The gift of digital in the classroom
By: Christina Samek, Marketing Specialist. This holiday season, your students will likely be inundated with all the new toys and apps available in the digital space. It’s equal parts exciting and overwhelming. The digital evolution has been growing, changing, and ultimately, improving for years. However,…
Hot chocolate vs hot cocoa: a sweet history lesson
By: Alissa Berman, Account Specialist. When the temperature drops, most of us crave a hot drink. As a child, the best part of coming inside from playing in the winter snow was enjoying a warm cup of hot cocoa. Adults might increase coffee intake when…
20 ways to show gratitude this holiday season
By: Nikka Hronis, Account Specialist. Anyone who has ever received a sincere ‘thank you’ knows how meaningful and memorable a genuine expression of gratitude can be. With the pace and distractions of daily life, it is easy to get caught up in a whirlwind mentality…
How to say Thank You in 50 languages
By: Beau Livengood, Account Specialist. One of my goals in life is to always have a higher number of countries visited than my age. I have a little bit of cushion right now (+4 for the countries, +5 if you count Vatican City) but it’s…
8 ideas to create a Literacy Week at your school
By: Elmarie Pierce, Reddam House School, South Africa. No matter where you live, one way to promote reading happiness is by organizing a Literacy Week at your library or school. Elmarie Pierce, one of OverDrive’s international school partners, shares how Reddam House School in Constantia,…
Beyond November 8: How to promote democracy and empathy in the classroom
Many frustrated teachers abandoned their election curriculum during 2016’s contentious election cycle. This is such an important time to promote civil discourse and real, engaged learning. In fact, maintaining the conversation, difficult as it is, appears to be making its way into the mission statement of…
Yes, audiobooks are real books
Do audiobooks leave the brain distracted and disjointed or are they just another way to enjoy and absorb a story? Are they real reading, or cheating? Audiobooks are the fastest growing format in publishing. With the rise of podcasting and storytelling events, both highly respected mediums, why do audiobooks…
Integrating OverDrive with other Classroom Apps
By: Christina Samek, Marketing Specialist. Integrating technology into the classroom is a shared goal among educators. What once was a lofty task—considering the nuances of early technology—is much simpler. Now, educators are tasked with weighing what feels like thousands of options and determining the best…
11 classic book quotes that prove the importance of reading banned books
By: Adam Sockel, OverDrive Social Media Specialist Being a library company we fervently believe in the importance of Banned Books Week. Regardless of whether you agree with the information presented in a particular book it’s essential that the information be made available for readers to discover…
Content to help you keep representation in your classroom
As we’ve discussed previously, it’s essential to have proper representation in the content you make available to your students. There has been a big movement in the young adult community called #WeNeedDiverseBooks dedicated to pushing books with characters and plots that feature diverse backgrounds. By…