Blogs and Blog Readers

Throughout my MLS courses I've learned that there is so much we can access through the internet other than searches. The internet has become a part of our daily lives and has changed our world tremendously. My social platforms include: Facebook, Pinterest, Wordpress, and this semester I've had the opportunity to explore and use Blogster, Twitter and Tumblr. I had heard about these platforms, but had not browsed through them until this course. I am a little familiar with Twitter since my 18 year old son uses it daily. There are so many platforms to explore and I've been trying to keep up with everything that is out there. It has been a bit overwhelming, but every platform's aesthetic is different and every user has their own preference. 

That being said, the next platform I explored was Blog Readers. A Blog Reader allows users to organize all of their favorite blogs into one application therefore, saving the reader time from navigating through individual blogs. There are a variety of different types of blog readers such as: Bloglovin', Feedly, Bloglines, Newsblur, Digg Reader, and Newsvibe.

After exploring each one, I chose Bloglovin': https://www.bloglovin.com/, to organize all my favorite blogs. For someone that’s new to Blog Readers, I found it very user friendly and creating an account was quick, easy, and free. In addition, adding and locating blogs was just as simple. There is a “Find Blogs” tab, or a “search” tab located at the top. Next, type the blog name then click “follow” and press “done” when you are ready. They also have a recommended blogs tab based on your list. You can add up to 5,000 blogs!

Here are a few of the blog sites I added to my Bloglovin’ account:

Free Technology for Teachers

Free Technology for Teachers is run by Richard Byrne, a U.S. History, Civics, and Global Studies high school teacher in South Paris, ME. Richard shares free web-based resources that educators can use to enhance their students' learning experiences. Byrnes states, "I believe that when used correctly, technology has the power to improve students' engagement and achievment." He's a Google Certified teacher, a five time winner of Edublog's Award for Best Resource Sharing Blog, and received a Merlot Classics award. I added this site to my blog reader because it offers readers valuable information on the latest trends in technology and how to implement them in the classroom. I was especially drawn to his blogs on "Google Tutorials," since our district began using Google Chromebooks in the classroom last year. I know I will definitely be referring to his tutorials. Byrne's blog is an EXCELLENT source of information for librarians and teachers. Best of all it is free advice!

https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/free-technology-for-teachers-1315757





Great Kid Books

Great Kid Books blog is operated by Mary Ann Scheuer, a school librarian at Emerson Elementary in Berkeley, CA.  This is a great site to help parents and educators learn about books for kids ages 4 – 14. This site caught my attention simply by its title. Scheuer’s blog highlights many different genres via book reviews, including sneak peeks of some books, and book trailers. Each search is organized by grade level, genre, awards, gender, and professional resources. I know after viewing The Marvels book trailer, by Brian Selznick, I was hooked. She also offered a giveaway for the book, and of course I entered! In addition, she writes to authors about giving parents advice and includes the author’s response letter. She is also a member of AASL's Best Apps committee, a reviewer for Kirkus Reviews, and Author Events Co-Chair for 2013 & 2015 AASL National Conference. This is a great blog full of resources that can be used by parents and educators as well.

http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/

The Mighty Little Librarian

The Mighty Librarian is run by Tiffany Whitehead. She is the school librarian at Central Middle in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She has served as the President for ISTE’s Librarians Network, has been recognized as one of ISTE’s 2014 Emerging Leaders, and was named one of the 2014 Library Journal Movers & Shakers. As I browsed the recommended blogs, Tiffany’s blog on “Library Procedures” caught my eye. I really liked that she used 8^th graders to create a video to explain her library procedures to the rest of the students.  In addition, she blogs about such topics as: genre shelving and signage, genrefication, professional development, makerspaces, digital citizenship, decorations and displays, library lessons and links, and resources, to name a few. This blog is a great resource for librarians and educators to have as a reference.

http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4541406569&blog=3835581

No Shelf Required

The "No Shelf Required" blog discusses news and issues surrounding eBooks for librarians and publishers from different perspectives, and also gives readers an opportunity to discuss eBook issues via moderator, Sue Polanka, from Wright State University Libraries, and founder of "No Shelf Required." I chose this blog because I want to familiarize myself more with what is out there regarding eBooks such as: finding, selecting, licensing, policies, business models, ebook readers, and marketing. This blog is an excellent source for librarians to keep abreast of the latest on eBooks. 

https://www.bloglovin.com/feed/blog/4525255

The Daring Librarian


The Daring Librarian blog is run by Gwenyth A. Jones, a librarian at Murray Middle School in Columbia, Maryland. She is a Google Certified teacher, a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and has won numerous awards including Best of the Best and a Visionary Leader by Teacher Librarian Magazine. Her works have been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Huffington Post. I selected her blog because I heard a lot of fabulous things about her through other librarians and social media. She uses technology and digital media to inspire her students to use their talents, skills and imagination. I feel that this blog is a great resource for all librarians and educators because her postings offer so much information on technology. Some examples include, her electronic portfolio and tech Wiki.

http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4528827332&blog=2938595

Tumblr


Tumblr was founded in 2007 by David Karp. It is a form of social networking called microblogging, that allows you to post texts, photos, links, music, and videos from your browser, phone, desktop, email and  wherever you have internet access. It can also be customized. I have seen Tumblr posts on my Facebook, but had never used it until this assignment. I found it to be very user friendly and easy to navigate through. As I browsed through some of Tumblr's school library pages, I noted some things they posted in common: book reviews, quotes, personal likes, important articles relevent to their liking, summer reading lists, playlists, videos, showcase authors, promotion of events and reminders, and posting of online resources (for students, educators, and the community). As a future librarian, I feel that is important to be familiar with all of the social media platforms out there. Tumblr is another valuable resource that will help libraries stay connected, network, and promote everything they have to offer.

I was able to create a Tumblr account! Here's the link:

http://srios61.tumblr.com/

Happy Bloggin,’

Sandra C. Rios