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.