Infographic

Easelly - I feel like this would be easy to use as well but I thought it didn't offer as much variety than some of the other competitors. They did not have a video showing what they offer on their homepage and to view anything, you had to register. It looks like it would have a final product but I felt the one I chose was more user friendly. 

Piktochart - I chose Piktochart to use because I loved the simplicity of it. For someone who had never made an infographic before, this was very easy to set up an account and use the tools to create something eye-catching. It was very user friendly and made creating a final product very easy. I also loved how they had a short video showing what they had to offer.

Infogram - This was one I thought was great but maybe better used for larger groups or projects. It looked to have a great final product and has many customizable options along the side. I feel like it's broken down well on the sides but might be overwhelming with all the choices.

As schools close due to the coronavirus, some U.S. students face a digital ‘homework gap’

This was an amazing article that really speaks to an unprecedented time in our lives. With all that's up in the air at the moment, it truly is a moment in time of uncertainty. Before this outbreak, I have been a participant in many discussions about homework and it's value to a student's educational life, but what happens when homework is the only choice? Many of our students do not have access to either the internet or a computer. I love how this article breaks down the specific groups of people who are affected and how that may impact learning in the future.

Instagram, Facebook "Pages," and Twitter

Alright, here it is y'all; confession time... I am an Instagram newbie! I know, I know. Ironically, my mother has been the one who has been pushing me to start an Instagram account. (You don't have to feel embarrassed for me. I'm embarrassed enough for both of us!) I can now say, with a little confidence, I am well on my way to being an Instagram star! Not really, haha, but I am more comfortable linking all the accounts and highlighting all the amazing things I am doing within the school day. 

I was confused at first on what the purpose of having multiple platforms were used for. I had a Twitter account for school and a personal Facebook account but didn't see the need for more platforms. I was putting my posts out there in the universe in some form or another so surely that should be sufficient. After numerous discussions with friends, they have shown me other people may feel more comfortable using a platform different from my preferred method. It may sound a little selfish, but I honestly hadn't thought about it from someone else's viewpoint before. With this in mind, I jumped in with both feet. I still have a lot to learn about filters, angles and the like, but I do like the idea of reaching more people to show them how the library can benefit the school, the students and the community. 

Instagram - Follow me by searching @rseslibrary 

or click the link ---------> https://www.instagram.com/rseslibrary/

As I stated, I am new to Instagram. I found it to be incredibly user-friendly. I downloaded an app separate from Instagram so I could add text to pictures before I upload them called Texty for Android. (It's limited in its use but also user-friendly). I am still learning how it all works but I am having a blast learning as I go. 

I like that Instagram is very straight to the point. You don't have to spend a long time typing "just the right thing" for someone to stop and read it. It is very much letting the picture speak the 1,000 words for you. One thing I had trouble with was what a "story" was. A story is basically a tell-all about you before they get to scrolling your page. I view it as the highlights of whatever message you want to get across. 

I would recommend Instagram for anyone who is interested in getting messages or points of view across to a wide audience.  I will say, this seems to be much more efficient if your target audience is the younger generation. I do not find a lot of older generations using this app, but it is not unheard of.

Students could use this as a way to tell sequencing through the story mode, a narrative using pictures, or even finding real-world 3D shapes that correspond to their learning. The uses are unlimited!

Facebook "Pages" -  Follow me by searching Amanda Flournoy (Mrs Flo)

or click the link ---------> https://www.facebook.com/amanda.flournoy.7946

Facebook is the entity that I am most familiar with. I started my own Facebook account back in my early college days. I honestly didn't think to follow other schools or check out professional pages, to be honest. I use Facebook for personal use and never thought about using it to reach a target audience. This was more my escape from the day-to-day grind. I follow self-published authors, neighborhood groups and other pages of topics that interest me. After creating a Facebook account for my school, I find Facebook to be great both personally and professionally. A lot of parents in my district use Facebook and this is another way I can reach them and show them the amazing things happening in the library. Facebook is beneficial for those whose audience is involved in Facebook. I see more of a parent connection rather than a student one with this platform.

Some library pages I found highlighted students' work, student activities and showcased the many options offered by the library. One, in particular, I found amazing was Duncanville High School Library where they show off a tremendous amount of photos celebrating what the students are doing at their school. I had the privilege of listening to these wonderful ladies speak at TCEA 2020 and they keep very busy. They house a very lively library....literally! 

Twitter - Follow me by searching @rseslibrary 

or click the link ---------> https://twitter.com/RSESlibrary

Now, this is my comfort zone! I have been a fan of twitter going on for about 2 years. I was hesitant at first but my previous district was all about branding. Twitter provided a great way to just that. Parents were able to follow and see what was happening inside the classroom. When I made the transition to a new district and to the library, I brought Twitter with me. My new Sueprindentent is a fan of Twitter but I haven't had much parent involvement just yet. I do reach the administration and central office which I find beneficial. It's nice that they see what goes on inside the library. 

I love Facebook for personal use but have found that I don't get as distracted using Twitter for school or professional use.  I like to scroll through the feed and see what I want to explore further rather than be bombarded with memes and silly videos (as those are my weakness). I have several district employees I follow, as well as, those I meet and network with. Among those are also professional institutions and big names in the field. A few of those I follow are listed below with some of their passions. 

Kathy Schrock - @kathyschrock

Kathy seems like a wonderful lady who just wants to share her knowledge with the world! Almost every recent post has her sharing presentations or information that would benefit any librarian. I particularly loved the one where she shared her blog where she reflected on the year with all the new technology and how it could be utilized in the coming year. Her tweet on sketchnoting was beneficial to me as I've heard the term but haven't explored it myself. This provided me with an opportunity to dig deeper into a tool that could benefit my students and staff. 

Linda Braun - @lbraun2000

Linda seems to me that she is passionate about inclusivity for all; races, gender, ages, etc. A few of her posts are articles reflecting on how young black girls are "adultified" or how boys need a strong connection to help them learn. 

She also seems very down to earth and likely to strike up a conversation with people. Many of her posts pose a question and invite feedback from the community. She also posts a lot of helpful articles about the library and resources librarians can use to better their libraries which impacts countless students for the better.

Alan November - @globalearner

Alan seems like a very positive guy! He looks to celebrate what's going right in the teaching world. He even goes so far as to highlight why laughter is important. He can also be a bit humorous when technology breaks down and we have to rely on a good old fashioned book to help prop a projector. 

Many of his posts have comments between the reader and himself. He seems very active and willing to interact with his audience. 

The Daring Librarian - @GwynethJones

I follow her blog and am just as excited to follow her Twitter. She is living in the trenches (like most of us) and is sharing all the amazing things happening at her school in her library. I have lived in China myself so I loved seeing her Chinese dragon soaring through the library. She also takes the time to retweet positive posts from others such as sharing a promotion for reading diverse books written by people of color. 

Jim Lerman - @jimlerman

Jim seems to be a no-frills kinda guy. All his posts are one picture with a short sentence explaining what it will be about. There is then a link to take you to his Scoop.it page where you see the full article or intended text. I had a hard time getting the links to open at first. I find it a bit confusing since it reminds me of a Padlet where there are many boxes next to each other. The bright side is by clicking each Twitter post, it does take you to the corresponding box which you can then click on for the article. 

Many of his posts seem to be on the changing school environment and how, we as people, are shifting. He points out the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, improving communication between you and home, and much, much more. 

Blogs and Blog Readers

Do you find yourself being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information on the internet? Do you cringe anytime someone says "have you heard" or "did you see what happened" because you have no idea what they are talking about? Then look no further! Feed Readers are here to save the day! 

I have always had a bit of resistance to new apps or technology because I am a visual learner. I have never been one to pick something up and just know how to use it. I was not looking forward to learning something new; just one more thing for me to check daily. I thought it would be frustrating and confusing for me. Boy was I wrong! 

I choose to use Feedly because "its clean and simple interface is a great solution for both casual readers who just want to see all of their websites in one place and power users who want to take advantage of every feature RSS apps have to offer" (Volvovski, 2019). I liked this one because it had an app I could use on my android phone and it looked sleek without a lot of fuss. Facebook used to be my go-to to get new information but I found myself getting caught up watching videos or scrolling through meme after meme. I wanted something I could use to just get the information I wanted without being bombarded by other stuff. Feedly allows me to build feeds specific to the information I want. I can customize feeds to house everything in one or have different feeds for different information. For example, if I want just current local news, global news and weather, I can add that to a feed. On another feed, I may have book reviews, book trailers, and authors.

Some of the blogs I wanted to follow are listed here. I chose these for various reasons but followed each pertaining to the library in some way. 

School Library Journal: This is a must for any future or current librarian. It has articles relating to tips and tricks yo can use to rules and regulations that pertain to a wide array of subjects. SLJ is a staple for anyone interested in the library as it has all the award-winning books, roundtable information and much, much more. This would be a great feed to follow to keep up with current trends and new, innovative ideas for your library. 

Letters to a Young Librarian: I chose to follow this feed, even though it is not currently active anymore because I thought there were some really powerful articles in there that would benefit new-to-the-profession librarians. It can be hard to find someone to relate to when you first start out. Most of us were teachers before and are used to a team environment, so it's a unique feeling going to just you. Some of the articles featured deal with the emotional side of things as well as offering advice on situational topics. 

Teaching in the Elementary Library: This appealed to me because it has lesson plans which every new librarian will be lacking. You should never just copy someone else's lesson plan, but it is nice to have inspiration and get ideas from someone who has been in the library for a while. Most will have other schools in their district to bounce ideas off of, but I was always scared of asking too many questions. This blog gives you the freedom to look around and gain some fresh ideas. She also has some really interesting ideas on how to do basic tasks in the library from learning everyone's names to showing how every day might not be the greatest, but it's still worth it. 

The Daring Librarian: This is a blog for anyone and everyone who has a want or passion to include more technology into their lessons. Her reviews and tips on how to integrate them are beyond priceless. It's hard to stay on top of every new and exciting thing out there but she manages to keep it fun, interesting and engaging. It's not an information overload and gets straight to the point. 

Makerspace Library: One area in which I want to grow is housing makerspace in my library. I wanted to gain insights and get new ideas on how to better do this. This blog has some really interesting ways to incorporate more makerspace in the library as well as why it's vital. I feel the need to validate having a makerspace sometimes and this is a great resource to show the benefits of having one. 

Sources Cited:

Volvovski, V. (2019, June 4). The 10 Best Free RSS Reader Apps in 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2020, from https://zapier.com/blog/best-rss-feed-reader-apps/

Amulet 2 - 8 - Kazu Kibuishi

Format: Graphic Novel

Summary:

Emily and Navin are rushing to save the realm from the evil King. Emily has trouble harnessing the power of the amulet. Through friends she meets along the way, they help her see and understand what she must do to stop the King, the voice and the amulet from taking over her.

Mrs. Flo's Thoughts:

This was an amazing series! I am impatiently awaiting reading the 9th and final installment of the Amulet series. This has so much to offer and it's by far one of the greatest graphic novels I have read thus far!

Amulet (book 1) - Kazu Kibuishi

Kibuishi, K. (2009). Amulet. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Format: Graphic Novel

Summary:

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot---and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves. (Goodreads)

Mrs. Flo's Thoughts:

I usually do not read graphic novels but I thought this one was really well done! It has epic world-building and the illustrations add much-needed context for fantasy creatures. One area I disagree with is the word "demon". I think it's more creature-based, but who am I to judge the synopsis?

Em and Navin are racing to through an unfamiliar world to save their loved one but they encounter something far worse than creatures. I cannot wait to read book 2 to see what happens next!

Makerspace in the Library

We Are the Ship; The Story of Negro League Baseball - Kadir Nelson

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship the story of Negro league baseball. New York: Jump at the sun.

ISBN 9780786808328

PLOT SUMMARY

Using an “Everyman” character, this is the story of how the Negro League paved the way for the desegregation of the Major Leagues. We are given a brief window into the lives of men and women of the early 1900’s to show the hardships they faced, not just in their daily lives but in their career choices as well.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Colored. Segregation. Racism. These are themes we think of when you hear the words like “bus” or “water fountain” or “schools”. Admittedly, this is not something I would have ever associated with the sports world. When you hear about the great baseball players, Jackie Robinson undoubtedly is mentioned in conversation. But, what we forget to ask ourselves is, how did he get there? This is a story of all the men before him that paved the way for the Major League world to become accepting to any player no matter the color. No longer did they have to lie about the race of a player to say “wow, he is good!”

The oil painting illustrations show a depth that brings to life the emotions of the time. We see bleak acceptance hidden in the eyes, we see the hard work with little reward hidden in the flat smiles of the players, and we see the unfiltered joy of players on the mound to an accepting crowd. Each painting is distinguished in a way that shows the myriad of players that made up the collective of the Negro League. Even though the text is lengthy, it is written in a way that readers want to continue on in the journey and the illustrations connect directly with the wording.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Along with being absolutely riveted by the art, readers will come away with a good picture of the Negro Leaguers’ distinctive style of play, as well as an idea of how their excellence challenged the racial attitudes of both their sport and their times.” – Kirkus Reviews May 20th, 2010

“As illuminating as the text is, Nelson’s muscular paintings serve as the true draw.” – Publishers Weekly January 2008

CONNECTIONS 

*For older grades - Imagine if your teacher said boys would automatically get A’s, even if they don’t do the assignment, while girls could only reach a B maximum. How would that make you feel? What steps could you take to change the teachers mind?

*For younger grades – Have the students walk in and the ones wearing the color black get to sit in the desks while everyone else is told to sit on the floor.