Videos & QR Codes in the Library

 YouTube, Animoto, and QR Codes

YouTube

Channel: The Unquiet Library

Description: Tutorials and screencasts from The Unquiet Library.

Video #1:  Why I Love Evernote: The Student Perspective

* Short video of students' viewpoint on using the application Evernote. The student is able to reflect and express the pros of using Evernote for researching and its features. Creating these kinds of videos in our libraries allows for students to share their insights of digital tools that makes accessing online resources much more convenient using Evernote. This “The Student Perspective” episodes can be utilized for other online applications such a Quizziz.com, Readworks.org, and Duolingo- just to name a few. When a student can teach and explain their thoughts about a certain topic, this shows how much students know about the topic at hand. 

Link: Why I Love Evernote: The Student Perspective

Video #2:  Using Google Docs Discussions for Networked Learning During Presearch, Media 21

*AASL Standard/Skill 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.

*This video focuses on the Google application Google Docs, similar to Word Doc. Google Docs is a great digital tool to use for networking ideas and brainstorming among group members for a particular research digital project. The librarian gives the student credit for utilizing Google Docs in class. These types of videos can be produced in various ways that would bring about educational opportunities, such as creating a video of students using Google Slides, Google Docs, and Google Sites to conduct digital group projects. This will bring about further technology into student’s coursework which prepares them for the world and higher education in which students would benefit from having prior technological experience prior to high school graduation, especially in this day and age we live in today! 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkO1nonKuvc&list=UUQNFeBXPQbHh0UGaHrSgQQg&index=70

Channel:BBMSMEDIA

Video#3: Bring Back Your Books (Goin' Down For Real parody)

Overdue Book Video created by students and the librarian. Students are able to express themselves in a fun way while at the same time creating a parody of a mainstream song to align with the message of students being responsible and returning their library books. Librarians can create these videos with students and upload the video to the school’s YouTube channel or school website. When students are able to contribute to the library in a playful and educational way, learning in the library becomes a place where beautiful things happen. Students in turn, will hopefully have a stronger rapport with the library and an extended respect for the books being borrowed from the school’s library. 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMMgJOETdDc 

Video #4:  6th Media Orientation

*This is a video of a school librarian giving the 6th student population a media/library orientation. This sets expectations for incoming elementary students who are first entering their Middle School’s library. Ground rules of the library are discussed. As well as , the resources the media center has to offer its students. 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T-QyQMS8H4 

Reflection Questions

1) Which is the most helpful for students?

I feel the most helpful video for students is the Video #4 Media 6th grade orientation, it is very informative and insightful. Students may feel a comfort about becoming familiar with a place they would otherwise know nothing about being new students on campus. This visual media way of conducting orientation can be used for incoming 9th grade freshmen, from the feeder middle schools, this way students are being bridged from one campus to another with librarians setting expectations and sharing insights about their school’s library. 

2) Which is the video that the students would like the best? 

Students would probably appreciate the Video #3 Bring Back Your Books (Goin' Down For Real parody). It is fun, students may see their classmates, the song may resonate with the student, music just has that power to suck an audience in. I feel also there are some students out there that would appreciate seeing how to use online digital resources such as Evernote. Students seeing their classmates using applications to help them with their studies, may be inclined to use the application  or maybe use the video as a How To, to help guide them with their own learning experience with the digital resource. I suppose, I would add Video #1: Why I Love Evernote: The Student Perspective, as well. 

Great to know! 

What if your school district blocks YouTube? 

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/alternatives-to-youtube.html

All in all, YouTube is a great teaching tool to use in the classroom to help engage students with visual resources. 

• Massive, essential video site requires teacher support
• Grades: 8–12
• Subjects & Skills: Arts, Communication & Collaboration, Creativity
• Great for: Media Literacy, Social Media, Professional Learning
• Price:  Free, Paid 
• Platforms:  Website
• Pros: Endless, updated content. Captions and playback adjustments.
• Cons: Ads and inappropriate content. Algorithms can lead viewers astray.
• Bottom Line: There's no escaping YouTube, and with some curation, tweaking of privacy settings, and media literacy prep, it can provide infinite learning opportunities.

ANIMOTO

Animoto helps students focus on the content instead of transitions of a presentation.

Book Title: Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Navarrio 

Book Trailer: https://animoto.com/play/Xvl2QrdscT0R0IJLzfQ3kA

Book Summary: “ Based on the Los Angeles Times newspaper series that won two Pulitzer Prizes, one for feature writing and another for feature photography, Enrique's Journey is the timeless story of families torn apart, the yearning to be together again, and a boy who will risk his life to find the mother he loves.”-GoodReads

Overall, your best bet with Animoto is to play to its strengths while still acknowledging its flaws. It may be useful and intriguing for an art project or a book report. It's a lot of fun to make slideshows, and it's even more exciting to view the finished presentations. It's also a crash course on video editing software. The site's options are minimal, which makes it easy to use, but it also limits the site's instructional potential.

QR CODES

QR (Quick Response) codes are two-dimensional, machine-readable black-and-white graphics that provide information to a device when scanned. Users create QR codes by selecting Create from the menu, then selecting the type of destination (web address, plain text, calendar event, local picture, phone number, app, email, and so on), filling in the details, and pressing the green button. The code is shown on the device and can be projected onto a screen or saved to be printed or shared. The edit option can be used to add text. Users select the Scan option from the menu and point the device's camera at the code to scan it. The webpage, text, or information associated with the code opens on the device automatically and is saved to the device's history for future reference.

Scan this QR Code to view the book trailer for the novel “Enrique’s Journey” by Sonia Nazario.

(Image to the right: Nazario riding a freight train, emulating Enrique’s journey to the U.S.)

 “Although I often felt exhausted and miserable, I knew I was experiencing only an iota of what migrant children go through…The journey gave me a glimmer of how hard this is for them.”

-Sonia Nazario

Nazario’s extensive research consisted of embarking upon the exact journey that Enrique made from Honduras up to the U.S. She made this journey twice, each trip lasting 3 months. Nazario has been quoted saying, “Then I began to retrace his steps, doing the journey exactly as he had done it a few weeks before. I wanted to see and experience things as he had with the hope of describing them more fully.”

How are libraries using QR codes?

Librarians and employees at large research universities, small liberal arts colleges, public libraries, and museums are experimenting with QR codes in both their physical and virtual libraries.

“Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki” has a QR Codes page and is one place where librarians and others can share and link to how their libraries are using QR codes. 

Examples of QR code uses in libraries include:

• Library exhibits that include a QR code link to songs, videos, Web sites, surveys, contests, etc. or other information that augments the exhibits.

• Codes in the library stacks/end caps or magazine/journal areas that point to online electronic holdings of print materials or related subject guides.

• Linking to library audio tours for orientations.

• Code added to print handouts for additional information on mobile friendly sites.

• QR code with text that loads the library’s text message reference service and other contact information into the patron’s phone.

• Art shows or permanent art in libraries with a QR code linking to the artists’ Websites.

• In catalog records to offer patrons basic info about an item, including the location and call number. Users can scan the code and head to the stacks rather than writing or printing.

• Taped to video/DVD cases, linking to mobile-friendly video trailers.

• Code placed on staff directory pages and research guides that go to mobile friendly sites for later reference.

• Code placed on audio book cases for author interviews or books for reviews.

• Code placed on study room doors connecting to room reservation forms.

• Library video tutorials—individual videos or create a QR code to a YouTube playlists of videos, which create a great mobile home screen app that can be saved for easy access, as needed.

QR codes are vital in a device-friendly classroom. Teachers may quickly design codes that students can readily scan using the QR codes interface, which is visually clean and straightforward to use. It's really convenient to have both a QR reader and a QR creator on the same device. On devices with auto-focus, the scanning function is quite responsive, so students will be able to scan codes and get to the information they need quickly and effortlessly. It works best on phones, which may not be available in all classrooms, so teachers should test numerous codes on students' devices to ensure that they scan easily.

Sources: 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/animoto 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/youtube

https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/qr-droid

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-websites-for-free-stock-photographs/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bbmsmedia/videos

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/alternatives-to-youtube.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkO1nonKuvc&list=UUQNFeBXPQbHh0UGaHrSgQQg&index=70 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueQUoeXBfHU&list=UUQNFeBXPQbHh0UGaHrSgQQg&index=115  

https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/8454/8696

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/158277.Enrique_s_Journey?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=nizh8DxwHf&rank=4 

https://www.qr-code-generator.com/a1/?utm_source=google_c&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_content=qr_code_generator_exact&utm_term=%2Bqr%20%2Bcode%20%2Bgenerator_b&gclid=CjwKCAjwloCSBhAeEiwA3hVo_bqd_dau2j_YHJ3m3-8PhATRRiXSqIjK_sJgaEm5oBXz4YDdsK5vlBoCJcAQAvD_BwE

https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/mira-look-featured-author-sonia-nazario/

Screencasts

                              Shhhh.... I'm Screencasting!    

                        Teaching with Screen-recording :) 

          Screencasts have been a new addition to our teaching toolbox due to the pandemic. Screencasting allows teachers to display their computer screen to their classes by recording the instruction and having students watch the lesson this way. In the screencasting, you are able to give student instructions for a particular assignment or online activity. This video media helps support learning when students are working asynchronously and synchronously. These screencasts are useful if the teacher is out and wants to give students extra support in their absence by creating a screencast video that explains the expectations of the lesson/assignment.  

The following two sites are used to create screencasts:

1. Screencastify

Easy screen-recording tool facilitates outside-the-box instruction

Teachers and students alike can use Screencastify to make screen capturing simple and stress-free. The available options — recording, editing, and assigning — find a wonderful mix between being useful and not being overbearing. Screencastify might become a cornerstone tool that drives everything from instruction to feedback to professional development to assessment in a classroom if all three are used well. All of Screencastify's tools are user-friendly and plainly designed to be so, and they're more dependable than those of some of its competitors. The editing tool, in particular, works in a manner that other screencasting programs don't, and it comes with essential features like a blur tool for privacy protection. With the inclusion of the Submit tool, having students create and send back screencasts has never been easier. The key to success will be finding the perfect blend of premium features.

https://www.screencastify.com/

Paid plans (starting at $29 per year for educators and $49 per year for everyone else) release the five-minute cap and allow for unlimited Submit assignments (among other things).

Video Using Screencastify (Quizizz.com-Internet Day Vocabulary Review) link: https://watch.screencastify.com/v/xtEY5oB2doS8Kf7O2M5w

*You are even able to create interactive questions to go along with the recorded visual media. 

Internet Vocabulary Quiz:  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lr8sSNEeWxA8F_-gh3V1OPUmVNsFfhaX/view?usp=sharing 

2. Screencast-O-Matic

Create and edit sophisticated screencasts without breaking the bank

The depth of Screencast-O-Matic sets it apart from other screencasting software. There are more capabilities and functionality for creating videos, not only recordings, whether for educational or presentation and assessment reasons. Students may truly produce their own videos with Screencast-O-Matic, allowing them to demonstrate what they know while also making thoughtful edits and alterations for clarity, correctness, and audience involvement. Before uploading, students can use Screencast-O-editing Matic's tools to trim, merge, or add to videos, as well as add overlays, arrows, captions, and more. 

Even if you don't want to explore all of the tool's functions, simple features like the screenshot tool might help you make rapid assessments. It's simple to take a fast screenshot or capture an unedited screen recording, which might be useful for checking student progress on an essay, report, or word problem.

The main disadvantage of Screencast-O-Matic is that using some of the capabilities takes time and patience, and it's not as straightforward and intuitive as competitors. While the editing program has a lot of options, it can be annoying at times. It finds an uneasy mix between simplicity and intricacy at moments, falling short of either expectation. However, if you put in the effort to work through these peculiarities, the videos you can create with Screencast-O-Matic will well outstrip those created with other technologies. 

https://screencast-o-matic.com/

Teachers and students can make screen recordings and conduct basic editing with the free plan. The free recordings are limited to 15 minutes (in contrast to Screencastify's five-minute limit), although they do come with a watermark. Paid subscriptions unlock a slew of advanced video-editing features, including sketching, green screens, and blurring. A useful automated speech-to-text captioning capability is also included.

Video Using Screencast O'Matic (Google Slides Presentation) link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-kbwySvPeP_yfG_gkM9sNKurNFOuFn2V/view?usp=sharing 

Team Screencastify:

The screencast website creator I favored is screencastify. It was just easier to use and I have prior experience with using this application for my classes during the pandemic, especially when many students were working virtually from home. What I wasn’t able to show my student in person, I was able to create videos of how to access certain websites or how to work on certain assignments with the visual guidance of the video. The only con is you are limited to only 5 minutes of recording time with the free version . I can see myself using Screenomatic when needing to have more recording time of at least 15 minutes. 

Teaching with Screencasts

There are many ways we can use screencasting in our teaching.

Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking:

• Answer a question
• Record a lecture
• Give feedback on students’ work
• Demo how to use an application
• Build a course trailer

Sources: 

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/screencastify

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/screencast-o-matic

https://screencast-o-matic.com/

https://www.screencastify.com/

https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/the-best-screencasting-tools-for-classrooms

https://teachinginhighered.com/2018/03/13/screencast-your-teaching/

Teching Up, Bloom's Taxonomy!

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy

Understanding Bloom’s Taxonomy in E-Learning

• How are students' views of technology different from yours? Do you know? If there is a difference, what is it?

I’ve learned to grow a great love for technology, it has changed the world we live in today. We have access to information at the tip of our fingers, with one quick search engine entry to get the answers you're looking for. The differences in technological views among myself and students is that teaching tools have evolved from the famous cognitive objectives of  Bloom’s Taxonomy to Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy.  The order of thinking skills has advanced with our technology, just as the role of technology in education has. 

• How does this potential differing view of technology help explain or reframe its use in the classroom?

Throughout this pandemic, many teachers have had to adapt their teaching strategies and methodologies from in person to remote to in person and remote instruction. It has been a roller coaster of events and the need to go with the flow has been  necessary throughout COVID-19 pandemic. Some teachers that had difficulties with the drastic change for technology application, may have refrained from using it in the classroom. It became essential to learn how to use the demanding technology that rushed over educators and influenced their teachings. Students seemed to be so open and easily adapted to the digital shift because they've grown up with it all their lives. 

• If you had to explain why a certain app was necessary for your library, how would you frame your request? 

An application that would be a major asset to the library would be CommonLit. I would frame the request by giving the principal information about the literacy resources and explain that I would train teachers on how to utilize this application in their classrooms. I would provide a bullet list of information about the application, as such: 

• Serves grades 3-12

• Subjects & Skills: English Language Arts, Social Studies, English-Language Learning, Critical Thinking

• Great for: Instructional Design, Differentiation

Pros: 

• Leveled texts and formative data make it easy to tailor the experience. Guiding questions, assessment questions, discussions, and annotations offer layers of learning.

• Students and teachers can sign up for free accounts. Recent changes to the site support integration with Google Classroom and Clever, making uploading student information all the easier. 

• Teacher accounts include an easy-to-navigate teacher dashboard that allows you to create multiple classes, assign reading passages to students, score responses to questions, and track progress for an entire class or an individual student. 

• Student data is gathered and displayed in colorful, easy-to-follow visuals that include graphs, tables, and charts. 

• At the bottom of the teacher dashboard, you'll even find a list of students who need to be challenged more and those who may need further remediation.

• PEDAGOGY: Students learn to think critically about authentic passages on diverse topics. They'll also build essential background knowledge through the use of footnotes, highlighting, paired texts, and related media.

• SUPPORT: This site's leveled texts, many translation options, and audio support make reading accessible to students from a variety of learning, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. Parent guides provide useful at-home ideas.

• And more…

• Do you feel technology is a tool for learning or the foundation upon which we build learning?

The idea of technology being used as a tool resonates with me much more. Technology is an instrument to engage student learning but it can only do so much. The true foundation upon which we build true student learning comes from the teachers in the classroom, pushing their students to strive and be the best they can be. That’s why we are in this profession to help our students become successful individuals. The person in the classroom instructing builds the foundation of learning and the technology can be used as an asset in the classroom to further help the learning. 

• Why would a librarian care about any of this (what's the rationale for including this in a program that is preparing teachers to be librarians)?

Libraries are a source of knowledge and knowledge is power. Understanding this notion, paves the way to opening minds preparing teachers to be librarians. Librarians are now also referred to as ‘Media Specialist’ because the role and skills required of a librarian has changed as well. Librarians are a resource to teachers, when a librarian is cognizant and seeks technological tools to provide back to their schools to share with teachers. Librarians and teachers are the bridge to academic success of our students. 

References:

https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/commonlit

http://www.ccconline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Churches_2008_DigitalBloomsTaxonomyGuide.pdf