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...