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Summer Learning Online with Your Hoboken Library Card for Adults, Kids and Teens

19 Jul

We have great online learning resources for our Hoboken Residents. Now is the perfect time to work on something new or strengthen skills whether you are a kid, teen, or an adult!

Language Learning with Mango
Traveling this summer and need to learn a new language fast?  Want to improve your English? Access Mango through the Hoboken Public Library and Start Language Learning Today! Mango utilizes its engaging interface, and easy, intuitive interactive tools to deliver practical conversational skills and valuable cultural insight for new languages. Lessons include strategically placed memory-building exercises to help users remember what they are learning in addition to critical thinking exercises, which help them to intuitively understand the language and adapt it to similar conversations. Increase your vocabulary with Mango curated vocabulary cards or by creating your own vocabulary cards. Mobile Aps available. Access in the Library without a Library Card or Access from Home with your Hoboken Public Library Resident Card. See a great in depth post about Mango previously posted in our blog.

Life Long Learning with UniversalClass
Learn Something New This Summer. Knowledge is Power. Continue Your Education with UniversalClass!
UniversalClass offers over 500 hundred online Continuing Education classes which include lessons, exams, assignments, discussion boards and actual assessments of your progress.  All courses are self-paced; you can learn when you want on your own time and do not need to be online at a specific date.  You will receive grades and feedback regarding your performance including earning a certificate documenting your Continuing Education Units, contact hours, and course completion. Build your online portfolio and share your achievements with others! Courses include everything from Excel, Essay Writing, Baking, and more. Whether you are looking to learn for career advancement or self-fulfillment there is a perfect course for you!  Sign in with your Hoboken Resident Library Card and start learning today.

Miss Humblebee’s Academy
Is the special child/children in your life starting Preschool or Kindergarten this fall? Miss Humblebee’s Academy is an award-winning, online kindergarten-readiness solution for children ages three to six. The program lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning success, building strength in core subject areas: language and literacy, math, science and social studies, art and music, social and emotional learning, and fitness. The curriculum is based on standards from the U.S. Department of Education, Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework, Common Core State Standards, and research from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. This program was developed to help provide educational support for young children in a fun and safe learning environment. Children receive encouragement from Miss Humblebee and the instructors in the video lessons, helping them to develop greater confidence in their abilities. Miss Humblebee’s Academy evaluates children’s comprehension of the concepts taught and sends caregivers reports that keep them informed about their child’s progress and performance on completed lessons.

HelpNow
Teens, tweens and kids can sharpen their math, science, and writing skills and avoid the Summer Slide with HelpNow from Brainfuse. Read lessons, watch videos, and take practice tests. Plus you can even access live online help from tutors from 2 PM to 11 PM every day or send a question and receive an expert reply within 24 hours! A writing lab provides online writing assistance. The Language Lab can provide assistance to those learning Spanish and there is even Chess Tutoring to sharpen your cognitive skills. HelpNow is a great resource for the young people in your life, but it also has resources for adults including High School Equivalency Preparation, US Citizenship Test Prep, Microsoft Office Help, and Career Resources including resume assistance.

Posted by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Recipe Roadtrips: Terry & Mason’s Great Food Trip and State Plate

5 Jul

Terry & Mason’s Great Food Trip
The BBC show, Terry & Mason’s Great Food Trip, stars radio and television broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan and cabbie Mason McQueen who drive around in Mason’s cab to different areas of of Great Britain and see historical sites and learn about famous dishes from the past and present. Their trip is partially inspired by British Bouquet: An Epicurean Tour of Britain by Samuel V. Chamberlain, who took a similar journey in 1963 as the country was rebuilding from the war. Both funny and informative, I enjoyed sampling several episodes, which can be enjoyed in any order. The journey starts in the seaside town of Weymouth where legend has it the Black Death first came to the UK; Terry instead catches an assortment of succulent seafood including crabs and oysters. A visit to York includes sampling local beers and exploring a recreation Viking Village complete with a celebratory feast. Oxford we learn is famous not only for its colleges, but also marmalade and a lesser known, yet still tasty sausage that has a unique taste of lemon. In Bath they explore the Roman Bath’s of course, but also sample locally prepared coffee whose grounds are recycled to grow oyster mushrooms. When in the Chester episode they eat baked potatoes with unusual toppings in another underground roman bath turned into a seating area that dated back 1,800 years, it really put in perspective how far back the country’s history goes and how much it has changed over the years.

State Plate
Jumping across the Ocean from York’s historic chocolates to New York’s cheesecake, State Plate’s three seasons takes a look at the signature dishes of the United States. The show stars restaurateur and musician (he won the 5th Season of American Idol), Taylor Hicks, who each episode creates the ultimate plate of food, which represents that state’s unique cuisine. Of course I couldn’t resist checking out the New Jersey episode in Season 2 that included Italian hot dogs, pork roll, disco fries, and salt water taffy and another about nearby Pennsylvania home of cheesesteaks and Amish delicacies like chow chow and shoofly pie, which I sampled on a recent visit. Probably my favorite US cuisine and food culture though is Louisiana’s Cajun cuisine including po’boys, beignets, jambalaya, and etouffee. The episode about Massachusetts had me feeling nostalgic for my grad school days with Boston Baked Beans and their creamy version of clam chowder (which I prefer to New York’s tomato based style). It was also exciting to learn about places I’ve never been such as Nebraska, with the tasty sounding but caloric bomb appetizer, the cheese Frenchie a deep fried grilled cheese sandwich loosely based on one of my favorite French comfort classics, the Croque Monsieur, or West Virginia’s Pepperoni Rolls, which originated as lunch for coal mining Italian Immigrants. The show will definitely give you some tasty ideas for your next road trip.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , , , , , ,

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