Follow along as I review "magical" books that are sure to put you under a spell!
Please note: This blog was created as an assignment for a course through Sam Houston State University.
Like it or not, technology is no longer an optional enhancement but an absolute necessity to library programming, marketing, and communication. After all, the library is no longer just a library; it’s now a media-technology center or learning commons. Current times call for current tools, and as a leader on campus, it is our job to lead the helm of exploration and incorporation of technology. At the beginning of the course, I thought I was adequately prepared to take on this component of a librarian’s job role. I use technology daily in my current position and am constantly seeking out new tools to introduce to my students or use creatively in my lessons. However, much of the tools I had explored on my own prior to this course were introduced by word of mouth from colleagues. Many of the tools used in this course were not ones I had heard of before and may not have otherwise, but they are perfect tools to use in the library. I am excited to think of all the ways I can utilize them in my future library. Of course, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows trying out these new tools. Podcasts were a particular frustration, because there’s so much that goes into them and the sites I tried were difficult to use. I’m still not 100 % sold on using podcasts, but I think this is due to the fact I haven’t yet mastered them. As with anything else, there will be hurdles to overcome with tech tools, but education relies so heavily on technology, we must quickly adapt. By the end of the course, I can confidently say that I feel adequately prepared to purposefully use tech tools. Check out my Buncee Board below for more details and final reflective thoughts on my experience in this course.
Click here to view the Buncee Board in a larger format.
Gone are the days when education was a one-size-fits all system for students. The face of education is rapidly changing, as are the dynamics, needs, and demographics of the classrooms we serve. Each student has specific, diverse learning needs that must be met in order for them to absorb the information being served to them. This is where the Universal Design for Learning approach can prove helpful for educators. It’s a tool that educators can use to create lessons that are inclusive to all types of learners. Students, in turn, will become independent thinkers with a greater sense of autonomy. When you plan to meet the needs of the minority, it’s better for everyone overall. It’s a fantastic approach to make sure your lessons are as equitable as possible and knocks down the barriers that can stand in the way of learning. Plus, student engagement will increase, because you are giving them choices to fuel their interests and autonomy.
UNIVERSAL: curriculum that can be used and understood by everyone
DESIGN: flexible and accommodates all types of users
for LEARNING: not one thing; addresses the what, how, and why of learning
Click on the graphic below to view it in your browser.
Check out the video below for an overview of what UDL is.
After learning more about UDL, I do feel there are areas I can improve upon in order to implement UDL’s approach better. Most of these questions can be answered by thoroughly studying UDL’s guidelines on CAST’s website. Perhaps they offer professional development sessions I can participate in. I know I also need to learn more about how to make my lessons more accessible for my ELL students, specifically regarding 1.2 (offering auditory information) and 1.3 (alternatives for visual information). First, I can start by studying the best strategies to use for these students and obtaining my ESL certificate. I can meet with the ESL teacher on my campus for him/her to evaluate my lessons and let me know how I can improve the accessibility for these learners. Likewise, I can explore sites geared towards meeting the needs of these learners, such as Colorin Colorado. I took a hard look at where I am in regards to the implementation of UDL by principle and guideline. You can see the results of this evaluation in the table below. Now that I know what I need to work on, I can’t wait to dive in to make my lessons more accessible for all types of learners. I hope you feel the same now that you know a little more about UDL too.
Principle 1: Providing Multiple Means of Representation:Present your content and information in multiple media formats and with varied supports to meet the needs of all learners.
Guideline 1: Provide options for perception
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
1.1 offer ways to customize the display of information
1.3 offer alternatives to visual information
1.2 offer alternatives for auditory information
Guideline 2: Provide options for language, mathematical expressions, and symbols
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
2.5 illustrate through multiple media
2.1 clarify vocabulary and symbols
2.2 clarify syntax and structure
2.3 support decoding of text, mathematical notation, and symbols
2.4 promote understanding across languages
Guideline 3: Provide options for comprehension
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
3.1 activate or supply background knowledge
3.2 highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
3.3 guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation
3.4 maximize transfer and generalization
Principle 2: Providing Multiple Means of Action and Expression:Give students options for expressing what they know and provide models, feedback, and supports for varied levels of proficiency
Guideline 4: Provide options for physical action
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
4.1 vary the methods for response and navigation
4.2 optimize access to tools and assistive technologies
Guideline 5: Provide options for expression and communication
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
5.1 use multiple media for communication
5.2 use multiple tools for construction and composition
5.3 build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance
Guideline 6: Provide options for executive functions
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
6.4 enhance capacity for monitoring progress
6.1 guide appropriate goal-setting
6.2 support planning and strategy development
6.3 facilitate managing information and resources
Principle 3: Providing Multiple Means of Engagement:Give students choices to fuel their interests and autonomy
Guideline 7: Provide options for recruiting interest
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
7.1 optimize individual choice and autonomy
7.3 minimize threats and distractions
7.2 optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
Guideline 8: Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
8.2 vary demands and resources to optimize challenge
8.3 foster collaboration and community
8.1 heighten salience of goals and objectives
8.4 iIncrease mastery-oriented feedback
Guideline 9: Provide options for self-regulation
What I am already using
What I can add to my teaching practice now
What I might need help to implement
9.2 facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
9.3 develop self-assessment and reflection
9.1 promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation
If you’re anything like me, your schedule is packed full on the daily, so taking the time to read informative articles (even though you want to) is low on the totem pole. What if I told you there was a simple solution? Podcasts are the perfect way to learn without having to drop everything else; you can simply multitask! Personally, I listen to Podcasts almost every day during my morning and/or afternoon commute to work. Over the years, podcasts have grown exponentially in popularity to the point where people are more likely to listen to a podcast than read a blog on the same topic. There’s a podcast for nearly any topic or interest. Some are free, while others charge their listeners.
In the field of education and in the library, the usage of podcasts has exploded as well. I find that podcasts are a great way to get information and make learning fun for those who are auditory learners. Podcasts can be a great tool to utilize in the library. Perhaps you can do a weekly episode on different genres and highlight titles in the genre. They could be incorporated in book clubs as well. Making a podcast may sound intimidating, but it’s not that difficult. It’s as simple as having a microphone and tool to record with. There are various podcast hosting sites out there to look into. Check out this article for details on many of these hosting sites. For the purpose of this article, I explored Podbean, Audioboom, and Audacity. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, which I cover below, but ultimately my peers and I created a podcast using Podbean. Since we could not find a podcast hosting site that allows multiple hosts simultaneously for free, we went with Podbean, because their app was easy-to-use when combining separate clips into one podcast episode.
To listen to my group’s podcast on genrefication, click here.
Podbean
PRO: Visually-appealing
PRO: User-friendly interface
PRO: Allows multiple users on a podcast at a time (for a fee)
PRO: Has an app
PRO: Allows combining of sound clips
PRO: Allows editing
PRO: Podcasts can be files or URL links
CON: System crashes often, so reliability is questionable
CON: Only offers episode stats
CON: A little pricier than competitors
Audioboom
PRO: Allows multiple users on a podcast at a time (for a fee)
PRO: Allows distribution on multiple platforms
PRO: Allows for website integration
PRO: Embedded player
PRO: Includes advanced analytics/statistics
PRO: Allows you to monetize your podcast or gain sponsorships
PRO: Allows combining of sound clips and editing
PRO: Simple platform design
CON: No app
CON: Limit of 5 episodes per month
CON: No free account; prices start at $9.99 a month
Audacity
PRO: Free
PRO: Good for beginners
PRO: Can convert files into different formats
PRO: Allows editing
PRO: Allows multiple sound layers to be added at once (voice and sound effects, for example)
PRO: Wide user base = free tutorials
CON: Interface is outdated
CON: No publishing abilities; must be converted, then uploaded to a hosting site
CON: Lacks user-friendly industry requirements
CON: Professional looking interface makes it intimidating to use
I think libraries can use this tool to promote programs, give book talks, or have a round table discussion with students about books they are currently reading or anticipating. This is a great way to get kids excited and can be downloaded to their lovely phones they always want to have out. What can be tricky with Podcasts is getting listeners and students to know when new podcasts have been uploaded and making sure students are taught how to access recordings. That being said, this tool is a great way to deliver information in a creative way. I can't wait to use this tool in my own library!
If you are interested in listening to some educational podcasts, check out this thorough article that covers 40 of the best ones out there. Here are some of my personal favorite podcasts as well:
Comic books and comic strips have always been formats of literature that appeal to children. Their bright colors and use of illustrations to tell a story draws children in. Now, with the ever-increasing popularity of graphic novels, this format is consistently sought after by students. It then makes perfect sense that comic strips should be utilized in the classroom. Not only are they engaging, but students are likely to be successful in demonstrating their knowledge since comics are a format they are so familiar with. Likewise, comics help build reading skills such as decoding, context clues, and inferencing. They teach satire, humor, and points of view to name a few. Comics are fantastic for ELL students or in multilingual classrooms, because the reduced text makes reading manageable. There are many apps and websites that allow users to create their own comic strips, but I wanted to evaluate three well known options. I plan on hosting a professional development session for my teachers on the benefits of using comics in the classroom.
Fotojet
At first, I thought I would love Fotojet the most. Its layout and editing menu reminds me of Canva, which is a graphic design site I utilize often and highly recommend. However, upon further exploration of the site, I would 100% NOT recommend Fotojet for anyone unless they could afford the paid version. The free version offers essentially nothing, and you cannot even save your work. This is a bummer to me, because the unique comic templates on Fotojet remind me more of those you would actually see in a graphic novel, but it’s not worth the headache.
PRO: Easy-to-use drag-and-drop feature for backgrounds. You can even drag-and-drop photos for the background.
PRO: It offers unique layouts for comic strips, meaning it’s not just squares or rectangles for panels but varied in shape like a real comic book would be.
PRO: The editing menu is easy to locate, understand, and utilize.
PRO: It is easy to download your designs. It allows you to download them as either a JPG or PNG file and choose small or large.
PRO: You can upload content into your comic.
CON: You cannot save your designs on a free account.
CON: The free account barely gives access to anything.
CON: Fotojet’s website is incredibly difficult to navigate. When I logged in, it took me a while to find the comic strip templates again.
CON: The drag-and-drop for backgrounds automatically scales the photo to fit the frame, but this can sometimes mean it scales it incorrectly and you can’t fix it.
Pixton
Pixton is a tool I’ve used in my classroom on multiple occasions. It meshes easily with Google applications, which is what my district uses, so it holds out as my top pick of the three applications I evaluated. However, this is not the only reason it would be my top pick. Of the three applications, Pixton offers the most content for free accounts. It allows the user to choose from a wide variety of characters, poses, backgrounds, and more. For the most part, it is easy to use, but there are a few features that can be difficult to navigate. One of the best features of Pixton is the ability to sign up for an educator account and create classes. Then, all you have to do is give students a join code to have their work housed in their assigned class. For this reason, Pixton is the most practical application for classroom use and the one I would recommend overall.
PRO: The free account offers a wide variety of content.
PRO: It allows an educator sign up.
PRO: Educators can create classes and add students.
PRO: It allows the change of a character’s pose and facial expression.
PRO: There is a plethora of background sets that use the same setting but from different points of view.
PRO: It’s easy to save and download your comics.
CON: You cannot upload any content.
CON: You cannot move the text bubbles or choose their style.
CON: It does not allow you to add objects or animals; it only allows people to be added to a scene.
CON: It can be difficult to find certain features in the editor, such as how to delete characters.
Make Beliefs Comix
Overall, I like Make Belief Comix. It offers a good deal of content for free and is eye-catching. The backgrounds are detailed and unique, but there are not many to choose from. It does offer a few poses for each of the characters. It allows the user to add objects and animals, which isn’t the case for other options. With that being said, the website is vastly outdated. It looks like a website from the early 2000s and would be impractical for classroom use.
PRO: It offers a wide variety of content for free accounts.
PRO: The background and content is likely to be popular with students.
PRO: It allows you to add up to 18 panels per comic.
CON: The website is quite outdated.
CON: You cannot upload any content into your comic.
CON: The webpage is too “busy” and would be hard for students to use.
CON: It is slow. Any operation, whether you add or delete something, takes a while to process.
CON: You cannot adjust the size of text boxes or text, so you have to limit what you type.
CON: The location of the editing tools is not ideal. You have to scroll down everytime you need to select something to add/change.
