African Americans and technology use

Smith, A.(2014). African Americans and Technology Use. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/01/African-Americans-and-Technology-Use.pdf I love using technology and ave always wondered, does everyone else use technology just as much as I do? I know that there are many instances where people re not able to use technology because of certain reasons. I found through this article that African Americans are very much usisng technology just as much as everyone else. I was so surprised to read in this article that "Young African Americans have high levels of Twitter use". I never would've thought they would be huge twitters. Another misconception I had was that many use internet and broadband usage 62%. Here is more information gathered from the article "African Americans and Technology Use".

17/15 pages

Who not Online, and why not?

Zickuhr, K.(2013) Whos not online and why. Pew Research Center. retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_Offline%20adults_092513_PDF.pdf I have always thought that since the internet has been around for about 20 years now, everyone should be using it?Well of course not everyone, but you know, almost everyone. I was shocked to when I read this article on who is not online and why not. I learned that many adults over the age of 18 are not using the internet because of many reasons. Some adults are not using the internet because it is too hard for them to use, it may be too expensive to pay for the computer plus services, and because they just don;t have any use for it. Wow! How can someone not have a use for the internet these days. I can't imagine life without it! Here is some of the data I recovered.

31/46 pages

The internet of things will Thrive in 2025

Anderson, J. & Rainie, L.(2014).The internet of Things will Thrive in 2025. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/05/PIP_Internet-of-things_0514142.pdf Have you ever wondered what will technology be like in the future? Well we know that technology is just always blooming and progressing at a fast rate. What do you think it will be like in the year 2025? I believe we need to definitely keep up with the technology and don't fall behind because you're only going to get buried in deeper. Well studies say that there will be many positives as well as negatives that come along with our wonderful technology. After reading the article "The Internet of things will Thrive by 2025", I was astonished but also calm with what many are saying about our future. Many voices from the article are stating that the future will bring many devices such as GPS or sensors will be embedded into almost everything. We will be able to control almost all items simply from our phone. From turning off our coffee maker, to warning us of an abnormal activity at home, etc. others are saying that it will be too complicated, and unintended consequences from too much technology. "We will live in a world where many things won't work and nobody will know how to fix them". There is so much information, and yet we will not know what it's going to be like in 202. I say we will just have to wait and see what happens. Here are the six themes of how the internet of things will thrive in 2025.

33/99 pages

e reading on the rise

Zickuhr, K.(2014).E-Reading Rises As Device Ownership Jumps.PewResearch Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/01/PIP_E-reading_011614.pdf Have you ever wondered if books will one day not be used for information or for pleasure reading? I personally enjoy the love of reading especially with an actual book in my hand. There is just something about having a book to hold and at times to highlight. I know there are times when my local library does not have the book I want to read, so I have to purchase it in an e book format(believe me, I don't enjoy that). I think to myself, why? Little by little, I do notice myself reading more ebooks than hand held books, only because it is very convenient for me to quickly go online and purchase a book I am in desperate need for. I have noticed more and more people around campus, at coffee shops, and around town who are using an e type form to read. Yes it's true! I learned from this article that even though books are mostly still used, e books are on the rise, and they are mainly used by woman. Woman are more likely than men to have read a book in the previous 12 months. Those with higher education and income are more likely to have done so as well. Blacks are more likely yo read than Hispanics. Here is an inforgraphic I created to show you some information I obtained from an article.

20/66 pages

Review on technologies

It's about that time, where we evaluate our semester as a whole and discus what was liked and disliked. To tell you the truth, I was a bit petrified of this class in the beginning because I have been at a step back from technology. This class brought me back to the current level I should be at, and I enjoy it so very much! Even though it was a big struggle for me to get the hang of blogging and embedding codes from all different places, I had a blast. I can not believe how much technology was incorporated in this class! I am truly amazed when I look back and see my blog page as well as everyone else's. Amazing work! When i look back I do have to say that I now have some technology to be incorporating into my everyday teaching. The first thing I am going to start with is definitely QR codes. Gosh- I learned so many ways a QR code can be beneficial in the class as well as in the library. I want to promote book fairs and events going on in the library. Animoto will be used for my first days of school, open house, and even for the end of the school year videos. For my own personal use I am going to be keeping up with the website "goodreads" and "shelfari". Oh how I loved those sites! One thing I did have a bit of a problem was when I created infographics. Creating infographics was difficult only in the sense to input the information into pictures. The process is amazing though. You will clearly identify the knowledge the students gained from creating one. In conclusion, this has to be my favorite class so far in the MLS program. I was so scared at first to begin this technology journey, and now I'm finishing it with a smile and a tear.

Instagram AND Vine

I love it! I didn't want to believe people when they said I would love instagram! but I just got the app on my phone and logged on to my computer and BAM! It was a little tricky at first getting used to the icons, but it gets easier as you play with it. I love the fact that it is all photos and minimal text! Hashtags are pretty interesting. Here's my first photo!


Now I only posted one picture of me, but come back in a week and I am positive there will be plenty more to see! Here is one of the vie videos I liked because I've never been to a library in New York! Here's a sneak peak. And here is another vine I thought was funny.

Screencasts

Hi Friends! Ever wondered how people make videos of what they are doing on their own computer, and you see their screen? How do they do that? Well I have created two videos showing how to use a computer program for kids in a library, and I also created a video showing how to create an animoto video! These videos that you will see what I am doing on my computer screen has a name! It is called "Screencast"! Yes, it is totally cool and you can make some videos of your very own. Check my videos out. The program I used to create this video was "screencastomatic".

 Video: How to use Destiny Quest in a school library.


 

 The second video I created was used with the program called "screenr". Check it out!



Now using both of these screencast programs I would have to say that I really enjoyed playing around with these two programs but hands down, screencastomatic was so much easier to navigate,also publish, and embed to my blog! Yes all these steps were done within minutes, and with screenr, it took me a little while longer (don't want to mention the actual time it took me). Screenr was easy too, don't get me wrong, but screencastomatic was just so much more user friendly. I recommend it! The pros to screenr was the modern "look and feel" to the website, and I liked the automatic "share" option as soon as the video was done being recorded. Now I recommend you to try to create your very own screencasts! They are fun!

Comic strips

Sometimes as educators, we seem to just strictly teach, teach, teach! I have always thought that there has to be another way to get our students writing and have them enjoy it! Well there is a new way to get your students writing what they love about. What am I talking about? I am talking about COMIC STRIPS! Comic strips are so much fun to create and super easy to use! I have created 3 for you to see. This is a comic strip that I created from the website "Pixton". Pixton was very easy to use and had tons of options. They have background layouts already made, and you just simply fill in the blanks. You get plenty to choose from and can even pick from random quotes just like I did in the first bubble.

If you want more leverage to create your comic strip, you can also use the website "ToonDoo". This website was a bit over whelming in my opinion because you can choose from too many things. I started from scratch and I chose every single thing on the comic strip. This is great for students who have an exact idea, but may be too much for a student who has no idea where to start.

By brucie00 | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

The last comic strip I created was just totally random! I used the website " Make belief comix". It is exactly what the title says! Make belief. This website was a little more difficult to use in sense where it wasn't very user friendly for me. I had a difficult time finding the perfect character, and picking the right colors and minimal options. I felt that this comic wasn't too great.

Out of all the three comic strip websites, I would definitely choose "Pixton". It was just so much fun and easy to use. Any student could use this and have a blast. These comic strips get your students' imagination going, their writing skills, and fun all at the same time! I recommend it! In the future, I definitely plan to use this for ELA. I would like my students to either create a cmic strip that deals with the story of the week we read. they could also create an alternative ending to a read aloud, or I would love to have them create their very own story! I am sure they can come up with some amazing stories and to share with the class!

Online Book Communities

What are Online book communities? Online book communities are a great place to post, share, and rate books for other book lovers to see. It is like an online book club where I love to see other people who have read a book I am interested in and get to read their opinion on that certain book. I had the privilege to scope out four different book communities for you, so that will not have to waste any of your precious time. I am going to share with you the pros and cons of these 4 communities. The first book community I scoped out was goodreads.com I have already been a huge fan of goodreads because it is so easy to use! I noticed that it is very appealing for users to use and enjoy. It is simplified and you are able to add books to your shelf, rate each one, create your own categories, and much more. It is very user friendly. I rate this book community a 5, on a scale from 1-5. Here is what my profile looks like.

The second book community I explored was librarything.com. This site was not very appealing to me because it lacked photos and contained too much plane text. It didn't interest me much. Going beyond the text overload, I also had a difficult time trying to place my book into certain categories. I had to play around with the tabs for a good while just to get the gist of things. I didn't enjoy this site very much. n a scale from 1-5, I give this book site a 2. Here is what my profile looks like.

The third book community I joined is booklikes.com. This website was easy to join and had a virtual tour, and video to help you use it. It had a lot to offer their users. You can create a timeline of the books you read, you can blog about books, and I also have your own book shelf which are all really neat options. This site had the timeline and blog looking option, that the other sites didn't have so that gives it a plus. Another plus was that is had a modern feel-look to this website. I liked this site! On the scale, it was a 4! Here's what my shelf looks like.

And finally, the last community I looked at was shelfari.com that is created by amazon. First off, I love amazon so that was one thing that made me interested. Ten the look of this site was awesome! I absolutely loved the virtual bookshelf with the books you have read. So cute! The images are attractive, easy to use, extremely easy to add books to your shelf and I have to say my favorite option was the three check off options you have. It is between the 1.)I plan to Read 2.) Reading now 3.)I've read. I have to say that this site was my new favorite book community. Then it is goodreads,com. I am so ecstatic to announce to all my friends to use shelfari now. I hope you will use shelfari, if not any of the others are great to use as well! Here is what Shelfari looks like...

Podcasts in the Library

Hello fellow friends and bloggers! I am stoked to introduce to you a new Tool that is so cool and easy to use. You can use it for any type of learning, teaching, or just for fun. I just found out how to create a podcast! I have been playing around with three different FREE sites that allow you to create yours for free. Here they are and you can choose which ones you like best. The first one I signed up for was Podomatic. I really liked podomatic at first because it is full of color with pictures of all sorts of music! And let me tell you, boy do I love music! I began to explore and really it wasn't as easy as I thought with this site. It has tons of music and allows you to record your own podcast and share with the world.

The next two sites I explored was soundcloud and audioboo. Soundcloud was a bit plain when I first got onto the page because I was comparing it to podomatic. So I logged in and it was pretty easy. I liked that it had more to offer like listening to music, creating your own podcast of course, you could also connect wth your friends and follow podcasts all in one place. That was a plus for me. Then I also explored audioboo and honestly, I could not decide on which site was best. Audioboo was just as easy to create a podcast. I loved how convieniet it was to record from my iphone, save it, send it to my email, and just upload it to audioboo. It was so difficult to chose between sound cloud and Audioboo. In the end, I chose Audioboo because of the quick tour it provides for you. That really helped me with Audioboo. I hope you try them out as well and see which one you like the best. Let me know what you think!

With the hep of Audioboo, I created a podcast on how I would love to introduce to the students new books that will be arriving in the library. It can also be like a "book talk". Here I am introducing one of my favorite books "Kitten's First Full Moon". Don't laugh, I was pretty nervous recording. I am sure I will get better once I get used to listening to my voice.

listen to ‘Kittens First Full Moon’ on Audioboo

Videos and QR codes in the library

Today it's all about technology! Today I want to talk about some of the hottest technology out there that is being used by so many people ! You can be using these enticing, fun filled technology applications as well in your everyday life. The first thing I wanted to explode is the amazing videos that students are creating all on their own dealing with school stuff!They are so creative and just astonishing. The first channel I watched was from NHS Library and felt that the most helpful video they had was "Google word docs Parts 1,2, and 3". They show a great tutorial on what the differences are and how to apply it. The video I think most students would enjoy is the orientation of the school library. I think students would enjoy this because it is a visual video refreshing their memory of "boring" library rules and this is one way of getting students to pay attention to important information you want to instill in them for the school year. The second channel I viewed was "the unquiet library" and I think the most useful video was a video tutorial on how to embed a voice thread into your prezi. That is spectacular to know students are using prezi in their school! I think students would enjoy The third channel I watched was Pikesville HS Library and I believe the most useful video was The financial aid workshop. They are showing students one step on how to prepare for college and know they can apply for money to pay for their further education The video students would enjoy would probably be the senior party in the library. I am sure that is almost every kids wish that could be granted. The last channel I viewed was from "BBMS" and their helpful video would be the MLA Citation review. The most enjoyable one would be the "Dr.Katherine and the book Hoarder". I would love to use videos in my future library by make orientation videos, book reviews, book talks with students, and especially students having fun in the library creating skits and plays from a book. Using QR codes! Ever wonder what those crazy-unique codes are? They are codes to help you find out more information on certain things. I created a QR code for a book trailer I would love you to check out!I created a book trailer on one of y favorite books called "Creepy Carrots by: Aaron Reynolds". This story is so cute and shows how being greedy can haunt you.If you'd like to see more on this story, just scan this code with an already installed QR Reader on your smartphone or ipad. Enjoy! Synopsis: The Twilight Zone comes to the carrot patch in this clever picture book parable about a rabbit who fears his favorite treats are out to get him. I definitely want to use QR codes in my future library and plan to use them like scavenger hunts, place a code on book marks, end caps, magazine covers, and especially on book covers! The list can go on and on. I saw libraries using QR codes with book covers, links to songs, videos, websites,surveys and contests. Thy also used it on a flyer to grab students attention for book fairs or other events happening in the library. Very Clever!

I am Bloglovin it!

Hey there my blogger pals :) I am here once again, and I want to show you something that is very fascinating to me. For back some time now, I was surfing through some amazing blogs and wondered how could I keep track of all these inspiring people under one log? I know there was no way I was ever going to remember their blog names or the idea they had that had me head over heels for them. There was just too many great blogs out there. Well here I am to let at least one of your problems become solved. There are many wonderful places to save all your favorite blogs under one place! YES you read right. Well I had the privilege to play around and discover the pros and cons to couple of blog readers. I got to play around with Bloglovin, Freedly, Bloglness, Newsblur, and digg. Now out of all these blog readers, I absolutely fell in love with Bloglovin because it was so easy to use, navigate through, choose blogs, and I loved the left side panel. I did have a hard time choosing between bloglovin and freedly, but bloglovin won me over by being easier for me to find bogs that I needed instead of blogs that I could use on my spare time away from school and work, and who as free time now a days. So yes bloglovin has what you need to survive and also has the stuff you want for the little spare time you have. So all in one "bloglovin" is all you need. I did not choose newsblur or digg because it was a bit too on the plane side. It was basically about news about what is going around in the world, and don't get me wrong, I know the news is extremely important, but I'm searching for a place to keep up my with favorite blogs. So on Bloglovin, I saved a couple of blogs for you to see and here is number 5 (out of five)... It is Blog "Elementary Librarian" and I enjoyed this blog because she had wonderful advice for librarians. She really goes into detail about things and feelings you may experience in the library after some time, and she helps you over come those obstacles with great advice. Take a look at how she got her library mojo back :) She especially focuses on lesson plans and ideas for the library.
http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?blog=5044287&group=0&frame_type=b&frame=1&click=0&user=0

My number 4 choice was... "Free technology for Teachers".
This blog supplies great resources obviously for free technology  and also shows how teachers can use technology and ideas to integrate in the classroom. This would be a great place to get information to pass along to the teachers in your campus for technology usage. Here is the link....
http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?blog=1315757&group=0&frame_type=b&frame=1&click=0&user=0

My 3rd choice was "A media Specialist Guide to the Internet" . You can never have too much technology, so here I chose another technology blog to help me with everything I might need help with when dealing with technology. This blog has so much stuff! It has information with ESL, new teachers, all subjects, and especially with Web 2.0 tools!
http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?blog=3338385&group=0&frame_type=b&frame=1&click=0&user=0

My 2nd choice was .... "Monarchs Librarian Blog". She is ONE inspiring librarian! She even had her library be announced in the School Library Journal. How cool is that! You need to see what I am talking about.

http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?blog=6429179&group=0&frame_type=b&frame=1&click=0&user=0

And my number 1 pick of blogs was "Kid Tested, Librarian Approved"! This blog is all about book reviews which I love reading. I get a kick out of reading reviews and see what certain books are about. She does a great job on book reviews and I know I can use this in the future. Go ahead and enjoy her blog too.

http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?blog=5259411&group=0&frame_type=b&frame=1&click=0&user=0

I hope you enjoyed looking through my five favorite blogs and hope that you will keep your favs in one place too!

Infographic: Social Media and technology

easel.ly Lenhart,A.,Purcell,K.,Smith,A., & Zickuhr, K.(2010).Social Media &Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults. Pew Internet & American Life Project,51. Retrieved by: http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf Hi friends! I am glad to be back and here to give you some info on some interesting facts that I just read from the article "Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults". Do you think you know what teens prefer and use now a days when it comes to social sites as well as gadgets? I found this article, and it sure opened up my eyes to how young teens and adults are using the internet to social sites and technology! Let me tell you, it is not what I expected at all! Some interesting facts that I came across was that adults at the age of 50-64 are online and have increased since 2006. I am glad to hear that the older ones are using online much more now. Cell phone ownership increases with educational attainment and income. Teen activities on social networks are going down AND Adults over 30 are still blogging including by sharing photos, videos, artwork, and stories! 28% of internet users are 30 years and older now take part 12% more. I never thought for one moment that the social network for young teens was ever slowing down, but apparently it is! Adults are still using social sites and don't think they will be stopping anytime soon. Besides students slowing down on the social sites, they are no where near stopping the usage of wireless connection on their cell phones, laptops, or their gaming gadgets. I am glad to hear they are still discovering more on the surfing the web. Who knows what will be net for the social sites. Thank you for stopping by and hope you stop by next time :) 51/150

Twitter

Good evening Friends! I have been exploring a new tool today that I have been interested in for quite some time but have not peeked in to explore it up until NOW! Let me give you a hint. We have all seen that little adorable blue bird everywhere on the internet. What is that? what can that bird mean? Yes it is Twitter! It is a fun, catchy way to be informed of new and hip things that your friends or famous people want to share. I love it because each post can only be up to 120 words, so there are no excessively long posts, just something short and to the point.
One post I loved was from one of the people I follow and her name is The Daring Librarian and her username is : Gwyneth Jones here is one of her tweets.

I just earned a gold badge in #Education Technology for my topic Daring Gadgets, QR Codes, Apps, Tools... on @scoopit http://t.co/EIv6AEbIDz

— The Daring Librarian (@GwynethJones) June 3, 2014

Here is another tweet from another one of my favorite people: It is by Kathy Schrock and her user name is @Kathyschrock

Having lifelong friends can continue to help you #WorkWonders! Enter the #contest to share! http://t.co/C2xYgn4dEX pic.twitter.com/5453PPLYL0

— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) May 30, 2014

Here is a great tweet that helped me see visually see what google has to offer and it is noted from Jim Lerman @jimlerman

30 Simple Ways You Should Be Using Google - Edudemic via @DClaphamK12 http://t.co/TYwgb9eufi

— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) May 31, 2014

We are thinking the same thing! Buffy Hamilton @buffyjhamilton

I will always think of Summer 2013 in #CLE when I hear this song! http://t.co/aOquBDaKbf #NowPlaying

— Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) May 29, 2014

This one is hilarious! This tweet is from Tony Vincent @tonyvincent

See the priceless reactions in this video where kids react to seeing (and trying to use) an Apple II: https://t.co/uA2QWLhBPR #edtechchat

— Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) May 27, 2014

This was very inspirational to me and I am sure it is to many others! This was posted from Linda Braun @lbraun2000

RT @HuffPostEdu: Incredible teen earns full ride for college while living in homeless shelter http://t.co/3XIsnrNZXK

— Linda W Braun (@lbraun2000) May 30, 2014

Facebook

Hello! Today I wanted to introduce to you a "tool" that I have been exploring for some time now. It has been around for a couple of years now, and you probably have heard of it, or you might even have your own account. The tool that I am talking about is "Facebook"! It is a wonderful and exciting place to post messages, keep in touch with friends and family, or you can even promote businesses.
I was using my own personal Facebook account and was looking at some school libraries Facebook pages and noticed many elaborate ways librarians are using Facebook to promote their library or even simply just to keep students, parents, and teachers informed on events happening within the school/library. One thing I absolutely loved about the Facebook pages was that each and every page had pictures of students from their school involved with the library and events that they have participated in. A high school library had students vote on their choice for the next contest to be held in the library. An elementary Facebook page was so much more exciting because that page had much more activity going on and had more information. Students were even commenting "I love our library", or "stopping by to say hi". Some of the information that was provided was the week activities, promoting book fairs, a place to ask questions, reminders about no school on certain days, new book arrivals, and reading night. One disadvantage I think would be students not being interested in their libraries Facebook page, or maybe a librarian not posting or keeping up with a the page. I noticed more activity from the elementary pages rather than from the middle and high school pages. There's plenty of ways to get your students involved with your page!  Students may also post negative comments or false statements/information on the page that may not be positive for the audience. Just like everything, you are always going to have positive and negative points, but overall using Facebook has so many more pluses than minuses. It was a very fun, easy to use, and manageable tool that I highly recommend. It can become addicting!!! Beware :)