Equipment Investigation Reflection

There are plenty of Pro/Con lists for both applications. A simple Google search of "PowerPoint vs Prezi" will generate 18,100 results! 

The members in my group all had similar experience with Prezi-very little. However, we were all welcoming the opportunity to play around with it. Our first email message was to gauge our own experience and comfort level with Prezi. One of my first questions I posed to the group was, "can we all edit it like a Google Doc?". Since none of us were experts in Prezi, the only way to find the answer was to dive in! So, we did! 


The Prezi website had a forum for questions and answers. I decided to search 'collaborating" on the website. One of the first results was how to have multiple users collaborate and edit on one presentation. I was very excited! To share a Prezi presentation is very similar to Google Docs. There is a 'share' icon that allows one to type individual emails who you would like to give editing access. That was easy enough!  It allowed everyone to edit the document on their own time. It is very similar to Google Tools as you can see which users are editing when you are. It will show you where the other user is on the document. I was not able to see a revision history like Google Doc. 

Prezi is a great tool to have in your repertoire. The design is beautiful and very modern. It is a change from the standard PowerPoint slides presentation. You can even add PowerPoint to Prezi!  However, there are a few drawbacks to Prezi that may hinder me from using it frequently. One is that it is not ADA accessible. As a public school librarian, the inability to be ADA accessible may deter me from frequently using it in my library lessons.   I  I am more comfortable using PowerPoint or Google Slides however I always think it is a good idea to change things up. I think it could be a good tool to use when sharing information with colleagues or a boss. I think knowing your patrons is especially important when using Prezi. It would definitely be a tool I would share with colleagues because there may be some teachers who have never used or heard of Prezi. I would make sure to explain some of the drawbacks of it though. 
I would rate Prezi a 7 on a 1-10 scale. It does take some time getting used to it but I think it produces high quality presentations. However, I think there is a lot of frustration that comes with it. 

Makerspace Inventory Reflection

For this week, my group created a makerspace in a fictional high school library, Dominican High School Library. 

We decided to use the fictional high school library we created together in class. Teenagers are a great audience/patron to create a makerspace for. Our makerspace focused on STEM resources including 3D printing, digital music, robotics, coding and circuits, and filmmaking.  We focused on some start-up pieces for these ideas. We created a fictional makerspace but used real-life applications such as what we had experienced at libraries/makerspaces. We used what we have seen in libraries; what we would love to have in our library and what makes sense. Luckily, my group members have makerspaces in their individual libraries. So, we were able to pull ideas from those already established makerspaces. 

The first step in creating a fictional or real makerspace is planning, planning and more planning! We began by describing the physical layout of our library and where our makerspace would be built. We also created a description of what our makerspace would look like. How would it be arranged? Where would the equipment be placed? 

We also needed to create an inventory of the equipment in the makerspace. We needed to decide how we wanted to spend our $3000 budget. Did we want to purchase a few, high qualities but expensive items? Or instead did we want to purchase a large quantity of more affordable priced items?  We decided to do a mixture. We purchased one expensive item-a 3D printer (almost seems a must for makerspaces!), iPAd.  We also included a mixture of more affordable pieces --Lego's, garage band app, Little Bits, Sphero. By including high and low priced items we are providing options and flexibility for our patrons. We will continue to grow and add to our makerspace but as a beginner 

makerspace has plenty of options. I think it is important for a makerspace to grow organically and thus not happen all at once. It will give students an opportunity to learn and discover the initial programs in the makerspace. Then, eventually new pieces can be added and more discovering can happen! 

Dominican High School's Makerspace Inventory List 

Subscription Database Brochure Reflection

When I think of creating brochures I cannot help but have painful flashbacks to Microsoft Publisher. I have never been a huge fan of publisher. I find it clunky, unintuitive and mostly frustrating! The few years I have been in the library profession, I have search and tried different software programs to create brochures and flyers, as we all know how important marketing is in all libraries.  For the subscription database brochure assignment I decided to use Lucidpress. I had use it very rarely in the past, mostly to make flyers and thought it would be a great opportunity to see how the brochure maker works. I love the look of Lucidpress. It is very modern looking. I love that it integrates into Google Drive (yay!) It is easy to upload and maneuver images. Another reason I choose Lucidpress was I was not too familiar with any other free brochure software programs. I decided to try it! 

Next, I needed to pick a database. Since I am in a new school and district there are many new databases I could have chosen as I need to learn them myself. I decided to use World Book Online.  I chose World Book Online because I will begin teaching this database to my second grade students soon. So, this brochure could be very much useful and applicable to my library. 

Now that I had the program I would use and the database picked out. It was time to begin the creating process. I began using a template from Lucidpress. I thought I could just insert my own images and text. I was mistaken. I found it very difficult to make it my own and relevant to my library and patrons. I deleted all of the text boxes and images.  I had a blank template of a brochure waiting to be created into a World Book Online brochure. I had tried to find a blank brochure template from Lucidpress. I was unsuccessful. I would like to see a blank brochure template in Lucidpress instead of having to delete all the content of another template. 

I created my template for the families of my students. The idea of this brochure would be to send home with students after learning about the database in library class. The families would be able to access the database using the brochure's instructions. Also, primary school students may forget shortly about the database so it is a good reminder for them. It will also be a way to make contact with parents and families on how to use the databases at home.  This will be useful for my developing PLN because it is another way to create connections with families and parents. Also, it is a great resource and tool for students. My K-2 students will continue to see and use brochures as they progress through school in libraries, public libraries and for those attending college in academic libraries. So, this is a great resource to create and share with patrons. 

Blank Document = Love! 

Final Product! 

VLC Reflection

American Library Association has three components of a successful learning common that includes "flexible physical and virtual learning environments, participatory community and rich information and best technology". For our assignment, we created a VLC that encompassed all three of these components. We decided to create a VLC for a high school library. All three of us have background with working with youth in library services. We all had experience with school and/or public libraries. 

The first component we worked on was a participatory community. We wanted our VLC to be a place where students checked first on the library happenings! We posted upcoming library events including media. Our pretend event was an author visit from John Green! We posted an image of John Green and a book trailer of one of his books. 

The second component we wanted to work on including a virtual learning environment. Our VLC was an online extension of the physical library space. We posted information on what the library staff was reading and including a link to the online catalog. So, if students wanted to read what the staff was reading they can see the availability and call number. 

The third component was including information for our library. We included information for Abe Lincoln Book Award voting including a link to the nominated titles and program information. 

My group was comfortable with using Google Sites and we all brought ideas to add to the VLC. We wanted it to be more student centered so we changed the name of the literacy tab to "Spartans' Reading Corner!" "(our school mascot). We wanted it to be a place where students can visit to gain booklists, book trailer videos and reading lists. Students can gain this information in the library but cannot receive the digital content  such as the book trailers in the physical library. So, it is another place for students to gain information.