For this extra module, we were asked to read a selection from a children's eBook and answer 12 questions that pertained to it. The purpose is to show us how eBooks can be used for reading appreciation and comprehension.
I really liked the structure of the iMapBook site and how friendly it appeared. The eBook we were assigned, "Weightless", was clearly marked sitting on the "bookshelf". I clicked on the icon and was shown a preview of the book. As I clicked further along and began reading the story I noticed the brevity of each page. This could be beneficial for young readers who have a hard time focusing on what they read. After every few pages I would be prompted with a simple question about the reading. I found this also helpful as it forces the reader to continually check their knowledge of the story and be able to use critical thinking to analyze the story.
I did notice something odd. Once in a while, when I clicked on the next page, the text that began seemed incongruous to the story. It seemed as if I was missing a page or portion of the text. I was able to glean whatever was missing but it was slightly distracting.
Overall, I can imagine the use of eBooks and games like the iMapBook would be welcomed by students and teachers alike. Students would find the ability to read at their own pace encouraging and teachers could benefit from using them as teaching aids to help excite and motivate their students to read more.
Friday, August 3, 2018
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Module 5- Makerspaces
In this module we were asked to explore the concept of maker spaces and how they are being used in libraries and schools today. We were also asked to choose two assignments from a list pertaining to maker spaces. One of the options was to visit a maker space in person and report and reflect on the experience, and if that wasn't possible, to visit a maker space virtually and write about it.
Because of scheduling conflicts, I was unable to physically visit a maker space, so I decided to do the virtual option.
The first one that came up when I did a Google search was the maker space for The Evergreen School in Shoreline, Washington. This appeared to be one of the most elaborate and state of the art maker spaces I have encountered. The whole flooring area is equipped with different technological and craft resources. Students can make videos, record podcasts, and cut board games all within the confines of the same building. Organizational tools are supremely important in a maker space of this size, and the school has been creative with ways to maximize space and categorize materials. Though other libraries may not have the luxury of space as this school, it does provide examples of how best to use the space you have.
I attempted to create a poster to illustrate these features. After trying Adobe Spark and Microsoft Word, I found I was easily able to accomplish the design I wanted using Keynote.
Because of scheduling conflicts, I was unable to physically visit a maker space, so I decided to do the virtual option.
The first one that came up when I did a Google search was the maker space for The Evergreen School in Shoreline, Washington. This appeared to be one of the most elaborate and state of the art maker spaces I have encountered. The whole flooring area is equipped with different technological and craft resources. Students can make videos, record podcasts, and cut board games all within the confines of the same building. Organizational tools are supremely important in a maker space of this size, and the school has been creative with ways to maximize space and categorize materials. Though other libraries may not have the luxury of space as this school, it does provide examples of how best to use the space you have.
I attempted to create a poster to illustrate these features. After trying Adobe Spark and Microsoft Word, I found I was easily able to accomplish the design I wanted using Keynote.
The second assignment I chose was to create my own game using the program, Scratch. Because my theme for the semester has revolved around history I decided to make a game about Ponce de Leon searching for the Fountain of Youth. I wanted to have my sprite (Ponce de Leon) touch rocks and when he did, they changed costumes (or appearance). For this I watched a Lynda.com tutorial get an idea about how to use the program. While it was helpful for touring around the site, I found it limiting when it came to explaining how to do the kind of game I wanted to make. I went out and did a Google search for Scratch discussion boards to see if anyone had this problem before. After some more reading I was able to figure out that the rock sprites needed to have the water glass sprite and crab sprite included in their possible costumes. Then I needed to figure out how to make the water glass and crab appear randomly beneath the rocks. With my husband's help, I was finally able to accomplish this.
Overall, I can see how Scratch could be used in an educational way, both in content and in coding. The program tries to be as self-explanatory as possible and the different colors helps to make snapping assets together easier. However, I wish the whole program was a little bit more intuitive.
In this module we were asked to explore the concept of maker spaces and how they are being used in libraries and schools today. We were also asked to choose two assignments from a list pertaining to maker spaces. One of the options was to visit a maker space in person and report and reflect on the experience, and if that wasn't possible, to visit a maker space virtually and write about it.
Because of scheduling conflicts, I was unable to physically visit a maker space, so I decided to do the virtual option.
The first one that came up when I did a Google search was the maker space for The Evergreen School in Shoreline, Washington. This appeared to be one of the most elaborate and state of the art maker spaces I have encountered. The whole flooring area is equipped with different technological and craft resources. Students can make videos, record podcasts, and cut board games all within the confines of the same building. Organizational tools are supremely important in a maker space of this size, and the school has been creative with ways to maximize space and categorize materials. Though other libraries may not have the luxury of space as this school, it does provide examples of how best to use the space you have.
I attempted to create a poster to illustrate these features. After trying Adobe Spark and Microsoft Word, I found I was easily able to accomplish the design I wanted using Keynote.
The second assignment I chose was to create my own game using the program, Scratch. Because my theme for the semester has revolved around history I decided to make a game about Ponce de Leon searching for the Fountain of Youth. I wanted to have my sprite (Ponce de Leon) touch rocks and when he did, they changed costumes (or appearance). For this I watched a Lynda.com tutorial get an idea about how to use the program. While it was helpful for touring around the site, I found it limiting when it came to explaining how to do the kind of game I wanted to make. I went out and did a Google search for Scratch discussion boards to see if anyone had this problem before. After some more reading I was able to figure out that the rock sprites needed to have the water glass sprite and crab sprite included in their possible costumes. Then I needed to figure out how to make the water glass and crab appear randomly beneath the rocks. With my husband's help, I was finally able to accomplish this.
Overall, I can see how Scratch could be used in an educational way, both in content and in coding. The program tries to be as self-explanatory as possible and the different colors helps to make snapping assets together easier. However, I wish the whole program was a little bit more intuitive.
Overall, I can see how Scratch could be used in an educational way, both in content and in coding. The program tries to be as self-explanatory as possible and the different colors helps to make snapping assets together easier. However, I wish the whole program was a little bit more intuitive.
In this module we were asked to explore the concept of maker spaces and how they are being used in libraries and schools today. We were also asked to choose two assignments from a list pertaining to maker spaces. One of the options was to visit a maker space in person and report and reflect on the experience, and if that wasn't possible, to visit a maker space virtually and write about it.
Because of scheduling conflicts, I was unable to physically visit a maker space, so I decided to do the virtual option.
The first one that came up when I did a Google search was the maker space for The Evergreen School in Shoreline, Washington. This appeared to be one of the most elaborate and state of the art maker spaces I have encountered. The whole flooring area is equipped with different technological and craft resources. Students can make videos, record podcasts, and cut board games all within the confines of the same building. Organizational tools are supremely important in a maker space of this size, and the school has been creative with ways to maximize space and categorize materials. Though other libraries may not have the luxury of space as this school, it does provide examples of how best to use the space you have.
I attempted to create a poster to illustrate these features. After trying Adobe Spark and Microsoft Word, I found I was easily able to accomplish the design I wanted using Keynote.
The second assignment I chose was to create my own game using the program, Scratch. Because my theme for the semester has revolved around history I decided to make a game about Ponce de Leon searching for the Fountain of Youth. I wanted to have my sprite (Ponce de Leon) touch rocks and when he did, they changed costumes (or appearance). For this I watched a Lynda.com tutorial get an idea about how to use the program. While it was helpful for touring around the site, I found it limiting when it came to explaining how to do the kind of game I wanted to make. I went out and did a Google search for Scratch discussion boards to see if anyone had this problem before. After some more reading I was able to figure out that the rock sprites needed to have the water glass sprite and crab sprite included in their possible costumes. Then I needed to figure out how to make the water glass and crab appear randomly beneath the rocks. With my husband's help, I was finally able to accomplish this.
Overall, I can see how Scratch could be used in an educational way, both in content and in coding. The program tries to be as self-explanatory as possible and the different colors helps to make snapping assets together easier. However, I wish the whole program was a little bit more intuitive.
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