Reflection of LSSL 5391

Reflection

As I sit here and reflect on this long semester. I can't help, but be proud of what I have accomplished as an educator and student. I have learned many things in this course that I can use in the classroom as well as in the library. I also enjoyed learning about specific apps and tools, instructional strategies, and digital citizenship to list a few! In addition, this course has made me aware of the changing role of a school librarian. The librarian is not just a person to go to for books anymore. The librarian is now used to act as the technology specialist and assists educators by providing them with the appropriate training and resources to enhance their teaching. Technology can have many benefits if implemented correctly including increased student engagement, support higher-order thinking, a tool for differentiation, community connection, and much more!

Which ones excited you most?

There are tons of digital apps that I was excited to introduce to my students and co-workers! However, if I had to choose my top 5...I would choose Flipagram, Animoto, QR Codes, Pixton, & Tellagami. These apps were fun, new, and addicting! I have used these for book reviews, reflections, assessments, and tutorials! My students love exploring their creativity with these digital tools! 

Which ones were most difficult for you? 

To be honest none of the technology I explored was difficult for me. My lack of experience with some of these apps made me assume that they were difficult to use such as the QR code generator and Animoto. However, after exploring the new apps, I found out that it was really easy! Even my students thought most were easy to navigate and fun!

Which one (in your opinion) will most benefit students?  (Do I have to choose JUST ONE?!?!)

Keeping my students' needs and interest in mind. The winner goes to...PixTon!!

This digital comic tool can very beneficial for reluctant readers, ELLS, or anyone having a hard time generating ideas. My students have been addicted graphic novels, so this is the perfect app for them! Students are able to create comics from scratch or choose from a template that has already been created by users. Although users have to pay for additional features of this app, the website is fun for both students and educators!

Poverty in Literature for Young People

Last stop on Market Street

Peña, M. D., & Robinson, C. (2015). Last stop on Market Street. NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN: 0399257748

Plot Summary

After church, C.J and his Nana travel down Market Street together. He wonders aloud about why he doesn’t do or have the things that others do. C.J questions his Nana about everything and Nana calmly answers him with her positive, wise words. C.J did not understand his NaNa at first, but once they arrive at their last stop, a soup kitchen, everything came to light. C.J learns a valuable lesson during the last stop on Market Street, to be grateful for the little things in life.

Critical Analysis

This is a beautiful story that reminds young readers to look on the brighter side of every aspect of life and to appreciate what you have.  The diversity and brightness to Christian Robinson’s modern illustrations bring the story to life! Readers will be able to explore city life on Market Street which is an authentic street in San Francisco. Young readers will see people from all walks of life. In addition, readers will be able to see what poverty looks like in the eyes of the young boy named C.J.The illustrations will show underprivileged people getting around in the city from a disabled man in a wheelchair to a man pushing a cart with his belongings in it.  Readers will also notice the mode of transportation that people use in the city. Unfortunately,  C.J. and his grandmother cannot afford a car, so they get around by walking and riding the bus. On their last stop on Market Street, the boy and his grandmother arrive at a soup kitchen to volunteer. A soup kitchen is a meal center where the poor can receive a hot meal. After reading this book, young readers will understand the true meaning of helping others that are less fortunate.

 

Review Excerpts

This quietly remarkable book will likely inspire questions of a sort less practical-minded than CJ's; it will also have some adult readers reaching for a tissue.--Horn Book Magazine

Robinson's exceptional artwork works with it to ensure that readers will fully understand CJ's journey toward appreciation of the vibrant, fascinating fabric of the city. Loosely defined patterns and gestures offer an immediate and raw quality to the Sasek-like illustrations. -- Kirkus Reviews

Connection

Last Stop on Market Street could be used to teach how the main character’s feelings changed from the beginning to the end of the story.

If you want more ideas, please view the lesson plan!

http://resources.corwin.com/sites/default/files/Figure_4.8.pdf

Arab American Literature for Young People

Ask Me No Questions

Budhos, M. T. (2007). Ask me no questions. New York: Scholastic. ISBN: 1416949208



Plot Summary
Ask No Questions is a realistic fiction book about a young Bangladeshi girl named Nadira Hossain and her family. They immigrated to the United stated for a better life or so they thought. 9/11 is the day that turned their American dream into an American nightmare. Now, everyone is suspicious of them because of their nationality, they automatically think that they are terrorist. In fear of retaliation, the Hossain family decides to flee to Canada, but things continue to go from bad to worst when her father gets detained due to his expired visa. Now, Nadira and her overachieving sister don’t know what to do. They are afraid to open up to anyone about what’s really going on in fear of getting deported. No one asks any questions and everything begins to overwhelm Nadira’s sister. Nadira has no one to turn to, so she decides to take matters into her own hands Nadira will find her identity and voice as she fights to bring her family back together.


Critical Analysis
Ask me No Questions by Marina Budhos is a great book that will introduce readers to a culture that is usually overlooked. When reading this book readers will understand and have empathy for the main character and her struggles growing up as a Bangladeshi immigrant in America during the post 9/11 tragedy. Budhos writing style has readers feeling one with the characters in the book. Readers will feel so a plethora of emotions when they read this book from heartache and panic to fear and isolation. Ask Me No Questions connects readers to the overall themes of immigration, cultural acceptance, identity, and family.

Budhos exposes readers to many cultural markers in this book from dialect and family customs to physical appearance and gender roles. The book discusses the historical background of the religious and political conflict in Bangladesh. Budhos does a great job exposing the mental make-up of both Americans and immigrants living in America. Many Americans had a negative attitude toward foreigners in fear that they were terrorist. In addition, foreigners from South Asia were afraid to even interact with Americans in fear that they would get deported. Readers will be exposed to the racial bias, ignorance, and negativity that some Americans had toward Nadira’s culture. Surprisingly, this is still a modern-day issue where immigrants are still ridiculed by their language, socioeconomic status, and physical appearance.


Furthermore, Budhos was able to introduce readers to certain Bangladeshi food including chicken tandoori and biryani. The dialect and names of the characters also is a great element of cultural authenticity. The main character calls her Mother “ Ma” and her father “Abba”. The author also provides readers with insight on the traditional Bangladeshi clothing such as saris, salwar kameez, and kurtas. These are long, beautifully embroidered sparkling dresses or shirts that people usually wear in the Bangladeshi culture. After reading this book, readers will have many misconceptions about South Asia clarified!

Review Excerpts

Abby Craden's softly accented voice brings to life the emotional turmoil felt by the sisters, and she portrays male and female characters equally well. An excellent listen and an important addition to the study of the immigrant experience.--School Library Journal

The answer is a surprise that grows organically from the family's story. Readers will feel the heartbreak, prejudice, kindness, and fear. --Booklist


Connection

Meet the Author!
http://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Marina-Budhos/29440910?mcd=vd_youtube_author

Lesson Plans
Learn more about 9/11
https://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collections/teaching-content/understanding-september-11/

Annie on my mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN:0374400113 Plot Summary Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden is about a high school senior named Lizza. This year is very chaotic for Lizza, she’s the class president and responsible for so many things.How is she going to survive the last year of high school? Her only escape from this crazy year is the museum. One day while visiting the museum she is drawn to this beautiful girl named Annie. Annie becomes Lizza’s new escape and they begin to spend a lot of time with each other. They end up forming a very strong connection over time. Eventually, their friendship grows into something much more and they fall in love. Lizza reminisces about her struggles with her sexuality as a teenager especially when people start to question her "friendship” with Annie. Lizza learns to accept herself and overcome obstacles all because of love! Critical Analysis This award-winning book is the perfect realistic fiction LGBT read! There are many cultural markers that are revealed in this book, Nancy Garden creatively integrates her own personal struggles as a lesbian woman into this fictional love story. Readers will be able to empathize and understand the struggles of what young LGBT teens had endured during that time period. The author also exposes readers to the limited amount of books about lesbian and gay people during that time period. In addition, Lizza and Annie spoke about their freedom to read but feared being judged by the type of books they read. Readers will notice the negative attitude most people had towards homosexuality during that time period. After reading this love story, readers will learn to accept people for who they are, not who they love. This is a recommended read for students that are a fan of LGBT love stories and realistic fiction. Review Excerpts "No single work has done more for young adult LGBT fiction than this classic about two teenage girls who fall in love." —School Library Journal "Includes an interview with the author conducted by Kathleen T. Horning." Seventeen-year-old Liza puts aside her feelings for Annie after the disaster at school, but eventually, she allows love to triumph over the ignorance of people.--Follett More LGBT YA Books! Click the link below! https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/ya-lgbt Rivera, G. (2016). Juliet takes a breath. ISBN: 9781626012509 Levithan, D. (2013). Boy meets boy. ISBN: 9780007533039

Podcasts

I remember back in the day when we had to present in front of the entire class. Talk about nerve-wracking! Podcasts are another great digital tool that both educators and students can use to present information! This digital tool can be beneficial for all students and subjects! There are tons of popular podcast apps out there. Today we will be looking at 3 apps I decided to explore and review. I focused on the ease, system compatibility, and price. You can view my findings below.

Podbean 

Podbean is a popular podcast app that allows users to have their own customizable page to make it easier to share. This app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play, so it is compatible with Apple and Android devices.Podbean has 4 paid plans to users can choose from starting at Advanced ($3/month) to Business ($99/month). Of course, I decided to sign-up for the free version!

Podbean has many neat features that allow users to easily generate and follow podcasts that might interest them. Before getting started the app allows users to select categories to choose from including education, music, comedy, religion, etc. After users choose their topic, Podbean immediately generates podcast list that they might like to follow.

I love that Podbean provides new users with steps and tips on how to get started! Podcasters will have access to unlimited storage and bandwidth, audience data analysis, and sharing their podcast on social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Tumblr.

Soundcloud 

Everyone thinks of Soundcloud as a music app because that is what it was known for back in the day. However, Soundcloud is an app for podcasters too!! Users have an option on 3 plans to choose from which are SoundCloud Basic (Free), SoundCloud Pro Pro Badge ($7/ month),

And SoundCloud Pro Unlimited ($15/month). SoundCloud is available on Web,iOS, Android, Sonos, Chromecast, and Xbox One. The SoundCloud panel is very user-friendly! It enables users to filter search results using tags, follow and keep track of their favorite artist or fans, send messages, and track their progress.


As a podcaster, I actually liked that I am able to share my embedded player on my social media or blog. In addition, I am able to customize my player to my liking. I can change the size, color, display comments, etc. Podcasters also have an option of sharing their players privately with others by using secret links.

Below, I had the opportunity to create a Reader's Advisory Conversation. This will be useful to students as well as teachers!

Podomatic

Podomatic is the last podcast app I explored. This app is compatible with Apple and Google devices. Users have 2 plans to choose from which are the basic plan (free), and the Pro Plan ($8.32/ month). This is the only podcaster app that I would pay to get the most bang for my buck. With the Pro Plan, users are able to have 100GB of bandwidth and 2 GB of storage, detailed data on podcast traffic, a customizable podcast page, and priority customer support. Another feature that really excited me was that users are able to earn money from fans!

And the winner is...

Podbean is my Fave!! I feel like Podbean is made for podcasters! The app is really easy to navigate! Podbean is very user-friendly features! I really like that users are able to have a page and customize it to their liking! I feel like users will be able to grow on this app and have their voice heard!

Podcasts in the classroom

There are tons of ways educators can integrate podcasts in the classroom. Below I listed a few that I would do at my school! The more creative... the better!!

• Reading News-Students act like Reading News Anchors to report new/trending books in the school library.
• Multicultural- Students celebrate and present information about other cultures.(i.e Spanish Heritage, Black History, Chinese New Year)
• News Around the School- Students share information about events, issues, trending topics, etc. around school! 

This is a great article to find educational podcasts! Click the link below!

https://www.slj.com/2018/02/programs/prime-time-podcasts/#_

Challenger Deep

Shusterman, N., & Shusterman, B. (2015). Challenger Deep. New York, NY: HarperTeen. ISBN:0061134147 Plot Summary Challenger Deep is about a boy named Caden Bosch that is living in two worlds. Caden suffers from schizophrenia which causes mood swings and disturbing  hallucinations. As a result of his abnormal behavior, Caden’s parents decide to send him off to a mental institution. While there, he is able to get the medicine and therapy he needs, but will it stop him from going to his other world. A crazy world where Caden is on a search to find “Challenger Deep”. Critical Analysis The author added his own real-world experience in this book because his son suffers from schizophrenia. The illustration that was drawn by the author’s son, allows readers to envision what is going on in Cayden’s mind. While reading this book, the point of view changes as the main character battles with his internal illness.Many readers will find this book a little challenging to read at the beginning, but as they continue to read, the puzzle pieces begin to connect. In the end,  readers will finally understand why the book was written this way. Some readers will relate to the overall theme of Social & family issues, truth V.S. reality, and mental illness. Review Excerpts It's a powerful collaboration, and crucial to the novel's credibility. As Caden says, "There is no such thing as a 'correct' diagnosis," and though his story doesn't necessarily represent a "typical" experience of mental illness, it turns symptoms into lived reality in ways readers won't easily forget. --Publishers Weekly Teens, especially fans of the author's other novels, will enjoy this book. VERDICT This affecting deep dive into the mind of a schizophrenic will captivate readers, engender empathy for those with mental illnesses, and offer much fodder for discussion. --School Library Journal Connections Interview with the author and his son https://youtu.be/etTQujVv37o Awards & Honors National Book Award Winner National Book Award Finalist 2017 James Cook Book Award Winner Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 2016 More Books by this author

Comics & Cartoons!

Comics and Cartoons have been around before my grandparents were born! They are becoming more popular in the classroom. My students love checking out graphic novel books especially my reluctant readers. I believe most students are engaged in reading comics and graphic novels because it combines both text and images together. Although I am a reading teacher, I notice that some of my students have difficulty writing about their reading. I think that creating comics is a way to reach reluctant writers. Students are able to be creative when writing book responses, summaries, reviews, etc.

I had an opportunity to explore 3 comic generating tools! I must say they were all fun and ADDICTIVE! View below to see my creation!

#ToonDoo

I created a short comic preview of the book The Year of the Dog! ToonDoo is so much fun and it is FREE! Students are able to make multiple panel comic strips and customize their characters, setting, background etc. This comic tool has simple features that make it easy to navigate. Users are able to easily drag and drop their objects to their desired panel. 

#MakeBeliefsComix

On this website, I decided to create a comic strip on "Just Right Books" Make Beliefs Comix is another free tool that does not require you to register! I feel like it was a very basic comic tool that is catered to younger students or special ed. It is pretty easy to get started and navigates. Users are able to choose from black and white quirky characters, objects, background, etc. It makes the user feel like they are creating old-school comics!

***The simplicity of this app may bore some users. It limits users ability to customize their comic strip.

#Pixton

And the winner goes to Pixton! Of course, I had to create a silly comic on a recent movie I just saw (#BlackPanther)! I love everything about this Comic tool!! This website is fun for all ages! Students and educators are able to explore comics on different subjects including math, reading, science, history, and so many more! The free subscription of Pixton provides users with an abundance of templates to choose from. Users are able to easily customize their character's appearance from skin tones and actions to facial expressions. In addition, the free version gives users a way to edit comic strips that have already been published without altering the original version. This is great for students that might have a hard time generating ideas!

I feel like the only Con of this comic tool app is that you have to pay for additional features that allow you to uniquely add their personal touch by uploading their own designs and much more!

Tellagami

 Tellagami is another comic/cartoon app that I am looking forward to exploring! If you want to bring your cartoon to life, you have to try this app! There are many examples of Tellagami videos online that I watched with my students and they loved them! Users are able to add their own voice to their 3D animated character. It is similar to Powtoons, but the avatars look very realistic. Users are able to customize their character and background from the options the app provides. They can also upload images to personalize their background.

Unfortunately, my iPad was stolen! I was unable to create a Tellagami...that is one downside... it is only for iPad users. They should make this app compatible with different operating systems not just for iPad users!

Below is an example I found online! Enjoy!

As a future librarian, I listed some ways educators can use comics/cartoons with students.

• Book Summaries
• Book reviews
• Special Projects
• Homework
• Promote Reading Comprehension
• Tutorials
• Reflections
• Reading Response