Summer learning is right around the corner....

Summer Learning

As most librarians wrap up the year, the prospect of summer relaxation is exciting.  Cindy and I work diligently during the year to keep up with new technology, new books, and inspiring ideas.  Summer is a great time to refresh ourselves and see how we can improve libraries and ourselves for the upcoming year.  Here are things I have on my list of summer learning:

1.  Go through all of the 10 most popular TED Ed lessons.  

This will not only help me, but after seeing what is out there, I can support teachers and possibly share highlights during any trainings that may come up.  I have seen some of the 10, but not all.  See my favorite one below....

http://blog.ted.com/2013/03/14/the-10-most-popular-ted-ed-lessons-so-far/

Insults by Shakespeare - April Gudenrath

2.  Evaluate all of my social networking. 

According to Mashable, employees who use 5 or more social networks make better employees.  I want to see if that is my case by looking at all of my social networks and possibly downsizing.  I thing Blythe Woolston hit the nail on the head with this tweet:

I don't need any virtual junk drawers - I have enough real life ones.  See the article from Mashable here:
http://mashable.com/2013/04/02/social-networks-workplace-study/

3.  Learn how to make an award winning vine. 

 I have already been experimenting with vine, but I see achievable improvement.  Hopefully this article will help me.

http://mashable.com/2013/04/03/how-to-make-a-vine/

4.  Review this gallery of 10 YouTube channels that will make you and me smarter. 

http://mashable.com/2013/04/04/youtube-education/#gallery/12-youtube-channels-that-will-make-you-smarter/515cb05997b2f85fc30017be

5.  10 Tech Resources for Kids with autism.

http://mashable.com/2013/04/02/autism-resources/

Well - this is enough to get me through June - I will let you know what my July list will be next month..  Later this week I will be blogging about all the books I would like to get read this summer.

Do you have any resources you want to try out?  Websites?  Apps? Please share them with us!

Revisiting VINE

I love twitter and vine.  The fact that you are forced to summarize a thought into 140 characters or 6 seconds of video is the perfect way to get students to get to the point.  I look at creative experts that I follow and see how they really have to find a beginning, middle, and end to their outcome.  I wait patiently for the following #vine posts daily.......



Here are some book trailers I have created and that are only six seconds long.


Here is a six second video of an art exhibit I went to...


Getting students to think about what they put on social networks is a daunting task. Giving them a purpose for their posts, makes them think, plan and organize their thoughts.  Right now educators host educational chats using twitter.  When using vine educators might ask students to summarize a book, create a book trailer, show how their science experiment works, create a historical timeline, or develop a step by step art project video.

 How can you implement this into the curriculum you teach?

#adivineday - A Vine Daily Challenge

I posted this on my personal blog, but I am excited to get started using Vine - so I am going to post it here on our Librarians on the Fly Blog!

I am a social media nut - I use  Instragram, Twitter, and Facebook daily and I am convinced that it is what keeps me abreast on what is new in the world of technology.  One of the things I love  about Instagram is the daily #fmsphotoaday using the iPhone Instagram App.  With the daily #fmsphotoaday I find myself planning ahead and really being on the lookout during the day for the perfect shot. And now, I have just started using the new #VINE app.  VINE is like twitter in that you really have to think about what you are posting because it has a limit.  Twitter challenges you to get your point across in 140 characters or less, Vine challenges you to create a video post in just 6 seconds.  When I joined Vine this week, I looked around at what people were using it for.  One of my favorite librarians ever, Jon Schu, already has 44 followers and 85 posts.  He is sharing books that his students are reading, author visit preparations, and displays.  Because I have just started using Vine yesterday, I am looking for innovative ways to video.  I think using social media can be powerful for librarians, teachers, students and really anyone who enjoys learning, but having a prompt makes it more purposeful.  On the daily prompt I have set for myself (and anyone else who might want to try it) I have chosen words that work for anyone.  Take Day 1 for example - fooling around - (it is April Fools Day) can apply to a student, a teacher, a mother, a librarian, an attorney - anyone.  How a person interprets the word and finds a way to photograph it or explain it with a 6 second video can be insightful.  Can you think of ways to use Vine?  If you don't have an account yet - you should.  I think it is going to be big - it is after all owned by Twitter.  If you do get a Vine account - you can follow me at @annvega.

My beginning Vine posts with no purpose – but I am excited to start the challenge above!

#Kool - My Crazy Dog and First Subject

Cruising with my husband