be future ready and have the communication skills that will make them effective learners and successful humans. AND if that's not impressive enough it's got a forward from tech legend & guru @ GuyKawasaki !  This book is also recommended by one of my ...

Your Twitter profile is like a virtual professional business card. It's good for people to see who you are (not your cat or your cute kids) and what you’re all about. So why not make the most of your profile picture and header?  Sure, I've talked before about 6 Tips to a Super Twitter Profile but today, we're just talkin headers, hon! Not having ANYthing as a Twitter header is a missed opportunity. Plus, people checking your profile, deciding whether or not to follow you, may just not take you seriously.  That's why having a banging professional Twitter header is easy and important.  1. Measure It! Since they've added the NEW Twitter header feature back in 2014, the dimensions have pretty much stayed the same - 1500 X 500. BUT because of the way Twitter uploads photos there are some invisible areas, so the actual size is really more like 1500px (width) X 421px (height)   Creating the perfect custom Twitter header image is a bit more compl...

The Summer Reading List is Here! ( as seen on our MHMS Daring School Edublog ) View & Download the Middle School Summer Reading List   Thanks to our our A+ partner Librarians at the Howard County Library and two of our local HCPSS Middle School Teacher-Librarians we have created this Super Fun Reading List for all the kiddos in our district! (or the world!)  Visit our Howard County local Savage Branch Library & Hi Tech STEM Education Center this summer and FLIP over summer reading or flip over some amazing tech learning opportunities! Recommended Summer Reading Lists Middle School - #1 Most Awesome Teens 2017 2016 2015 Kindergarten – Grade 1 - Baby Squirts 2017 2016 2015 Grade 2 – 3 - Little Kiddos 2017 2016 2015 Grade 4 – 5 - Minions 2017 2016 2015 High School - Cool Kids 2017 2016 2015 Great Books for Grown-Ups! 2016 Black Eyed Susan Nominees 2017 2016 I Mustache You To Consider This Challeng...

Brass Cogs and Virtual Steam:   A Steampunk Cycle of Inspiration Photo from BBC I love my Acorn Media streaming account! Why? Because it brings me the BEST British documentaries. I'm kinda obsessed with them. I watch...a LOT. Mostly about the ancient world, but one of my recent favorites is Calculating Ada a BBC 4 documentary presented by fellow ginger, the imminently engaging Maths Professor Ms. Hannah Fry @FryRsquared who, according to her Twitter profile is, "All math and no trousers." In the documentary she briefly interviews the graphic novel artist @sydneypadua  which led me to her webpage ! Now I'm going to buy her hardback book  titled " The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer " for the Coastal Cottage. I imagine it inspiring a budding Mathematician or Scientist or Steampunk. Hopefully of the girl persuasion but I'm an equal opportunity book pusher. Here's a delicious s...