Cynthia Bolanos Flores Blog

Which ones excited you most? I never thought of using Instagram as an educational source. Though, once I began with the assignment I discovered that there is a network of professionals using this social media platform. Teachers and librarians are able to share, display, and communicate how to help students succeed.   One can find bulletin, activities, and integration of technology ideas. When I created an Instagram account for this class I thought that it would be difficult. Yet, I found so many cool teachers and librarians posting innovating ways to reach students. There are numerous ideas that appear with a quick search. It can also be a supporting avenue for some educators to reach out to others going through similar situations. I thought that after completing the assignment my website would acquire spider webs. That has not been the case I kept posting and have by surprise made some followers. Along with this I also learned how to create a screencast and it was one...

Podcasts in the library There can be many ways podcasts can be used in a library setting. For instance, podcasts can be used for digital storytelling in the library. Librarians can also use podcast to introduce new reading or reviews of books to keep students updated on the latest.  https://soundcloud.com/user-992885723/recording-3 Soundcloud Ease It is very simple to create an account and upload recordings. Challenges I had trouble putting different recordings together to make a complete podcast. It either has to be a continuous recording or one has to edit in another website. Pros The basic program is free to all users.  Provides another avenue for students, teachers, and parents to communicate. Promotes student engagement and communication among peers.  It can be used to help differentiate with students in class.  Can assist students develop better listening and speaking levels. Cons No scheduled releases No editing tools and ...

ToonDoo Pros User can customize comic or simply choose from the gallery.  Provides different layouts that users can choose from to best organize there comic strip. Its a great website if users want to use their imagination to create an original comic.  One can save the comic to an account, e-mail, or print.  Cons User must create an account that requires an e-mail which many younger students do not have.  Pixton Pros  There are many background options that make creating a comic strip easier to construct.  There are also multiple characters to choose from.  Different free features available to the user E-mail sharing options along with saving it to profile.  Due to the gallery having many options its very simple to create a colorful comic.  From all three websites this was more user friendly.  Cons Students must create own account.  MakeBeliefsComix Pros This website i...

Calypso Gilstrap https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNHSLibrary/videos 1)       Which is the most helpful for students. How to use EBSCOhost When I introduce a new website to my student’s one of the main problems is logging in and them learning the new features. The YouTube channel Calypso Gilstrap goes over a resource that many students will come to use and the steps to access it which I find very useful. It is helpful for students in middle school, high school, and college for at some point they will be required to conduct research. The video explains the use of EBSCOhost. It talks about the features and the valuable information one can find. It also gives students the citation of the works they decided to use. She also goes over how to filter information depending on one’s search.   It lets students know that information can be bookmarked to save for later. 2)       Which is the video that the students would like the ...

Screencast-o-matic After using many of these videos found on Youtube I have finally learned how to create my own. The excitement of knowing how to create this resource does not let me think of any negatives. The system is free to some extent. Though, teachers could create educational videos that can make a difference in the classroom. This online tool records your screen while the user can apply audio and webcam input. Typorama When searching for an application to add text I came upon Typorama. This app has numerous free fonts. The user can use backgrounds from a library and add text. Another option is for the user to upload photos from his/her personal library. One can upload directly to Instagram which makes it easier to post. Instagram I am not new to Instagram. However, for this assignment I decided to create a new account to aim at a certain group such as science teachers. I uploaded a video from my library to post. I have learned that to post on Instagram sometime...

Pew Research Center This informational website does not take a side on any issue, but provides information on both sides. A user can stumble upon social issues affecting the country, public opinions, and demographic information. In addition, the website conducts research to provide accurate data for many popular questions within society. One can see that the website has done public opinion polling and social science research. I was not aware of this website till now. Though, I do see how it could come in handy. For students barely learning the skills to research and collect date this website could be a good starting point. The website is easily accessed. It provides information on different areas from science, to politics, and religion. When one conducts a search the website provides possible articles and fit the keywords searched. This website is a valid research tool that both professionals and students can use. Infogram This website provides more than 35 chart o...

Facebook Page: I understand that networking is a crucial part towards reaching any goal. Interacting with others and sharing ideas, creates a better outcome. Teachers, administrators, librarians, and the community working alongside each other can help students reach a higher level of success. I decided to create a social media page to keep in contact and network with others. I used this assignment as an opportunity to create a Facebook page for most people have an account as well as organizations that promote literacy. I find that it is an easy way to keep in contact.   This page allows me to follow and message organizations that host events for children such as the Laredo Public Library. People who like the page can as well be used to post information that could be valuable for the community. I am not very outgoing, but this page facilitates interacting with various people in a more friendly and relaxed setting. This page could benefit parents and teachers to find resources th...

This is the first time I have been introduced to feed readers. I had never heard of these websites. Though, after reading through some reviews and understanding their purpose I can see why so many people have used them. These handy websites allow the user to keep up to date with blog posts, videos, news, and much more. It allows the users to have all the interests in one single page that is constantly being updated. I see it as a Twitter, but for news and information that narrows only the information the user wants. From the options of several feed readers I decided to use Feedly. It has been a favorite for many people after Google Reader got discontinued. When looking through the pros and cons of different RSS Feedly seemed like a better fit for me. I liked the simplicity of the web layout compared to others that I looked into like Selfoss. When using Feedly one simply has to do a search with keywords and a list of possible blogs will pop up. Then one just adds it to a feed similar ...