Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Both YouTube and QR Codes can be helpful in a school library. The following are some examples of how YouTube can be successfully used in a school library, and through these four schools we can take a few ideas away with us:

YouTube:

Norman High Library
1) Most helpful for students: How to Use EBSCOHost
2) Students would like best: Norman Public Schools Celebrate Your Freedom to Read

The Unquiet Library
1) Most helpful for students: Tutorial Video: PowerPoint "How To" Basics
2) Students would like best: Learn About the Author's Den Creative Writing @ The Unquiet Library

Pikesville HS Library
1) Most helpful for students: The Birthday Party Paperslide
2) Students would like best: AVID Pimp My Binder 2012

BBMS Media
1) Most helpful for students: MLA Citation Review
2) Students would like best: Caroline Director's Video 1/20/17

What I took away from these examples is that I would like to add what activities students are doing in the library (events, games, meetings). Also, I find that adding "How-to's" for things the students would need would be one of the best things to add. This way they can do the activity at their own pace while also getting the necessary help.

Animoto Video/ QR Code

Animate Video is a program that lets you create book trailers of your favorite books, as well as other things, to help promote your library. I have done a practice video that you can see if you scan the QR Code below, and it is of the book "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. We read this book during one of my class periods, and the kids enjoyed it a lot.

Book Synopsis by Goodreads 

Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.

Gaiman has delivered a wonderfully chilling novel, subtle yet intense on many levels. The line between pleasant and horrible is often blurred until what's what becomes suddenly clear, and like Coraline, we resist leaving this strange world until we're hooked. Unnerving drawings also cast a dark shadow over the book's eerie atmosphere, which is only heightened by simple, hair-raising text. Coraline is otherworldly storytelling at its best.

Animato Book Trailer:

I have use Animoto for book trailers that my students did for our Annual Literacy Fair. They enjoy being able to customize their video, and they do feel pride when they are showing their video to their families. Here are a few examples they have done: 

Padlet Period 1
Paddle Period 3
Paddle Period 7 

Screencasts, Instagrams, and Flipagrams

In doing this project, I was little nervous when it came to trying new things (Flipagrams and Screencasts). Since I have an Instagram, it wasn't so scary, but I felt that I was a little overwhelmed in trying something different. Because of this, I decided to start with Instagram:

Instagram:

I do like Instagram, and to be honest before this I didn't really think about using it in the classroom, but I did find that it is a great way to showcase student work. That's what I decided to do with it this time around. My kids made QR Code Bookmarks that revolved around a self-selected book they read, and many did a great job, so I wanted a way to showcase their work and Instagram did it for me!


Book Suggestions Instagram

Flipagram:

I really enjoyed reading the blog by Mr. Parkinsonict  when he suggested using Flipagram to showcase what students were reading. I decided to try it with a few projects my students did instead, but I feel that this is something I want to continue to not only see what popular books are being read, but to also making sure our students are following our classroom procedures in having a book with them to reading during our silent sustained reading time.

Reading Projects 2015

Screencast-o-matic:

The first time I ever came across a screencast was during my time as an SHSU student. One of my professors used it to show us how to create a MARC record, and I must say that it was very helpful for me. I feel that this would be great to incorporate in the classroom in order to show students how to create using certain websites or apps. Personally, I have had to sit down with each class to show them how to create their Edublogs, Animoto, and Padlet accounts, and doing multiple times a day can get redundant, so I feel that by creating a screencast-o-matic the students and I will be able to work better. I feel that while this is playing I can help students problem-solve should they need me rather than just being up by the projector explaining it and having to trouble-shoot at the same time. I decided to show how to create a QR code since we did do this as one of our class projects.

How to Make a QR Code Video

Introduction to Me Reading Video

How to Create a QR Code Video 

Last Thoughts:

I enjoyed each of these apps, but I feel that my favorite was the Flipagram because I feel this is the one that I would use the most in class. I feel that my students would feel most comfortable using this as well, and although I did find that the screencast-o-matic is useful, I feel that this is something that I would be using less often than the Flipagram. One thing is sure though, I did feel proud to have tried new things, and see that I am able to take away from the experience to share with my kids!

Inforgraphics

In creating my first infographic I tried the following three sites: Easel.ly, Piktochart, and Infogr.am.

Piktochart:

I had continual trouble logging-in to Piktochart, and once I was there I saw that in order to get more templates I needed to upgrade my account ($39.99 per year). I felt that Piktochart would be a good tool for companies who do multiple presentations, but I felt that students wouldn't be able to get the most out of this tool.

Infogr.am:

Like Piktochart, I felt that Infogr.am would be better suited for formal presentations rather than for classroom use. It deals more with showing graphs and data, and it does have limited templates. Upgrading your account would cost about $19 a month! I feel that it would not get the kids excited to use this tool often.

Easel.ly:

Out of the three I decided to use Easel.ly instead of the other two sites. I found the Easel.ly was more user-friendly for me. They have MANY templates to choose from, and I feel that the students would be comfortable using it since it has a lot more tool buttons to help us out. Best of all, upgrading your account would just cost about $3 a month! I had a lot of fun creating my infographic on modes of reading, and I am already thinking of how to incorporate it in my classroom. Here is my infographic:

(You can also find it on: https://www.easel.ly/viewEasel/5138455 )