Online Book Communities

Do you absolutely love reading and want to share your joy? Online book communities are a great way to connect, review, select, get recommendations, track your reading habits, and manage books with other book lovers. Online book communities give readers the ability to create and customize lists to fit their needs. Here are five online book communities that I have reviewed, I have to say, I found several that I liked. Check out these online communities to see which one suits your needs best.




Goodreads has more than forty million members, and is the largest social network for readers. Not surprised, this is a free website for book lovers. Members can share books, track what they read, make lists of what they would like to read, plan to read, and recommend books. Others can comment on your posts or you can keep the profile private. You can also rate books, provide reviews, join a discussion group, start a book club, and even share your own writing.

You can register with your e-mail, or Google, Twitter, or Facebook accounts. To add new books, click on "create a shelf" tab on left and name your shelf. Next, use the search function and type in book title, then click the green “Want to Read” button, here you have the option to rate the book as well. After, adding books to my shelf, I browsed through the site's features. The top tabs include: "friends," where you can add via Facebook, G-mail, Twitter, "recommendations," you can rate 20 and get recommendations, and the "explore" tab, which over a vast amount of other links such as giveaways, popular, choice awards, e-books, genres, a "fun" link that includes quizzes and quotes, and a community link. I must say I spent a lot of time on this tab!

Although it was not difficult to create a shelf and add books, I found that some of the other online book communities were easier to navigate through. This one took me a little longer to figure out. I really liked the extra links I mentioned above, and the neatness of the shelf.

Works Cited

Chandler, O. (2015). About Goodreads [Webpage]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/about/us

LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site for book lovers. It helps you create a catalog of books you own, books you've read, or would like to read. Your books are organized into collections, and have the option to add them manually through search, or import them from other services. It allows users to search, sort, tag, and use the Library of Congress and Dewey systems to organize collections. LibraryThing searches the Library of Congress, Amazon sites, and more than 690 world libraries. You can access your catalog from anywhere, even from your mobile phone. 

You can classify your collection by creating a wish list, books read, and currently reading.
LibraryThing connects people based on books they share, and recommends books to you.

Signing up is free up to adding the first 200 books, and all you need is your email, it's that easy. After I entered the site, adding books was easy. Just click on the "add books to your library," and type in the title of the book. Each entry has as a work page.  In this page you can edit facts about the book, and switch book covers.  In addition, each book also has a link to customize your list, whether it's on your "wish list," "to be read," and "currently reading," to name a few. You can also connect with the author and find out some information about him/her, such as events. Other features on the side tab include links to: "reviews," "communities," "lists," and "helpers."

I found this site very user friendly and easy to navigate through. Adding books to shelf and customizing was quick and simple.  I liked this one, but the only setback I saw was the price. To upgrade, it would cost you from $10- $25, after adding 200 books.

Works Cited

About LibraryThing. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.librarything.com/about

Shelfari introduces readers to a global community of book lovers and encourages them to share their literary preferences with peers, friends, and others around the world. It is owned by Amazon, and is a place for authors, aspiring authors, publishers, and readers. Shelfari has  various features to help groups connect with each other in a fun and engaging way.

Some of it's features include: building virtual bookshelves to express your likes to friends and to the world, discover books that are popular within your circles of friends, rate and discuss books online, find people with similar reading tastes, online book groups to further explore literature, share ideas, and  interact with, and learn from authors.  

I did have an amazon account already, so signing in to Shelfari was quick.  It is very user friendly, and I created my profile and began adding titles to it, the process was effortless. It is simple, just type in the title of the book in the search box on top, and a list appears. Click the "add" button, then it asks if you read it, then if you "own it, or it's on your "wish list." It proceeds to let you add "character description," add "tags," and you're done! Even though users create only one shelf, I still liked the clean and "uncluttered" look of the page. Users can scroll left and right to view their shelf, and books are categorized by: "plan to read," "reading now," and "I've read" tabs. You also have the option of "editing" and can rate and add comments. I really liked this one as well.

Works Cited

About Shelfari. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.shelfari.com/Shelfari/AboutUs.aspx

Booklikes is a free reader's blog platform that is aimed at writers and book bloggers. You can create new shelves, make custom reading statuses, and import books from Goodreads. 

Your profile offers a stylish and your shelf displays in several rows, and adds a next page if need be. 

BookLikes states that users can discover great books by exploring book blogs and book reviews. Users have the ability to write reviews, recommend and suggest great reads by “liking” and “reblogging” favorite book reviews, collect books and personalize bookshelves with a design and book sources, add as many shelves and books as you wish , meet the book lovers, writers, reviewers, bloggers and explore their reading world, follow those with a similar reading taste, inspire others with quotes or post photos of authors you love, get engaged in book discussions, and share your reading life.

The initial set up for BookLikes, was quite easy as well.  To add books, just type in the title at the top right corner of page. A list of books appear, then just click on the book you want to add and a summary of the book appears, and right below it, a "+ shelf" tab appears, and you click on that.  Then you have the option to add to your personalized shelf, and choosing "read," "planning to read," or "currently reading."  You can also click on "post" to add text, quote, a video, or links. An advantage that I found to BookLikes is the fact that it has a little icon that is simply just the letter " i" in a circle.  If you drag that button to your bookmark toolbar, it will allow you to add books directly from a website to your BookLikes blog. I like that the shelf looks neatly organized. In addition, the site includes links to: book clubs, discussions, events, giveaways, goodies, daily deals to name a few. I spent quite a bit of time exploring the great daily deals, which link directly to Amazon. It could be dangerous! Lol. At least for me it was.


Works Cited

About booklikes. (2015). Retrieved from http://booklikes.com/about

BiblioNasium blends technology with personal connection to create a supportive, engaging space for reading success.  It is for kids and serves as a guide for parents. BiblioNasium's mission is to instill good reading habits at a young age; to promote reading as a social activity, and to connect kids, parents and teachers to create a virtual “reading village.”

Biblionasium offers things that the others do not, such as online reading logs, where children can track their reading, including the date, level, number of pages and length of session.  The online reading logs provide teachers and parents with a paperless tool to monitor and assess progress. There was also a class set up feature for teachers that the other options did not offer.

I feel Biblionasium is great for schools because it's age appropriate and safe for students, since the social media part is teacher controlled. In addition, online reading logs can be accessed by the teacher, student and parent. The students can also find books on their guided reading level, and teachers can track what students are reading. One benefit of this site for educators is that you can create reading challenges for your students, either as a whole group or just a set number of students.  I feel this is invaluable as this provides differentiated instruction for all users. I can see the value that this site has for educators, reading specialists, students, parents, and librarians, as well  as a site that students would enjoy better than the other sites mentioned above.

Works Cited

About biblionasium. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.biblionasium.com/about_us

In conclusion, after analyzing each option, I considered the ages of students, which social media site is appropriate for their individual and class needs, as well as privacy and safety factors. For educators, Biblionasium would be the best choice for an elementary school setting. Some of the other sites like Booklikes and Shelfari would be great for middle and high school students. Although all sites are great, it depends what the user prefers. I had a hard time deciding which one was best for me personally, since I had not explored these sites in depth until this assignment. In my opinion, I feel that as I continue to navigate through each site a little more, I will be able decide which suits my personal needs best. For now, I will continue to have fun exploring each one.

That being said, which one do you prefer?

Podcasts

“Podcasting” comes from combining the words “broadcasting” and “iPod. You have the ability to listen to a podcast like a radio, but it differs because you can subscribe to the podcast just like a blog. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is the distribution method for podcasts, and can be transferred to any portable player to listen to at your convenience. Some of the podcasting platforms I explored through were:  Soundcloud, Audioboo, Podomatic, and Audacity. Although, I navigated through the other platforms, I was most familiar with Soundcloud because I had used it for one of my MLS courses. 

Our district currently uses podcast to broadcast board meeting minutes on their webpage, and at the campus level, it is used to relay messages to parents and teachers about upcoming events. I had not considered the possibility of using podcast in the classroom, but after reading and viewing many examples I see what a useful tool it can be. 

These are some of the ways podcasting can be incorporated in a classroom: event reminders for parents, school assignments, newsletters, to record student projects, reports, reading summaries, and math strategies. In addition, the library can use it to promote upcoming events, newsletters, book talks and reviews, storytelling, research, interviews, highlighting students work, and informational seminars.

I can see the many ways I can implement this in my class and in the future with my library. I love highlighting and showing off student work. For my podcast, I decided to have my students share a few "Thank You" poems they wrote to honor and thank our Veterans. They will be reading these at our upcoming Veteran's Day assembly. They did an excellent job and were very excited to share! 

Due to limited internet connection at my campus, I could not open my Soundcloud account from my laptop, and therefore I had to record my students on my sound recorder first. Then, at home I let the recording play so that Souncloud could pick up the recording. I also viewed a tutorial on how to embed the Soundcloud to my blog.

Sit back and enjoy!

Works Cited:

http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/230/what-is-podcast/
http://podcasting-in-education.wikispaces.com/#x-Finding%20Podcasts

Image retrieved from:
https://www.google.com/search?q=veterans+day+2015

Information Ethics

As children grow, they begin to learn ethical values at home, church, and in our schools. Today, technology plays a major role in our children's lives, and it is up to us as educators, to teach and reinforce those ethical issues that surround technology. "Technology is a powerful tool that influences our lives in countless ways. It offers creative an exciting new methods for educators and students to grow and learn" (Bell, 1998).

Richard W. Severson’s book, The Principles of Information Ethics, offers guidelines for coping with ethical dilemmas involving information technology through the following four-step method:

1. Respect for intellectual property

2. Respect for privacy

3. Fair Representation

4. Non maleficence (or “doing no harm”) (Severson, 1997).

After reflecting on Bells article, I spoke to my librarian about the four Principles of Information Ethics. She stated that all four are important, but the dilemma she continues to encounter deals with the first principle, Respect for Intellectual Property. Although she enforces copyright laws and provides staff and students with guidelines on what is “fair use” and what isn’t, she says that there are still some who forget to cite and give credit to their sources. For example, she has those that teachers that scan pictures from a book and do not give proper credit in their presentation. In addition, the use of the internet has caused more questions about copyright laws, and some students forget to cite sources as part of their research projects and power point presentations.  

To resolve such situations, in the beginning of the year, she provides guidelines to both students and staff on plagiarism and how it violates the school code of conduct and ethical codes. If necessary, she revisits these guidelines throughout the year, or as often as needed. She also emphasized that if we do see a violation, we should point it out.  It is hard, but in the long run, we might avoid a lawsuit.

Today, most schools have adopted an "Acceptable Use Policy" that regulates the use of the Internet and other information technologies and networks in a school. The rules in these policies often apply to both staff and students. I feel that everyone in the school, as well as parents, need to know and understand these policies. As professionals, we also have an obligation to educate our parents about ethical technology use. This can be done through school newsletters and parent meetings.

I conclude with this, ethical instruction needs to be on going, just as the librarian I spoke to revisits the guidelines as often as needed. A single lesson is not enough, and all teachers, librarians, and staff members must integrate ethical instruction into every activity that uses technology.

Works Cited:

Bell, M. (1998). Kiss and Information Ethics. TAET Journal, Spring, 1998.

You Tube, Animoto, and QR Codes

YouTube

YouTube is a video sharing website that allows users to upload, view, and share videos. Millions of people all over the world have created accounts on this site that allow them to upload videos that are often too large to send through email. Users simply just share the "url link." Registered You Tube users can watch videos, and registered users can upload videos to their channels. YouTube users include: individuals, corporations and other organizations. 

I've used You Tube to access videos for things such as: music, books, math tutorials for my kids, and many, many times for "how to" make or repair something such as replacing windshield wipers, truck's headlamps, and troubleshooting problems with my Keurig. The first time I uploaded a video was my introduction video for this class. 

I explored various school library YouTube videos from: The NHS Library, The Unquiet Library, Pikesville HS Library, and BBS Media. Here are some that caught my attention:

The NHS Library

The "Norman High School Orientation" video is helpful to students, and I feel that students would like the best because librarians Calypso Gilstrap and Martha Pangburn explain in detail the purpose of the library, as well as their policies and procedures using students in their video as well. They begin the video with days and hours of operation and showcase what their library has to offer: over 25,00 books, digital resources, access to computers, magazines, and online databases. In addition, they do a great job in explaining proper library etiquette, computer privileges, and explain the "do's" and "don'ts" of the library.

The "How to use EBSCO Host"  was another video I felt would be useful to students. Librarian Calypso Gilstrap, guides students step by step on how to use EBSCO Host for research. The librarian explains the different databases included in their library site. In addition, she demonstrates how to conduct a research by looking up "social issues" and then choosing the topic, "gun control," and explains how to properly cite the resource. She further explains how students can narrow down the topic.  

The Unquiet Library

Buffy Hamilton's site had so many videos to choose from. The first one I chose was "Tillery'sTutorial Video: Creative Commons 101 for Senior Project Slides." This video gives students important tips on how to use creative commons license images on their projects. Here students learn as to what extent they can use others' creative works such as: poems, stories, videos, original music, photos, graphics, and codes. They learn about the guidelines and symbols for the 4 different image copyright sources. In addition, Buffy demonstrates step by step how to read a creative commons image from the Flickr pool. This is something I didn't know how to do.

The next video I chose was "Mini-Lesson for Humphlett 10th L/C AdvancedFlicktr Search." Although both videos are great resources for students, I I feel that students would like this video since Buffy demonstrates step by step how to find creative commons photos using the advanced search in Flickr. She specifically focuses on searching for images that give permission to use an image as long as attribution is cited. In addition, she shows students how to go through search filters. This is a sight I can definitely see my students using.

Pikesville High School Library

This site includes many important videos on AP courses that are great resource for high school students entolled in: AP calculus, History, Physics, Statistics, English, Spanish, and Human Geography. Another video I feel is an important resource, would be the "PHS Financial Aid Workshop." This video walks students to the steps to follow when applying for financial aid. In addition, she explains the types of aid out there and how to apply form them.

"Hip Hop Day" @ Panther's Library is a video that highlights Black History Month. This is a video that I know students can relate to. Ms. Jonhson, the media specialist had students Skype with Hip-Hop Artist, Dillon from @flocabulary and learned about hip-hop's history, research and the writing process. In addition, students compared Shakesphere to Hip-Hop and Poetry. This is definitely a video would like the best.

BBMSMedia

BBMS media does a great job in their "Final Product Options" video. I chose this as a video that would be helpful to students when they are to create products for a class. Students are given a brief introduction to GoAnimate and Glogster to use for their final presentations on their career research. In addition, Adam shows students how to create Free accounts for both sites, and demonstrates in detail how to create a "Quick Video" on GoAnimate and an online poster on Glogster. Even I learned some useful tips! Aside from it being helpful, I can see my students liking this as well!

The second video I chose, "Bring Back Your Books (Goin' Down for a Real Parody)," I feel that students would like the best. Students use a popular song to get students to bring in overdue books. Lyrics are catchy and I'm sure students will be humming them as they turn in their books!

Animoto

Animoto is available for users to create good quality videos using computers or mobile devices. I had never used Animoto and was a little hesitant, but after viewing a few “how-to’” videos, I felt a bit more at ease. After signing up for my free account, the site pretty much walks you through it: selecting your background,  uploading pictures, adding text, and previewing your video before producing option is there.  You have the opportunity to edit and preview as many times as you need, and you can save your work and continue the next day. Best of all, it is FREE! 

You can view my Animoto book trailer for How to Steal a Dog, by Barabara O’Connor. Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is "borrow" the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected.


Just simply scan my QR code below:

Connor, B. (2007). How to steal a dog: A novel. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Steal-Dog-Barbara-OConnor/dp/0312561121

QR Codes

QR codes (Quick response codes), have been around since 1994, and with the increase use of smart devices it has gained more popularity. QR codes are like bar codes, but contain more information. They appear in magazines, on signs, on buses, on business cards, or on almost any object about which users might want information. These codes scan the information in an instant.  Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the telephone's browser.

Although I am familiar with QR codes, I had not used them. Creating it was easy and quick! Simply download the app on your smart device. I used the following link for my iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qr-reader-for-iphone/id368494609?mt=8. There are a lot of apps for scanning QR codes that are free. I explored through several and used: http://www.qrstuff.com/, just four easy steps and it was free, no and sign up required!


QR codes are gaining popularity in schools, and libraries are finding creative ways to use them. I researched different ways libraries are using them: book trailers, book reviews, creating scavenger hunts in the library, contact information for the library, and links to specific resources. As a future librarian, I see myself implementing them in many ways. 

Check out my first Animoto book trailer and QR code! Enjoy!

Sandra C. Rios