Sunday, September 27, 2015

Youtube and QR Codes in the Library

Youtube has become a part of daily life in my house.  My children watch funny videos and music videos, my husband and I both use Youtube to help with how-to projects around the house, and I use it in my classroom for learning videos. In the world of education, Youtube is a valuable resource, especially in the library.  I plan to use videos for introductions to lessons, as student outcomes, to connect with parents and the community, to review books, and promote books with book trailers.  Here are some examples of school libraries that have created channels that you can view.

 Norman High School Library

 I loved this introduction the library.  It is very creative and fun and students will enjoy it as well.

Students won't be as excited about this video, but it is certainly a great idea to have a video resource available to teach students how to use something that is available on your website - especially for those students that wait until the last minute to complete a project and need it before they can make it to the library.

The Unquiet Library
Youtube can also be a way to share unique ideas like this one - a mobile library that can go to the students that wouldn't normally make it to the library.
It is also a place for students to post projects for the teachers and peers.

Pikesville High School Library
This school is using videos to help students with registration, advisement, and college preparations.


Students would enjoy reminiscing about their experiences.

Bonnie Branch Middle School

 This school has some very creative videos posted.  Some were made by students and some by faculty.
I love all of the overdue book videos with movie characters and music parodies.  Students will enjoy them and hopefully return their books on time!

Their librarian has also made a few book review videos that will help students find a good book to read.



A great way to make a simple, fast video is by using Animoto.  To create a video, you simply add pictures and short text to a template. Then you can select music from their list if you wish to add it.  You can also add voice overs to read your text if you wish.  Then you can produce your video.  You can export the video to your Youtube channel or share it from Animoto.  They offer a free educator account that can create a 30 second video.  I personally feel like this is worth purchasing a subscription.  My 12 year old daughter has been using Animoto for 2 years for school projects and we have certainly gotten our money's worth.  Here is a project that she created at age 10 using Animoto.

   

You can create a QR Code that links to a specific website, video, map, or even social media.  There are several free QR code generating sites such as QRStuff or Visualead . The user will need an app to read the QR code on their device.  There are several free QR readers available such as Scan, QR Reader, or i-nigma.  QR codes can be used in the library in a variety of ways.  I have a QR code that I have posted outside the library doors for parents to link to our Facebook page.  I have also used them to link to e-books that are available for checkout.  I print a cover of the book with a QR code so the students can scan the code and be directed to the site to check them out.  They can also be used for student reflection, virtual tours, scavenger hunts, social media, photos, book reviews, book trailers, student projects and special event announcements.

 I just finished reading Wonderstruck.  I highly recommend that you read it.  
Synopsis from the publisher:

 From Brian Selznick, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner The Invention of Hugo Cabret, comes another breathtaking tour de force.

Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.
Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.

Here is a QR Code to a Book Trailer for Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick that I created using Animoto.  Use your QR reader to follow the link.
Enjoy!
-Lisa

 Selznick, B. (2011). Wonderstruck. Scholastic Press: New York.
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Friday, September 25, 2015

Books, Libraries, and the Changing Digital Landscape (Pew Internet Reading)

Zickuhr, K. (November 12, 2013). Books, libraries, and the changing digital landscape. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/11/12/books-libraries-and-the-changing-digital-landscape/.

In an article from PewInternet.org, Kathryn Zickuhr discusses how libraries are adapting to the changing world of technology while still meeting the needs and expectations on their patrons.  With the increasing use of internet, more adults have access to digital devices - the most common being a cellphone at 91%.  They also have access to laptops, desktops, tablets, e-readers, and smartphones. Having more access means reading more online - both news and e-books, although 90% of Adults still mainly read traditional print books.  Americans read for pleasure, for work/school, to keep up with current events, and to research topics of interest.  People who read e-books on a device are using smartphones, laptop/desktops, e-readers, and tablets.  The participants of the survey prefer e-books because they are quickly accessed, portable, have a wide selection, and are better for reading in bed, but they also believe that traditional print books are better for reading with children and sharing with others.

Library patrons visit the library to check out books, browse the stacks, research a topic, get help from a librarian, and read magazines/newspapers.  The patrons believe that librarians should help people get information and borrow books.  With the ease of internet access, patrons are reserving books online and picking them up at the desk and not spending as much time browsing the stacks.  They are also spending time at the library to use technology - accessing the library databases, borrowing DVDs, using the computers and the internet, and borrowing audio books as well as music CDs.  E-reading is on the rise and librarians are spending time daily explaining how to borrow e-books. Americans want libraries to offer free internet access, computer use, and research databases and for the library to continue to be a part of the community by offering free activities for children and classes for the general public.

Libraries will continue to adapt to the increasing role of technology in our world by providing more access to digital resources, databases, and equipment.  Librarians will continue to offer public services such as classes on technology and research methods to help their patrons to be better users of technology.   They will provide a welcoming place to connect their patrons with the technology that is available.

I agree with many of the points that Zickuhr makes in this article.  The librarian offers services to people that will connect them to the world.  Before, it was mainly through locating information and teaching simple word processing.  Now their jobs have evolved to more of a Media Specialist position where they need to show people how to use the digital resources that are available.  There are many people that do not have internet capabilities or devices to connect to the information that is so readily available on the internet.  They need to use the library for the free internet access or for the equipment and the access.  (43 pages)

-Lisa
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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Keeping Up With the Blogs

I have started following quite a few blogs on my journey to becoming a librarian.  While most of these blogs are classmates, there are also leaders in the field of Library science and literacy that have great ideas.  Because my blog is on Blogger, I can follow other Blogger users from my page, but not from other blog sites.  In order to organize the blogs that I follow and not miss anything, I began looking at Blog Readers (aka RSS Readers) - sites that allow you to read all of the blogs that you follow from one convenient location.  I tried several websites - Feedly, Digg, Bloglines, Bloglovin', and Newsblur.

The first blog reader that I tried was Feedly.  Feedly has a clean user interface and is easy to use.  You can choose from categories to follow, enter a topic to search, or add an URL.   It can also add social media posts from Twitter and Facebook as well as Youtube and newspaper and magazine publications to your feed.  It has several options for organization, themes, and preferences. Unfortunately, it doesn't work well with Internet Explorer, but I didn't have any issues with Google Chrome.

The next blog reader I tested was Digg Reader.  Right away I noticed that you can not create an account using your e-mail address.  You must sign in using Google, Facebook, or Twitter.  You can add blogs to your feed by simply clicking the Add+ button on the bottom left corner.  It also has options for organizing feeds into folders, which I really liked.  By clicking on Digg Deeper, it will find more blogs for you to follow that are similar to your current feeds.  Digg is very simple with a basic gray background and no options for changing your theme. Digg reader lacks the ability to add social media to your feed.

Bloglines was the next Blog reader that I explored.  Unfortunately, the site has been down and I have been unable to access the site.  So on to the next RSS reader - Bloglovin'.  Bloglovin' did not work very well for me at first.  I had a hard time adding blogs to my feed that were not already on Bloglovin'.  I came back the next day and was able to add the blogs that I couldn't find the previous day.   I'm not sure if there was an issue on their website or if it was something that I was doing wrong.  The user interface reminds me of Pinterest in the way that it is set up.  I like that it shows you the most recent posts from the blogs that you follow..

The last blog reader I used was Newsblur.  Newsblur has a simple design that reminds me of Outlook. It is a very plain interface that shows three panes - one that is a menu where you select the blog you are interested in, one that show the blogs that were published on the chosen blog in order by date, and one that displays that post that you are interested in reading.  This blog was very appealing to my sense of order.

I ultimately chose to use Bloglovin'.  Even though I wasn't a fan at first, once I was able add the blogs that I wanted, I really liked the layout and how it gave me suggestions for more blogs to follow.  Here are the five new blogs that I chose to follow.

Great Kids Books

This blog is intended to help parents to find books for their 4-14 year old children, but I found it very useful for learning about new books that are available for my library.




Library Safari


Library Safari is a great source for library management and instruction ideas.  I found a link on Pinterest which led me to this blog.





Mighty Little Librarian


 The Mighty Librarian is a middle school librarian who shares her wisdom in all things library and technology related.  She is very inspiring.



DCG Elementary Libraries


 PreK - 5th grade elementary libraries in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District in Central Iowa share lesson ideas, activities, book recommendations, and general information.






The Daring Librarian


The Daring Librarian is a teacher-librarian and technology specialist that writes this award winning blog about technology, lessons, and resources.

I also created a Tumblr account.  Tumbler is a microblog - a combination of social media like Facebook and Twitter and a short blog.  You can post photos, text, quotes, links, music, and videos from the website or from the app.  This would be another great tool for school librarians to engage tech savvy parents in school library activities and news.  I also see libraries that are sharing book reviews and articles that might be of interest to parents or sharing photos and inspirational quotes.  I have created a Tumbler page for my school library.  Here is the link: http://drrodriguezilc.tumblr.com/.  I look forward to posting on this new media.

 -Lisa
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Friday, September 18, 2015

Pew Mining and Infographic

Lenhart, A. (April 9, 2015).  Teens, social media & technology overview 2015. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/.  

I read an article from the Pew Research Center about how teens are using technology and social media.  The article was full of survey information and data which made it hard to read if there were any distractions around.  I took the information from this article and created an infographic with the highlights of the article.  What I learned from this article is that the majority of teenagers are using technology everyday and in a variety of ways. I don't think that's surprising information.  Now anyone who has been around kids these days knows that they are always "plugged in" to something, but what exactly are they doing?  According to the data that was collected, teens are accessing the internet on computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets and using them for messaging, social media, pin boards, discussion boards, and using sites as well as apps. I was surprised that they reported that the average number of messages (texting and in apps) is 30 per day.  My girls are overachievers in that category!  The most common social media site among teens is Facebook.  This also surprised me because the teens in my life are very into Twitter and Instagram and have been for a couple of years.

 I think the most interesting part of the survey was the collection of gender, racial, and social-economic statistics.  Of course the survey showed what we would have expected - kids from wealthier families have more access to technology.  But what I didn't expect was that more African American teens (85%) have smartphones than white (71%)  and Hispanic students (71%) and that African American and Hispanic youth are online more than their white counterparts.  They also broke down the number of teens that have access to gaming systems.  72% of teenagers play video games with the majority of them being boys (84%).  Girls are not as into the games at only 59% but they beat out the boys in the use of social media.   75% of all teens have smartphones and 15% have basic cell phones with only 10% having neither.

I looked at 3 web based tools to create an infographic to go with this article - , Piktochart, Easel.ly and Inforgr.am.  While they all had free templates, I chose to go use Piktochart because it was easiest to use.  I like that I could create my own background because I didn't feel that the templates matched my content.  Both of the other two web based tools had issues with the version of Internet Explorer on my laptop, but worked well with Google Chrome.  Easel.ly has a lot of included graphics that are easy to use, but the templates were not very user friendly.  Infogr.am had the fewest templates of the three tools.  It was created to be more like Microsoft Excel in the way that you entered the data into charts.

Here is the infographic that I created to go with the data in this article. You may go directly to Piktochart for a full size presentation at:   https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/7930021# . You may also click on the title in the image to go to the article. (48 pages)

    
- Lisa
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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Use of Twitter for Professional Networking

Twitter is best known as a social networking site, but what are the implications for professional networking?  As a new librarian, I have started following quite a few gurus in the literary and tech world as well as professional organizations, book publishers, colleagues, professors and classmates. As I was reading through their tweets this week, here are a few things that caught my eye.

Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) is an educational technologist and speaker.  I had never heard the term app-smashing (using multiple apps to complete a single project) before I read her tweet.  I watched her video link and realized that I was already doing this to an extent but had never thought that it had a specific name or how many apps you could use together in one project.  The possibilities in the classroom/library are endless.

Minecraft is a hot topic in elementary school.  Kids just love the never ending possibilities of creation.  Linda W. Braun (@lbraun2000) tweeted about student use of  Minecraft to learn coding and as a creative outlet while sharing a link to the Educator Innovator Blog which further discussed it's implications for 21st Century Learning.

This tweet from Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) was very useful.  Last school year, I dreaded turning on the AppleTV because I knew my first graders would start yelling out the movie titles that would appear on the home screen no matter how many times I asked them not to.  This article on tweaking the AppleTV for classroom use is pure genius. I'm sure you can guess what the first thing I did when I arrived at school this morning was!  I even shared it with my campus technologist.


 Not only can you share interesting articles with others, you can use Twitter to promote your blog, website, or Facebook page.  Buffy J. Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) did just that in the following tweet.  As a Twitter newbie, the limit of 140 characters can be frustrating, but if you have other resources where you can post detailed ideas, you can link them together with a tweet.

The Daring Librarian (@GwynethJones) shared this great book by  Donalynn Miller -Becoming a Lifelong Reader.  Her link also led to Donalynn Miller's blog in which she discusses the main idea of her writing.  I have added this book to my list of books to read soon.

Another interesting post for me was tweeted by Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) about the use of bookmarking tools for teachers and students.  I recently was introduced to Symbaloo and was instantly hooked!  I made a board for my Information Literacy Center webpage right away.
Is Twitter a good way to network professionally?  For me the answer is yes.  As a busy librarian, student, mother, and wife, time is pretty short at times.  So being able to access resources on my limited time and at odd hours - generally late at night is definitely a perk.  I can share tweets with people I think would find them useful and Twitter makes it easy to share by creating a link to embed tweets in web pages or blogs or to email a link. I'm looking forward to reading more tweets and getting better at making my own!

- Lisa
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