Final Reflection

To date, LSSL 5391 Digital Technology for the School Librarian has been my favorite graduate course. It was challenging, eye-opening, and often fun. I explored the future of ed tech through readings and reports, I sampled new software and platforms, and considered how technology could influence and promote student learning.
The most difficult assignment for me, was by far, the assignment that involved creating an infographic. Simply because, I do not have a knack for design. I have never been good at web design, home design, classroom design, and certainly not infographic design. Despite that, I feel incorporating  sites like Ease.ly into assignments, will help the students better organize and summarize their ideas, while illustrating the importance and persuasion of graphics to the students.
The easiest/most useful tech I learned about was Screencast-o-matic. This software takes learning to a new level for visual learners like myself. It is extremely easy to use and makes creating online how-to tutorials for both teachers and students a breeze.
The most beneficial new technology I learned about that I would have loved to have utilized in my old ELA/SS classroom, would have to be Pixton and Animoto. Pixton allows students to create web comics, and the process of creating them is extremely engaging and allows students to use their creativity to tell a story. Pixton was one of the more involved comic creating sites, and I feel it would have been perfect for my tech-savvy 8th graders.
Animoto would have been a hit in my ELA class, as a way to create book trailers that can lead to in-depth book discussions. The fact that you can upload your book trailer to YouTube makes them easily accessible from both home and the classroom.




While all of this new tech was extremely engaging and eye-opening to work with, it was the course readings that truly garnered my interest. Reading the K-12 Horizon Report about the direction educational technology is headed was mind blowing for me. It contained so much information and useful links, and really opened me up to the future of what learning will look like for students. I had not considered getting a PhD until I took this course, and was extremely inspired by what the future of the classroom and learning can look like. I look forward to progressing my education and helping usher in a new, more individualized learning experience for future learners.

Media (is) the message?

When I first read about the media debate between Richard Clark and Robert Kozma from the early 1990s, I wasn't entirely sure that I had a firm grasp on what Clark was trying to convey, and I also did not have a stance on the issue myself. 

I now feel that Clark is incorrect when he states,"..media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement." I believe that student achievement is affected simply by increasing student engagement in an activity, through the excitement of the chosen medium, even if the student's grade turns out the same had the chosen medium been different. However, Clark does have a point when he points out that you should "ask yourself if another similar set of attributes would lead to the same learning results." When teachers provide technology in the classroom to their students, they just assume that by providing a different and more interesting media for students to use, that it will increase their achievements. However, while media in the form of technology in the classroom may most certainly increase a child's engagement, it can only increase student achievement if teachers teach students how to utilize the technology effectively. According to the chief executive officer of One-to-One Institute,"There's nothing transformative about every kid having an iPad unless you're able to reach higher-order teaching and learning," Ms. Wilson said. "If schools take all this technology, and use it like a textbook, or just have teachers show PowerPoint [presentations] or use drill-and-kill software, they might as well not even have it."

If you want to truly engage your students, the media IS the message. The medium through which students can complete assignments is what can trigger their engagement. Nine times out of ten a student would rather complete a project using some form of technology than not. By modeling good digital teaching, we can effectively share with our students how to increase both their engagement AND increase their learning achievements.

So, does media influence learning? It influences engagement, but the level of learning is only influenced when the teacher properly utilizes the media. If the teacher is simply using technology in the classroom to project a Powerpoint presentation onto the board, this is simply a different way to present the same information to the class. However, if the teacher demonstrates the proper way to use the technology, and then gives the power to the students to control what they do with the technology, THEN you can increase their level of learning achievement. 

Therefore, I agree with Kozma when he concluded that "If we move from "Do media influence learning?" to "In what ways can we use the capabilities of media to influence learning for particular students, tasks, and situations?" we will both advance the development of our field and contribute to the improvement of teaching and learning."

Sources:

Deubel, P. (2007, November 08). The Great Debate: Effectiveness of Technology in Education -- THE Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2016, from https://thejournal.com/articles/2007/11/08/the-great-debate-effectiveness-of-technology-in-education.aspx

Brown, M. J. (n.d.). If Technology is the Medium and Instruction is the Method: Then Do Media Influence Learning? Retrieved July 19, 2016, from http://www.lehigh.edu/~mjbg/portfolio/pdf-pospaper.pdf

Podcasts

A podcast is a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading. You can create a podcast yourself, using online websites and software such as Soundcloud, Audioboo, Podomatic, and Audacity.

I decided to use Audacity, because it required a software download, and I wanted to have the software on my laptop permanently for future use. The software was easy enough to figure out, and after I recorded my podcast, I uploaded it to Podbean so that it would be available publicly via the internet. Audacity "is a free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing."

Podcasts can be used in the classroom in a number of ways, such as announcements, book read alouds, writing prompts, assignment instructions, how-tos, and students can even access them at home for tutorials. The key to podcasts is that you need to be prepared with a script, and always remember your audience. If your audience is young children with short attention spans, podcasts of less than a minute work best. 

I created the following podcast as an autobiography of Kay Vandergrift. Kay Vandergrift was a well-known librarian and educational leader in the field of children's and young adult literature. She was one of the first major US librarians to utilize the internet and share its importance.  

http://s58.podbean.com/pb/c9630bf14fecdaa234ba393e49bc7e55/57893ad3/data1/blogs60/792940/uploads/Kay_Vandergrift_podcast.mp3

Cartoons and Comics

For the more creative students, creating comic strips online for an assignment can be fun. Heck, once my daughter learned about these websites, she started making comics just for fun, since she already likes to draw them.

The first site I tried out was Toondoo. Out of the three free comic creating cites I tried, this one was in the middle when it came to customization. The site had more options than Makebeliefscomics, but less than Pixton. This site seems a bit heavy on the clip art, but you do have more options when trying to create a story than Makebeliefscomics.

Click on the comic to make it larger:

                                                 
The second comic site I tried out was Pixton. Pixton has soooo many built in options, and was easily my favorite online comic creator. The characters are HIGHLY customizable! The only problems I had with Pixton was a steady learning curve that meant a few of my slides were reverted back to the beginning when I tried to proceed forward, terrible lag, and I could not create my original idea because in order to upload photos into the comic, I had to be a paying member. I did love creating and naming my own characters, and at some point I'd like to create a Pixton that is history related because I'm a history nerd.

                                               

The last free comic website I tried out was Makebeliefscomix.com. Users can only select pre-approved backgrounds and characters, which are limited. This site would be best for younger kids, to give them practice creating scenarios before they move to more advanced comic creators. The site allows for little customization, but is also the easiest to use.

Click on the comic to make it larger:

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

The many uses of YouTube in the classroom have exploded in the last few years. YouTube provides informational videos, student and teacher created projects, and short clips that can provide hooks into daily lessons, leaving the kids wanting to know more. Here are a few YouTube videos I have highlighted from various school libraries:



The NHS Library 
-Most helpful: Getting Started with the NHS Library Website  this video would be most helpful to students that are looking for the library webpage, and need to know how to log in and find what they are looking for. 
-Appealing to students: Tiger Visits the Norman High Library: this video would be appealing to the students because it shows their school mascot visiting their library and showing off what the library has to offer. It also has appearances from students. 

The Unquiet Library
-Most helpful: Mini Lesson for Ms. Salas and Students: Creative Common Images helps students find copyright friendly multimedia that they can use in their projects. 
-Appealing to students: Make Your Mother Proud because it's hilarious and shows the students how they can check out a Kindle from the library. 

Pikesville High School Library
-Most helpful: 2014-15 Course Advisement while this video is sort of slow, the information is critical for students that are looking into what credits they need for graduation. 
-Appealing: AVID Pimp My Binder 2012 you can tell the students had fun making this video, and it addresses a common problem of students: the inability to be organized. A group of students help another student organize her binder. Obviously the students liked this video the most, as it has over 5,000 views. 

BBMS Media
-Most helpful: Noodle Tools - Creating a Website Citation : this video teaches a critical skill that the students will be able to use for the rest of their lives -- creating citations for websites for a works cited page. 
-Appealing: Bring Them Back Overdue Library Book Parody : Ok, this video has almost 77 THOUSAND views, and for good reason. It is a parody of the song, Let It Go from Frozen, but it is trying to convince students to turn in their overdue library books. This video made me laugh out loud, and students will love it! It also features excellent music and vocals!

I can't wait to create screencasts for my library to show students how to access the library website, and all of the important info on it. Incorporating the students into the videos makes them more engaging, and the students have a fun time making them and learning new video making skills while doing so. 

I decided to give Animoto a try for the first time to create a book trailer for one of my favorite YA horror novels, Scowler, by Daniel Kraus. Here is a synoposis of the novel from Amazon:

Imagine your father is a monster. Would that mean there are monsters inside you, too?Nineteen-year-old Ry Burke, his mother, and little sister eke out a living on their dying family farm. Ry wishes for anything to distract him from the grim memories of his father’s physical and emotional abuse. Then a meteorite falls from the sky, bringing with it not only a fragment from another world but also the arrival of a ruthless man intent on destroying the entire family. Soon Ry is forced to defend himself by resurrecting a trio of imaginary childhood protectors: kindly Mr. Furrington, wise Jesus, and the bloodthirsty Scowler.

To view my book trailer for Scowler, scan the QR Code below!

QR codes are a machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone. QR codes can connect people to coupons, websites, YouTube videos, photos, invites, etc. To use a QR code, you will need to upload a QR reader onto your smart phone, open the app, and scan the code. Your phone will then take you to the information. 

QR codes can come in very handy in the library and classroom. Students can use their own technology, scan the QR codes, and can be linked to book trailers and audio books. I've even heard of librarians creating scavenger hunts in the library using QR codes to get students familiar with where everything is. 

Using Instagram, Vine, and Screencasts in the Classroom

Technology has become a pivotal part of almost every student's life. In order to keep our students engaged in the classroom, and promote their 21st century learning skills, we as teacher librarians need to stay up to date on the latest technology, and incorporate it into the classroom. Utilizing social media, video sharing, and photo sharing platforms in the classroom are great ways to accomplish this.

Below, are a few platforms that I would like to highlight:

Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing, and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, and share them either publicly or privately on the app, as well as through a variety of other social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Flickr.

Here is an example of a photo I took of my son using Instagram. I added text to the photo using Textgram.

A photo posted by Kitty Jacklitsch (@bookdrunklibrarian) on Jul 3, 2016 at 3:13pm PDT

Students can use Instagram in the classroom by taking pictures with their phones and posting to an account just for their class. An example is a unit I used to teach in 6th grade Science. We used to take the kids outside and have them pick out living vs. nonliving things. Now, I can have my students take photos of their examples in groups, and have them post them on our class Instagram page for credit.

Vine is a short-form video sharing service where users can share six-second-long looping video clips. The service was founded in June 2012, and American microblogging website Twitter acquired it in October 2012, just before its official launch.

Here is a video using Vine that I created of my daughter. I posted it to Vine and Twitter.

Happy 4th of July! https://t.co/a8WmmZCROR

— Kathryn Jacklitsch (@kjacklitsch) July 3, 2016

A way students can use Vine in the classroom is by creating short 6 second videos that illustrate the steps of a science experiment or to create how-to videos concerning classroom science safety, how to wash/put away science instruments, etc. 

Screencast-o-matic is a screen capture software that can be used to create video from your screen (i.e. short lectures or course tours). It was super easy and fun to use, and I was able to upload my finished product to YouTube.

I decided to use Screencast-o-matic to create a screencast explaining the website FlipQuiz. Students and teachers alike can create game-show style boards with FlipQuiz. You can keep your students engaged with this game style learning tool. 

FlipQuiz screencast by Screen-o-matic

Jing is a screencasting computer program launched in 2007 as Jing Project by the TechSmith Corporation. The software takes a picture or video of the user's computer screen and uploads it to the Web, FTP, computer or clipboard. Jing wasn't quite as easy to use as Screencast-o-matic, but is basically the same type of software. 

I used Jing to create a screencast to explain the website Hstry. Hstry is a free website that allows teachers and students to create interactive timelines.

Hstry screencast by Jing

Infographics!

This week I made the exciting foray into INFOGRAPHICS. After nearly an entire abysmal day spent on Easel.ly, in which I lost all of my work, I decided to try again today using Infogr.am.

After all, being able to create infographics will come in extremely handy when presenting library statistical information to both the users and administration. Plus, infographics look awesome and I'd like to become better at creating them.

I watched a few YouTube tutorials concerning different infographic-creating websites before deciding to give Easel.ly a try. I found the interface somewhat difficult, and importing charts/graphs I made on other websites transferred over and looked very clunky. After spending several hours on an infographic concerning opinions of the EU, I somehow managed to lose most of my work, including a slice of pie in my pie chart. Frustrated, angry, and out of time, I cursed Easel.ly.

Having contemplated my failed first attempt at creating an infographic on Easel.ly, I decided to give the site, Infogr.am a try. I'd like to become competent in creating at least basic infographics, and despite the fact that I have no talent at design in real life or on the web, I was determined to at least complete this assignment.

Infogr.am was much easier for me to navigate, and seemed intuitive when I attempted to create charts and graphs using the data I found in a PEW Research Center article. I chose an article that discussed European views of the EU and Brexit (this info is from before Brexit was actually voted on in the UK referendum).

My completed infographic is extremely basic, but I really started to get the jist of the site. It would have been nice to have different font options, and text centering options, but I have a feeling those are the type of options available if you pay for an upgraded account. All in all, I enjoyed using Infogr.am, and look forward to practicing my infographic-creating skills on the site.