Resolutions vs. Reflections

It's the start of a new year. It's that time of year when people make resolutions. But as I've been sitting here thinking about the very nature of New Year's Resolutions, they've suddenly struck me as, perhaps unintentionally, a thing of negativity. It seems like all too often these resolutions focus on the things we're unhappy with, the things we want to change or fix. And something isn't quite sitting right with that for me.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with wanting to improve yourself. In fact, I'm all for bucking the status quo and constantly moving towards progress. I'm just saying that sometimes in looking forward, we forget the power of looking back. I'm making the argument that before we resolve to do anything new, we take a moment to reflect and celebrate the things that we've done well in the past year.

To this end, here's my celebration of 2016 in my library!



So instead of resolutions that will drastically change things, I instead resolve to continue to provide amazing opportunities for my students via the library. What specifically am I committed to continuing, you ask?

I commit to continue to provide my students with a culture that celebrates literacy in all shapes and forms. I commit to continuing to provide them with opportunities to think critically and explore new ideas. I commit to providing them with opportunities to find themselves and their passions. I commit to helping them connect to the world beyond our school. I commit to providing my students with a place to feel safe to take risks.

There are always amazing things looming on the horizon, things to look forward to in the future, things to strive to improve. But I challenge you to reflect and celebrate the things that have gone well with your library, your school, and your program!

Sharing a Love of Reading

As librarians, we know that there is no greater joy than helping our readers connect with that perfect book. But when we can empower students to share their reading experiences with others, it's "goosebumpy!"

While I try to encourage and empower all my students to share and celebrate their reading experiences, two of my 5th grade classes (and their teachers) wanted to take their sharing to another level. As their Teacher Librarian, I was more than happy to oblige!

Using Padlet, I am sharing the Thinglink and Animoto book recommendations my 5th graders created. These book recommendations were also shared via our library website and through our Library Google Classroom in order to engage as many readers as possible! Below this Padlet, I have included a description of each tool (and how we used it)!
 

Created with Padlet

Thinglink

One of my 5th grade classes utilized a site called Thinglink. Thinglink allows students (and teachers) to create interactive images and videos. Students (and teachers) start with a base image or video. Once the base image has been uploaded, creators add "Tags," or the interactive touch points. Information added to the images includes text or links to sites or videos. Finished Thinglinks can then be shared multiple ways, including shareable links or embedding in sites/blogs.

I utilized the free version of Thinglink Teacher. This allowed me to create student accounts. The process of creating classes and student accounts was fairly easy, but tutorial videos are always helpful. While I am able to view my students' creations, I am unable to collaborate in the editing of the Thinglinks.

Animoto

Animoto is a web-based video production tool, allowing for professional-looking video creation. To begin, students (and teachers) pick a theme (there are a variety of free ones to choose from). Each theme comes with a selected song, but Animoto provides a robust music library if creators wish to change. Creators then add a variety of text and images to create their video. The text slides are limited to a total of 90 characters each and videos must have at least one image. Pacing and transitions are automatically generated during the production process, but various slides can be highlighted during creation to ensure ample focus time. A preview option also allows for editing during the creation process. Much like Thinglink, finished Animotos can be shared a variety of ways, including shareable links, downloading, and embedding.

As a teacher or librarian, you can apply for an educator account. If approved, you are provided with a code that allows you to create student accounts. Both you and your students can then create videos exceeding the 30 second limitation of the free version. Animoto does provide detailed instruction in how to create the student accounts. 

There are a multitude of ways to have students extend their reading experiences! These are just two that worked really well for my students and allowed them to create a reading experience that could be shared with others!

Originally published (by me) on the IASL Blog: http://www.iasl-ia.org/2016/05/sharing-love-of-reading.html