How Teens Incorporate Digital Platforms and Devices Into Their Romantic Relationships (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A., Anderson, M., & Smith, A. (2015, October 1). How teens incorporate digital platforms and devices into their romantic relationships. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/01/how-teens-incorporate-digital-platforms-and-devices-into-their-romantic-relationships/

Teens and dating is very complex and if you throw in the Internet their relationships become even more complicated. In this article, I learned how teens that are dating communicate.  According to the article, teens in relationships spend time with their partners both online and offline. Teens reported spending time with their partners in a number of ways such as texting, in person, social media, gaming, etc.

1. Text Messaging 92% of teens
2. Talking on the Phone 87% of teens
3. Being Together in Person 86% of teens
4. Social Media 70% of teens
5. Instant or Online Messaging 69% of teens
6. Video Chatting 55% of teens
7. Email 37% of teens
8. Playing Video Games 31% of teens

According to the article, “In an age of connectivity through mobile phones, complications arise when responses to texts or calls or posts aren’t immediate.” I think that this is a concern as a parent because I would not want my daughter to feel pressured to constantly be in contact with a boyfriend. Some of the teens in the study stated that when they are in a relationship they are expected to regularly check in with their partners throughout the day. Again as a parent this is alarming. I understand that when teens are in relationships they want to talk to their partners, but checking in regularly throughout the day does not sound healthy. Even though they are in a relationship teens should not be required to tell their significant other where they are every single minute of the day.  The article further stated that teens also use social media as a way to keep track of their romantic partners.

While young love can be sweet teens still need retain their individuality. Using digital platforms and devices can help teens stay connected, but they must maintain a healthy balance.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 9 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 153 pages 

Where Teens Seek Online Privacy Advice (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Cortesi, S., Gasser, U., & Smith, A. (2013, August 15). Where teens seek online privacy advice. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_TeensandPrivacyAdvice.pdf

When teens are online privacy is very important. Teens have to be smart and cautious when they are online in order to protect themselves and their private information. Although teens rarely like advice from their parents, when it comes to online privacy they do seek out help from their parents.

According to the article, Where Teens Seek Online Privacy Advice, most 12-17 year old teens report that they rely on themselves and to manage their privacy settings online and on social media. They achieve this by either doing their own research about online privacy or by exploring their options on the apps or platforms they are using. Many of them stated that they learned by trial and error or online tutorials. Although most teens only depend on themselves for online protection and privacy the survey conducted did find that teens are willing to ask for outside help when they have questions about online privacy. The survey found that 70% of teens have looked for outside help from friends, parents, and close family members.

• 42% have talked to friends or peers
• 41% have talked to a parent
• 37% have asked a sibling or cousin
• 13% have gone to a website for advice
• 9% have asked a teacher
• 3% have gone to some other person or resource

The study also found that girls are more likely than boys to seek help when it comes to online privacy. I believe this because boys prefer to be independent and find their own answers. A lot of times I have seen that their egos get in the way and they do not want to ask for help. In my classroom it is often my female students that ask for help and not the boys. As a matter of fact a lot of times the girls come ask me to go help the boys because they will not come ask me themselves.

I found very interesting that the survey found the younger teens ages 12-13 are more likely to ask a parent or teacher for help with online privacy than teens ages 14-17. In my opinion this happens because younger teens still value and trust the advice from teachers and parents. Older teens feel more independent and self-reliant so therefore do not seek the advice of parents and teachers. Some of the older teens even stated that their parents were too old and would not know how to manage online privacy settings. Others teens stated that their teachers probably would not even know how to set privacy settings.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 17 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 144 pages

For Teens, Phone Calls Are Reserved for Closer Relationships (Pew Article)

Anderson, M. (2015, August 17). For teens, phone calls are reserved for closer relationships. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/08/17/for-teens-phone-calls-are-reserved-for-closer-relationships/

Although texting has become a prominent way of communicating, phone calls have not totally disappeared. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey on teens, technology, and friendships the survey found that phone calls are an important way teens connect especially with their closest friends. I am glad because honestly there is nothing better than to have a real conversation instead of the emotionless texting.

The survey found that 52% of the teens surveyed said that a phone number for calling is one of the first three types of information they would share with someone. The top reason stated (80%) by the teens that they give their phone number to new friends is for texting. When you make a new friend it is easier to text them than to have phone conversations.

Yet when teens consider a friend to be close they stated that phone calls are more common. According to the survey 69% of teens cited phone calls as one of their top choices for talking with their best friends. One teen in the survey mentioned that giving their phone number to a new person was too much information. Another stated that talking to a new friend on the phone can be awkward. Yet another teen explained that phone calls are only reserved for more intimate relationships with close friends because if they are your best friends you will want to talk to them on the phone because you have more to talk about.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 4 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 127 pages 

13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology (Pew Article)

Rainie, L. (2014, July 23). 13 Things to know about teens and technology. Retrieved November 26, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/search/13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology/

There is no question that technology is changing the way we do things. A long time ago finding answers to our questions would require us to look for the answer in a textbook or we had to go to the public library and get books that would help us find the answers that we needed. Today finding answers to our questions takes mere seconds with the help of the Internet. Teens have definitely embraced the Internet and all its wonders. This article focuses on the different ways digital tools have changed the way teens communicate and gather information.

According to the author Rainie, information has become a “third skin” for teenagers. This in my opinion means that teenagers have developed an extra layer in their personalities when it comes to seeking information especially on the Internet. Seeking information on the Internet for teens has become second nature. Teens no longer have to run to the local library like we used to in order to find answers. All they simply have to do is find Internet access either on a laptop, tablet, or cell phone and they can begin searching for what they are looking for.

Rainie also stated that the future of learning for teens is constantly evolving from what it used to be. A piece of information that really caught my attention was that learning used to be seen as a transaction in which teens would receive knowledge, but today learning is seen as a process in which learners create knowledge. This is so true because all the digital tools out there enable teens to create work that was unheard of in the past such as YouTube videos, infographics, and screencasts just to name a few.

Finally, the piece of information that had the most impact on me was when Rainie wrote that, in the past it was thought that teens learned best passively by listening and watching, but today teens learn best actively doing and managing their own learning. This statement is so powerful and true. No longer do you walk into classrooms and libraries and see students listening to lectures instead we see students actively engaged in their learning. We now see students cooperatively working and using technology as an active and present part of their education.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 55 slides

Current Total Pew Readings: 123 pages

Final Reflection Blog

A final reflection for this class. Well that is a tough thought. Why? Well, when I first started this class I was terrified. I glanced through all the assignments and I was so scared of all the technology we were going to have to use. I was not familiar with many of the programs or apps we were going to have to use and neither was my campus librarian. She is the one I usually go to for help on my homework assignments. I will say as I navigated through the course I was reminded of the phrase, "Never judge a book by its cover." I learned to trust my ability to learn new things and I gained self confidence. I ended up loving this class and feeling eager to tackle the assignments because I knew I was going to learn something new every time. I am not going to lie there were moments of frustration, but I learned to take those moments in stride because in the end I knew I was going to learn something valuable. I am sad that this class is coming to an end, but I walk away knowing that I learned so much.

I ended up having a great experience with the technology I encountered. To be honest I do not use Twitter a lot and I definitely do not like Facebook, but I can see how they can be used to help promote the library. I have to put my personal feelings aside and think of them in terms of how they would help the students. Students today love to be on social media and if I use Twitter and Facebook to help attract students to the library then I will use these tools to my advantage. Blogs and blog readers are a great way to keep students up-to-date with information that can help them be successful in the library and in the classroom. If we set up a blog reader with only educational blog feeds students do not have to waste time searching for information, all the information they need is just a mouse click away. Infographics are an excellent way to show students information especially if they are visual learners. Teachers and librarians can use infographics to show students the main points of a lesson that was taught or as a visual study guide for students. Students can also show what they have learned in class or in the library by creating infographics. Podcasts are excellent way to teach lessons that can be listened to as many times as the students need to learn a concept. Students can also utilize podcasts to talk about what they have learned or are learning. Animoto is a great way to create book trailers. QR codes are a fun and exciting way to get students involved with the library. Students like QR codes because it is a surprise to them and they want to see what they will find when they scan the code. Online book communities are a perfect way for teachers and librarians to recommend books to their students. Cartoon and comics are an excellent resource for students to be creative and show what they have learned. Screencasts help librarians and teachers share lessons that students can view as many times as they need and are easily accessible at all times if they are posted to a blog or website. Instagram and Vine are also quick and easy apps that can be used to keep students informed about what is happening in the library.

My favorite technology tools to use were Animoto, QR Codes, cartoons/comics, and Instagram. Animoto has opened up a new world of possibilities for me as I create book trailers for my students to get them interested in books that I think they would enjoy. My campus librarian has asked me to help her by creating Animoto book trailers that she can show to classes when they visit the library. I am also very excited to use QR Codes. Our campus library just received new library books that come with additional content such as videos, slideshows, quizzes, etc. My campus librarian asked me to prepare a lesson that she will let me deliver to students about QR Codes. We will download a QR Code reader to the Ipads in the library and we will also help students to download a QR Code reader to their phones if they like. I will also be responsible to create a display featuring information about QR Codes and will feature some of the new library books that have QR Codes. Cartoons and comics are awesome! My students have started working with MakeBeliefsComix and they love it! Not only is it free and easy to use, but I love that students are not required to create an account. We have started to use it with our weekly vocabulary words. Finally Instagram is an easy to follow app that allows me to post videos and pictures and that is why I love it so much. It is so user friendly and I get the best of both worlds.

I would have to say that using Pixton was difficult. I was so aggravated using Pixton because in my opinion it was not user friendly and I did not have many options. The avatars were difficult to use and maneuver and I will not be using it with my students. I also had some difficulty using Jing. Recording on Jing was not difficult, but the length restrictions of the videos did cause a problem for me. Having five minutes to record a screencast is not a very long time. I also did not like that Jing does not provide an option for users to get an embed code. I would rather use screencast-o-matic with my students than Jing.

For the students I feel that they would benefit the most by using Podcasts, cartoons/comics, and screencasts. These tools will help students grow and learn. Cartoons will be a fun way to engage in lessons. As for screencasts and podcasts students can utilize these tools as frequently as they need until they learn the lesson.

Instagram and Vine

School librarians have so much technology at their fingertips that can be helpful in promoting the school library. Students today from elementary through high school enjoy incorporating social media into their daily lives. As librarians we need to find a way to connect with our students and I think technology is a great place to start. Instagram and Vine has grown so much in popularity so it would be wise as librarians to tap into these resources.

First let us take a look at Instagram. Instagram is so easy to use. In order to sign up all you need is to provide an email account and create a user name and password. Signing up takes no more than about two minutes. I love Instagram because it allows users to post photos and about 15 second videos. So really you are getting the best of both worlds. Once a user selects the picture they want to post they are given the ability to edit their picture by selecting different filters, adding shadows, adjusting the brightness, cropping the picture, etc. The possibilities are endless! Users can tag people or even add hashtags to their posts. When posting videos users are also given editing abilities.

Librarians can use Instagram in many creative ways. Librarians can promote library activities such as contests, author visits, new books or library arrivals. Librarians can highlight library services and library hours. Top school wide readers or top reading classrooms can be featured on the library's Instagram account. The best part is that by using Instagram students will be able to connect with the school library in a fun way and parents can also find out what is going on at the library by simply following the library on Instagram.
Librarians
New Library Books Ready

Vine I was a little more hesitant to use because I had never used it before. I downloaded the app and I decided to ask my students for help. I figured if anyone knew how to use the app it would be them. I created my account by simply adding an email address and password and I asked the kids for help. All I had to say was, "Who is a Vine expert?" All my students' hands shot up in the air! I gathered a few to show me what to do and a few to volunteer to be in the video so I could do a few test runs. My students were so excited that they were helping their teacher with her homework. It took me no more than five minutes to figure out what to do. I love Vine now and I cannot believe I had not used it before. Users must keep in mind that the videos can only be six seconds long and will play in a continuous loop.

Librarians can effectively use Vine for the school library. Librarians can use it as a quick way to highlight the arrival of new library books. Librarians can promote upcoming library activities like the book fair. If the library has held a contest a Vine video would be a perfect way to reveal the winner of the contest.School librarians can then share or embed the videos to the library's social media accounts. The only drawback that I had with Vine was that I was not able to embed the videos directly to my blog I was only given the option to embed and share the videos directly to Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr so I had to share a link to the videos instead. Maybe as I become more familiar with the program I can figure out how to solve this issue, but for the time being I was not able to figure it out.
Accelerated Reader Vine
New Library Books Vine

Overall I loved both Instagram and Vine and will be using them as part of the school library program. I will probably use Instagram more because the length of the videos can be a bit longer, but will also incorporate Vine for those students who prefer to watch Vine videos.

Conflict, Friendships and Technology (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A. (2015, August 6). Conflict, friendships and technology. Retrieved November 13, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/06/chapter-5-conflict-friendships-and-technology/

For teens social media can be a really fun tool, but at times it can cause a lot of headaches. According to the article, Conflict, Friendship and Technology, “Digital media plays a role in these less happy elements of teens’ friendships, both as a source of and platform for drama and conflict, and as a conduit through which the connection can be severed and walls erected when a friendship ends.” Teens today label problems on social media as drama instead of bullying. According to the study 68% of the teens who participated in the study and participate in social media report they have witnessed people stirring up drama on these social media platforms. The study found that girls are more likely than boys to state that they have seen drama created on social media. For this study the social media that was most frequently used by teens who participated was Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram.

The economic status of families also plays a role in the drama their kids witness on social media. The study found that only 59% of teens whose families earn less than $30,000 have experienced people creating drama on social media as opposed to 70% of teens from wealthier families. I think this happens because teens that come from higher income families have more access to social media through electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. The more kids have access to these devices the more likely they are to use social media. Kids from lower income families do not have as much access to these devices so social media are not as prevalent in their daily lives.

Many of the teens who participated in the focus groups for this study discussed that conflicts and drama flow between online and in person. Some teens stated that something silly that started online was then blown out of proportion in person. Others said that personal problems then escalated and got worse online because online more people are able to join in and add fuel to the fire. One teen explained that drama escalates more online because people are more willing to say things online that they normally would not say in person because they have the ability to hide behind their computer or phone screens. The teen also explained that once the conflict blows up online it just keeps growing because other individuals have the ability to join and feed into the problem. I agree with what this teen stated. Even as an adult I have found that people become bolder or brazen when they have the ability to hide behind a screen.

Teens who participated in this study also discussed some of the factors that contribute to online conflicts. The most common response was a simple misunderstanding. One teen stated that just the way you type something can be misunderstood and can turn into a big argument. Another teen said that sometimes the lack of closure can make a problem bigger. This teen in particular felt that problems can be eliminated faster when issues are resolved in person rather than online when you cannot see the person’s true reaction. I have to agree with this particular teen. When problems are solved online you really do not know if the person was sincere or not and the lack of closure can often come back to cause other problems or bring back old issues.

When a friendship does come to an end the teens in the study reported that 60% of them have taken an action such as unfriending, blocking or deleting photos of a former friend. Girls were found more likely than boys to take one of these actions. The study found that 63% of girls were likely to unfriend a former friend as opposed to only 53% of boys. It was found that unfriending was more likely to happen among older teens than younger ones. Of the teens in the study 43% of them admit to blocking a former friend. Finally 42% of the teens admitted to removing photos of a former friend from their social media accounts.

Social media is supposed to be a place to share happy moments. At least that is why I use Instagram. I have a personal account and on it I share pictures of my daughter so my family can see her. Unfortunately some do abuse social media and use it for negative purposes like to stir up drama. If we all use social media responsibly then we should not have any problems.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 6 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 68 pages 

Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015 (Pew Article)

Lenhart, A. (2015, April 9). Teens, social media & technology overview 2015: Smartphones facilitate shifts in communication landscape for teens. Retrieved October 24, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/04/PI_TeensandTech_Update2015_0409151.pdf

It is no surprise that the continual advancement of technology changes how people do things. I think technology has had the greatest impact on teens. The Pew Research Center continues to enlighten us on how technology has had an impact on all of our lives. This time the report I read dealt with how smartphones have facilitated Internet use among teens.

The research conducted by the Pew Research Center consisted of 1,060 teens that were ages 13 to 17 both male and female, from various ethnic backgrounds, and various socio-economic backgrounds. The team at the Pew Research Center understands that teens prefer technology so the study was conducted online instead of their usual method of gathering data which is an over the phone interview. The study revealed that most teens go online using mobile devices especially smartphones. This is due to the convenience and constant access to the internet that these devices provide. Out of the 1,060 teens surveyed 92% of them report going online daily with 56% reporting they go online several times a day as opposed to 12% who report they go online only once-a-day and 6% reporting going online weekly. According to the article, smartphones and other mobile devices have become the primary driver of teen internet use. I have to agree with the researchers, I believe that teens are always on the Internet now because they are carrying the Internet in their pockets. If smartphones and other mobile devices did not exist teens would not have the Internet at their fingertips unless they were at home or school. I believe having easy access to the Internet for teens is important especially for homework, but I feel that having easy access to the Internet from their phone is not always a good thing. Some teens are using the Internet too much because it is so easy to access from their devices. The study also reported that teens that do not go online from their mobile devices go online less than those who do.

The research also found that social media use is prominent because of the easy accessibility given to teens using mobile devices. From the prominent social media platforms it was found that Facebook is the most popular. The study stated, “Facebook remains the most used social media site among American teens ages 13 to 17 with 71% of all teens using the site. The use of the other social media sites is as follows:

·         Instagram 52%

·         Snapchat 41%

·         Twitter 33%

·         Google+ 33%

·         Vine 24%

·         Tumblr 14%

·         Different social media site 11%

The study also found that older teens ages 15 to 17 are mostly likely to use Facebook than teens ages 13 to 14. It was found that younger teens ages 13 to 14 are more likely to use Instagram. I feel that this occurs because younger teens are barely getting permission from their parents to use social media so parents feel that Instagram is a good place to get them started. Plus I feel that Instagram is easier to use than Facebook and this might be appealing to younger teens.

The study not only found that teens access the Internet more through their smartphones, but the study also found that because of smartphones the way teens communicate has changed. The research found that 90% of the teens in this study use their phones to send text messages. On average it was found that teens send and receive at least 30 texts per day. Not only are teens using their phones for texting they are downloading and using messaging apps like Kik and WhatsApp. I understand that texting is so much easier, but I also miss the regular phone calls. I just feel like as much as I enjoy and appreciate technology, teens and adults alike are deviating from human interaction which is so necessary. The only regular phone calls I have on a daily basis are the calls to my parents because they strongly believe that a phone call is a thousand times better than a text message and I appreciate that.  

One thing is certain and that is that technology is here to stay. Teens will continue to embrace it and use it and as adults we need to learn to keep up with it.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 47 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 62 pages 

How Teens Do Research in the Digital World (Pew Article)

Purcell, K., Rainie, L., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., Friedrich, L., Jacklin, A., . . . Zickuhr, K. (2012, November 1). How teens do research in the digital world. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/11/01/how-teens-do-research-in-the-digital-world/

The Pew Research Center has many interesting articles about the Internet, science, and technology. This time I found a great article about teens and research while living in a digital world. I was very surprised at the survey results conducted on teachers and their perceptions of teens conducting research. While the Internet has done wonders for the world not all teachers feel that researching on the Internet by teens has yielded the best results academically. For today’s blog I will be using the article called, “How Teens Do Research in the Digital World.”

For this article more than 2,000 middle and high school teachers from Advanced Placement (AP) and the National Writing Project (NWP) were surveyed about how teens conduct research in today’s digital world. Although the majority of teachers surveyed indicated that the Internet has mostly had a positive impact on student’s research habits they also say that there are some definite drawbacks. The research conducted for this article showed that teachers are using a wide variety of digital tools in their classrooms and that the assignments they give are encouraging students go beyond just using a desktop or laptop computer. According to the article 72% of teachers said students use their cell phones, 66% of the students use digital cameras, and 55% said students use video recorders in the classroom or at home in order to complete assignments. Although teachers are making an effort to incorporate various digital tools in their classrooms the survey revealed a variety of challenges teachers face which could hinder the way students are taught to do online research. The survey results exposed that 97% of teachers who participated in the survey worked in a school that uses Internet filters, 97% of the schools have formal cell phone use policies, and 97% of the schools have acceptable use policies (AUP). Normally Internet filters, cell phone policies, and AUPs are considered necessary, but the teachers surveyed feel that sometimes these measures hinder the ability of students to conduct effect online research while they are at school.

The research survey did indicate that not all teens are gaining the appropriate skills they need when conducting online research in the digital world. According to the article, “87% [of teachers] say these technologies are creating an easily distracted generation with short attention spans and 64% say today’s digital technologies do more to distract students than to help them academically. Some of the concerns raised by the teachers surveyed were students’ over dependence on search engines, poor time management skills, the ease in which today’s students borrow from the work of others, the students’ inability to judge the quality of online information, etc. Teachers are reporting that students are relying on search engines for research instead of using databases, books, reference librarians, or reputable news websites. Teachers stated that for today’s students research means turning to Google for answers. The teachers who participated in the survey related that students use the following methods to conduct research:

·       *  Google or other online search engine (94%)

·       *  Wikipedia or other online encyclopedia (75%)

·        * YouTube or other social media sites (52%)

·       *  Their peers (42%)

·       *  Spark Notes, Cliff Notes, or other study guides (41%)

·      *  News sites of major news organizations (25%)

·         *Print or electronic textbooks (18%)

·        * Online databases such as EBSCO, JSTOR, or Grolier (17%)

·        * A research librarian at their school or public library (16%)

·        * Printed books other than textbooks (12%)

·         *Student-oriented search engines such as Sweet Search (10%)

Due to their students’ over dependence of search engines for research teachers in the survey study reported that they had to change the way they created research assignments. The authors of the article found that, nine in ten (90%) of the teachers had to direct their students to specific online resources for a particular assignment and 83% developed research questions or assignments that require students to use a wider variety of online and print resources.

To be completely honest I am not surprised by the information revealed of the over 2,000 teachers that were surveyed. Although the Internet is supposed to be a useful tool that is supposed to be used wisely it is not. As a current classroom teacher I have seen firsthand how students do not want to use any other resources other than the Internet for their research projects. Students today do not want to take the time necessary to actually search their topic and thanks to the rapid speed of the Internet have become conditioned to expect rapid results. I love the Internet and I do find it helpful, but at the same time I resent the effects it has had on the younger generations who have grown up with it. As teachers and librarians I feel that we have a tough task at hand, but we must take the time to teach students that so much information can be found in other places other than the Internet. I commend those teachers and librarians who are working smarter and requiring students to use sources other than online sources for their research assignments.

Pew Reading Total For This Article: 9 pages

Current Total Pew Readings: 15 pages

Screencasts

Screencasts are a fun way for teachers and librarians to teach their students how to do something. Students can also create screencasts to teach other students how to use certain programs or to show their teachers that they have mastered skills that are being taught in class.

In a school library screencasts can be very useful and easy to incorporate. Librarians can create screencasts for students on various topics such as how to navigate databases, how to navigate the online catalog, how to conduct effective research, etc. Then librarians can take the videos they have created and post them on the school's website and all of the library's social media accounts. This is an effective way to provide instruction for students at all times even after official school hours when students are at home.

Some of the available options to create screencasts are Screencast-O-Matic, Screenr, and Jing. I was not able to test Screenr because I was having issues with Java permissions, but I did explore and create videos using Screencast-O-Matic and Jing. I will tell you that even though they are free both programs require you to download them into your computer. They were both easy to use and navigate, but I didn't like that Jing only limits a user to record 5 minute screencasts. So while Jing was easy to use I would not use it because of the time limit. When I was recording my Jing screencast I definitely felt rushed. I also did not like that since Jing is owned by Adobe Flash because when you save your file to your computer you can only view it if you have Flash installed into your computer. If you save the scrrencast to screencast.com which is Jing's storage site you are not given and embed code so you can only add a link to your video and I did not like that. I tried for a very long time to find an embed code, but I was not successful.

I would definitely use and recommend Screencast-O-Matic. It was so easy to use and there is no time limit on the length of your screencast. When saving your screencast using Screencast-O-Matic users are allowed to save the video to the Screencast-O-Matic website or upload them directly to a user's YouTube channel. Using Screencast-O-Matic was so easy that I am very satisfied with it.

Screencast-O-Matic

Using Screencast-O-Matic I created a screencast for students on how to create a comic strip using ToonDoo.

Jing

http://screencast.com/t/kvkNylEy 

Using Jing I created a screencast to show students how to create a blog using Blogger which is owned by Google.

Cartoons and Comics

ToonDoo

http://www.toondoo.com/

ToonDoo allows users to create a free account to create comics or books using an array of characters, backgrounds, and conversation bubbles. Opening an account is very easy, but with the free account a user does not have many choices. When creating my comic I had to use very basic characters and I couldn’t even get the backgrounds to work for me. Once I created the comic saving it was very easy because I was allowed to save it to my computer which was very convenient. Once comics are created users have the option of saving it to their computer or emailing it to their friends. Although using the site was easy I would not use this particular one with my students because it takes too long to load the images into the comic strip and my 6th grade students tend to be very impatient so for them this is not the adequate program.

Pixton
https://www.pixton.com/   Pixton also allows users to create a free account, but the drawback is that the free accounts only last a few days. A regular free account is only valid for 7 days and accounts for educators are only valid for 15 days. Since I created a free account I was very limited on the backgrounds and characters I could use and to be honest the characters and backgrounds available were not very visually appealing. From all the programs I used Pixton was the most difficult to use. It was definitely not user friendly and I would not recommend it for use with students. Another drawback to Pixton was that you are not allowed to download the comic that you create to your computer because that is a feature only available to paying customer accounts. I did not like this at all because the only way to share is to embed the comic or copy the URL link to the comic.

MakeBeliefsComix
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/

My favorite by far was MakeBeliefComix! It was so easy to use and creating the comic was very fun. With MakesBeliefComix users are not required to create an account at all. All a user needs to do is simply go to the website and get started creating their comic. Users have different characters to choose from as well as various backgrounds, conversation bubbles, and additional props. After finishing the comic users are able to save it to their computer, print it, or email it to friends. This site was very user friendly and easy that it took away the stress of creating a comic. I had a really good time creating the comic strip and I know my students will too because the program is so easy to use. This website is perfect for students to use in the classroom and in the library because it does not require an account. I will definitely be using this program with my students and I recommend it to classroom teachers and librarians. Through this website students can create comic strips based on what they have been learning in class in a fun and creative way that is very quick to use.

Tellagami

The final program I want to highlight is an app called Tellagami. A user can download it for free on their iPad. This app lets users create a character, add a background, and add a voice recording for your character and the final product is called a gami. The possibilities for incorporating this app into the school library are endless. I for example, would create them to promote upcoming library activities, library announcements for parents, book talks, quick student presentations, etc. I definitely recommend that school librarians and teachers use this program especially because the kids would enjoy it. An added perk to this program is that it is very easy to use.

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Online Book Communities

Online book communities are a great way to keep books organized. You can create shelves of books you have read, books you want to read, and books you are currently reading. Librarians can share with their students shelves that have been created for the school library with book recommendations. I think an effective way to use book communities is for the students to add books to the library’s shelf on any of the book communities and rate the books as they read them. This will give students the opportunity to showcase the books that they are reading and other students will be able to see what other students their age and at their school are reading. I had never joined any book communities until now, but I am glad that I did and I am honestly surprised it took me this long. In this blog I will discuss several book communities available and I will recommend the ones that I feel are best for the students.

Goodreads

www.goodreads.com

Goodreads allows users to create a free account. Once an account is created the user is prompted to select a favorite genre so that the program can recommend books to you based on your preferred genre. The user is then prompted to rate at least 20 books after which the program will begin recommending books based on what you have read. I thought this was a cool feature because the other book communities that I joined did not recommend books to me that I might like. I also really liked this feature because the books that are being suggested are based on what I have previously enjoyed reading. The basic shelf categories provided are books I have read, currently reading, and books I want to read. Goodreads allows users to add other shelf categories which is a great option because it gives readers other ways to categorize their books in addition to the categories already provided by the program. Although I liked that books were automatically recommended to me I would not use Goodreads with my students. It is not as easy to navigate as the other programs and therefore would not be appealing to my students.

LibraryThing

https://www.librarything.com/

LibraryThing also allows users to create a free account. By far LibraryThing was my favorite book community and it was really easy to use. I also liked that it allows users to create additional shelf categories. The categories that are premade are my library, want to read, read, and currently reading. When users login all they need to do is click on the tab that says add books. Users then search for the books from sites such as Amazon, The Library of Congress, or Overcat. When users find the book they want they click on the shelf category that pertains to their book and then a book is saved on the specific shelf. For this assignment I added additional shelves which were lower grade, middle grade, and upper grade which were book levels. Visually LibraryThing is not appealing it is actually very simple, but the simplicity of the program is what makes it so great especially for students. I also like that it allows users to shelf books under more than one category. I would highly recommend using LibraryThing with your students because it is very user friendly and it serves its purpose effectively.

Shelfari

http://www.shelfari.com/

Another great free book community option is Shelfari. Shelfari is brought to users by Amazon and if users have an Amazon account they can automatically sign in to Shelfari. If users do not have an Amazon account it is free to open an account and it is very easy.  Shelfari was easy to use and very visually appealing. Users search for a book in the search bar and when their book of choice appears they simply click to add the book to their shelf. The shelf options on Shelfari are I plan to read, I’m reading now, and I’ve read it. Another benefit to using Shelfari is it allows users to rate the books they have read. The only drawback I found with Shelfari is I was not able to figure out how to create my personal shelf categories like I was able to do with the other book communities. Students would really enjoy using Shelfari because it is visually appealing and very user friendly. I would definitely recommend this book community.

Booklikes

http://booklikes.com/

Another easy to use free book community is Booklikes. Although I personally did not like it and would not use it with my students it is easy to use and worth exploring. Users simply search for their books and once they appear they can add them to their respective shelves of read, planning to read, or currently reading. This book community also allows readers to create their own book shelf category which is an advantage as well as allow users to rate the books they have read. A disadvantage that I found was that I did not find all of the books I wanted to add to my shelf which was odd because I was able to find all the books in the other book communities. Visually the book shelf was very appealing and to visual learners that would be a great aspect of the program.

Biblionasium

https://www.biblionasium.com/#tab/content-back-to-school-mix

The final free book community that I explored was Biblionasium. Biblionasium is perfect for teachers to use in the classroom with their students and the parents. The reason I say it is for classroom use is because in order to create virtual book shelves teachers need to create groups and add their students into the program and a librarian would most likely not have enough time to manually input the names of every single student they service at their respective campus. This allows teachers to recommend books to their students. Students and parents have access and view the book recommendations as well as the teacher’s wish list so parents can help by donating books on the teacher’s wish list. Students have the capability to create book reviews to post for the entire class to see. This site is very interactive, user friendly and visually appealing and would be a great resource for students to have and to use. I would recommend teachers to create an account and share it with their students and their parents. The only disadvantage that I saw to this book community is that it only has books geared for students in grades K-8 so high school teachers would not be able to share this resource with their students.

Overall all, after actively exploring all the different free book communities I will continue to use LibraryThing. It is so easy to use the students will quickly understand it which is exactly the type of program needed for students who come to the library with a limited amount of time. For classroom teachers though I will recommend that they create an account with Biblionasium so they can recommend books to their students and the parents.

Podcasts

So for today’s blog I will be discussing podcasts. Now podcasts are awesome because you can record your message or lesson and you do not have to show your face if you do not want to! YouTube is an awesome tool, but sometimes shy individuals like me prefer to be heard rather than to be seen. A great element of podcasts is that you can listen to them whenever and wherever you want because they are portable. You can subscribe to a podcast series and when new podcasts in that series are posted they will automatically download or you can store podcasts in your mp3 player.

Whatever the case may be there are many benefits of using podcasts in classrooms and libraries. We all know that students do not always learn in the same way. Podcasts are perfect for auditory learners. Podcasts also allow teachers and librarians to differentiate lessons for students. For example, modifications for Special Education students and Limited English Learners dictate that the education system needs to differentiate classroom and library instruction. Podcasts can meet these needs by allowing students to have extended support. If they do not understand the lesson the first time they can have access to it as many times as they need because it is a podcast.

Podcasts also allow librarians to train teachers and students in a cost effective way. Librarians can offer for teachers staff development. Staff development through podcasts is perfect because a lot of times finding the time to schedule these training sessions can be very difficult. If librarians offer staff development with podcasts teachers have the convenience of listening whenever they have the chance thus making it more likely those teachers will react positively to the training because they do not feel like something is being forced upon them. When training students using podcasts librarians can record podcasts about different topics such as library orientation, how to find books using the online catalog, or how to use databases. Really the trainings librarians can offer teachers and students using podcasts are endless.

 The best part of podcasts is that they do not necessarily need to be created exclusively by the teacher or librarian. Podcasts can be created by students as well. For example students can create podcasts that promote the library and the services the library offers, book talks, or research findings.

 When creating a podcast there are many free options available to users. Today I will be discussing Audioboom, Podomatic, Soundcloud, and Audacity. I created a free account for all of the programs mentioned and I explored each one individually. First I will start with Audioboom. What I liked about Audioboom is that it allows you to upload an audio file that you already recorded or it allows you to record audio. Unfortunately every time I tried recording audio when I played it back the sound was warped and in slow motion. For some reason my microphone headset did not work with Audioboom and for a while I thought maybe something was wrong with my headset, but when I used the same microphone headset with the other programs it worked perfectly. I have to caution users that if you create a free account with Audioboom your podcasts can only last up to 10 minutes each which can be a deal breaker for someone who needs to record a longer podcast. So for me personally Audioboom was not for me and I would not highly recommend it to users. The next program I tried was Podomatic and I did not like it at all. I created a free account and after several attempts and an hour later I was never really able to use it. The page would not load properly and the program kept kicking me off the account I had created. Every time I tried to click on something so that I could navigate the site it would ask me to login again. I was not even able to try recording any audio therefore I found that the site was not user friendly and I also would not recommend it. The next podcast site I tried was Soundcloud and it was great. It was easy to use and navigate. I found it to be user friendly. Soundcloud allows you to upload an audio file previously recorded or the site allows you to record and save a file to upload. After uploading a previously recorded file or one that was just recorded, Soundcloud gives you access to the link or the embed code so you can share you podcast. The only drawback I found in Soundcloud is that when I uploaded my podcast file it did take a while to upload and process the clip. I would definitely recommend Soundcloud to users who are interested in creating podcasts because it is very user friendly. The last program I want to talk about is Audacity. For me personally Audacity is very easy to use, but I must caution you that Audacity does require users to download an additional piece of free software so that the audio clip can be converted to an mp3 file. I must warn you that the additional software needed has a really unique name, but it works really well. The software that works in conjunction with Audacity is called LAME, and it is an mp3 encoder. I have to be truly honest what took me a few hours to record with the other three programs only took me about 10 minutes to do with Audacity. After recording and saving the audio to your computer users will need to upload it to a host site such as Podbean. Although Audacity requires an additional piece of software and a host site I would still recommend it to users because it works and it is user friendly. Ultimately the two best podcasts that I recorded were the ones done using Soundcloud and Audacity. For this blog I will share the podcast that I recorded using Audacity because it is my tool of preference and because when I was recording the podcast using Soundcloud my cell phone started buzzing and you can hear the buzzing in the background.

With this assignment I was able to explore other options in podcasting. I also learned the wonderful ways that teachers and librarians can use podcasts in their lessons. The important bit of information that we must always remember is that we must find different ways to try to reach our students. Podcasts can offer different learning experiences for students as well as they are a creative way to keep students engaged in the lesson.

To access my podcast click on the link below:
The Gypsy Librarian Podcast for Narrative Essay Hooks

Videos and QR Codes In the Library

In today's blog post I will be highlighting the use of YouTube, Animoto, and QR codes in school libraries. Teens in today's society love technology so it is important to incorporate technology into the school library program.

First I will talk about YouTube in school libraries. There are so many ways that YouTube can be incorporated into school libraries. For example, YouTube can be used to upload and view book trailers, library procedures videos, to showcase library activities, etc. As I explored YouTube and how it was used in school libraries I took a closer look at some school library YouTube channels. The first school I looked into was the Norman High School Library. A video that was posted by the library that I felt would be the most helpful to students was the NHS library orientation video.  This video is not only perfect for new students to the school, but it is an excellent resource for all students. A video that all students would like is Tigerpalooza 2015 Dark Lord Funk. This video was funny and it incorporated students and teachers. 

The next YouTube channel I looked at was The Unquiet Library. A video that I found that would be extremely helpful to students was Tillery Tutorial Video: Creative Commons 101 for Senior Project Slides. This video shares very pertinent information about creative commons and it explains creative commons in a student friendly way. A video that students would like was Creative Commons Licensing: What it is and Why Should I Care.Students will like this video because it is a short video that explains in a nutshell what students need to know about creative commons.

The next school YouTube channel was Pikesville High School Library. A helpful video for students was 2014-2015 Course advisements. It is very important for students to be well informed before registering for their classes. The video students would most likely like is Hip Hop Day at The Panthers Library. This is a fun video showcasing the activities that the library put together in an effort to celebrate Black History Month at Pikesville High School.

  

The last school library YouTube channel that I navigated through was Bonnie Branch Middle School. A helpful video for students was Online Career Resources. This video is helpful to students because it shows them how to use the library resources for their career research assignment. A video students would like is All I Do Is Read. This video would be attractive to students because they used a popular song that kids know and it is any easy way to remember that library books are due. 

Having a library YouTube channel is a great way to advertise the library. I would utilize YouTube as a way to get more students to participate and collaborate with the school library. For example, I would have students help me create the videos and/or act in the videos. I would feature school library activities, highlight student created book trailers, create screencasts that would help students with databases and research, etc. All of these videos can be used to promote the services available at the campus school library.

The next tool I want to discuss is Animoto. When I found out we had to create a book trailer I was terrified because I thought it would be a difficult task. I had always seen book trailers on YouTube and I always thought they were awesome, but figured they were difficult to make. I was wrong and I had such a great time making my book trailer. Animoto is a user friendly tool that makes creating a book trailer very easy. I signed up for a free educator account and it was as easy as adding pictures, text, and music. I found the pictures for my video at www.pixabay.com which is a free image website. After I completed my book trailer, Animoto enabled me to upload the book trailer to my YouTube channel. Then I went to www.qrstuff.com and I created a QR Code for my book trailer. It was really simple and all I had to do was select the data type, enter the video’s URL, and select the color for my QR Code and then it is ready for download. After downloading it all you need to do is save it in your files. I highly recommend using Animoto and QR Stuff  because they are both easy to use and very effective.

QR Codes are a fun way to get students engaged in the school library program. Not only will students enjoy discovering what the QR Code will lead to, but they will also enjoy scanning the code with their electronic devices. Below you will find information about the book that I selected for my book trailer and QR Code: The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John. Scan the QR Code to view my book trailer.

The night Martine Allen turns eleven years old is the night her life changes completely. Martine's parents are killed in a fire, so she must leave her home to live on an African wildlife reserve with a grandmother she never even knew she had. When Martine arrives, she hears tales of a mythical animal living there-a white giraffe. They say no one has ever seen the animal, but it does leave behind footprints. Her grandmother insists that the white giraffe is just a legend, but then, one stormy night, Martine looks out her bedroom window straight into the eyes of the tall silvery animal. Could it be just Martine's imagination, or is the white giraffe real? And if so, why is everyone keeping its existence a secret?

After learning how to create QR Codes I am very excited to incorporate them into the library. As I searched how other school libraries are implementing QR Codes I found a lot of really neat ideas. For example, some schools use them as promotion for new library books. They display QR Codes all over the library and the school hallways and when the students scan them they get information about the new library books that have just arrived. Other librarians make library orientation videos and place the QR Codes for those videos all over the library. The students then scan the codes to watch the videos. After the students watch the videos they answer questions on a worksheet pertaining to the library procedures. Another idea I found was some libraries have QR Codes displayed all over the school and when students or parents scan them they get the latest library news and announcements.  

After discovering how other school libraries are using QR Codes I am going to definitely incorporate them into my school library as a way to promote the library in order to get more students and parents to come in. I will use them as a way to advertise new library book arrivals, I will use them to guide students to databases for research projects, I will use them to promote tips for ethical internet use and research, to promote library activities, etc. There are endless possibilities on how librarians can effectively use QR Codes in their libraries. As for me I am so ecstatic and grateful that I was required to learn about Animoto and QR Codes.