Comics

Evaluation of MyToonDoos:

I enjoyed using My ToonDoos. It was easy to registrar and set up an account. It was easy to set up and create a comic without a lot of fuss. After about 10-15 mins I was able to go through each tool on the bar and create/move the characters around on the slide. There were a variety of human, animal and objects to put in the comic. I had no problem adding color and backgrounds to each slide. I was able to download and save to my computer without any issues. The best part was all tools were set up on the screen. If someone wanted to really be create it was even a pen to draw in the slides with different colors. One of the most useful tools was the ability to resize and enlarge the objects on each slide. The tool bar even allowed one to download your own pictures. I think this could be useful to actually put my face in the slide or my students. I can see how useful this would be for math word problems and using the students and familiar objects as part of the problem. 

The students would enjoy using this particular program. I think the learning curve with be fine and the students could easily create many comics for science, social studies, reader response, and may activities to show understanding of any content area. 

ONLINE BOOK COMMUNITIES

ONLINE BOOK COMMUNITIES

I examined three online book communities: Booklikes, Goodreads and Librarything

BOOKLIKES

PROS

The appearance of the books actually on the shelf

The different pages that was label with the title of the shelves

The ease to move the books around within the shelves

Able to create a blog

CON

The creator of the shelf is unable to import or export a list from another book community 

GOODREADS

PROS

Able to import/export from amazon and LibraryThing

Ratings and reviews of the books

Able to purchase the books from amazon link

Able to create on personal reviews of your bookshelf

LIBRARYTHING

PROS

Able to import/export from online book communities

Ratings and reviews of the books

I enjoyed all three online book communities. The one I enjoy the most was Booklikes. I enjoyed the home page and the view of the books. In addition the ability to create a blog and have interaction with others who share the same passion. The blog allows extra creative with the books and sharing with others.

I would recommend that students try all three sites. I think the students could benefit from working on the Booklikes community because of the creativity of presenting the book through a blog. 

BOOKLIKES
SHELF READ

BOOKLIKES
PLANNING TO READ

BOOKLIKES
CURRENTLY READING

GOODREADS

GOODREADS

GOODREADS

LIBRARY THING

PODCAST OF FAHRENHEIT 451

STUDENT BOOK REVIEW

Amazon.com Review

In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's classic, frightening vision of the future, firemen don't put out fires--they start them in order to burn books. Bradbury's vividly painted society holds up the appearance of happiness as the highest goal--a place where trivial information is good, and knowledge and ideas are bad. Fire Captain Beatty explains it this way, "Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs.... Don't give them slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy." 

Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman undergoing a crisis of faith. His wife spends all day with her television "family," imploring Montag to work harder so that they can afford a fourth TV wall. Their dull, empty life sharply contrasts with that of his next-door neighbor Clarisse, a young girl thrilled by the ideas in books, and more interested in what she can see in the world around her than in the mindless chatter of the tube. When Clarisse disappears mysteriously, Montag is moved to make some changes, and starts hiding books in his home. Eventually, his wife turns him in, and he must answer the call to burn his secret cache of books. After fleeing to avoid arrest, Montag winds up joining an outlaw band of scholars who keep the contents of books in their heads, waiting for the time society will once again need the wisdom of literature.Bradbury--the author of more than 500 short stories, novels, plays, and poems, including The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man--is the winner of many awards, including the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Readers ages 13 to 93 will be swept up in the harrowing suspense of Fahrenheit 451, and no doubt will join the hordes of Bradbury fans worldwide. --Neil Roseman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Biography 

In a career spanning more than seventy years, Ray Bradbury, who died on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91, inspired generations of readers to dream, think, and create. A prolific author of hundreds of short stories and close to fifty books, as well as numerous poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays, and screenplays, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. His groundbreaking works include Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He wrote the screen play for John Huston's classic film adaptation of Moby Dick, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He adapted sixty-five of his stories for television's The Ray Bradbury Theater, and won an Emmy for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree. He was the recipient of the 2000 National Book FoundatioMedal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2004 National Medal of Arts, and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, among many honors.Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old Bradbury, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, "Live forever!" Bradbury later said, "I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped."

Podcast can be used in many ways to engages students in their daily curriculum. I have chosen to the podcast as a book review from a students perspective. Students pay attention to what their peers have to say about games, books, movies and the trends of the day. 

PADLET TEXAS BLUEBONNET BOOK LIST

Created with Padlet

I have chosen to use Padlet because of the ability to have different themes and platforms. I do not think one is better than the other but instead a matter of choice and style. Each application has the ability to download photos, videos, and embed in different formats/applications such as Youtube, Blogger, Canvas, Wikispace, Wix, Schoology and many others.

MONSTER by Walter Myers Booktrailer

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-Steve Harmon, 16, is accused of serving as a lookout for a robbery of a Harlem drugstore. The owner was shot and killed, and now Steve is in prison awaiting trial for murder. From there, he tells about his case and his incarceration. Many elements of this story are familiar, but Myers keeps it fresh and alive by telling it from an unusual perspective. Steve, an amateur filmmaker, recounts his experiences in the form of a movie screenplay. His striking scene-by-scene narrative of how his life has dramatically changed is riveting. Interspersed within the script are diary entries in which the teen vividly describes the nightmarish conditions of his confinement. Myers expertly presents the many facets of his protagonist's character and readers will find themselves feeling both sympathy and repugnance for him. Steve searches deep within his soul to prove to himself that he is not the "monster" the prosecutor presented him as to the jury. Ultimately, he reconnects with his humanity and regains a moral awareness that he had lost. Christopher Myers's superfluous black-and-white drawings are less successful. Their grainy, unfocused look complements the cinematic quality of the text, but they do little to enhance the story. Monster will challenge readers with difficult questions, to which there are no definitive answers. In some respects, the novel is reminiscent of Virginia Walter's Making Up Megaboy (DK Ink, 1998), another book enriched by its ambiguity. Like it, Monster lends itself well to classroom or group discussion. It's an emotionally charged story that readers will find compelling and disturbing.
Edward Sullivan, New York Public Library 
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

QR CODE

I think QR code can be used in many ways. 

• It can allow one to distribute information in a quick and timely manner. 

• The message allows one to save on papers and copies. 

• The information can be viewed by many, anytime of the day, with technology that is available on all types of phone at no cost. 

• announce contest, 

• students quick book reviews, 

• activities around the school, 

• positive messages of encouragement,

•  new book releases, 

• important test days,

• field trips,

• books sells

SNAPCHAT

SNAPCHAT USE IN THE LIBRARY

There are some great applications for snapchat. The librarian can use snapchat for the following:

•  book reviews

• informing patrons of school wide events and library events

• informing staff of up and coming events in the library

• announcing achievements by students, staff and faculty

• informing parents of events

• interacting with students through their use of technology

• requires student to be creative and effective to get message across in a short period of time

There are many resources to help librarians to stay in touch with the patrons and learned how to use snapchat in an effective way

 

Snapchat video of a middle school student giving a review of Fahrenheit 451 with a funny and playful change in appearance. 

A college student giving out information about the use of the media center wireless printing capabilities on any electronic device.

Oh the possibilities of snapchat....What did I love about snapchat ...

I love...

• playfulness of snapchat

• all the options to change your appearance depending on your mood

• giving helpful information in a short period of time

• ability to replay message many times

• the universal appeal to the youth

• the ease of getting students to be on snapchat to be silly and provide information about their readings

What is tough about snapchat....

• Older patron may not have access or want to be apart of this media

• Promoting librarians active use and convincing students to add you to snapchat friends list

• Lack of ability to see short snapchats outside of the application itself, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs.  

• A higher learning curve is required to upload videos of the snapchat to youtube, then download to the Blogs, Facebook, and Twitter to have a record of all snapchats created by the librarian.

• Only have 10 secs to get message across.

Overall good experience, worth learning and using because of the popularity with youth. This application can reach many patrons with little to no cost, time and effort. The exposure would not only be positive for the library but a big support for the teachers in the classroom with student engagement.