Thursday, June 5, 2014

15.Infographics

Blogging for this Thing:  Use at least one of these apps to either create an infographic (real or fake doesn’t matter, just play with the tool) or to find some interesting infographics. Write a blog post about what you think about the app and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.
The odd numbered Things are not going well for me.  I have copied and used other people's infographics, but am unable to make them myself.  Infographics Hub is not compatible with my Android phone, so says Google Play Store.  I will have to ask for a pass on Thing #15.
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Infographics is a hot new buzz word, but infographics are just ways you can display information visually. I’m sure you’ve seen infographics, like the many that are out there about libraries, like Librarians in the Digital Age. Or maybe you’ve seen some describing what things are, like What’s in a Meme. Or maybe you’ve seen book infographics, likeMost Famous Book Set in Every State (ours really isn’t a surprise).
Infographics are here to stay because they are great for visual people, people who want to see graphics and statistics in more appealing ways than just a paragraph of words. So this Thing will introduce you to a couple tools where you can create your own, simple infographic, and where you can find some interesting infographics.

infographics hub appInfographics Hub: Apple / Android

Infographics Hub is all about finding infographics. This is a collection of the newest infographics on the web, and they are from all different sorts of categories. You’ll find statistical infographics, educational infographics, and just plain silly infographics.

infographic apple appinfo.Graphics: Apple only

info.Graphics is all about finding infographics. This is a collection of the newest infographics from all different sorts of categories. You’ll find infographics about education, social media, technology, and just plain silly infographics.

i vi touchi Visual Info Touch Lite (Free): Apple / Android

Designed specifically for tablets, i Visual Info Touch allows you to create infographics within minutes. Your graphics can include diagrams, text, and photos, and there is a large objects library to include in your designs.
NOTE: We had a hard time with the Android app. Often it wouldn’t open at all. It was the only infographic creation app we could find for Android devices, so if you know of something else, please use that app for this and blog about it in your Thing 15 blog post.

Visualize appVisualize Free: Apple only

Visualize allows you to use images, illustrations, text, images, lines, and more to make a simple infographic. There is a library full of different icons and stationery to make your infographic pop.
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14. Video

Blogging for this Thing:  Use at least one of these apps and make a video (real or fake doesn’t matter, just play with the tool). Write a blog post about what you think about the app and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.

 I wasn't overly impressed with any of the Video apps below so I downloaded the WeVideo app from the Google Play Store and messed around with that one.  I guess I didn't really see the need to have a video editor on my phone, but I really do like how I can go from phone to PC and my editing progress is seamless between devices.  I will promote WeVideo in my library.  Many teachers have assigned video projects and more and more students are relying on their smart phones for video recording as we as picture taking.

 I will make an orientation video of the School Library and post it to our Moodle account and have it ready for incoming students in Aug '14.  Thanks for the suggestion.

And try to think about your library when you’re using these apps. Can you make a quick video highlighting something in your library with these? Could you make book reviews? Could you record a short video showcasing an event? Could these be used to make library video tours?

vine iconVine: Apple / Android

Vine is the hottest video service right now that only allows you to take 6-second videos. 6 seconds doesn’t seem like long, but think of them as enhanced photos. Instead of a still shot of a library program, make a quick 6-second video you can share on the library website or via social media.

viddyViddy: Apple / Android

If you need more than 6-second videos, maybe Viddy is for you. Viddy is a simple way to capture, create, and share 30-second videos and easily share them on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Tumblr. You can also share on the Viddy site and keep videos either public or private.

socialcamSocialcam: Apple / Android

Socialcam is an easy way to capture, share and view videos. It also allows for vintage video filters, custom titles, and soundtracks. And the nice thing about Socialcam is that there are no limits on how long the video is like you get on other free apps.

magistoMagisto: Apple / Android

Magisto automatically turns your video clips and photos into edited movies, complete with your choice of music, cool graphics, and effects, in just a matter of minutes. You can use as little as 5 photos to make videos, but can only include 10 with a free Magisto account. With a free account you can also upload up to 45 seconds of video.
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13. Presentations


Blogging for this Thing:  Use at least one of these apps and create a presentation (real or fake doesn’t matter, just play with the tool). Write a blog post about what you think about the app and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.

 Thing 13 is one that I will have issues with.  Reading the comments about Deck Slideshow keep me from even wanting to load the app on my phone.  Lensoo has had just over 100 users via the Google Play Store in which 25% of those users have left negative comments about the tool.  
I frequently use Glogster which is a 3D poster that works well with YouTube videos.  Our school has been using a paid version for the past 3 years.
Prezi is an ok presentation tool.  I personally can get a bit dizzy while watching Prezi presentations zoom in and out.
I would be interested in additional Presentation Tools.  Many presentation tools have A+ qualities for certain aspects in a presentation, but few tools could be given overall A grades.

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We’ve all seen PowerPoint presentations throughout the years, but with mobile devices there are many other types of presentations you can create. You can make presentations with gorgeous images in the background, or you can record yourself talking over a whiteboard presentation, and so much more. Thing 13 will introduce you to some interesting presentation apps.

deck presentation

Deck Slideshow Presentations: Apple / Android

Deck Slideshow Presentations offers a new way to create presentations – one that does not require you to have any design skills whatsoever. Just give them the text for your presentation, choose a presentation theme, and they do the rest.

Haiku DeckHaiku Deck: Apple only

Have you ever wanted to make a quick presentation for a training session or to show photos from a field trip or library program? How about a slideshow of your Instagram food pics? Whatever your goal, with Haiku Deck you can easily create impressive-looking presentations without a lot of preparation—or time.

lensoo createLensoo Create: Apple / Android

Lensoo Create turns your iPad into a virtual whiteboard with voice recording and smooth digital writing. Using Lensoo Create you can quickly share your ideas through email, Facebook or Twitter from virtually anywhere.

educreationsEducreations: Apple only

Educreations turns your iPad into a recordable whiteboard. You can add images, text, and write with your finger or a stylus, all while you record what you say. You can add multiple pages to your whiteboard before you start recording, so you really can turn it into a tutorial, lesson, or whatever you’d like.
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12. Books, books, and more books

Blogging for this Thing:  Use at least one of these apps and write a blog post about what you think about the app and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.

I tried :  Wattpad for Android.  Wattpad is a place where writers submit chapters of their written work a little bit at a time for those in the Wattpad community to read and post comments to the author about the stories while the story is in progress.  At first I thought I was putting full works in "My library" but then recalled only one of the items I selected actually said 'Completed'.  I don't find this a useful tool since most of the reading I do as a librarian is pre-reading so that I can purchase or recommend titles to the high school students that I serves.
Classicly  is not available via Google Play store that I could find. When I looked via my pc I could only signup with my FB account.  I don't link my FB account to outside accounts.
iStoryBooks appears to be for a younger crowd. I appreciate knowing that there are only 25 free books, since that is a deciding factor that I don't need to waste time exploring this app.
AudioBooks just don't interest me for professional use.  When students want audio books, I direct them to the public library.

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In this Thing, you will explore apps that allow you to find books in general and give you access to free ebooks and audiobooks. 

wattpad logoWattpad: Apple / Android

Wattpad is a social media community focused on connecting readers and writers through stories. There are thousands of books available, including a number of “classic” titles from Project Gutenberg. Writers can submit their stories to be shared on the site. Access is completely free and there is the opportunity to connect with other readers. Wattpad will allow you to read from a variety of platforms, including tablets, phones, and of course, a laptop.

freebooksiconFree Books: Apple / Android

Free Books is an app from Classicly that allows you access to over 23,000 books considered “classics” for free. Most of the titles are public domain books and come primarily from before 1923. You can read ebooks from this app. The ebook reader has some nice features, including the option to highlight or add notes.

istorybookslogoiStoryBooks: Apple / Android

iStoryBooks is an app that contains 25 free children’s story books, both text & audio. There are books in the following categories: fairy & folk tales, animals, educational, and Ramayana (Hindu stories). According to the company, they publish new books every two weeks and they will appear automatically on the app. The app does provide access to premium content as well.

AudiobookslogoAudiobooks: Apple / Android

This app allows you to listen to thousands of audiobooks for free. The free version only allows for streaming of audiobooks; it does not allow you to download audiobooks to listen to offline. The selection of books includes professionally narrated modern best sellers and hand-selected classics edited for maximum quality.

YALSATeenBookFinderlogoYALSA Teen Book Finder: Apple only
Android app coming in 2014

ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has produced an iPhone app (which will work as well on an iPad) to help teens, parents, librarians and library staff, educators, and anyone who loves YA literature access to the past three years’ of YALSA’s awards and lists on their smartphone.
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11. Library & Reference

Blogging for this Thing:  Explore the ELM Mobile website or find an app from your library that you can delve into. Write a blog post about what you think about what you used and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. 

I personally have the EBSCO app on my smartphone but never thought to put instructions on our school website to let students know that the app is available for them to use.
We also have Mackin Via so I will need to get the word out about the availability for this app as well.
I will ask our school IT person to include apps for our databases on our GAfE homepage to get these apps in front of our students.
I especially appreciate the information in this Thing since I didn't need to create a new account for anything. I also found this Thing immediately useful in my professional setting as a librarian.  There was nothing new to Learn, just action needed on my part.  Thank you for including this thing!!
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We all work in different libraries and have different needs, so a library and reference category that will be useful for everyone is hard. What we decided to do for this Thing is to give you information about the ELM Mobile site and some library and vendor apps that may be useful for you.

Blogging for this Thing

Explore the ELM Mobile website or find an app from your library that you can delve into. Write a blog post about what you think about what you used and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.

ELM Mobile

In 2012, the ELM portal (Electronic Library for Minnesota) was treated with responsive web design techniques. This means that the site automatically responds to any device’s screen size no matter if that is a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. Also, users will not have to remember a separate mobile access point for the website. It’s all at the same location – elm4you.org!
Click here for a tour of the ELM Mobile site (written by Jennifer Hootman, Minitex).

Library apps

Does your library or a library in your area have its own app? Apps where you can check your account, search the library catalog, ask a librarian, find library events, and much more? We’ve located some apps from around the state that you may want to explore:
Did we miss your library’s app? We’re almost certain we missed an app, because it’s hard to keep track of the great things you all are doing, so please write about your library’s app in your blog post for Thing 11 and we’ll try to get it added to the list.

Vendor apps

If there isn’t an app specific to your library, there may be apps to use to interact with books or databases that your library subscribes to.
In school libraries, is there an app to search your library’s book collection or ebooks? Maybe through MackinVIA or others?
In academic libraries, is there an app to search databases from EBSCO, ProQuest, or other vendors?
We know there are apps for all these things, but the question is: does your library subscribe to books or databases that allow you to use an app and does your library promote the use of this app?
To try to see if there are apps you can use to interact with library materials, you’ll need to search for this on your library’s website. Visit the website of a library that you use, whether it’s a school, public, academic, or special library, and see if they have apps you can use. Follow the directions on their site for downloading and using the app and blog about it for Thing 11.
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10. Sharing Photos

Blogging for this Thing:  Use at least one of these apps and share some photos. Write a blog post about what you think about the app and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.I

Instagram it is. Snapchat is what the middle schoolers use or so says the HS kids that I work with. I am so surprised that Instagram pictures are All square. That is so very restrictive. I'm going to watch a YouTube video to see what I am missing. Screen names are how you find people if you are like me and don't want to share my FB contacts. I tried to search for some of the same names I follow on interest and didn't find the same names. Bummer. I'm not big into sharing personal photos and need to be careful about sharing photos of students with whom I work. I can see how Instagram would make a good repository for a world language class to store creative commons photos for a project or travel brochure.

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Throwback Thursday, and more, people are taking pictures of every aspect of their lives and sharing them with family and friends. If you just read that and didn’t know what Throwback Thursday was, then this is the Thing for you. We’re going to introduce you to two of the most popular photo sharing apps – Instagram and Snapchat.

Instagram: Apple / Android
Instagram is by far the most popular photo sharing app at the moment. And unlike some of those websites who developed a mobile version, Instagram was born mobile and developed a website afterwards. Simple and straightforward, it allows you to either take photos directly with the app or use one in your Gallery and crop, add a filter, and share with the world.
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9. Taking & Editing Photos

Blogging for this Thing
Use at least one of these apps and make some cool creations with your photos. Write a blog post about what you think about the app and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.

I downloaded Aviary, which I think should have  more birds for picture props than flowers. The editing tool worked well. I was able to crop, frame and send a pic of a friends Bday cake to her on her birthday from when we celebrated her birthday this past weekend. Very slick. Professionally I can use this app to jazz up pics to put on the webpage.



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Yes, your device probably comes with a camera of some sort, and it probably takes pretty good photos, but there are a lot of apps to help you do a lot more with your photos without you having to be a Photoshop master. With some of these apps you can: add captions, change photo colors, add filters, add frames, and so much more.
And don’t we want to jazz up photos for library marketing? Instead of just putting a photo on a flyer and adding some text below it, try to add the text on the photo and make that the flyer. Or use an app like Color Splurge to try to make your photos a little more appealing.
This Thing will introduce you to a few of the most popular apps where you can get creative with your photos.

LINE Camera: Apple / Android
With LINE Camera you can jazz up your photos in a lot of different ways. You can apply filters to your pictures, choose from hundreds of frames, add text on your photos with a variety of fonts, and so much more. It’s an easy way to quickly have fun with your photos or to make some promotional materials for the library.
Photo Editor by Aviary: Apple /Android
If you don’t like LINE Camera, then maybe Photo Editor by Aviary is for you. This app allows you to do a lot of the same things you can do with LINE Camera: apply filters to your photos, add frames and text, add stamps, and use some touch up tools. This is a very popular app that is great for editing your personal photos or photos used in your library.
Color Splurge: Apple / Android
Color Splurge lets you do selective coloring on your images, which is where you can choose to change the color of just one or many things in your image. You can change your photos to black and white and make just one color stand out, or you can completely change the color of clothing in a photo. Color Splurge is all about messing with your photos colors.

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