Thing 16 - Audio

For this Thing I tried ipadio. It was very easy to use. It's a great app for recording classroom notes, interviews, etc. I liked that additional information could be added like photos, titles and descriptions. 

In the directions I read that the audio could be edited. I've used Audacity in the past, so I wanted to try this feature out. Perhaps I need to get a paid version, but I didn't see the options that were shown in the directions for editing the audio. However, the recording times are very generous and the additional features still make this a very useful app for the classroom.

I should add that I was familiar with SoundCloud already. My neighbors, who have started a new band, had uploaded some of their new music to this site. So it's a great place to find new music as well as for students to share their own creations.

Thing 15 - Infographics

I was curious to try out these apps since infographics have gotten so popular. I looked at info.Graphics first. I have to admit that I was expecting a lot more content. However, this app could be used as a source for projects, or as an example of what an infographic looks like. 

I also tried out i Visual Info Touch Lite. It was easy to use, and had a nice selection of graphics. So this tool could be an option for actually creating an infographic. This type of application could be used for just about any subject area. Creating the infographic typically requires generating data, synthesizing it then presenting in an interesting format. So I would definitely like to get teachers using this tool next year. 

Since we are still using computer labs as well as piloting devices I did a quick search and found a number of tools that can also be used on the web (including the ones listed in this Thing). I had heard of a number of these as well. So I will definitely be promoting these apps and sites.

Thing 14 - Videos

I work with students quite a bit with video editing. So I was curious to see what would be listed for this Thing. I tried Magisto. It reminded me of Animoto since it seemed that everything was preformated. I made a cute cat video (yes, I have cat video footage readily available). I noticed that some of the photos needed to be adjusted - weren't positioned correctly with the theme video. I've gotten the question before with Animoto of how can it be used at school. So far I've come up with using to for unit introductions, compiling photos and videos of projects, etc. I was glad to see that students can use photos and videos stored on Google Drive. 

One tool I didn't see listed was WeVideo. I like this online tool because it has more features similar to true video editing software. I think video editing is one of those skills that help students to build confidence with technology. So I appreciate that WeVideo has users go more in-depth than just uploading media and selecting themes. It also allows users to select media from Google Drive.

On an interesting note, I've seen Vine videos listed on You Tube. I didn't realize they could be the source of all the short videos included in online articles. I always want to see more of the content. But it was nice to realize the source.

Thing 13 - Presentations

Our district is piloting both Chromebooks and iPads, so I tried Lensoo Create and Haiku Deck. I liked that Lensoo Create was so versatile with how items could be added. I think this tool would work well for flipping a classroom or just providing extra, interactive information to students to extend their learning. 

I then went to search for Lensoo Create on my Chromebook. I know that Android doesn't necessarily mean there is a version for Chromebooks, but I thought I would check. Haiku Deck was the result. Since we are in a definite state of transition, it was nice to see that Haiku Deck was available on the web and could be exported to PowerPoint. 

Our students have mainly been working with PowerPoint, Prezi and Google Apps Presentation. I think that Lensoo Create offered more functionality making it more worthwhile to check out. But since it was only available on the iPad, its use would be limited for us right now. 

These many offerings on various platforms bring up an interesting point. I think that it's good for students to explore different applications because it helps them to gain confidence when they try new ones in the future. But mastering new applications should not become the focus unless they have something unique to offer a student's educational experience. 

Thing 12 - Books, Books, & More Books

I know that my students will be interested in these apps. I downloaded Free Books and Audio Books, but I will also promote Wattpad. The two apps I tried were again, easy to use. I specifically appreciated that the Audio Books app had genre categories that included a teen option. I've already had students ask about getting digital versions of some of the classic books that they need to read for school. So I've been telling them about digital books we already have, Project Gutenberg and Librivox. These two apps will be a nice addition for them. 

I also downloaded Yalsa's app. When I'm shopping at book stores, I'm constantly looking for information about titles before purchasing them. Having this app, along with the Hennepin County app and better access to my Destiny catalog will definitely help with this process!

Thing 11 - Library & Reference

This Thing was very helpful! I'm aware of these many apps, but once again, I hadn't taken the time to review them and add them to my website for users. So much to do, but so little time! 

I loved the Hennepin County Library app. It was so streamlined and simple to navigate. I think the Hennepin County Library system rocks, so it was nice to be able to access the site so easily. Students will appreciate this too - I often check Hennepin County and let students know how easy it is to request a book if we don't have what they are looking for.

I also knew that Follett had apps, so I finally loaded Destiny Quest. Again, I will have to promote this to our students. I see an app page in my website's future.

Finally, I tried out Elm4You.org on my phone. I have the ELM databases set up on my website. I know that students have been having issues accessing the EBSCO options from mobile devices off site through the school. I assumed this was because of authentication. But I just tried via the ELM4You site and had no issues. I will contact the people at ELM (also rocks), but this could be the answer to an issue that I haven't been able to address to date. The more I have been promoting the ELM databases, the more our students use them. So this option will definitely help.

Thing 10 - Sharing Photos

I definitely know about these two tools since they are in the news a lot for both good and not so good features. Instagram is easy to use and very popular, and I should probably embrace this fact. But I feel that I need to do more with Facebook and Twitter for promoting my library before adding another social media outlet. Since I know about Throwback Thursdays, I can't be too far behind on this one!