Digital Spotlight: Web Cultures Web Archive

The WEB CULTURES WEB ARCHIVE from the Library of Congress documents online culture.

Contents: Part of the American Folklife Center, this web archive documents the way cultures have developed and changed online. The digital resources include dozens of archived websites. In most cases, the items are stored in the webarchive format. A search tool and tips are provided along with featured items.

Classroom Connections: Librarians will find this website to be an interesting way for students to explore the impact of online culture. Involve youth in evaluating and debating the inclusion of various websites in the collection.

Featured Digital Objects:
Internet Meme Database: https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0009692
Urban Dictionary: https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0004130
Emojipedia: https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0010500

To visit the collection, go to https://www.loc.gov/…/web-cultures-w…/about-this-collection/.

Website Review: Interland

INTERLAND: BE INTERNET AWESOME is an engaging web-based game teaching digital safety.

Produced with Google along with Internet safety organizations, this series of games helps children learn to make smart decisions about their use of Internet. The game explores a series of worlds focusing on Internet skills such as sharing with care, dealing with fake information, securing data, cyberbullying, and open communication with parents. In addition to the games, educational materials are available for teachers. Links are also included to more resources.

Librarians will find the game approach popular with students. Teachers will enjoy the standards-aligned curriculum materials focusing on digital citizenship.

To visit the website, go to https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/.

App Review: Choose Your Path

CHOOSE YOUR PATH from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is an engaging app focusing on bullying prevention. This interactive learning experience was designed as part of the museum’s Power of Children exhibit.

Youth choose from three settings: online, playground, or classroom. Before getting started, users have the option of setting up their own name and avatar, a friend, and an adult. Users are then faced with a dilemma that’s shown on the screen and also read aloud. The audio aspect can be turned on or off. Participants are given four choices and instructed to drag their choice into a box. The user is then provided informative feedback about their selection. After the challenge, users are asked whether they’d like to choose a different path within the same challenge or select another challenge area.

Because the app only contains three dilemmas, it won’t take long for youth to complete the activity. However, the experience is an fun and effective way to review at the completion of a lesson on bullying prevention.

To download this free app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/childrens-museums-ch…/id920112377.

Book Review: The Last Leaves Falling

THE LAST LEAVES FALLING by Sarah Benwell tells the story of an lonely teenager dealing with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Set in Japan, Sora becomes increasingly isolated as his ALS progresses. He seeks solace in friendships he forms online with people who see him as more than his disease. These friends are supportive as he contemplates his end of life choices.

Benwell does an excellent job moving between online conversations and short narrative segments. Her portrayal of a teenager with ALS is authentic, painful, and heart wrenching, yet this beautifully written book isn’t depressing.

Librarians will find readers among those who enjoy realistic stories about Internet friendships, acceptance, and disabilities. Keep in mind that the topic of assisted suicide is central to the story.

To learn more about ALS, go to http://www.alsa.org/

Published by Simon & Schuster, June 2015.