I cannot believe this semester is already at an end. When I first saw the title of this course, I honestly thought it was going to be a waste (sorry!). Mostly because, while I know there is always something to learn, I thought I had a pretty good handle on technology. Wow was I in the dark! I have learned so many things this semester that truly have left a lasting impression on me. I have made a mental note of the programs I've really enjoyed and look forward to creating some amazing things myself and teaching others about them in the future.
What did I enjoy the most?
Feed Readers - Feedly
I have never been a big reader outside of school professionally speaking. I get overwhelmed and don't know what to read or where to look. Feedly has been a great tool in narrowing my scope and allowing me to control what I see and when I see it. I have taken to scrolling through and catching up on library-related articles before bed. I love that I was able to search out what was meaningful to me and house it in a one-stop-shop app. I can browse on my computer or use the app on my phone. It's been a great convenience to me and I would highly recommend anyone wanting to continue their learning journey in ANY content area to check this out.
Infographics - Piktochart
Ironically enough, during my hours at the HS this year, the librarian asked me to make her some graphics that would appeal to students. I tried my hardest and did not know about any infographic websites at the time. They came out okay but did not look professional. After this assignment, I was in awe of how easy and simple it is to use! I loved the ease in which I could create my own graphics to display certain information I wanted to get out there. This is a great way to create and showcase information from your library in a professional manner.
Cartoons and Comics
Cartoons and Comic creators are an amazing alternative to writing papers. I would love to be able to show these programs to my teachers and see if they can incorporate a more interesting way to show students have learned a subject matter.
For library use, it's a quick way to reteach concepts or show step-by-step how to's on procedures and such. It's a great visual aide for those who do not know the procedure or are new to the school. It also is eye-catching and appeals to a lot of staff as well.
What did I find the most difficult?
Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
I've labeled this as difficult because of the maintenance required. There is so much time and effort spent into these apps that I find it tiresome to always be thinking "How can I post this? Where should I post this?" You also have to remember to take photographic evidence to show your audience or it loses some of its visual appeal.
I have been using Facebook for a number of years for personal use. For me, I like to keep it this way because my school has its own Facebook page and I find that parents want to keep things simple. Since we already have a means and connections to reach the parents, I have chosen to post through that site to minimize the places parents have to look for information. If your school does not have one, I would recommend setting one up for your library.
Twitter is something I use for work only. It's a great way to highlight the amazing things going on in my library. I also love to see what professionals and other librarians that I follow are up to. There can be some really great ideas on there that spark my creativity. I love most is kept in smaller increments which makes scrolling fast and easy.
Instagram was a new one for me. I must confess I do not find that I like it that much, however, I do see the benefits of owning an account and posting to it. This is just one platform that doesn't appeal to me personally but I know it does to a large population. Take stock of your community to see if this platform would be beneficial to your library.
Podcasts
I labeled this one as difficult as well because you have to find channels you like and then remember to listen to them! If you are driving, you also need to remember to set it up before you start your journey. I also use my drive home to decompress from the day so I don't want to use it to learn more things. I also have two very young children at home which makes it nearly impossible to listen to anything while doing housework.
However, podcasts are a great way to take an ordinary task and turn it into a learning experience. We all have to drive places, wash dishes, do laundry, and other boring chores and this is a wonderful way to get some learning in while doing it! There are channels and podcasts out there on just about any subject matter so it's an excellent way to learn something new at your pace.
What would be the most beneficial to students?
Screencasts - Screencastify
This has literally been a lifesaver! With the world changing on us in the blink of an eye, screencasting has been the go-to for many professionals. It's a great way to teach a lesson and have the students watch it at their convenience or to record and post to Google Classroom.
It's also a great way to create refreshers for teachers on certain protocols or ways to access information digitally. I personally used it to show all the amazing things on my website and how to access certain information without them having to directly ask. It's a spot on our Google Drive that allows them to choose which video to watch at their leisure.
YouTube, Animoto and QR codes
YouTube is still an iffy subject for me only because I know how to use it as a consumer but not so much as the creator. It is one of my personal learning goals to learn to utilize it in a way to enhance my library.
I loved Animoto because it's something I want to do as projects for my students. I would love for them to create their own trailers to books they love and be able to share their work. We can loop it in the cafeteria, in the front office, or on the screen in the library.
A way we would incorporate QR codes would be to either post them in the library around the room for students to watch or to paste them into the covers of the books and allow students to watch a visual rather than reading the synopsis.
Final reflection
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14BMHlpc604MZ60xW5W2f7LT7XW1htXTx/view?usp=sharing
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