Reflections On This Class

Well, I did a bit of reflecting in one of the previous posts below, but let me take a moment and really think about where I was and where I am now since I've taken this course LIBS 602.  Let me just admit something right now and get it out in the open:  technology intimidates me sometimes!  Yep, there ya' go I admit it.  I have always been afraid of trying new technology things because usually when I do I either get flustered with it and confused OR I download something that puts some sort of junk on my computer that I can't get off!  So at the beginning of this course, I was very nervous when I heard about some of the things we were going to be doing and there were honestly some nights when I would work on stuff and get so upset that I'd be a bundle of nerves and tears, but after taking a break from it and getting myself together, I would go back and labor through it and give myself "pep talks" saying things like "You can do this Susan, just try!"  Sometimes I would get through a project, feel REALLY good about it and then I'd start looking at everyone else's work and feel like mine was pitiful and very basic.  LOL!  But you know what?  I was learning and growing and facing some major technology fears here people, so YES, I had something to be proud of too!  And thank goodness there were some really great friends in this cohort that would answer my questions and help me out because we have one amazing group of people who take the time to support and cheer each other along!  And, like I said in my post below, this experience has not only opened my eyes to some amazing technology tools, but it has taught me to have greater empathy for my students who struggle in MY class.  Now I can realize how they feel and I can be their cheerleader like my friends in this group have been there for me (along with my amazing professor, Dr. Kimmel!).  It really makes a difference to have others helping you along when you feel frustrated and you're trying so hard to learn!  And look at where I am now!  I can blog, make presentations, posters, flyers, etc. and it feels pretty darn good to know that I am progressing and actually LEARNING some technology!

Lucy Librarian

Here's a picture I just found on my camera from the Makerspace activity we did at ODU a few weeks ago.  We were given 2 bulbs, 2 D batteries, and aluminum foil.  We then had to use recycled stuff to create something that would use electricity and then make hook up the electrical circuit with a switch.  My amazingly creative and FUN group decided to make an Operation Game around the theme of Libraryland so we constructed "Lucy Librarian!"  OMG we laughed so hard while making this thing and even got a "shock" when we made a short circuit that gave us a little jolt!  LOL!  In the end, we had a really fun experience with makerspaces that showed us first-hand how great these little learning experiences can be in our libraries (and classrooms).  I loved it!

Future Librarian??????

I was working on posting my last entry and Piper jumped up here beside me. I snapped a quick pic and got my presentation in the background. Looks like Piper wants to be a future librarian! LOL!

Conference Presentation

This week we had to go back and review all of the technology tools we have played around with this semester (there were a LOT) and pick four that we could present at a conference. I picked Blogger, PixieClip, BigHugeLabs, and Canva. I really enjoyed learning about these technology tools that I can use with my students this year! I am not as "tech savvy" as some of my colleagues so it takes me a little longer to get the hang of things. This semester has definitely been a challenge for me because sometimes I get frustrated with technology things that I don't understand at first, especially when others are just flying along getting it and making super cool things and I'm sitting in my livingroom in tears because I just don't get it. I've had to learn to kind of play with something and then take a break from it and come back later to try again. I think a LOT of the time I just put too much pressure on myself to get understand things immediately and then I get easily frustrated with myself when I don't. So, this semester I've had to have more patience with myself! I have most definitely learned a LOT about these tools and the many others that we have tried out and played around with. For example, I had NO earthly idea what a QR code was and now I not only know what they are, but I've made a few of my own! How cool is THAT????? I didn't even know that you could create a Power Point presentation and upload it to SlideShare so that you can share the URL! I think this class has also taught me to have more empathy for my students who struggle in MY classes and to realize how they feel when I'm teaching something and they don't get it as easily as their classmates. Lesson learned!!! Overall, I've really enjoyed this class and I feel so much better about myself because I've grown so much, learned a lot, and realized that I can be creative when using technology. I feel like I have some new skills in my toolkit that I can use in Math and Science to give my students another outlet for showing what THEY know! So..........with all of that said, here is the URL to my PowerPoint presentation featuring my "Cool Tools To Make Your Heart Skip A Beat:" http://www.slideshare.net/susanpappleton/cool-tools-to-make-your-heart-skp

Cool Tools To Make Your Heart Skip A Beat new and edited from Susan Appleton

Staying Current

One of our other assignments was to look at some blogs of librarians who stay current and updated on the latest technology and library movements.  After looking over a number of them, the one that really stood out to me and spoke to my heart as a future librarian was Shannon McClintock Miller's blog called "The Library Voice" because as I was reading her blog she had one entry where she had helped a young girl start her own blog so she could share her own creative "voice" and have an outlet for things that she wanted to express.  I think a lot of our students have this need because they feel like no one listens to them or values their opinion.  I thought about how I could work blogging into my classroom this year and also later when I become a librarian.  She also had a post about makerspaces and was encouraging other librarians/teachers to share how they have set up makerspaces in their libraries/classrooms.  This is something that I have become VERY interested in through my coursework.  I like the way Ms. Miller has a blog where she shares ideas and also encourages others to comment and share too.  It is a very "common learning" space for all to feel welcome in expressing and sharing ideas.  I really enjoyed it!

www.figment.com

Here is my third choice of favorites from the 2014 AASL's Top Websites.  I fell in LOVE with this website because I absolutely LOVE Writing!!!!!  I have kept a journal since I was in 5th-grade (I'm on journal #16 now!) so when I opened up this website and discovered that this one gives students a chance to publish their writings, I was mesmerized.  Students can go in and look up topics that are being written about and join the list of published authors as they create their own original work.  How EXCITING that is to have  a forum to share your writing with others!  This website also has contests and the one that I looked at for July gives them a prompt and they are to create something using 750 words or less.  Such a creative outlet for the students in the classroom who truly enjoy the art of creative writing and are looking for an authentic way to put their work out there for others to read.  I read five published works ABOUT journal writing and really enjoyed them!  I love this website!!!!!!
www.figment.com

www.canva.com

Here is another website that I played around with from the 2014 AASL Best Websites.  It is called Canva and you can EASILY design posters, flyers, etc. and add either your own pictures or pictures that they have (most of them cost $1.00 each).  I had a ball designing a poster for our school's Open House.  We are the Gibson Bulldogs so I used a bulldog picture that we have in stock and uploaded it and then chose free text features to type the information about the date and the time.  I chose the template of a cell phone since I know how much our students LOVE cell phones.  I did all of this in about 10 minutes, so it's VERY simple and fun to use!  Students would LOVE to use this to create posters and other graphics for concepts and skills they are learning in the classroom.  Here's my creation:

www.canva.com

www.recitethis.com

This week, one of my assignments is to check out three of the 2014 AASL Best Websites and report on them.  The first one I decided that I really liked is Recite This.  You can create a picture that features a quote and then use the quote on your websites or publications.  I created this poster with a quote from Walt Disney about dreams:

This was a VERY quick and easy process and I could see using it in the classroom for students to not only make inspirational posters/pictures of their favorite quotes, but they could also make them to showcase key quotes from characters in different novels or to make posters that gave quick one sentence summaries of books they read or concepts they learned in class.  This was fun!

www.recitethis.com

Augmented Reality (Aurasma)

One of my assignments this week was to read about augmented reality and how to use a free app named Aurasma. Wow, this class is really expanding my mind and teaching me a lot of new technology-based things. The most helpful reading I did was on this website: http://www.kleinspiration.com/2013/05/using-augmented-reality-via-aurasma-in.html It really broke it all down in easy to understand examples and explained words such as aura, trigger images, overlays, aurasma and augmented reality. It's all pretty neat and in really really simple terms it's basically where you have a picture (called your trigger image) that you apply another "level" to so that when people use the app, Aurasma, to focus on your image, an aura pops up and lets them see an overlay which is the thing that you applied to that trigger image. For example, if you had a picture of a book about the Titanic and then they used Aurasma to look at that picture, you could have an overlay of a video about the Titanic that would pop up to enhance the book picture. You could also use it in the classroom. For example, in my Science class I could have a picture of a volcano and then an overlay that has a short video of an exploding volcano. Or in a History class, I could have a picture of John F. Kennedy and then an overlay that comes up with the assassination of JFK. Imagine our textbooks having these types of experiences for the students? Wouldn't that just be so interactive and exciting for them? It's amazing what technology comes up with. I really enjoy playing around with this new stuff even though I do struggle with it sometimes!

QR Codes

WOW, I never DREAMED I'd be sitting here learning about QR codes and practicing making them! I think it was just a few months ago that asked my husband what they were while we were out shopping and I saw one. He tried explaining it to me, but it just kind of "went over my head" and I moved on. This week, our assignments include reading about them and learning how we could use them in education and specifically in the library. We also had to create one. So, here's one that I created on QR reader and it actually speaks to you. I did learn that you have to have a cell phone with a camera and you just download a QR reader (there are TONS of them). Having the reader will allow you to open your phone, line up a QR image and click (or it scans it immediately depending on which app you have). Then, you will be lead to an URL where you can see or hear or experience whatever the creator of the QR wanted you to. If you use my QR you will hear messages about our school library (oh and we are the Gibson Bulldogs). Pretty cool to learn something new! As far as how I could use this in the classroom or library. Well, for books, you can have students scan the QR and it take them to websites that book trailers or reviews. You could record your own QR's that have answers to problems or activities that you assigned students and they can use those to check their own answers. Here's the QR codes I created:

Wideo Animation

I used wideo to make a short animation clip.  It was pretty easy to use, but getting the speed and transitions was a bit challenging.  I'd like to slow it down a little more, but I liked the music and colors on the slides.  I could see using this again to showcase new books in the library or to advertise events such as the book fair or Book Club meetings.  There's just a lot of uses for fun, colorful animated videos! 

www.pixiclip.com/beta/

Oh boy am I excited about THIS little gem!  As a Math teacher, this is what I've been looking for!  This site allows me to record myself giving directions while also writing out Math problems and working them step by step for my students to have access to when they need the extra help!  I did a sample one about adding decimals and just CHEERED when it actually worked!  YAY!  Check it out!  I am so excited about this and I can't wait to share with my teacher friends!  You could use this to review ANYTHING!  Students could even access it at home when their parents need some assistance too.......it's like taking your teacher with you home!  I can't wait to do some more of these!

www.powtoon.com

Here's another little gadget that I have been beating my head against the wall to get to work! Thank GOD I have technical support (AKA as my hubby) that after 3 days of trying to get this to work, I conceded and turned to for some help. So, this is a little program that lets you make animated presentations. Here's a quick one I put together to announce Open House for my 5th-graders.

www.animoto.com

Just made a little 30 second video as part of my class this week.  I used the website animoto.com and used pictures I had of Bekah when we brought her home (and the first year we had her with us).  It was pretty easy to use this website and I could see my students using it to make presentations in class, or to share photos/information they find about different topics.  You can even choose music to go with it or upload your own music!

Bekah Through The Years

Library Websites

This week, one of our assignments is to take a look at websites created by other school librarians and to start planning what we want to include on our own website that we will create.  I have decided to use weebly.com to make my website, but I found it VERY interesting to see what others have created.  One of the websites I looked at was for an elementary school in Hawaii.  It was http://halekulalibrary.weebly.com/ and I loved looking at it because it was simple to use and the librarian had posted a lot of things that the students were doing in the library.  She also had things they could do and I particularly liked one activity where they could go to a blog and write suggestions for a new library that is going to be constructed at their school.  I thought it was very neat how she wanted student input!  The website design was very easy to use, not too cluttered, and really reflected what the students in the library are doing.
Another website I found was http://lowelibrary.weebly.com/ and I liked this one because it was also very organized, easy to maneuver around in, and had enough on it to make it appealing to the eye without being cluttered and confusing.  These are some of things I need to keep in mind when I create my website.  Some of the other websites I checked out were just too colorful and had too much on the page which made me feel a bit overwhelmed trying to get around on the website. 

Altering photos

I used www.tuxpi.com to take a picture I had of Bekah and add a mosaic frame around it and text.  I could see students doing this with photos they take or pictures they find of various topics they are studying.  You can also do other effects with photos like making them look old or hand-drawn.  Fun applications to use!

Trading Card

This is a trading card I created telling about our dog, Piper.  This was also created on www.bighugelabs.com which is a website I never knew about until now.  I could see using this type of application with students who could make cards about people they were studying in history or science classes.  They could also make cards about vocabulary words across the subject areas or even cards about different books they have read! The possibilities are endless!  And it's FUN and EASY to do!

www.bighugelabs.com

Here's a picture I took of Bekah and then used it to make a magazine cover by using www.bighugelabs.com It was really easy and fun.  I could see using this tool with my students and having them report on different Science or Math topics.  What a fun way for them to show what they know about a topic!

Infographic I Created About Author: Kate Dicamillo

A Podcast On Math Stretches By Laney Sammons

As a 5th-Grade Math teacher, I enjoyed listening to this podcast of Laney Sammons (author of Guided Math).  She described Math Stretches as being another version of a math warmup where you have all students beginning math class by completing an activity where each student will have input and then you discuss their input in "math huddle."  For example, you could have a question on the board that says, "draw a polygon" and then you could give each child a post-it note.  They each write their own response and add it to the board and then at the end you go through and talk about the responses and what makes a shape a polygon.  This was a great podcast for me to have found!

http://www.shelleducation.com/podcasts/Math_Stretches_Podcast_Final.mp3

Using Audio on Blogs

As you can see on the right-hand side of my blog posting, I have an audio recorded message.  I made this by using www.vocaroo.com and it was really really easy.  And for me.......that is the key.  If it easy to use, then I am all for it!  I love learning new little technology tricks but if things get to complicated, then I get easily frustrated and lose interest!  LOL
I can see how this feature would really stimulate interest in a classroom blog.  Students could go to the classroom blog to hear homework assignments or directions for upcoming projects.  The teacher could even record some quick review questions that students could go to, click on, and feel connected to their teacher outside of the classroom!  If you are using a blog that students can post to, then they could recite poetry or share book recommendations with the audio recordings.  The possibilities are unlimited because it is easy, fun, and really makes the blog come to life!

Everyone Enjoys A Good Book!

Photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/aye_shamus/2929888687/">aye_shamus</a> / <a href="http://www.foter.com/">Foter</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)</a>

I loved this picture!  I know that sometimes when I am reading to Bekah, I'll look up and see our dog, Piper, or our cat Tabby, laying there listening to us read.  LOL!

Welcome To LibraryLand!

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I used Imagechef.com to create this libraryland graphic.  There are lots of graphics that you can manipulate and change the words to show what you need for them to say.  This was one that I found appropriate for this class since we are always talking about "libraryland!"

Design Decisions For My Blog

As I was looking at all the templates and design options for my blog, I tried to keep in mind the instructions in our textbooks to keep it simple and to make it appealing to my audience.  I chose the template with the dark background of maps since libraries are often the "maps" that lead its patrons to great discoveries about the world around them.  I chose for the text to be in white and yellow because it would stand out from the dark brown background and be easier for people to read.  I put my blog posting area on the left and made it larger than the other part of the blog where I can add gadgets such as my word cloud and my answer garden question so that the readers are drawn to the actual blog posts first.  I tried to keep titles short and concise so that readers know exactly what is being discussed.  Overall, I tried to keep everything in my blog neat, easy to read (including the fonts of the text) and welcoming to readers.

Word Clouds

Well after playing around with Wordle and being able to get it to run on my computer, I switched my efforts to Tagxedo and had success with  a Word Cloud!  YAY!  And then I really pressed my luck and tried out the Answer Garden, only to find that I could use this tool too!  YAY, it's so much fun to feel successful at technology!

Here I Go!

Just created this blog for me to learn and grow and try new things using technology (EEK!) but I'm jumping in and giving it all I've got!  Don't be surprised by what you might find on this blog.....