LSSL 5391: Final Reflections

Final Reflections

            It’s hard to believe that the semester is already over!  It feels like it just flew by!  I was very excited to take this class and dig deeper into digital technology.  Going into the class I was familiar with various digital apps but mainly stuck to the ones I was accustomed to.  This class provided guidance and allowed me to branch out and try new digital technology tools.  It was definitely challenging at times to get acquainted with the new technology but I know it was well worth it.  I can’t wait to take what I’ve learned this semester and share it with students and staff.  I know it will come in handy all throughout this year, especially with virtual learning. 

            For a little over a year now I’ve had a blog for all of my LSSL classes and I’ve really enjoyed it.  I love that I have a place where I can share my input, opinions, and recommendation.  As a result, I’ve slowly started following more bloggers and it allows me to stay up to date on a few of my interests.  One of the first things I discovered in this class was that I could have all of the blogs I subscribe to in one place.  Feed readers allow easy access to your favorite sites and social media platforms, frees up your time with only one login, and organizes the information to stay up to the latest news and trends.  The feed reader I chose to use was Feedly; it’s free to use, is synced with my Google account, and the layout is very similar to email. 

If you’d like more information click this link!

            The social media module would definitely be the one that I was most familiar with.  Social media has become such an everyday part of people’s life and can be a great way to promote the library.  It’s important to keep in mind the target audience when choosing which social media platform to use.  Facebook is best for parents and to post about what’s happening in the library and school.  Twitter can be used to promote the library to students or to connect with professionals in the library, education, or literary world.  Instagram, Tumblr, or even TikTok is the best way to promote the library to students!  With that being said library media specialists need to stay current and up to date on all social media platforms in order to stay connected to all patrons of the library!

If you’d like more information click this link!

 

            I would have to say that infographics was the most challenging digital technology tool for me.  I tried out three different tools Easelly, Piktochart, and Infogram.  It took a lot of trial and error and I had to get accustomed to reformatting the information.  After trying out all three, Piktochart was my favorite.  I took advantage of the step-by-step information guide and a video tutorial provided by Piktochart and in the end was pleased with my result.  In the past I’ve used Canva when presenting information digitally but I will start to use Piktochart from hear on out too!

If you’d like more information click this link!

            I was really excited to try creating a screencast of my own.  I’ve seen how beneficial they’ve been for me as a student in my LSSL classes and knew they would come in handy in the library.  My favorite application to use was ScreenCast-O-Matic.  It was so easy!  I simply pressed record and started my instructions on my computer screen.  I chose to create a screencast showing students how to use the OPAC to find a book to read.  This was just one of many that I plan to create as the school year starts, especially with my school’s transitional start with three week of virtual learning.  Screencasts are beneficial to both students and staff.  I know screencasts will be the digital technology that I use all throughout the school year!

If you’d like more information click this link!

 

            YouTube is a great resource for librarians!  We can follow library channels to find ideas to implement in our library as well as share what’s happening in ours.  It’s extremely user friendly and allows you to share videos in a variety of formats.  I’ve shared screencasts and book trailers made on Animoto straight to my YouTube channel, it’s very convenient.  I plan to use my YouTube channel to upload screencasts for students and staff, book trailers/reviews, and library promotionals. 

Another great tool to implement is QR codes which can be used for various reasons in the library.  A few of my suggestions are to use them for links to book trailers/reviews, OPAC, surveys/library polls, databases, questions for the librarian, podcasts, and to promote events in the library. 

Animoto was a digital tool that I’d never used but was eager to check out!  It was simple right from the get go.  I created my book trailer using a template they provided and was able to edit with my own images and text.  I’ll be in a junior high library next year and chose one of my favorite young adult novels, The Selection.  I was very pleased with the end result and know that my students will love Animoto too!  I’m going to challenge my book club members to create their own book trailers on Animoto throughout the school year and post them on our library homepage!

If you’d like more information click this link!

            Cartoons and comics were another digital technology that took a little while for me to get the hang of.  I tried out Pixton, MakeBeliefsComix, and Fotojet.  My favorite was Pixton; I was able to create a free educator accont and it had the most features available on a free account.  MakeBeliefsComix is geared towards elementary students in my opinion, and I would introduce students to Fotojet once they’ve created basic comic using Pixton.  Once I got the hang of it I really enjoyed creating my own comic and know that students would enjoy it too.  Cartoons and comics are a great way to challenge students and to embrace their creativity! 

If you’d like more information click this link!

            I’m a huge fan of podcasts and this was one of my favorite modules!  Anytime I’m in the car for a long period of time I’m listening to a podcast and during this module I found a few more to check out!  There are several within our field to listen to and I love that it’s another way for me to stay up to date and current on what’s happening in the literary world.  When it comes to creating my own podcast in the past I’ve used Podbean and love the hosting service.  It’s great for beginners and super easy.  You can record right on the app and publish within minutes.  The only drawback is that you can’t edit within Podbean.  While working with my group for the assignment we chose to use Anchor and right from the start I loved the layout of Anchor.  Anchor has a few additional features and allows you to edit within the app.  Both are great hosting services to use for creating podcasts with students! 

If you’d like more information click this link!

 

Which tools excited you the most?

o   Screencasts

o   Animoto

o   Podcasts

Which tools were most difficult for you?

o   Infographics

o   Cartoons and Comics

Which one will most benefit students?

o   YouTube

o   QR Codes

o   Screencasts

o   Podcasts

 

Digital Storytelling

            For our last assignment of the year I chose to use Voice Threads to create my digital story.  There were so many options to choose from but Voice Threads won out in the end!  I watched the tutorial video that they provided and it was easy to create after that!  To create a digital story on their platform you simply add a type of media, and then go comment.  I chose to stick to just adding images and only comment with voice recordings.  In the end I was proud of my end result and what I accomplished!  Hope you enjoy my digital story!

Click this link to check it out!