Infographics

Infographics

Infographics are a great way to help students learn information. They are even able to create infographics themselves using sites like http://www.easel.ly/ , http://piktochart.com/ , or http://infogr.am. After reading an article about Lifelong Learning and Technology, I was able to create the following infographics using http://www.easel.ly. Graphics and words unite to convey information to learners.

Blogs and Blog Readers

Blogs and Blog Readers

There is so much information available in today's day and age, so many websites that we love to visit, but there's so much going on in our daily lives. Blog readers make your life much simpler by putting all your favorite blogs in one place. Whew! I'm sure you probably feel a similar sense of relief, as did I when I found out about blog readers, but it's not over yet. With over ten RSS (Really Simple Syndication) apps to choose from, picking the best one for you may be a little tricky.

My Favorite RSS

After searching through the list, and playing around with a few sites I choose feedly.com as my primary RSS. I consider myself tech savvy, but I still enjoy simplicity. I feel that the layout on feedly is easy to understand, the menu on the left side is easy to navigate through, and there's a free version available. In addition, you are able to share things through Facebook, Twitter, send emails, and connect to OneNote, Evernote, or GooglePlus.  One of my favorite features included a save for later tab, so that you could revisit posts that you didn't have time to read at that moment or that you would like to refer to in the future.  

Blogs You Might Want To Follow

After setting up my feedly account. I started added all of the blogs I follow concerning the LMC. These are a few of the blog that I follow. They are not ranked in any specific order. Remember that you can also create other collections to make pages of similar subjects.

#1 A Media Specialist's Guide To The Internet

Julie Greller’s blog contains a plethora of information that isn’t only useful for librarians, but teachers as well. I like the way this blog is organized into categories: grade levels, authors, ESLl, graphics, history, content areas, etc., versus a list of posts separated by dates.

#2 Blue Skunk Blog

Doug Johnson’s most recent posts have explored the five principles of library ethics in an untraditional way. He doesn’t just list the principles, but gives examples, scenarios, and opinions of different things dealing with the principles. His blog is very opinion based, but entertaining and helpful.

#3 The Annoyed Librarian

This is probably one of the most untraditional blogs, but that’s what made it stand out to me. The author, blogs about current events that are happening concerning the library and gives her opinion. For example, people who you the library’s wifi to download pornography, unhappy ALA state chapters, and people who want fines. There are also pages fro reviews, news, events, tech, webcasts, etc.

#4 YALSAblog

What stood out to me the most about the YALSA blog are the posts about Makerspaces. Makerspaces are a bit of a hot topic right now, and everyone wants to know how to run them effectively, and budget accordingly. This blog answers those questions along with any additional questions anyone may have about Makerspaces while giving updates on events and wonderful things that are happening with YALSA and ALA.

#5 BAM Book Reviews

This blog was created by Katie and a co-contributor, Briana. They are both college students that write book reviews. The small summary that is most of the time on the back or inside the cover of the book is provided first and then their reviews follow. Since I will be a middle school librarian, I think that it’s neat that they only review young adult fiction novels. You can also send in a request for books you would like them to review.

Tumblr

Take a break from reading blogs, and follow me on Tumblr! tumblr.com/blog/bookcouchtea

Facebook Pages and Twitter

Facebook & Twitter For Libraries

Instead of calling, sending information in the mail, texting, or emailing, many people have adopted social media as their primary means of communication. Schools, businesses, and artists have Twitter and Facebook pages, but where do school libraries fit in?

Facebook

When searching for school library Facebook pages, I saw many pages that made posts about events/programs at their library and in the community, competitions, research projects, student work, hours of the library, book trailers, books to read for the summer,  and funny memes related to the library or reading. Some posts were highlighted blue with a few likes, but I did not observe hardly any comments, and posts that did have comments did not have very many. The main advantage of school libraries having a Facebook page is that it's another way to communicate information to the students/community, but the disadvantage is that there is wasted time if no one is really looking at the page. Anyone can create a page, but what makes the page successful is the amount of involvement. Nancy Dowd wrote an amazing article concerning libraries and social media. It is definitely worth reading, and she references Columbus Metropolitan Library to show how libraries can manage a successful social media page.

Twitter Tech Leaders

As technology bombards its way into education, leaders emerge showing their support and ideas. What better way to share those ideas than Twitter. Kathy Schrock, Jim Lerman, Gwyneth Jones, Buffy Hamilton, and Linda Braun are just a few who have made a name for themselves in regards to educational technology and share their ideas through Twitter.

After reading Lerman and Jones' tweets, I discovered that they both also have Scoop.it accounts. Scoop.it reminds me a lot of Pinterest. There are ideas and articles that you find of interest to you, and you can share your thoughts on what you've found through multiple channels of social media. Everything that you "scoop" stays on your board, which reflects an online magazine. This article by Stacy Firth goes into much better detail describing Scoop.it.  

Below are my observations of  each of these leaders' Twitter pages.

Jim Lerman- @jimlerman

·        Mainly posts through Scoop.it.

·        Tweets contain information for teachers (Summer Learning, Teacher's Toolbox, Teacher Guide to Twitter, Tools For More Interactive Videos).

Gwyneth Jones- @GwynethJones

·        Some tweets through Scoop.it account.

·        Tweets contain information and events concerning the library she works at, books she's reading, and posts from her blog.

·        She also posts some personal things about Tv shows she's enjoys. I personally think her tweets about The Bachelorette are hilarious and add a personal touch.

Buffy J. Hamilton- @buffyjhamilton

·        Often updates what she's reading via goodreads.com

·        Retweets articles concerning different areas of education. Two of my favorites are about the inquirylearning plan and deepwork.

·        She also tweets a lot of personal things that are sports related. Go Cavs!

Linda Braun- @lbraun2000

·        Since Braun is a Past President of YALSA(Young Adult Library Services Association), most of her tweets involve information and events in relation to YALSA.

·        She also retweets articles that shine light on the good things that teens are involved in, hence the "teen advocate" description on her page.

Kathy Schrock- @kathyschrock

·        Schrock tweets information from several of her websites.

·        Tweets include links to reviews on technology, technology updates, conferences she's attending or speaking at, technology advice, and much more.

·        She shares a lot of her personal discoveries about her own electronic devices along with some personal tweets of family or traveling.

I was surprised at how much information could be shared through a retweet or 140 characters. Twitter serves as an effective way to share your thoughts, ideas, and opinions in a fast paced setting. The content you see is dependent upon who you follow. All of the tech leaders' Twitter pages are so different, yet unique, in their own way and provide tons of valuable information. I won't disclose my favorites or do any rankings. I'll let you do that for yourselves. Happy tweeting! Follow me @DN_Woodard as I break into the world tweeting.

Source For Photo

 Crofts, A. V. (2012). Portland shows their library some love: Social media style. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://flipthemedia.com/2012/05/portland-shows-their-library-some-love-social-media-style/ 

Bloom, Schrock, and Prensky-Technology In Education

After reading Andrew Churches' Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, Kathy Schrock's Guide ToEverything, Beloit College's Mindset List, and watching Prensky's video on his views of technology and education, I began to think about my own opinions concerning technology and education based upon my own learning and teaching experiences.

Are They Right?

Based upon the information that I read, Churches, Schrock, and Prensky all support the new role that technology has taken in education, the role of technology being a tool to assist in student learning. The original Bloom's Taxonomy learning pyramid has even been adapted to match technology's new role in education. This new pyramid is important because it shows us how technology isn't only important to only one section of the cognitive process but all sections.

From my own experiences, I know firsthand that technology is an important part of education now. Being born in 1990, I see the best of both worlds. Therefore, I could argue both cases, but it wouldn't matter because the world is changing regardless if people that don't see the advantages of technology in education like it or not, and I think that is the point that Prensky was trying to make in his video. This new pyramid and technology are the future, but I regret that issues that arise from technology and student learning aren't addressed.

Students vs Teachers

Students know that technology is all around them right now, and will be even more dominating in the future, but from a teacher's point of view, we feel that it's important to be well rounded. Yes, we know that technology can be a vital tool for learning, but it shouldn't be the only way in which a student learns. Everyone has their preferred methods of learning. Some are auditory, kinesthetic , visual, but what happens when those options aren't available to you? If PK-12 grade schools are still struggling to integrate technology into learning, then there are definitely colleges that will still have professors who only lecture, and give open end question tests using paper and pen. The world is changing, but it's going to take a while for everyone to get on board, so teachers are confronted with the dilemma of preparing students for the way things are now and the future. I love using technology in my classroom, but will my students suffer when they have to take a test that doesn't involve a bright screen and colorful videos to keep their attention?

Reframing Technology In The Classroom

When I was a student, we weren't allowed to bring our cell phones in the building. Now, I check out a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Decal to notify administrators that my students will have their devices out for learning purposes. Schrock's charts of apps to support Bloom's Revised Taxonomy does an amazing job of displaying how technology has to be reframed in the classroom. She gives separate charts for iPads, Android, Windows, Google, and Web 2.0. The charts display apps in every section of the pyramid that could be used to support learning and could be an asset during lesson planning. Her revised Bloom's Digital Taxonomy ideas show how the use of technology is more focused around the student and Churches' article provides rubrics of how that learning can be measured or assessed.

What Does This Have To Do With The Library?

When we talk about information, the library is the center of that. Is technology a tool for learning or the foundation upon which we build learning? It depends upon the way you use it! It's very clear from Beloit College's Mindset List that our students get their information from Google, but do they know how to differentiate between what's reliable information? The library should be a place where students are taught to research properly whether it's using books, computers, iPads, or cell phones. It isn't just a place to read books anymore, but a place to explore, collaborate, gain understanding, analyze information, and create, hence the increasingly popular idea of maker spaces. As a future librarian, if I had to explain why I needed a certain app for the library, I would refer to the Bloom's Digital Taxonomy and explain how the app supported one or more of the categories that would aid in students learning.

Issues With Technology and Learning

As a teacher, one of the main issues I have with technology is the lack thereof. Everyone wants us to use it, but not all students have a cell phone or electronic device, and not all schools issue each student a personal laptop. There also needs to be an adequate network for the devices to operate on. Nothing is more overwhelming than having a class of thirty students whose hands keep popping up to notify you that the internet isn't working. In addition, a lot of my students know how to use technology to play games, interact on social media, etc., but those when we look at Schrock's chart of available apps it goes far beyond that. Many students do not know how to appropriately use the computer when it comes to learning, specifically creating. I witnessed problems such as not knowing how to copy and paste, type, capitalize, and highlight. It is unfair to measure students' learning when they use technology if all students haven't been properly trained to use the device correctly.

How To Fix It

To get everyone on one accord:

·         Students must be trained to use technology, programs, and systems efficiently.

·         Students must acknowledge that everything cannot be done using technology and technology free thinking skills are still necessary to learn.

·         Teachers must embrace and accept technology's role in education.

·         Districts must provide and teachers must attend professional development to learn how to successfully integrate technology in the learning process.

·         More technology should be available for students to use in a learning capacity.

·         The library should serve as prime model of how technology is used in education.

Bibliography

Churches, A. (2009). Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.

Prensky, M. (2005, December/January). Listen to the Natives. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 8-        13.

Schrock, K. (n.d.). Bloomin' Apps. Retrieved June 09, 2016, from                                 http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html

The Mindset List: 2019 List. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from https://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2019/

LSSL 5391 Dig Tech For School Librarians