Graphics and Info and Data, Oh My!

In a digital age where we are almost constantly bombarded with information, presenting materials in a visually friendly format has become increasingly popular.  Infographics abound as a way to condense information and make it more easily and quickly consumed by the reader.  There are now multiple resources available to aid in the creation of infographics, so today we will visit just a few of them. 

easel.ly - Easelly offers both free and paid versions of the program.  I only have experience with the free version, but it appears the paid version would grant the user access to a greater number of templates, individual graphics (for use on the templates), and fonts.  However with the free version there are still innumerable possibilities for what can be created.  The user has a choice of using already formatted backgrounds/templates or beginning with a completely blank slate.  For those more experienced with the creation of visuals, the paid version would come in handy here.  When creating from a blank slate there are ten total backgrounds to choose from outside of creating your own original background.  The only time I got a little frustrated with easelly was when trying to rearrange smaller graphics or text.  It seemed at though it would skip to the next space, jumping over where I actually wanted it to go. 

infogr.am - The Infogram project designer had many pros and cons at first glance.  The first thing I noticed were the number of options, but I also immediately took note that there were no options for beginning with a totally blank slate.  I knew I wanted to toy around with developing an infograhpic, but I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to go initially, so the lack of a blank choice felt restrictive to me.  However the templates that are offered by Infogram would be highly valuable for anyone working on projects for publication on a social media platform.  The layouts offered on this site have specific formats to fit Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.  There is even an option to design an email header.  I could definitely see the benefits these tools would offer from a business standpoint. 

Piktochart - At first glance I wasn't as impressed with Piktochart.  There are eight templates to choose from in the free version, or you can begin with a blank one.  Within the blank templates the user does have the flexibility to pick one that closely resembles the article or information being presented.  From there it is customize-able so that it will match the information or article being presented.  It was user friendly with text and graphics that were easily moved and resized.  Piktochart is the program I used to create the graphic presented below due to the ease of matching a ready made template to the article I read.  Overall, I preferred the visual organization and user friendly mechanisms of Piktochart over the other two programs I experimented with.   
 
All of the above programs offer a variety of strengths and weaknesses, and any could easily be utilized by teachers or students.  Which one you may choose would essentially boil down to the specific project you are working on coupled with your personal preference on the site tools, templates, and visual organization. 

Let's Get Social: The Role of Facebook and Twitter in the School Library

The introduction of social media has completely changed society.  I have often thought that I can't imagine how different my school experience would have been had social media come on the scene sooner.  With platforms like Facebook and Twitter so prevalent, it's no surprise that schools and school libraries are using them as ways to connect - both with a PLN (professional learning network) and with families and students.

In the world of school libraries on Facebook, this platform is utilized mostly to share upcoming events such as book fair or summer reading programs.  This is an easy way to communicate information about library happenings to parents, but it does not appear to be updated quite as frequently or contain many comments/interaction with viewers.  If you are looking to interact and connect with the users of your library, your students, Facebook may not be the best way to go.  If you're looking for a simple way to share information with families, Facebook is the simplest way to go. 

More recently, the Twitter space has really exploded on the education scene.  While it is often utilized by students and even parents, the major benefit of connecting on Twitter is to build a PLN.  Educators in all roles are able to share ideas and collaborate globally like never before.

One advantage to Twitter is the amount of information that can be shared simply by clicking 'retweet.'  Jim Lerman's  account (@jimlerman) stood out to me immediately because so many of his Tweets contained helpful, eye catching graphics such as the one below sharing ideas for how to use QR codes in the classroom.  There is always an article connected to the graphic, but by even stopping to read over the graphic new ideas can be born.

Teachers Guide to Using QR Codes in Instruction via @custard_cottage https://t.co/EQ9GJiNYm2 pic.twitter.com/tfsOrPn1QG

— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) May 31, 2018

Another account containing of wealth of ideas is The Daring Librarian, Gwyneth Jones (@gwynethjones).  Not only does she share articles linked through her Scoop.It, but she is a practicing librarian sharing pictures and ideas of her ideas in action.  Below is a Tweet in which she shared the reading incentive she designed to promote building a community of readers in her school.

Congratulations Top 30 @hcpss_mhms VIP Key Readers! Please stop by and get your key! 🔑Will you borrow more next year? I hope so! ....... #TLChat @hcpsslibmed pic.twitter.com/ecbE20RTEf

— Gwyneth Jones (@GwynethJones) June 6, 2018

Overall it is best to evaluate what you will be using your social media platform for in order to determine which one best meets the needs of you, your library, and the population you serve.   Make sure it's something you understand how to use and can commit to updating often.  Social networking only works if you are - you guessed it - social!  I personally find Twitter to be more useful as an educator because of its quick way to share ideas and simplicity in connecting with and growing a PLN.

Blogs and Blog Readers

From those I explored, Feedly is my blog reader of choice.  The first thing I searched for as a gal on a budget was an RSS service with no monthly fee.  As I read, I considered the purposes for which I would be using this blog reader and my personal visual organization preferences.  Feedly had the most uncluttered background with a simple, streamlined feed and board/feed organization pane.  I liked the option to add more than one topic to be able to follow so that they stay separated.  Though the other readers contained this option as well, this simplicity of the organization for Feedly was most appealing to me.

A few of the blogs that stood out as appealing to me are:

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
This blog contains a wealth of resources to the latest developments in educational technology including apps, tools, and guides to promote learning and collaboration.
I chose this site because it appears to be updated frequently and contains a wealth of information on topics with which I am familiar but would like to learn more about.  I can see practical application in both the classroom and the library.

Free Technology for Teachers
This is another site that provides tutorials on using technology to enhance instruction.  This blogger provides support for everything from using apps to creating your own websites and videos.
I chose this because it appeared to be another great tech support tool.  Teachers are more inclined to try new things when we help by providing the support for them to dive in.

Lisa Nielson: The Innovative Educator
Nielson provides practical ways to apply the latest technology in a variety of ways in the school setting.
Her posts evaluating similar, but different resources appealed to me.  Oftentimes we find tools that appear the same, but don't necessarily have the time to sit down and evaluate the differences, so articles on this topic are especially helpful.

School Library Journal 
School Library Journal provides the most up to date and relevant news for all things related to the school library.  The site includes new releases, recommendations, webcasts, case studies, and classroom and technology support.
SLJ is a site I already frequent and have found incredibly useful, so it was one of the first I added to my blog reader.

The Daring Librarian
A practicing librarian shares her ideas on this blog.  Book lists, technology ideas and support, and ways to integrate and support digital literacy.  She also travels and presents at major conferences such as ASTE, and she served on the ISTE Board of Directors.
Scrolling through the posts on The Daring Librarian I saw several ideas for lessons, social media tips, and other topics immediately applicable in the school library.


I created a Tumblr account and am excited to begin adding ideas here as well!
My Tumblr URL is: michellechristine24.tumblr.com