Blogs

Lots of library and teaching are available to read.  I already follow Free Technology 4 Teachers on Pinterest. I've gotten lots of great ideas for incorporating technology from the pins they add.

One blog I'd like to follow is The Unquiet Librarian.  As I was reading through the blog, her first post was on growing learning communities and makerspaces.   Right after was inquiry based science.  She is definitely up to date with current topics in teaching and libraries.  I like the simple design of her blog and the colors she chose.  Her blog includes regular posts, but also has links to presentations and publications.  It's informative and entertaining.

AASL Best Websites 2014

Each year, AASL puts together a list of the best websites for teaching and learning. They have to be free and user-friendly. Here are my top 3 from this list.

1. Powtoon - http://www.powtoon.com/ This free website allows you to make a short, animated presentation. Several free templates are available for use. They claim that it's as easy to use as PowerPoint, so if you can do PowerPoint, you can do Powtoon! In the classroom, use Powtoon to announce an assignment. Show the video in class or put it on your class website for students to view at home. One of our classmates in 602 made a super cute video a couple weeks ago that did exactly that.

2. The Why Files - http://whyfiles.org/ The Why Files explains and expands upon current news stories. The content is primarily science based, but is also great for social studies. This is a great way to get students to go more in depth on topics they read about. Talking about current events and science discoveries helps keep students engaged. I like that national science standards and lessons are also included on the site.

3. Thinglink - https://www.thinglink.com/ This free website allows you to make your digital images come to life. You upload an image and then add links to it. Use this with a picture of the library. Add links to the catalog, the library website, or any other information for students. In the classroom, let students take images for a project and add video and web information that goes more in depth. See below for the quick, personal Thinglink I made. It took me less than 15 minutes. Just hover your mouse over the picture and you'll see the icons to click for more info.
 

Group Project Fun!

Tuesday afternoon, we got together as a group to do an unknown project using recycled materials.  My group was myself, Annie Samsky, Jenny Shapiro, and Ashleigh Jedlowski. Here is our final project presentation:

QR Codes and Augmented Reality

The I-Nigma (http://www.i-nigma.com/CreateBarcodes.html) and QR Code Monkey (http://www.qrcode-monkey.com/)  sites both are very simple to use to create QR codes for use online or on print material.  On both, you simply enter the url of the site you would like to link to, hit create, and then download the QR code as a .png file.  From there, you can put the file anywhere you like.

One way I would use QR codes in the library would be during open house for parent and student information.  The QR code would link to the library website that has all the necessary information for students using the library in the upcoming school year. Another way I would use QR codes is for links to book trailers. Book trailers are a fun way to introduce books to students in a very engaging way.

Another QR code site allows you to put an audio message with it.  Check out mine below:

My first experience with augmented reality was watching the short TEDtalk video linked on blackboard.  I was blown away. This new technology is so neat and my head is spinning with the implications of what it can do.  I downloaded the Aurasma app on my iPhone and then went online to find sites that had “auras” to use.  I found a site that had a math worksheet where when you hovered over it with the app, a tutorial came on.  I thought that was a great idea for use in the classroom.

In the library, one way I would use augmented reality is similar to what I would do with QR codes, but using a book cover to link to the book trailer video.  Or maybe it would have a video of the book author reading a chapter of the book, or doing an interview about the book. It could also be used to help students figure things out.  In a high school library, many students are in and out and can’t necessarily get individual assistance on how to find something, such as a reference book.  With Aurasma, the student could gain access to a video tutorial of how to find what they need.