Screencast, Flipagram, and Instagram

Screencasts, Flipagrams and Instagram are not just devices for teens to share photos and videos on social media, they are innovative tools that can be a great asset in the classroom.   An educator can use these apps in a fun and instructional way to engage students , encourage collaboration among peers, and stimulate learning with the abundance of pictures, music and teaching tools these apps contain.  Creative freedom allows students to become innovative in their role as lifelong learners.  Another great feature of Flipagram and Instagram is the ability to create a direct connection to the classroom by allowing parents to see a visual representation of daily instruction.  These apps can also provide instant communication between parents, and educators, send out  reminders about homework and document daily objectives.

Flipagram and Instagram can be used to 

1. Showcase art work, photography, classwork and literature .

2. Document Extracurricular activities and community service

3. Highlight their physical and intellectual abilities on Scholarship applications

4. Interviews  

  Flipagram was my favorite app because it allowed me to create engaging videos that incorporate a large collection of music and the ability to edit pictures/videos to make them sentimental, scary or funny. I can see students making short book trailers, recording and editing pictures/videos to create one of a kind movies, instructional videos and reflective diaries. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to download the Screencast App on my computer due to a firewall or block on my teacher computer.  Hopefully I can get my technology department to allow access to this app so I may be able to share with my fellow coworkers and classmates. 

Flipagram  https://flipagram.com/ElaineMacias

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/elaine_library/?hl=en

Sources

https://www.weareteachers.com/10-surprising-ways-to-use-instagram-in-the-classroom-2/

INFOGRAPHICS

Visual resources have been around for a long time but a new and improved visual application is making a huge impact in classrooms, board rooms, and social media around the world. According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, an infographic is a chart, diagram, or illustration (as in a book or magazine, or on a website) that uses graphic elements to present information in a visually striking way.  Infographics are visual maps to guide learners in an interactive, clear, and engaging display.

A great resource I located is titled Piktochart in the classroom: Infographics and Education.  The article states the importance of infographics in literacy education and explains how “Literacy is more than just reading and writing. Literate people can infer meaning, communicate with others, and capture ideas in many different ways. With infographics, I hope that educators can broaden our students’ visual literacy.”  

As educators and media specialist our goal is to incorporate new and engaging visual technology in the library while also demonstrating to students, staff and administration the unique features and different capabilities visual resources can offer.   Exposure to this type of technology allows students, and educators to visually take in information, process that information and use it more effectively and proficiently.  Once they see how easy these applications are then they can incorporate this into their own lessons, assignments and presentations. 

The use of technology may seem scary to some (me included) but infographics are user-friendly and only require a few steps to create.  To alleviate the stress of learning a new application, Media specialist and educators can encourage their students to use infographics by learning the process together.  Challenging our students and providing the proper motivation will guarantee students success and encourage them to implement their own ideas in the learning process.

As a new user to infographics I was intimidated by all the gadgets and buttons available.   Although it looked similar to a power point presentation it was entirely different.   All the applications I reviewed felt cumbersome and would not allow me to insert media the way I could in PowerPoint.   These applications required much more time, patience and trial and error than I first thought.  Finally after about 3 hours I was able to get my infographic done.   The first infographic site I reviewed was Piktograph.   It was probably the most user- friendly.   Easely had lots of engaging  infographics, but I was not able to locate the right one for my assignment.  I briefly searched in Infogram, but did not find it as easy to navigate as Piktograph.   Ultimately, after about 3 hours, I was able to get my infographic done in Piktograph.

 I used Pew Research Center’s Teen Voices: Dating in the Digital age to create my infographic.

 You can find the link to my infographic at the following address:

https://create.piktochart.com/output/25544293-teen-dating-in-the-digital-age-pew-research

Sources

Teen Voices: Dating in the Digital Age. Pew Research Center : Internet, Internet and technology. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/online-romance/

Fanguy, W. (2017) Piktochart in the classroom: Infographics and Education. Retrieved from https://piktochart.com/blog/piktochart-classroom-infographics-education/#a-students-guide-to-getting-started-with-piktochart

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infographic

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