Final Reflecton

It is almost over!  I will be brutally honest here; I HATED THIS CLASS!  Now let me explain why I say that; and what it is that I am referencing when I say that.  First of all, I do not hate or dislike the professor. Dr. Gross is great to work with and offers great advice.  I do not hate my classmates.  They offered great help in our partner assignments and offered great comments in my blog posts.  They were awesome. 

               I hated the websites and apps that we had to use to create the assignments.  I know that HATE is a strong word; but I HATED them.  More than anything I didn’t like the way it made me feel.  It made me feel as if I was a complete idiot.  I couldn’t get it sometimes and I felt like I had a first grade mentality.  More than anything I feel that I was over analyzing myself and created a fear that I could not break free from.  It literally took me a year to get through this class.

 I took this class for the first time during the Fall semester of 2017.  I got stumped on the Info graphic assignment and after that I just stopped.  I had the hardest time trying to figure that assignment out that I just stopped.  Looking back at it; I felt that I was just emotionally overwhelmed that semester that I should have just taken a break.  My mom was still recovering from multiple surgeries, where we almost lost her.  I had surgery on my foot in September of that year and was recovering slowly and I was just not in the right place emotionally and mentally.  I needed a break. 

Taking this class over again was interesting when I got to that assignment again.  The one that I failed at last year.  I was happy that I was able to turn several of the assignments early and gave me a three-week head start on the info graphic assignment.  I struggled on it again but this time I just buckled down and did it.  I was not sure that I completed the assignment correctly; but I had to do it, I had to commit myself to at least try.  I tell my students to never give up; but to at least try it.  So I did, and it was not that bad.  Funny thing though; I had surgery again in September 28, 2018; that I am currently still recovering but mentally I am better now. 

Screencasts, instagram, YouTube, animoto and QR codes were a breeze to complete compared to the previous one; and I was glad that I was able to learn how to use some of these applications that I can share with my kids.  Screencasts is a tool that I will use to be able to explain lessons to students when I am out or to embed in a Google Classroom.  Animoto is another tool that I will have my students use in their upcoming projects to create short videos. 

The Cartoon lesson is one that I enjoyed the most and will be using more in my classes My students are using them to create cartoons using their terms for economics.  By creating the cartoons; I feel that my students have a better understanding of the term in the way they use it in the cartoon or comic. 

Having knowledge of how these app works I will be able to show my co-workers how to use them and be able to use in their classrooms. When I become a librarian these tools will be helpful to show others how to use. 

So while I like my Professor, I like my classmates and I like the majority of the topics in the class; I STILL HATE INFO GRAPHICS!

My last cartoon

Copy Right and Fair Use

This week's assignment was to partner up with someone taking this class and create a guide regarding Copy Right and Fair Use. I was fortunate enough to work with Elizabeth Ritter (Banda).  We worked well together and were able to get things done by the day before Thanksgiving.  She was an awesome partner. 

But one thing I will say is this regarding finding a partner.  Several people had sent emails to the class requesting someone to be there partner.  I replied to two fellow classmates and neither of them replied back stating either "Yes, I'll be your partner". or "No, I am sorry I already found one."  I just a simple reply would be nice to receive.  It would have been an embarrassment to me if I thought we were partners when you had someone else.  Now that being said; if I forgot to reply to someone to let them know I already had a partner I apologize. 

Here are the two guides that we created.  The information is there that you can create a poster for teachers to post somewhere in their classroom to help them and students remember the key points of Copyright and Fair Use.

I hope that you all like it. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Podcasts

Podcasts can be fun and frustrating.  I have been doing these for the past two and a half years in various different courses that I have taken while trying to achieve my Masters in Library Science.

One of my fist podcast was for an assignment where I had to discuss about Ms. Nancy Pearl.

The following is the link where you can listen to it.  It was an o.k. assignment. 
 https://ephscantu.podbean.com/e/nancy-pearl-podcast/

So what did you think?  Horrible, right?  I just hate the sound of my own voice.
ppods
Well for this assignment; we had to look at three different webapps regarding podcasts. 

They were SoundCloud; Audioboo; and Podomatic.  Unfortunately I could not find Audioboo so I chose Podbean which I have used before. 

Accessing all three apps was not a problem at all.  Soundcloud had the most podcasts to listen to.  It was easy to access; but I feel for a classroom; this is the one that I would least want to use; because the students could easily be distracted and find several podcasts to listen to that have nothing to do with the assignment.  So this one gets a grade of an A + but for student use I would give it a C-. 

Podomatic was the one app that was a little hard to navigate at the beginning but once you got the hang of it; it was a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream.  It was simple to set up and upload your own podcasts.  As a grade I would give it a B; mainly because it was hard at first but then it was simple. 

The last app I used was Podbean.  This app was simple to set up and to upload. It is the one that has the least distractions compared to the other two.  I found this one the easiest to upload my podcast and one that I can give my students the link to find easily.

But unfortunately my school blocks access to podcasts.  So for a teacher to use it in a classroom would be hard; but they can upload to Google Classroom where the students can access it at home.  It would be great for teachers to leave lessons when they are out for a long period of time or to leave for home bound students to access and know what they need to do in terms of assignments.  I wish I would have thought of this sooner; because I could have created podcasts to leave lessons for my students. 
My example that I created is the instructions for a lesson for my students in case they were absent for a long period of time or if I was out for an extended time period. 

The example is the following: 
 https://EPHSCantu.podbean.com/e/lssl-5391-assignment/

For libraries; teachers can create the podcasts and submit the files to the library to store for when students might want to revisit lectures or instructions for lessons.  This would be saved on a computer that can store these files and students can access it when needed.  This would be beneficial for students that do not have access to a computer or other device to hear these podcasts. 

Students and teachers can access numerous websites that have podcasts for them to use.  There are several articles written that explore the different websites that are available.  Some of these websites can be accessed by clicking on the following links:
https://www.weareteachers.com/best-podcasts-for-kids/
https://www.teachthought.com/education/50-of-the-best-podcasts-for-high-school-students/
https://www.bestvalueschools.com/educational-podcasts-high-school-students/

Cartoons and Comics

Oh my goodness!  This activity was fun, but it was hard and frustrating. 

This week we had the assignment of creating cartoons using Toondoo, Pixton and MakeBeliefsComix. 

First Cartoon.

  

The first one I tried was Toondoo.  I was not a big fan, I did not fund a tutorial to help me out; but I learned by just trying out different pictures and clicking on different tools. 
The cartoon I cam up with for this site; was pretty simple in my opinion; but I think it was ok for the first attempt.  My students would find it easy to do; but not sure how much they would enjoy it  I am afraid they would get frustrated.  I am going to try this with my D.C. U.S. kids this week and see what they think about it. 

The second cartoon can be found by clicking here:

https://www.pixton.com/schools/from/comic/k425ky1j 

I hopeful that you can access it.  This is the cartoon from Pixton.  I preferred  the cartoons that were available in ToonDoo; but you are able to manage these cartoon images better. The kids would love this website better but I think teachers that are of a certain age (40+) would prefer ToonDoo better.  We will see.   

The Third Comic is:

 

This one was created with MakeBeliefsComix.com.  And this was the best one of them all.  It was easy to work with and had a various number of cartoons that you can use.  The students will find this website easier to work with and I think will get a kick out of working with these cartoons.  

This was a fun assignment; even though at first it was frustrating to use.  I wish I would have been able to download Pixton; but was not willing to pay for it. 

I can not wait to begin using these with my students. 

Video and QR Codes in the Library

Hey Y'all

Hope you had a Great Halloween!  For me it was o.k.  Still have to use my Knee Walker to get around; and volunteering for the Fall Festival last week was not a great idea if I had to be getting around in that torture machine.

Anyway, this week's assignment was not as scary or frustrating as the past couple of weeks.  Well, I just said that and watch me have a problem submitting this assignment or doing something completely wrong.

For the first part of the assignment; we were to look at at several You Tube Channels regarding how libraries use videos to promote themselves.  The four Library Channels were  The NHS Library, BBMS Media, Pikesville H.S. Library and The Unquiet Library.  A couple of them had up to date information that we can use while others had very outdated and old videos.

We were suppose to answer the following questions for this assignment.

1. Which is the most helpful for students?

For The NHS Library, it was "How to Use EBSCO Host?  because may students do not know how to access this tool and this was a great tutorial in helping students.  You can access it here.

For the BBMS Media Channel the video that is most helpful is "How to Create a Noodle Tool Project"  Having never used Noodle Tool; this was actually a video that I felt would be beneficial to most and not just students.  This video can be accessed here.

For the Unquiet Library the most helpful link is "Finding CC Licensed Images in Advanced Flickr Search" because we need to make sure that we do not infringe on any copyrighted material.  Click here to access the video.

For the Pikesville High School Library Channel the most helpful video would be "PHS Financial Aid Workshop 2013".  This video is long, but it is one that is beneficial if you are seeking financial aid while attending college.  Click here to access this video.

2.  Which is the video that the students would like the best?

For the NHS Library I think the video that most would lie is "Norman Public Schools Celebrates Your Freedom to Read" because it showcases people reading different book titles that students might find interesting to read.  You can access this video here.

For BBMS Media the video that would be most liked is the "General Hur has overdue books" mainly because it is a smart way to remind kids of their overdue books.  Enjoy this video by clicking here.

For Unquiet Library. the most video that would be more liked would be the "New Arrivals, April 2012" video. Even though it is over 5 years old; students can still check out these titles within the library.  To view this video, click here to open the video.

For the Pikesville High School Library Channel the most popular video would be "Pikesville High Shool FAFSA" because it is a great reminder to apply.  Click here to access the video.



What would I do if my school blocks You Tube?  This is a funny question; because our school district used to have You Tube Blocked.  Teachers would at this time download the videos on to their own drives and then open them up on their computers at work.  Unfortunately You Tube stopped letting people do this.  So, our teachers, librarians and admin voiced their concern to school board and showed evidence of the benefits of using this tool.  They listened and it has been free ever since.

How would I use a Your Tube Channel in my Library?  I would create "How-To Videos", record meetings that occur within the school or library that students might find useful; create book trailers for new books that just arrived in the library; and other information videos that would benefit the students.

BOOKTRAILERS
I chose "Love from the Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle as the book I would use to create a book trailer.  The reason I chose this book, is because my niece was just reading this book to her 3 year old and that memory was the reason for my selection. 

A synopsis regarding the book is "“You are the cherry on my cake; you make the sun shine brighter; you make my heart flutter.” Using a range of images from the World of Eric Carle, and featuring the Very Hungry Caterpillar, this special gift book gives all the reasons why someone special makes the world a better and brighter place. Perfect for that someone special any day of the year!"  This synopsis is from Amazon.com

The QR Code for this book is the following.  Please scan one of them to view the book trailer.    The first one is for my You Tube Channel and the second one is from the Animoto webpage.  

  

QR Codes are very helpful in that we can post them to help students find videos online that they can access from home that will help them. Please scan the following examples:    

The first QR code will direct you to a video on how to use EBSCO and the second QR code will display a video reminding you to return late library books.

Well I hope I did this assignment correctly.  Other wise I better get on the ball to find out what went wrong.