Library Media Tech Talk July

Hello, friends!

I just got back from attending the ISTE conference in San Antonio, Texas. It was amazing to see so many new educational technology items in one place with so many people from around the world. I want to share some of the tools I learned about while there.

Virtual Reality and 3D Tools

I was blown away by the VR demonstration that Lifeliqe shared with me and other educators! They have a 3D app and VR tools that totally immerse the user in the learning experience. I want to add these tools to our school library this fall!

I finally got to try a Microsoft Hololens for the first time at ISTE. It was a fascinating Mixed Reality experience. After viewing several different 3D models with the Hololens, I see amazing potential for such experiences in the classroom.

View-Master has a deluxe VR viewer for your smartphone. This is a cheap way to get into VR. I’m considering purchasing 4 to 5 of these for our innovation space so students can experiment with VR! We have 5 library iPods that will be perfect for this application.

Google Cardboard is another cheap option for first steps in VR. Check out this link to see how it works. It is similar to the View-Master viewer.

Cool Tools

I learned about Seesaw for student portfolios and parent communication. This might be a nice option if you need a platform for portfolios.

I attended a Focus Session at ISTE for the Microsoft Translator app. I was really impressed by the functionality of the program. It has large group interaction abilities that have countless applications.

I got to see Ohbot demonstrated at ISTE. This is a programmable robot head that talks. Students can program in a Scratch block programming format. I would like to add one of these to our innovation space this year.

What I’m Writing

The editors have completed a book I contributed a chapter to in late 2016. It should be published in the fall. I’ll share more information when it is available.

I have been invited to write my column for ABC-CLIO’s School Library Connection again in 2017-2018. I’m very grateful to the publisher and editors for allowing me to share my voice for another year! Consider subscribing to the magazine!

I hope you enjoy this newsletter program. If you like it, feel free to share it with someone. Take care until next time.

About

Stony Evans

Stony Evans is a library media specialist at Lakeside High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His main focus is making the Library Media Center (LMC) the hub of activity in the school. He enjoys finding ways to team with teachers and students to present instruction in new ways using library media technology and services. The goal is always to create lifelong learners through literacy and technology. He is in his 21st year as a public school educator. He previously worked for 12 years as a band director. He works with a team of professionals in the LMC : Mrs. Kaitlyn Price (Library Media Specialist), Mrs. Peggy Schaeffer (Library Assistant), and Mr. Ray Borel (Library Assistant). Stony is a member of the American Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media, and the Arkansas Library Association.