Reflection

I’ve followed different kinds of blogs for several years now and have been inspired (one too many times) to do something a blogger has shared, like read a new book or redecorate my kitchen. I love the concept of being able to share and interact with others through a blog, but I never really thought of myself as a blogger. 

Instagram and Vine

I decided to start separate accounts for Instagram and Vine to use exclusively to communicate with my students. These are two more resources that can be used to spark student interest in the classroom. There are many uses for them, all you need to do is be creative and start playing with them before you introduce them to students.

Younger Americans’ library habits and expectations

from: Zickuhr, K., Rainie, L., & Purcell, K. (2013). Younger Americans’ library 
habits and expectations. Pew Research Internet Project. Retrieved July 30, 2014. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/files/2013/06/PIP_Younger_Americans_and_libraries.pdf

Contrary to popular belief, America's youth is more familiar with local library services than adults ages 30 and up. According to research from Pew Internet Project, Americans ages 16-29 are just as likely to visit and use library services than older adults. Because of their familiarity with technology younger Americans are also more likely to use their library's technology services, such as library website and online public access catalog (OPAC). 

Creating Screencasts

A screencast is a digital recording of a computer screen and is usually narrated. It is used to explain a process as it is being done on a computer. These can be used for a variety of uses, especially in education. As with podcast, these add a visual of the process or topic being taught. You can use them to explain a concept, a process, as a tutorial. Students can also create their own screencast as a form of assessment. Screencasting is simple and fun, they can last a few minutes or longer.

Toons and Comics

A great way to engage students is by using comic strips. Kids love seeing graphics and characters come to life. I've used comic strips before in my classroom and you can too. Here are several ways you can begin using them with your students.

• give information
• provide directions
• illustrate an idea ( vocabulary or idioms)
• rewrite or summarize a book/story
• illustrate a poem 
• journal response

There are a few free websites that can be used by virtually anyone to create comic strips.

Online Book Communities

Online book communities have become a lifesaver to many book lovers. They can be great organizational tools that allow you to keep a record of what you’ve read, liked, disliked, and plan to read. They provide users a way to share their love for books by rating and reviewing books they’ve read.  They can also serve as research tools when trying to decide which book to read next.  You can simply read what others have thought of that book and make a decision, but beware of spoilers. Many book communities also allow users to join book clubs, give book recommendations, and follow other avid book readers. If you haven't joined a book community yet here are several suggestions and my opinion about them.

Podcasts in Education

A podcast is a popular form of media that is used to record digital audio files that can be shared or downloaded via the internet. Podcasts in education can be used for a variety of purposes.