Waffle Bytes

From the MeL Team: Britannica School has been available in MeL for several years and now additional access is available with  Britannica School Insights , a free Chrome browser extension. Support information literacy skill development and ensure your students can bring a trusted research companion along with them on their Web searches. Best suited for middle and high school students, Britannica School Insights brings fact-checked Britannica School content to the top of search engine results. When Britannica School has highly relevant results, the results will populate in the top right corner of your search page. Additional benefits include: Supporting digital literacy skills development by surfacing trusted resources in parallel with regular Web search results. Maximizing Britannica School usage with a free extension that supports student research. Surfacing unique relationships – like related events and people – and uncommon insights – like related topics and unknown...

A new Chrome extension is coming to help students (and teachers) search the Opposing Viewpoints in Context resources along with general Google searches! From Deb Renee Biggs and Sonya Schryer Norris, Library Consultants at the Library of Michigan: There are updates to the very popular Opposing Viewpoints in Context! Use this MeL resource for excellent commentary and viewpoints on numerous social issues.  It’s perfect for social studies research and for inquiring minds at your libraries! Coming in November, an Opposing Viewpoints In Context extension will be available in the Chrome Web Store. When added to Chrome browsers, it will display results from Gale’s popular database alongside Google search results . The Gale Chrome extension puts OVIC resources in the everyday workflow. Library users can view and retrieve high quality content from Opposing Viewpoints In Context that includes academic journals, reference content, and viewpoints on today’s ...

A great comparison of TL;DR Chrome extensions from Justin Cowen at Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District (in the UP!) - check it out! If you have never heard the term TL;DR before, it stands for "too long; didn't read." It is a common phrase you can find on message posts around the internet but now it can also be used in your web browser. There are a couple of different Chrome Extensions that can provide your learners with the ability to TL;DR a website. These extensions have several benefits to help those in your classroom and assist those that need a little extra assistance. TL;DR extensions can help students judge a website quickly while researching to see if it contains information they need. The extensions can also remove districting images from the text and help keep the learners on task. Lastly, TL;DR extensions can also help the struggling reader in your classrooms. Instead of being overwhelmed by giant articles, a student with readi...

In case you missed it - MeL now has Chrome Apps for your use - Michigan eLibrary Chrome Apps Access to your favorite Michigan eLibrary (MeL) databases is now even easier when you install the FREE MeL Chrome Apps! These apps are compatible with any Mac, PC, or Chromebook running the Chrome browser and provide simple one-click access to MeL databases. Install these apps for FREE from the Chrome Webstore!    For additional information and directions for installation go to the  Technology Resources  in the redesigned  MeL Teachers  portal, thanks to  Christine Schneider , Michigan eLibrary Education Specialist. MeL https://goo.gl/6vXBz9   Access the entire Michigan eLibrary which features all of your favorite MeL databases and resources including MeLCat. MeL- Teens https://goo.gl/Ssmmzl Access to resources specifically for grades 6 through 12+ including homework help, recommended books, and college plan...