Linda getting with IT

           When my children were small, we used to read The Monster at the End of This Book , which details a very stressed-out Grover from Sesame Street imploring readers to NOT turn the page because he had been forewarned that there was indeed a scary monster lurking at the end. Of course, we kept on, turning page after page while Grover valiantly tried bricks and hammers and pleas that rang on deaf ears until finally it was revealed (much to his/our relief) that the monster was HIM. Not terrifying at all. Just fuzzy, benign Grover, who was the exact opposite of scary and the member of a cast of characters we have all called friends in our early days.          While Grover had—and gave us all— warning that something wicked this way comes, the same cannot be said of cyberbullying, where the monsters lurk in the guise of “friends” who do very real harm to those involved. Unfortun...

Listed on the American Association of School Librarians’ “Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2019,” Anchor is a free podcast platform that is excellent for beginners and students. Upon the advice of some trusted teacher friends, I tried this medium in my classroom last semester with great success. Both an app and a website, Anchor allows students to create, upload, and share their work to the world, providing a real-world audience. Podcasting fits the Engage foundation of the National School Library Standards perfectly as students need to think, create, share, and grow in order to produce quality work. Podcasting is a hugely popular venue for voice–one that has multiple entry points–making it a great project for students. To use Anchor, simply sign up for a free account, click New Episode, and begin recording. Podcasters also have the option to upload audio, store clips in a library, and collaborate with others through voice messages. Anchor even provides fre...