Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of novels by J.K. Rowling.  The main character is an young wizard named Harry Potter.  The series is about the adventures he has while he is a student at Hogwarts.  The series has developed an almost cult-like following.  There are several movies based on the books.  Most library patrons would want to read the books because of their love of the movies, or if they have visited the attraction at Disney World.
The controversial topic in the book is mostly sorcery.  Some parents do not agree with their children reading about sorcery.  I feel that if parents have that strong a belief about their child not reading the book, they must express their thoughts to their child.  It is the child's responsibility to choose what he borrows from the library.  Most non-serious readers will not attempt to conquer the books anyway because of the length.  I feel that if the student is able to read books of that length and reading level, he is mature enough to weigh the consequences of his parents' wishes.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Kristina Georgia Snow is an innocent high-school junior who is quiet and doesn't have many friends. When she goes to visit her father, she encounters the drug world and develops an alter-ego named Bree, the opposite of what Kristina used to be like. She meets a guy she falls hard for, and he introduces Bree to the monster, Crank. This book shows the dangers of drug use and how difficult it is to stop using drugs.
Crank is on many lists as controversial for teen readers.  It is loosely based on the author's daughter's life.  The novel deals with drug addiction, teen pregnancy, and rape.  While these issues are controversial, they are real issues that teens face.  The novel does not glamorize any of the problems that the teen faces.  The novel would help teens to see that others are facing the same problems as them.
The novel is written in free verse form which will detract less mature readers.

Google Slide Presentation

Embedded is a Google Slide presentation about technology health and safety.

QR Codes

http://goo.gl/YoEgbA

This is a site that would benefit librarians in the classification class.  A student can type in the ISBN or title of a book, and the site gives the most common Dewey Decimal number.

http://goo.gl/ZFXmuF

Here you will find all 6th grade resources to guide and support mathematics teaching and learning.  These resources are organized by mathematical strand and refer to specific Common Core math content standards.  It is very helpful to 6^th grade math teachers looking for resources.

http://goo.gl/KR0CVK

This site would benefit anyone who wanted to familiarize himself with the Dewey Decimal System.  The divisions are broken down precisely, but it is not too difficult to understand.

I think QR codes are the next “big deal” in promotion.  I plan to use QR codes to promote my library.  I will use a QR code to send patrons directly to my OPAC.  I recently saw them being used to send students to e-books while the librarian completed inventory.  The students were so excited.

Even my ketchup bottle has a QR code.  Many of my companies I make payments to on a monthly basis have QR codes to get to their website.  My trash company has a long URL to make payments, but they also have a QR code on the bill that sends me directly to the site from my phone to make a payment. 

Survey Monkey

Using a survey is an important tool to find out information about students and/or parents.  The link below is a survey about Chapter 7.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MHRBSMD

Poll Everywhere

Assessments are a necessary part of school life to monitor student learning.  Please answer this poll about assessments for my research.

https://pollev.com/jayharlan011

I can see using this web tool as an exit slip.  I could monitor for understanding.  I could ask if there was anything unclear in today's lesson, or I could ask the students to answer a question from the daily lesson.

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology is very useful in helping all students reach full potential.  Attached is a presentation for teachers on the benefits of assistive technology.