My Final Reflection

This course has certainly been an interesting one! Opening each module was a little nerve wrecking as I didn’t know what was coming next. Each assignment exposed me to something new and interesting that can be implemented in the classroom for educational use.

I created an ebook that would give you a better idea of my experience in this class. I used the web app "Book Creator", it's awesome and very user friendly.

My Final Reflection

Click to read this book, made with Book Creator

https://read.bookcreator.com

RSS Feeders

This was the first assignment we had to post on our blog and let me tell you, I had never heard of a Feed Reader. I had to do a little research on what it was in order to know what I was about to learn. Feed readers are an awesome way to keep the blogs you follow all in one place. This is a great tool to use because you don’t have to waste time looking at everything separately, it’s all in one place. Great time saver!

Social Media

Social media can be used in so many ways. It is a part of many people’s lives and many schools are aware of this. That is why many schools and libraries have used this to their advantage and have joined the social media band wagon. They use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twiitter  to inform parents and students of school events, news, and updates. The possibilities are endless when using social media in the correct way!

Infographics

I must say, when I started making my infographic, I felt a little overwhelmed. We were given the option to use three different web apps. I played around with Easelly, Infogram, and Piktochart and finally decided to stick with Infogram as I felt it offered more options of layouts and visual effects. As a rookie to all this, I felt like I needed to explore many layouts until I felt comfortable with one. Once I started my infographic, I felt like I was on a roll. I finished my project and felt so proud of myself. I believe infograhics are an awesome way to educate students about specific topics as they are easy to read and usually visually inviting.

Screencasts

Ok, so I had seen a screencast from a previous professor and I had wondered how they did it, to me it was so cool because it was cool to actually be guided through a process that I had no idea about. When it came to me actually creating one, it was a different story. Like everything else, once I started getting my feet wet and playing around with the different web apps I was like, “Ok, I can do this!” Screen casting is an awesome way to guide students and parents through assignments and processes they have never done before. Awesome way to get parents involved and familiarized with school websites and things students do online like use the school’s online catalog or search for school events.

Youtube, Animoto, and QR codes

Youtube-comparing different school youtube accounts was really interesting. Just to see how things flow and work in other schools kind of served as an eye opener as to how much can really be done when using one of the most famous internet websites…..Youtube. Kids are always watching, so why not use it as an educational advantage?

Animoto- I really enjoyed the process of making my own book trailer. Deciding how much information to put without giving the best parts away was hard but very fun! I believe book trailers can go a long way in the library as students are more in tune with technology. Book trailers are fun and exciting to watch, many students stick to certain genres and I strongly believe this will open the doors for many students and get them interested in other topics and book styles.

QR Codes- I would see these codes in stores, on items, online, and I would always wonder how they worked. Well, now I know and I am very glad I do. As educators, we all know time is limited and is not to be wasted. QR codes are awesome time savers as they take you directly to the point. Using QR codes in the library should be something librarians should implement in the library. Kids would love scanning these just for the pure curiosity of where they can lead. Book trailers, presentation, documents, you name it!

Cartoon and Comics

I think I had a little too much fun on this assignment. Creating cartoons and comics had me looking back at my previous teacher experiences and had a good laugh. As teachers we all know having a good laugh can lighten up any mood. I created a comic or cartoon using three different web apps Toondoo, Pixton, and Make Beleifs Comix. I enjoyed using Toondoo the most as if was a little less complicated, user friendly, and it offered more options while using the trial version. Who doesn’t like free right?

Podcasts

Creating a podcast was something I had done before in another course. It was a little nerve wrecking to record our voices as it was done it a group but we got over it and nailed it! Podcasts could be an essential tool in the library as it can serve students who have disabilities or who have not yet learned how to read. We used Podbean as our source and we absolutely loved the experience!

The assignment that excited me the most was creating the cartoons and comics. I had an awesome time laughing at my comics and at the comics my classmates created. The assignment that was most difficult for me to do was the Feed Reader assignment, it was out first assignment and I was way out of my comfort zone, but I was able to do it! Out of all the assignments, I believe screencasts will mostly benefit students as it serves as a guide for many things. A lot of students are too embarrassed to ask for help and having this available for them and parents as well.

Overall, I learned a lot from this class! I plan to implement everything I learned in my classroom and share this awesome information with my colleagues!