The Best of AASL

My Story Book

MyStorybook.com is an amazing website that allows teachers, students, and anyone in between to join a writing community where you can create your own stories and storybooks. You can try your first storybook creation for free and the cost to print storybooks are low, around $5.00. You are able to add text, scenes, items, and even draw on your storybook to make it as creative as possible. There is a tutorial available if you get lost or confused, or you can free style and work on your own. THis is an excellent tool for students to use in the classroom. A student can create their own storybook on their summer vacation, or goals they want to achieve in their current grade. They can create a book report on a book they have just read and put their own spin on it. Best of all, they can create their own book and story with the stories they have created within their minds. This is a creative tool that differs from the traditional pencil and paper and students will really enjoy this website. 

Flip Quiz

Flipquiz.com is a quiz type website where educators can create a quiz show type of study guide for their students. This is like a giant board game for the classroom! Teachers create a free account for the website and then create a quiz board on whatever topic they are trying to review and quiz their students on. This could be used for English, Math, Social Studies, and even Science notes. The teachers can create the quiz boards but it was reported on the website that teachers often allow the students to create the quiz questions and they have different classes battle one another using this study tool. Librarians can use this great website as well. For the new book arrivals to the library, the librarian can use these quiz boards to intrigue students to read the new books by having facts and trivia from the book. Having clicked on the make an account button, I saw that very general information is needed so even parents can use this tool to help their students study at home. 

Bookopolis

Bookopolis,com is a vast site filled with a variety of reading sources for Elementary and Middle School students. The website gives book recommendations per grade level along with reviews for the books. There is a summer reading section where a student can win a book for reading 1000 minutes for the summer as well as other summer activities for students to use. The website is easy for students to use and teachers and parents can sign up for it as well. Teachers can use this resource to find summer reading books for their students or even books for their classroom set. Parents can use this resource to keep track of what their child is reading by creating a bookshelf, and the student can add to this as they read. 

The Adventures of Library Girl

The Adventures of Library Girl is a blog run by Jennifer LaGarde that covers every topic a librarian could think of. She has a page dedicated to her professional presentations, and her blogs are current and relevant to both librarians and teachers. I really like this blog because of the fact that it is kept current with the times that are surrounding us as teachers and librarians. This last post was about reaching students living in poverty and meeting their needs as librarians. What an amazing topic! Another great blog she posted back at the beginning of the year was tips on how to get students to tell their own stories. This blog is really relatable and I will make sure to continue to follow it. 

 Bookopolis. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2016, from https://www.bookopolis.com/#/

MyStorybook.com - Free Storybook Making Online. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2016, from 

https://www.mystorybook.com/ 

 The Adventures of Library Girl. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://www.librarygirl.net/search?updated-max=2016-03-04T09:30:00-05:00 

What Is FlipQuiz™? (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://flipquiz.me/

QR Codes and Augmented Reality Can Make A Difference

QR codes, or quick response codes, are a powerful way to portray information through your cell phone. The little code holds a ton of information and can talk, send you to websites, or even download PDF files. The above QR code will send you to the Henrico County Library Summer Reading Program website. If you aren't near a computer the benefit of this QR codes allows the user to see the information right on their cell phone without having to search the web. 

QR codes can be used in the library and classroom in many different ways. Students can scan the codes on book covers and be sent to the author's website to find out more about them and their books. A librarian can create their own QR codes to allow students to check out library books or even add books to their Goodreads website. Teacher's can assign book reports and the students can use the code to display their report in a website form or Google Doc form. 

Augmented/Virtual Reality 

Augmented reality is the use of your own surroundings while you are playing a game, looking at maps, or reading book  covers. You see your own surroundings while you are looking at information on your computer or phone screen. Pokemon Go, Layar, and Ingress are just a few of the latest augmented reality apps out there. Librarians can really use this new technology to have students live out the books they are reading. With just a scan of the app and book, a student could be reading a page, scan, and then live in the setting of what that page is talking about. A student can discover a dystopian universe or even attend Hogwarts! 

Virtual reality can really help in the classroom. Imagine going to ancient Rome or Egypt with the use of the virtual reality technology. You can walk around the pyramids or visit the Colosseum in a virtual field trip. Librarians can use this as well with the books they hold within their library shelves. A teacher could even use virtual reality to give instructions on a project. Imagine a student going through the actual project instead of just reading it on a piece of paper! 

I Am A Robot Who Codes And 3D Prints

3D Printing 

3D printing is something out of the future yet right here in our own back yard. This printer uses all sorts of fancy parts and ABA or PLA plastics and can take hours or even days to create the print. The real question is how this new invention will be used in the classroom and in the library. How will students use this printer when they come to the library? Students can make a signs, plaques, bookmarks, and holders for their books with this new printer. Librarians can do the very same. On thing librarians need to do is set ground rules on the use of this expensive and unique piece of equipment. There are plenty of rules set by the ALA but a librarian needs their own rules since they will be using the machine and helping students with it. 

Coding 

Coding is a part of STEM which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This complicated yet creative way to use computers and programs allows students to create new programs, code websites, and help with experiments. Coding is important in the classroom because it allows students to use parts of their brains they never thought they could use. It allows them to be creative with what they code and create new programs that will help with their lives. There are many coding clubs in schools and even competitions that involve coders and their work. 

Robots

To put coding into work, robots are the latest craze in schools. Competition teams are sent out with their built robots to sometimes fight one another or prove themselves with different tasks. Most of these teams of students build their robots from scratch with materials they obtained and then either code them to do tasks or build them so they can move them around to do certain things. These robots help form teamwork within the classroom and help students use their hands and minds in new ways. Librarians can even use these robots to shelve books!

Presentation tools for students, teacher, and librarians too!

Prezi Presentations

Prezi is an amazing presentation tool that allows both students and businesses to present in a clean and creative fashion. Different from powerpoint, Prezi presents your information in circles as one big picture that breaks down into more circles by zooming, and they can hold a great amount of information. There are three paid versions that provide privacy control, editing tools, premium support and more that are billed monthly. There is also a free version that allows you to create an account and all your presentations will be viewable to the public. This presentation tool can be used by students to do science and history reports, teachers to give out their class rules, and librarians to talk about book reports. 

Blendspace Presentations

Blendspace is a great resource for teachers and even students to present and perform their own lesson plans and lessons. You can sign up for free and start making lessons right from the start. You can join a class blendspace session, create your own lesson, or even view featured student lessons that are posted on the website. You can add quizzes, text, and resources to blocks to create your own lesson. You can search, for example, volcanoes, and many resources will come up on the right hand of the screen, allowing you to drag and drop wherever you want! This resource can be used by students, teachers, and librarians in many different ways. 

So You Need To Do A Book Report?

PowToon

PowToon is a nifty video making website that students and teachers can use for many different projects. You can make any subject into a cool video by using animated people and your own text. There are many different templates to use that could inspire your project or you can start from scratch. You can even add your own voice to the video! The account is free to use but there are paid templates if you want to take it further. Students could do a book report, like the example I have below, on whatever they are currently reading in English, or even as a summer reading assignment. Teachers and librarians can also use this for class/library rules, or even explaining a project. Overall, the website is fun to use and offers so many options for students to play around with. The only part I had difficulty with was adding my own elements and using the timer slider at the bottom when creating, but with patience it can be done! 





Pixiclip

Pixiclip is a tool that allows the user to draw or upload images and add both voice and video to them using their computer mic and camera. This is an interactive whiteboard that a student could use to present information. They can write on the whiteboard while talking and a video of the student will appear while they are drawing or writing. This is an excellent tool for complex math equations or working out experiments. It is extremely easy to use and free. I found the video addition really neat because it puts your face in a little box, but you still have the entire whiteboard area to write and explain. This is a great tool for students that allows them to use technology in a new way. 

Wideo

Wideo is a video making website that allows you to create presentations of all types to share. The free version allows you a 30 second video and allows you to embed, but there are paid versions that allow longer videos. You can start from scratch and add your own elements or use their templates. You can create holiday cards, slideshows, and product promotion slides with this website. Students can use this in their campaign for class president, or even if they are selling things in a fundraiser. It is fairly easy to use, especially if you choose an already made template. If you decide to start from scratch, you have many options like choosing your own font, pictures, and even music. Have fun! 

Example Weebly Library Websites That Take The Cake!

Lowe Elementary Library

Lowe Elementary Library has a wonderful library website that is quite user friendly and has a great amount of interaction. The main page has a nifty suggestion panel that allows people to suggest a new book the library should get, as well as the mission statement, library hours, and even pictures to create a virtual library. The catalog is also on the main page and is available not only for the computer but for smartphones and iphones. 

There are both librarian and teacher buttons that display resources for both, as well as a more, what's new, and awards section. There is a student section that has has resources such as AR, databases, a book blog, and a student showcase section. 

This website certainly has flavor, a focus on teaching, and opportunities for participation by users. The problem with the student showcase section is that it is password protected so not everyone can view the work. This is a bummer since we want to see what the students are doing! The website also has a list of resources that are current and up to date such as twitter and a Dewey section, but that is password protected as well. The password issue is the only problem with this website. Otherwise, this is really neat and nifty and the librarian did a great job! 

West Hall High School Library

West Hall High School has a library website that is chock full of amazing tools and information. The main page has pictures of the staff as well as students, and really allows the users to see who they would be working with. They have a great infographic on new books on their main page, as well as instagram and twitter information. The resource link has so many different resources such as research and writing links (Purdue Owl, Easy Bib, SIRS and many more), citations, google drive, and website criteria. 

The site does have a teacher resources page but it is password protected so only teachers at that school can access it. This is unfortunate but I suppose they have great secrets only the teachers are allowed to know! There are a few student work showcased but not much, and the site does have a certain flavor to it. It is not too bright or busy, but is still catching to the eye. 

Great job librarians! 

Podcasts Can Be A Librarian's Best Friend

Podcasts are audio tools that educators often use because of their educational purposes and easy to access ways. These audio clips can come in series and often feature different subjects throughout such series.

Often teachers and librarians will choose podcasts that teach different and interesting subjects. Podcasts can also help student with research. This a creative way to get information across. For example, http://chinahistorypodcast.com/ is a fascinating series of podcasts on the history of China from over 5000 years ago to the present day. The histories range from the American Chinese cuisine to the Song Emperor and even the history of Hong Kong.

The Mid Autumn Festival

This podcast was quite interesting and delivered information about this Chinese festival. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th Chinese month. The Chinese and even some Vietnamese celebrate the moon goddess by gathering with family, giving thanks to the harvest, and praying for a good and long life. Mooncakes, lanterns, and match makings are all a part of the festival and the podcast really enlightened me on such a historical celebration.