This week we exlored different video tools. I ended up playing around with all of the tools in the "toolbox" but wanted to expand on Animoto, Wideo, and Pixiclip. I didn't want to spend too much time on the applications because not all schools have access to devices for applications and I wanted something more universally accessible!
Animoto (http://animoto.com/) is a tool I actually played around with in one of the first library courses I took. I decided to give it another go, because I couldn't really remember much about it, other than I know I made a video. I found it to be very user friendly and didn't take me as long as I remember the first one did some time ago! I like that you are able to use both pictures and video and that the program takes a lot of the guesswork out of arrangement. There are lots of different themes and songs available for use, plus you can upload your own, which makes the possibilities endless and unique! I decided to make a video chronicaling my weight loss journey (in 30 seconds, which is difficult), since it's something I've been focusing on greatly in the last four months. I have attached it below. In a library setting, I think this will be very useful for book trailers to get kids reading the literature we bring in, and to use in library orientation to make learning procedures and processes in a more entertaining way!
Another tool I looked at was Wideo (http://wideo.co/). This one drew my attention because of the cute, little animated characters. I didn't like that you had to sign up to even play with the program, but nonetheless it had a lot of interesting templates to use and useful tutorials on how to get started. I think Wideo would be a great tool for students to introduce different topics and features to other students. It can also be used to make presentations for character studies in a book club or class.
Finally, the last tool I really liked was PixiClip (http://www.pixiclip.com/beta/). I think interactive whiteboards are a really good way to get students to interact with each other and other students, and PixiClip was able to combine doodling along with recordings and video. I thought this would really increase the variety of ideas that could be completed with this website. I have a touch-screen computer, so writing was a lot easier (until I had to dot my i's haha). I'm sure it would be a great application to use on a touch-screen device in technology-rich schools.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Library Sites
I was really excited for this week's "homework!" I have had multiple websites over the years and am eagerly awaiting creating my own! I am starting as a librarian this fall and I know the other librarian I will be working with has already started ours, but I'm sure I'll have lots of things to add after looking through others' sites! I decided to perform a Google search for "school library weebly sites middle school" since I wanted to see how middle school librarians, specifically, set up their sites, since that's where I'll be! I am sticking with Weebly since it seems very user friendly and I loved how customizable it seemed to be, looking at ones others had created. Many of the ones I browsed had features I thought were great to include and pleasing to the eye, but two stood out for multiple reasons.
1. Wellesley Middle School Library (http://wmslib1.weebly.com/) had a great site set up for teachers, students, parents, and community members. There were multiple tabs along the top that dropped down when you hovered over them to preview what they contained. The colors weren't distracting and the information stood out with the use of headings, subheadings, colorful images, and columned sections that weren't overdone. It was very organized and easy to find what you were looking for by just moving your mouse around. It really helped me to see how easily accessible all of the linked sites were.
2. Nevada Middle School Library (http://nevadamslibrary.weebly.com/) really stood out to me at first, because of its organization using columns. It reminded me of our slidedoc/infographic assignment, because it had a lot of the same features - three columns, selective colors and fonts, and simple images that didn't distract from the text. I liked that this website had the drop-down menus like the first one I mentioned, though it was less developed.
Through looking at others' sites, I found lots of interesting ways to organize information and some of the things I'd love to include in my own site! It was helpful not only looking at the sites made via Weebly, but I got some ideas of programs and features I could have displayed on our own library page! Can't wait to try my own! But obviously, again something I noticed on others' sites, it will always be a work in progress!
1. Wellesley Middle School Library (http://wmslib1.weebly.com/) had a great site set up for teachers, students, parents, and community members. There were multiple tabs along the top that dropped down when you hovered over them to preview what they contained. The colors weren't distracting and the information stood out with the use of headings, subheadings, colorful images, and columned sections that weren't overdone. It was very organized and easy to find what you were looking for by just moving your mouse around. It really helped me to see how easily accessible all of the linked sites were.
2. Nevada Middle School Library (http://nevadamslibrary.weebly.com/) really stood out to me at first, because of its organization using columns. It reminded me of our slidedoc/infographic assignment, because it had a lot of the same features - three columns, selective colors and fonts, and simple images that didn't distract from the text. I liked that this website had the drop-down menus like the first one I mentioned, though it was less developed.
Through looking at others' sites, I found lots of interesting ways to organize information and some of the things I'd love to include in my own site! It was helpful not only looking at the sites made via Weebly, but I got some ideas of programs and features I could have displayed on our own library page! Can't wait to try my own! But obviously, again something I noticed on others' sites, it will always be a work in progress!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Podcasts
I decided to visit Google Educast, part of the EdReach Network, because the school I am joining as a librarian this fall has partnered with Google Apps. I wanted to see if there were some podcasts that regarded using the Apps in the classroom and good ways to learn about what was available!
I watched/listened to the podcast "Teach Ideas, Not Apps" - http://edreach.us/2012/04/13/google-educast-043-teach-ideas-not-apps/. They had the YouTube link with the video of them doing the podcast on the same page.
I liked that this episode included a list of some Google Apps for Education resources to help in classroom use. Though it will take some time to learn about using Google Docs, Google Plus, Google Hangouts, and even Project Glass, I think this network will really help me to obtain the knowledge I need to acclimate myself over to using Google products educationally.
Citation:
Delventhal, Fred. (2012, April 13). Teach Ideas, Not Apps [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from
http://edreach.us.
Audio Tools
While exploring the different audio tools this week, my wheels were definitely turning for uses in the library. Today was my last day as a classroom teacher (bittersweet!) and I have to transition myself to thinking differently!
I couldn't get Vocaroo to load my microphone for some reason, but I really liked the simplicity of it. It was ready to record right when you visited the site. Students wouldn't need as much instruction for that since it's pretty straight-forward.
AudioPal is what I tried next and I really liked all of the options. You could record your message using your microphone, calling in, or using the text-to-speech technology. I liked that you could even upload mp3's as well and it was very easy to embed it on this blog. Free is always good, too! ^_^
Voki I learned about awhile ago and I think it is so neat to be able to use avatars to do the talking for you! It really helps those students especially that don't like public speaking. It's an interesting and creative way to present information and is very interactive. I like that there are so many choices for avatars but I do find it a little creepy that the avatar follows your every move haha. This one had the most customization available, which could be good or bad depending on time allotment. Kids might take more time creating the avatar for the product they have to create than on the product itself.
In regards to the other audio tools, I really like VoiceThread. I was actually just introduced to this recently in my Foundations class for my Masters in Library Science. We use it in our research discussions and for the professor(s) to give their lectures and get our comments. I like that you can type your response, as well as call in or record a message, and even add doodles as you comment. It's a very interactive tool that gets everyone talking and keeps discourse going. In a library setting, I think it would be interesting to use that for a library orientation activity!
Finally, I've listened to Pandora for years, but didn't really think about educational value until just recently! One of the project options I gave my students for their final novel project was to come up with a playlist for the important events and characters in a book they were reading. Many authors publish their own "soundtracks" for novels, including Stephenie Meyer when she was writing the Twilight series. I think it would be a great idea for a book club to share their ideas and maybe play the playlist during the next meeting or library lesson.
I couldn't get Vocaroo to load my microphone for some reason, but I really liked the simplicity of it. It was ready to record right when you visited the site. Students wouldn't need as much instruction for that since it's pretty straight-forward.
AudioPal is what I tried next and I really liked all of the options. You could record your message using your microphone, calling in, or using the text-to-speech technology. I liked that you could even upload mp3's as well and it was very easy to embed it on this blog. Free is always good, too! ^_^
Voki I learned about awhile ago and I think it is so neat to be able to use avatars to do the talking for you! It really helps those students especially that don't like public speaking. It's an interesting and creative way to present information and is very interactive. I like that there are so many choices for avatars but I do find it a little creepy that the avatar follows your every move haha. This one had the most customization available, which could be good or bad depending on time allotment. Kids might take more time creating the avatar for the product they have to create than on the product itself.
In regards to the other audio tools, I really like VoiceThread. I was actually just introduced to this recently in my Foundations class for my Masters in Library Science. We use it in our research discussions and for the professor(s) to give their lectures and get our comments. I like that you can type your response, as well as call in or record a message, and even add doodles as you comment. It's a very interactive tool that gets everyone talking and keeps discourse going. In a library setting, I think it would be interesting to use that for a library orientation activity!
Finally, I've listened to Pandora for years, but didn't really think about educational value until just recently! One of the project options I gave my students for their final novel project was to come up with a playlist for the important events and characters in a book they were reading. Many authors publish their own "soundtracks" for novels, including Stephenie Meyer when she was writing the Twilight series. I think it would be a great idea for a book club to share their ideas and maybe play the playlist during the next meeting or library lesson.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
My first experience making an infographic!
Though I have been studying library science since last spring, when I was offered a position for this fall I had to do some soul searching to decide if I was completely ready for this change so soon. In light of this, I decided to make an infographic comparing school librarians to middle school teachers.
I chose Piktochart and decided on a premade template to help with the process. I found it difficult to find a color scheme that worked since I couldn't figure out how to change the color of the banner. Finding the way to change the icons for the charts was simpler than I expected and I liked how many options I could change for free. I could definitely see the benefit of going "pro" since it offered a lot more.
Something else I found difficult was the information I was going to include. I have a personal list of pros and cons for my specific jobs that I was comparing, but I wanted something legitimate to include as data. I visited the Occupational Outlook Handbook and used the information that was listed there in various ways. When using these with students I will have to make sure to remind them to cite any information they get from outside sources, including pictures beyond what the program offers.
All in all, I really enjoyed the experience! I love infographics and have seen them a lot in use in our Scholastic textbooks that we adopted two years ago. They are very colorful, normally organized ways to present information to our students and I think they enjoy them just as much. I look forward to playing around with this tool and using it in whatever capacity necessary!
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