Library Floor Plan/Virtual Tour

The following is a map of the school library for the campus where I work as a teacher. It is a middle school and serves approximately 466 students in the fifth and sixth grade combined.

I created this map using Microsoft Word and then took a screenshot of the map so that I could upload it to ThingLink. From there I was able to add the audio using AudioBoo for my podcasts. I first tried using the Tellagami app to create the audio, but I encountered problems when it came to accessing my Gami. I had to improvise instead using AudioBoo. I hope you enjoy this virtual tour of our libray.

If you are interested in using ThingLink follow this URL: https://www.thinglink.com/

If you are interested in creating a podcast using AudioBoo follow this URL: https://audioboo.fm/


My school library map:

Final Reflection

This entire semester has been a wild one indeed! I enjoyed learning about so many different websites and apps that could be used in the classroom as a teacher and librarian. I have never before explored so many websites the way I did these past few weeks. It all happened so fast, but the experiences I encountered will definitely serve very rewarding in the future. I plan to also continue using all of them and making my family and friends aware of the variety of FRED resources available online.

To give you a visual of this semester here is a word cloud.

Experiences with Technology:

Facebook and Twitter exploration was fun. I thought it was fairly easy to create accounts and learn to use the features. Considering I already used FaceBook personally, I enjoyed learning how libraries can use it for promoting events and to stay connected with their patrons.

Infographics were interesting as well. I learned that students can use these visuals to explain a large amount of information in ways that are more pleasing to the eye. It is a great tool for students to organize their research and also a great way for teachers to assess their learning.

Blogging was the area I feel I became more of an expert in. I loved how most of our assignments required us to make a blog post about our experience working with them. I think blogging is a great way to keep track of what you learn throughout your life and it can even be a source of information for others.

YouTube, Animoto, QR Codes was another amazing learning experience. I found that YouTube is not simply for creating pass time videos to entertain others, but it could serve a way to teach patrons about library resources through tutorials and screencasts. Animoto was a great way to promote books when using it to create book trailers. It can also be used to create short video presentations in class for students and by students. I learned QR codes are a good way to get students curious about access portals to information. The idea that scanning a code can take them to a website or document is something that causes students to become engaged.

Online book communities are something that I feel I was lacking in my personal life. I needed a way to keep track of my reading and a bookmark didn't always do the trick. My favorite book community was Booklikes because it allowed me to blog as well as create a virtual book shelf along with maintaining communication with what others are reading. Online book communities will be something that I will encourage students to do from now on in order to get them thinking about books. It is also a good thing to let students know that many others also keep track of their own reading and perhaps by knowing this, it might spark more interest.

Cartoons and Comics websites were so fun and easy to use. I enjoyed creating several comics and reading about how we can incorporate these websites for student activities in the classroom. I think these websites will definitely help students become more engaged in their work especially the visual learners and those who love drawing.

Screencasts were so easy to create. Although I only use Screencast-O-Matic, I was very pleased with the way it worked. I didn't have any problem with it whatsoever. I think this is an excellent program for teachers to use. As a librarian, I might go a little crazy using screencasts when it comes to showing students how to access online resources. These videos can be stored to serve as an informational resource on sharing sites like YouTube.

Instagram and Vine are some very popular apps that I find can be useful in the classroom. I know for a fact that many of the young people in my family use Instagram and are avid users. I think these apps are fairly simple to use and with creativity teachers can think of some fun learning experiences to use them for.

Although all the websites and apps we explored were awesome, I do have FAVORITES.
I enjoyed Animoto and Screencast-O-Matic. These two programs are definitely something I can use often to incorporate in my lessons. They are both student friendly and lend itself to interesting projects and activities for students to do independently. I had so much fun creating my first book trailer and then later went ahead and created more just for fun. When it came to the screencast assignment, I chose to create a screencast teaching students how to create a book trailer. I love it!

The most DIFFICULT assignment in terms of my personal interest level and organization, was creating a Podcast. The reason this assignment was difficult was because I had a hard time finding a quiet place to record, I kept stuttering and confusing my words even when I had my script right in front of me. I also was working on this with a fourth grade student who was having difficulties herself staying calm while reading. She kept getting nervous and our recording seemed like it wasn't done with ease until we finally recorded our last audio. The access to the program and setting it up was the easiest part of the whole assignment. I do however feel that my experience with creating podcasts is an individual case and I know students will definitely enjoy working on an assignment that involves recording their voice.

The MOST BENEFICIAL FOR STUDENTS will have to be all the websites and apps that deal with video recording and editing such as YouTube and Animoto. These programs help reinforce the skills that they are learning which are planning, organizing, creating and above all metacognition. Students learn to evaluate their thought process in creating a project. They also learn the importance of collaboration when working with a group. Students also take ownership for their work and become more self-directed in their learning.

Like I mentioned earlier, this was a fast and wild semester, but it has HONESTLY been my favorite so far in this graduate program. I feel that I got the most I could out of the class and will put it to great use from now on.
And now it's time to say GOOD-BYE to this class, but not to all of the amazing resources that I learned about.

Mining Pew-Fourth Reading:

Libraries, Children and Families: new research and policy recommendations on role of libraries in early reading

Rainie, L. July 9, 2013, Libraries, Children and Families: new research and policy recommendations on role of libraries in early reading. Pew Internet Research. Presentation retrieved on July 30, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/

This presentation aims to shine light to the role of libraries in early reading. It discusses some important keynotes about the reasons libraries are important in the community. 

Some of the reasons I found to be most interesting are listed below followed by my comments on the topic.

“94% of parents say libraries are important for their children and 79% describe libraries as very important.”

This percentage shows that most parents do see the important role a library can play in the community.

Considering that in my own community, our library is a small, worn down building in need of renovations, brings to mind that perhaps many parents’ voices are not being considered in the community. Perhaps parents are not speaking up or have settled for at least having some form of a library they can use.

In a previous course that involved cataloguing and conducting a scavenger hunt on certain books under Dewey Decimal Classification, I went to my public library and many of the books there were out dated by more than ten years. It was difficult for me to do my assignment and I had to visit another library in a neighboring city. The point I am trying to make is that if parents feel that libraries are important and educators certainly feel that way as well, then we should help support more library development projects in our community.

“79 % of parent library visitors say librarians are very helpful.”

I have read articles about how librarians are being considered dispensable in the library because of the advanced technology that allows easier access to resources for people. Some may even feel that a library is not needed much anymore now that most information can be found online. The above statement which is based on statistics found in recent year 2012, shows that parents understand that a librarian is the expert in the library and is very much needed.

“31% said they know not much or nothing at all of what their libraries offer. “

Twenty three percent of these people were parents. This means librarians and educators can do more to inform the community about their resources and how to access them. Many times parents do not know of the new resources available because they were accustomed to the traditional use of the library that involved mainly the circulation of books. We can expect these percentages to decrease as we continue forward in making our community a technological society.

18 slides (presentation)

To view this presentation go to the following web address:

http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/07/09/libraries-children-and-families-new-research-and-policy-recommendations-on-role-of-libraries-in-early-reading/

Mining Pew- Third Reading:

‘How do they even do that?’: How Today’s Technology is Shaping Tomorrow’s Students

Lenhart, A. April 9, 2013, ‘How do they even do that?’: How Today’s Technology is Shaping Tomorrow’s Students. Dartmouth College. Presentation retrieved on July 30, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/

This slide share presentation was a look at how technology is and will continue to change the way students learn as well as their learning environment. In this presentation, Amanda Lenhart discusses the ways children’s learning is affected when growing up in a fast developing technological society. A U.S. college student today has lived their whole life surrounded with changes to access to information resources. Changes that Lenhart describes as, “major new technological developments that disrupt our previous communication strategies.”

The following are some of the most thought provoking quotes from the presentation followed by my comments on the topic.

“In 2000, 0% of people connected to internet wirelessly, compared to about 67% who are wireless Internet users since 2012.”

“In the U.S. in 2000, 0% of people used social network sites, compared to 65% who used SNS in 2012.”

Basically these percentage increases show how Americans have changed their form of communication over the years. The change is rapidly occurring and our young generation today,  are those that can expect to be entering a college with a highly advanced technological environment.

I remember growing up and my father telling me I had to become good at working with computers because in the future every job would involve computers some how. I was about twelve years old in the year 2000 where according to these statistics zero people connected to wireless Internet nor used social network sites. I find myself providing more technology experiences for my three year old now as she learns to use my laptop and owns her own tablet. I have high expectations that she will be able to compete in the global society with advanced skills in technology; our new information highway.

“Although headed off to different schools, they had a similar experience of learning their roommate assignment and immediately turning to Facebook to investigate that person,” says Danah Boyd.

This reminded me of my personal use of Facebook, where I use this social networking site to learn about new people I have just met. It’s amazing how many people rely on this source of information to develop relationships with others simply based on the information that is available to them.

“Technology is the classroom.”

This statement above, speaks about the transformation that we have seen in college campuses. This entire course in which I find myself working on this assignment, is online. My entire graduate program will be online as well. Before I began working on my program, I had come across various people with different opinions on the concept of distance learning. So many people had expressed the opinion that online classes would not provide the same educational experience as meeting in person with the professor. I did have my doubts when I began my classes, but after a year of being in the program, I have come to view distance learning in a more positive light. It makes students more self-directed learners and definitely causes them to manage their daily schedule more responsibility. I feel that I have learned so much in this past year and online classes are in no wise a less learning experience for me. On the contrary, I have become more dedicated to my studies because technology has become my classroom.

43 slides (presentation)

To view this presentation go to the following web address:

http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/04/09/how-do-they-even-do-that-how-todays-technology-is-shaping-tomorrows-students/

Mining Pew- Second Reading:

Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites

Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Smith, A., Purcell, K., Zickuhr, K., & Rainie, L. (2011, November 9). Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites. . Retrieved July 30, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/

This article was an overwhelming and vast amount of information concerning teenage social media users and their overall social experiences interacting in social network sites. There was thorough research conducted and the data is presented statistically by age, gender, race, socio-economic status and other demographic characteristics. The information is presented using graphs, charts, percentages and teenage interview responses. 

The following are some of the most thought provoking quotes from the article followed by my comments on the topic.

“Teens tend towards negative words when describing how people act online.”

This word cloud is a great visual in understanding how teens feel about others’ behavior on social networks. The most frequently used words that teens used to describe online behavior are the largest.

I find this interesting that teens are aware that much of the behavior they see others portraying is negative and when they are asked how they feel people should behave they can easily portray a more positive collection of words in the following word cloud.

There is a discrepancy when you consider these two word clouds. It seems teens know what is expected of them as social network users, yet many might choose to act differently.

The following quote gave me a better understanding of why there is such a discrepancy.

“Often teens felt bolder, ruder, or more empowered because they did not fear physical violence in the online space.”

It seems teens and perhaps many social network users feel that they can venture out and be a different person online than who they portray in person. I feel that this is both an advantage and a disadvantage. For people who struggle with personal issues of timidity or shyness can find social networking as a way to manage their social life and become better with other people. Unfortunately, this is not always the case when others may feel that the Internet platform gives them the audacity to do what they are not capable of in person.

“Teen girls are more likely than boys to report being bullied by text messaging (13% vs. 5%), online (12% vs. 4%), and by phone (11% vs. 4%).”

I believe this is sad, but true. Many times boys are less likely to stay silent about the fact that they are being bullied because it might make them seem as a weakling to their family members, especially their male role models. I have witnessed this personally with a family member who will remain anonymous for personal reasons. For most of his life, this young boy’s father has constantly expressed to the boy in many ways what it means to “act like a man” and how not to be a “wimp.” For several months this young boy has been harassed at school, but does not report the daily incidences because he feels he will have to deal with his father’s ridicule and consequently not measure up to “a man’s image.”

I’m sure there is more reasons why boys are less likely to report bullying, but this case is often the reason for many. This statistic confirmed my personal beliefs that parents, especially male role models should help promote a positive self-image for their children and maintain a strong communicative relationship to support their children in every critical area of their lives.

“Direct experiences with online cruelty on social media relates to a host of other negative experiences.”

This quote reminds me of a inspirational quote I once heard, “ Your personal life affects your public life.” I have always had this encouraging word on my mind since the day I heard it. I now can reflect on it clearly when I read the above statement. Not only teenagers, but all social network users need to be aware that the personal information they make available online will affect the way their public image. One example stated in this article was how teenagers engage in rising conflicts on Facebook that later resulted in a physical fight at school (p 30).

“86% of teens reporting advice from a parent.”

This statistic shows that parents are still the number one influence when it comes to shaping their child’s attitude toward appropriate online behavior. I have met parents who feel they have lost control of their child’s overall conduct and can no longer influence their decision-making. This statistic gives parents like this hope that no matter what circumstances look like; their advice is taken into consideration. Even when it seems teenagers aren’t listening. Parents can’t give up or stop trying to influence their children, but most importantly they must be an example in what they want their children to do.

“Roughly one in three online teens (30%) reports sharing one of their passwords with a friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend.”

This statistic was to be honest, scary at the thought of having my child give their password to a friend or boyfriend. The fact that teenagers can make decisions based upon their emotions at the moment is what concerns me. If a couple ends their relationship with one resentful individual still having access to the others personal information and account, they could ruin their reputation by posting negative information on their behalf.

To know that teenagers are sharing such personal information, makes me all the more want to be a leader in technology. Educators can and must help educate students as well as parents about appropriate use of the Internet.

“16% of all teens and 18% of cell users – say they have received a sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photo or video of someone else they know.”

This was probably the most disturbing of all statistics. The idea that someone could take this type of personal information so lightly without thinking of all the negative consequences is baffling. Again it reminds me that I am responsible for educating my students about these negative consequences.

This article is the longest, but most informative research that I read using Pew Internet.

86 pages (pdf)

To read article go to the following web address:

http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_Teens_Kindness_Cruelty_SNS_Report_Nov_2011_FINAL_110711.pdf

Instagram and Vine

Hello everyone here are a few pictures of mine from Instagram and videos from Vine. They look pretty random, but they actually have a purpose in the classroom. Check them out and read below the pictures and videos to see how they can be used in education.


How can I use these two pictures in the classroom?

Before:



After:

Well this could definitely serve in a science class, but also a reading class. These pictures could be used as a way to begin an experiment testing why does popcorn pop. Students can use the pictures to begin the scientific process and continue using Instagram throughout the different steps of the experiment. In a reading class, teachers can use pictures like this to help students paraphrase the process of popcorn popping. Teachers can check students' fluency and comprehension as they explain.

How about this picture?

Well if you're an educator or librarian, you probably guessed it. This picture can start a book talk, an inference discussion on what the book will be about or simply the book cover itself can spark up a discussion about what it entails.


What do you think about this short Vine video? Can it be used in the classroom?



You guessed it! Of course it can be used for students to interpret what all the pictures contribute to, in this case they refer to the resources plants need to grow.

What about this last Vine video?



This video is a glimpse at the plot of a story. The video consists of pictures throughout the book that show how the story develops. In the fifth grade, which is the grade level I teach, students need to be able to identify the five elements of plot. Teachers can use a video like this to have students practice the different parts of the plot which are the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. Students can even create their own video by recording pictures of a book they have read and identifying the plot elements.


How will I use these apps in the classroom?

Well educators, I want you to know that pictures have a way of grabbing the students' attention. I personally can look at a picture for several minutes just analyzing every little part of the moment that was captured. Teachers can use Instagram to have students post pictures that describe them or give clues of who they want to be in the future. Here are a few ways I plan to use Instagram in the classroom with students.
- Students create an All About Me introduction
-Teacher creates an inference game using interesting photos
-Teacher displays student work
-Students can capture images of things that are relevant to what they are learning in school.
-Students can capture pictures to describe a certain vocabulary word(s).

For more information on how to use Instagram in the classroom follow this link:
http://prezi.com/fvbrbbznr7ee/using-instagram-in-the-classroom/


Vine videos could be used to create a collage of things that contribute to the concepts like the Water Cycle and photosynthesis. Although these videos are only six seconds long, this causes students to really think about what and how they will include in the video. Here are some more ideas on how I plan to use Vine in the classroom.
-students record the steps of the scientific process to a mini lab experiment.
-students identify and record the element of a story book plot.
-students use videos to tell stories
-students create an advertisement video

For more information on how to use Vine in the classroom follow this link:
http://www.teachthought.com/technology/what-is-vine-and-whats-it-doing-in-my-classroom/

Screencasts

The following is my experience creating a screencast using Screencast-O-Matic. It was very fun. The screencast is a basic tutorial on how to create a book trailer using Animoto. This is my first screencast and had to practice it several times to try to get my narration to be easy to follow. Take a look at my screencast and read my evaluation. Since this is my first video, any constructive criticism is appreciated.

Screencast-O-Matic

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/

I thought the entire process for creating this screencast was very user friendly. Anyone who has ever use a video camera before can easily get the hang of this screen recorder. It works the same way. It contains a record, pause and stop button. It allows you to rewind or go back in the video and record over any mistakes. That was sure helpful. This program however, had a time limit so it requires you to be efficient with your navigation and narration. I believe the program is easy for students to use and the time limit is actually a good way to help students stay focused on the video rather than getting distracted after it runs for too long.

Overall, I really like the concept of a screen recorder. With technology resources developing every day, teachers can use these screencast to teach students how to use web tools from the comfort of their own home. These videos can be stored or uploaded to an online sharing website such as YouTube or a school website and students can have access to them just as any other informational resource. I plan to continue using Screen-O-Matic in the future and continue working at making resources available to my students by teaching them how to use them.

If you are interested in creating a screencast, follow the link below:
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/

Cartoons and Comics

The following information is based on my experience creating comics on three different websites; Toon Doo, Pixton, and Make Beliefs Comix. It was a lot of fun and hope you try it out yourself. Enjoy!

TOON DOO

http://www.toondoo.com/

By olgarcia | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Toon Doo took a few minutes to load which was an inconvenience and will be somewhat if I use this in the classroom. Nevertheless, the website is a great tool. I used it to create a third person limited narration. The process of saving and editing was easy. Users can even share their comic using Facebook. It has a great variety of characters, backgrounds and props to use. The props available allowed the user to create a more detailed background. The props were sufficient to make it interesting for kids. There was an option available to upload images from websites, computer and even clipart was available. The images added to your gallery could be “goofified” which means edited to make them look funny. I thought this feature could help personalize the comics the students create. I think this website is one I could use in the classroom and which they will enjoy. It is not too difficult for students to navigate and quickly learn how to use the features. I plan to use this website more often than Make Belief Comics and Pixton.  

Pixton 

http://www.pixton.com/  

Pixton is easy to create. I used it to create a comic explaining the process of the water cycle. The website is very user friendly and great for students. It has fun creative character options as you can see my character has pink hair and purple skin. It was easy to save and edit. The props and backgrounds had a good variety of images to use. Students would definitely be able to use this website and work with the features with minimal help.
To view this comic in fullscreen please go to the following web address: 
http://Pixton.com/ic:uoa18q5y 

Make Beliefs Comix:

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/

Make Beliefs Comix was not as interesting as Pixton or Toon Doo. I used it to create a vocabulary and definition comic. I was a bit impatient with the features and I felt a little frustrated with having to click on each tool before using it. In my opinion it slowed the process down. I felt there was limited variety of graphics to use such as the characters, backgrounds and text bubbles. I didn’t like that the website didn’t save any of the comics to come back and edit. I think this is important in order to use it for a class activity. Saving the work and coming back to it can allow students to fix mistakes rather than have to create a new comic. I will probably not use this website very often, but I think getting students exposed to as many websites as possible is important so I will introduce them to it.

To view this comic in fullscreen please go to the following web address: 

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=31586542C1345136

Future Plans for Using Comic Strips

I plan to use incorporate comic strips to make student work more engaging. Students love work that deals with drawing and using this website give them the opportunity to create their own cartoons or comics. Comic strips could be used to have students explain what they’ve learned, create an interesting story plot, analyze character perspectives and so much more. I have already used paper and pencil comic strips in my classroom for the following activities. The next step is to make these assignments digital.

Comic Activities:

• create comics for all the different narrator perspectives, such as first person, second person and the three types of third person: omniscient, limited and objective.
• create a comic for explaining the water cycle
• create a comic showing the five elements of a fiction story plot; exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.
• create a comic explaining how math can be used in the real world.

Basically, teachers can get creative with how they implement comic strips. Remember students need class activities to be as fun as possible in order for them to find meaning in what they learn. I am so glad I was able to play with these websites and learn how to use them in my classroom. I loved all the websites and will probably use all of them through out the school year. Technology is so great!

For more information on how to integrate comics into classroom activities visit the following website: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Educators/ 

Online Book Communities

Online Book Communities are a great way to keep track of what you're reading and what others are reading. This was my first time actually exploring into one of these websites. I already had a Goodreads profile, but I wouldn't keep up with it. I had somehow signed up through my Facebook account without even knowing about it. I like the concept of having virtual shelfs and being able to keep track of what I'm reading. Adding my books caused me to reflect on the books I have read. By the time I created my last account on Booklikes, I was remembering more of my favorite books to add on my shelfs. I also like that I can share with others what I am reading and find out what they are reading. Its not every day you have time to ask someone in person about what they're reading. So this is awesome. I liked that in some of these websites you can create a blog.

I will now share my experience with each website, which websites I will recommend and which one I will more than likely continue using.

Goodreads Profile 

My overall rating is 4.5/5

Goodreads Experience: 
Goodreads is very easy to use. I love that it has the book cover icons to make it more visually appealing. It's simple and has just what I believe a book community should have; collections, recommendations, friends, and discussions. I like that the my friends activity as well as mine is on the front page.I like that my bookshelfs are on the front page shelved according to topics, genres or any tags I thought could describe the ideas of the book.

Advantages: 
-easy access to shelves
-feature shelf has book covers
-sharing and recommending books with friends on Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, & Yahoo
-books can be exported to another website
-easy shelving process
-track what you and others are reading
-a look at new releases in every genre
-join groups or book clubs
-share quotes, comments & discussions
-mass or batch editing

Disadvantages:
-No blog

Student Interest:
-user friendly
-students can connect through Facebook or Twitter
-will recommend to students

Library Thing Profile

My overall rating is 3.5/5

Library Thing Experience:
This was the second website I explored. I immediately liked that it was able to import my books from Goodreads because it saved me time. At first glance I thought it appeared kind of dull looking and too much text was unpleasing to the eye. I expect more visuals for book recommendations. I did however like that the Authors tab had a picture view. It was nice to be able to see the authors of my favorite books. I did not like that it contained "collections" and "tags" in which to categorize my books. I think that having either one would work for me, preferably tags serving as shelfs or collections serving as shelfs. Just one would be best to simplify things.

Advantages:
-recommendation list has no book cover icons just titles and authors
-love the author pictures tab
-Talk tab is very informative
-I think the "collections" are equivalent to the "shelves" on Goodreads.
-tags in Library Thing are simply labels topics.
-easy to import files from another online book website.

Disadvantages:
-not very appealing; dull
-recommendation list has no book cover icons just titles and authors
-doesn't have a mass or batch edit button that would make tagging easier.
-I don't see the reason for having both collections and tags.
-overload of text features doesn't make it user friendly

Student Interest: 
-not very much visual appeal
-students might not be attracted to the text, tabs and a lot of information
-probably will not recommend to students

Shelfari Profile 

My overall rating is 4/5

Shelfari Expience: 
At first glance of this website, the profile page itself is more colorful with the tabs. I liked the visual appeal with the virtual shelf. The shelfs are easy to access and viewers could easily view your rating of the books which is a big help. I liked that the shelfs were on the front page and so were my tags. I didn't like that my Friends' activity tab, which is something that I look into often was not on the front page. I like to have all the basic features altogether for some reason. I don't think this takes away from the website itself, but for my personal choice it does. I like that you can create a blog, but again the access tab is too much clicking for me. You must find it under the Community tab. I like that you can see the book information when you move the mouse over the book covers. I also like the tag suggestion list that makes it a lot easier to tag books.

Advantages:
-love the visuals of shelves and books. It is very appealing compared to Goodreads and Library Thing.
-tag suggestions make it easier to tag
-standing over the book icon lets you see the book information such as tags, publication year, author and rating.
-friends' activity is not on the front page view. It's accessible by clicking the tab. I like how Goodreads has it available on the front page, simply scroll down.
- you can create a blog

Disadvantages: 
-too many tabs to access basic features

Student Interest: 
-students can invite friends from Facebook, Twitter, Gmail & Yahoo
-visually appealing
-will recommend to students to give them options

Booklikes Profile

My overall rating is 5/5

Booklikes Experience:
I like that it has all the basic features and more. Users can create a blog and the necessary tabs are on the profile page making it easy to access. It is definitely visually appealing with the book cover icons. the front page has my shelfs, blog and timeline tabs. I thought it had many features and tabs and I really had to play around with it to get the hang of it. Just getting to import books was a little hard for me to navigate. I wonder if students might have the same experience. Even though I had a little trouble, I believe I just need more time getting used to it. I think this is the online book community that I will continue using. Although I might suggest Goodreads to my students to get them started.

Advantages: 
-blog
-virtual book shelf
-visually appealing
-easy to access shelfs
-dashboard feature
-basic features
-imports shelfs from Goodreads, Library Thing, Lovely Books & Lubimy czytac

Disadvantages:
- too many features may be overwhelming for first time users

Student Interest:
-blog
-basic features
-visually appealing
-will recommend to students as an advanced option

Overall

I think all of these websites are great. Some are more appealing to young readers and so because of that, I believe that Goodreads will be my number one recommendation for students. It's user friendly and has all the basic features to keep track of your reading and communicate with others. However, for my own book tracking I will continue using Booklikes. I have explained the reasons why I won't recommend it to a student above. I plan to continue exploring it to become more familiar with it and learn to navigate it with ease. This was a great experience and hope to continue learning more about technology in general.

Integrating Podcasts into the Classroom

Using Podcasts in the Classroom or Library: 

Using podcasts in the classroom or library is extremely beneficial for teachers who desire to make learning more exciting by integrating the use of audio technology. Teachers can basically make use of podcast websites in any lesson plan that involves student creating original products. It is a great way to keep students engaged in their assignment and take ownership of their work.

The following are ideas for effective use of podcasts in student learning activities:

• Students write then record their own essays. 
• Students develop a thesis and supporting reasons then record a debate on a particular issue.
• Students record book analysis and evaluations.
• Students create Readers Theater scripts of different literary genres and record them.
• Students can record their voting of the best Reader Theater performance.
• Students create Public Service Announcements and record them.
• Students can campaign for student council by recording their speeches. 

Podcasts are a way to get students producing work that is more than just a paper and pencil product or even a face to face presentation. I know many times we have students who are very creative, but are shy as well and that keeps them from speaking up during a class presentation or discussion. Podcasts are a way to get all kids involved in editing their work and not worrying about the public aspect of the process. When I worked with a fourth grade student on creating her own podcasts, she was hesitant at first, but as soon as I told her she wouldn't be seen only heard, she became more comfortable.

The beauty of podcasts is that listeners can focus more on the content of the audio and become less distracted with the speaker. This can serve both teachers and students in becoming better listeners. In creating the podcasts, it causes students to think and rethink about what they want their final product to sound like. They are using metacognitive skills to evaluate and organize their work. Students' final product also serves as a way for teachers to evaluate their knowledge of a particular topic when students are able to retell or explain the concept that they've learned about. If grouped to complete a project students will learn the value of collaboration through out the process.

Overall, the use of podcasts in education is a step further for integrating technology in student learning. It's our job as educators to find the communication highway that students are on to differentiate instruction as much as needed to accommodate to the various types of learning styles. I believe that any move toward technology use is the right road to take.

Some more lesson plans that involve teachers using podcasts in the classroom can be found in the following web address:
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/teaching-with-podcasts-30109.html


My Podcast Experience: 

This was my second experience creating a podcast. I used Audioboo and it was very simple to use. The first time, I was the main speaker, but I thought it would be exciting to get students involved. I was able to get a fourth grade young girl name Jasmine Trevino to take part in creating this podcast. She came up with the topic she wanted to talk about which was becoming a doctor. We came up with the script together. She was an amazing help even when this was her first time recording her own voice. She does not have access to the Internet at home and not very much experience working with computers. She was a little nervous during the recording. We actually had to record over twenty times. We tried pausing along the way to keep her from tripping over her words. She did a great job and I am totally satisfied with the results. I can't wait to use podcasts with my students in the classroom!

If you would like to listen to Career Talk Podcast by Jasmine Trevino click on the link below.

listen to ‘Career Talk with Jasmine Trevino’ on Audioboo

Blogs and Blog Readers

Below you will find information on different Blog Readers that I investigated and my final selected blog reader. You will also find information on how librarians are using Tumblr in their libraries. Lastly, you will read about five blogs that I thought were worth following. Enjoy!

Comparing Blog Readers:

I decided to use Bloglovin' after I read many review on it. It seems to be one of the most popular blog reader. Some of the things I kept reading about was how it was efficient to use. Users are able to claim their blog and see who their followers are in Bloglovin'. Other blog readers don't seem to have this, such as Feedly. Bloglovin' makes it simple to transfer from anther blog reader such as Google Reader. I read that in the previous years, Feedly announced a change to their website with such late notice that some of its users were not able to export their feeds. Some concerns about Digg Reader was that it lacked the share feature for Facebook or Twitter and other basic features. 

I also chose Bloglovin' because it is the first blog reader that I use and it was user friendly when setting up. It also allowed me to view my feeds in a separated tab, which made it easy to close and continue to the unread blogs. I quickly learned to share the posts using Twitter or Facebook and I appreciated the comment feature it contained. As a new user, I believe it has all the necessary basic features I need to effectively follow all the bloggers I want and it has the ability to share information easily. Overall, I think I will stick to Bloglovin' and continue exploring all its great features. 

How are librarians using Tumblr?

While viewing various Tumblr blogs, I found that many librarians are using this site to basically communicate with their patrons by using a medium that might be more familiar to young people. With all the technology resources today, it's obvious we can no longer depend for students to come check out what's happening in the library in person, so we have to go to them. These blogs are being used to post book reviews, links to articles, inspirational quotes. I found that in many of these blogs, inspirational or reading quotes were very popular posts for many libraries. Photos of library shelves, student activity and student work were also posted. I think that librarians that are using resources like Tumblr and blogs are great librarians that are striving to keep students engaged in what the library has to offer. These are the librarians that I hope to be like one day.

Five Highlight Blogs: 

1.) Montclair Elementary School Library:

http://cardinalsread.tumblr.com/

This library uses Tumblr to show what is happening in the library. I followed this post because I saw real photos of children working on activities. I think this is one thing that always causes readers to follow bloggers; real people doing real things. This is how I personally get ideas of what my blog should look like and what things I could post. In this blog, children and teachers are reading, checking out books, working on projects and using the computers for research. It is a look into an ideal library. Let’s not forget, this is an elementary library. Wow!

2.) Westfield Middle School Library

http://wmslibrary.tumblr.com/

This middle school library is using Tumblr to post pictures of some of their library decorations and a few pictures of the book shelves. I was attracted to this post because it had a picture of a bicycle hung on the library wall so close up to the ceiling and underneath the bike, it had Albert Einstein’s famous quote, which is also one of my favorites. It goes, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” I thought this is something I would probably do in my own library; create an awesome visual like this that will send the message across to my patrons that I believe in their success.

3.) School Libraries Rock

http://mediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.com/2011/10/all-about-podcasting-82-sites-which.html

This particular Tumblr blog is not by a school library, but it is “a blog about the wonderful world of school libraries,” as stated as the heading on their blog. I decided to follow this blog because it contains great links to media specialists guides. One specific post was a list of sites viewers could use on how to podcast. Another link has a list of classroom blogs for teaching ideas and inspiration. This list has up to one hundred resources! One of the resources provides a list of short story books that are categorized as classics. The list also has a brief synopsis as well as a list of the themes that are expressed in the story.

4.) The Unquiet Librarian

http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/framing-and-developing-an-inquiry-stance-for-independent-research-projects/

This was not a school library blog, but I chose it because I recognized the creator’s name, which is Buffy J. Hamilton. This was one of the important library professionals we were asked to follow on Twitter for a previous assignment. Anyhow, I decided to follow this blog because Hamilton has over twenty years of experience and I believe she knows what she’s talking about. One of her recent posts contains pictures of one of her workshops where educators are using the “write around text on text strategy” and she provides pictures of their work. This serves as a great example for teachers who would like to use this strategy in their classrooms.

5.) The Blue Skunk Blog

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2014/7/15/if-you-could-give-your-child-a-superpower-would-you.html

This blog belongs to the Director of Libraries and Technology for the Mankato Public Schools, Doug Johnson. First of all what attracted me to this blog was the blog name. I found this blog by searching for school library blogs and I came across a list of recommended blogs of which The Blue Skunk was one of them. I enjoyed Johnson’s post titled If you could give your child a superpower, would you? Here Johnson writes how technology itself has given children somewhat of a supernatural power where they are able to communicate with the world without restriction. It encourages parents to take on the responsibility of teaching their children about ethical use of the Internet. What I appreciated most was how Johnson put the message across with an interesting title.