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Digital Technology - Final Reflection

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My journey through digital technology has definitely been eye-opening. My previous experience with technology use was very limited. I was nervous about delving into different webapps and tools and felt uncomfortable at first with trying new things. There was this constant fear of not understanding how to use the app or tool. Once I got started, I realized there was nothing to fear. As a future librarian, it is our responsibility to stay up to date with new technology and have a clear understanding of how to use it as well as what it could be best used for, so that we can share it with others. I have gained a better understanding of the importance of technology in education, especially when it comes to helping students to become life-long learners in the 21 st century. There are so many ways to incorporate technology across the curriculum and I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned with my colleagues as well as using these apps and tools in the library. Some of th...
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Digital Technology - Podcasts

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My week of digital technology adventures consisted of podcasts. This included everything from creating one to publishing it, as well as discovering ways to use them in a library. I also discovered some interesting educational podcasts that I will share with you as well. Through my adventures, looked at three different podcast webapps including Soundcloud, Audioboom and Podbean. I must admit I was already a little biased before beginning my journey of discovery and creation since I had used Podbean before, but I tried my best to keep an open mind. With Soundcloud, reviews that I looked at raved about it. I was excited to try it but found myself disappointed. It was easy to set up an account but once there, I had some difficulty in figuring out what to do next.  I clicked on the support tab for assistance, but it wasn’t very helpful. So, I went on YouTube to find a video on how to create a podcast on Soundcloud. I was not impressed with it. I didn’t find it to be as user fri...
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Digital Technology - Cartoons and Comics

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This week has been fun, filled with lots of creativity and learning. I got to explore three different online programs that can be used to create cartoons and comic strips. I looked at Toondoo, Pixton, and MakeBeliefsComix. The all have some great qualities and some things that took me a little time to figure out. I discovered ways creating cartoons and comic strips can be used in education and want to share it with my colleagues and other educators. Overall, I have really enjoyed playing around with the programs. By LanaSnow | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon With Toondoo, it was easy to create a free account and get started. Once I logged in, I chose the layout and was given the option to add or take away frames or cells. Toondoo offers a lot of options as far as backgrounds, characters, and props. It was user friendly and allows you to flip the props and characters, bring them to the front of the frame or move them to the back, make them smaller or lar...
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Digital Technology - Videos and QR Codes in the Library

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It has been another week of exploration. I have discovered many uses of videos on YouTube, how to use Animoto to make a book trailer, and how to create a QR Code for the book trailer and embed it into this blog. There is so much information I want to share with as well as some really neat videos created by students, staff, and librarians that demonstrates how they can be used as a resource in libraries. YouTube YouTube offers a wide range of videos. One of the YouTube channels I looked at was for the Norman High School Library. There were only a handful of videos on the channel but the "How to Use EBSCOHost" video was very helpful. It walked students through accessing the databases and locating information from reliable sources. I think it was the most helpful video available for students. One of the other videos that was a lot of fun and gave a tour of the library, including the technology available for students was "Tiger Visits the Norman High School Library....
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Digital Technology – Screencasts

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Screencasts are something new to me. I wasn’t’ certain what they were at first, but I had an idea based on their name. A screencast is a video recording of your computer screen where you can include audio. It is can be used as a teaching tool or a way to share information and ideas. I spent some time looking at two different web applications that create screencasts. I used Screencast-o-matic.com and Jing, which can be accessed through https://www.techsmith.com/jing-tool.html . As I was playing around with the two webapps, I tried to keep in mind how I can use them as a learning tool in the classroom. I also focused on the pros and cons of each of the programs and determined which I prefer to use. Both Screencast-o-matic and Jing have free downloads.   With Screencast-o-matic, you do not have to download it, but I chose to so that I could compare it with Jing. I found Screencast-o-matic to be easier to download, but the free plan limits the number of screencasts you can create...
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Digital Technology - Infographics and Webapps

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I went on a mission of discovery regarding infographics.   I had an idea what they were before I got started in my research, but I now have a better understanding.   An infographic is a visual tool that tells a story or shares information about a specific topic. It is fact based and planned, not just thrown together. It is an excellent way for educators to display important information for students. Infographics can also be used as a collaborative project demonstrating students’ knowledge and understanding of a topic. There are several webapps that can be used to help in creating infographics. The ones I explored include Easel.ly, Piktochart, and Infogr.am. All three sites have some positive aspects and some negative ones. They all offer a free plan with the option to upgrade for a fee. With the upgrades, they include additional templates and other tools. They also include features like creating groups that can work together on the same project, additional share option...
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Digital Technology - Social Media Apps

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My digital technology journey continued this week into social media apps and discovering different roles they can play in education. I looked at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I found they each have pros and cons, but if used safely and effectively, they can be an excellent tool in collaboratio n and sharing ideas and resources. Facebook is a social media app that I am familiar with.   I searched school libraries and the list included school library groups, journals, connections, rules, and a few school libraries pages. I looked at the ways school libraries are utilizing Facebook as well as the advantages and disadvantages.   From what I saw with the school library pages for Victoria West High School, Lamar Middle School, and Atascocita Middle School, Facebook can be used to share information about upcoming events, photos of events that have taken place, book reviews and recommendations, district information, videos, or anything else relevant to the school or district. ...
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