Podcasting in the Library

This week in IST 611, we discussed podcasts and how we could use them in education. Many libraries use podcasts for book reviews but the possibilities for podcasts in the library are limitless!!
Podcasts would be great tools to use in order to promote library services. Librarians can create podcasts advertising upcoming events such as Teen Reads week, Banned Books Week, the Summer Reading program, and other special events. Podcasts would also be a great way to advertise new arrivals at the library.
Students could use podcasts during library instruction as well. Podcasts are widely used for book reviews but there are many different ways students can use podcasts. Students can use podcasts to deliver short reports. Podcasts would be a great tool for storytelling. Students can add music and sound effects to accompany their story. Students can also create radio commercials for different topics such as selling war bonds during World War II, job ads for the New Deal, state commercials for social studies; the possibilities are limitless!
These are only a few ideas for ways to use podcasts in the school library. Please feel free to add your own suggestions!

Utiliziling Content Collaboration tools in the classroom

Content collaboration tools such as blogs, twitter, Google Docs, Google+, and wikis would provide excellent collaborative learning tools for today's twenty-first century learners. Teachers would need to establish guidelines and set expectations for any project using content collaboration. Students need to know that they should only edit their own content. Students must also recognize no one person gets credit for the content they post. There are many different ways teachers can utilize these tools in an educational environment.
Twitter would be a great place for students to post headlines about current events or short book reviews. Students could also post interesting facts about a research paper they are working on for class. For example, if fifth graders are working on state reports, they can post fun facts about their state on Twitter.
Google Docs would be a great tool to use for group projects. Students could work on a cooperative report about a chosen country where each group member is responsible for researching a certain aspect of the country from clothing, food, traditions, etc. Students could also tweet about their country. Wikis would also be a great tool to use for this type of assignment as well.
Google+ can be used to post content or connect with experts through circles. As a newer user, I have not fully delved into other things educators can use Google+ for in the classroom. If anyone has any more ideas, please feel free to comment I would love to read them. :)

Web 2.0 tools resource

For my Information Technologies in Educational Organizations course, we had to complete a group project on a Web2.0 technology. I am attaching the link to our Symbaloo for my blog audience. I researched the Web 2.0 tool called Storybird. Please check out our work! I think it would be a great resource for librarians.

Reflections on Bookshare.org

This week in IST611, we discussed accessibility and  related topics such as closed captioning and Universal Design for Learning. A website that boasts accessibility to its members is bookshare.org. A first glance at the site heralds "Books without Barriers" which is really what this site provides. The website exists to provide access to books for people with print disabilities. This service provides assistance for students with visual impairments, physical disabilities, and learning disabilities. The website even has a special exception to U.S. Copyright law to provide its services. Members download books, newspapers, and textbooks as an encrypted file and use adaptive technologies such as text-to-speech and Braille access devices. Only qualified members can utilize this service. Qualifying U.S. in K-12 (public and private) institutions, home-school students, post secondary students (public and private), and adult students all have free access to this service.
I think this is a great website providing access to those who need different formats to access the material. The site applies to different learning styles and caters to the Universal Design for Learning Principles providing Multiple Means of Representation for students with disabilities. When I land my first library teaching job, I hope we can utilize this service in our library.