What is a picture worth?

Visual... Digital... Instantaneous... Connection... Creative.... Inspirational

These are the adjectives that describe our current society. When working with students, it is imperative to translate thoughts and ideas into a language they understand. That requires using the same tools and learning from them. Two apps I have learned to use are Instagram and Vine.

Instagram allows users to upload pictures and short video, add simple visual effects, and share it with followers. I learned about this tool about a year ago from teens I work with at church.They love sharing selfies, pics of their daily lives, and other oddities that cross their path. I have enjoyed sharing what students can do, what is new in my class library, and what students have created. As an adult the best way to do this, for privacy and safety of students, is to create a private account that is accessible only to approved followers.







Vine is an app that allows users to create 6 second videos. They loop when they are viewed. It is a great tool to share motion or several still action photos. I see this tool being used by a lot of adults to share books and silly moments. Due to the short video loop is it not good for sharing ideas that require background information to understand. The students I work with have migrated away from Vine in recent months in favor of other picture and video sharing apps. I still like Vine's "moving photo" feel. It's almost like those pictures in the Harry Potter movies.







With these two tools, librarians and teachers can share moments and snippets of time that reflect important values in their learning environment. AND, they are fun to use. Students' creativity can drive a lot of how these and other apps can enhance their learning experiences.

Books, Libraries, and the Changing Digital Landscape

 Zickuhr, K. Books, libraries, and the changing digital landscape, Pew Internet & American Life Project,  October 12, 2013, http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/11/12/books-libraries-and-the-changing-digital-landscape/ , April 21, 2014. 43 pgs

Using quantitative phone surveys and qualitative online questionnaires Kathryn Zickuhr presents an eye opening presentation regarding the current trends in how libraries are changing in regards to the ever increasing digital world. After presenting a variety of statistics regarding patron's usage of digital sources, from online news sources to e-readers, it is concluded that libraries are still well used, but their constituents are changing their preferences of how to obtain information. It is suggested that libraries consider fewer traditional modes, such as paper books and periodicals. According to the presentation, they should focus on convenience and connections in "digital literacies" of social media, apps, and websites.

I found many interesting statistical details within this presentation that lead me to agree with the findings of the researcher. First of all, the way respondents receive their daily news is shifting. Online and Digital news sources have skyrocketed in the recent past while traditional newspaper, radio, and TV platforms have plummeted. It shows that users are turning to digital sources for their most essential and daily uses. Another statistic I found interesting is that while e-book reading is increasing, a majority of respondents still feel that reading a print book is more effective with children or when sharing with others. I find this to be true in my classroom. E-books have a smaller size and are harder to share with a group. Even though they are digital natives, children still like to sit with paper books and flip pages, admire pictures, and run their fingers over words as they decode the text. The tactile processing seems to be necessary from an observational standpoint.

The presentation concluded with information that shows that while libraries are still used a majority of the time for book browsing and information seeking, they must begin adapting to a new generation of users that are more comfortable with screens and keyboards than the Dewey Decimal system. A majority of respondents shared that they would be likely to use online research services, library apps, and tech try out programs if they were offered. These are some ideas that librarians could use to bring new technologies into a traditional system.

The presentation can be found at this link:

http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/11/12/books-libraries-and-the-changing-digital-landscape/


Pew Research total: 43/150                                                        Total to date: 123/150 pages

Why Newspapers are Going Broke

We live in the information age. How people get their news, share their news, and view their news has changed dramatically in the last decade. With the increase of numerous digital forms of information curation, it's no wonder the newspaper industry is left scrambling for the crumbs. Users now demand personalization, real time news, and easy to navigate tools.

We are also a mobile society. Consumers demand to know things on the go. The following is a brief review of some popular phone apps that will bring the news to you.

Zite 

Very easy to install and set up; asks for minimal information and learns what you like to read about; wide array of stories to choose from; easy navigation between top stories and specific lists.

Google Play Newstand

Takes the place of Google currents; provides a wide range of articles; does not personalize streams of information; searches will bring back items for purchase, like magazines, and sends user to other webpages; acts like an old fashioned newspaper in organization

Flipboard

Named for its flip-like motion as you swipe through pages; allows user to customize the news feed with a limited number of categories; adds personal Twitter and Facebook feeds to news stream; requires a log in for personalization

I like the easy to use and interesting format of Flipboard the best. The screen movement engages me and keeps me looking for more articles.

When you are ready for the full experiences of what information curation can do, it's time to look into some different sites on your computer.

Scoop.it

Highly graphic; meant to be shared and can be used to promote your brand; easy to find articles and navigate through topics; easy to share to social media sites; I like other people's sites more than my own, so there is certainly a learning curve on how to make it work best for you; Must pay to upgrade to get full usability; has a handy widget that can stay on your favorites bar for easy scooping

Paper.li

The definitive online newspaper! This is a favorite for morning reading. Maybe it's the format that reminds me of my childhood eating breakfast around the table, reading the comics while Dad perused the front page. Easy to set up, good variety of sources for articles; a great way to find new information in your topic of choice; has a widget that allows for quick additions while you are surfing the web

Prismatic

Very connected to social media; seems to be the most customizable by linking the articles your Twitter friends tweet; less newspapery and more list oriented; hard to find the original site due to the domain name being getprismatic.com instead of just prismatic; makes information a sharable commodity; layout is a not flashy or overly active

My favorite computer based tool is Scoop.it. This is a fast, easy way to keep up with information that you would like to share and remember for later.

With all this information swirling around my head, I wonder how people who don't read well, quickly, or accurately can manage the barrage of stuff to know. I found myself becoming a headline junkie and a non-close reader. There are many applications to education for these tools. I can't wait to explore them in more detail.

Screencasting - not for the faint of heart

Personalized homemade videos that are easy to create, upload and access??? It seems like a dream, right? Well, we do live in a dream world. There are several options out there to use and it is possible to create, upload, and use your own homemade screencasts in a variety of ways.

Screencasts have many uses in education. They are shots of  your computer screen with your own personal audio overlaid. It allows for anyone to see what you are doing on the computer screen. My professors have shown me that they are invaluable for giving directions with examples. Inspired by them,  I have plans to create screencasts this summer to explain class procedures and different instructional topics for my students next year. In case I can't be there in person, they can have the video me, which is almost as good. Screencasts are a way to make the vast online world feel close, personal and helpful.

How do you make a screencast,  you might wonder. To start, you find a tool that is cheap, easy, and flexible to your needs. I was told Screenr and Screencastomatic are the places to go to find what I was looking for. 

My first attempt with a Screenr was a resounding FAIL! I could never get it to find the right Java elements to run. It sounds like a 21st century cop out, I know. But I literally tried 4 different machines and they all were not able to use the program. I installed, reinstalled, Googled fixes, sought tech help from those much more techy than I, and finally gave up. Screenr might be amazing, but I will never know. I am a fan of coffee of all kinds, but this Java thing was my nemesis for this activity.

I did a little research and saw that screenr only allows 5 min videos. There is no need to create an account, though, so it might work with students. Assuming you can get it to load in the first place.

Luckily, Screenr is not the only screencasting tool that is online. Screencastomatic is a winner all the way around. It's easy to learn, easy to use, and doesn't have some ill fated love affair with a random version of Java. Check out my screencast on teaching the research process in public schools.


You have 15 minutes of recording time, which is the most of any of the casters I looked into. But really, unless it's a blockbuster movie or Netflix series, no one watches stuff for more than 15 minutes anyway. Students would love the ease of use and simple embedding and sharing options.

I also created a Jing account. It was fast and easy. The elements were similar to Screencastomatic, and it was easy to record and save to my computer as a .swf file. Jing automatically saves the link and has it ready for pasting. It will allow the user tocreate a button that allows for an embed code that would send it directly to the webpage, but it was a little complicated for a novice blogger like myself. The fact that that option has to be created is a turn off for this user. For the sake of ease, I just included the link today.

http://screencast.com/t/6Zx9HIKAilF

This is a super short screencast to show visitors to the school webpage how to find teacher websites. According to the TechSmith (makers of Jing) website, Jing will do up to 5 minutes of recording. I don't see students using this in a school setting due to the need for an account.

Screencasting is a great tool that librarians would be wise to learn. Whatever tool is used, the ability to leave video instructions, lessons, information, or anything you can imagine allows for users to access information anytime and from any computer. Ease of information access is the key to the future.

Word Nerd Joy!

The internet is chock full if fun and interesting ways to indulge your hobbies. When you are a bona fide Word Nerd, there is no end to the fun you can have and havoc you can create with a visit to just a few sites.

Wordle was my first venture into word cloud pictures. I was directed here at a teacher inservice several years ago and have used it off and on ever since with my classes. It is easy to type or paste text and then create word pictures. The site allows you to set parameters for size, color, font, page orientation, and almost any other detail you can imagine. Then, it creates a picture which you can publish, or randomize within the set parameters to get a different look. There are a few tricks you have to learn as you go about how to get words to group together. There is also no easy way to download your creation directly to your own computer. But it doesn't require log in and you can print what you make. That makes it perfect for using with young students who just want to practice their spelling or older students who are interested in creating word pictures of any type of information.


 In this word picture, I entered my website and Wordle pulled directly from the site to create a word cloud with the most common words enlarged.

Once you get your feet wet with Wordle a true Word Nerd will look for places to play with words that give more opportunity to manipulate the aspects of the picture. Tagxedo allows users to form their word cloud into shapes. Then you can also change the color, font, size, and all other pieces to create a completely customized product. The site allows multiple ways to share your creation. You can also directly save your image in different formats and file sizes.

As you can see, this image, created by pulling from the same website as the Wordle image, has a more polished and together look. It was downloaded to my computer to use again and again.

To use this application with students, they need to know how to navigate a website fairly well and should have an idea of what they want their image to look like when they are finished before they begin. I would recommend this tool for older elementary and older aged students.











My favorite new Word Nerd site is Tagul. This word cloud generator allows for more customization than the other sites and has an easy to use interface. The tabs allow you to track your progress through the image creation. You have a live "view" of what you are creating that updates with every change you make to the font, layout, shape, color, etc. You are also able to save your image in different format or directly link to it on your website.





After creating word clouds of so many random words, it is refreshing to have words that make sense together and form a complete though come together. A new trend in techy Word Nerd circles is the creation of images with quotes. The quotes can be inspirational or silly, but the joy comes in the making of them. Recitethis.com is one such tool. At this site a user is able to choose from a list of quotes or type in their own text. Then they can apply the background of their choice. The images are in a strip along the screen. Once the quote has been made, the user is given several options about how to share their creation. Linking to social media sites, downloading to the computer, or hyperlinking are all options.It can even be emailed to a friend. This is a great way to share golden lines from books, thoughts that make you go "hmmm" and all other manner of short sayings.

Another tool from the Android app store is PicQuotes. This functions similarly to Recitethis, but is on your smartphone. You can use stock quotes or type in your own. You can grab backgrounds from the internet, your SD card, or use one of the ones provided. You can share it in the usual social media ways.

In both Recitethis and PicQuotes, the user is limited only my his or her imagination and willingness to learn the interface.

Comics in the Classroom

Comics in the classroom, and I don't mean the funny stand up guy, are a powerful and useful tool. Whether students are creating stories or highlighting vocabulary, the comic format provides a visual tool that motivates and differentiates the product for each learner. Many high quality online comic generators are available.

MakeBeliefs Comix

This is an online generator that requires no registration. It allows you to print and/or email your comic to any email address. It allows for simple 2, 3, or 4 panel strips. By clicking on preloaded images, you simply create the comic of your choice. It is easy to use and fun to play with. Some drawbacks are the lack of customizable characters and the inability to change many features. For a quick use, easy intro to the world of making comics with students, this is a hit. If you want to be more detailed and have specific needs, it might not be the creator for you.  I made a simple strip highlighting the day of a teacher.

I was able to turn it into an image file by using Skitch because it was not able to be saved online in anyway.

ToonDoo

This is a highly interactive site to create comics. There is a large library of images and backgrounds to use. The images are able to be changed as well. Facial expressions, postures, and activities are all switchable in various characters. There is also the ability to draw and create your own images. There are places to doodle and ways to share what you make in a gallery or by emailing it to any address of your choice. It is complicated when trying to figure out how add items to the gallery and manipulate the images. It is doable once you figure it out though. I made a 3 panel comic about the first day of school and had a lot of fun playing with the different character choices. I tried to save the comic in a gallery, but haven't quite figured it out yet. I used Skitch to capture the picture and left the interface in so that you could see how easy it is to navigate.

This site is rather complicated for young learners, but would be a huge hit with older elementary and middle school students. It requires registration and log in. An educator introducing students to ToonDoo will need to take some time explaining how to get to certain areas and how to share their work.

Pixton

This site is set up for classroom use. The initial screen wants teachers to set up their class access. You can give assignments and create an entire environment for students to interact with.

When creating comics, there are five categories to choose from Quickie (simple, preloaded background, 3 panel strip) to Freestyle (any size, shape, layout, number of panels). They are in progressing levels of complication and always have the option to create your own format. There are how to videos to help get you started.

When your comic is created, it is sent to your email address. In this image, I included the heading to show how it is laid out. It is in editing mode because I couldn't find the presentation mode.

This tool would be great for secondary level students. It is highly user friendly and has many options. It is rather complicated to manipulate as a newbie to the site, but I think it would get much easier with use because it seems very intuitive. This is the most integrated and complex site I reviewed. It provides amazing opportunities for students to share their learning, create new content, and interact with an exciting medium.

As a third grade ELAR teacher, I can immediately see how comics can be used to enrich students' understanding of story elements. I also can see me using the comic format to give students options for products in many areas like vocabulary, nonfiction summarizing, and social stories. While motivating and fun to create, students are challenged to use higher order thinking skills to create quality artifacts. I've encouraged reading graphic novels and comic books for years and can't wait to see how they like making their own.

There is a winner.. in Book Communities

Let's face it. We all like a winner. And there is a clear winner in the group of online book communities I recently investigated. I'll share my thoughts in ascending order, saving the best for last.

Library Thing

Oh Library Thing, what can I say? I didn't like you very much. You weren't very user friendly, didn't give good recommendations, and your interface left me bored. You were very wordy and kind of hard to figure out. Your homepage was OK. You had places to connect with other readers, but they didn't reach out and grab my attention. It was easy to find reviews from other readers, but it all seemed a little forced. I don't think students would enjoy using this site due to the lack of visually focused interface and interactivity. The older style discussion boards are out of date and, while interesting, not appealing to those under 40. Yes, I will count it against you that you don't have anything blinking or flashing or trying to get my attention. Sorry Library Thing. You are a "Crusty Classic" we shouldn't have to read just because our parents thought you were worthy.

Booklikes

Booklikes, you had me confused for a minute, but I figured you out. You are a book community, and a blog all rolled into one. You are multi-purposed and interesting. Your blogging tools are easy to use and you offer an easy way to follow others in a blog roll. Posts are easy to create and include all types of media.

Then I click a button and you are an online book community and reading organizer. My books are easy to see and organize onto shelves. You offer deals through Amazon.com and have discussion rooms to share information and thoughts with other Booklikers.

I like the way your page is organized and it was fairly easy to figure out how to use. I'm not sure how useful it would be for students, however. It seems very easy to venture into any area, and I didn't find much control over where students could travel. I liked the look of you, but it was a bit much to manage.  You are a quality mismash of things I like that don't come together as effectively as I'd like to see. You have purpose and value, but just aren't right for me, much like a self help book that doesn't meet my needs. 

Biblionasium

Now we are getting to the good stuff. Biblionasium is a librarian's dream. No, I really think librarians dream about stuff like this and the god of books inspires someone with enough techy know how to make it happen.  This book community is created for librarians and students and teachers to interact with each other. Shared reviews, titles, ability to create different groups, and teacher/librarian oversight all add to the joy that is this place.

It is very elementary in style, so a middle grade or high school teacher might have a hard time selling this interface as "cool", but it would still be able to handle the content. The lack of outside interactivity is a safety protocol that is important for younger students to be able to interact safely in a book community.

The book organization piece of this community looks good and is easily customized for each group. Chosen titles are easy to identify and neatly organized. 

This community was easy to learn how to manipulate and is full of options that make it ideal for growing a community of readers. This is the Choose Your Own Adventure of book communities.

Shelfari

This is a wonderful community. I love the look, the feel, the recommendations, just to gush a bit. There are so many places to interact with other readers and interesting groups to follow and join. The shelf looks great and is easy to apply to other websites. The widget will put your shelf on any website you wish. Students can get recommendations and view reviews. 

There are so many great things about Shelfari. It's super easy to add books. It looks great when you rate and favorite titles. The interface is very intuitive and the connectivity is amazing. The only thing that kept this place from being my favorite was that there is only one viewable shelf. You can organize it in different ways, but I could never find a way to differentiate between elementary, middle grade, and YA books. If I could have found a way to do that, provide different shelves for different interests or levels, this would have won out in the great book community battle. I will most certainly recommend this site to my third grade students and add the shelf widget to my class website. Shelfari is the Newberry or Caldecott Honor book; a wonderful thing that just barely missed the big award.

Goodreads

And that leaves us with the winner, Goodreads! This is probably not a surprise.

Goodreads is the big daddy of all book communities. It is massive in size and options. It promotes connectivity and content without being pushy or goofy.  It was easy to learn how to navigate and gives a lot of great options for use. All in all, it is the best of all worlds. This community can be used by adults and students alike. While I won't recommend it to my third grade students, it is a wonderful tool for older students with more ability to interact on the internet.

So, there you have it. In the quest for finding the best book community, Goodreads has won, hands down due to its scope, connectivity, and ability to manipulate the elements. It is the Ambassador for Literature in the reading community.