Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

There are a wealth of programs available to easily create, share, and watch videos.  Here are some of  my thoughts on how YouTube and Animoto are and could be used in libraries, as well as how to use and incorporate QR codes.

YouTube

It is interesting to see how libraries can utilize YouTube differently. I explored a handful of YouTube channels belonging to high school and middle school libraries and found videos ranging from screencast tutorials to student-created videos. One channel, the unquiet library, had tons of videos with tutorials on how to use computer programs like PowerPoint, easy bib, and Wikimedia commons images. Here is an example of one of their tutorial videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1oOQJuXRkw I think that these types of tutorials can be helpful to make and publish, especially when a teacher has assigned a project that requires the use of one of these programs. YouTube tutorials are great because students (with internet at home) can access them 24/7, and the teacher doesn’t have to repeat herself 30 times. For this reason alone, I plan to use YouTube as a librarian! Lastly, YouTube screencast tutorials are a great idea because students can pause them when needed and follow along on their own screens. This is ideal for every class because students always work and process information at different paces.

Though screencasts are tremendously helpful, I think that the most popular videos are student-made and focused on topics that are meaningful or interesting to students. These types of videos are great because the students making them learn about filming, editing, uploading, and all of the technicalities involved with video production. They can also get viewers excited about certain topics. One student made a video where he interviewed different classmates about their New Year’s resolutions, incorporating things happening in the lives of students into his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwdnQs2y5Hk&t=54s  

Another video from a different channel featured the seniors pretending to take over the library to throw a seniors-only party. This video encompassed the senior pride that comes about each year in high schools and even though it is definitely just for fun, it had tons of views! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTqy_KdeAPc

There were also student-made videos that disseminated information in a fun way, like a Hunger Games parody having to do with overdue library books. Though these movies are hilarious to watch, they can still send out information to students and remind them to turn in overdue books! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYS7t4vYsQw&t=50s

Animoto

Animoto is a great, free resource for students to make short videos. It is widely used in English classrooms to make book trailers, but can be used for many other educational projects. It is incredibly easy to navigate the dashboard and quickly create a quality product.

As a librarian, this would be a useful tool for highlighting and advertising books for students. These days, digital media is the best way to reach students and a video trailer is a great way to increase student interest.

I used Animoto to create a trailer for Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. Here is the synopsis of the book from Amazon.com “In the rigid theocracy of Salem, Massachusetts, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town. In a searing portrait of a community engulfed by panic - with ruthless prosecutors, and neighbors eager to testify against neighbor - The Crucible famously mirrors the anti-Communist hysteria that held the United States in its grip in the 1950's. A Tony Award Winner for Best Play.”

This QR code will take you to the link for the video trailer of The Crucible that I made.

I think the video trailer would definitely pique student interest more than the blurb written inside the cover of the book!

QR Reader

Incorporating technology for 21^st century learners is critical, but using a smart phone or device that students are already using is especially helpful in increasing interest. Students who can already navigate their phones or tablets have a baseline of confidence in the technology, and this can allow them to learn new programs more quickly. QR codes are a tool that can be used with devices that students already have.

I used http://goqr.me/ to generate a QR code. This was my first time creating a QR code, and it was incredibly easy to do. You just copy and paste the link and voila, you have a QR code. As an educator, this is definitely helpful if you are having students go to a specific website that is long and complicated to type.

As a librarian, I think QR codes would be helpful in getting students to visit the blog or school library website. Students always want a shortcut, and simply scanning a QR code on their own personal device is just that.

Another example of how QR codes are being used in the library comes from http://www.follettsoftware.com/LibraryConnections/post.cfm/reimagining-classroom-projects-in-the-digital-age where a librarian posts QR codes below highlighted books. Each QR code takes students to a video of the book trailer. This would be neat to do, especially since using Animoto as mentioned above is so easy and quick. What a great way to increase student interest in leisure reading!

Librarians are also using QR codes for things like scavenger hunts, audio files, and additional information on a topic. The possibilities are endless! Knowing how easy it is to generate a QR code, this will definitely be a helpful tool when I manage my own library.