Final Reflection

Wow!  What a journey this has been!  Who would have thought at the beginning of the semester that we would end up in a global pandemic scrambling to figure out how to educate children from home.  Some of the tools I used this semester were extremely useful and others not so much.  There were some that I would have liked to have used with kids but did not get the opportunity.

Working with other students is always where I learn the most. I know that it isn’t technically part of the coursework, but it is so powerful.  I treasure the friendships I’ve made during the course and how much I’ve learned from working with them.

There are many apps that I never thought that I would utilize to the extent that I have this semester.  Zoom anyone???  I have totally fallen in love with Screencastify.  I use it daily to record lessons with me in the corner and to explain how to log into apps to students and parents.  When I am back in a more traditional school setting, I see myself continuing to utilize Screencastify.  I like that students can watch it over and over again.  Screencastify has a direct benefit to students.

The bog feed readers were the most difficult for me.  I know that they are useful and that I will utilize them in the future, but right now they overwhelm me.  It is too much information for me to digest.  Again, I’m sure that if I used them more often I could see more value in them.  I’m not a big blog follower to begin with so that doesn’t help.

Facebook was another tool that I feel has had its time.  I reviewed several library pages and even follow a couple.  The amount of views in comparison to the amount of time it takes to curate them doesn’t make it worth it in my opinion.  We have over 80,000 kids in our district and I haven’t seen a post from our district library site that has even 100 likes.

Twitter is something that I’d shied away from in the past due to the negativity.  Through this course I dipped my toes back in Twitter and was amazed with everything I found.  Yes, there is negativity, but on the whole, there is so much great information.  I love following authors and my local bookstore.  I have connected with tons of resources through librarians who are active on Twitter.  I am so glad to rediscover this app.

On the whole, I feel like I’ve learned so much in the class.  I’ve put things into my practice that I don’t think that I would have otherwise.  I learned a lot of practical things that I’m excited to show students in person and reach out to my students, teachers, and community and share this knowledge.

The video was created using Toontastic.  It is a fabulous digital storytelling app.  I'm sure the kids can  make much more creative projects than I did.  They can probably move the characters and talk at the same time.  It was very easy to use and I can't wait to try it out with kids.

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning is a framework to improve teaching so that learning is accessible to all students. Teachers provide multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression.

There is a great graphic at www.cast.org.
Some of the information is new to me and some of it I am already using.  I already provide options for comprehension and activate or supply background knowledge.  Our district started using the 5 E model several years ago.  It is ingrained in my brain to start a lesson by engaging students and relating learning to a touchstone for them.  Checking for comprehension and providing options for comprehension have also been part of my teaching for so long they are second nature.  Transitioning this knowledge to library lessons is not intimidating to me but habit.
Right now, I could provide options for expression & communication by using multiple media for communication to my practice.  I feel like I too often give students one way to show what they know and it would behoove them to have choices.  Through Learning at Home due to the pandemic, I am much more aware of different electronic media that can be used to communicate with students.  Students have expressed themselves in many different ways throughout the year.  The next step for me would be the choice aspect.
Provide options for Executive Functions is an area that looks great but I would definitely need help to implement.  The enhance capacity for monitoring progress part is something I would need to research more and sit with for a bit to think of how it would work in the library.

I found an article that relates directly to libraries and UDL that I would like to spend some time with in the future https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10691316.2012.652549?scroll=top&needAccess=true.

Ying Zhong (2012) Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Library Instruction, College & Undergraduate Libraries, 19:1, 33-45, DOI: 10.1080/10691316.2012.652549

This interesting video goes into some of the brain science behind UDL.

I would like to learn more about how to take my students toward being expert learners. There are tons of resources on the Cast website. Right now, I'm at the point in my journey where I don't know enough to know what to ask. There is an overwhelming amount of information available. i think that this is a very important topic that you would have to approach in little bites.

Podcasts

Podcasts are becoming a greater part of education today. The benefits are numerous. Students are able to create content which their peers relate to and listen to information they receive over and over again. Students who miss class due to an absence can access the same information that was presented in class. Students can listen to lectures while they complete other tasks. Many student's favorite part of the day is listening to read alouds. When you create podcasts, students can listen to your voice whenever they wish.

This article about Podcasting in Education gives you even more information about ways to use podcasts with kids.

Podcasts can also be used by librarians to provide information to teachers and other librarians. I worked with two of my grad school classmates to create a podcast about Copyright and Fair Use.

My teamie Amanda took the information we gathered and wrote a script. I recorded the script in Garage Band. Adriana created a great sound track which we added to the voice recording.

I first site I used to post the podcast was Sound Cloud. I was able to log in through my google account and get started right away. The interface was easy to use and it took me less than five minutes to post and copy the code to embed here. I was even able to create a cover in Canva to post with my podcast. I tiny little detail, I had trouble uploading my profile picture. I know, it seems silly to even mention it but it was annoying. Probably more user error than the program.

Next, I tried Buzzsprout. It was easy to use, too. You were not able to sign in with your Google account but the security seemed to be tighter. They rejected my first password! It was simple to upload the podcast and to change the image and my profile image. Copying the code to embed the podcast was more difficult than with Sound Cloud. I wasn't able to get it to work. Blogger didn't recognize the code. I liked that you got to choose your season and episode number. I would probably go with Sound Cloud because of the ease in embedding it but I liked the season and episode feature of Buzzsprout.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1020826/3404938-copyright-and-fair-use.mp3?blob_id=12383035&download=true


I tried Podbean. It was really easy. I forgot that I already had an account and I don't remember how hard it was to sign up. I was able to use my google account which made logging in easy peasy. It's free like Sound Cloud and Buzzsprout. It dropped it into the blog with no trouble at all. It provides stats that are easy to see. Somehow I'm following myself! Podbean would be my first choice of podcast hosting sites. The ease of navigation and simplicity of using it make it my first choice. I liked the way the site looked.

One of my very favorite educational podcasts is Good Night Rebel Girls. They say it best, "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: The Podcast is a fairy tale podcast about the extraordinary women who inspire us."  There is a great episode about Julia Child read by Ruth Reichl.

Tumble is a science podcast for kids.  It's kind of like Radio Lab for kids.  The hosts, Lindsay and Marshall, bring scientists on the show to answer questions and share mysteries.

The Past and the Curious is a podcast about history as told by the people who lived it.  These are true stories of inspiration, humor, and incredible achievements.  All kinds of people share their stories in this all ages podcast.

Cartoons and Comics

The comic above was created using Pixton.  Coming up with an idea was way harder than using the site.  Students could easily use it because the features are clear and intuitive.  You click on the background tab to add a background and character tab to add characters, etc.  There are big plus symbols to add information.  My students would have no problems using it.  The frustration came in when I wanted to add a library background and they were all part of a subscription.  Boo!  The free choices were very limited hence the dinosaurs.  My students would not like that they could see thirty choices but could only choose from two.   There were no characters with assistive mobility devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, or walkers.  The site was insistent that I set up a classroom before I could save my comic.  I was able to set up an empty classroom, ironic huh?, which got me around the question of whether or not my district has a data sharing agreement with the site.  Again, setting up the classroom was super easy but I would have rather explored the site first.  They want students to create an avatar that looks like them but some of my students would not be represented as they use assistive mobility devices.  Downloading my comic as a jpeg was quick and easy.

The next comic/pun that I created was with Comic Life.  Comic Life provides a 30 day free trial and it costs $30 days if you choose to purchase it.  The license is single use so not what you would want for the classroom.  The school license is $1,750 and there is a subscription option for Chromebooks. Many, many moons ago our district purchased Comic Life and it was my first introduction to kids creating comics.  The good things about the program remain the same.  You do have to download the program as opposed to web-based.  The interface is not as intuitive as Pixton.  I like the full page of panels options so that kids can create more than just a strip.  There were tons of options really.  I did not like that it asked for permission to access my photos and files.  It would have been just as easy for me to upload what I needed.  It felt a little creepy giving over that much control of my data.  I think that kids would enjoy using it and would be able to create project right away.  It was easy to export my work as a photo though it might take a little practice for young children.

Make Beliefs Comix was somewhat easy to use.  Really it was just a little clunky.  There is a bar that you use to scroll through the elements and you have to click on a cell to modify it.  I realized that while I was trying to add a text box to my first cell, I actually added five to my last cell.  Not a big deal but somewhat frustrating.  I like that there were prompts and starters for kids who might need some help with beginning.  It is really free and you can download your comic without signing into anything at all.  The character choices were limited.  Most were not kids and there was only one person who was in a wheelchair and no people with walkers or other mobility devices. 

There are endless uses for comics in the classroom.  Students could create a non-fiction comic presenting information from their research or a biography.  They could create a comic that is a book talk about a book that they have read.  They could create comics that help other students with social situations that they have learned about in SEL.  I would love one of my kids to create a comic about blurting!  They could create comics that are procedural texts explaining the steps in an activity.  Students love that they can convey their ideas without having to use a ton of text.  I think that they are a great resource to utilize in the classroom or library.
For even more ideas, check out http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Educators/ .

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

I checked out some library YouTube channels.  Most of these were geared toward high school students but there were a few things that I think would apply to my elementary kids.
Students would like this video best-
Normal Public Schools created a video to celebrate Freedom to Read by reading excerpts from frequently challenged books.  I think that kids would love seeing their teachers read challenged books and would use it as a jumping off point to create their own videos.



This video would be the most helpful to students-
I think that the introduction to the library page would be the most helpful to students.  They would be able to watch it any time they have questions about accessing library resources from home.



This video would be the most helpful to students-
Having a mobile library in the cafeteria is a brilliant idea!  The Unquiet Library posted a video of theirs in action.  It's a great way to reach students and make the library more accessible.



Students would like this video best-
My students would love seeing their work featured on the school YouTube page.  It would be an interesting page for them.  They would like the art connection to research.



This video from the Pikesville High School library would be the most helpful to students because I'm not sure that they know all of the functions of a high school library.



Students would like this video best-
The would love the concept of bringing a reality show to the classroom.



This video would be the most helpful to students-
This tutorial from BBMSMedia would be the most helpful to students so that they would understand how to site a website using NoodleTools.

Students would like this video best-
Students would really enjoy this parody about overdue books.  It would encourage them to return their books.


Videos can be a powerful tool for the library.  They can teach students new skills like how to access the catalog from home.  Videos can promote events and activities in the library such as author visits or Harry Potter Book Night.

QR Codes in the library-

My class adored our last read aloud which was The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris.  Even better is it the first book in the series which now has four books.  Many times of children and families are represented in this feel good book.  They loved it so much that I've created a book trailer for it using Animoto.  The site is free and easy to use.   When you upgrade to a paid account, they remove the watermarks.

From the publisher:

From beloved award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris comes the magical first book in a new series with plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B. B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on.
After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded kids. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series.
(Psst. Hey, you! Yes, you! Congratulations on reading this far. As a reward, I'll let you in on a little secret. This book isn't just a book. It's a treasure trove of secrets and ciphers and codes and even stage tricks. Keep your ears peeled and you'll discover more than just a story - you'll find magic.)

You can view the book trailer by scanning the QR code.

QR codes are handy in the library.  You can use them for scan-venger hunts, links to book trailers, quizzes, links to eBooks, and so much more.  The possibilities are endless.  Check out this website for more ideas.
https://www.eduscapes.com/sessions/qrcodes/

Screencasting

Screencasting is one of those things that should be super easy but I've built up to being something tricky in my mind.  Maybe because the sound of my voice is weird to me???
The teachers on campus asked me if I would help them learn how to create assignments in SeeSaw.  A screencast seemed to be a perfect platform.  They could go back and watch it whenever they needed a refresher.  The first screencast app that I tried is Screencastify.  It is a Chrome extension and was user friendly.  https://www.screencastify.com/ User error- I should have chosen the whole screen option rather than the tab option because I referenced a word doc in the video that I didn't realize wouldn't show up until a reviewed the video.  Also, I should have turned off messenger because I received a couple of texts during the screencast.  While you can't see the texts you can hear the ding.
These are my personal learning curve things rather than a problem with the software.  I liked that it was easy to choose the format in which you shared the video.  I uploaded the video to my Youtube channel and sent the link to the teachers.  Then I embedded the link here.  I also exported the file as a mp4 for another project.  The file very handily showed up in my google drive, too. A negative is that there is a five minute limit for screencasts with the free account.  I hit five minutes really quickly.



The other app that I tried was Screencastomatic https://screencast-o-matic.com/.  The interface seem clunkier to me.  There is a box that surrounds what you are recording rather that choosing to use a tab or whole screen.  Recording the video was easy peasy.  There were nice popups describing features that turned out to be only available with the subscription like video editing.  I chose the option to upload to my Youtube channel.  The process was simple but I had a huge heart attack when my Screencastomatic dashboard popped up and there was nothing in it.  Nothing!  Nada!  When I checked my Youtube channel the video was there waiting for me.  I can do most of the features I would need through Youtube like get embedded code to add the video here.  Still it was unnerving.  I'm sure that there was a setting that I missed or something where the video would be saved to my dashboard rather than only Youtube.  A plus is that there is a 15 minute time limit on the free videos rather than five.  Even with the increased time Screencastomatic would not be my first choice.




All in all, I think that if I were regularly screencasting that paying for a subscription would probably be the best way to go.  Screencastomatic is much cheaper that Screencastify.  Screencastomatic's deluxe addition is about $20 a year and the premier is around $50.  Screencastify only has a $50 a year option.  I am glad that I gave this tool a try and sorry that I didn't use it earlier.

All things Infographics

I love browsing through infographics. Everything from pets per capita to early literacy rates.




Source: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/5845-infographic-most-of-world-owns-pets-dogs-are-tops




Source: https://www.governorsfoundation.org/about/early-literacy

Three webapps you can use to create infographics are easel.ly, Piktochart, and Infogram.

https://www.easel.ly
http://piktochart.com/
http://infogr.am

easel.ly is free and easy to use. You can choose templates that are visually appealing and alter them
using intuitive tools. There are graphics that you can swap out and you can create something from
scratch if you don’t like the available templates. Of course, more options are available if you upgrade
but I was able to do everything I wanted to do with the free version.

Piktochart seemed less user friendly to me. I think that it has a larger learning curve. There were tons of templates to choose from and the format reminded me a bit of Pinterest. Once you select a template, there are tools on the left that allow you to change elements of the template. It is click and go. Again, easy to use but not my cup of tea.

Infogram was what I went with to create my own infographic. I like that you can click on an element in the template and change the data to reflect your data. For example, one of the templates includes a world map. You can edit the data to show your data on a world map. You can pull data from your
google account into the infographic. What I didn’t like is that you have to upgrade to download your
infographic.

I tried my hand at creating an infographic using data from Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/25/6-facts-about-english-language-learners-in-u-s-public-schools/

Busy Charts
Infogram

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Oh, my!

Facebook

I searched Facebook for school libraries and received limited results.  I was pleased to see that our district has an AISD School Libraries page but it had limited posts and even fewer likes or comments.  The page did not seem to receive much traffic.  Several of the pages that I looked at had not been updated in many years.  My daughter’s school, Ann Richard’s School for Young Woman Leaders, has a fairly active page.  It is updated a few times a month.  There were no recent comments or likes.  The Barbara Bush Middle School page is active but there were few likes and comments on the posts.  I feel that Facebook’s time has passed as a way to promote business or library.  I can see it as a way to reach parents but there are so many other ways that seem more effective.  The advantages that I see are that it is a familiar and easy to use format.  A disadvantage that I see is that there is a minimum age requirement to sign up for an account and you cannot browse without an account.  This would limit the audience that views the page.

Twitter
Twitter seems to be a more effective way to communicate with others.  You can find me at Melissa Atterberry @melatter1210  I like that you can share information that you find in a quick easy way.  Linda Braun @lbraun2000 tweeted information about assessing social and emotional skills without using an assessment

I like that you can retweet other ideas easily.  She shares technology articles and information.  Twitter’s feed is user friendly and many users update frequently.  You can browse information without having an account.

 Gwyneth Jones @GwenthJones tweets about activities at her school, books, articles, etc.  Her tweets are helpful and interesting.  I had a hard time not going down the rabbit hole!

The ways to use Twitter in the library are endless.  You could use it to promote special events and show what is happening in the library.  You could use it to highlight new books or what students are reading.  You could share articles with students, parents, and teachers as well as other librarians.

Instagram

I am new to posting on Instagram although I’ve been enjoying it for years.  My username is melatter1210.  I can see appeal of using Instagram as a way to interact with library patrons.  You could post pictures of what you are reading or post videos of activities that you do in the library.  Teachers could post what they are reading to encourage kids to read.  This would be a great platform to share maker projects or book fair.  I’ve dipped my toes into Instagram but need to really immerse myself.  One of my concerns would be how do you limit followers and their comments?

There are so many great platforms to share information with others.  The key is finding the one or ones that you are comfortable using and will use with fidelity.  If you set up the account but never use it, people will not use it as a resource.