Putting all the pieces together

After spending so much time online, the stacks, and in between the pages it can be hard to see the bigger picture.  So often we are looking at the leaves that we forget to see the forest.  Small pieces come together to make something beautiful at the end.

This week at ODU was one of those experiences in seeing the forest.  This week we looked at a lot of the newer things going into our libraries.  On Monday, I worked with Mary Duvall on a QR code presentation with a program called Videolicious.  I learned quickly that if you wanted your WHOLE picture to be in the presentation, then you needed to make sure that it is taken in landscape.  Videolicious and portrait style are not friends.  It is a good program to make quick videos, especially if you are working on a quick presentation, but you do get what you pay for.  This program would be a good one to use with students in giving them another format to present their findings in a fun and different way.  What kid doesn't love to make videos?

Tuesday we heard from a representative from Mackin and some librarians about electronic books and eReaders.  It was definitely something eye-opening for me because we continue to talk about the digital divide in schools.  However, this is something that can be hard to implement or for some people impractical.  It really helped me to think more about how I would make changes in my own library and work with teachers, administrators, and the county to help close the gap between students.  That day I also looked at putting together a portfolio.  I think that this is going to be a great product that I will be able to take to a principal when looking for jobs next year.

The final day on campus we met with Dr. Jamie Colwell and talked about literacy.  It was funny to talk as both librarian and teacher and parent.  In the school, we wear many hats.  It was just another great reminder to me about what a benefit it is that many of us are coming into the library field from the classroom.  We also gave book talks which was definitely fun and a different experience with the avatars.  I am used to giving book talks with my own students and having them do the same with me.  However, working with electronic kids was something different.  It just reminded me once again about the importance of body language and knowing your audience ahead of time.  What can I do to get them in the library or in a good book.

Overall, it was a lot of fun and I am excited to add more to my education in the library sciences.

Videolicious

Woooo!  What a day on campus!

I got to work with the lovely Mary Duvall on a videolicious project.

We worked on QR codes and introducing them to the school librarian.

Interested in them?

Check it out here!

Infographics, let's try this again.

So here is my newest infographic.  It was time consuming and I really did have to have a plan of attack before I even began, but I like it.  I know that if I had professional training in graphics design, this would look much better.  But it's not bad for a teacher!

Digital Story Telling

First I began with the Domo Animate site, but that seemed a little too tricky for me.  So I tried SimpleBooklet and this is what I came up with.

Booklet

While I know that this is not a story, it was one of the first PDFs I had available.  I realized that students could easily make a Power Point story and then convert it to a PDF and be able to do the same thing.  I have several students this year who have taken to Power Point to do their writing.

The other site that I used was Story Birds.  Some of the art on this site is quite strange.  But it would make for a great creative writing lesson.  Students would be excited to try to write to different pieces of art.  I know that in my own fifth grade class, this is something that they really like to do.

The final one that I went to was Pic Lits.  This site, children can use a picture, but have a set of words to pick from.

Pic Lit Poem


I think between the three of these sites, I would probably use SimpleBooklet for Elementary.  Work could easily be created in Power Point and then converted for the site.  Many students enjoy the use of clip art in Power Point and the different elements of design that can make a Power Point their very own creation.

Infographics....Not for the faint of heart

So after seeing several infographics I thought how cool it would be to create one.  They all looked colorful and creative.  Then I began working on one.

I went to about three different sites to try and create an infographic that I felt worked.  This is definitely not a project that you go into thinking that you can create one in 30 minutes.  Finally I picked Piktochart.  I struggled at first to move things around.  It reminded me of the training that I received in high school about webpage design.

I did my infographic on quilting.  Next time though, I definitely will have a better idea of what I want to do and how to do it.  This ties in to what I want students to remember.  You never go into anything without a plan.  I would also have students continuously think about their audience.  All of the traits of writing that I use to teach can easily be converted into teaching infographics because it is another form of literature.

Blooms Taxonomy

I enjoy using Bloom's Taxonomy when working in social studies especially.  The levels make for great cube questions.  I have also used it in Math as well.  These lead to some VERY interesting discussions.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF35-1326]

Digital ID: fsa 8a02984   Source: digital file from intermediary roll film

Remembering: can the student recall or remember the information?	List what is in the alley way behind the girl. Repeat what the girl is wearing
Understanding: can the student explain ideas or concepts?	Explain where this little girl is. Discuss the kind of life this girl may have if she lives here.
Applying: can the student use the information in a new way?	Dramatize the life that this little girl may have at home. Write a story about where this girl lives.
Analyzing: can the student distinguish between the different parts?	Compare this picture to the street that you live on now. Contrast the girl’s clothes with her surroundings.
Evaluating: can the student justify a stand or decision?	Evaluate the idea that this girl is lower class. Argue for or against the safety of her neighborhood
Creating: can the student create new product or point of view?	Write a diary entry from the girl’s perspective about a day in her life. Develop a city plan that would help this girl’s family to live in a cleaner place.

Image Play

So as an elementary school teacher, there are a lot of things that I do graphically.  Just this past week, I created a new review booklet on the fifth grade Science SOL (I'm happy to share by the way if anyone would like it).  Yet, there are so many cooler things that we can do now with apps and internet right at our finger tips.

Big Huge Labs - I have used this site before to make movie posters for my students' writing pieces.  They love the fact that they get to take complete control over it and even sometimes print in color.  I have also used the movie poster feature to create posters advertising what we will be covering in a school year for Open House.  Both students and parents are really impressed by them.

Imagechef  - The word mosaic on Imagechef is much like Tagxedo.  This would be a great tool to use for students to do a vocabulary dump for subjects.

Foldbook - Okay this is really the site that I wanted to talk about.  Never have I seen such COOL stuff for teachers and kids to do online with their photos.  The coolest thing is the photo hexagon.  I can already tell you that this is something that my students would eat up if I used this to make a review tool.  I would probably have to confiscate them actually because they would play with them during instruction time.  Below is an example of the hexagon.  This would be a fun tool for those students who need to keep their hands moving.

Tagxedo

I have first heard about Tagxedo at a VAASL conference this past March.  It was EXTREMELY cool to everyone there.  This is a tool that I have taught my own fifth graders to use as well.  This tagxedo is a list of all of our fifth grade science vocabulary.  I have been working on a major science project for next year, so this seemed fitting.

Creative Commons

Oh how I miss you chocolate cake.  With this pregnancy, my gallbladder has decided that it is no longer my friend.  And so this means, diet.  Who ever heard of dieting when you are pregnant?!  But if labor is a 10, then gallbladder attacks are a 9.  If this means no chocolate, then I guess I can handle that until nearly Christmas time.

Source: Emilydp via Flickr (2011)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6071/6045690529_3ef8cf79ef.jpg


Now for some information on creative commons licenses.  Didn't how handy this would come in right now since I have a friend who is dealing with this battle right now on her own blog!

Attribution - This allows others to use your work and change it even for commerical reasons as long as they give you credit for it.

Attribution-NoDerivs - This allows for distribution and commercials uses so long as the material remains unchanged and credit you.

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - This allows others to use your work for noncommercial reasons only as long as they credit you.

Attribution-ShareAlike - This allows others to use your work even for commercial purposes so long as they credit you and license their own new creations the same way.

Attribution-NonCommercial - This allows others to use your work for non-commercial reasons, but they still have to credit you.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs - This is the most restrictive.  Allows others to download and share as long as you are credited.   They cannot make changes or use them commercially.