Final Reflection for 5391 Digital Technology for the School Librarian

Final Send-Off! 

This course has been an amazing experience all the way around! I have been able to dive deeper into some technology that I felt familiar with, experience frustrations, and enjoy learning new programs and apps out there.

Most programs were fun to learn to navigate and get accustomed to. There are quite a few that I plan to bring back to my campus. However, with that being said, sometimes I feel like educators are overwhelmed with too many options at once. 

Some of my favorite ones were exploring social media, using videos and QR codes in the classroom, and creating infographics. I felt like each of these really was user-friendly and allowed for quite a bit of usability without having to pay a fee. 

One that was most difficult for me was the comics and cartoons assignment for me. I just could not get things the way I wanted them and where I wanted them correctly.

I think the one that would benefit students the most, as well as staff, is the use of creating infographics. There are endless possibilities to use infographics and I feel like our students are in that technology era where they would blossom by showing their knowledge via an infographic versus a research paper. 

For my final evaluation of a new digital resource that I haven't used, I decided to go with Book Creator to show some highlights from this semester. 

Book Creator

This was such a fun site! I signed up for the free limited account, which still gave me access to so much. It was easy to use and you can choose from templates or themes already created to make life even easier. 

I loved being able to quickly edit images or text by simply right-clicking versus having to locate a tool. There were a lot of fonts to choose from and images to pick from. There is also a Book Creator Team chat option that is available to get help when needed, even on the free account. 

One of my favorite items was the easy use of adding audio anywhere on the page!  Feel free to create your own book at https://bookcreator.com/

Please enjoy the short book that I created using text, images, clipart, and audio reviewing my thoughts about this semester.

https://read.bookcreator.com/UThrx9w6TLYEkSaqAXXX1HnTHar1/AP0jKrJ1RTujCqqZt87smA

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning

Understanding what Universal Design for Learning is, should be a priority in education. As an educator, we know that every student learns differently but we have to be the masters of finding the way to reach them the best. This is essentially Universal Design for Learning (UDL).  We all know that every classroom is full of diverse learners including students that are language learners, audio-impaired learners, visual learners, gifted students who require more demands, and much more!

According to this YouTube video about what UDL is, the educator is effectively helping break up or prevent barriers to students so that learning is effective for all involved. So as an educator, I have to sit back and ask myself whether I am already using some UDL strategies or helping implement learning for all students. 

Guidelines - Which of these guidelines am I already using?

Take a look at the first guideline, Providing Multiple Means of Engagement. This simply means, how am I getting the lesson or message across. This could be presenting information in multiple ways, such as using media to help highlight the major points. In the classroom, I use a lot of graphics and illustrations to help students focus on the main aspects of a lesson. This is the stage where you also want to pull from prior background knowledge and understand what students already know, to help see where you need to really start your lesson. The ultimate goal of finding different ways to provide engagement is for the learners/students to be purposeful and motivated in their learning.

The next guideline is to Provide Multiple Means of Representation, basically that educators should provide different ways to get their lessons across. Currently, I give my students a variety of ways to show me what they know, they can do voice recordings, they can give me written responses, or I have the old fashion multiple choice option to see what they know. By offering different ways for students to show their learning, I am helping create resourceful and knowledgeable learners. 

The third guideline is completed by Providing Multiple Means of Action & Expression; which will help generate students that are strategic and goal-directed with their learning. One way that I offer this type of performance activity in the classroom is by letting them select what they would like to read for an assignment. For example, if we are working on improving our summarization skills, giving the students self-selection allows for them to be more actively engaged in the material they are about to summarize. While this doesn't work in every scenario, such as standardized testing, I do try to offer it as often as possible. They seem to take ownership when they get to choose.

Teaching - Which of these could I add right now to my teaching practice?

Personally, I feel like I could step up my game with the second guideline and give a few other ways for students to represent what they have learned. After doing more research on UDL, graphic organizers are a great way to get evidence of learning established. A lot of times in the classroom, we do graphic organizers to learn the basic material and put it in a notebook to reference again later. However, that could actually be the assessment item itself in having the student create a graphic organizer demonstrating what they have discovered.

Implementation - Which of these looks great, but I might need some help to implement?

The first guideline is where I could see myself needing some help, but mainly time to implement better. For example, I already use illustrations and graphics in the learning environment but I haven't necessarily used animated graphics. I feel like this could take learning up another notch and provide for more engagement. I mean, who doesn't like a funny GIF or something moving on the screen to grab your attention.

Finding ways to help me implement more UDL in the classroom led me to a search through the web. One website, in particular, called Reading Rockets gave five examples of ways that UDL is used in the classroom. While I do several of these five options, two options that I do not do is posting the lesson goals for students. I do post an objective that appeases the administrators, but it isn't necessarily in terms that students would understand or know it was a goal. I like the rewording of making it a goal instead of an objective and plan to change that wording on my board.  Another item that the site recommended was to use flexible workspaces, this seems to be a bit harder to implement without having more space. However, reading through the examples, I can see some options that may be easy to implement like headphones or letting them work under their desk for fewer distractions. 

Conclusion

Universal Design for Learning means to provide a variety of ways to represent material, provide multiple ways for students to learn the material, and then give students selection in how to assess the material to help keep engagement and learning going. 

Sources:

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from                                        http://udlguidelines.cast.org

CAST. (2010). Udl At A Glance. YouTube. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDvKnY0g6e4.

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2019, December 18). 5 examples of universal design for learning in the classroom. Reading Rockets. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/5-examples-universal-design-learning-classroom

Podcasts in the Educational Setting

Podcasts

Why would anyone create a podcast? Well, the answer is simple...to get a message out to others. Podcasts vary in so many ways from listening to the latest crime thriller episodes to finding self-help podcasts to get your mind and body right each day, and all the way down to the classroom. That's right, podcasts and education go hand-in-hand. Not only can librarians use podcasts to help promote books or even promote authors, but teachers can also use podcasts in their classrooms to enrich lessons, and even more so, students can create podcasts to help demonstrate knowledge of understanding. The possibilities are endless with using podcasts in the educational setting. In this quick blog, I will highlight three of the podcast programs and sites that I have personally tried. While there are many out there that are available to check out, here are the top three that I have tried.

Anchor

This particular podcasting site was neat because it is also an easy app to use on the phone. I was able to go to the Google Play store and quickly download the app for even more ease of use. The website is also very user-friendly.  Anchor is owned by the company Spotify, so many users will feel comfortable using the program if they are already Spotify users.

When you first log in, you are walked through the basic setup and can begin deciding how you want to start your podcast and what options, like music, you want to add.

The absolute best thing about using Anchor is that it is 100% free and super easy to sign up for an account. Included are unlimited episode uploads, downloads, or even the length of the podcast episode. One way that they are able to provide this service for free is to insert ads within your podcast, just like Hulu does if you have that streaming service on your TV.

It is super easy to set up with your computer microphone (or giving access to your microphone), or even easier using the phone and allowing permissions. It was also very simple to add music as an introduction and exit to the podcast.

One final huge perk is that you can link up with someone else who may not be nearby to do a joint podcast. It is a simple "invite to join" while you are set up to record. So to try this out a bit further, I partnered up with a fellow librarian Ms. Erica Aveytia and we created a podcast together about Graphic Novels in the library. We do not live near each other, so the use of this technology was neat to allow us to record together at the same time as if we were sitting right next to each other. 

Please enjoy our podcast on what a Graphic Novel is. Click this link to take you directly to our Spotify account to listen. Graphic Novels in the Library  (If for some reason this does not work, please do not hesitate to comment and I will work on it some more.)

Buzzsprout

I have used Buzzsprout in the past and while I loved it because of the ease of use, especially setting up a profile and image; I did not enjoy the fact that my podcast was only available for a limited time unless I paid a membership. 

While you can have a free membership, it is severely limited versus some of the other podcast sites out there. You can only upload up to two hours per month and then your podcast disappears after three months. However, if you are willing to pay, there are multiple payment options to choose from depending on how often you plan to do a podcast and how much time you need.

I do love how "clean" and organized the home screen is when you log in. 

A really neat feature that may make this site worth one to purchase a monthly subscription to is the Magic Mastering option. I did purchase a one-month subscription when I used Buzzsprout in the past because of this one neat feature. I was recording my podcast while staying in a hotel and the AC was abnormally loud. Using this Magic Mastering feature, I was able to cut out most of the background sound and enhanced the vocal sound, giving me a clean-sounding podcast.

So if you are wanting to make podcasts often and don't have the quietest place to make your recordings, this might be one that you decide to do a monthly subscription at.  I feel like Buzzsprout is one of the easiest podcast sites to use. If only they offered more on their free version it would be the top pick. 

RedCircle

This is one of the newer podcast sites available for users right now. With this program, when you first attempt to sign up you have to select how you will be using the program from three available options. 

After you have chosen your category, it will let you create an account. For this review, I went with "I'm a Podcaster." Right after you select, you are prompted with their pricing plans, which really do seem reasonable when you consider the options that are given with each monthly subscription amount. 

The home dashboard is very clean and organized and immediately gives you the option to import an already created podcast or the option to start from scratch. Very similar to Buzzsprout, you are again asked to upload an image and begin formatting information for your podcast before you actually start the recording.

I felt like there were more steps and things to complete on RedCircle versus the other programs before you can get to the recording portion. However, once you are finally able to record, it is very easy to do as well as make edits and adjustments to the recording. Overall, this would not be the first pick for me but definitely a good beginner podcasting program to use. 

Podcasts in the Library

There are several ways to push podcasts for use in the library that would be educational to all those that listen. A librarian could do book talks through podcasts, there could be student-led group book talks that are recorded for others to listen to, a librarian could do a podcast with an author to help promote their book, a librarian could do mini-professional development opportunities through podcasts for teachers, and so much more!

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are so many wonderful sites out there that allow you the ability to record yourself and get your message out there for others to hear. While these are only three, I will say, personally, these three are very user-friendly for any beginner that is willing to venture out into the podcasting world. My favorite to use is still Buzzsprout; however, because of the cost and living on a teacher's salary, Anchor would be my go-to choice because it offers so much for free! As a reminder, a quick search of the phrase "create a podcast" will net you so many options to choose from and while this may be only three to look at so far, the options are endless depending on your needs and your budget.

Sources:

https://anchor.fm/

https://www.buzzsprout.com/

https://app.redcircle.com/

Cartoons and Comics

Cartoons and Comics

Cartoons and comics in the classroom? Why on earth would that be a good thing? Well, for many reasons actually! For one, they are engaging and colorful. Most students can relate to knowing what a comic or a cartoon is. Also, one of the topics growing genres in school libraries in the past five years is Graphic Novels, which rely heavily on the use of cartoon type and comic type styles. There are endless possibilities for using cartoons and comics in the classroom within any content area. The art teacher can have students create digital art, the reading teacher can have students do book summaries that are engaging, the English teacher can have students write dramas out with the character's dialogue, and the math teacher could have students give a comic-style description on how to solve something, the science teacher could have students create a step-by-step science project or discussion of an experiment via comic strips, and other countless ways teachers could use these programs. Today I will discuss three different sites that offer teachers and students the ability to create a cartoon-style comic strip.

Fotojet

When you first log in and click design, you are offered a variety of templates to choose from. I know I've stated this before, but I really like websites and programs that offer a good starting point like templates to use. So I'm definitely going to look through those later, but today I am focused on creating comics. So instead of choosing "design" I used the pull-down menu and selected "collage" and then scrolled down the page to the template titled "Comic."

Then start looking for a good starting template; however, watch that little icon to make sure you aren't trying to use a pro one unless you are becoming a paid member. After finding a starting template, it is a lot of playing around from there. You can select photos, graphics, fonts, and more to make the comic your own.  I love that you are able to upload your own photos as well as an option. Here's the one I created by playing around on the site:

I love that they do offer a free account and you can also do a free trial for one week; however, most of the items that are really good come with the Pro version of this program. If you are interested, it is a fair price of only $6.99 per month to have access to all the wonderful icons, images, backgrounds, etc. 

Pixton

Initially signing up on this program, you are given the option of signing up as a student (but it requires a link or code from the teacher), an educator, or a business. Signing up as an educator allows the one-week free trial to access everything the site offers. 

Again, I love when sites give you things to work with so you aren't starting from a complete scratch (unless you want to). This site even gives you lesson plans that you could use Pixton with. The layout for items for you to choose from is very user-friendly on this program as well. 

A person can get absolutely lost in time with all the options this program offers. So many different features from changing what the characters are doing, their facial expressions, the background, and much more. For this example, I went with what a teacher or educator could do in their classroom to make lessons and taking notes a little more fun. 

Pixton is definitely one program that I could see a school purchasing for teachers to use with their students. It was easy to use and understand and I think students would pick up on it quickly. The price is high ranging from $9.99 a month to $100 a month and also an unknown price for a district (I'm sure based on student population). 

Make Beliefs Comix

On first impression, this one really overwhelmed me with what seemed like everything on the log-in screen. However, once you have registered an account or logged in, the dashboard is less intimidating. With Make Beliefs Comix, features and options are located below the comic strip. A user can have a max of 18 (squares/strips) to use in the comic. 

I really enjoyed the lesson plans, ideas, and templates shared on this site. One way that I could see an educator use this in their classroom would be to create a drama/play using the strips as scenes being acted out. Personally, I do not feel like this particular one was a user friendly as the prior two. Mainly because you had to keep going back each time you wanted to add something. This particular one would require a lot of hands-on training with students to be able to use. I did like that you did not have to register an email account as this helps calm down the already overwhelming emails educators get on a daily basis from programs. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, these three comic strip-style programs would be beneficial for use by an educator and by students in the classroom. This would have been a great tool to use during the online learning that took place two years ago. As a librarian, holding a professional development session for staff on your campus would be beneficial to show them all the uses that these comic strips could use for. Not only are the students having to reach that top level of Blooms by being creative, but they will also have a fun way to demonstrate their knowledge of learning.

Sources:

https://www.fotojet.com/

https://www.pixton.com/

https://makebeliefscomix.com/

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

There are many practical ways to use videos such as ones made on YouTube to help students, administrators, staff, and community members in the library.  

YouTube

One of the channels that I did some digging around on was the BBM Media channel. There were various videos on this site to view, some from the media specialist directly showing students how to do a bibliography or what the actual library looks like. However, the newest video was four years ago, so they can stand to be updated for sure.  However, I felt like the video showing how to store headphones was the most helpful for students. I have seen this first hand when students don't know how to put things back so that it is sorted and stored correctly, plus it is super short so you would not lose their attention span. This is a great way to store headphones: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXIpA9DhjYY

Working through the same YouTube Channel, one video that stood out to me that I felt like kids would really like is the Star Wars-themed return your missing books video. Star Wars has picked up a lot of popularity with students in the past two years due to DisneyPlus releasing things like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. This has hyped them up a bit, so maybe it would help convince them to dig around for those missing books.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivht6CPe1Ek

Another YouTube Channel that I filtered through a bit was the Pikesville High School Library. While these videos were also a bit outdated, I could see the benefit that they provided students at the time. One video that I felt like students benefited from was the Pikesville High School FAFSA video. We all know that leaving High School behind and heading to college can be scary, especially financially. So this video I feel benefited students by preparing them a little about the FAFSA experience. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVyIaw40neY

One video on this channel that I think students really would enjoy was when they did a video highlighting the day they really got to focus on Hip Hop in literature and meet with Dillon from Flocabulary. In the video, they get to witness him doing some freestyle on library fees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3iihdaYAf0

I could see how creating and using videos in the library would be super beneficial. One, it is the technology era for our students, so sometimes the best way to reach them is using technology. Second, you could easily promote new literature without having to print posters or try to find ways to have it around campus. You could simply make a video and then share it with all students via email or the school's website. 

Using YouTube in the library is great because you can choose whether videos are private for a select group of audience members or public for the world to see.  Some common ways I could see using YouTube in the library are:

• Quick staff development videos (showing staff how to use programs)
• Videos for students on check-out/check-in procedures
• Highlighting authors or particular books
• Hyping up an upcoming event such as a book fair
• Book reviews
• Spotlights on students/staff that read

QR Codes

There are many QR-generating sites out there and most are FREE! Some popular and easy-to-use sites are:

http://www.qrstuff.com

http://www.visualead.com

https://www.qr-code-generator.com

However, my favorite to use is a simple Google Extension called "QR Code Generator." I am an avid Google user and for me, having this extension ready and available on my toolbar is super convenient. 

A quick "what is a QR code" is a machine-readable code that allows a user to scan with their phone or tablet and it takes them directly to the website attached to the QR code. 

A librarian could use QR codes near the circulation table to link to a Google Form where students could request particular types of books be added to the collection or have a survey-type feedback form available to hear from the patrons. It is something that will not take up a lot of space like a stack of paper surveys would. 

Pigging backing on the YouTube idea of creating videos to push out information to students, you could create QR codes to give them quick access to those videos. You could have QR codes around the school, or near sections in the library highlighting some top reads. If you are lucky enough to have student helpers in the library, I'm sure they would love to ability to create quick "book talk" videos and use QR codes to share those with other students. Below is an example of what a student or the librarian could create (I used Animoto to create this video) and share via a QR code for others to enjoy.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

(Book synopsis provided by Goodreads)

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light. With prose that is witty, insightful, and at times heartbreaking, Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33224061-the-downstairs-girl

Enjoy my book trailer over The Downstairs Girl created by using Animoto. Simply scan the QR code below to go straight to the trailer - enjoy!

https://animoto.com/play/08PT9y9LjN7iXoJyjcw9eg

Animoto

This is a free site, for the most part, that allows you video-creating options. It really is beneficial to educators in any stance and with an educator account, your videos can be longer than the regular free of 30 seconds. This is a great tool to share with students and have them turn their book talks into a quick book review video. When I stated it is free for the most part, it is because there are only a few options available that are not "pro" versions; however, I think with enough persuading a district might be inclined to purchase this for a librarian to be able to get even more book trailers out there for others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, with new technology advances every day there are so many ways to use YouTube, Animoto, and QR codes in the library. There are endless possibilities with using the QR code in and out of the librarian. Something not mentioned earlier is using QR codes to direct administrators to be able to view something in an agenda or even community members being able to view an event video by scanning a QR code on a newsletter.

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/user/bbmsmedia/videos 

https://www.youtube.com/user/pikesvillehslibrary/videos

https://animoto.com