Final Reflection

The image to the left of the screen was me at the start of this semester. I was really nervous about being successful in this class, because of the fear that I had of the unkown. What if I wasn't able to master this new technolgy? What if no matter what I tried I couldn't produce the product that needed to be turned in? These were the kinds of questions that shot through my mind when I opened up the syllabus.

I had heard of many of the technologies, and even attended a few mini trainings on them. The difference here was that getting your feet wet was not enough, you actually had to dive in and use the technology to create a final product, and in most cases using more than one website.

 How had I suddenly become that evaluator offering reviews and bringing to light the positive and negatives of various technology. I was in the hot seat, and was nervouse about becoming proficient enough to post genuine information on my blog posts. As I got through the first weeks of assignment, I realized that becoming profiecient with technology was just like learning a new language. In order to master it, you had to submerge yourself in it, and use it as often as possible. 

As the weeks went on the fear that I had disappeared, and it was quickly replaced with excitment. I was on a quest to learn as much as I could from my assignment, and was actually enjoying them. I now understood why so many of my students are drawn to the world of technology, the possibilites are endless. I myself am pretty artsy crafty as they say, and love to create with my hands. Through the use of technolgy I had suddenly found a new medium to express myself with and it was wonderful! I was kicking myself for being so scared in past. I go back to the old saying that Education Is Power, which is exactly how I feel at the end of this course.The image below depicts how I now feel about technology. I feel confindent in my abilities, and realize that technology is always changing, so it is ok if you don't know everything.

Excited Me The Most:

The technology that excited my the most in this class was the section on videos and QR codes. I had always seen other teacher create awesome things, which they would usually precent at our PLC's or staff meeting. I always wondered how they did it, and now I know. Animoto is a fabulous tool that every teacher and librarian needs to utilize. It was so easy to use, and lends itself to many subject areas. I personally loved how adding simple images and a few notes here and ther could come together to form something that looked like it took hours to create. Creating QR codes were also fun, and I can see myself using them all over the place. The section on Flipagram, Instagram, and Screencast were also among my favorite. I particulary took a liking to Flipagram, I liked how you could add music and pictures that merged into something that many would enjoy. The best part about flipagram was how easy it was to use. It provided a turtorial for you and allowed you to dive right in. The images that you used were taken straight from your phone, which made it even easier than having to download them to you computer, or email them to yourself. I feel that many students and teachers will enjoy these new technologies as much as I did.

Most Difficult:

The most difficult thing for me to learn was Instagram, I know it sounds crazy, but I have not become as proficient as I would have liked in this area. Everyone around me seems to be posting pictures like crazy, and here I am asking my nephews to review things with me. I plan to play with it a lot more so that my proficiency level can increase. This is something kids today are using, and as an educator this is something that I can use to reach them. I think the fact that you can integrate flipagram into it will serve as a motivator for me. 

Most Beneficial:

I think that everything that we learned this semester will serve as great tools for both students and teachers. Below are some of the technologies that I believe will be most beneficial.

Animoto videos can be used in the classroom or library in a multitude of ways. Students can produce video summaries of what they read, or create a video that give the biography or autobiography of a person. Animoto vides could also be used to create book reviews, that will show case the collection in the library. The best thin about Animoto is that is can be used across all content areas and is very user friendly.

 Screencast area a hidden treasure, and will be useful to students as well as all professional staff. Teacher can use this in their classrooms and they gradually teach them to access different types of technology The librarian can use this as a platform to reach all levels of the school population. Screencast can be used for training, and an can be used to review what one has learned. This is a wonderful tool for those who are just discovering the wonders of technololgy.

I believe podcasts will benefit everyone who is involved in teaching. Teachers can give directions for assignment, librarians can host book talks, and they can be used by all to create book review. Podcasts are also a wonderful way to relay messages to parent. Instead of parent reading a text or email, they can actually listen to the teacher speak. The best part about podcasts is that they can be accessed by all. I found that Podomatic, SoundCloud, and Podbean worked best for the school setting, because the user interface was simplistic. 

Gone are the days of teachers writing URL addresses on the board in hopes that students will type it in correctly. QR codes will help alleviate a lot of the stress when it comes to exposing students to a new site, and help encourage the use of technology in the classroom. QR codes also help link students and profession staff to important information that they will be able to retrieve at the click of a button. I love QR codes because they are straight and to the point, and guide the user to what it is they need to know. 

Food For Thought:

I loved the article that our professor posted called Food For Thought, and belive that there is a lot of truth behind it. As librarians if we are to serve our patrons, we must first look at who they are and where they come from. What interests them, drives them, and motivates them. Many people tend to judge a book by its cover, but as a librarian we can not do that, we must serve everyone in the community regardles of race, age, socioeconomic status, and the list can go on and on. We must treat a digital immigrant the same way that we would treat a digital native. Will one  pose a greater challenge to the librarian versus the other, yes, but they all deserve the right to learn and be exposed to the tools that are part of the 21st century. Librarians will serve as adovocates for literacy and technology, and help empower others to take the leap. I believe all librarians should serve as the mediator and help people become connected. Like me, many never venture into this brave new world out of fear, but once emersed in it great things happen and a whole new world is available to them . We must help shape the leaders of tomorrow, and what better way than to be advocates for the tools that they will need, and to serve as the spring board through which students and professionals alike will acquire the knowledge that they need. 

I

Media (is) the message?

In looking back on my recent posts, I have noticed that through my blogging I have learned alot about various technolgies. Not only have I explored and created, but actually analyzed these new technologies and contemplated their uses in the educational world. Would I have learned as much if I would not have blogged about them? Could I have optained the same level of understanding if I would have just explored the various technologies, and not blogged at all? These are questions that come to mind when I think of the role that technology plays in education. Is one medium better than the other, or are they all equally important? How much weight does technolgy carry withing the 21st century classroom?

These last couple of weeks I have looked at technology from many different angles. I am the student, teacher, and librarian when I am on what I like to call my technological journey. These multiple perspectives have allowed me to see just how important it is for pedagogy and technology to go hand in hand. 

As a student, I can see that I have gotten a better understanding of the technology I have been exploring because of my blogs. Through my blogs I have been made accountable for what I have learned, because I am going to (in essence) share it with the world. In Eric Sheninger's words  "demonstrate or apply their learning.", is what I had the opportunity to do. Did the media I used influence my learning, I think Kozma said it best in this statement, "learning with media is a complementary process within which a learner and a medium interact to expand or refine the learner's mental model of a particular phenomenon."  I believe this holds true weather a student chooses to use a book, or any one of the endless technologies that are available to help them show what he or she has learned.

As a teacher, I see how important it is that pedagogy and technology go hand in hand. I believe that in today's world, one cannot exist without the other. At the start of the technological revolution, we could identify two different worlds, the world with technolgy, and the world with out it. Since technology had not infiltrated their classrooms at the time..lol...teachers could easily disregard it. In today's classrooms weather we like it or not, technology is part of everything that we do. From a teacher's perspective, I DO NOT  believe that the medium is the message, instead I feel that it is an integral part of the pedagogy that an educator uses to reach individual students. The focus of today's classrooms seems to be differentiated instruction, what better way to differentiate, than through the use of technology. Is this the only way, NO, but it does provide the teacher with opportunities that may not have been available in a world/classroom with out technology.I believe a teacher should introduce the lesson in a way that will captivate the students, engage them in hands on instruction, take them on a visual and virtual experience if available, and allow them to explore with any medium they choose. In Sheninger's words, this will, "add relevance and meaning to the lesson." This will help insure that the final product  that is created by the students, or that the students test on, will reflect a deeper understanding of the concept that was taught to them by the teacher which she/he enhanced with technology.

As a librarian, I feel that technology should play a major role in any institution that is responsible for the acquistion of knowledge. Media should not replace instruction, but help build the bridge that leads to understanding. A librarian's role is to guide and support the development of all teachers and students. Not only should a librarian expose them to new technologies, but she should in an intentional way, guide them as they emark on their exploration and application of various mediums. He/She could do this by providing podcast, screencast, workshops (for both students and teacers), or just simply chech in with students and teachers. I have found that worlds of encuragement can go a long way when one is feeling discourged about something new. The librarian should also be an advocate for both students and teachers epecially because the advancements in technology are happening at a much greater speed than ever before.

I think as librarians we have to make sure that in Sheninger's words, "the goal should be placing a powerful learning tool in the hands of our students — not a digital pacifier." Librarians can help support this vision by focusing on the development of what what Sheninger calls the essential skills. These skills are creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, digital citizenship, entrepreneurship, media literacy, technological proficiency, communication, and collaboration. I believe that as librarians, we are the gate keepers to a brave new world, and it is our responsibility to help students and teachers develop the skills that will help them assimilate to the ethical rules that exist far beyond tangible formats.

The adoption of technology in education has caught on like wild fire, but it is still facing some road blocks because of fear of the unknown. As educators we are accustomed to being in control, and technology forces us to relinguish the reins. Our job is not longer to dictate instructions, but to serve as facilitators in the acquisition of knowlege. This is a scary notion for districts everywhere that are being compared and evaluated through standardized test. Money is the big elephant in the room, when it comes to the addopton of technology as well. Everyone wants to know how much is it going to cost to get and maintain new technologies. Many districts would love to be have technology rich classrooms, but sadly can not affort it because of the budget restraints. 

Works Cited:

Scheninger, E. (2016, April 25). Why pedagogy first, tech second stance is key to the future. Retrived from https:edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2016/04/why-pedagogy-firts-tech-secont-stance-key-future

(2012, August 30). The media debate. Retrieved from edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/The_media_debate

Podcasts

   So we have moved on from cartoons and comic strips to the world of podcasts, what an exciting journey. In a world where everyone seems to busy to read, podcasts seem to be the perfect fit. Don't get me wrong, I am an advocate for literacy, but there are times when podcast can make life so much easier. As an educator I believe podcasts are an untapped resource that everyone should know about.

  I would challenge all teachers to use podcast in the classroom as a reference tool for students. I hear so many students and parents complaining that they forgot what to do on a project, or don't know what is expected of them as far a product or citations go. How awesome would it be if teachers could verbally walk through the entire project on  a podcast, this would save so much time for everyone involved. Students could even replay the podcast for a librarian, this would have such an impact on the reference interview that a librarian conducts to identify exactly what a student's needs are.

   As a librarian podcast would really come in handy when it comes to promoting literacy. I can enivsion a podcast on reading ladders. How cool would it be to hear a podcast on quest books, and hear about the various books that exist out there that you may not have even heard of. This would definetly help guide students and help out with Readers Advisory. Podcasts would also be a great for book reviews created by the librarian or even students. Who wouldn't like to hear from their peers what they actually thought about a book. The librarian also serves as the go to person for technology in most schools. so it would be awesome if the Tech Tuesdays could be recorded, and turned into a podcast. I know that when I am accessing new technology, it helps to have a guide I can rewind as many times as I want as I am going through the process. This makes learning a lot easier, knowing that you can go through the steps at your own pace.

Below I have reviewed three choices that exist in the podcast world, as well as uploaded  the link to a podcast that a teacher could use in her personal classroom.


Podcast Link:

https://soundcloud.com/user-16068941/texas-performance-standards-project-and-double-iim-research-model-and-podcasts


SoundCloud:

This website was very easy to use, and signing up for an account was a breeze. I just logged in with my email, created a name, verified my email, and I was ready to start. I created a podcast and it was very easy to upload. Once uploaded I was guided through the publishing steps, which was awesome. Since this my first podcast using SoundCloud, it was very important that I was guided through the process. With the click of a button I created my podcast, it was very easy.  The hardest part of the entire process was deciding what I should talk about on my podcast.

Audioboo:

To start off, I had a hard time finding Audioboo, but after some research I found out that Audioboo had been rebranded as AudioBoom. Right off the bat I was not a fan of this particular site. You can create an account easily, but before you can even create a podcast, it asks you to to give your podcast a title. Hello, I haven't even created one yet, how am I suppose to name it (this was very confusing). So at the same time that you are trying to come up with a title for a podcast that you have not created, they sneak in a disclaimer about your one month free trial. This right here really made me feel like this site was not for me. As an educator, I would not use it in my classroom or library. Audioboo might be a wonderful site when you have a paid subscription, but I believe that SoundCloud and Podomatic can do the same job for free. Audiboo also only allows you to create podcasts that are limited in size. With SoundCloud and Podomatic you can podcast what you need, with out having to worry about squeezing everything into the alotted time frame.


Podomatic: 

Below I have is the link to the same podcast that I created above, except this time I did it through Podomatice instead of SoundCloud. I wanted to you guys to see how the same podcast is presented when you use different sites.

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/mrsdeleon/episodes/2017-07-21T22_50_49-07_00

Podomatic was very easy to use, just like SoundCLoud the set up was very easy. I did like though that on Podomatic I was able to choose what I wanted my URL to say. I chose MrsDeLeon.podomatic.com, but you can choose whatever you want for the bolded part of the URL. This makes it very usefule when you are using the website in an educational setting. I think people can relate to a site or remember it better if the URL has something familiar to it. In my case, it would be very easy for mystudents to remember my url because it is tied to their teacher's name. I really like how user friendly this site was, and how comments would pop up through out he entire process to help guide me. The site was also very visually appealing to the user, aesthetically I think students will realate to this site because of how it is organized. I really liked that every time you are going to upload a new podcast, it walks you through the five steps and lets you know when have successfully completed publishing. I would recomment this site to be used in classrooms and libraries everywhere. 

Cartoons and Comics

    Cartoons and Comics are the coolest thing out there, why did I not stumble upon this before. Oh that's right, I keep forgetting that up until a couple of weeks ago I was very nervouse about venturing into the brave new TECH WORLD...lol. I really enjoyed creating the three comic strips below, and would encourage their use in any library or classroom. If I as a digital immigrant can master then, it is going to be a piece of cake for any student, especially because most of them are digital natives.

     As a future librarian, I can foresee hosting a Tech Tuesday on cartoons and comic strips. I think it would be beneficial for teachers to learn about this technology. Reading lessons would never be the same, students could use these comic strip as plot diagrams, or create a comic strip to infer what will happen next. At my Tech Tuesday teachers would be exposed to samples of comics that would be relevent to a variety of subject, and then they would work in groups create their own. Check out by three cartoons below, I hope you enjoy reading them and much as I enjoyed creating them.

ToonDoo:

In order to create the cartoon above, I used ToonDoo. It was very easy to subscribe to the website. Once I confirmed my email, I was ready to get started. I have to say that this was my favorite out of the three, it made creating comic strips a breeze. It did not provide a tutorial, but everything was very userfriendly. ToonDoo provides templates for you, so that you can decide your comic strip layout before you create it. ToonDoo is the perfect website to use if you like to add a personal touch to your creation. I loved how you could choose from a variety of backgrounds, talk balloons, and characters. It had so many to choose from, it took me a long time to create the comic strip. I wanted to get the perfect characters to go with my short story. There is also an option to upload your own images, but I did not see the need to do so, since they provide more than enough of everything to add the details that you need. It was also very easy to save and share with a friend. I would definitely recommend this to everyone. Toon Doo also gives you the option to print, which would be very useful in the classroom.

Pixton:

Pixton was very easy to subscribe to, although getting he flash player to work with this website was  a little confusing. Pixton did provide a short video that walked you through the steps in order to get it running. ToonDoo let you start the flash player from the click of a button, so I was a little surprised at all the extra steps I had to take for this particular website. Pixton has a lot to offer when it comes to the characters. I really liked that you are able to change their facial expressions, position character head, arms, legs, and body any way you want. I think this feature adds a lot to the comic strips. Pixton also offers a lot of backgrounds and prompts that you can use creating your strips. One of the things that I really like was that Pixton did provide a tutorial when you first logged in, and provided tips that were very useful when creating my first strip. What I did not like was that you can only log on to create a comic strip a certain amount of time, before it forces you to log on for you 15 day free trial. Although it is a very useful website, I do not think it would be good for the classroom unless you are will pay for the subscription. It was very easy to save my comic strip, and it even provides you with a link to share your cartoon. Here is the link to my cartoon if you would like to see it on the pixton website:https://Pixton.com/ic:av1kr3pb

MakeBeliefscomix:

MakesBeliefscomix was a very simplistic website that did not require you to sign up for a free trial. As an educator I really liked this option. It allowed you to create the comic, print them, save them to your device, and email them to yourself or a friend. As a classroom teacher, I really liked that students would be able to save a copy to their devices, this would make it really easy for me to grade. The backgrounds, words, characters, and propt that this website had were very simplistic. You did n ot have a lot of variety, but it did give you the option to type in your own word balloons. I think MakeBeliefscomix was very easy to use, and any elementary student could use it, especially the lower grades. I would not recommend it for junior high or high school students, because it does not have a lot of variety. In the end it did the job, and I can see my self using this app, even though I really liked ToonDoo.

Videos and QR Codes In The Library

Videos and QR codes in the library, now these two I am really excitied about. I have never used Animoto, but let me tell you, I am in love. What better way to get the love of reading across to your students, than through a movie trailer. QR codes are also great becasue they provide a direct link to the information you want your students to access. Gone are the days of putting websites up on the screen, in hopes that your students will key them in correctly. I am really digging this new technology, fear was definitely holding me back.  Below I have included the link to my Animoto Video, or you can scan the QR CODE that I have provided, and it will take you strainght to it. As you read, you will also come across some youtube channels that I think will provides an insight to video use in the library.

YouTube

The NHS Library Channel

Video 1: Tiger Visits the Norman High School Library

Video 2: How To Use EBSCOHost

On this library site I came across a variety of video, but I chose the two above. I think that students would benefit greatly by learning how to use EBSCOHost, because it will help them with their research. Video 1 is the my choice for which video I thought students would like the most. It is a cute video that shows the schools mascot interacting with the student body at the library, which is socially appearling to all.

The Unquietlibrary Channel:

Video 1: Scenes From the Unquiet Library

Video 2: How to Export a Bibligraphic Data File from LRC to EasyBib

On this library site, I think the students will be drawn to Scenes From the Unquiet Libray, the title jumps right out at you. Students will like seeing the images that pop up of themselves or their friends. Again, this is something that will socially draw the students in. The video that I found to be the most useful is How to Export a Bibligraphic Data File from LRC to EasyBib. Citing ones sources correctly is so important, and any tool that can help student out is a blessing. Knowing how to export a bibliographic file is knowlege that will help students out through out their educational career.

Pikesville HS Library Channel:
Video 1: 2014-2015 Course Advisement
Video 2: The Panthers Library Shakes

On Pikesville HS Library channel, I think that the course advisement video would be the most helpful for students. It provides vital information that students need to navigate their high school careers. The Panthers Library Shakes video is one that I though would be the students' favorite. It has music, dancing, and the get to see themselves or their friends dancing up a storm. A lot of social appeal for sure.

BBMS Media Channel:
Video 1: Noodle Tools Creating Website Citation
Video 2: Don't Want To Be Overdue, Meghan Trainor Parody

I really liked this channel, and though that the kiddos were very creative. I am wondering if the overdue book parodies were a contest. The kiddoswent all out, so it was very hard for me to pick which video the students would like the best. I had to go with Don't Want To Be Overdue, Meghan Trainor Parody, it was awesome. I liked how she was able t video tape a student without them knowing that they were performing. This video also shows a variety of students, which is bound to create a social craze. The video that I found to be the most beneficial was Noodle Tools Creating Website Citations, something that not all students know how to do. Our reference sources are becoming more and more digitize as time goes by, that I think knowing how to cite a website is a vital skill that every student needs to acquire.

After researching these various YouTube Channels, I have come to the conclusion that videos have become a form of expression, that can greatly impact our perception. As humans we need the written and visual form to merge, so that we can reach the masses. YouTube Channels have become the perfect plantform for self expression, as well as the link to today's youth. As educators, it is our job to harness this tool, and use it to educate the youth of tomorrow. Videos go beyound pencil and paper, and allow the creator to master the concept and project its meaning onto others. The old adage still holds true today. If you can teach it to someone, then you have learned it.

Videos

I used ANIMOTo to create a book trailer for the book RULES. This book is about a girl names Catherine and her little brother David that is autistic. Catherine struggles to be normal in the midst of her brothers autism. She decided to create rules for david, in hopes of making her world as normal as possible. A new neighbor is moving in, a girl named Kristi, and Catherine is set on making a good impression, but her brother David is not making things easy for her. There is also a boy named Ryan, who happens to be really mean to Catherine and David, and she always finds herself defending David. One day Catherine goes to therapy with David and meets a boy named Jason. Jason is in a wheel chair, and communicates with words that are in a notebook. She becomes friends with Jason, and ends up making new words for his binder. These new words are meant to help Jason express himself in a whole new way. Jason is so excited to finally have a friend, taht he invites her to his birthday party. Since Catherine is always talking about Kristi and her brother David, Jason tells her that they are also invited. Catherine agrees to go, but says that Kristi can not go and David will go only at the end for cake. The day finally arrives, and Catherine decides to buy Jason a guitar as a birthday gift. At the party she is so excited to give him his gift, that she runs up to his room to find him. Jason musters up the nerve to ask Catherine to go to a dance with him, but this makes her very upset, and decided it is time to leave the party. Katherine has rules for her brother, and for herself. One of her rules is never to dance unless she is alone, or it is pitch black. Jason gets very upset that she does not  want to go with him, while Catherine struggles with her identity. She likes being Jason's friend, but doesn't want anyone to know, because he is different. She must decide weather to break her own rules and save her friendship, or be just like Ryan the bully. In the end Cahterine and Jason both apologize and end up talking things out. Kristi shows up with Ryan to the dance, and Catherine introduces them to Jason. Catherin breaks her rules, dances with Jason, and finally comes to terms with her life.

https://animoto.com/play/RE31hgFO3kQ0lbqiDJumjA

I feel that using videos in the library is a visual way to reach students, administrators, teachers, parents, and all patrons in general. A librarian can use a video to promote past and future activities. She can use videos to motivate students to read, maybe she can hold a book trailer competiton to encourage reading and the use of technology. Videos are also a wonderful way to promote the various types of reference resources that are available to students. There are plenty of resources that are in print and digital format that the students are not aware of, and a video is the perfect way to show case everything that is available.

Rules, Animoto Video QR Code

I used QR Droid to create the QR code above, and it was the easiest think ever. All I did was download the app and once it was loaded pressed create. The app then promted me to choose the type of QR code I wanted to create, and then I merely inserted the URL. I proceeded to email it to myself, and TA-DA! Just scan the code above, and it will take you to the book trailer I made RULES. 

Why Should You Use QR CODES

I love QR codes, I think they are extrememly usful to use if you are going to be working with children and technology. Students will not have to worry about keying in the URL, they can merely scan the code and go right to the information. I can forsee myself using these codes in my future library one day. I envision a digital reference wall that will have links to resources made available through the library. QR codes can also be used for book promotion and reviews. Students can find the next book they will read by easily scanning the codes to read up on books. There district that I currently work in provides IPADs for every child, so a QR code wall that provides links to all the apps that are available to them would be very useful. Students can scan the QR code of the app they want, and then download it onto their device. These codes are also a wonderful way to promote the library, and the various activities that take placeQR codes could be use to help students and parents access upcoming event through a calendar, or a photo gallery of past events. Most parent have smartphones, and it would be the perfect way to keep parents connected with their child. The possibilities for QR codes are endless, and I recommend that you try it out, if you haven't already. 

Screencasts, Instagram, and Flipagram

     So I took a dive into these new technologies (new for me at least), and I am not going to lie, I felt like I was drowning at the start of my journey. Setting up the accounts was pretty easy, but navigating through them was a bit intimidating. Below you will find my reviews on Screencast-o-matic, Instagram, and Flipogram. You will also get a glimpse into my first attempts at using these three technologies, if I can just figure out how to add them to this blog post.....lol...!

I am not going to lie, this Screencast-O-matic really made me nervouse. I was not sure how to begin, but was put as ease when I saw that there was a tutorial available. I watched it, and then proceeded to make my own screencast. There are many options that you can choose from, but I being a digital immigrant went for the free one. After all we are test driving these new technologies. I chose record, and it asked me to download the program into my computer. After the program was installed, the rest was a breeze. The recording was simple, just like when you video tape something on your phone, and the user can clearly see what is going to come out on the video frame. I would definetly recommend this to anyone in the education department. It is a great way to train students on concepts that may be hard for them. The students can replay the videos at home while they are working on homework, so they can refresh their memory on the lessons that were taught that day. I will definetly be using this in my math class this year, and for the new technologies that I will be introducing in my classroom through out the year. Below you will find my attempt at creating my first screen cast. Please bear with me, I was a little nervouse...lol.

So I have discovered Flipagram, and I absolutely love it. I love to use IMovie and Windows Moviemaker, and this reminds me of it. I can foresee myself using this in the future a whole lot. Once I downloaded the app to my phone (android), I was a little lost, but found a quick tutorial video that was offered on the first screen that popped up once I was logged on. The video was very helpful, and it did not take very long to watch. Once the tutorial was done, I quickly uploaded some picture, rearranged them in the order that I wanted them in, and even added some music. To a digital newbie, this is so awesome. My creative genes are jumping for joy, can you tell I really like Flipagram. Below I your will find the URL to my first Flipogram Video.

Happy 4th of July

I think Flipagram is a wonderful tool that can be used by everyone. As an educator I can see both teachers and students using it through out the year. Below is a short list of how Flipagram can be used in the classroom.

1. Students can make autobiographies of themselves, and use Flipagram to visually tell their story. They can also do this for any biography projects that they may have.

2. Teachers are always taking a million pictures, so this would be a good way to display the images. A video could be made for various class activities through out the year, great way to keep parent connected to what is going on in the classroom/library.

3.Flipogram also has a stop motion video option, and students could use this to show what they have learned, or to create a movie that depicts the story that they wrote in class.

Flipogram is so versatile with its uses, I recommend everyone get an account, and start exploring right away.

I have been an avid facebook user for the last couple of year, and there for have chosen never to venture in to the world of instagram until now. Getting the account for this site was easy enough, but then I was a little confused on how to get started. I quickly found the add button at the bottom of the screen, where the tool bar is located. It took me a screen that was very userfriendly, and I was able to upload pictures in know time. Instagram provides you with many stickers that you can use to edit your pictures, and give you the ability to add words to your images as well. I love that you can also upload videos from other sites, like movies you created on Flipagram to Instagram. They pop up on your screen like magic. I am kicking myself for not using it sooner, my world is definitely getting bigger with all this new technology.

As an educator I am always focused on the uses of a particular technology in the classroom. Instgram can be used to showcase the activities that are happening in classs. As a future librarian, I can foresee myself using Instagram to promote reccommendations and review. Instagram would also be a wonderful way to promote bookfairs and various activities that would be happening with in the school and community. Like facebook, Instagram would be a great way to keep parents connected to the activities their child is involved in.

Here is the link to my first Instagram Post : Love Them To The Moon and Back

Infographics

Hello Everyone, I am back again with yet another exciting discovery for this digital immigrant. I have come across the world of infographics, and I think I have fallen in love. As an 11 year veteran in the teaching field, I could have really used this at the start of my career. None the less I am excited about  implementing infographics in my classroom this coming year. This is such a wonderful tool that helps the teacher or student highlight and visually share the most important parts of the information they are sharing. Below you will see a link to an infograhic I created, along with the three sites that I think you guys will love.

Click On Link Below To See My First Infograhic:

  The Future of Free Speech, Trolls, Anonymity and Fake News Online

Easelly :http:http://www.easel.ly/

I created my infographic using this site. It was really easy to set up an account, and I loved how easy it was to use the site. Prior to designing my infographic, I was inspired by the many templates that this site provided for the user. I finally chose one, and it took me directly to the creating pad. The user interface was very user friendly and told you exactly what to do. It was very easy to move around the information that was on the template, and even easier to erase. I also loved how easy it was to upload images to my files on the Easelly site. I highly recommend this site for any newbies out there.

Piktochart :http://piktochart.com/

I did not choose this site for my infographic, but I does not mean that I did not like it. It was very easy to create an account and get started as well. While I was exploring this site, I noticed that there was an inspire me button, which I pressed. I was taken to an ocean of templates that as you can guess, were ment to inspire your work. One other think that I really liked about this site that Easelly did not have, was a wonderful tutorial. It went frame by fame and taught you the ins and outs of the programs. If you are someone who has to constantly refer back to the user's manual, this site is definetly for you.

Infogram: http://infogr.am

Infogram is another site that you can use to create infographics as well. Like the other three sites it was quite easy to create an account and get started. This was the least of my favorite out of the three sites that I explored in reference to infographics. Being a digital immigrant, I need tutorials, and a user interface that will help point me in the right direction, or provide template for me. There was a three minute getting started video, but I pressed it numerous times, and could not get it to work. Being a newbie to the infographic world, I might have missed it, but I did not see any get inspired section, or rows of templates that were ready for me to use either. Although the directions on the creation board of this site were pretty clear cut, the only themes that I could change were those of the charts. One thing I did like about this site was the graphic part of the creation board. Your could search for any graphics that you wanted, and wonderful images that poped with color would appear.

Bibliography For My First Infographic:

Rainie, L. (2017, May 29). The future of free speech, trolls, anonymity and fake news online. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/