Reflection

As I think about the different internet tools I have worked with over the last month, I need to think about which tools I will try to carry over to my classroom this next school year, and library next year!  

The tool that was the most scary to me turned out to be much easier to use than I ever would have thought...Screencasting!  This will be a favorite tool for me, I just have to make myself take the time to use it! I would like to use screencasting for lessons throughout the year so that I can be more mobile and able to move around the classroom more.  

Podcasts could be used for the same benefit when we are reading passages in class.  Whether I record them, a coworker, or a student, this would, again, make it easier for me to move around the classroom as the podcast is playing.  

Blogging was something I never thought I would do.  (What was I thinking?  I'm going to be a librarian!) However, now that I have found it to be so simple to do, I would like to start a blog just for my classroom for this next year.  I think this could be a great tool for parents and students to keep informed on what is going on in class.  

All of the tools I worked with could be beneficial for students in some way, me being more mobile in the classroom, parents and students staying informed, etc., but which tools will the students get the most excited about, creating interest and immersion (more benefits)?  Videos, Vines, QR codes, Instagram and Twitter! The more I can incorporate these into my lessons, the more engagement and learning I will see!

Finally, I would like to get students, especially the avid readers, to join an online book community.  I think they would find this a fun and useful use of the internet.  And, they would never have to ask, "What's a good book I can read next?"  :) 

The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing is Taught in Schools

 I was especially interested in reading this report because I teach an English class.  This was a rather lengthy article about teaching writing skills and how using digital tools impact the teaching, learning and writing.  So, I'll try to just touch on the main points that I found the most significant.  The survey responses came from 2,462 middle and high school Advanced Placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) teachers and were based on their 2011-2012 school year.

• Even though I often hear from my students that they "hate writing," the report indicates that students are writing more than ever because of digital devices, social media, texting, etc.  (They just don't realize it!)
• Using the digital tools allows students to share work to larger and more diverse audiences.  They are also collaborating with others more and getting more creative.  Super!
• Teachers are finding that writing is becoming less formal and that students want to rush through their writing, possibly due to "instant internet information" and the short, quick texting and posting they are used to doing.  Grammar and vocabulary skills are also diminishing.
• Organization of their writing is overall rated pretty high, but coming in at the bottom are issues with plagiarism, copyright and citation.
• Teaching with digital tools has caused a realization that students must be taught the digital devices are not just toys, but are learning and working tools.
• Publishing student work online tends to cause students to become more engaged and invested in their writing, and to think more about the audience they are writing for. I like that!
• I thought this table was particularly interesting.

And finally, do teachers feel that using digital tools help teach students to write better?

228/150 pages

The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing is Taught in Schools. (n.d.). Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Retrieved July 28, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/07/16/the-impact-of-digital-tools-on-student-writing-and-how-writing-is-taught-in-schools/

Millenials and Libraries

This report by Lee Rainie initially includes some of the same data reported in my last blog posting, "13 Things to Know about Teens and Technology," but then focuses on teen use of the library and librarians.  I was surprised at some of the findings.

I was surprised that the numbers are as high as they are in the younger readers group.  Yay!

I was surprised that cell phone and computer use was so high for young readers reading e-books.  Awesome!!

Young readers also had the highest numbers in using the library at 72% and getting help from a librarian at 43%.  Super!!

Unfortunately, the young readers had the lowest number on the resulting impact on their community of their local library closing...the data below again looks great!!

Finally, the report stresses that teachers and the public strongly support a leading role for libraries in providing resources for teaching digital literacy for our youth.




114/150 pages

Millennials and Libraries. (n.d.). Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Retrieved July 28, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/09/millennials-and-libraries/

13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology

This report from the 29th Annual ACT Enrollment Planners Conference from July 23, 2014, has up-to-date information regarding teens and technology.  Lee Rainie "highlight[s] some critical ways digital tools are changing not only how teens communicate, but also how they gather information about the world and present themselves to others."  

Most teens have immediate access to technology and the internet through smart phones, computers and tablets.  Teens are in constant contact with friends and the world through social media. Information is immediate.  



By "PictureYouth" (Flickr: Young girl with smart phone) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


While they have great access for researching, teachers report students also expect immediate research findings, which leads to frustration at times.  Also due to today's technology, teachers report students have shorter attention spans.  Teens are led to an array of resources when researching on the internet, but this is also limiting the types of resources they are using which leads to issues in supporting an argument using multiple resources. Data also shows teens are having problems judging online material for quality, accuracy and bias.  I think these issues will all improve as teachers become increasingly aware on specifics that need to be taught according to challenges today and what we see in the future as things continue to change.  

The report goes on to report on how the "hyperconnected Millenials" will live.  Will the teens of 2020 be positively or negatively impacted by today's technology?  I can see both sides to the argument, but I lean more to the positive outcomes in the visual below.



























Finally, the report discusses the 6 media zones- stacks, signals, snacks, streams, socials and synthesized spaces- how they work and what that means for the message makers now and in the future.  


74/150 pages

13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology. (n.d.). Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Retrieved July 29, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/07/23/13-things-to-know-about-teens-and-technology/

Instagram and Vine in the Classroom and Library

How can we use Instagram and Vine in the classroom and library??  Because our students are all about using Instagram and Vine, we should be figuring out how to apply the apps to our classrooms and libraries. #Keeping kids interested...

Instagram
I would love to have a classroom or library account and have students add pictures of their favorite books throughout the year.  Besides getting them more into reading, their pictures could give ideas to others about books they might like to read.








Instagram could also be used to highlight student projects.



Vine
Warning...Vine videos sometimes have offensive material.  Setting up a private classroom account and monitoring will be essential.

I could probably get some pretty good intros from kids and learn more about them if I encouraged Vine videos. By the second day of school, I bet I could get to know quite a bit about many of my students!

A Vine to introduce my puppies to my students!

 


Vine could also be used for quick examples or instructions by teachers, or student work.

Spine Poetry!

Cartoons and Comics for the Classroom and Library

Pixton
Pixton was easy to use for a quick comic strip, but it was rather limited in what you can do with a free account.  Also, when I tried to use the embed code, it did not work for my blog.  So, below is a picture of the first picture in the comic strip and a link to the full strip.  Students would be able to use this easily.
http://Pixton.com/ic:cxundgpd

ToonDoo
ToonDoo was a more complicated for me to figure out how to use and save, but it had quite a more features with the free account and was more fun to use once I figured it out.  However, hours later, it still says the image is processing.  I went back and created a second one, and this time I used my snipping tool to get a copy of the image before losing it again.  This is what it should look like if the image finishes processing.

Makebeliefscomix
Using Makebeliefscomix was relatively easy.  The site provides a lot of help tips right on the screen you are working on.  There is also guidance for ideas on what to add to each slide that works well for ELA projects. I wasn't that excited about the characters they offer for use.  I also didn't like how the dialogue boxes worked.  I couldn't resize or move my text in the boxes.  Also, you cannot save your comic strip.  You have to print and/or email.

All in all, I liked using ToonDoo the most, but not if isn't going to work in the end!  It was the most fun to work with.  Pixton was easy but pretty basic.  It would be good for students to create a quick comic strip and not get lost in too many other features. Makebeliefscomix would be a good ELA teaching tool, especially for the ideas and lesson plans included.  I would definitely like to try using ToonDoo with ideas from Makebeliefscomix, such as analyzing characters and plots.  (Lesson plans: "If X was a Y" and "SWBS 4" from http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Lesson-Plans/)

Scary Screencasts

Tackling screencasts was scary for me.  I finally jumped in a gave it a shot.  I tried several screencast options and it was actually much easier than I thought it would be.

First, I created a screencast explaining how to use the app, Aurasma, in the library and to create your own "auras."  Aurasma uses images like QR codes to link to other things.  I liked the idea of creating shelf markers for the library and linking books to book trailers, author talks, book reviews, etc.  For this screencast, I used Jing. It was pretty easy to use, but there were more steps required. You have to use Jing in conjunction with Screencast.  And, when I tried to embed the video, it only embedded a simple link. Click on the "Using Aurasma" link below to view the video.  It might take a few seconds to start.

Using Aurasma



Next, I used Screenr to create a screencast on how to create a book trailer using Animoto.  I have seen plenty of book trailers created this way, but I had never taken the time to try it myself.  I found that using Animoto is very simple.  The hard part is finding pictures to use that don't infringe on copyright laws.  That's another lesson!  Screenr, also, was very simple to use and embed.



Finally, I created a screencast for teachers!  I have always wanted to find a way to keep up with my classroom library collection. So, I started looking at apps   I found the Classroom Organizer by Booksource.  The following video, created by Screencast-o-matic, gives an intro to the Classroom Organizer.  Screencast-o-matic was also very simple to use, as was the Classroom Organizer website and app.
 



I thought Screenr and Screencast-o-matic were both easy to learn to use,and both allowed publishing the videos to YouTube easily.  Jing shares videos to Screencast, which is not as convenient.

Online Book Communities

There are multiple FREE online book communities available for your use.  These sites are great for keeping track of what you are reading, what you want to read, and what you have already read.  Another great feature is that most of the sites will also give suggestions of new books to read based on what you have added to your collections.  The sites are pretty user-friendly, though some are easier than other, of course.

Another important use of these sites is book reviews.  You have access to many reviews by other members. And, you can add your thoughts on books you read for others to read.  You can also follow other members if you want to keep up with their reviews.  There are groups for book discussions and more.

LibraryThing is full of possibilities, and I found it pretty simple to use.  Very useful, but not the most aesthetically pleasing.

I'm a little more familiar with Goodreads because I have used it as a resource at times.  As I worked with five different online book community sites today, I found Goodreads the easiest for me to use and navigate. It's still not the "prettiest" looking website, but a great site.  Lots of great features.

I also looked at Shelfari.  I thought this one was more difficult to figure out how to import books, but I eventually got it.  The import combined books to one cover if there was a print and ebook of the same title. So, you have to click on the cover and then go to editions to see what is available.  Goodreads and LibraryThing kept them separate.  I also did not find a way to "reshelve" the books all at once.  I had to move them one-by-one to the "I plan to read" shelf, and I did not find an option for adding a custom-named shelf. The did think the website was nice to look at, rather clean and organized.

Booklikes is also clean and organized in appearance.  I had a hard time at first figuring out how to import books, but the FAQ's had great information.  It was easy to sync my Goodreads information to Booklikes. That was nice.

And finally, I checked out Biblionasium.  This one is kid-friendly and would be great for elementary classroom teachers. The kids will like the bright images and easy to use format.  This is also set up for parents to access.  I did not find a way to import books, so I had to add each book one-by-one.  And,  I was not able to add a custom-named shelf.

After looking at the different sites, I decided I will keep Goodreads.  It felt like it had the best features and most information available, and it was the easiest one for me to use.  User-friendly!

Using Podcasts in the Classroom

So, if you decide you want to add some podcasts to your teaching tools, you will find that there are different programs for this purpose.  I have used Podbean which was easy to use, but you are more limited on the size of files that you can upload.  I like to use Audacity for recording because you can easily edit out mistakes. You can download Audacity from the internet.  To upload my latest podcast which was a little longer, I used Soundcloud.  This is just one example of using podcasts in the classroom.  In this podcast, I read an excerpt from the book A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, and then had a couple of questions at the end. I could use podcasts like this all year, but I think it could be especially useful at the beginning of the school year when students haven't had a chance to check out their own books yet.  The podcasts could introduce them to books they haven't read yet and create interest.  I would love to see students creating podcasts.  I think this would be a new, more interesting way for them to report on topics.

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Videos can be a great technology resource for library media centers.  Kids are all about watching YouTube and Vine videos.  Besides, being fun, they can teach, too!  From Norman High School, I found the following video to be one that I think students would really enjoy and could cause interest in visiting the library.  Another video from NHS is a helpful, step-by-step teaching tool for use with an English I class assignment.  Great idea!










Going in a very different direction, The Unquiet Library has a video about a project that covers a very emotional topic, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).  Here a video showcases a very important student project.




Also from The Unquiet Library videos comes a very helpful video on a topic that students get confused about sometimes, or just haven't had good instruction on...using Creative Commons images.



On to another video collection from Pikesville High School Library, I found a video on another topic that seems to cause lots of confusion for students and parents.  Registration!  Now parents can be much better informed on the registration process!





And then there is the fun Hip Hop Day video! Students will like that one!  Looks like it was an awesome day!




Moving on to Bonnie Branch Middle School Media Center, who doesn't love a Frozen parody?  Great tool to remind students to get books turned in!  Love it!  Other great, creative parodies using Twilight and Hunger Games.  How fun!



And a video that students can refer back to as needed, the ever-fun MLA citation.  Great resource for students to have access to anywhere, anytime.



So many great ideas for using videos in the library media centers!  I will use videos to promote visiting the library, to create reminders, to advertise upcoming and past events, and for instructional purposes.  The more we use tools like this, the more students will see the library as a go-to place!

Animoto

Using Animoto is another great tool.  Animoto is great for creating simple book trailers for students to view to help create interest in books.  It is also simple enough that students of just about any age can create their own book trailers!  Scan the QR code below to link to the book trailer I created for a favorite book of mine, Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier.

Publisher Synopsis:

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

QR codes can be a fun and useful addition to the library.  Besides linking to book trailers, author talks, etc., they can be used for quick access to surveys, contests, class assignments, and for locating books or other resources. So many possibilities!

Blog Fog

Do you ever feel like you are in a fog trying to keep up all the different social media sites, people, blogs, and information that is out there?  How can you organize it all?  One helpful tip to get out of the "Blog Fog" is to join a Blog Reader that will "bookmark" all of the blogs you want to follow.  I chose to use Feedly because, for me, it was the easiest to figure out how to use.  I tried Bloglovin, but seemed to be having some technical difficulties.  I also tried Bloglines, but had a problem trying to add blogs.  Third, I went to Feedly, and found it easy to use.  Below is what I have done so far.  

Right away, I added some blogs that I was already familiar with because they are by professors at SHSU.  Dr. Perry and Dr. Lesesne stay busy with their blogs and other social media outlets they keep up with!  These two blogs focus mainly on book reviews. 

I was also familiar with "The Daring Librarian" through Twitter, and I like her insights and posts. Packed with book reviews, vines, and up-to-the-minute library and technology information.

YALSA is a" must follow" as a well-recognized YA literature professional library organization.  

OEDb was a Feedly suggestion, and I liked the variation of school and library articles it had to offer.  Posts included information about library news as well as technology.

As I was going through the different blogs, I also came across Dr. Perry's Tumblr. :)  And then I added a few "library humor" posts to my own Tumblr at annemwendel.tumblr.com.  I'll have fun adding to that one!

Teens and Technology 2013

Between July 26 and September 30, 2012, 802 teens and their parents nationwide were surveyed by phone to compile the following data.  Surveys were conducted in Spanish and English using landline and mobile phones. It is not surprising to find that the number of teens who have smartphones has increased from 23% in 2011 to 37% reported in this publication.  In addition, teens are using the internet more and are using their mobile devices increasingly to access the internet, rather than wired computers.  What does this information translate to?  Librarians must keep their library media centers at the top of the technology world.

Teens and Technology 2013 | Create Infographics

19/150 pages

Madden, M., Lenhart, A., Duggan, M., Cortesi, S., & Gasser, U. (2013, March 13). Teens and Technology 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_TeensandTechnology2013.pdf

Highlights from Twitter- Educational Technology!

Names you should know and follow in the Twitter world of educational technology!  With the constant changes and new technologies emerging, you probably feel overwhelmed at times.  Using Twitter can help you keep up!  Below are some leaders in educational technology and some tweets that I think you will find interesting and useful.



Linda Braun:  Twitter Profile:  "Youth Srvcs Manager Seattle Pub Lib, Ed Tech Consultant, educator, teen advocate, librarian, YALSA Past Pres"

RT @mnylc: College students likely to graduate w/o real-life research skills. Librarians can help: http://t.co/BRsT4uCIDH via @yalsa
— Linda W Braun (@lbraun2000) July 7, 2014

Tony Vincent: Twitter Profile: "The only thing I like better than teaching is learning. ★ I created an iPad app called Stick Around. Go get it→ http://tonyv.me/sa "

3 iPad Apps You May Not Know About for Demonstrating Learning → http://t.co/witPebwWqc #slide2learn #notatiste pic.twitter.com/M9I5Btg4HU
— Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) July 1, 2014

Buffy Hamilton:  Twitter Profile:  "Librarian and teacher who loves learning, critical literacy, stories, music, dogs, poetry, participatory learning; 2011 LJ Mover and Shaker."

from my blog: Growing Learning Communities Through School Libraries and Makerspaces-Creating, Constructing, Co... http://t.co/gV2aw1sgDY
— Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) June 21, 2014

The Daring Librarian: Twitter Profile:  "Teacher Librarian, Mover, Shaker, Blogger, Speaker, GCT, & Pop Culture Ho. Trope & Meme Archivist. Creator & Curator of Content. Ridiculously Humble. Geek."

“@NMHS_Principal: The Dynamic Educator’s review of Digital Leadership http://t.co/In9T0pG53n #digilead #cpchat #Edchat” great read!
— The Daring Librarian (@GwynethJones) July 1, 2014

Jim Lerman:  Twitter Profile:  "parent, learner, teacher, leader, author, speaker, collaborator, networker, focused on new schools for new learning"

Latest Issue Now Available ~JOLT - Journal of Online Learning and Teaching http://t.co/UitGaM3ssC
— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) July 7, 2014

Kathy Schrock:  Twitter Profile:  "Educational Technologist, DEN Guru, Adobe Ed Leader, Google Certified Teacher, Sony Ed Ambassador, Glass Explorer - kathy@kathyschrock.net"

Updated my online tools page with lots of new things! Added links to those with Chrome apps. http://t.co/YYx35fYQdd
— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) July 4, 2014 

To Facebook or Not to Facebook, That is the Question!

As I explored some different school library Facebook pages, I was excited about all the possibilities that can come from using Facebook to open up your library world!  Having a Facebook page for your library could be a great asset!  I saw postings about school-wide competitions, deadlines, projects, reminders, powerful quotes and more that were all centered around the libraries.  I also came across many book talks, reviews and trailers.  This is a great tool that is widely used that could really help promote excitement and participation for your library.

While many elementary school students may not have a Facebook page, many of their parents probably do. I've been seeing a trend with middle school through college students using other social media platforms instead of Facebook, but there are still many that use Facebook regularly and others who keep their page and still visit it on occasion.  And, again, there are parents who appreciate knowing what is going on!

I believe there are many advantages to using Facebook for this purpose.  And, the only real disadvantage I see is having another role to fulfill when librarians are already so busy- keeping up with the page, keeping it current and exciting.  However, this could be another teaching tool! Have a few top library student aides help with the project.  They will have great ideas!

A few sites I visited:

DiscoveryMiddleSchoolLibrary
Whitman Middle School
Brooks School Elementary Library

Here is a link to the Facebook  page I created for my library.  (Unfortunately, I don't really have a library yet.)

HPMSLibrary on Facebook