All Good Things Must End: A Reflection on the Semester

As the semester comes to an end and I reflect upon the many tools I have learned to use and information I have processed, I want to share a few of my key takeaways.

1. The things that I am the most excited about are Superb Screencasts and Social Media in the Library . 

 I feel that using Screencasts will be a fabulous way to record PD for my teachers so that they can learn about technology, research, and new skills coming out of the library on their own time. I also feel that Screencast tutorials for students can be posted on our library website and guide them through using the OPAC and doing research.

Social Media is a powerful tool in this digital age, and having a library Facebook page to share events and celebrations on, a Twitter account to share current trends and ideas in the library world, and a webpage with important information, book reviews, and other fabulous finds will make the library more useful to our users and help us garner community support.

2.  The things that were most difficult for me were learning about Blogs and blog readers because I didn't know anything about them and I struggled to find their importance.  I also struggled with making Cartoons & Comics because those just aren't my jam. I was happy with the outcome though, so I feel that it was a good use of my time to get out of my comfort zone and learn a new skill.  

3. I feel like everything I have posted in the last semester will be tremendously beneficial to students.  If teachers read the Bloom's Taxonomy and Technology post, I believe they will be able to connect new and innovative ideas into the scaffolding of the Bloom's Taxonomy they learned about when they were in school.  

Students will benefit from Podcasts and Videos & QR Codes along with Superb Screencasts because these are innovative ways that students can be creative and learn while thinking in creative ways.

Overall, the skills I have learned have been a powerful testament to what we can do in the library to support technology, 21st century learners, and our faculty in providing a strong library program. 

Please find my Storyboard (which I LOVE way more than any that I tested out in my Cartoons and Comics post) here:

Please visit https://www.storyboardthat.com/ to create your own Storyboard.

Image credit:  https://womenandtech.indiana.edu/students/student-alliance-groups/Graduate-Women-in-Technology.shtml

Copyright Law and Fair Use

Podcasts

As an English teacher, I would have parents ask me if it was okay for their child, my student,to listen to the audiobook of a novel we were reading in class.  My answer was always an emphatic, “YES!”.  

While some people question the equality of the written word and the spoken word, research shows that listening to a book or a story is almost exactly the same. Our brains still process comprehension, decoding, and emotion when we listen instead of read (Aycock).

As a full-time librarian, grad student, and mom, I don’t have much time to sit and read.  While I will forever love the smell of a new book and the feel of the pages under my fingers (is there anything greater than getting ink smudges from the pages of a brand new book and smelling that precious book smell?), I find that in my life, I can listen to at least one book a month if I listen in between- when I am driving, doing dishes, getting ready in the morning.  I find that being able to listen to a story allows me to multi-task and not feel I am cheating my family of taking care of my responsibilities.

Now, as a librarian, I encourage students, faculty, and parents to read in any format they can.  As Aycock points out in his article, “Listening, then, is the antidote to booklessness.”  In a world where we are all constantly moving, and a world in which our children have a shrinking attention span, listening to audiobooks and podcasts keeps us reading- and that is the most important goal of books.  So, for today’s blogpost, we are going to try out the world of podcasts. 

GarageBand

Positives:  Easy to make the recording, clear recording, I already have it in my Mac so I didn’t have to download it or make an account.  It uploads to podcast platforms like a file.  

Negatives:  I can’t figure out how to add the music or edit.  There are lots of buttons and icons and it requires some time to figure out.  

Soundcloud

Positives: You can upload your podcasts. 

Negatives: I couldn’t find a way to create a podcast on this website.   

Positives: Easy to set up a free account, able to create a new podcast or import an existing one from another website, visually appealing and simple layout 

Negatives: Costs money to use in any way

Positives:  Simple to use, I already have an account with them because I have used them in the past, which means they are user-friendly!  I can upload my podcast from GarageBand through this program.  I was able to download the app, and I can make podcasts easily, while utilize a few very easy to use buttons.  From there, it uploads to my account and I can share it from the phone or the computer.  

Negatives:  At least from my laptop, it takes a long time to upload.  I am not able to record through the website; it requires downloading an app.  Always proof-listen before posting.  My first recording from my phone sounded fine on my phone, but had warped to chipmunk speed before I could post it. 

Cartoons & Comics

Cartoons and Comics can be a great way to hold student interest when teaching and can allow them to create to show what they know.  In this post, I review three ways to create my own comics.  For the sake of a true comparison, I am going to make the same comic in each one and rate them on the components:
1. aesthetically pleasing (which is the prettiest)
2. the most user-friendly (easiest to make)

The first is Pixton, which can be found at https://www.pixton.com/.

Positives:

• It is very easy to create an account 
• It loads quickly
• The interface is clear and user-friendly; elementary students could use this
• Very easy directions
• There are presets for different subjects you can start with or you can start with a blank template.
• A tutorial walks you through the steps to create your first comic strip
• You are able to choose:
• the number of boxes and the layout of your comic strip
• how many characters (1-3)
• the facial expressions, body positions (these are very detailed), and color of the character(s)
• dialogue bubble location and starting point
• a wide array of backgrounds

Negatives:

• You can't add extra things to your comic; you only get the 1-3 people
• The clothes don't change colors
• You either keep the same background, or change it completely. It doesn't move with the people if they are walking. 
• I can't edit the comic to fit into a different screen (such as this one) and I can't download it without upgrading the account.

Overall:  Pixton is very easy to work on.  I was happy with the result of my comic.  The program walked me entirely through the first one I made, so I learned how to do it correctly the very first time.  This would be a fun way to present information to students.  This is also user-friendly enough that students can create on it.

My beautiful Pixton comic can be found below in part and in its entirety at https://Pixton.com/ic:ud9etotc

The second one we will look at is ToonDoo, which can be found at http://www.toondoo.com/ 
Positives:

• There are more options for characters- animals, stick figures, people, famous people, fantastical creatures, emoticons.
• The characters are very cute.
• The background MOVES!  You can slide it down further and further so that it moves with your scene.  This is very cool.
• Very colorful
• Special effects are available
• You can share it or save it to your computer
• It does not try to make you buy anything

Negatives:

• It gives zero direction.  Once your account is created, it drops you off at a very busy page and you have to figure out which buttons to hit to create a comic strip.
• It is time-consuming to figure out how to move things.  Most of the editing is done by hitting buttons on the bottom of the screen instead of by manipulating the characters and the screen itself, although putting things into the squares is done by dragging them from the menu on the side.  
• The characters have a range of about 7 poses and facial expressions.  They are pretty specialized characters; they are not generic characters to fit into a specific story.  
• This would be hard for younger students to manipulate.

Overall: I struggled to figure out what to do, but once I did, I think I made a super cute comic.  The characters don't look just like I want them to as far as their poses, but the bright, peppy faces and colorful backgrounds that move along with the story make up for it. 

Here is my adorable ToonDoo:

The final comic-maker we will check out is Make Beliefs Comix which can be found at https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/.

Positive: 

• The website is free, so you don't have to make an account
• There is a tutorial for how to create the comic

Negative:  

• The website is very busy and has a lot of information in a little bit of space, so it is hard to figure out what to focus on.  
• The tutorial is a little bit helpful and a little bit confusing
• Where the other websites had a "search" menu while looking for backgrounds and characters, this one does not.
• I can't figure out how to delete something once I put it in.  This is a major detractor for me.
• The characters are very limited.  There are four poses for each character and no changes to emotions available.
• You can not grow or shrink things at all.
• This would not be good for students.

Overall:  I do not love this website.  It does not allow you to make mistakes without starting over and is not user-friendly.

Here is my not-my-favorite comic strip.

How do we transfer this skill over to the library?

In the library, we can use comics to:

• share information with students and teachers
• Hold a PD where we show the teachers how to make these and brainstorm ideas of how to use it in the classroom
• Promote the library

Go out and try creating some comics!  It is fun and makes an intriguing way to share information.  Do you have more ideas of how we can use comics in the library?  Please share your ideas in the comments!

Videos & QR Codes in the Library

When you think of a school library, do you think of a quiet place full of books and people reading?  Or do you think of a vibrant and cheerful room, full of people doing many different activities?  In today’s school library, all of these things happen.  One of the most important roles the school library plays in today’s environment is as a media center and technology hub.  One way that librarians promote the use of technology is by using it.  Today, we are going to look at a few different platforms that librarians can use to promote the library, support student learning, and share information using technology.

Many schools have their own Youtube channels to share content with students, faculty, and the community.  Below are several examples of school libraries that have done an excellent job of sharing usable and interesting content.  Please note that for each video, I have shared the most useful video and the most interesting video.

The Norman High School Library https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNHSLibrary/videos uses their Youtube channel to share “how to” videos and events happening on campus.  On this channel, the most helpful video is “Getting started with the NHS library website” which gives students directions for accessing and using the school library website.   



The video on this channel that students will like the best is “Tiger visits the Norman High Library”because it shows the wonderful offerings of the library using the school mascot.

The Pikesville High School Library https://www.youtube.com/user/pikesvillehslibrary/videos uses their Youtube channel to share coursework, videos from teachers of many subjects, and student videos of what they are doing.  The most useful video on this channel is”Snapshot of the Panthers Library” because it showcases the many awesome things students can do in the library and shows how doing these activities should look. 

They have several fun videos, but the funnest one is quite possibly “Panthers Library Shakes” because many students were able to participate and it is students dancing to a popular song.

The unquiet library channel https://www.youtube.com/user/theunquietlibrary/videos has many useful videos such as videos that showcase unique programs the library is running, events in the library, and examples of student projects.  The most useful video I found in all of my research into Youtube videos is “The Unquiet Library on wheels @ the Cafeteria” because it shows such a fabulous way to get books to students even when they can’t get to the library.  

The funnest video on this channel is “Scenes from the Unquiet Library” because, again, it shows students doing fabulous things in the library. 

Bbmsmedia is a channel bursting with hilarious videos https://www.youtube.com/user/bbmsmedia/videos .  The majority of their videos are parodies for turning in overdue books; some are music videos and some are movie trailers.  They are well-made, and I can’t choose just one to share.  Some of the funnest ones are: Fifth Harmony, Twilight, and Star Wars.  

While I was thinking about overdue parody videos, I looked up “overdue parody videos” to see if there were some more current ones, and found several.  My favorite one is “Bring Back Your Books” because it is very professional looking, hilarious, and includes students in the process.

If you belong to a campus or district that has blocked the use of Youtube, you can go to this website https://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/alternatives-to-youtube.html

 For a list of Youtube alternatives.

Students love technology.  They love creating.  And they love seeing themselves and people they care about on the big screen.  Try some of these out in your library! 

Animoto is a free, and easy to use program that gives teachers and educators more free videos if they register with their school account.   One fun way to use this program is to create book reviews.  I have created a book trailer for Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly.  

Synopsis of the novel: 

Emmeline has grown up with a gift. Since she was a baby, she has been able to control shadows. And her only friend and companion is her own shadow, Dar.

Disaster strikes when a noble and his family visits their home and offers to cure Emmeline of magic. Dar promises to change the noble's mind if Emmeline will help her become flesh as she once was. Emmeline agrees, and the next morning, the man is found in a coma. Frightened, Emmeline and Dar flee.

With the noble's guards on her trail, Emmeline's only hope of clearing her name is to escape capture and perform the ritual that will set Dar free. But Emmeline's not entirely sure she can trust Dar anymore, and it's hard to keep secrets from someone tethered to your feet.

QR Codes

QR Codes are those adorable little squares (that resemble bar codes) that you see on things all over the place now.  They have them in grocery stores, schools, at conferences and sporting events.  To use one, you must have an app (some newer model phones have the capability of scanning a QR code using their camera).  Once you scan the code, it takes you to a website with more information about a topic.  These are great for education and for libraries.  Some of the ways QR codes can be used in a library are:  Link to “how to” videos for things such as self-check out, logging into and using TexQuest, and using the OPAC. 

• Connect directly to the library webpage. 
• Sign in to the library 
• Use them for research topics when collaborating with teachers
•  Link to videos for book trailers
•  Links to further information on areas/ topics/ books in the library
• Connect to student projects
• Connect to teacher instructions
• 
  

In my elementary school library, I will start out with something simple and fun.  We will have QR codes by our Bluebonnet books and students can use them to link to book trailers made by other students on our campus to see which book they want to read next.  Once we get used to using those, we are going to try using QR codes for “how to” videos with the computers.

To test out my QR code making abilities, please find the QR code for my book trailer about Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly:

  

Resources:

Ziinkovich, B. (2015, January). Using QR codes to promote your library. Kids & Books.  Retrieved from https://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist-special/using-qr-codes-to-promote-your-library.
Book synopsis taken from https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-weaver-marcykate-connolly/1126251129#/

Image 1 taken from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/65372632077818209/?lp=true.

Image 2 taken from https://www.creativebloq.com/news/youtube-launches-a-new-logo-design

Image 3 taken from https://sharpspring.com/animoto/