Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

 

Facebook


Some advantages of using Facebook in the library is that you can instantly update parents and students about what is going on in the library.  Many parents use Facebook and it is a good communication tool to announce special events like book fairs. I also noticed that schools use Facebook to showcase what the students are doing in the library.  I saw student made videos, artwork, and makerspace projects that the students created and shared.  Some of the schools use Facebook to share services that they are offering such as Sora and curbside pick up for online learners.   I noticed that many parents commented on the student projects and contest awards.  These comments lead to further engagement and keeps the parents checking the site which helps to communicate other needs with the parents.  This would come in handy when books are due or volunteers are needed.  


One disadvantage is that many of the students no longer use Facebook.  As my own middle schooler told me “Facebook is for old people”.  So if you want to use a social media platform to reach students I would not use Facebook, however if you want to reach their parents it is a good choice.  


Twitter

After viewing some of the Tweets from the educational technology leaders I discovered that they share a good amount of information for teachers and librarians.  Many of these people share ideas for technology use such as new apps or programs.  For instance Kathy Schrock @kathyschrock tweeted:

 


I found this particular Tweet very interesting because I use Discovery Education all the time at school and this could be useful to me.  They also share links to resources that can be used in the classroom or the library.  For example, Gwyneth Jones @GwynethJones tweeted: 


They also post about upcoming events they are going to or involved in that may be of interest to teachers and librarians.  Overall I feel like Twitter is a great way to find new tips and tricks in real time.  The information is current and useful to educators.  It is also a great way to connect and share ideas.  I think that Twitter is a great way to show parents and students what is going on in the library. This is an easy way to promote things like book fairs, book clubs, and author visits to the community.  Many students have Twitter accounts so it is a great way to reach students specifically.


Instagram

Instagram is another great way for librarians and teachers to share what is happening in their classrooms and libraries.  Many Librarians share videos on how to do things around the library, display ideas, and lesson ideas.  Often times links are included for freebie lesson plans or display ideas.  It is nice to be able to watch a video of something being done instead of just looking at a still picture.  I also follow several librarians that give good book reviews and professional development ideas on their Instagram accounts.  Also, Instagram is popular with the students so you know that you will be reaching students easily. This is another great platform to promote events in the library or resources that are available to the students. 

The only con that I can think of is that many parents may not be on Instagram. However, I think that is true with all social media.  Some people may be only on one platform or none at all.  Librarians should make a goal to be on at least two platforms, one to reach as many students as possible and one to reach the parents.

Check out my Instagram for more posts and stories!


References

Hudson, H. (2016, August 7). 10 Surprising Ways to Use Instagram in the Classroom - We Are Teachers. WeAreTeachers. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.weareteachers.com/10-surprising-ways-to-use-instagram-in-the-classroom-2

The Social Institute. (2022, January 14). 10 Things Students Wish You Knew About Social Media. The Social Institute. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://thesocialinstitute.com/blog/10-things-students-wish-you-knew-about-social-media/

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Thursday, February 3, 2022

Blogs and Blog Readers

 Blog Reader


After going through the list of feed readers and trying a few I settled on Feedly.  I chose this one because it was simple to use.  Some of the other choices had more bells and whistles but were a little more complicated to use.  I chose Feedly because it was very easy for me to search for blogs to read and add them to my list.  I like how all of my blogs are neatly ordered in the sidebar.  I can clearly see what blogs I am following and I can even organize them into categories.  Then, once I have read an article on the blog I can mark it read so it no longer shows in my feed.  This makes it simple and clean and easy to see what is new.  There is also a feature that gives you more suggestions of blogs based on what you are already reading.  



The Book Wrangler

https://thebookwrangler.com/


The Book Wrangler is written by Michael Rawls, an elementary school librarian.  I chose to follow his blog because he gives practical and useful lesson plan ideas.  He also shares many great diverse book ideas and activities to go with them.  He shares ideas for library displays and different resources you can use in the library such as Epic.  He also shares many resources that you can simply print and use.  If you are looking for fun and creative ways to teach students in your library then you should give this blog a read.


The Library Voice

https://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/


The Library Voice is written by Shannon McClintock Miller, she is the director of Innovation of Instructional Technology and Library Media at Van Meter School in Iowa.  She is a speaker and consultant for the Future Ready Librarians.  She is also a 2016 ISTE Making IT Happen Recipient as well as the 2018 AASL Leadership Luminary Social Media Superstar.  I chose to follow her blog because she posts frequently about reading events, lesson ideas, and technology tips.  Her blog keeps you informed of current events in the world of school librarians. This blog is a great way to stay up to date on topics of interest in the field of library science. 


Watch. Connect. Read

http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/


Watch. Connect, Read is written by John Schu, he is a children’s book author, part time lecturer at Rutgers University and the children’s librarian for Bookelicious.  On his blog Schu shares new books and book trailers.  This blog is a great way to keep up with all the new releases and to see what books you might be interested in.  He also has authors take over the blog and they talk about their books and why they wrote them.  This is a great blog full of information for your collection development needs.


Great Kids Books

http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/


This blog is written by Mary Ann Scheuer, a high school librarian in Albany, C.A. She was also the co-chair of the 2017 AASL National Conference.  This blog is mostly reviews of books.  She also includes some professional resources such as links to ALA, digital media, and tech tools. This is a good source of information for books to buy and read.


The Daring Librarian

https://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/


This blog is written by Gwyneth A. Jones, she is the Future Ready Teacher Librarian at Murray Hill Middle school in Howard County, Maryland.  She is also an international Keynote EdTech and Librarian speaker as well as a Google Certified Innovator.  This blog gives you plenty of information about the everyday life of a librarian.  She talks about weeding, collection development, and display ideas.  Links to various presentations are also included on her site for you to read.  This blog is full of good information for new and experienced librarians.



Check me out on Tumblr

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/runningmomlibrarian



   
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Final Reflection

 This class certainly took me out of my comfort zone when it comes to technology.  I have always been a consumer of things like Instagram, o...