Technology Final Reflection

I have always considered myself “technology saavy” – I love to keep up with all of the new emerging technologies that I discover. However, through this course, I have found new ways to integrate these technologies into the library for my use and for student use. For example, I was so excited to learn about integrating comics and cartoons into the library. Graphic novels have been so popular in my library, and what a great way for students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts! We are taking something that students are already enjoying and can connect with, and applying it to instruction!

My biggest “take away” from this class was sort of a “mash-up” of the “Youtube” module and the “Screencasts” module. Videos and screencasts can be created for the library in so many ways! My goal in my role as librarian is to begin a Youtube channel with resources for teachers and students. Some of the videos that can be included on my channel are: booktalk videos, new books we’ve added to our collection, informational slideshows, informational how-to videos, videos of past events (reading celebration parties, reading initiatives, etc.), videos of student learning, etc. I think this is a resource that would be most beneficial to teachers, students, parents and the community to showcase what is happening in the library. I enjoyed exploring some of the Youtube channels of other libraries as a model of how videos can impact the school community.

Here are some of the technology tools that I have learned can be beneficial to educators:

Blogs

Blogs are a great way to update parents, students and staff of things that are going on in the library. By following blogs through Blog Readers like Inoreader, you can have access to a wealth of information from other educators.

Social Media

Social media apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are a great tool to use to advocate for your library and let others know of all the wonderful things you are doing! It is a great way to keep parents connected and let them know about upcoming events. Social media is another way that educators can connect with others and share ideas, especially through the use of groups. There are several Facebook “groups” that I am a part of and it is wonderful to be able to access these groups when I have questions, need ideas, etc.

Infographics

This semester, I really began to understand the importance of infographics in relaying information in a new and visual way. We receive information in so many different ways, but infographics allow us to process the information differently. Students can use the information they learn to create an infographic to share their ideas and thoughts with others.

Screencasts

Screencasts are an incredible resource for educators. It makes it easy to walk through information on the computer and create a “how to” video. This can be as easy as walking through the syllabus of a course or can also be used to reiterate instruction of content. In the library, screencasts can be used to demonstrate how access online resources or the online catalog. It is an excellent resource for demonstrating content to students, staff and even parents.

YouTube, Animoto and QR Codes

As mentioned above, I loved this unit. I think that YouTube videos is a great way to reach students in a method that they are familiar with. There are so many ways that YouTube can be utilized. Animoto can be used to create book trailers for new books, which can then be uploaded to YouTube. A slideshow of new books to the library can be created and made available to patrons.

There are so many ways that QR codes can be used in the library, as well. These codes can be linked to websites, videos, audio files and more! QR codes can be placed on flyers and then be linked to additional information and/or sign-ups for events.

Cartoons & Comics

With graphic novels becoming so popular, cartoons and comics are a great way to connect with students and allow them to showcase their learning! With tools like ToonDoo or Pixton, students are able to create their own comics! What a great way for teachers to assess learning in the classroom, while allowing the students to create!

Podcasts

Podcasts are becoming more and more popular. In fact, it was showed in my Podcast blog post that 44% of Americans ages 12 and older have listened to a podcast sometime during their lifetime (Pew Internet Research).This can be a resource for educators, as there are many podcasts available in the field of education. However, this can also be a great tool for students. By hosting a podcast, students can demonstrate assessment of mastery while presenting to a global audience!

See my video below for my digital reflection of integrating technology!
https://spark.adobe.com/video/J1QWUXQFHPABx

Podcasts

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way for teachers to provide information, but they are also a wonderful tool  for students to use to create and share knowledge and information. Podcasts are audio recordings that are similar to blogs, but available in an audio format and they are becoming increasingly popular in today’s society. According to the PEW Research Center, 44% of Americans ages 12 and older have listened to a podcast sometime during their lifetime. 26% of Americans have listened to a podcast in the past month. These statistics show that the number of people who listen to podcasts are on the rise.

My partners and I created a Podcast on “Genrefying the Library.” This is a topic that is often debated in the world of libraries. Listen to the podcast below to hear the pros and cons and other important tips for genrefying your collection.

We used Garage Band for the initial audio recording and Wevideo to edit the file. Then we converted the video file  to an audio file and uploaded the file to Podbean as our “hosting site.” Click the link below to listen to our podcast on Genrefying the Library.

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-fky9j-adeae0

Garage Band

The platform that we used to record our podcast was Garage Band. While this app provided much more flexibility in regards to adding music and other sounds, it did have some negatives. This app is only available to people who have an apple product (such as an iphone, ipad, or apple computer). It was a bit of a learning curve…it took me some time to figure out how to make the bar length longer in order to record our entire podcast. I also wanted to turn the metronome off while I was recording. I was able to adjust the huge echo effect that was present during my very first recording. After some practice, I ended up with a great sound file that I shared with my partners. However, we did encounter some problems in sharing the Garage Band file. We tried to use Google Drive as a method of sharing, but were not able to reopen the file after it was shared it ended up being an “unsupported file type.” We were able to use the audio file downloaded from Garage Band to Overall, once you learn the little “quirks” of Garage Band, it was fairly simple to record.

Podbean

Podbean is another free podcast hosting site that can be used in creating and sharing podcasts. This is a platform that I have used in the past in hosting podcasts. When using this platform, I usually record my podcast using Audacity, which I then export as an .mp3 file and upload to Podbean as the hosting site. This process is fairly simple, but it appears to be more of a site for “hosting” than for recording/editing podcasts. Once the audio file is uploaded to Podbean, the podcast can be given a title and listened to from the website. It also has a share button where the podcast can easily be shared to Facebook, Twitter, Linked In or Tumbr. It can also be downloaded from there. It was a super-easy process to upload and looks very professional once it is published. It is also easy to embed the podcast into a website (as seen above). 

Soundcloud

Another option for creating podcasts is through the use of Soundcloud. However, the free version is limited. You only have 180 minutes available to upload. Once I uploaded my audio file, I could choose if I wanted the file to be “public” or “private.” If you choose “private,” you can share your podcast using the share link. It was very simple to upload the podcast.  Soundcloud seemed like a nice place to listen to music and audio files. You can follow your favorite artists, labels and friends on SoundCloud and then follow their posts on your stream.

WeVideo

WeVideo is a video editing subscription that we used when adding music to our podcast. They have a free version, which limits the user to only 5 minutes/mo, 1 GB of cloud storage and a max video resolution of 480p. We were able to upload the m4a file into the program, make edits and then convert the video file into a .wav audio file. This program was very simple to edit and add layers to the sound file. There were all different kinds of free music and sound effects available for us to utilize to add to our podcast.

Overall, I really liked how easy Podbean was to upload and host the Podcast. As far as recording and editing, Garage Band took a little getting used to. We ended up using Wevideo, which was an easy-to-use platform for adding music to our podcast. I think that any video recording program can be used and then edited for the final podcast. In my opinion, I believe that Podbean is a wonderful platform for hosting podcasts. We can teach students how use voice recorders (such as Garage Band, Voice Memos, Audacity, etc.) and then give them the skills to edit those sound files and upload them to Podbean for publication.

Using Podcasts in Education

In the library, we can use podcasts to announce new books that are in the library. Podcasts can be created to recommend books to others, or for students to summarize books that they have read. Students can use podcasts as a platform to demonstrate what they have learned about a particular topic, which can be integrated into any academic area.

Check out these great educational podcasts for kids!

Book Club for Kids

Wow in the World NPR Podcast for Kids

Bedtime History

Educational Podcasts to Follow

Podcasts are a great resource for educators, too. They can provide ideas for teachers and keep teachers up-to-date on current trends in education. Here are some educational podcasts to follow.

The Cult of Pedgogy Podcast

House of EdTech

Talks with Teachers

Teachers Aid

K-12 Greatest Hits

Resources:

Cornwall, G. (Jul 22, 2018). How Genrefication Makes School Libraries More Like Bookstores. MindShift. Retrieved from   https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51336/how-genrefication-makes-school-libraries-more-like-bookstores

Courtney, L. (n.d.) 18 Great Educational Podcasts for Kids. Retrieved from https://www.aswewalkalongtheroad.com/2017/09/18-great-educational-podcasts-for-kids.html?utm_content=buffer0ebaa.

Dunne, K. (2015, August). Genrefication of the fiction collection in an elementary school library.Research Papers. University of Central Missouri. Retrieved fromhttps://centralspace.ucmo.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/417/Dunne201530_RP_Genrefication.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y

Eichenlaub, I. (Oct 1, 2018). Genrefication: Removing Barriers to Access. Knowledge Quest. Retrieved from https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/genrefication-removing-barriers-to-access/

Hora, A. (2015). Genrifying the school library's fiction collection. Graduate Research Papers. 94. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1094&context=grp​

Minton, C. (May 4, 2014). Beyond the Shelves: “Genrefying” a High School Library: A Detailed Planning Document. [web log comment]. Retrieved from https://christyminton.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/genrefying-a-high-school-library-a-detailed-planning-document/

Stiles, L. (2004). Shelf Shifters: Thanks to a New Fiction Section, a Quiet Library Now Has a Booming Business. School Library Journal, 50(9). Retrieved fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.shsu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ706113&site=ehost-live&scope=site

PEW Research Center. (2018, July 12). Podcast listenership. Retrieved from  https://www.journalism.org/chart/sotnm-radio-podcast-listening/.

Watson, Angela. (n.d.) 12 of my favorite podcasts for teachers. Retrieved from https://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/12-of-my-favorite-podcasts-for-teachers/.

Alexandria Automation Software blog:

https://www.goalexandria.com/dewey-decimal-vs-genrefication/

https://www.goalexandria.com/library-genrefication-the-dos-and-donts/

Cartoons and Comics

Graphic novels are becoming more and more popular. Their comic-like style appeals to readers of all ages. What a great opportunity to reach out to students and help support them in a format that they enjoy and are comfortable with! There are many ways to incorporate comics into instruction. 

Here are a few options available for creating comics:

Make Beliefs Comix

This website can be used for free (without an account) to create comics. There are also resources available for educators about how to integrate comics into classroom instruction located at https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/teachers/. Users can utilize as many as 18 (max) frames to create their comic, adding frames with a simple click of a button. There is a toolbar at the bottom of the screen where you can select characters, masks, thought bubbles, balloons and prompts, objects, background images and background colors. Users can simply double click the image and click the frame where you want the image placed. The images (once placed) can be moved within the frame. 

While I enjoyed the simplicity of creating a comic without having to worry about registering and signing in (which makes using this program with students a little easier), this program did have some limitations. There were a limited supply of background and characters to choose from. I struggled to find a background image to use to tell my story. The characters had multiple poses to choose from, offering some flexibility; however, this was again limited. The characters that I chose only had 4 poses each, which made telling my story a little difficult. Another limitation was that once the images where place, the sizing could not be adjusted. Sometimes I wanted to make my speech bubble larger, but I ended up having to delete it and replacing it with a larger bubble. It took me a little while to find out how to save my comic, but I eventually was able to download it to my computer. I also ended up creating an account so that my comic could be saved online for access to later.

Toon Doo

Toon Doo was a comic-creating online program that was super-simple to use. When users create a comic, they first get to choose a layout for their comic. Once a layout is chosen, users are taken to an editing page, where they can add characters, backgrounds, props, texts (like speech bubbles), and clipart. This option provided a greater selection of backgrounds, organized under different “topics,” such as scenery, space, abstract, fantasy, indoors, outdoors, landmarks and sports. To choose an element to add to your comic, you simply drag and drop the element into your frame.

What I loved about this program was that all the elements were editable. For example, users can shrink, enlarge, clone, flip, rotate and adjust layers, simply by clicking a button on a toolbar at the bottom of the editing screen. It took me a little while to find where to find the “save” button, but I eventually found it under the “Start Here” drop down menu. Overall, this program was very easy to use and students would easily be able to manipulate the elements to create their own comics.

Pixton

Pixton was a comic creating program that was easy to use; however, the “free” version did not have many options available. When I opened my free educator account, I was able to get 1 pack of backgrounds. This limited the types of comics that I could make. The search bar located at the top of the editing screen stated, “Search 335 backgrounds.” I decided to search “school,” to see what appeared. There were many great backgrounds available, but they were all available for purchase only. Users could purchase “content packs” to have access to additional content. For non-members, these content packs were available for $14.99 each. Once purchased, users would have access to new backgrounds, background effects, objects, characters, outfits, poses and expressions. Users can become a member for $9.99 a month and receive a monthly credit for 1 free content pack.

To create the comics, users can select backgrounds and add frames to the comic. They can then add characters, zoom, add words, faces, poses and effects. What I really liked about this program was that the facial expressions and poses could be changed depending on what you wanted your character to do. This was the most flexibility of characters that I have seen out of all the other programs. I loved that I could change the expression of my character based on what was happening in the scene. Once the character was placed on the frame (users double-click the image and it appears in the frame), it remains in one spot. I could not find a way to manipulate either the characters or the words once they were added to the scene. Luckily, it still worked out okay. When my comic was complete, I simply clicked the “Done” button which took me back to my “Comics I Have Created Page,” where it was easy to print or save. This program was a little more difficult to manipulate, even though I was much more pleased with the flexibility of the characters. I think that older students may have more success with this program, but younger students may be challenged by it.

Using Cartoons and Comics in the Classroom 

With the growing popularity of graphic novels, comics are a perfect way to connect with students and help support instruction and assessment. Comics are a wonderful platform for students to show what they have learned about a topic. A mini-professional development session could be perfect for introducing this concept to teachers.  It could be started by sharing a comic (created by the librarian) that shows the benefits in using comics in education. Ideas on how to integrate comics into instruction and assessment can be presented, as well as the different options available for students to use. Some ideas on using comics in the classroom are:

•          Digital storytelling
•          Retelling a story they read or heard
•          Brainstorming ideas about a topic
•          Creating “Complete” the story activities
•          Raising awareness of topics (racism, bullying, etc.)
•          Teaching vocabulary, grammar, communication, etc.
•          Introducing Creative Writing
•          Practicing Life Skills
•          Creating Autobiographies

Resources:

Educator Technology and Mobile Learning. (2018, January 24). Teachers Guide to the Use of Comic Strips in Class: Some Helpful Tools and Resources. Retrieved from 

https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2018/01/teachers-guide-to-use-of-comic-strips.html

MacDonald, H. (2013, May 3). How Graphic Novels Became the Hottest Section of the Library. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/57093-how-graphic-novels-became-the-hottest-section-in-the-library.html.

Zimmerman, B. (n.d.). 20 Ways to Use Makebeliefscomix in the Classroom. Makebeliefscomix. Retrieved from https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/26-ways-to-use-mbc-in-the-classroom/