LibraryThing

I was reintroduced to LibraryThing while reading articles for a class recently. LibraryThing might be described as a way to socialize around books. How many people do you know who are reading the same book that you are - right now? Maybe not too many people that you know in your workplace, but how about accessing an online community of readers where others with similar interests are reading and discussing books that are of interest to you? This is the online experience that LibraryThing can provide.

At LibraryThing you can:
• Search for new books to read
• Browse statistical information about the most popular book, writer, etc.
• Visit the Talk area to discuss any topic
• Browse the Groups to find people with similar tastes in books
• Read reviews for new books
• Create a catalog of the books you read

To get started with LibraryThing, visit the site and
1. Take the tour
2. Sign up for your account. It is free to enter up to 200 books.
3. Start making connections with other readers who share your interests

Check out LibraryThing.com and open a free account. Another reference that may be of interest is the official blog for LibraryThing news.

WatchKnow - Videos for Kids to Learn From

WatchKnow is described as a collection of the best educational videos on the Internet all found in one spot. The site provides easy access to educational videos for teachers to use in the classroom. Students can access the videos from any Internet connection, providing 24/7 access to these educational materials. All videos accessed at the site are hosted by other websites including TeacherTube, YouTube, Google Videos, National Geographic, eHow and SchoolTube to name a few.

The site operates as an educational video online search engine in wiki format. A directory allows users to browse videos by categories, subcategories and topics. Age filters are provided to filter results that are rated for specific ages. As of November 2009, not many videos have been rated for age categories. Users can also rate the videos and provide comments. Best rated videos display at the top of the results. Another way to search is to type a term in the search box to search the entire collection. The results list displays categories containing videos related to the term and individual videos.

The site provides tutorial videos on topics including an overview of the site, how to use the site and how to edit the site. Check it out to find resources for your classroom!

Internet Safety Education

eSchools news provides a nice summary article about the new federal mandate that requires schools to teach Internet safety in order to obtain e-rate funding. This law won't take effect for another year, but companies and schools are gearing up to research and plan their programs before the law goes into effect.

Read more here.