Wow. Over the course of this class, I have not only learned new technology, but have gained new confidence in sharing this technology with my colleagues. The different tools we used were varied in focus and difficulty and really made me move beyond my comfort zones to create.
Infographics, screencasts, and cartoons/comics were my favorite three to explore and create with. I was a beginner in all three of these areas and the time I spent making infographics, screencasts, and comics was both enjoyable and educational. I have attempted to create infographics for classes previously, but after making and learning more about them in this class, I hope to have my students create them this year as proposals for their British History research paper. Instead of writing a proposal (BORING), I will have them create an infographic of basic information about their person, place, or event as a springboard for their project.
I don't think any of the applications were truly challenging for me, but some were less engaging. Because of the capabilities we already have with Google Apps and Classroom, Animoto didn't interest me. My students created book trailers using only Google Slides and timing their slides perfectly and including Creative Commons music and images last year, so Animoto doesn't really have an advantage.
But, regardless of what I loved and what my opinions are on technology in the classroom, the teachers' wants and the students' needs are the most important elements in technology integration. Teachers must truly understand what technology integration means to their teaching pedagogy in regards to student-centered learning and technology as a pathway to differentiated success. Spending an immense amount of time learning new technology is not feasible for anyone. Therefore, the right tech at the right time needs to be focused on to truly be successful.
Cheers to technology in the classroom!
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Technology: Necessity or Not?
On my campus, I am known for my ability to learn new technology and incorporate it into class, as well as help others on campus learn. With that said, I ride the fence when it comes to whether technology is actually needed to teach content or not.
As an employee in a small, rural district, money is always an issue. Technology is incredibly expensive, especially when a district lacks the infrastructure to support the new technology. Training is never given; teachers are just thrown Chromebooks and iPads and told to use them. This never works. That new, expensive technology turns into paperweights or truly lacks integration into the curriculum. But, on the flip side, as a teacher who has transitioned from a paper and book class to a fully online class through the use of Google Classroom and Google Apps for education, I know that technology CAN be used to support and deliver the curriculum. Is it a necessity? Yes and no. Kozma (1994) said that "certain media “'possess particular characteristics that make them both more and less suitable for the accomplishment of certain kinds of learning tasks.'” Students use technology every day, but they don't truly know how to use it to LEARN. That is our job as educators to teach them ethical and proper use of technology to be a good consumer of this resource. We also know that every student learns differently and that technology could be the difference between mastery and failure. But do teachers HAVE to use technology to teach the beauty of Shakespeare or how DNA replicates? Absolutely not. Technology is a choice, but it is a choice that should be made based on what is best for the students and their future, which for almost everyone, involves technology.
As a librarian, my role is to support the classroom objectives and district curriculum. My knowledge and expertise when it comes to technology have to be used to create lessons and activities that enhance and advance students' learning in all classrooms. Collaboration between the librarian and teachers on campus creates an educational relationship that brings together both content knowledge and technology/resource knowledge to create the perfect learning environment for all students.
Technology excites students, especially those that are familiar with it. It takes a bland assignment and injects it with new possibilities. While working with the World History teacher, I saw students embrace research through the simple use of a web quest. Students traditionally learned in this class via lecture or group activities. Both of these styles of teaching were difficult for some students in the class. When they were given the guidance of the questions and sites, as well as the freedom to explore and learn, their engagement and retention were increased.
Librarians need to support a district's vision of technology by first understanding the goals of the district, and then sitting down to collaborate with the teachers on their campus to realize that vision. Collaboration is key to the successful use of the librarian, their resources, and technology. Librarians must stay up-to-date on the new technology coming onto their campus and spend time learning to use it and how to incorporate it into the curriculum already established to ensure the learning of material by all students.
But all of this collaboration and technology glitter doesn't happen when there isn't money. Money is the number one roadblock to technology integration on campuses. Every aspect of it is expensive. In addition to needing the money, teachers must be trained. Technology, as I've said before, becomes a paperweight when teachers aren't trained. With the right purchases and the right training, technology can change education for the better.
Kozma, R. B. (1994). The influence of media on learning: the debate continues. School Library Media
Quarterly, 22 (4). Retrieved July 25, 2017, from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/edchoice/SLMQ_InfluenceofMediaonLearning_InfoPower.pdf
Friday, July 21, 2017
Podcasts in the Classroom
Podcasts have been around for years now. They are a great luxury to people on the go or people who just like to multitask. They are sort of like a blog, but are only audio instead of text.
When it comes to their function in the classroom, the list is endless. Students could create podcasts to tell their original stories, inform or persuade a particular audience, or even share their knowledge on a particular topic and teach it to the class via podcast. The instructional focus of using podcasts is really training and teaching students how to communicate effectively while speaking.
Teachers can create podcasts in a flipped classroom format to teach concepts, or even just to keep parents and students updated on what is going on in the classroom.
I'm going to review 3 different podcasting options for you to try out in your classroom.
1. Soundcloud
Podcasts (audio recordings) can be done on just about anything, but organizing sharing them is not always easy. Soundcloud allows you create a stream and then post your tracks in a single place. You can then easily share your page with anyone and they can listen to all your tracks. There is an option to either record directly on the site or upload a recording. It is super user-friendly and fast. Below is an elevator speech I recorded on Soundcloud for my LSSL 5337 class using Soundcloud.
2. Podbean
I attempted to use Podbean long ago, but preferred Soundcloud over it. According to the Podbean website, it is "an easy and powerful way to start podcasting. Everything you need. No technology to learn." Podbean is specifically for podcasting, meaning you can change the layout of the page to lure people to listen to your recordings and you can also view statistics on how many people have listened to which postings. In the basic version, you cannot record directly on the site. This is what pushed me away from it. You have to record in a program and then upload it to Podbean.
3. Audioboom
First off, Audioboom is NOT free. This deterred me from using it. As teachers, we must find quality tools that are low cost or don't cost a thing. They offer a free 30 day trial and like Podbean, this is a high-quality podcast hosting site. Full customization is possible to get the most listeners possible. But, unless you are going to dedicate an extensive amount of time podcasting at school, this isn't worth the fancy bells and whistles.
________________________________________________________________________________
Before I close this post, I wanted to discuss a way I have used podcasting in the classroom. For the past 2 years, my seniors have written "This I Believe" essays inspired by the radio show on NPR. This year, to enhance the experience and to get kids working on their speaking skills, I had them record their essays for extra credit. Most did not do this because they were very shy about sharing their very personal stories. One of my AP students recorded his very moving essay and I wanted to share it with you all as an example of how podcasting could be used to enhance writing assignments and to share students amazing work. I uploaded his recording to Soundcloud, and with his permission, share it with you below. Enjoy the adventure of podcasting!
When it comes to their function in the classroom, the list is endless. Students could create podcasts to tell their original stories, inform or persuade a particular audience, or even share their knowledge on a particular topic and teach it to the class via podcast. The instructional focus of using podcasts is really training and teaching students how to communicate effectively while speaking.
Teachers can create podcasts in a flipped classroom format to teach concepts, or even just to keep parents and students updated on what is going on in the classroom.
I'm going to review 3 different podcasting options for you to try out in your classroom.
1. Soundcloud
Podcasts (audio recordings) can be done on just about anything, but organizing sharing them is not always easy. Soundcloud allows you create a stream and then post your tracks in a single place. You can then easily share your page with anyone and they can listen to all your tracks. There is an option to either record directly on the site or upload a recording. It is super user-friendly and fast. Below is an elevator speech I recorded on Soundcloud for my LSSL 5337 class using Soundcloud.
2. Podbean
I attempted to use Podbean long ago, but preferred Soundcloud over it. According to the Podbean website, it is "an easy and powerful way to start podcasting. Everything you need. No technology to learn." Podbean is specifically for podcasting, meaning you can change the layout of the page to lure people to listen to your recordings and you can also view statistics on how many people have listened to which postings. In the basic version, you cannot record directly on the site. This is what pushed me away from it. You have to record in a program and then upload it to Podbean.
3. Audioboom
First off, Audioboom is NOT free. This deterred me from using it. As teachers, we must find quality tools that are low cost or don't cost a thing. They offer a free 30 day trial and like Podbean, this is a high-quality podcast hosting site. Full customization is possible to get the most listeners possible. But, unless you are going to dedicate an extensive amount of time podcasting at school, this isn't worth the fancy bells and whistles.
________________________________________________________________________________
Before I close this post, I wanted to discuss a way I have used podcasting in the classroom. For the past 2 years, my seniors have written "This I Believe" essays inspired by the radio show on NPR. This year, to enhance the experience and to get kids working on their speaking skills, I had them record their essays for extra credit. Most did not do this because they were very shy about sharing their very personal stories. One of my AP students recorded his very moving essay and I wanted to share it with you all as an example of how podcasting could be used to enhance writing assignments and to share students amazing work. I uploaded his recording to Soundcloud, and with his permission, share it with you below. Enjoy the adventure of podcasting!
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Cartoons and Comics in the Classroom
Graphic novels have become more and more popular in classrooms these days thanks to great librarians and teachers realizing the learning potential of them. Today, I'm going to show you a few websites that would allow both you and your students the opportunity to create cartoons and comics that would appeal to a wide range of learners, just like graphic novels do.
1. Toondoo
I was a little concerned at firs that this site would be too childish and geared more towards younger students, but looks can be deceiving! I will tell you this first: I have a medium speed wifi connection and a fast computer, but it took quite a bit of time to open the toon creator. It kept stopping and telling me a script was causing Java to load slowly. I knew immediately that this would be a problem for the Chromebooks and slow connections on our campus. I'm hoping it was a fluke, but be prepared when using this website with a slower connection. Students get frustrated easily when things take forever.
Ok. Back to the good stuff! Once the toon creator opened, it was very simple to begin making a toon. For advanced users or users with time, they can create their own toon avatar or just use stock images and characters. Here is a very short toon I created about my new adventure in Crossfit and the number one complaint of my friends who do it with me (I LOVE to run!).
Toondoo would be a great resource for all content areas. I can see English classes creating book synopsis or writing original toons. History classes could create toons about historical people and events. Science classes could create toons about different biological processes or environmental issues. The ideas are endless!
2. Pixton
Pixton loaded much more quickly and was very easy to navigate. The educator templates available are AMAZING places to either start from or to use for lessons and activities. When choosing characters, they are automatically put in a position that is logical to the background chosen, but can easily be changed to another position, making it very easy and quick to create a comic. Pixton had many more backgrounds to choose from and were easily searchable. Compared to Toondo, Pixton is more user-friendly and would allow for quick assessment and creation of things. Here is a quick brainstorming comic I made over the feelings created by the beach. This would be used as a prewriting technique for a poem. Pixton is very much geared towards students and educators. It can be used across the curriculum and is much more friendly to comic newbies, which many students will be.
I've got that beachy feeling brainstorming comic
3. Make Beliefs Comix
If you want a quick form of comic making, this is your best bed. Students and teachers do not have to register for this site. They simply begin building from the first page. Images and backgrounds are very basic though. So if you students want more control of the characters and backgrounds, this isn't for them. But, for a fun activity that can be completed quickly in class, such as a quick review of concepts learned or a fast KWL graphic, this is the site to use. Here is my comic created using the site that tells the story of so many new librarians.
After playing with all three of these platforms, I see the value in all of them. Teachers on campus and their students can benefit from incorporating comics into their classes in so many ways. To get teachers interested in using them, I want to share different ideas with them during department meetings to that we can brainstorm specific assignments and lessons that could be enhanced with comics. Using comics to illustrate new vocabulary, as a storyboard for their own creative writing, or using them to create their own political cartoons are all easy and engaging ways to move away from Google Slides presentations and Prezis. We all know images help students retain information much better than words alone. So, turn that subject they struggle with understanding and applying into a comic and see how it changes their learning and retention!
1. Toondoo
I was a little concerned at firs that this site would be too childish and geared more towards younger students, but looks can be deceiving! I will tell you this first: I have a medium speed wifi connection and a fast computer, but it took quite a bit of time to open the toon creator. It kept stopping and telling me a script was causing Java to load slowly. I knew immediately that this would be a problem for the Chromebooks and slow connections on our campus. I'm hoping it was a fluke, but be prepared when using this website with a slower connection. Students get frustrated easily when things take forever.
Ok. Back to the good stuff! Once the toon creator opened, it was very simple to begin making a toon. For advanced users or users with time, they can create their own toon avatar or just use stock images and characters. Here is a very short toon I created about my new adventure in Crossfit and the number one complaint of my friends who do it with me (I LOVE to run!).
Toondoo would be a great resource for all content areas. I can see English classes creating book synopsis or writing original toons. History classes could create toons about historical people and events. Science classes could create toons about different biological processes or environmental issues. The ideas are endless!
2. Pixton
Pixton loaded much more quickly and was very easy to navigate. The educator templates available are AMAZING places to either start from or to use for lessons and activities. When choosing characters, they are automatically put in a position that is logical to the background chosen, but can easily be changed to another position, making it very easy and quick to create a comic. Pixton had many more backgrounds to choose from and were easily searchable. Compared to Toondo, Pixton is more user-friendly and would allow for quick assessment and creation of things. Here is a quick brainstorming comic I made over the feelings created by the beach. This would be used as a prewriting technique for a poem. Pixton is very much geared towards students and educators. It can be used across the curriculum and is much more friendly to comic newbies, which many students will be.
I've got that beachy feeling brainstorming comic
3. Make Beliefs Comix
If you want a quick form of comic making, this is your best bed. Students and teachers do not have to register for this site. They simply begin building from the first page. Images and backgrounds are very basic though. So if you students want more control of the characters and backgrounds, this isn't for them. But, for a fun activity that can be completed quickly in class, such as a quick review of concepts learned or a fast KWL graphic, this is the site to use. Here is my comic created using the site that tells the story of so many new librarians.
After playing with all three of these platforms, I see the value in all of them. Teachers on campus and their students can benefit from incorporating comics into their classes in so many ways. To get teachers interested in using them, I want to share different ideas with them during department meetings to that we can brainstorm specific assignments and lessons that could be enhanced with comics. Using comics to illustrate new vocabulary, as a storyboard for their own creative writing, or using them to create their own political cartoons are all easy and engaging ways to move away from Google Slides presentations and Prezis. We all know images help students retain information much better than words alone. So, turn that subject they struggle with understanding and applying into a comic and see how it changes their learning and retention!
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Videos and QR Codes: Using YouTube, Animoto, and QR Codes
Students are glued to videos these days. Videos of cats getting brain freeze, videos of bad home hairstyles, and countless others.
But what if we as educators used their obsession with videos to engage students in the classroom and to TEACH? WHAT?! Teach using videos?! Novel idea, right?
Let's start with YouTube.
YouTube is a social media site that allows users to create channels and upload their videos. These videos can be created using countless applications, such as iMovie or simply the video camera on a phone. Creating a YouTube channel would allow teachers to create videos of lessons, demonstrations, etc., post them on a single channel, and then share either the individual videos or the entire channel with students. YouTube is a great resource for also finding videos to share with students. Teaching can be overwhelming if teachers have to constantly reinvent the wheel. YouTube has an enormous amount of educational videos that can enhance lessons and explain things in a different way. One of my favorites is a TedEd video about what makes a hero. I share this with my students when we begin our Beowulf unit.
Once book trailers are made (or any other video), it needs to be shared! QR codes are great ways to share information with students, especially links. Nobody wants to type in a mile long URL. And we all know students will mess it up...at least twice.
QR codes are easily created using online applications. I used QR Code Generator to make a QR code for the book trailer above.
This image can be scanned using a QR Code reader on any phone or tablet. The link to the book trailer will immediately open. This saves both time and energy trying to share links.
Some other ideas for using QR codes in the library from Barbara Zinkovich in her article "Using QR codes to Promote Your Library":
1. Orientation videos, such as how to sign in, use the library catalog, or what magazines are available.
2. Student projects - videos created by students can be quickly shared through QR codes.
3. Book talks and book trailers
4. Library information for parents, students, and teachers
Using QR Codes to Promote Your Library
YouTube, Animoto, and QR codes are all seamless ways to create and share videos for multiple purposes. Anytime people can see what is going on in libraries, it is a good thing. Advocacy is key to the success of any program, especially the library. Show off those student activities and share those great book talks! Show the world how awesomely creative and technologically savvy you are!
But what if we as educators used their obsession with videos to engage students in the classroom and to TEACH? WHAT?! Teach using videos?! Novel idea, right?
Let's start with YouTube.
YouTube is a social media site that allows users to create channels and upload their videos. These videos can be created using countless applications, such as iMovie or simply the video camera on a phone. Creating a YouTube channel would allow teachers to create videos of lessons, demonstrations, etc., post them on a single channel, and then share either the individual videos or the entire channel with students. YouTube is a great resource for also finding videos to share with students. Teaching can be overwhelming if teachers have to constantly reinvent the wheel. YouTube has an enormous amount of educational videos that can enhance lessons and explain things in a different way. One of my favorites is a TedEd video about what makes a hero. I share this with my students when we begin our Beowulf unit.
Here are a few library YouTube channels that I want to share with you, as well as review a couple great videos they have.
The first video that would be incredibly beneficial for students to use is a video titled "How to use EBSCOHost." Teaching students to use available databases in important to their research and library success. This is a video they could continually access to ensure they are using EBSCOHost to the best of their ability
Students like doing things they are told not to. It is just in their nature. NHS's Library has an awesome video where faculty reads excerpts from banned and challenged books. This video not only honors the freedom to read, but gives student great information about books that have been challenged, hopefully surprising them and encouraging them to read.
The Unquiet Library is a high school media center that has the following philosophy:
Their YouTube channel has TONS of resources. From lessons on EasyBib and using Wikimedia Commons images, to new book arrivals and student created videos.
Looking at their extensive collection, the first video that I believe would be the most helpful for students is titled "Finding and using Wikimedia Commons images." Students struggled with understanding that everything on the internet isnt't free to use. Teaching students to search and use creative commons licensed images can be a struggle and it isn't always easy to find what they want right away. This video is incredibly useful.
The second video that I believe students would enjoy is the new book arrival video. Although this video is outdate now, it shows a great format for sharing new arrivals and activities in the library.
The PHS Library Media Center focuses on posting videos of activities occurring in the library, as well as advisory videos for class registration. Two of their videos that would be both helpful and enjoyable to students are the financial aid workshop video and the Hip Hop Day video.
Seniors and their parents can be very overwhelmed when it comes to financial aid. By videoing the workshop, students and parents can review it as needed. The second video is a picture compilation of PHS's Hip Hop Day. At this Black History Month event, students learned about the history of hip hop compared hip hop to Shakespeare, and Skyped with an artist from Flocabulary.
This media center does a great job of sharing reviews of books and creating overdue book parodies! They are INCREDIBLY funny. The first video that jumped out to me that would be helpful to students is one that discusses books with strong female lead characters.
Now, onto the overdue book parodies. These students are so talented and creative. I'm really inspired to have my students create more videos after watching these middle schoolers do such a great job.
I hope this small collection of great libraries and their YouTube channels can show you the benefits of using YouTube in the library and the classroom for collaboration, instruction, and just to show off awesome things that are happening. Library promotion is key to advocacy. I hope to use videos as tutorials for students and teachers, as well as showcase awesome things that are happening in the library and on campus.
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Now, onto Animoto!
Animoto allows users to create videos using images and music, much like Google Slides or PowerPoint. But, they are much better video quality.
Book trailers are an easy an engaging way to get students interested in books in the library and Animoto is a superb tool for making them.
Here is a book trailer I created for the book All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. This novel is read by my AP class each year, so I decided a book trailer might get them more engaged.
Synopsis from Goodreads: "All the Pretty Horses tells of young John Grady Cole, the last of a long line of Texas rancehers. Across the border Mexico beckons—beautiful and desolate, rugged and cruelly civilized. With two companions, he sets off on an idyllic, sometimes comic adventure, to a place where dreams are paid for in blood."
Once book trailers are made (or any other video), it needs to be shared! QR codes are great ways to share information with students, especially links. Nobody wants to type in a mile long URL. And we all know students will mess it up...at least twice.
QR codes are easily created using online applications. I used QR Code Generator to make a QR code for the book trailer above.
Some other ideas for using QR codes in the library from Barbara Zinkovich in her article "Using QR codes to Promote Your Library":
1. Orientation videos, such as how to sign in, use the library catalog, or what magazines are available.
2. Student projects - videos created by students can be quickly shared through QR codes.
3. Book talks and book trailers
4. Library information for parents, students, and teachers
Using QR Codes to Promote Your Library
YouTube, Animoto, and QR codes are all seamless ways to create and share videos for multiple purposes. Anytime people can see what is going on in libraries, it is a good thing. Advocacy is key to the success of any program, especially the library. Show off those student activities and share those great book talks! Show the world how awesomely creative and technologically savvy you are!
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Pictures in Motion with Instagram, Flipagram, and Screen-cast-o-matic
"A picture is worth 1,000 words." This idiom speaks volumes when it comes to the students. Their Twitters, Instagrams, and other social media platforms are filled with pictures of themselves and others.
As educators, we need to harness those platforms and use them to extend and enhance the classroom. Today, I'm going to review Instagram and Flipagram as social media platforms, as well as screen-cast-o-matic as a non-social media way to create narrated videos for many purposes.
1. Screen-Cast-O-Matic
Screen-Cast-O-Matic
My first experience with screencasting was watching ones that were created by my library science professors. As a fully online student, screencasts have been invaluable to my instruction because I can hear my professors, as well as see them demonstrating concepts or websites. When it comes to the use of this program in the classroom, I immediately go to a flipped classroom. Flipped classrooms focus on students watching videos and lectures as homework and then practicing and applying the skills from the lectures in the classroom. Teachers have the possibility of screencasting a lecture over a Google Slides or PowerPoint and then sharing it with their students. I have used screen-cast-o-matic for professional development purposes. I am the leader of our Google Classroom movement on campus and have created a screencast on the basic beginnings of Google Classroom for my colleagues. This allows them to watch at their leisure and then come to me for questions or further assistance.
Here is the screencast for Google Classroom:
2. Instagram
Instagram
I LOVE Instagram. I personally use Instagram daily to share pictures of my family and daily escapades. Last semester, I created an Instagram for my campuses' library to promote new books that were rolling in. Our library has no social media presence and was having a hard time getting students into the library for casual reading. Instagram was a great way to get students and teachers quickly informed about the newest books hitting the shelves. It was started late in the semester, so there were only a hand full of posts before the library shutdown for the year. But, I can't wait to pick it back up when the 2017-2018 school year begins to keep students, faculty, and the community informed about all of the new books and activities going on in the Palacios High School Library. Instagram could be used in the classroom in many different ways. It could be used as a way for students to create a visual research project through images or even a digital bug collection for a biology class.
Below is the link to the library Instagram. I've also included the post about the new Walking Dead graphic novels that the students were super excited about.
Palacios High School Library Instagram
3. Flipagram
Flipagram
Flipagram is new for me, even though it has been around for a while now. With this site and app, users are able to create a slideshow of images, add music, or even add narration. To me this is like Google Slides or PowerPoint with pictures. This site an app could finally be a solution to the boring slide show that gets super repetitive and OLD! Picture THIS: Students are told to gather ideas for an original poem. Instead of writing lists that are literally black and white, they take pictures that inspire them and then create a Flipagram to submit as their brainstorming. That would be WAY more interactive and engaging and FUN to look at. I made a demo Flipagram using some random pictures from my summer so far. This has a lot of classroom possibility for sure.
Overall, I think students would be most receptive to using Flipagram for class assignments. Because students are sketchy about connecting through social media with their teachers, Flipagram allows them to create their videos and share them without connecting via social media. Plus, it allows them to use pictures they take, as well as pictures that are taken from the internet for projects.
For teachers, screen-cast-o-matic would be the most valuable. Professional development and lectures/demonstrations can be easily created, uploaded to Youtube, and shared for students and teachers to view anytime.
I hope these reviews and examples were helpful in your journey towards utilizing new technologies for your classroom and campus!
As educators, we need to harness those platforms and use them to extend and enhance the classroom. Today, I'm going to review Instagram and Flipagram as social media platforms, as well as screen-cast-o-matic as a non-social media way to create narrated videos for many purposes.
1. Screen-Cast-O-Matic
Screen-Cast-O-Matic
My first experience with screencasting was watching ones that were created by my library science professors. As a fully online student, screencasts have been invaluable to my instruction because I can hear my professors, as well as see them demonstrating concepts or websites. When it comes to the use of this program in the classroom, I immediately go to a flipped classroom. Flipped classrooms focus on students watching videos and lectures as homework and then practicing and applying the skills from the lectures in the classroom. Teachers have the possibility of screencasting a lecture over a Google Slides or PowerPoint and then sharing it with their students. I have used screen-cast-o-matic for professional development purposes. I am the leader of our Google Classroom movement on campus and have created a screencast on the basic beginnings of Google Classroom for my colleagues. This allows them to watch at their leisure and then come to me for questions or further assistance.
Here is the screencast for Google Classroom:
2. Instagram
I LOVE Instagram. I personally use Instagram daily to share pictures of my family and daily escapades. Last semester, I created an Instagram for my campuses' library to promote new books that were rolling in. Our library has no social media presence and was having a hard time getting students into the library for casual reading. Instagram was a great way to get students and teachers quickly informed about the newest books hitting the shelves. It was started late in the semester, so there were only a hand full of posts before the library shutdown for the year. But, I can't wait to pick it back up when the 2017-2018 school year begins to keep students, faculty, and the community informed about all of the new books and activities going on in the Palacios High School Library. Instagram could be used in the classroom in many different ways. It could be used as a way for students to create a visual research project through images or even a digital bug collection for a biology class.
Below is the link to the library Instagram. I've also included the post about the new Walking Dead graphic novels that the students were super excited about.
Palacios High School Library Instagram
3. Flipagram
Flipagram
Flipagram is new for me, even though it has been around for a while now. With this site and app, users are able to create a slideshow of images, add music, or even add narration. To me this is like Google Slides or PowerPoint with pictures. This site an app could finally be a solution to the boring slide show that gets super repetitive and OLD! Picture THIS: Students are told to gather ideas for an original poem. Instead of writing lists that are literally black and white, they take pictures that inspire them and then create a Flipagram to submit as their brainstorming. That would be WAY more interactive and engaging and FUN to look at. I made a demo Flipagram using some random pictures from my summer so far. This has a lot of classroom possibility for sure.
Overall, I think students would be most receptive to using Flipagram for class assignments. Because students are sketchy about connecting through social media with their teachers, Flipagram allows them to create their videos and share them without connecting via social media. Plus, it allows them to use pictures they take, as well as pictures that are taken from the internet for projects.
For teachers, screen-cast-o-matic would be the most valuable. Professional development and lectures/demonstrations can be easily created, uploaded to Youtube, and shared for students and teachers to view anytime.
I hope these reviews and examples were helpful in your journey towards utilizing new technologies for your classroom and campus!
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Easel.ly create Inforgraphics...Or maybe Piktochart some info...Or Infogram some data: Infographic Creators
As for any products, there are many applications to get you to your final product. Today, I'm going to go over 3 web-based applications that can be used to create Infographics.
Infographics are ways to turn mass amounts of complicated data and information into a beautiful, flowing picture of information. The graphics create flow and add to the understandability and retention of the information in the infographic. in layman's terms: Pictures and words come together to help people gain knowledge.
As librarians and teachers, we know the power of using images to teach information. Students associate the pictures with the information and their ability to retain information goes through the roof. But let's look at infographics from the other side. If students created infographics, what would be the benefit? Students would be forced to summarize, evaluate, and create a visually stimulating piece of information from pages and pages of research. That takes real skill, skills that students need to practice often to master.
So to begin, you have to figure out which web-based application you will use to create infographics. There are many available, both free and paid. I'm going to review 3 options for you and your students.
1. Infogram
Infogram is for the expert infographic creator. It allows the user to modify all areas of the infographic, making it customizable to any project or assignment requirements.
Downsides: Because of its incredible customization abilities, it is difficult to use as a novice. There aren't templates like the other infographic creators, but instead, there are basic themes (color schemes) and blank pages for you to add individual pieces of information, text, and graphics.
There, Infogram would be a great resource for a class that could allow for the time needed to teach and entire unit on infographic creation. Students could get extremely creative using this app.
2. Next up: Piktochart
Infographics are ways to turn mass amounts of complicated data and information into a beautiful, flowing picture of information. The graphics create flow and add to the understandability and retention of the information in the infographic. in layman's terms: Pictures and words come together to help people gain knowledge.
As librarians and teachers, we know the power of using images to teach information. Students associate the pictures with the information and their ability to retain information goes through the roof. But let's look at infographics from the other side. If students created infographics, what would be the benefit? Students would be forced to summarize, evaluate, and create a visually stimulating piece of information from pages and pages of research. That takes real skill, skills that students need to practice often to master.
So to begin, you have to figure out which web-based application you will use to create infographics. There are many available, both free and paid. I'm going to review 3 options for you and your students.
1. Infogram
Downsides: Because of its incredible customization abilities, it is difficult to use as a novice. There aren't templates like the other infographic creators, but instead, there are basic themes (color schemes) and blank pages for you to add individual pieces of information, text, and graphics.
There, Infogram would be a great resource for a class that could allow for the time needed to teach and entire unit on infographic creation. Students could get extremely creative using this app.
2. Next up: Piktochart
Piktochart was the first infographic maker I ever used. I was teaching an Advanced World Geography class for the first time and decided to make a very visual, map looking syllabus for this class. The result was really eye-catching and the students appreciated the change of pace from the usual "ton of words, too much information" syllabi given to them on the first day of school. Here are a few screenshots of that syllabus.
I really enjoyed making this infographic because the free template was perfect, the customization tools were easy to use, and the interface as a whole was clean and uncomplicated.
Downside: I really think the only downside to this site is that they have less free templates to choose from.
3. Finally, we have Easel.ly
Easel.ly is also an easily customizable and clean infographic maker. It reminded me of Piktochart, but had a few a more templates to choose from. Again, the templates provide ready-made text boxes and images, allowing you to modify a lot or a little, depending on the purpose of the infographic.
Verdict: I believe that Piktochart and Easel.ly would be perfect to use in any content classroom or library because they are easy to navigate and include templates to make the work easier and more simple for novice users.
Taking all of this information into consideration, I used information from the Pew Research Center (see citation in the infographic) to create the following infographic using Piktochart. Piktochart had the perfect template, the best social media icons, and the easiest platform.
Here is a direct link to the presentation mode for this infographic as well.
I hope all of this information will help transform your classrooms and libraries through the use of infographics! Please comment on your successes and failures when using infographics in the classroom and the library. We can always use more educated opinions to improve our students' success.
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