Find resources. Read, Curate, & Share. Update. Rinse and Repeat.
Curation is a critical tool that can be harnessed to leverage resources as pertinent information to specific target audiences. However, curation is a "living process" and is never fully complete. That said, managing curated information as it ages is necessary to keep it relevant and useful.
The process of weeding through curated websites was simple in nature because the information was organized effectively and took into consideration the user experience. However, the process would not have been approachable if the information had been more unorganized.
Paying attention to the smaller details was important to figure out the resource changes. Some of the changes that had occurred were not immediately apparent. It is one thing to look for dead links and another to sift through the changed information; this was the challenging part of this task.
I enjoyed being able to revisit resources that had left my immediate memory. Revisiting curated resources might be a great way to find inspiration for lesson planning!
In sum, gathering and caring for information is a task that is never fully accomplished. As time progresses, resources ultimately change how they are interpreted and applied.
A pathfinder is a tool that explores a topic in extreme depth; moreover, the usefulness of a pathfinder is the culmination of resources about resources for the subject at hand. I created a pathfinder about skincare for a beginner entering the world of skincare for the first time.
My first mistake was that the subject I chose needed to be narrower. Skincare is a large topic that can be broken down into several smaller categories. When I started collecting resources for a skincare pathfinder, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available. That said, I narrowed my topic to cleansers in skincare, and I had a much easier time filtering through all of the information. Pathfinders need to contain relevant information that extends the reader only a short distance from the discussed subject.
The platform I used to design my Pathfinder was Thinglink, and I was satisfied. Thinglink is a resource that allows a still image or visual file of choice to be embedded with information using their software with visual anchors. The design felt very natural for the purposes of a pathfinder. I was very excited to play around with a 3D file called a glb file. This allowed me to upload a 3D model of a human, which I used to create my pathfinder. From there, I linked and embedded all my resources on the 3D model in such a way as to lead my viewer through my project. This interactive component of the pathfinder provided flexibility in how the resource was used.
View the interactive image by Adam Moliwell
The implications of the usefulness in a library setting are apparent. A resource that links information about a particular subject and then offers resources to interpret the information provided. However, designing a pathfinder was a challenging task! I came across too many occasions where I had to re-work how I wanted the information displayed and in what order to maintain the usefulness of the resource. In sum, if done correctly, pathfinders can be a great resource to help you teach when you are not there!
Creating a book trailer was a complex process to begin. The problem was that I didn't know exactly where to start. Initially, I pondered several novels I had read as a young adult to create a book trailer; however, I decided to use a comic book! X-Men was the first choice for me because I am a childhood fan and because of several parallels that have been drawn between the X-Men universe and the civil rights movements in the United States. In the future, I would love to create a unit that uses Marvel's X-Men to navigate and explore what it means to be "other" in society. I created a book trailer highlighting X-Men: First Class Vol. 1.
First, I am an Apple user outside of work, so I decided to explore iMovie, and I can tell you that I was not disappointed. The layout and design of the iMovie software felt intuitive to use.
Additionally, I use extensions more often to complete design tasks. For example, remove.bg is a website that can remove image backgrounds, and I used the website to produce the isolated image of Professor X with a black background. Super helpful!
I selected several images from a digital copy of the comic that conveyed character meaning, identification, and action highlights to entice viewers. I took these images and inserted them into my digital storyboard. This process was not as easy as it sounds! It took several prototypes of the trailer before the image sequence matched the selected music's tempo. From there, it was just fine-tuning the video until everything flowed right. This will help promote books and reading materials to students and staff when a physical presence may not be possible.
The challenge was introducing the plot line and characters concisely in a memorable way without giving away the story. Or why read it right? A compelling book trailer uses minimal text, fast-moving images, and a sensible music selection. I hope you enjoyed the book trailer as much as I enjoyed making it.
Now exploring, "How do you even choose a blog?" & Media literacy is important. Duh.
This is a valid question and a practical statement. Let’s start with the question. How do you choose a blogging platform? Better yet, how does one choose a blogging platform that can be used to elevate their professional practice, connect, and as a way to establish an effective personal learning network? I perused the blog resource page supplied with my LIS724 course (Integrating technology into programming, services, and instruction) and decided to explore WordPress, blogger, and Tumblr. My strategy was to find outside sources that compared all three blogging platforms side by side as a way to glean information, so I knew what to look for when I explored their virtual spaces. I have used blogger.com in the past for prior courses and decided to try something new. I consulted a cmswire.com article and another blog (links below) that compared WordPress and Tumblr. Ultimately, I decided on Tumblr because of its costless upkeep, minimalist appearance, short form/visual content style, and unique hybrid blog/social media platform.
Tumblr is an excellent platform to adopt into my PLN because of its dual role as a hybrid blog/social media platform. The minimalist features offer the ability to capture or upload an image, add a small amount of content, link additional information or content, create effortless tags, and peruse other like-minded content. Tumblr will become a personal think tank around information literacy, school librarianship, technology, and building and maintaining a better professional practice.
Now onto the statement. Media literacy is essential because it supports self-expression, critical thinking, and civic responsibility (Lynch, 2017). As an educator and an information professional, I guide students and staff on how to better effectively access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act via all forms of communication (Lynch, 2017). The curriculum that falls into the domain of the library media specialist is complementary to that of the school's integrated curriculum and can be used to support and increase knowledge acquisition amongst students. Media literacy spans all disciplines and remains an effective tool used throughout one's life to interact with and convey meaning via digital and print mediums. This lifelong skill adds value to our democracy and supports modern, literate communities.
Starting a blog for your brand? WordPress, Tumblr, and Blogger are all popular options, but which one is best suited to your organization's
Discover the key differences between WordPress vs Tumblr.
Lynch, M. (2017, September 25). What is Media Literacy and Why Does it Matter? The Tech Edvocate. https://www.thetechedvocate.org/media-literacy-matter/
