Final Reflection Digital Technology Class

Digital Technology is definitely a wheelhouse of mine. I have enjoyed learning about new and different technologies that I had not previously used, such as Animoto. I really liked creating the book trailer. It let me be creative and design something I was really proud of. The comic strips were a great way for me to incorporate into lessons for next year as well.

I really do not like twitter. It is a difficulty for me to use it specifically because I do not like it. That was the hardest part of this class for me.

The most beneficial part of this course for my students is just a general expansion of knowledge for me that will help me to create a better library program.

From the article, what really sticks with me is: “ the local community we wish to serve... We do not start with our trip [or our agenda]; we start with the people”. This is why I do what I do, without a doubt.

Universal Design In the Library

Access:

While considering access in my library, what I currently do for recruiting interest is: book talks, and high interest books displays. However, I have been working on some new ideas for next school year that include: recommendations from the librarian, teachers, staff and fun guess this quote activities.

In perception of my library, I created a very visually appealing place for students and staff. This includes monthly or bimonthly displays, places for learning, collaborating and relaxing while everything is always neat, tidy and organized. All who enter feel welcome.

Physical action in the library can be difficult to manage. However, being a teacher previously taught me that this is extremely important when working with kids of any age. In order to add physical action into the library environment I created a maker space section. This included large building blocks that are extremely popular with all age kids K-5th grade at my school, pipe builders, snowflake building items, snap together building items and more. In the coming school year I intend to expand this area so that the items can be rotated. I also include board games and puzzles when we have our “Read and Relax” days.

Building:

In sustaining effort and persistence, I am constantly learning about student needs and wants. I have surveys that staff and students fill out periodically, I keep a suggestion box available at all times, I also pay attention to what students are checking out and what interests them. All of these things go into my persistence to create an amazing library program.

Language and Symbols in my library are limited. We currently have a dual language program and many books in Spanish for this reason. While all of the books are marked Spanish, the need to have these materials in their own section is apparent and something I plan on doing. The signage on the shelves is adequate but I am planning on improving it. This is also true for general signage, a work in progress.

Expression and communication are very important in the library. Rules and expectations are a constant process and it works well. The students are taught that while we aren’t a whisper-only library, inside voices have their place, while outside voices are not permitted. Then there is the way that they are allowed to express themselves. I always try to have creative activities available, sometimes with the use of technology and sometimes without.

Empowering Learners



Empowering learners has been a passion of mine since I began teaching. I find that if you help to empower a learner they become more independent, better learners. Self-Regulation can be a large challenge for some students. However, keeping consistent expectations in the library lends more to the self-regulation of students.

Comprehension can be tricky as a librarian because I, for example see 1 class of every grade level, k-5, every day. Therefore, my teaching changes with each group and even different classes based on their abilities and needs. After that it goes so far as to be somewhat individualized with some lessons. With varying levels of ability in a school of roughly 700, I provide access to multiple levels of materials and knowledge so that when the above grade level student needs something, they have access to it. Just as much when an at grade level or below grade level student needs access to something, they also have it.

Executive functions should come in multiple formats. Hand on learning, visual learning and instructional learning are all wrapped up in what I do with my students. I am definitely a visual and hand on teacher more than anything and I think this works for most students. I can be up at the Clary board teaching them something but also have them accessing it on their end from a Chromebook for hybrid learning that ultimately works well and helps their learning.

Creating Expert Learners


The ultimate goal is always to create expert learners. There are so many different aspects to doing that. The term well rounded is quite accurate and goal setting to me. Trying to help students to become: purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, strategic and goal-directed is every teacher’s dream. I, as a library teacher delve into certain areas to try and give them skills for long term use and not just how to work through an assignment from a teacher or what to read next. Skills are what it takes to get through life and education with any hope of success. I instill as many skills as I can, whether they take those skills and use them is up to the individual.

Podcast Platforms

Are They All Created Equal?

Here are three podcast platforms I looked into and what I found out:

Soundcloud

Soundcloud is a location where you can upload a podcast. However, when searching through it, it is filled with music. There aren’t many podcasts in there, but if you are looking for many different types of music, Soundcloud is for you.

Audioboom

Audioboom is another platform in which you can create and post podcasts. I found many different channels and podcasts ranging in topics. For example: The Midnight Library is a podcast that reads stories of a darker nature. Then there is Dinosaurs Didn't Read, where there are podcasts about books, reading, author interviews and library topics. Audioboom even has over 1000 podcast channels dedicated to come kind of reading. There are topics for cooking and gardening, in addition to many other topics. Audioboom is definitely an excellent place to look for podcasts.

Podbean

Podbean is also a place to upload a podcast, as well as find one on various topics. There are 29 podcasts directly related to the topic of Librarian. However, some are more mature than others, so look into what the topic of each one is before subscribing or listening. To stick with similar topics I mentioned before, there are 112 podcasts about cooking on Podbean and 82 on gardening. Though there are less podcasts on Podbean, than on Audioboom, it is still a great site for different topics.

Conclusions

My preference prior to this research was Podbean, as it is really easy to use when uploading a podcast. I had done this in the past for different school related assignments. However, I would recommend both Podbean and Audioboom for their ease of use and their available content. However, if music is what you seek, Soundcloud is very fruitful in that area.

For the podcast that a group I worked with did, we chose to publish at Podbean. This was because we all already had a Podbean account and new it well. Our podcast topic is on adding Maker Space to your school library. It's informative and entertaining! I hope you like it!

Podcasts in the library can be like ours, informational for school librarians, fun for students, such as a game or creative topic that they enjoy. Using podcasts in the library can be just as beneficial as creating them!

Toondoo, Pixton, Make Belief Comix & Canva

Creating a comic strip can be fun and educational for students, as well as highly engaging. Doing this by hand can be great for those people lucky enough to have the ability to draw. However, in current times as well as for those, like me who are artistically challenged in the area of drawing, there are digital options. The great thing about these options is that there are preloaded characters, props backgrounds and many other artistic touches. I used the following sites to create the following comic strips as an example:

ToondooUnfortunately Toondoo is no longer working due to data breaches.

Pixton
I created this comic strip using pixton:

https://Pixton.com/ic:fflnazzq


Pixton was easy to use and had different backgrounds available in different categories. However, when initially choosing characters there were limited choices. Once you get into the layout of the comic strip you can add more characters but it was a little more difficult to discover. There are upgrades if you want to subscribe to Pixton. However, I found that what was given for free was adequate for students to create their own comic strip. 

Make Belief Comix

I made this comic strip using Make Belief Comix.




Make Belief Comix has limited characters and props and the additions do not always load when working. With that said, This seems to be the most kid friendly comic strip maker that I found. You do not have to create an account or log in to use it, but you can if you want it saved online. It doesn’t overwhelm students with too many choices and allows them to write in comic book format, with thought bubbles and decent clipart.

Canva

I wanted to review 3 different sites so I searched and discovered that Canva also does comic strips. This is what I created:





In my district students cannot access Canva from school computers. In fact, recently it was taken away from teachers to access on a school computer as well. Though there hasn’t been a specific reason given for teachers, I am still using it through my home computers. I enjoy the free graphics and work on many projects here. That said it is very adult friendly and easy to use.

Digital Comic Creators

Overall, the three comic creators I reviewed can all get various jobs done. The choice of platforms really depends on the assignment expectations. If it is something that is a storyboard for students, Pixton and Make Belief Comix are great options. If you are a teacher, adult or even a student in secondary then Canva is a great resource as well.

As a school librarian, when back in the library next school year, I plan on introducing students to these comic strip creators. Until then, I am going to create screen casts on how to use all three of these platforms for teachers, to help them with potential additions to distance learning activities.

Videos & QR Codes in the Library

STALKING JACK THE RIPPER (SJTR book one)

#1 NYT Bestseller

Presented by James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion…

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.



It is the first in a series of gothic mysteries, available now.

See my book trailer here:

QR Codes in the library would work great for scavenger hunts at the middle school and high school level! However, as I work at the elementary level currently, there isn't a use for students because they are not permitted to have phones on them. However, I have used and will continue to use QR codes for professional development lessons and perhaps some staff fun!

Youtube & the Library

The best way that I can think of to promote my library through videos would be to have, introductory videos to the library, its layout and an overall tour. Also, training videos for new library staff and/or volunteers. I am at an elementary school where we are not allowed to put kids on youtube with the exception of video club. I already work closely with the educational technologist at my school who runs video club students so this is a resource I can use. After creating my first book trailer I think it might be nice to create more for some lesser known fiction books to inspire reading ideas.

Reviews of Library Youtube Channels and Content

The following videos come from school library websites. Some are helpful and some are just fun for students.
Most Helpful:

Students would like best:

Most Helpful:

Students would like best:

Most Helpful:

Students would like best:

Most Helpful:

Students would like best:

Sources:
Stalking Jack the Ripper Art. Credit: Phantomrin
https://kerrimaniscalco.com/2016/07/18/stalking-jack-the-ripper-character-sketches/
https://theblondebooklover.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-stalking-jack-ripper-by-kerri.html?m=0
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/679832506223581287/
https://stalking-jack-the-ripper.fandom.com/wiki/Audrey_Rose_Wadsworth
https://www.tumblr.com/search/stalking-jack-the-ripper
https://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/2017/10/11/stalking-jack-the-ripper-review/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jack-the-Ripper
https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/jack-the-ripper-identity-theories-nightmares/
https://www.redbubble.com/people/phantomrin/shop
https://kerrimaniscalco.com/stalkingjacktheripper/

Screen Casts

Screen casts are one of my new favorite tools! When a colleague had a question on how to work something, I explained to her how but ultimately we decided to create a video to share with the staff on how to do it, so that they knew how to do it. That wasn't a screen cast but I have created 8-10 screen cast in the last month and this is what I have learned.

I used Screen Castify and Screencast-O-Matic. The two are both free to start with. Screen Castify allows you to create videos up to 5 minutes without any fee and it does not need to be downloaded to your computer, simply added to Chrome. Screencast-O-Matic must be downloaded to your computer and will create up to 15 minute videos for free.

Both will create great screen casts that get the job done. However, when I first started working on screen casts I was a t work. This only allowed for me to use Screen Castify because I couldn't download  Screencast-O-Matic to my work computer.

Screencast-O-Matic shows you the amount of time you have been recording for in the lower left hand corner of the screen with the pause button. This feature helped me to see when I was approaching the end of my time. On Screen Castify it did not show me a clock on my recording time and on one video I was cut off at the 5 minutes without finishing. All in all, the only difference that seems to mater in this case is how long you need the video to be. You are limited to 5 minutes with Screen Castify but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you are creating a screen cast it is most likely for a very specific task or instruction. In this case if it a resource you are trying to put out for others you don't want it to be more than 5 minutes because they are not as likely to watch it.

Ultimately, my favorite is Screen Castify because it suits my needs but I have nothing bad to say about Screencast-O-Matic. The only problem I came up with was having to download it to a computer, which for most of us is not an option at work. Below is a screen cast I created through Screen Castify.

Here is my screen cast on accessing the digital catalog at my library.

Infographics

Infographics are a great way to create instructions, posters and even
step-by-step instructions. You can pay for subscriptions to many
sites that will help you to create infographic displays and many have
free options as well. I have listed some of these sites below:

https://www.easel.ly/

https://infogram.com/

https://create.piktochart.com/

https://www.canva.com/login

For a specific project, I created accounts on Easelly, Infogram and Pikochart.
Though it was not specific to that project I had already had an account on Canva
and looked at this site as well. Overall I have a recommendation that 3 of the 4 sites
have some great FREE resources that can serve anyone needing or wanting to
create infographics. I will start with why I do not recommend Infogram.
Database Instructions 

Infogram 

Infogram did not have many free tools to create a visually appealing infographic and
would not let me download my creation in any format, without paying a fee. I was
only able to save the document as a link. The final result was an infographic that
was not very visually appealing and left me feeling like the project was not satisfactory.

Pikochart

Pikochart helped me to create a visually appealing infographic. I was able to
create it the way that I wanted it. However, when editing shapes, text boxes
and graphics I continually had to return to the undo button as you have to
click multiple times on an object to just select that one. It was also difficult
to select a layered object that they provided in order to move it around when
there were graphics behind it. It has many great graphics and options in the
free version and it can work well in many ways if it serves your purpose.

Created with Pikochart 

Easelly

For this project my favorite result was from Easelly. I was able to create a very
visually appealing infographic that gave a final result of something I would happily
claim as my own work and consider it finished. There were a wide range of
FREE options through the site and I was easily able to download my final result,
which I have included. 

Created with Easelly

Canva 

Previous to this project my favorite site for creating flyers and announcements
was Canva. Now, however I have some up with 2 alternatives that can fit my needs,
depending on what kind of results I want. Easelly, Pikochart and Canva are my go
to sites for infographics, flyers and posters.

Created with Canva 

Instagram , Facebook & Twitter for School Libraries & Librarians

Instagram , Facebook & Twitter  for School Libraries & Librarians

When I searched “school library” in Facebook, what came up was mostly in the category of pages for school librarians in a professional capacity. There was everything from memes to ideas for displays and lessons. These pages were to connect librarians all over the world. The couple of high schools I found were a closed group without much access for me but it did have a low usage rate. There was one school in another country that I could access but the only thing they seemed to post were memes and pictures of a couple events. The posts were about every 2 weeks, so not very often. Based on this I can’t completely say the popularity of Facebook is going away but that school libraries don’t seem to be using it much. This could be due to many different reasons. Perhaps they have used it in the past and it was unsuccessful, perhaps there are school librarians reluctant to use it, maybe they use other sites with more success and/or maybe they are prohibited by district or state guidelines as well.

Libraries could use Facebook to relate events schedules, everyday activities, keep communication between families and the school and give access to amazing resources.

Instagram has infinitely more school library resources. This includes: school library pages, school library ideas and access to many school librarians and their innovative ideas. 

Twitter also has more library friendly and librarians on it’s network. The more I see, the more it looks like Facebook is not as big as it once was and is being replaced for certain things.

A librarian with flair, is how I would describe @GwynethJones. She links many ideas through social media to keep the students at her library interested and engaged. There is an awesome video #musicalbookcases where she has students walk around bookcases until the music stops for an interactive book selection activity. She is great at bringing digital tech into the lives of those students! You can also find her here: The Daring Librarian, @thedaringlibrarian

While going through some instagram posts I found @kathyschrock. She has a link to her awesome page, Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything. Saying she is an ed tech seems so simple for all of the things she does and shares. On this site she has links to so much digital tech it seems overwhelming at first. However, she has provided great resources for not just librarians but classroom teachers, students and other ed techs. I have no doubt that I will continue to use her as a resource for many years to come.

Feed Readers

Bloglovin vs. Flowreader

I began looking into feed readers and this is what I found. Many feed readers will start off free and then ultimately charge you (long or short term to use them). There are free ones out there and that is where I chose to compare the two I joined. Each one is distinct in its layout and will draw its own group of people based on how the information is set up. This is my comparison of the two feed readers and my recommendation as well as my personal choice for use.

I created accounts with both, Bloglovin and Flowreader. Bloglovin allows you to search for blogs or articles with pre-chosen categories on a tool bar, as well as the use of a search bar for your convenience. You can follow as many blogs as you want and personalize your profile. Your feed is visually appealing with the followed blogs having thumbnails and a bright and well organized feed. I enjoyed that I could find blogs and articles on the subjects that I was looking for. This included: books, books for children, school libraries and other areas of interest such as photography and crafts. Bloglovin is very well organized for my purposes and preferences. 

Flowreader allows you to interact with: Reddit, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter. However, the search area without linking the above accounts seems rather small. For example, I was looking for categories such as: children's literature, school libraries, library displays, books and so on. There were a few other categories but none that were under the subjects I needed. The overall usability is much less visually appealing as well. If you prefer long lists of articles and links then Flowreader would be great for you. However, being someone who uses a computer on a daily basis, it is unappealing and painful on the eyes to look at this kind of layout long-term. 

Ultimately, between the two feed readers, I recommend Bloglovin . It works well for everything I need and is a great resource for collecting blogs in one place as well as looking for articles.

Check out my Bloglovincollection today: CM Bloglovin. 

Here are 5 blogs I chose to follow:

Teaching With Children's Books- This blog creates book lists that can be used to teach different things to children. I chose to follow this because, on a daily basis I teach children from the ages of 5-11 about many different things in the library I work in. It helps to give me ideas and more knowledge to pass along to students. 

The Elementary Librarian- The elementary librarian provides lessons, linked to Common Core Standards and AASL (American Association of School Librarians) standards that you can use with great resources. I chose to follow the Elementary Librarian Blog because I have already used it in the past and find it a great resource.

Everything Children's Literature- This blog has a diverse grouping of children's literature books. I chose to follow this blog because the range of diversity in the books that are reviewed it helps me to create book orders and lesson plans around the books that work for my students. 

Did You Know- This blog is exactly as it sound, did you know facts. I enjoy the little facts because then it motivates me to research the statement. 

School Library Journal- School Library Journal is a professional journal for school librarians that encompasses everything to current library trends and award winning books to current events in the school library field. I chose this because it is a great resource that I use often. 

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