Children's Privacy and Apps

As a follow-up to my last post:

The Federal Trade Commission has changed how it will implement the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) to address children's increased use of apps on smart phones and other handheld devices. (COPPA is the legislation that sets the minimum age of 13 for participation in social networking sites like Facebook.) Kids' apps and websites will have to obtain parental permission before gathering information from children. This information includes photos, videos, geographic location, and online behavior. Many apps makers and websites sell this data to advertisers and marketers. The new rules will go into effect July 1, 2013.

There are a few caveats to the new rules:

• App stores like Apple and Google will not be held responsible for privacy violations by the makers of games and software sold in their stores.
• Software will have to meet child privacy rules only if the makers know that they are collecting information through apps or websites that specifically target children.

Aside from these enforcement issues, the rules do not make clear how apps makers will ascertain that they actually have parental consent. Kids, with and without their parents' support, often find ways around age limits and consent requirements. My soon-to-be 13 year old son, for instance, has obtained several online accounts with our consent and help by lying about his age. Although COPPA is intended to protect children and to empower parents, the law unintentionally limits legitimate access to online services. Determining when  a child is mature enough to use social networks and apps should be a parental, not a governmental, decision. Many online services, Web 2.0 tools, and apps have educational value and should be available to children. The problem is not the child's age or parental consent; the problem is the data being collected. Should software companies and apps makers even be allowed to collect information about our children? Should children be off limits to them? Why is 13 the magical age when it is suddenly okay for information to be collected without parental consent? After all, brain research has shown that teens are not very good at assessing risk.

Ultimately, parents are responsible for their children. It is our job to teach them about the nature of the Internet, online privacy, and the use of social networks and apps. Just as we teach them how to behave in public (don't point, don't talk to strangers, use your manners), we must teach them how to behave in a virtual world that is a very public place (don't chat with unknown persons, be respectful of others, don't share information you don't want everyone to know about). We must also teach them to think critically about issues like privacy and data collection, making it clear that we pay for free online services with our personal information. As our children enter adulthood, more and more of their lives will be conducted online and through digital media. Our goal should be to prepare them, not to set limits based on their age.

Nothing is Free on the Web

We just gave our 12 year old son an iPod for Hanukkah, along with a speech about how he is (and is not) to use his new mobile device to access the Internet, play games, keep in touch with friends, and download music, video, and games. Yesterday, he was proudly telling me about  free apps he had downloaded when I realized I had neglected to tell him that nothing is free on the Web. He is paying for those "free" apps with his personal information. We were driving in the car at the time, and coincidentally, a few moments later, NPR ran a story about the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) newly released report that mobile apps makers are collecting large amounts of data about child users and sharing this information with advertisers without proper disclosure. Collected information can include device identifiers, telephone numbers, and location data. One game app which encourages children to conduct a scavenger hunt in their neighborhood using their hand-held devices even collects the child's home address! (Today's Wall Street Journal ran an article on this as well: "Firms Faulted on Kids' Apps", Tuesday, December 11, page B3).

My son and I listened closely to the story and then talked about what that meant for him.He didn't think the problem applied to him because none of the apps had asked him for personal information and none had anything to do with his location. I explained to him that the apps did not have to ask for the information, they just collected it whenever he used his iPod, and that if GPS is enabled, the app can collect information about his location without him even knowing it. He didn't think that was possible. So I explained how these functions can be written into the computer code for the app and into pages he views on the Internet. I pointed out that Facebook users don't even have to click on the "like" button on websites they visit. Facebook has code embedded in those pages that allows Facebook to collect information about them regardless of whether they click the "like" button.

According to a Wall Street Journal article published over the weekend, "one Web page can contain computer code from dozens of companies and tracking firms" (p. C2). Pages with "Like" or "Tweet" buttons can match individual's browsing behavior with their identities even if the buttons are not used. Furthermore, websites that request a login often share the user's real name, username, and email address with third parties. This information is used by advertisers to target specific people with ads and special offers. While some may appreciate this "service", there are few safeguards on how our personal information is used and/or distributed

What can be done about this? Well, honestly, not too much. We can disable GPS on our devices. We can set our browser settings for private browsing, and clear cookies after every Web search. But if we want to use particular apps or Web services like Pandora, Facebook, or YouTube, giving up our personal information is something we accept in exchange for the "free" service. We have to decide how comfortable we are with this. If we are not comfortable, we need to contact the FTC and write our representatives in Congress. But mostly, we need to be aware that nothing is free on the Web.

References:

• Kaste, Martin. (December 11, 2012). FTC: Apps For Children Raise Privacy Concerns. National Public Radio (NPR). Web. http://www.npr.org/2012/12/11/166935136/ftc-apps-for-children-raise-privacy-concerns
• Troianovski, Anton. (December 11, 2012). Firms Faulted On Kids' Apps. The Wall Street Journal. Print.
• Valention-DeVries, Jennifer, and Jeremy Singer-Vine. (December 8-9, 2012). They Know What You're Shopping For. The Wall Street Journal. Print and Web. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324784404578143144132736214.html

Geotagging in Photo Apps

This week, John McAfee, founder of McAfee Security, made headlines when he was arrested in Guatemala where he was hiding from authorities. Ironically, the computer security specialist was located when a photo with his image was posted to the Internet. How did authorities find him? The photo was tagged with the GPS location for where it was taken.

Yet another reminder that we need to be careful about what we publish or post online. When you use your phone to take a picture and then post your photo online, the photo may be tagged with GPS information (longitude and latitude)for where the photo was taken. Geotagging can be useful. For instance, it enables online searches for images or media based on their location, and it can be used by law enforcement to locate missing persons. As with almost everything on the Internet, however, it does have a down side. Many people are unaware that pictures taken with their smart phones or other mobile devices (iPads, tablets) are automatically tagged, revealing the location where the picture was taken. This information is encoded in the photo's metadata, and anyone cannot pinpoint the location by simply downloading a program like Exif Viewer for Firefox, Exif Viewer for Google Chrome, or Opanda IExif for Internet Explorer.

 To protect your privacy, just change the settings on your phone. On my Android phone, I simply pull-up the settings for the camera. One of the headings in the scroll down menu is geo-tag photos. I just turn it off. Alternatively, I could turn the GPS off by going to settings, tapping location, and turning off Use GPS Satellites, but then I would not be able to use Maps or Navigation. On the iPhone or iPad, go to Location Services in Settings. You will see a list of apps that use GPS, including photos,compass, foursquare, and maps. You can choose which ones to leave on and which to turn off.

Inquiry-Based Learning Wordle

Wordle created by Virginia Wallace

Pump up the Volume!

As a librarian-in-training, life-long reader, and mother, I think everyone should read, and read more. At our house, we go to the library two to three times a week and have a minimum of 30 books checked out at any one time. In the evenings, instead of watching TV, we all sit in the family room and read. I am fortunate that my children not only love to read, but are good readers.

But let's face it. Not everyone is a good reader. Some don't enjoy reading, while others have difficulty reading due to visual impairments, attention disorders, reading disorders, dyslexia, or developmental disorders. Does this mean they have to give up on enjoying a good story? Does this mean they will never appreciate fine literature, or keep up with the best sellers? The answer is a loud, resounding NO!

Audio books are more widely available, and in more formats, than every before, and are an affordable, enjoyable, and fun alternative to those who find reading difficult, for whatever reason. Options include Playaways, books on tapes or CDs, and down-loadable books. And here's the good news: listening to audio versions of books

• increases interest in reading
• increases comprehension
• improves reading skills and literacy, especially when students follow along in the book, alternate between the book and tape, or read the book after listening to the recording
  
• increases motivation to read.

Preschoolers and kindergartners can get a jump on reading when you let them listen to books of their choosing while freeing you up to help older kids or make dinner. Older kids who struggle with reading can keep up with their friends' latest reading craze, whether it be Harry Potter, Twilight, or The Children of Djinn.

Playaways are digital recordings that come complete with battery and ear buds. About the size of a credit card (but about 1/4 of an inch thick), Playaways have control buttons (volume, play, pause, etc) on one side, and the book cover on the other. Although they are currently fairly expensive, they have the cool factor, and are available from many vendors including amazon.com, Borders, and all major booksellers, as are the more traditional books-on-tape and CDs. Many libraries are beginning to carry Playaways. Check them out.

Many books are available as wav or Mp3 downloads online. The Internet Archive has free downloads of books, poetry, and alternative news programs. Other sources include Project Gutenberg, Bookshare, and Accessible Books. Both Bookshare and Accessible Books provide free text-to-speech software for those with qualifying disabilities. All of these sources are reviewed in an earlier blog: More Accessibility: Free Audiobooks Available Online.

So, go ahead, pump up the volume, and let your kids do it too!

New Moon Girls-- A Wonderful Resource for Tweens

My daughter, now 13, has been receiving New Moon Girls magazine since she was 9, and absolutely loves it! When the newest issue arrives in the mail, she drops everything and reads it cover to cover, and then reads it again.

New Moon Girls "provides innovative, safe, respectful, and advertising-free spaces online and in the magazine where girls develop their full potential through self-discovery, creativity, and community" (from the magazine's inside cover). Overseen by the Girls Editorial Board, New Moon Girls has articles written about, by, and for girls from around the world. The goal is to empower girls with positive self-esteem, a healthy body image, and a strong voice. You won't find any dating advice, popularity contests, or dieting advice within the pages of New Moon. Instead you'll find poetry, short stories, articles on topics from world politics to the differently-able to sleep disorders, interviews, art, and projects.

The Web space offers everything the magazine does and chat, video, and articles in a moderated, educational environment. My daughter has been participating online for several years and has made some excellent friends. She has posted information and has been published in the magazine. During a developmental period that can be very confusing for girls and fraught with pitfalls and traps, New Moon Girls has helped to sustain her, build her self-confidence, and open her eyes to an exciting world of possibility.

To learn more about New Moon visit their website: http://www.newmoon.com/
Read an interview of New Moon founder, Nancy Gruver at http://www.ypulse.com/ypulse-interview-nancy-gruver-founder-ceo-new-moon
Read/join Gruver's blog for parents about raising strong, healthy girls: Daughters.com

Book Review Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway

Recently, I picked up Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway by Wendelin Van Drannen for my 5th grade son. The cover looked interesting (yes, I sometimes judge a book by its cover), it looked about the right length, and it was at the right reading level. About half-way through the book, my son said he wasn't really interested. Turns out Sammy is a girl, and although she really rocks, my son just wasn't interested in Sammy's date for the middle school dance.

So I read the book, AND I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!! In fact, my husband went up to bed saying "Don't stay up too late reading." Several hours later, way past my usual bedtime, much to my regret, I finished the book. It was that good! And the whole time I was reading, I kept thinking "I know this style. Have I read this author before?". Turns out, Van Draanen is the author of the infamous Shredderman series and their spin-off, The Gecko and Sticky, books my son absolutely loved (and so did I)!

There are currently 12 Sammy Keyes books, the most recent entitled Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash. Sammy is a forthright, outspoken seventh grader, is willing to stand up for herself. She faces life, and its mysteries (she seems to find many) with her own indomitable style. Her character is one of the best developed I've encountered in quite some time. The books are fast-paced, engaging, funny, and real. I recommend these books for middle schoolers, and not just girls: Sammy might just challenge some guys' preconceived notions about girls.

Shredderman, about a elementary school kid who stands up to the school bully by becoming a superhero and creating his own website, is a must for kids grades 3-5.

Be sure to visit Van Draanen's website (http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/).

Learn more about Sammy, solve a mystery, and download a song from Sammy's page
(http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/sammykeyes/).

Visit Shredderman's page at http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/shredderman/

Protecting Your Privacy Online

Over the past several days, the Wall Street Journal has run a series of articles "What They Know" about how Web sites and service providers collect information about users. This information is sold to advertisers so they can target advertising to you, based on the sites you visit. Below I summarize some of the key information from "The Web's new goldmine: Your secrets" byJulia Angwin, and "How to avoid the prying eyes" by Jennifer Valentino-DeVries. Both articles were published in the Weekend Journal July 31, 2010. You can see this information at WSJ.com

According to the study by the Wall Street Journal,

• the top 50 Websites installed, on average, 64 pieces of tracking technology on users' computers
• tracking technologies include cookies, flash cookies, beacons, and third party tracking files
• individual's profiles, constantly updated each time you use the computer, are bought and sold on stock-market like exchanges, mostly for advertising.

The vocabulary:
Cookies: text file put on your computer by websites and marketing firms, usually to remember your preferences and log-in information (passwords); however, they can track you across sites.
Flash Cookies: files placed on your computer by Adobe's Flash software. Flash is the most common way to show videos online (think about how many times you've been to Youtube!). They are also used to remember preferences, but can also track you online, and can reinstall cookies you have previously deleted.
Beacons: software that can track your web surfing and online activities, including mouse clicks and keystrokes.
Third-Party Tracking: A cookie or beacon installed on your computer by an ad network or research firm that can track your activities across websites.

The worst offenders? Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster.com, Comcast.net, Careerbuilder.com, Photobucket.com, MSN.com, Answers.com, Yellowpages.com, MSNBC.com, and Yahoo.com (how many yahoo groups do you belong to?).

How to protect yourself:

1. Check and delete cookies: all major browsers let users view and delete cookies. On Firefox, go to tools, click on clear recent history, in the drop-down box choose time range, click on details, and check the boxes to delete. Click "clear now". You can view the cookies by going to tools, clicking on options, and clicking on the privacy tab. Click on the "show cookies" buttons. You have the option of deleting the cookies on in the cookies window. On Internet Explorer, go to tools, pull down to "Internet Options", and choose an option under the "general" tab. Caution: you may have to renter passwords or other login information the next time you go to a site.
2. Adjust your browser settings: Allows you to surf the web without saving any information on which websites and pages you have visited. Firefox private browsing does not save information like visited pages, form and search bar entries, passwords, and download lists. Cookies and cache (temporary files) are deleted when you turn off private browsing. You can also go to tools, click on options, click on privacy, and set-up your privacy preferences including browsing history, download list, searches and forms, cookies and third-party cookies, and set up clear history. Internet Explorer allows similar options. Look under Tools/Internet Options/Privacy.
3. Monitor Flash cookies. Go to the Adobe website: www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html. Identify flash cookies on your computer and adjust settings.
4. The Better Privacy plug-in for Firefox (addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6623 allows you to set rules for deleting third party-flash cookies.
5. Ghostery (ghostery.com) helps you control beacons by alerting you when there is a beacon on a page you are viewing. With Firefox and Internet Explorer, you can then block the beacon from capturing information.

For more information, visit the Wall Street Journal Online.

More Online Accessibility

Again, I am indebted to Ira David Socol. His article "The Unhappy Place: What Libraries Can Do to Welcome Kids Who Struggle with Print" in the May 2010 issue of School Library Journal has many ideas for making libraries and computers more accessible to students with learning difficulties. You can read his article online at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6727276.html

Microsoft Word can be customized for students who need help with spelling and grammar. In the Word program, click on help (or the little question mark in the top right hand side of the screen). Type"spell check" in the search box, and click search. Look for the following heading: "Choose how spelling and grammar checking work". Click on the link and follow the instructions. For help writing math equations, click on the insert tab, and then on equation (right next to symbol).

You can add the WordTalk plug-in to Word for free! WordTalk is software that will speak and highlight text as the student writes in Microsoft Word. It is customizable and has a talking dictionary. You can convert text to speech and then save it as a .wav or .mp3 file so you can replay it on your iPod or mp3 player. The web address is http://www.wordtalk.org.uk.

Users of Windows Vista or Windows 7 can install free voice recognition software. Windows Speech Recognition enables users to dictate documents and emails and to use voice controls. The web address is: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsvista/speech.aspx.
Other Windows accessibility plug-ins, including onscreen keyboards and magnifiers, are available on the Windows accessibility page or http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/accessibility.

Here are some other free tools identified by Mr. Socol:

A Graphing Calculator, indispensable to anyone taking Algebra II, Trigonometry, or Calculus, available from GraphCalc (http://www.graphcalc.com/index.shtml).

A talking calculator is available from myZIPS (http://www.myzips.com/software/Talking-Calculator.phtml).

NaturalReader (http://www.naturalreaders.com/), free text-to-speech with natural sounding voices. Can read any text and convert it into audiofiles, and you have a choice of voices!

PowerTalk (http://fullmeasure.co.uk/powertalk/) speaks the text on PowerPoint slides.

Click-N-Type Virtual Keyboard (http://www.lakefolks.org/cnt/) is an onscreen keyboard. Type using your mouse!

Here's one my kids like to use: Create A Graph (http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx). Enter your data and make a pie, bar, or line graph.

More Accessibility: Free Audiobooks Available Online

To follow-up on my last entry about making the Internet more accessible to people with visual or reading difficulties, I thought I would highlight online sources of free audiobooks. Most of these are included on the libraries page of my website: The School and Home Library: The Online Library for Home Schoolers.

LibriVox Free audiobooks from the public domain (public domain works are creative works that are not protected by copyright and may be freely used by anyone. In the U.S., this includes books published before 1923, works for which the copyright has expired, books for which the author failed to establish a copyright, and works by the U.S. government). You can receive books in thrice-weekly podcasts, download complete books from the catalog, or subscribe through iTunes.

Bookshare Free accessible books and periodicals for individuals with print impairments (loss of sight, visual impairment, physical disability, learning disability, developmental disability and ESL). Free reading software and Braille options. Others may join; however, registration and annual fees apply.

Project Gutenberg Over 32,000 free books to download to your computer, iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPhone, or other portable device. Human-read and computer generated audiobooks. Sheet music. All materials are in the public domain.

Accessible Book Collection High interest, low-reading level digital texts (formatted for individuals with visual disabilities) for qualified people with disabilities. The html text can be used with text-to-speech software. Subscription required.

Internet Archive A free digital library of Internet sites (active and archived), downloadable software, movies, audio, live music, ebooks, and texts including children's books, fiction, historical texts, and academic books. Software is available to convert text-to-speech for users who have blindness, low vision, or learning disabilities.

For text-to-speech software, see the last entry in this blog or consider:

• vozMe Install a speech synthesis bookmarklet into your browser. Then, just click the vozMe button to listen to the text. Free!
• Humanware Hardware and software for individuals with blindness, low vision, and learning disabilities.
• Don Johnston Software for a variety of learning disabilities or impairments including autism.

Members of Bookshare (see above) may obtain Humanware VictorReader Soft Bookshare edition or Don Johnston READ:OutLoud software free with their membership.

Making the Web Accessible with Firefox

Mozilla Firefox has many free, easy to install, add-ons and extensions that make the Internet more accessible to users with disabilities, particularly visual disabilities and print impairments. To find them, visit the Firefox Accessibility Extensions page. Here are just a few of the many useful tools available:

• CLiCk Speak With the click of a button, CLiCk Speak will read any text you have highlighted or can automatically read the contents of any web page.
• Fire Vox A text-to-speech talking browser extension that reads web pages and the Firefox user interface including menus and sub-menus. Keyboard shortcuts are customizable.
• FoxVox reads highlighted text. It can also be used to create audiobooks in mp3, ogg, and wav formats and can turn blogs and articles into podcasts.
• Quick Dictionary Lookup Press shift + right click on any word; get a pop-up with definition, usage, and audio pronunciation.
• Readability Remove unnecessary page elements to reduce clutter and make the page more readable (reduces distractions).

I am deeply indebted to Ira Socol whose article "The Unhappy Place: What Libraries Can Do to Welcome Kids Who Struggle with Print" in the May 2010 issue of School Library Journal brought the Firefox accessibility add-ons to my attention.

Information Literacy: Teaching Your Kids to Evaluate Advertising

In my last post, I discussed the importance of teaching your children to evaluate the information they find on the Internet. Equally important is their ability to evaluate the barrage of information that confronts them every day: Advertising!

Advertising is insidious and crops up everywhere, all the time. You can't seem to escape it. From commercials on TV and the radio, to ads in newspapers and magazines, pop-up ads and paid advertising on Web sites, billboards, posters in shop windows, toys in fast-food meals, on the fronts (and backs) of people's t-shirts, and the packaging of almost every product you buy, advertising (like poo) is everywhere! (Adam on the Discovery channel's MythsBusters once famously said "Poo is everywhere!" My kids loved it, and now apply that little chestnut whenever possible).

Since it is as ubiquitous as it is inescapable, it must be addressed. We need to teach our children how to understand it: how to decode it, evaluate the messages, and gain control over the manipulative forces.

admongo.gov is an online game sponsored by the Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Federal Trade Commission. The goal is teach children to recognize and understand advertising in all of it's forms. Read a New York Times article about the game.

My ten year-old son took the game on a test drive for me. He said the game was fun, but needed a little more action. He recommends it for children ten and under. He claims that he ignored the information about advertising, but then spent the next two days pointing out ads to me. Although the game may not have all the bells and whistles of commercial computer games, it is a good teaching tool.

Timelines.com and Information Literacy

Timelines.com may be useful for homeschoolers but not as a source of accurate historical information.

Creating timelines is popular among some homeschoolers, followers of the Well-Trained Mind in particular. This website does not include timelines as most people conceive them: A long line noting important dates and events as history unfolds. Instead, the website highlights specific dates in history and organizes them by category such as assassinations, great sports moments, or battles in the American Civil War. The home page focuses on "This Week in History". This is the week of June 14, 2010. Important events include

• June, 14, 1777, the Continental Congress Approves the First American Flag
• June 14, 1967, Thurgood Marshall is the first African-American appointed to the Supreme Court, and
  
• June 15, 1804 the 12th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified.

However, some not so important and possibly profit-driven events are included. Today's headline event, for instance, is the founding of Pizza Hut on June 15, 1958.

The Importance of Information Literacy!
Users need to beware: Some of the information on timelines.com may not be accurate! As a school librarian in training, I always caution students that they need to carefully evaluate sources of information for authority, accuracy, and credibility, especially information they find on the Web. So many people, not just students, assume that everything and anything on the Web is fact, but we need to use good judgement. Anyone, anywhere with access to the Internet can post any information, true or false. Just because we find it on the Web does not mean its true.

Timelines.com is a socially-constructed website. Information is posted by individuals who register for accounts. These individuals may or may not be scholars or experts. Most likely, they are not. Take a look at this page: http://timelines.com/1074/battle-of-anatolia about a battle fought in the Crusades. The information is posted by Aimee Lucido and her information source is Wikipedia. Who is Aimee Lucido? Beats me. I've never heard of her, but here's her timelines.com profile: http://timelines.com/profiles/hadrad1000. We still don't know anything about her, but note some of her other contributions to timelines.com-- entries about popstar Justin Bieber and actress Dakota Fanning. Is Ms. Lucido a historian who specializes in Medieval history and popular culture? I guess its possible, but I doubt it. (I found a facebook account for an Aimee Lucido, student at Brown University). As for her information source... Ms. Lucido has lifted her decription of the Battle of Anatolia almost word for word from this Wikipedia article: First Crusade (scroll down the page to the third paragraph under the heading Situation in Europe.

Putting the problem with plagiarism aside, I hope that all of you know by now that Wikipedia is not an authoritative source. Like timelines.com, it is created by users who may or may not have expertise, can submit any information without substantiation or citations, and can alter and edit others' contributions. Only use information from Wikipedia if you can back it up with other, more authoritative sources (such as a standard encyclopedia article).

So What's the Bottomline?
While I would not use timelines.com to obtain historical information, I would use it to construct some excellent learning experiences about information literacy, knowledge construction, and participationin online communities. Try out these ideas:

• Have the student choose a timelines.com event and research it for accuracy, authority and credibility. You will be teaching your student important evaluative skills in very meaningful way.
• After studying an historical event, have your student create and submit an original entry citing reliable, authoritative sources of information and using good grammar and composition.
• Have your students use timelines.com to find news events that occurred on their birthday. See if they can find other sources of information (newspaper archives, microfilm or microfiche at your local public or college library, encyclopedias and almanacs, other online sources) to corroborate these stories.
  

More: What to read next?

Here are some more great ways to find books you'll love:

What Should I Read Next? "A database of real readers' favorite books" with over 70,000 titles. Enter a few details from a book you have read (Jane and Rochester for Jane Eyre) and receive recommendations. Register with the site to build your own favorite's list.

What Do I Read Next? Search by author, title, series, genre, character, topic, or time period. (I have found that the embedded link to this website does not always work. If this happens, just google "What Do I Read Next?" and you should be able to find it.)

AllReaders.com Search for books and movies by title, author, character, plot, setting or genre. Book reviews are available.

LibraryThing Book Suggester Type in the name of a book you have read, click on the appropriate title, and receive a list of read-alikes and books by the same author or with similar themes, settings, or plots.

For lists of award winning books and suggested reading, visit my website The School and Home Library.

That Age Old Problem: What to Read Next?

Finding a good book is always a challenge. At our house, we find an author or series we like and read every available book, only to feel stumped by the eternal question: What to read next? Perusing the library shelves sometimes feels like a directionless waste of time and effort. Much to our disappointment, the old adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" proves to be all too true.

Author Rachelle Rogers Knight comes to the rescue with Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens: A Reading Journal for Book Lovers" (and I would add home schoolers). With over 185 pages of reading lists, the Journal will help voracious and reluctant readers find a good book. Lists include award winning fiction, literature, mysteries, thrillers, crime, Westerns, folklore, graphic novels, poetry, biographies and autobiographies, college-bound, nonfiction, science, social studies, and books from other countries and cultures. The lists are inclusive from date of origin to 2009 (with space to write in 2010 and 2011 publications) and suggest the lowest age at which each book should be read. Space is provided to make notations about each book. The rest of the book consists of pages for journaling with sections for noting books to read, writing about books read, and recording recommendations.

Announcing The School and Home Library!

Here it is at long last! The School and Home Library, (http://www.theschoolandhomelibrary.com/)
a virtual library for home schoolers, complete with

• a reference section,
  
• databases,
  
• places to download free books, newspapers and magazines,
  
• search tools,
• resources to supplement the curriculum,
  
• suggested reading lists,
  
• information for parents,
• online museums,
• information literacy, and
• Web 2.0

I am currently working on a new page for the site: About Home Schooling. This page will contain information and links about some of the major (and not-so-major) approaches to home schooling.

Please visit the web site, bookmark it, share it with friends. I am eager to receive feedback about what you find helpful, not so helpful, links and resources I should include, and other suggestions.

Free: HistoryThroughArt

Gerome, Jean-Leon. (1868). Bonaparte before the Sphynx. Retrieved from Free HistoryThroughArt at http://historyatourhouse.com/?page_id=276

So, what do you make of this enigmatic painting? What is Bonaparte doing? What is he thinking? What wisdom is he seeking from the Sphynx as his troops muster in the background? What can we learn about history from this painting? And, how does our knowledge of history influence our interpretation?

Intrigued?

Then visit Scott Powell's HistoryThroughArt webpage, and listen to a couple of free lectures in which he discusses this painting in depth. Currently, he explores five paintings (with two lectures each), and plans to add another painting each month. He begins the series with Norman Rockwell's Young Lady with a Shiner, which does not have any particular historical significance but is a wonderful example of how a painting can tell a story. He uses it to teach students how to look at art, take it apart, and think about it in order to understand the artist's message. Later lectures place the paintings in historical context and require the student to draw from their knowledge of history.

The lectures are recorded live with Mr. Powell's upper elementary History At Our House class, delivered via teleconference. Mr. Powell interacts with the students and encourages their participation, while they view an image of the painting on their home computers. He instructs them on note-taking, asks them questions, and prompts critical analysis. Although these lectures are directed toward students in 4th through 6th grade, students of all ages will learn something.

To learn more about Mr. Powell, History At Our House, and HistoryThroughArt, visit his website at http://historyatourhouse.com. To hear free sample lectures, go to http://historyatourhouse.com/?page_id=171

Back to Blogging! Watch for my new web site: The School and Home Library!

I'm Back!!!

After several weeks in which I did not post anything to this blog, I am back and ready to go! I've been working on my website The School and Home Library: A Virtual Library for Home Schoolers which will be published to the web within days. It has everything thing from reference (including Ask-a-Librarian services), to sources for free down-loadable books, databases, search tools, museums, information literacy and Web 2.0, all in a user-friendly, well-organized format. Be on the look out for it!!!

Virtual Choir

Here is the penultimate example of the power of Internet for collaboration and creation, and for pushing the boundaries on the possible. Eric Whitaker created a choral piece with 185 singers from 12 countries, each singing their part to musical accompaniment while he conducted, and then combining their video and audio. Amazing!



Here is the link to Eric Whitaker's blog where he explains how the recording was made. This is the potential we offer our children when we teach them how to use technology to explore their own interests, to connect with others, and to participate in the creation of new knowledge!

Coming soon: School and Home Library Web Site

I realize that my posts have been few and far between in recent weeks. Everyone is busy, yet I claim that as my excuse. Between home schooling, taking classes at the University of South Carolina, teaching a home school class on water rights using online technologies, and writing a book with my professor, I find that I have little time for anything else.

I spend most of my free time working on my School and Home Library web site. I am creating the web site to fulfill a graduation requirement for my Master's Degree in Library Science. It is supposed to be a school library web site; however, as I plan to make my career in home schooling, I have obtained permission to create a virtual library site for home schoolers. The site will be a portal to free, online tools and applications including reference, databases, search tools, digital libraries, curriculum materials, information literacy, and Web 2.0. I hope to have it up and running within a month. So, please, bear with me during the interim. I have not forgotten home schoolers, and I am constantly search for ideas and technology to expand our curricula and to benefit our children.