Webbing/Mindmapping

I created free accounts on three mindmapping tools and used them to create a web over the information I read in a journal article entitled K.I.S.S. and Information Ethics by Mary Ann Bell.  The three internet tools I examined are Spicynodes, Popplet, and Wisemapping.  All of them are useful for brainstorming, notetaking, and teaching, but they have different looks and different attributes.

The first tool I looked at was Spicynodes at www.spicynodes.org.  This tool was easy to figure out, but as I branched out I was not able to see my web in its entirety.  The cool thing about it, however, was that as you clicked on one of the major branches, it became animated and opened before your eyes to show you the spreadout of branches (or embedded nodes) from that area. Click on the link to go to my web or view below. http://www.spicynodes.org/oembed/url=http%3A//www.spicynodes.org/db/nodemap/&id=cf9de6cca411466a1e3e4c86ec18d3c9&nodemapID=492481&width=640&height=360


The free account has sixteen styles to choose from.  Once you choose your title and style, you are able to begin editing your content in an outline format.  As you type in your nodes, you can add or drag them to whichever level they belong. You are not able to see what it will look like until you save and go to preview.  Then you will be able to see the cool animation.  The preview shows only the center and first branches.  To see more you must click on a branch, which will then animate and open up to reveal more. You can also choose a full screen view and rotate it around with the mouse.  Really cool!

The next tool I tried is Popplet at www.popplet.com.  Popplet is bright and colorful with many options for choosing and changing colors.  The node boxes may be dragged around and rearranged.  I  found this necessary as my viewing screen soon became overcrowded with overlapping text boxes.  You are able to add flickr, YouTube, or google maps as content. I found this tool's look to be a bit hard to follow and overcrowded, especially if you want more than one level of branching. I was able to zoom in or out to see less or more.  Click on this link to go to my web.
http://popplet.com/app/#/1676766

I changed color boxes so that you can see the levels of organization, but it's still hard to follow.  I like Spicynode's organizational features, but I like that you can see everything on Popplet's view.

The third tool is played with is Wisemapping at www.wisemapping.com.  At first I didn't like it because I thought I could just jump in and figure it out without any tutorial since I had done that with the other two.  I projected a blank screen in my class where the students were going to brainstorm ideas for a writing prompt. It started out okay, but then I had trouble when I tried to move or rearrange text as I added information.  Sometimes I would lose the linking line and sometimes the text just stubbornly wouldn't move.  I was using the tool bar across the top of the screen.  After class I watched a tutorial on YouTube which revealed a list of shortcuts.  I found that I could maneuver easily using the Enter key and the Insert key.  This tool allows you to add pictures from a pull-down box.  I like this feature.  Also, as in Popplet, I can see everything in my viewing field. You can click, hold, and drag to move individual items or the entire mind map around.


Notice how you can change the colors and shapes of the text boxes (or have no boxes at all).  I added a picture of a computer screen to the Information Ethics box, a paper/pencil to the Ethics box, a thumbs-up to the Morality box, and a light bulb to the Reflection box.  I changed the text color for the farthest branches of organization. Like Popplet, it has a zoom bar which allows you to see everything or see part of it up close. I used a dotted arrow to show that Ethics is very closely related to Morality. Click on the link to go to my web: https://app.wisemapping.com/c/maps/184203/edit.

As you can see, all three tools organize in the same way: from the center outward.  This is more visually comprehensible than traditional notetaking or even traditional outline formats.  They are fun because you can create and amend them as you go, and students become part of the process.  Of the three, I will probably use Wisemapping the most because of its ease of use and ease of view.  I think it's pretty, too.  But if I want to impress other teachers in a meeting with a web that has been previously prepared, I will probably use Spicynodes with its spicy animation!

Source:
Bell, M. (1998). Kiss and Information Ethics. TAET Journal, Spring, 1998.

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

I viewed YouTube videos from the following school libraries: The Norman High School Library, The Unquiet Library, Pikesville High School Library, and BBMS Media Center.

I was looking for videos that would be helpful for students. 

One of my 8^th grade ESL classes watched the videos for Norman High School.  Even though there were many tutorial videos, such as How to Access, Use, and Share Google documents, my students thought the one which shared library information was the most useful.  Maybe this is because they will be entering high school next year and will need to know information such as this to survive the beginning of school.  
This is also the video they liked the most.

Another of my classes watched some of the videos from The Unquiet Library.  There were several video tutorials related to Creative Commons Licensing of images and Advanced Flickr search which were useful to me and would certainly benefit students.   
My students thought they would like the student-created Greek Mythology videos best, though one of them was hard to hear and often too dark to see clearly.  Another was filmed at Target with much background noise.  (I critically noticed that the students were all reading from scripts.)  The one they liked the best, however, was student-created The Importance of Choice for Igniting Student Passion.   A young woman tells about her photograph project to show the effects PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

A very helpful video from the Pikeville High School Library collection was about course advisement.  It served to help students ascertain that they were meeting all of their graduation requirements.   
Students will probably like watching The Panther’s Library Shakes the best because it’s silly.  
 I personally enjoyed the reflection of student Ye Jin. 

After watching BBMS Media’s Channel, I wished I had shown all these to my students, but we ran out of time.  The 8^th grade slideshow would be enjoyed by the students at that school, but since we don’t know them, it was just okay.  At our school, we make an 8^th grade movie at the end of each school year, but don’t post it on YouTube.  The Overdue Book videos were GREAT!!!  And so creative.  My personal favorite was  Twilight Overdue,
  
but my students really liked One Direction.  (I wonder why?)   
Probably the most helpful would be the MLA Citation Review.  It’s easy to forget the exact order and punctuation required if you haven’t done citations lately.

When I have a library I will have students create some Overdue Book videos like the students did at BBMS.  Maybe we will have a competition, with the top ones posted on our school page.  Though the tutorials are a bit boring to watch, they are helpful, especially for those who are visual learners.  I will make a video of Everything You Need to Know About the Library, as Norman High School did.  I would like to include book trailers, both professional and ones that I make using Animoto.

I made my first book trailer today.  I chose the book Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, not so much because I loved the book, but because I thought it might be fun to portray it and incite interest in teen girls. 

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras.  But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.  What’s a beauty queen to do?  Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program – or wrestle snakes to the ground?  Get a perfect tan – or learn to run wild?  And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?  Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness.  Your tour guide?  None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine.  The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

After writing a short script, I spent a lot of time looking for photos to use.  I used Google Images, finding ones that were labeled for reuse under Usage Rights.  I chose a beach background under the category of travel in Animoto, since the story takes place on a deserted tropical island.  The background music portrays the stressful situation the girls find themselves in...especially when sexy pirates show up and they haven’t been able to shave their legs for weeks.  Scan the QR Code to view the trailer. 

In my library I will use QR Codes to link to book trailers, author interviews, and book reviews.  I found some good ideas on Pinterest and created a QR Code board.  There is information for parents to scan as well as lists of DVDs, magazines, and much more.

Follow Ruthanne Cassidy's board QR Codes in the Library on Pinterest.

Blogs and Blog Readers

BLOG READERS

I researched several blog readers: Bloglines, NewsBlur, Digg Reader, G2Reader, Taptu, Bloglovin', and Feedly, looking at the web pages of each and reading reviews and comparisons posted on the internet.  The majority of the reviews I read talked about the demise of Google Reader (7/01/2013) and which RSS feeds would transfer Google Reader over with ease.  Since I have never used Google Reader, this was not one of my concerns. 

Bloglines (also available for iPhone) was described in a review as easy to use and organize, with individual news items able to be clipped, emailed, and blogged.  However, the feed item display cannot be customized and it doesn’t offer smart playlists.

NewsBlur (also available for iPhone, iPad) will sync 64 feeds in the free account.  Premium service is $24/year.  Its feeds are grouped by folders and it allows nested groups.  It has two views: a list view of continuous stream of full articles and a split view presenting an adjustable list of articles with a full article view at the top.  However, NewsBlur offers no search feature.

Digg Reader is described as simple and elegant.  But you cannot sign up with a username and password; a connection to Google is required.  It does not support OPML file uploads and offers no way to search your feeds.

G2Reader is a simple, cleanly designed reader that does support OPML uploads.  It lets you enter keywords in the setting so that they appear highlighted any time they show up in your feed content.

Taptu’s interface design is portrayed as vibrant and sexy, with mobile apps.  However, the reviews also say that the service has kinks that need to be ironed out, and that it cannot upload OPML files.

The two Blog Readers that stand out in my investigations are Feedly and Bloglovin'. Many reviews I read tout Feedly because it is a good alternative for those who knew and loved Good Reader and the transition is rather seamless.   It is easy to navigate, displays links to Facebook and Twitter, has a 3-pane view, and is able to be customized with themes and category views.  It is pretty, if that is important to you.  However, it requires installation of a browser extension or plug-in for each browser you use and doesn’t support Internet Explorer 8.  A Google account is required.  Feedly may actually be the better organizer since its lets you drag and drop to create new categories and is easy to customize.  Though many reviewers found Feedly to be best overall, I think it was because it was most like Google Reader.  Feedly transfers folders from Google Reader, where Bloglovin' only transfers blogs. 

Bloglovin'

Feedly

             

 Since I'm not a mourner of Google Reader, I actually chose to sign on to Bloglovin'. It works on my computer, iPhone, and iPad.  It seems to be more simple and efficient.  You don’t have to click back and forth to read and comment on different blogs.  It is easy to search and add blogs and you can add a Bloglovin’ button to connect with Readers.  A number appears at the top of an unread post from the feed, it opens in a new tab that takes you to the actual post on the website.  When you have read the post, you click “next post” on the Bloglovin’ bar and it moves you to the next blog.  The blogs are more spaced out than in Feedly and so you don’t feel cramped.  While Feedly might be better-looking, Bloglovin is more practical. (Plus, it made me hungry for McDonald’s.  I’m lovin’ it!)

BLOGS I FOLLOWED

1. In Tumblr.com, I chose to follow Chapel Hill High School Library’s blog at  http://librarytiger-blog.tumblr.com/.  Their latest post shows book covers of class Algonquin books in honor of Black History Month.  They also have many pages of pictures from the past in recognition of Black History Month.   Their post is used for book recommendations, book/movie trailers, quotes, and photos of school events.  I chose to follow it because they post to the blog just about daily and highlight many books.  They include many photos, animations, and video clips which are visually pleasing.

2. I found The Adventures of Library Girl through a Google search and added it to my blog reader.  The information is relevant and timely. This is definitely one I will return to regularly. http://www.bloglovin.com/link/blog?blog=2944817&link=aHR0cDovL2xpYi1naXJsLmJsb2dzcG90LmNvbS8yMDExLzA5L215LWN1cC1hbmQtY2VpbGluZy1ydW5uZXRoLW92ZXIuaHRtbD9zaG93Q29tbWVudD0xMzE1NDAyOTE1MTA5I2M1MjA4MzU4MzQwNTEyNDg5MDMz&frame=1&frame_type=b. 

The latest post talks about the importance of first impressions and how every wall, shelf, and bulletin board is an opportunity to show evidence of how library work matters.  

In another post, information and statistics were provided about schools adopting 1:1/BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Programs and the Teacher Librarian’s role.  It’s all about information sharing, not book collecting.  On December 29^th, she posted eleven questions about libraries that can be used for professional resolutions:

1.             How will you make a difference for students?

2.             How will you make your work the answer to the priorities/problems that keep your principal up at night?

3.             How will you use student data to make instructional and programmatic decisions?

4.             How will you measure success?

5.             How will you connect the dots between your work and student learning?

6.             How will you share this data with your administrators and community? 

7.             How will you ensure your diverse population sees themselves in your space (as well as in your collection)?

8.             How will you dispel negative/outdated library stereotypes?

9.             How will you grow your PLN?

10.           How will you help strengthen our profession by sharing your work beyond the walls of your school?

11.           How will you make sure everyone who walks into the library sees a focus on students (instead of stuff)?

In my favorite post she says, “It's time for all of us to ask ourselves some tough questions relating to the focus of our work and the impact it has on kids.  It's not enough to just work hard.  It's not enough to be exhausted at the end of the day.  The hours we spend with children must matter.  The work we do on behalf of students must result in measurable outcomes.”

Perception Flowchart

3. I chose School Library Journal RSS Feeds because it has useful information for school librarians, including news, highlighted books, and pertinent articles for both the library and the classroom.  http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6341825.  I found it by searching for school library blogs in Bloglovin’.  The posts are plentiful and informative.

4. A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet was found using the Find Blogs tab in Bloglovin’.  It lists options I might like based on previous choices.  https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3338385  This blog is great because right away I watched a posted touching video about the Mayan peoples who had no access to information, but were having their eyes opened through book donations and the arrival of the internet.  Then I found an older post that listed 22 sites to use if you teach research skills. http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2334178175&group=0&frame_type=b&blog=3338385&link=aHR0cDovL21lZGlhc3BlY2lhbGlzdHNndWlkZS5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20vMjAxNC8wMi9taWRkbGUtc2Nob29sLWFuZC1oaWdoLXNjaG9vbC10ZWFjaGVyLmh0bWw&frame=1&click=0&user=0.
These sites may prove invaluable if you are helping someone do research, evaluate research sites, learn about copyright and fair use, avoid plagiarism, or cite sources.  Perhaps the best post I found, however, was titled Top Ten. http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2329507521&group=0&frame_type=b&blog=3338385&link=aHR0cDovL21lZGlhc3BlY2lhbGlzdHNndWlkZS5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20vMjAxNC8wMi9uZXctdG8tdGhpcy1ibG9nLWhlcmUtYXJlLXRvcC0xMC1wb3N0cy5odG1s&frame=1&click=0&user=0. 

It lists and links great free resources for K-12 teachers and school librarian/media specialists. I clicked on a link titled 64 Sites for Digital Storytelling Tools and Information.  It lists information about digital storytelling and online tools that I can’t wait to explore and try out.  I am overwhelmed by the media sources listed under the various tabs: Authors, ESL, Free, Free EBooks, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Graphics, History, Infographics, Language Arts, New Teachers, PE and Health, Reference, Science, Teacher-Librarians, and Web 2.0 Tools.  What a great source of information!
It lists and links great free resources for K-12 teachers and school librarian/media specialists. I clicked on a link titled 64 Sites for Digital Storytelling Tools and Information.  It lists information about digital storytelling and online tools that I can’t wait to explore and try out.  I am overwhelmed by the media sources listed under the various tabs: Authors, ESL, Free, Free EBooks, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Graphics, History, Infographics, Language Arts, New Teachers, PE and Health, Reference, Science, Teacher-Librarians, and Web 2.0 Tools.  What a great source of information!

5. I decided to follow Library Displays, https://www.bloglovin.com/feed/blog/3835629, because I’m going to need all the help and ideas I can get when I become a librarian.  The post shows lots of book displays and posters.  Here is a great idea for a Valentine display.

Love Matches in the Library

6. Okay, just when I was about to submit this blog, I found this great middle school blog I want to share.  It is by Goldenview Middle School at http://goldenviewlibrary.blogspot.com/.    They have streaming photos of student artwork, colorful picture-links to database trials, ASD Reading Games with colorful graphics, library happenings with many photos, step-by-step instructions for searching Google Images by usage rights, District Bookmark Winners, and so much more.  I was amazed that a middle school could have such a rich blog!

Infographics on Teens and Mobile Apps Privacy

Teens and Mobile Apps Privacy

Madden, M. & Lenhart, A. (2013). Teens and mobile apps privacy. Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from: http://www.pewinternet.org/Press-Releases/2013/Teens-and-Mobile-Apps-Privacy.aspx

As an 8^th grade teacher at a lower income school, I am continually amazed at the technological devices that teens pull out of their pockets and backpacks.  They often have better phones and tablets than I have, and they know how to use them better, too.  I just got my first iPhone this Christmas, though my husband grimaced at the price and the data plan required.

I chose to read an article on teens and how they feel about privacy, access of information, and location tracking features.  To tell the truth, I was a bit surprised that teens even think about these things.  I assumed that they were naïve, willingly divulged personal information, and clicked OK or ALLOW to every query presented.  However, it seems that many teens are concerned with privacy, often taking steps to uninstall or avoid all together applications that collect personal information they don’t wish to have known.  Girls, in particular, tend to turn off location tracking devices.  Maybe their parents have drilled them about internet safety or maybe they just don’t want their parents keeping tabs on them.

The easel.ly infographic below gives a summary of the information I learned.

Which teens (of the 58%) are downloading apps?  I was a bit surprised to find that boys who own mobile devices are more prone to download an app than are girls.  Not surprising is that teens who have wealthier parents are more likely than those living in poorer households to download an app.  The article states that there doesn’t seem to be much difference based on a parent’s education level, race, or ethnicity.  The piktochart.com infographic below depicts this information.

Teens say that they mainly download social media and game apps, and primarily the free ones.  Even though more than half of all teens between 12-17 years old who have a smart phone or tablet have downloaded apps, more than half of these app users have avoided particular apps due to worries about sharing personal information and location.

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