Week 11 - The Final Presentation

The assignment this week was to create a conference proposal using what we have learned this semester.  I chose resources for elementary school.  I had a good time making the presentation and I seriously think that I am going to submit it as a proposal for the VAASL Fall Conference (depending on what the professors think of it, of course!)

I am sad to see this course ending.  This was a class of discovery and I really enjoyed learning about all of the resources that are out there is cyberspace.

I would be remiss if I did not thank my classmates for their advice, suggestions, and comments throughout the summer.  I had a great partner for the video project and a great section of classmates to talk to every week.  I wish you all the best as you embark on your library careers!  

Week 10 - AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning

From the AASL website: http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/best-websites/2013

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) released a list of the best websites for teaching and learning. I spent some time looking at the sites.  There are some that are amazing for elementary students and libraries.

The first is Wonderopolis.  For some reason, I feel like I have mentioned this website somewhere before, but it is pretty cool.  The purpose of the site is to answer questions.  There is a wonder of the day (today's wonder is "What are Hors D'oeuvres?") that the students can explore.  There is a written description that the students can read or listen to.  There is a tab for more information, including pictures, links, and recipe ideas for this topic.  Another tab has a list of vocabulary words for the topic.  There is even a comprehension quiz.  It can be used in the classroom or library because there is a search feature to match the wonders to common core standards.  The students can explore the site during independent computer time in the classroom or use the site as a research tool in the library.

The next site that I found interesting is 19 Pencils.  It is sort of like Pinterest for teachers.  I was interested to see what it could do.  Unfortunately, the free option is a bit confusing and difficult to use.  I created a classroom page that I can pass on to my parents.  The site says it is an educational resource for educators and the opening page has three very interesting sites, however, the search feature is not limited to educational resources.  It is no easier than searching through Google.  I would prefer to just use Pinterest.  If I could ever figure it out, this site could be used to give parents online resources that they could use at home in an easy place.  The site would be added by the teacher or librarian and would fit the school population and curriculum.

The final site is Garbology.  This is a site to teach kids about where their waste should go.  There are resources and games for parents, teachers, and students.  In the For Teachers section, there are lesson plans, categorized by grade level that are very creative and get the kids thinking and moving.  The For Students section has fact sheets and activities to try at home.  The activities and fact sheets would need to be modified for younger children, but they could still participate.   There is also a section for activities for families.  The main part of the site is a game where students decide where the waste should go.  Once they make a choice, a video pops up to tell them a little more about their choice.  This would be a great resource for a difficult standard to show the students.  It is covered at every grade level and this site is a wonderful resource!

Week 9 - QR Codes

Robin Ashford (2010).  What is This - QR Code. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25095603@N07/5022258350/in/photolist-8DNord-9kxhMz-89QSaE-9B3ewk-8DVR34-djXE2s-crAYbb-7NQjpN-bycK1S-8rjjrC-9KUVs5-8Udtgv-8vvvmu-8vvvpW-8vvvgY-8vssie-8Ugys5-9KSKFg-8DNojw-8L8mqR-8Lbrnw-8L8nwH-9p77om-9uAn2g-8DYfwq-979zCS-976v3v-8UBCqb-9pFrzM-8Lbs9d-8Lbsvq-8L8nSZ-8LbrgU-8Lbsgj-8L8ncr-8LbrP1-8L8n52-7H9AgX-9cSbQu-9cP6GT-9cSbKA-ajshUG-ajshAQ-ajsh6L-ajpuen-9eiM83-8F69Sw-979zLN-7GEhME-bhJYeB-9kH2LP   

This week I have learned all about QR Codes. Now, for full disclosure, I don't have a Smart Phone or anything with an i in front of it that would read a QR code.  So, now you know.  But, I made one that links to this blog.  Now I can hand out business cards or flyers for parents that will send them right back here.

I used the I-Nigma to create this QR code.  It was really, really easy!  I could use this in the library to send kids to a website that tells them all about the time or event for a historical fiction display or to an author's website for an author study display.  I could post instructions through QR codes all around the library.  The possibilities are endless....if only my library had a device to read the codes.

I was even able to make a QR code that would talk.  I did it at QRVoice.  I could use this one to tell the kids little blurbs about books and displays in the library.

I love the idea of linking QR codes to book trailers!  What a great way to get kids excited about books!

Week 8 - Websites, Wikis, and Blogs (oh my!)

This week I got to explore the world of websites, wikis and blogs (oh my!)  {Note - if you are too young to understand the movie reference that I made right there, then please let me know.  I would be happy to introduce you to one of the cinematic greats and the book that goes along with it!}

The internet has been inundated with blogs, wikis, and websites.  Kids think that everything they read on Wikipedia is true.  There is a blog for everything you can think of - food, running, parenting - you name it!  There are even "professional" bloggers.  Websites make the world go round.  Families pick schools based on the school website.  I check websites frequently for information about people and places.

So, what's the difference and which is best for a school library?

WEBSITES are the "traditional" way to post on the web.  While there are "easy" ways to make a website with Google Sites or other website builders, it is still challenging to create a website.  They are useful and can help get the word out about the library, but a website is really a way to distribute information.  There is not much you can do to foster a conversation on a website.

WIKIS are the new kid on the block.  You may have heard of Wikipedia.  These are websites that can be changed by any user.  It's a collaboration, so any registered user can alter the content.  (Hence the reason why teachers and librarians are a little nervous about Wikipedia.  Students believe anything they read on the Internet, but if any registered user can make changes, the content may not be accurate.)  Libraries can use wikis just like websites or blogs.  It is a way to get information out to the users.

BLOGS are my personal favorite.  A blog is a shortened way to say web log.  The owner of the blog can post to the site, adding pictures and narrative or videos or sound to the site.  Anything that has HTML can be added.  There is a little more room for interaction with the users because readers can comment on blog posts.

Let's look a little more closely at  BLOGS.

According to Google, a blog is a web site on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis.  

Pros

• Easy to create
• Easy to maintain
• Works like a website - links can be added
• Allows for two way communication between the blog owner and users

Cons

• It costs money to buy domain space to a blog.  Most blogs have the host in the web address.
• Unless the site is extremely popular, it can be difficult to search for a blog.

Great Examples

• The Daring Librarian - http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/
• This blog is great because it is updated often and has a lot of information about technology for libraries.  The blog is a little busy for me - I prefer clean lines and white space (or blue space or anything that is not covered in print) but this blog has it all.  There is a link to Twitter.  There is a list of most popular blog posts.  Her library blog (http://daringlibrary.edublogs.org/) has some of the same information, but is a little less busy.
• Springston School Library Blog - http://springstonschoollibrary.blogspot.com/
• I love this this one is a blog disguised as a website.  There are headers with information about library procedures, links for reading, web resources, and resources for parents.  The blog is clean and easy to navigate.  Parents and students can use the blog as a 24 hour library.

Week 7 - Audio Files

This week we are looking at the wild and wonderful world of audio files.  The audio file at the top of the page was created with a program called Voki.  This free, online program allows the user to create speaking avatars.   The audio file can be 60 seconds long.  There is some advertising on the site, but it is not distracting or overhelming.  It is very easy for the user to point and click to create the avatar.  Sound can be added by calling and recording the message, typing the words and having them translated with Text to Speech, recording with a microphone on the computer, or uploading an audio file.  The finished file can be emailed, shared on social media, or embedded into a website or blog with the HTML code.  There is a function called Voki Classroom that allows teachers to set up and manage the program for the classroom.  There are even lesson plans using the program.  (One that I noticed was for a first grade classroom.  It used Voki to present a line from a story and the students had to choose which character said that line.)  Voki Classroom is a paid service and the subscription is $22.95 for one year or $44.95 for two.  This program could be used in the library for the students to give book talks to share on the library blog.  It could be used in the classroom to give 60 second presentations.

I also looked at AudioPal.  AudioPal is similar to Voki, but there is no visual component.  Students can ad audio by calling and recording, typing the words, recording using a microphone, or uploading an audio file.  AudioPal uses a toll free number to call and record, where Voki does not.  This time I used the text to speech feature.  The initial screen is very busy, but once the user opens the recording tool, the site is very easy to use.  You record the audio, preview the audio, and then type in your email address to receive the finished audio file.  This website can be used in the same way as Voki, but the avatar feature in Voki makes that site a little more student-friendly.

Audio recording software >>

The final site I explored was Vocaroo.  I got tired of hearing myself, so I let my two year old talk.   Plus, he's pretty cute and he thought it was funny to hear the playback.  Vocaroo was the easiest of the three sites to use.  The opening screen had the big, red record button, so there was no question about what to do.  After a slight technical difficulty with the program finding the microphone, we were ready.  While this program was the easiest, I really liked the talking avatar at Voki.

Adding audio files to the blog helps keep things interesting.  The audio files also make the blog more accessible to users who have trouble seeing the screen or reading the words.  I would use audio files as a way to get the students involved.  Recording their writing helps incorporate writing standards as well as oral language standards.

Week 6 - Campus Visit Overview

Scott McLeod (2013).  Technology is a given.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/93393982@N00/8399337241/in/photolist-dNdNkk-7ENXBZ-aKzvE4-dZE3LC-arQ9ML-eWf2hQ-8o5MRu-efoWfy-7K2eWC-7JXjtK-7JXjxR-7K2eYC-7JXjAp-7K2f3y-7JXjzi-7JXjuH-7JXjyt-7JXjA8-7JXjw8-7K2eY1-bz9fgS-89KRMv-89vnhv-8o5N6s-8o5Mif-8o2AWB-8o5LHo-8o2B2T-8o5Mxs-8o5LXW-8o2BcP-8o2BC6-8o5Mnu-8o2Bp6-8o5LxY-8o2BYc-8o5MD3-8o5MYE-8o5LDj-8o5LtN-8o2Cs2-8o5M7Q-eiS8nD-eiSgUz-eiXJUu-eiSbNH-eiY2LG-eiXXfj-eiSgGz-eiSa4R-eiRZuP

This week included a visit to Old Dominion University for face to face meetings with our classmates and professors.  In addition to creating the video you saw here, we had the opportunity to explore many different technology formats over the three days. 

The first day was filled with video production, however, the second day we got to explore an iPad filled with free apps.  There were apps for all grade levels and all subject areas.  My partner for this activity was a high school government teacher.  (You may remember that my experience is with little folks, so the apps that got us excited were very different!)  One app that we both could agree on was a Bone app.  We could click a button and break a bone and then magnify and explore the break all the way to the atomic level.  While I am sure this app has a practical use in a high school anatomy class, for my elementary mindset, the app was just cool.  I think that many fourth and fifth graders would be enthralled with app, just because it's cool.  

The day continued with a skype meeting about ebooks and a meeting on Adobe connect.  I sat through those presentations thinking about how amazing it would be to do an author study and invite the author to the school via skype.  It's amazing how we can open the world to students with technology.

We also had a presentation on assistive technology and all that it can do for students, from text magnifiers, to pencil grips, to an alternative mouse for the computer.  As the presenter said, "not all mice are created equal."  There are so many amazing ways to help students access the material and succeed.

The final interaction with technology was a virtual classroom.  It was filled with 5 avatars, controlled by college students in Florida, that could talk to me and interrupt and ask questions while I was giving them a booktalk.   It was almost like a simulator for driver's education.  It was realistic, but not real.  It gave me an idea of what it would be like to walk into a classroom full of teenagers without having to actually walk into a classroom full of teenagers.

While the technology experiences and presentations were informative and worthwhile, I think that the most exciting part of the campus visit was getting to know the professors and my classmates.  The lack of personal interactions is something that is missing for me in online learning.  Now, when I see a post, I can match a face to the name.  That will make this online adventure much more personal from here on out.  

Week 6 - Video Production

This week we came on campus to create and publish a video using the Videolicious app. You can see our finished video here. http://youtu.be/4hfkTe5KAN0  (We know....it's Oscar worthy.  Get your popcorn and we will see you at the Kodak Theater in February...Best Short Documentary...hands down!)

It was an exciting experience to create this video.  We worked in pairs or small groups.  The first assignment was to create a storyboard to plan the video.  This was a little interesting because it was all done through our online discussion boards before we got to campus.  Luckily, I had an amazing partner.  She gave her input and did her part from vacation.

After we turned in the storyboard, we came to campus and picked up our iPads.  (Yep, that work of art was created entirely on the iPad.)  We got our final instructions and set off on the hunt for parking services.  Our production timeline was 4 hours, so we were moving quickly.

My partner was the videographer because she had more iPad experience.  With our time constraints, having me fumble around with the device would have been frustrating for everyone.  We checked off the pictures and videos that we needed from our storyboard plan.

Videolicious is really an easy program to use to create videos.   It's a point and click/drop and drag program.  It walked us through all of the steps, from image selection, to voice over, to background music.  Then, with the click of a button, our amazing video was finished.  Really, the hardest part was figuring out how to get the video out of the app and off the iPad and into our email and to YouTube.

As you can probably tell from looking at the video, Videolicious does not offer many features to create cinematic greatness.  There was not an option for transitions or changing the music.  But, the program made a nice little (1 minute or less) video.

This could be a great tool in the library.  Students could create booktalks for their peers or instructional videos for how to use the library or where to go to find information.  It's easy enough for students to use with little instruction.

I had a great (albeit it HOT) time running around campus making this video with my partner.