The Lighthearted Librarian

This week's tech tool blows every existing tech tool out of the water - or at least can make it appear that way! The topic of virtual reality and augmented reality is quickly becoming one on the forefront of educational technology as more and more apps and software/hardware become available for school use. VR and AR is even popular for non-school use - Pokemon Go anyone? While Pokemon Go was just an extremely popular game, the technology and idea behind it has incredible potential in education. Creating an environment that is enhanced beyond the current reality opens the doors for tremendous opportunities in teaching. So how can you bring augmented reality to life in your school without a hefty price tag for this awesome new technology? I bring to you a free app called HP Reveal. HP Reveal , formerly known as Aurasma, is a free app that allows you to create an augmented reality "aura" attached to a picture of anything that exists in real life. This aura can include...

This week's blogshare is focused on adding 3D printers to your library makerspace. I was discussing makerspaces with my husband, currently an engineering student at Clemson and engineering intern at Bosch, and he practically begged me to focus in on 3D printing. He is convinced that this is a resource that every school and public library should have available and after doing a bit of my own research, I have to say I agree with him! At first, I thought that the idea of a 3D printer in a school library was a bit too far fetched. 1) it's expensive 2) it's just for the science and engineering classes (which as a former science teacher, I'm certainly not opposed to but it did seem a bit too exclusive to be a part of the library) 3) what would you even do with it?! Enter stage right -- 3D Printers in the Library: Toward a Fablab in the Academic Library by Tod Colegrove, guest author to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Tech Connect blog. Tod...

This week's tool is one that I have personally used and loved using when I was a classroom teacher -- Screencast-O-Matic. This software records whatever is on your computer screen and creates a video that you can save to your computer or post immediately online using several different platforms like Google Classroom, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo or Dropbox. You can add a webcam video or just have audio recorded along with the the screen capture. There is also a video editor tool that allows you to add music tracks, zoom in on certain parts of your screen capture, add text, images or captions.  This tutorial does a great job walking you through how to use the screen recorder. There are a couple different versions, from free to Deluxe, with varying features available for each. You can purchase an account for one user or multiple users (as an organization or group). As far as free online tools go, this one has quite a good bit of functionality for the free version. The pa...

I love Google. I know it sometimes gets a bad rap for its omnipresence and increasing girth in the business world, but as an educator, I have found it to be so helpful. I used Google Classroom extensively with my classes both on days I was present in class and always on days I had to be absent. We did assignments using Google Docs, collaborated using Google Slides and analyzed data using Google Sheets. I bring to you today another reason to love Google - Voice Typing in Google Docs/Slides. I had no idea the G Suite had this feature! How sweet! In education, adaptive technologies are essential for providing equitable access for all learners, regardless of ability levels. Adaptive technology resources can sometimes be pricey to have in every classroom so when there's a free tool available, it makes it so much easier to provide accessibility tools for every learner. This tutorial from Google Help walks you through the steps for initiating the Voice Typing feature as well as a li...

Hello again! Today I bring you more thoughts on technology tools and technology integration. I do have a tech tool and ideas for using it, but first – let me tell you something about technology models that I recently learned: I taught for four years in a public high school and two years in a charter school (also public but there are some notable differences) before beginning this journey into library science. In those years, the SAMR technology model was something that was pushed on us teachers when we were trying to integrate new technologies into the classroom. Standing for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition, this model categorizes the use of technology in the classroom. We were actually assessed by our administration on which level our technology integration fell into during observations. I didn’t realize until reading this article  ("Through the Looking Glass") by Dr. Lucy Green, that this model is a hoax! Well maybe hoax is a strong word, b...

Today I bring to you one of my favorite blogs to follow, the Teen Librarian Toolbox , written by Karen Jensen and a post about one instructional strategy to use in Makerspaces. Makerspaces have transformed the library scene from a world of just books to a world in which the possibilities are endless; technology has provided a bridge for so many students and so many teachers to take learning to the next level. A lot of schools are able to make maximum impact with smaller budgets by creating Makerspaces in the library rather than providing expensive technologies to every classroom. But what do you do with all those nifty gadgets and tools? You’ve still got to teach the standards, your teachers still have end of course testing at the end of the year, the curriculum still stands. Melissa Johnston says it well in her article in School Libraries Worldwide : The key to technology integration in education is that technology is used to enhance the learning experience and develop ...