Thing 12 - All About Those Old Fashioned Things, Books!

Well, I wanted to be excited about these ebook apps, like I have been about the previous things (which, happily, total beyond 23, and I'm glad!), but most of the freebie books out there just don't thrill me.  Pretty strong words for a former English teacher, I know.  I was curious about the "Popular Books" category in Audiobooks, but the first several included Pride and Prejudice, Treasure Island, and Huck Finn, and the "Free Books" section's offerings were on par with the first group.  I just think of something other than those dusty old titles, which I AM fond of, when I hear the word "popular."  Now professionally, I can certainly see a use for this app.  Teachers in my school teach many of the classics, and they are in a constant state of replacement.  I think Audiobooks would also be quite handy for reluctant readers, as well.  It just didn't provide what I would like for me.

I do like the YALSA Teen Book Finder.  I know the readers in my high school are always prowling the sites like Goodreads and other spots that highlight hot new YA lit.  This is one more avenue for them to cruise.  I might use it professionally, as well, particularly when a student needs a title and can't find it in our library. 

Thing 11, or Library and Reference!

As I sit looking at my various devices, I am, as usual, amazed at little tricks that seem so darned simple once someone shows them to you.  Remember the first time you ever did a screen shot on your computer?  Didn't you think, "Wow!  How much easier could that be???"  Well, I feel kind of like that looking at ELM on my phone.  I rarely use my iphone for doing research, but the high school kids I teach do, and, bingo - there it is, right on my little screen.  Thanks for the concise tour, Minitex.  Again, here is a little gem I will probably show kids how to use . . . tomorrow!

Also, clicking on the SPPL app on my phone is something I never do.  But there it is, and, again, something worthy to pass on to teens. 

Although my district and my own webpage do have Mackin VIA available as well as instructions on downloading the app, not a lot of our students tend to read our ebooks, it seems.  Doing research via ELM is more likely the mobile app of choice for them.

Thing 10 - Sharing Photos

I have a Snapchat account (with a horrible user name that I can't change . . . ), but this gave me an opportunity to reuse it. My sons are probably doing some eye rolling right now at the shots I've sent them.  The biggest eye opener here is the bevy of screen capture apps!  Wow!  SnapRoll, SnapBox, SnapCapture, and SnapChat Save Pics.  Professional use?  Those 4 babies right there!  All I heard the last few years was, "It's private," and "No one else can see my SnapChats."  No reason at all to be leery or cautious or modest or concerned at all, right?  Thank you for giving me those splendid teaching tools! 

And, oh yeah, I love this tongue-twister of a label.  Had to put it here just for kicks.  See how fast you can say it.  Hee, hee.  From the iTunes store:

SnapBox - a snaphack for snapchat to save all your snap chats and screenshot

Thing 9 - Jazzing Up Photos

I was, and still am, so excited about using Color Splurge!  My professional photographer friend does stuff like this all the time, but WTH (heck)?  I downloaded and subsequently deleted the app so many times trying to get rid of the ads on the bottom and on the top and in the corner, etc.  I finally gave up.  The app IDEA reminds me of many years ago when I took a class where we learned to hand tint black and white photos, which I did very little of and spent very much money on.  So I thought this was going to be IT! 

Alas, I went on to Line Camera and had a much more pleasant experience.  I did a few personal photos, and they looked classy, unlike those cheesy frames so many of the Kodak machines at Walgreens add to your photos.  I can definitely see myself using this personally for many reasons.  I take gobs of pictures, most of them with people in them and mostly those people are my family.  Hence, I am preserving memories, and I can see taking a treasured shot and playing with it to make it more than just another photograph.  Professionally, it looks like it will be really fun to play with.  I can see myself making posters of kids reading, using technology, doing research . . . and all without having to invest in one of those fancy poster-making machines (or scrounge around looking for one to borrow) and probably end up with a better product.  Can't wait to try it.  One thing I don't care for is that I can't share via messaging.  That would be good for me.

Thing 8 - What We All Need!

Okey doke!  I have officially changed an unused Twitter account that was a hodge-podge of things into TWO Twitter accounts.  One is the "official" library/school account, and the other one is personal.  I'm glad I finally did that.  It's just like having a work and a personal email account.  Why did it take me so long?  I hope to utilize the Twitter account with students, as well as for tapping into feeds from Shannon Miller, AASL, MEMO (or ITEM), and  MNMultitypes.  Finally, finally school districts are allowing Tweets and other social media.  We're out of the '80's!

Thing 7 - Saving and Sharing Content

So many things I haven't taken the time to even look at!  One that I've only browsed through when it pops during a search is the ever present Pinterest.  To be honest, I thought it was largely for those people with lots of time on their hands who spend that time decorating their homes, decorating their parties, decorating their nails, and so on.  Gosh, I was wrong!  Thank you for forcing me to not be so full of assumptions and to look at something pretty useful and cool.  I've picked up some cool ideas for my school library by looking at the library links provided, as well as gotten a few laughs from "Awful Library Books" (which I did bookmark, of course)!

And back to poking fun at those people who pin party ideas, I now have my own board entitled, "Grad Party Ideas," for the big day in our house in about 5 weeks.  I'm just not someone who takes a guided tour unless someone makes me.  I'm so glad I did.  I will probably start a board with teen reads on it, as well!

Really being mobile . . . with Thing 6

CloudOn is pretty cool.  It makes "mobile" really mobile.  I'm pretty much a Word, Powerpoint, Excel person, and CloudOn truly makes it possible to use those on a mobile device.  Sometimes apps seem so weak compared to the power and ease of writing and creating on a standard computer of some sort.  When something like Word looks the same on an iPad Mini as it does on my huge Mac monitor, I'm duly impressed . . . and much more apt (apped?!) to use it!  This little course is doing right by me.  (I know I will return to its contents frequently!)