Learning Opportunities

Canva Power Ups: 10 Must Have Apps That Turbo Charge Your Designs: a Tech-Talk Webinar

Polly Farrington Learning Opportunities, Tech Tools , ,
Canva Power Ups: 10 Must Have Apps That Turbo Charge Your Designs: a Tech-Talk Webinar

On August 6, CDLC is offering a free webinar on tools to help you use Canva, the popular online graphic design tool. The webinar is from Tech-Talk.

(Register here)

“Think you know Canva? Think again. Most users miss out on some of its most powerful tools – free apps that can transform your designs from basic to brilliant. In this fast-paced webinar, we’ll reveal 10 must-use Canva apps hiding in plain sight. You’ll discover…How Brandfetch pulls logos, colors, and fonts from any website in seconds, how to use Image Blender to merge visuals like a pro… plus eight more tools that will unlock your creative edge – no upgrades required!”

Tech-Talk partners with many libraries. You can register on their site, as well as the CDLC site. Take a look around their site for a wide range of useful tech oriented webinars.

School Libraries and AI – August 22

Polly Farrington Artificial Intelligence AI, Learning Opportunities, News

This looks like a great session! School Libraries and Artificial Intelligence online conference August 22,  3 – 6pm eastern time.

Register for this free online event sponsored by Library 2.0. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/school-libraries-and-ai-registration-950060264827

Interested in presenting? Call for proposals open until August 16 (or sooner if they fill all 15 slots before then)  https://www.library20.com/callforproposals

Our first Library 2.0 School Library Summit is “School Libraries and AI,” and will be held online (and for free) on Thursday, August 22nd, 2024, from 12:00 – 3:00 pm US-Pacific Time.

Join us for an exciting and transformative mini virtual conference, “School Libraries and AI,” designed specifically for school librarians and educators passionate about the future of library services. This event will explore the integration of artificial intelligence in school libraries, offering innovative strategies and practical insights to enhance learning and teaching experiences.

Our special conference chair is Elissa Malespina, Writer of the AI School Librarians Newsletter. Following the opening keynote, we’ll have three half-hour slots of sessions led by experienced school librarians who are at the forefront of AI integration, designed to provide practical, hands-on knowledge that you can apply in your own library and classroom.

CDLC Adventures in Artificial Intelligence Challenge

Polly Farrington Artificial Intelligence AI, Learning Opportunities, News, Tech Tools
Logo for the CDLC Adventures in AI Challenge

The Capital District Library Council (Albany NY region) has put together a terrific and fun AI challenge. It includes 10 short activities using a variety of artificial intelligence tools. A great AI tasting menu!

The activities include: having AI write a letter, summarize an existing document, challenge your artificial intelligence prompt writing skills, create an image and more.

I did the 10 exercises over a couple of days. Each one could be accomplished in about 10 minutes, but I encourage you to explore the tools for a bit longer. ​

Check it out at Discover the Power of AI

CDLC members can receive 2 CE credits for completing the 10 activities.

I’ve started putting together a similar quick (free) program of 10 activities focused on topics for school library staff. Anyone interested? I’ll pop the links here in Cool Tools when it’s ready! (I can’t award CE credit, but maybe your regional school library system would agree to it.) 

Summer Learning with Maine’s Wild Seed Project

Polly Farrington Learning Opportunities, News

Summer Learning with Maine’s Wild Seed Project

“Are you a Maine educator ready to strengthen your content knowledge and skills to bring native plants to your classroom? Or are you passionate about supporting environmental education for young people? Join us or donate today.”

See below for more details.  (Registration info)


Photo of a field of native plants with text Summer teaching program. Wild seed project

“Last summer, Wild Seed Project piloted a two-day teacher training program designed to support Maine educators with integrating place-based, native plant ecology in their classrooms. Our educators and 22 teachers across the state gathered to learn and strategize together about the future of Maine’s native plant education thanks to the generous support of individuals and foundations across the state.”

“This August, join Wild Seed Project for a two-day professional development intensive for educators, focusing on decolonizing the language of environmental education, building safety and belonging in the natural world, and fostering relationships with Maine’s flora and fauna. Educators will come away with expanded language for describing place-based relationships, ideas and resources for building outdoor education spaces at their schools, and new curriculum to try! This training also provides resources for integrating Wabanaki studies into environmental education in support of state requirement LD 291.”

“This program is developed and facilitated in partnership with Nell Houde (Wild Seed Project); Kathy Pollard and Ann Pollard-Ranco (Penobscot citizen) of Know yOUR Land Consulting; and educators from MOFGA (Session 1) and The Ecology School (Session 2).”

(Registration info)