602 Course Reflections

I just uploaded my final 602 project to Blackboard and I feel so relieved to be finished with the course!  As I said in my previous post, this last project was tough, but also enjoyable.  I think I did a good job and I'm happy with the result.  Is it perfect?  Of course not!  But I poured my heart and soul in it and that's what matters.

I didn't have too many expectations at the beginning of the course because I didn't really know what it was going to be about.  The first few weeks were tough as I struggled to work with the new tools and make sure I was adequately participating in the discussion forum and commenting on other people's blogs.  After a while, that all became second nature and I found that I enjoyed reading others blogs and seeing what they did with the same tools that I was working with.

I tend to learn new things quickly and this class was no exception.  I felt like I learned how to use various tools quickly and was able to put together some nice products.  I have learned so much about all of the things that are available to us as teachers (and librarians).  I had never heard of most of these tools and I'm super excited to incorporate some of them into to my classes next school year.  I'm also going to be sharing what I learned with others in my department.  This is some really useful stuff!

While frustrating at times, overall this has been an enjoyable experience.  Though I am looking forward to a few weeks of real summer with no classes!

Final Project!!

Making this final project presentation was difficult, but I actually somewhat enjoyed it.  Once I got inspiration for how I wanted it to look, that set the ball rolling and it wasn't too tough from there.  My inspiration came from the "books" picture I found on creative commons.  It was a very simple stack of books with a black background and I really liked the look. So I strived to continue that "look" throughout my presentation.

For the font, I went with one of the suggestions from Garr Reynold's book. On page 40, he has a list of reliable typefaces for presentations.  I chose Rockwell because I liked the look of that the most when I typed them all into PowerPoint.

To figure out how I wanted the overall presentation to look, again I went to our textbook and looked at the many examples in Chapter 10.  I knew that images were super important and that text should be minimal.  I don't think mine looks nearly as good as any of these in the book, but I am happy with my result. I put it below to share.  It doesn't have as much meaning without my speaker notes, but I do think you get the gist of what I was going for by just looking through my slides.

Morsey 602 Final Project from meganmorsey

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.

Video iPhone Apps

Since I have an iPhone, I downloaded the suggested video apps to give them a try.  Sock puppets is a silly app where you choose a sock puppet to animate.  You get to pick the background and props, then you record your message. The sock puppet says your message in a silly voice.  I'm not sure what the practical applications would be for this app, but it's definitely fun!  My daughters especially enjoyed using it.

Tellagami allows you to create a character and give it your voice. The final product can be shared via social media sites, or even by text.  It would be fun if all students had access to this technology.  It would be an awesome way to do an "exit ticket."  Instead of writing something down, they could record their answers to my questions or tell me what they learned and then post it to a class Facebook page!

Videolicious is like a slideshow with a recorded message.  The free version is limited to one minute, with one sound bite and 10 supporting shots.  Again, if all students could use this, they could do a quick presentation of a topic or it would be a fun way to do a "get to know you" activity at the beginning of the year.