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.