Final Reflection

This reflection was created with Storybird.  This was my first time to use Storybird and, while it was not difficult, it did take me a little while to figure it out.  What I love about this app is that it allows students to turn their stories into digital books, that can, for a cost, be printed.  Teachers can sign up for a classroom account students can upload their stories to for review.  What I did not like is that there is no help video tutorial and the only place that I could find to get help information was in the Q & A section.  I feel that this company should produce a video and have a help icon easily visible.  The other downside is that if you want to publish a story and get a URL to embed you must choose to publish it to Storybird's public library and it must first be reviewed.  Because this takes time, I chose to download it and the used Flipsnack to create a flipbook that I was able to embed into my blog.  It worked but it took some time to figure it out.  Stories have the option of being downloaded to e-readers which is pretty cool.  The free version, which is what I used, allows one free download and three review tickets that can be submitted to have stories reviewed for public publishing.  All in all I really like this app and think it would exciting for students to see their work published.

My Reflection:

As I began looking through the modules of this course in late May, I was filled with trepidation.  Although this was my last course in the program and I had used technology in every class to date, there were many apps listed that I had either never heard of or, had heard of but had never used.  I remember thinking, “This is going to be a long summer!”  As the semester progressed the anxiety began to subside and I began to look forward to learning new things that I could share with others.  The modules that excited me the most were “YouTube, Animoto, and QR Codes” and “Cartoons and Comics”. These are the very ones that I feared the most in the beginning but they turned out to be fun learning experiences. 

Animoto was difficult for me.  I had never created any type of digital book trailer or video, and had never heard of “Animoto” before so everything about it was new learning.  The most frustrating piece was locating images that fit what I had pictured in my mind that I could use legally without having to get special permission.  It took a while but I did it.  It helped me have a better understanding of how important it is to teach students how to locate images from different sources and to teach them how to cite those images properly. 

My initial thought when I saw “Cartoons and Comics” was “Oh, no! I can’t draw to save my life and I’m not even very creative.  What am I going to do?”  It turns out you don’t have to be an artist to create comics using apps like Pixton or Make Belief Comix.  These apps are easy to use and are of high interest to students.  They can be used for everything from creative writing to demonstrating knowledge in content areas.  Pixton’s paid subscription provides more choices than the free subscription, and I found these limitations somewhat disappointing.

Screencasting was the module that I found to be the most beneficial to students, in terms of providing pertinent information without having to be present.  Creating screencasts that show students how to conduct advanced searches, use the database resources, and/or provide instructions for using digital learning tools make learning more independent and accessible.  While they may not provide the same creative outlet for students that some of the other apps provide, they can also be used to assess students’ knowledge of particular subjects. 

During the course of the semester I created infographics, books trailers, QR codes, comics, screencasts, posters and bookmarks, and contributed to a podcast, all of which were new to me with the exception of screencasts.  I learned how to use social media platforms to enhance learning and promote the library.  While I am still not the most creative person around and my skills need a lot of honing, I believe that I am leaving this course a much braver person than I was at the beginning.  I have moved from being the person who says, “Gee, I wish I could ….” to being the person who says, “I have done that! You can, too!”  There is a lot truth to the saying “Time flies when you are having fun”.  This summer has flown by and I have had a lot of fun.