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Blog entires about library stuff

YouTube, Animoto, and QR Codes

October 22, 2022 / / 5 Comments

YouTube 

YouTube has opened a whole new world for me. I have heard some of the junior high boys talking about their YouTube channel and in the back of my mind I’m thinking, “Why are they wasting their time?” How wrong I am about this! They are creating things using so many aspects of technology and then sharing them with others. I asked two of my junior high boys to do a short presentation of their stop motion animation videos that they create and then upload to YouTube. They were astonished that a grownup would be impressed with what they had done.  

I am going to take advantage of what YouTube has to offer and I will start by looking at 3 different schools who have been using YouTube for a while.  

The Unquiet Library has a video showing the librarian taking a book cart loaded with a few books to the lunchroom! How awesome is that? If kids are not coming to the library, take the library to them. I will be trying this out next week. The Unquiet Library YouTube channel also offers so many “how to” videos. How to:  

  • Export bibliographic data 
  • Work with powerpoint 
  • Embed a voice video 
  • Join a wiki project and create a page 
  • And so much more. 

These “how to” videos are helpful to students. However, I am curious to know how the students find out about the videos. 

Pikesville High School Library also has many videos for students who need information. One of the ones that I really think is helpful to students is the teachers talking about their classes. I watched the AP World History class teacher discuss the expectations of his class and what they would be learning.  

This high school has many student produced videos of presentations.  

BBMSMEDIA-I assume this is a middle school although I could never find anywhere what BBMS stands for. This YouTube channel features lots of videos teaching students how to use NoodleTools. These are helpful for students doing research. One video I enjoyed the most was a student produced video for other students called Picture Puzzler. The student took close ups of common things around the school and students could take a guess at what the object was. Easy and fun to do.  

I also wonder why they have so many videos about overdue books! The cutest one was “Luke Skywalker has overdue books.”  

Animoto 

I procrastinated this part of the assignment and avoided it like it was the plague! I am not sure why I was so apprehensive about it because once I got started, I enjoyed it. Animoto makes it so easy to use their app. I chose my book, wrote down what I wanted to say (in a few words-not easy), and then chose images to go with my summary.  

I was not sure how the application worked, but so many of them these days are geared for the user who has limited knowledge of applications. After my photos were dumped in, I chose music. I did use the free version of Animoto and had I opted to pay for a subscription there was a song that I would have preferred, but the one I chose worked well in the end. The photos and text were added, music laid over, and it was done. I know that I would like to learn more about changing backgrounds and how to fade images in and out. That will take some time and I could probably ask my high school students about it. 

Between Shades of Gray is an amazing story by an even more amazing author. Please check out my first ever Animoto book trailer and then sit down for an emotional afternoon of reading.  

QR Codes 

QR codes are assuredly going to find themselves in use in the St. Joseph library. We already have a QR code for basic information about the library on our announcements slides that are shown to junior and senior high school students every day. Here is what the library slide looks like.  

The junior high boys of our school meet in the library each morning before school starts to hang out until the bell rings. They immediately take out phones or Chromebooks and play racing games. I am only at the secondary library on Thursday and Friday mornings, but to see them playing games incessantly each morning is frustrating to me. This past Friday we had a “device free Friday” and played card games, visited, did logic puzzles, and lots of other “device free” things. They were not too happy with me. I am thinking that if I use the advice and idea from the blog Learning in Hand I could create some QR Cubes with fun activities for the boys to do. That way they use their technology for something good rather than constant video games.  

I plan for many of our students to video record presentations given throughout the year and then create a QR code of the presentation to have available so that parents can see the presentation if they were not able to be there in person. You can see many creative ways Julie at The Techie Teacher uses QR codes with her class. 

After creating my book trailer with Animoto I created a QR code at QR Code Generator. So easy and so much fun. This site will be revisited many times.  

Infographics

October 15, 2022 / / 3 Comments

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” F.R. Barnard 

Infographics fulfill our need to get information into our brains quickly. They can give us qualitative as well as quantitative information and they have somewhat of a storytelling vibe to them.  

One of the first known pieces of information given to us in what we now call infographics came in the form of a statistical illustration called a coxcomb chart. This chart was created by none other than Florence Nightingale to show the number of unnecessary deaths during the Crimean War. An illustration is below. It is called a coxcomb because its jagged edges seem to appear like a cock’s comb.  

As we move quickly to the 20th century Peter Sullivan started providing infographics to the Sunday Times so that he could “explain major events in news stories and provide more clarity for the readers” (2018). After the launch of the Internet in 1991 the floodgates were opened and what Nightingale and Sullivan did was an inspiration to others to create ways of putting forth information that readers could take in quickly and easily.  

Here is an infographic that explains the history of infographics.  

Now we are really going to skip forward to today when we have so many applications that are available to any user for free. We see infographics every single day and just do not realize it. Make a conscious effort to notice the infographics next time you are out for a few hours.  

I looked at three applications that anyone with a computer and decent Internet access can use.  

  • Infogram.com 
  • Piktochart.com 
  • Easel.ly 

These applications have so many similarities that it is easiest to put them all together here:  

  • Templates from which to choose 
  • You can create new infographics if you choose 
  • Lots of charts, maps, graphics 
  • Lots of themed charts-no holiday themes on Easel.ly that I could see. Infogram.com has more than others.  
  • Can add video clips to infographic.  
  • Shareable to multiple platforms 

The cost of the applications varies. Infogram was the most expensive at $20/month. The other two were very comparable in price at $36 to $40/year.  

After I had researched and learned about applications to help you make infographics it was time for me to create one. I must admit it was daunting and I procrastinated as much as I could. I found that gathering the information was the hardest for me. I think that collecting data for the purposes of my own library might be a better motivator for me. This is my first attempt at an infogram and I look forward to experimenting a little more with the many features that infogram has to offer.  

In researching infographics I found this article that details how to teach students to create infographics. Diana Laufenberg taught an environmental history unit that incorporated collaboration, research and investigation, as well as learning about and creating infographics to inform others about their research.  

(2018, May 21). The history of infographics [Infographics]. Copypress. https://www.copypress.com/kb/infographics/the-history-of-infographics-infographic/#:~:text=British%20graphic%20designer%20Peter%20Sullivan,in%20infographics%20for%20their%20audiences. 

Eastaway, R. (2020,May 18). The hidden maths of the coxcomb chart. Rob Eastaway. https://robeastaway.com/blog/florence-nightingale#:~:text=The%20diagram%20that%20she%27s%20most,April%201854%20to%20March%201855. 

Nightingale, F. (c. 1858). ‘Coxcomb’ Diagram [Display No. 55]. Florence Nightingale Museum, London, England.  

Social Media

September 19, 2022 / / 6 Comments

Facebook-Instagram-Twitter

Social media is something that I considered was for the young folks. Well, guess what, it’s the young ones that I serve in the library and it’s even the young ones that are their parents. I want their experience with the library to be amazing so social media, here I come.  

Facebook  

I’ve been a member of Facebook for %$ years. I don’t really know how long, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I realized how much it helped our school. The moms of my classroom of students had their own page-School Name and Class of 2029. While not every single parent had a Facebook account (or did they?), it was a terrific way to share photos and updates of what was going on at school. Not once did it cross my mind to look for libraries, library groups, and other librarians. Now that I am aware of what is out there that I can use as support, I am a much happier person. Here is what I found:  

School Library Media Specialist-I’ve just joined this group a couple of weeks ago but am already glad that I’m a member. They have just over 7,000 members. Lots of posts from librarians about shelving issues, specific book questions, what motivates students to read, etc.  

Future Ready Librarians-This is my favorite Facebook group. With over 28K members someone is sure to be able to answer your questions or share a wonderful idea with you about library issues. Book recommendations, Makerspace ideas, weeding and collection development, questions about presentations, book fairs, and so much more. I don’t feel alone anymore because I realize that someone else has the same query as me.  

There are going to be advantages and disadvantages to Facebook such as posting a question in a comment and then not being able to find out if someone answered me or not. Maybe I’m just not as Facebook savvy as I thought. Another disadvantage is that I do not really know how our libraries compare unless I specifically ask, or they give details about their school library. So the information is generally general in nature. The biggest advantage though still outweighs any of the disadvantages. For new librarians, it is a lifesaver knowing that other librarians have similar issues and questions. We may be spread out in the world but we are not alone in our quest to make readers.  

Instagram  

Wow, I am still a big newbie at this form of social media. I am learning to make posts and film a reel and can turn it into a highlight. Our school is on Instagram but our library has not been featured there—YET.  

Instagram is popular with parents right now and this is a great time to let them know what is going on in the library. They can see the fun things that we do and books that their children love to read. This is a wonderful place to post our reading programs with the lists of books that go along with the programs.  

Take a look at my Instagram video and pictures that I learned how to do just this week. The photos are of my new library helper that my assistant principal hired just this Friday. The video is of our newly redone and enlarged secondary campus library. Wow, that’s a story all unto itself for next time.  

Twitter 

My husband had me sign up for Twitter when it first came out. I had no idea what I was getting into, and the account stood dormant for years. Until now. I kick started that account and I’ll keep it, but I have also started @WOBLibrarian for my library ideas. I’ll need to practice with this to see what gets noticed. I have put on all 3 social media accounts my new part time helper and I am getting some feedback.  

I am now following John Schu. A librarian friend introduced me to him a while back, but I never even considered following him on any social media. I will investigate getting some of his books in my collection.  

Check out @MrSchuReads  

You can find me on Twitter @WOBLibrarian.  

I must admit that after creating these accounts and posting photos, videos, and information I am getting so much positive feedback. This is an exciting adventure and I look forward to posting a lot more.  

Blogs and Blog Readers

September 10, 2022 / / 3 Comments

Blogs and blog readers. I never really paid much attention to these things until now and I feel like I’ve gone down a rabbit hole. The more I investigate what kinds of blogs I would like to follow the more blogs I find to add to my blog reader! I have limited myself right now, but I also know what I’ll be doing over holidays and breaks.  

Until last week I had not a clue what a blog reader was or why someone would need such a thing. Now that I’ve done some investigating and know a little more, I’m not sure why I didn’t investigate sooner. A blog reader can certainly keep you organized. I went to BloggingWizard to look at a few of the more popular blog readers and here is what I found.  

Good News is one that I tried first. It was easy to sign up and get things started. I created my own topic because the ones listed on the site did not fit my need. I added a few blogs and then proceeded to navigate the site. I was not particularly wild about how they are displayed. Once you have read an article it turns from black to gray and if not finished with an article you can mark as “unread.” This was my first try with a blog reader and I was pleased. 

Next, I tried out Feedreader. I liked this much better. It looked more like what my email looked like and so easy to navigate. I also liked the color scheme that they use. Who would have thought that using color for different things could make such an enormous difference, but it does. I like the fact that you can collapse or expand your messages.  

Newsblur was up next. Right away I was not a fan of this blog reader, but I’m sure it makes some happy. It is way too busy for my liking. Even after spending a while on the site there are some things that I still do not know what they are for. The small icons on the left for each of the sites make me “scratchy” because they are all so different. One thing I did like about this site and that it has so many distinctive styles in which you can display the articles in a blog. Not my favorite to look at though.  

Feedly was so stark! It is almost as if they forgot that they can add color. I was not sure how to navigate the feed and the boards. I’m sure with a little more study I would figure this out, but after having looked at other blog readers I knew that others were much easier to navigate and give me what I wanted so I gave up on this one.  

Feeder is where I finally landed. It is easy to add feeds and looks a lot like my email. I like the fact that I have added a blog/podcast and when I want I can listen to the podcast on Feeder and not have to open another tab. Am I the only one that opens a bajillion tabs and then get fussed at by my husband? I can collapse or expand the blogs to quickly find what I want to read or listen to. I do wish it had a bit more color to make it more inviting and interesting.  

Here is what I have added to Feeder to keep up with.  

No Shelf Required was one of the first blogs I added. This is an award-winning blog that deals with digital technology for higher education. After looking at the site a little more I don’t believe it is one that I will be visiting very often if at all. I’ll keep it on my feed for a while and then decide if I need to delete it.  

Learning by Inquiry is a site that I found a last year when learning more about inquiry learning. If you want to know anything about inquiry learning or find lessons and activity ideas this is the site to visit. So full of information that helps our kids learn and be ready for the 21st century.  

To find out about outstanding librarians visit Elementary Librarian. You will also find so many great resources by grade level. I use only the free version and so far have been happy with what I am able to find. I can only imagine what I could do with a paid version of Elementary Librarian. This will need to be considered for a future budget item.  

John Spencer is the author of many books that explore creativity and wonder He is the creator of the John Spencer site that features links to his podcast, YouTube channel, blog, newsletter, Facebook, and Instagram. He will inspire you to be better at what you do.  

I saved what I think is the best for last. Cult of Pedagogy is a site where you have access to a blog, podcast, videos, and even a store. Run by editor in chief Jennifer Gonzalez, you can listen to or read about strategies to make your job as an educator go to the next level. She is very motivating and I always learn something from every podcast.  

I also did a thing. I started a Tumblr account. I have posted a couple of things and don’t quite have it down just yet, but you must start somewhere. I know someday I’ll figure out this hastag thing. I must talk to the teenager. You can find my Tumblr account here. Let’s grow and learn together.  

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