Final Reflection

This was a very busy semester with two classes and my portfolio before graduation.  I enjoyed this class the most because I liked the exploration of new ideas and applications.  I want to teach others new technology connections particularly for the classroom. I have introduced new concepts to the students during my library classes, I teach Kindergarten and 1st grade so I am laying a foundation they will use their whole lives.  This class opened the door to new ideas and allows for creation to share with students and teachers.  It was very practical in the information and application but also it was fun to challenge myself. 

The applications that excited me most was Screencast and Telligumi.  I enjoyed the ease of Screencast and the practical application is endless.  I liked creating Telligumi, it was beautiful to look at and gave the wow factor.  I used screencast almost immediately and read a book to students and posted it on our school’s Facebook page.  This connected the students and parents to the school during the summer and advocated for reading and summer public library programs.  As for the Telligumi app, I showed it off that week to whoever would view it.  I spoke to a teacher coach who was excited about the practical application.

The most difficult application for me was the infographics, I didn't feel like it had ease of use.  I think they are beautiful and important but I felt I couldn't create what I wanted without paying extra fees.  It might have been the time pressure I felt with other projects and I am willing to revisit the sites for exploration. I thought the final products of most of the students were stunning.

I believe the QR codes will be benefit students greatly as teachers implement them throughout their classroom.  They can be used in stations and in homework assignment, in the library we can connect QR codes to just about anything.  They can be used for book trailers, library information, book fair information, etc.  They are easy to navigate and can be put on social media links. I think if a teacher implements screencast, it will benefit the students tremendously.  They can be used in centers for instruction, homework assignments, meet the teacher and professional development. As a campus with one on one technology these tools will be easily implemented even with early elementary students.

I will teach screencast to my teacher the first week of professional development.  I will show how easy it is for students to use and implement as a project.  I will also show Telligumi to the teachers the first week and teach it to my students during library classes.  I will also incorporate exploration of comics with my students.  I believe there is a great opportunity to teach technology on my campus that they can feel confident in exploration and creation.  They can then bring those skills back to the classroom and home.  Once I teach them a skill, I bridge the gap for teachers to create lessons and assignments that implement a project without paper.  We can then incorporate these projects on a blog or central site for parents to view.  We can create a QR code for the blog or site and post it on social media, remind or class dojo even on weekly newsletters sent out to parents.

I did create a Facebook and Instagram library pages and will be sharing them with parents and students connecting with my school's social media sites.  I believe as we are leaders in technology and new ideas we are advocating for our positions by showing the vitality of the librarian and the expertise we possess as professionals.  It also creates collaboration and mentorship with our teachers and staff.  As I teach someone a skill, I am adding to their tool belt and building trust.  

Buncee might be another great application to explore for this class.  I enjoyed the learning and creation of the products more than the papers. I was able to share what I learned immediately and link it with my own social media for teachers and friends to experience.

I like the missional statement of knowing your audience. We should reflect on what can we bring to our campuses to make it a better learning environment and advocation of teamwork. What might work for me on an early elementary campus might not work in a high school.  Always being willing to learning and explore new ideas is important as a Library Media Specialist, we must not discount an idea without exploration first. As we connect others to technology, we become stronger advocates for the library and leaders on our campus.