The document presents six instructional technology tools for teachers and librarians aimed at enhancing classroom and library interactions. Key tools include blogging through WordPress, QR codes for engaging with materials, and various image editing websites for creative projects. It emphasizes the importance of technology in fostering active learning and collaboration among students.

1. Instructional Tools for
Teachers and Librarians
MAKING THE MOST OF TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES
PRESENTED BY MARY BETH PHAUP

2. I teach 8th grade English in
Williamsburg. I graduated from
Randolph-Macon College, lived and
taught in the bustling fan district
of Richmond, earned my MA in
literature from VCU, and recently
returned to my sweet, suburban
hometown.
Last year I decided to pursue an
endorsement in library/media. My
desire is to create an inviting and
warm environment for students to
read, write, collaborate, question,
and engage in literature that
crosses all curricula.
ABOUT ME

3. During this presentation, you will learn
about six new instructional technology
tools that can be used in your classroom
or library.
I will provide information about the tool
and suggestions for classroom use.
SESSION DESCRIPTION

4. Both students and
teachers can use
blogging as
instructional tools.
Students can create
their own blogs to
showcase
coursework, or
teachers and
librarians can create
blogs with
interesting posts,
pictures, links,
videos, audio
recordings, and
discussions.
BLOGGING

5. I recommend WordPress.com as a site to
create your first blog. WordPress is user
friendly and allows you to post a video,
quote, link, photo, or article.
You can easily
post from the
dashboard. At
any time you
can return to
edit your post.
Once you have
posted,
students can
comment and
discuss.
BLOGGING: WORDPRESS

6.  Blog to keep parents up to date about what is going
on in your classroom/library.
 Blog to help students with homework after school.
 Create a blog where students can write their own
stories.
 Create a blog where students can discuss novels they
are reading.
 Create a blog to showcase student work.
 Create a professional blog with lesson plans and links
to relevant articles.
Web 2.0 in the Classroom’s website provides excellent
uses for blogging in the classroom. Check out the
link below!
Ways to use Blogs in your Classroom
USES FOR BLOGGING

7. QR is short for “Quick Response.” You can
use a smart phone, iPod, iPad, or any
other mobile device that has a camera to
scan a black and white boxed image. The
box is a link created by the maker of the
QR code.
This is a QR code. There
are a number of websites
that allow you to generate
one. You can download
codes for online use, or
print them out. Codes can
even be put on stickers,
tshirts, coffee mugs, etc.!
QR CODES

8. The following websites can be used to
generate QR codes:
www.qrstuff.com
www.qrcode.kaywa.com
www.qurify.com
www.smartytags.com
www.createqr.org
www.createqrcode.appspot.com
Creating a QR code is easy and free.
GENERATING A QR CODE

9.  Create a scavenger hunt for students to learn
their way around the library.
 Use QR codes in conjunction with google maps.
 Place QR codes around the school with links to
sites that showcase student work.
 Put QR codes inside novels or nonfiction books
with links to supplemental information.
 Have students write their own stories. Use QR
codes to link students to the next part of their
stories.
Check out this site for 50
interesting ways to use QR codes
in the classroom. Or, scan here:
USES FOR QR CODES

10. There are a variety of websites available
that allow you to do interesting things
with digital photographs.
These sites can be used across content
areas and grade levels and are great for
differentiation.
IMAGE EDITORS

11. Big Huge Labs is a
useful site for
creating projects
with images.
Students can
create magazine
covers, trading
cards, movie
posters, mosaics,
cubes, calendars,
photo albums,
and slideshows.
The uses are
Created with Mosaic Maker at BigHugeLabs. almost endless.
IMAGE EDITOR: BIGHUGELABS.COM

12. Toys, Games, and Utilities available at
BigHugeLabs.
IMAGE EDITOR: BIGHUGELABS.COM

13. •Students create a magazine cover
as a visual to a biography written on  www.picnik.com
a famous person.  www.photofunia.com
 www.befunky.com
•Students use mosaic maker to  www.imagechef.com
create a mosaic that illustrates the  www.photo505.com
events in a story.
 www.dumpr.com
•Students use mapmaker to map out  www.yourgen.com/comic
where historical or current events
take place.
•Students make character trading
cards with descriptions of major Recent photo
characters in a story. turned retro with
www.tuxpi.com
•Students alter pictures for school
newspaper or yearbook.
•Students use special effects to
capture tone/mood that should be
reflected in picture.
OTHER IMAGE EDITORS AND USES

14. Students are carrying them.
Many schools have a BYOD
policy. Electronic devices are
expensive for school districts
to purchase. Why not use a
tool that students are familiar
with, love, and already have
money invested in?
As long as there are
regulations and strict
guidelines, open up your
library to cell phone use.
Photo Attribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/athome
inscottsdale/5171125430/sizes/l/
CELLS PHONES IN THE LIBRARY

15.  Use PollEverywhere to track
answers from students. It’s
cheaper than clickers such
as quizdom, and is actually
free if you have less than 40
users.
 EverNote is a cell phone app
that allows you to keep
links, photos, images, audio
recordings, videos, and
notes all in one place. It
can be linked to other
people to share a universal
noteboard.
USING THE CELL PHONE AS A LEARNING TOOL

16. Photo Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ww4f/2387915131/sizes/o/
Students can use twitter to create a live discussion about a film or
novel. The teacher can instruct students to use a common hash tag
so that the feed will mimic a group discussion. Many students
already have twitter accounts set up on their phones.
For students who do not have a device, they can use TweetCall at 1-
877-TweetCall and speak their tweet onto the phone. It will appear
on the live feed.
In addition, students can use cell phones as a camera or video camera
for projects, as a GPS, to read e-books or online articles, as
calculators, dictionaries, and as a device to record lectures or
discussions for later review, all of which can be linked up via twitter.
USING TWITTER AS A LEARNING TOOL

17.  Yodio is a good classroom tool because it’s easy to navigate
and students can create the project from different locations. An
assignment could be broken down into parts- for example,
students could write out a script in class, and their homework
assignment could be to call yodio and record. Because all it
requires is a free phone call, this could be a good tool for
students who don’t have the internet at home.
DIGITAL STORYTELLING

18. On www.fiftywordstories.com, students can write in their own stories in fifty
words. The stories should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. There is a
lot of beauty and power found in the brevity. We live in an era where telling a
brief story is actually valued. Tweets, Facebook posts, news headlines-- people
want information that is quick, relevant, clear, and to the point.
Fifty Word Stories is a good exercise in making each word count.
While teaching elaboration is important, I think this idea would really
get students thinking about word choice and main idea.
DIGITAL STORYTELLING: 50 WORD STORIES

19. The University of Houston has complied a
list of educational uses for digital
storytelling. The link to their website
below lists ideas for all content areas and
grade levels.
Educational Uses for Digital Storytelling
Photo Attribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paoletti/4532339057/
DIGITAL STORYTELLING

20. Many times, students are more technologically
advanced than their teachers and librarians.
Be open to learning about new applications
and tools that students discover that can be
lended to classroom use.
When using technology, students are not
passive learners- they are naturally
generating, obtaining, sharing, and
manipulating information. Students play the
most active roll in learning.
Technology enhances student self esteem and
is grounded in collaboration, one of the most
important skills a child can learn.
CLOSING: TECHNOLOGY IN CLASSROOMS