As I finish off my last assignment in Digital Technology for School Librarians graduate class, I look back and realize I have learned so much in such a small time frame along with many obstacles that came with the COVID-19 quarantine.  But come to think of it, if I had to take a class during the pandemic and schools were shut down...this class is definitely beneficial to take.  Almost every assignment and every lesson I learned this semester has immediately benefitted my classroom this year with remote learning. Here are a few questions I asked myself upon completion of the class: Which assignments excited me the most? I really enjoyed the screencast assignment.  I kind of always knew there was something out there that could do that, simply because a few of my professors of utilized screencasting.  But I guess it never really "clicked" for me to actually search up what it was or how to do it.  So I'm thankful I was encouraged to produced a screencast...

According to CAST, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) "is an approach to curriculum that minimizes barriers and maximizes learning for all students."  From that approach to curriculum, learning will happen throughout three broad networks for the brain which are, Recognition (What), Skills and Strategies (How), and Caring and Prioritizing (Why).  It is imperative that students gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning...and a well balanced curriculum will help them do all three.  UDL allows for this type of learning when implemented correctly.   In order to make sure you are achieving UDL, there are three questions you must ask yourself: 1. What is my goal? 2. What do I want my students to know, do, and care about? 3. What barriers in the classroom might interfere with my diverse students reaching these goals. Here are ways you can make sure UDL is working for you!  I found this information from CAST (click HERE ). 1. Provid...

Podcasts Podcasts are a great way to "up the ante" in your library.  Not only can you create one yourself and share it with your students, but you can teach the students to create their own as well.  Podcasts can be another alternative to writing those old boring research papers.  Students can add music, splice their voices, conduct interviews...the list goes on!  Most podcast platforms make it extremely easy to produce your own podcast, which makes it even more enticing to use when it comes to learning in your library.  But there are some things you need to be aware of before you just let your students run wild with their podcast making skillzzz.   Since the platforms are open to anyone on the internet, students have the possibility of coming across some inappropriate podcast content.  Therefore you as the librarian, need to make sure your students know how to properly search for certain podcast and hopefully stray them away from any har...

Have you ever wondered how you could "up your game" in the library?? Did you know that you can create your own comic stripes?! And it turns out, there's an endless amount of ways to utilize them within you library!  Let me show you what I came up with.  I reviewed three platforms you can use to create your own and I'll also talk about ways you can use them with teachers and students! Fotojet The first comic generator I found was Fotojet.  It's free to sign up and their comic layouts really give that comic book feel.  The pre-made layouts look exactly like something you would see if you opened up an actual comic book.  Then they have a fairly good selection of pictures to choose from.  I ended up using real photos of a cat.  One thing I liked about this site was I didn't really have to read any instructions.  The layout of the site was very user friendly and professional looking.  One thing I didn't like is they tried to trick...

So you still want to update your library and freshen up the atmosphere?  Here are a few pieces of technology you can use to stay "hip" with your students!  Below I will talk about YouTube, Animoto, and QR Codes.  I'll give example of each and tell you how they can be beneficial to your library and why they catch the eyes of students. YouTube YouTube is a great way to connect with your students.  They're always on watching videos of random cats and what not...so why fight it?...just go with the flow on this one.  Create your own YouTube channel and get your kids connected to the library through your silly videos.  You can make videos helpful for your students as well as create videos that will bring out the creative side of your students.  Here are a few examples below: NHS Library 1. Most Helpful for Students: 2. Students would like the best: The Unquiet Library 1. Most Helpful for Students: 2. Students would like the best: ...

Figuring out screencasts could not have come at a better time for me than right now.  With all this COVID-19 scare and schools practically being cancelled for the rest of the year, it's forcing teachers, students, and parents to learn a completely different way of learning.  We're all cooped up in our houses, we can't leave, and we are sailing in fairly uncharted waters when it comes to public education and remote learning.  Screencasts could in fact, literally be a life saver when you're trying to learn something new on the "internet-webs", and maneuver through lessons in the alienation of your own home right now.  If you're a teacher, screencasts could really save you some time typing out directions, too.  It can also give your visual learners a little boost of confidence when they see how to navigate something, rather than the written directions.  As a librarian, you can also use screencasts in multiple ways such as, showing students how to navigate t...

If you as a librarian do not know what an infographic is...you are completely missing out!  According to Venngage.com, an infographic is a collection of charts with minimal texts that gives an easy-to-understand overview of a topic.  They also apparently have been around for over ten years and have become a essential form of communication in classrooms, the workplace, and across the web.  So what better place than to add them to your library?!  Now, I'm sure you're thinking, "Where do I start?", and that my friend, is what I'm here for!  First, you must decide what platform you want to use in order to make your creation.  I have happily consolidated three sites that help you form your own infographic and give you small pointers on what to expect from each website.  Without further adieu...I give you Easel.ly , Piktochart.com , and Infogram.com : Easel.ly is specific to infographics and their templates are colorful and engaging.  The...

We're all familiar with the big names of social media; Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  But have you considered one platform might be better than another, based on how you want your information to be perceived to your consumers?  For example, you might be marketing your business, sharing family photos, contributing your political views, or simply forwarding witty memes to your friends.  Whatever your weapon of choice, there's a perfect social media platform to fit your needs.  Keep reading to meet your match! Instagram is extremely popular amongst teenagers.  They mainly use it to showcase their photography skills or share some type of art form with their online community.  They also create bit.ly links that takes their viewers to a YouTube account that has tutorials or silly videos they've produced.  You are only able to post links in the bio section of your profile, so you'll always come across the #linkinbio hashtag for promoting videos (or eve...

What on earth is a feed reader you might ask.  It's simply a place you can hoard all the blogs you love to read until your little heart is content.  Think of it as one of your Pinterest boards, but instead of pinning house decorations, party celebrations, or cute pictures of cats... you are pinning information written from experienced writers who know what they are talking about and provide something you want to personally learn about.  There are multiple feed readers out there that will store your chosen blogs for you, but you must be careful as some of them charge money for the storage.  But fear not, there are some Robin Hood's of feed readers that graciously allow your blogs a home with no fees.  And that, my friends, are the ones you will find below. You can click HERE to get a deeper understanding of each one (and paid ones), but here are the ones I'd suggest: Inoreader : is completely free with no strings attached and will hold an unlimited amount of b...