Teens and Digital Platforms

Teens, Technology and Romantic Relationships. (2015, October 1). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/01/teens-technology-and-romantic-relationships/ 

Teens spend lots of time online which is not a big surprise. This we know just from being around teenagers. I know my teenagers flipped off if they are out of data one day before the reset. I find it quite comical most months. I tell them read a book. I just get blank stares or the "are you kidding me look."

In my memories, when I was a teenager I wanted to spend actual time with my romantic partner aka boyfriend. Today teens use technology to check in (Teens, 2015). Just another way teens are trying to build relationships online. Instead of meeting at the skating rink, teens are meeting online. This does not mean they are finding partners online. However, they are flirting (Teens, 2015). They are just communicating. I am always amazed at parents and comments about social skills. The Internet and technology has aided in the lack of need of social skills. We all talk through technology and the trend is not changing.


Teens indicate over 55% of them have flirted digitally (Teens, 2015). Please keep in mind various levels of flirting exist in the minds of teenagers (Teens, 2015). This flirting can be as simple as a friend request to letting them know they are interested (Teens, 2015). Of course we all know this is where it starts and can lead to more serious type behaviors. On the flip side 25% of teens have unfriended or blocked someone due to unwarranted flirting (Teens, 2015).

Social media allows users to see what others are doing on a day to day basis. Social media allows the partners to closely monitor day to day activities which provides a sense of closeness (Teens, 2015). This also can inspire a sense of jealousy (Teens, 2015). More boys state they are connected via social media than girls (Teens, 2015). Girls use social media to support and approve the relationship of others (Teens, 2015). Girls competing with girls is nothing new. Many have said women do not dress up for themselves but to make other women jealous.


Constant contact via text is okay; however, breaking up requires more face to face attention. I think young and old can agree on that. Does this constant digital attention cause partners to be abusive? Look at these numbers...





Teens, technology and relationships. They all intertwine. I think this is scary for most parents as this is uncharted territory for many. For teens, social media is the key to this combination (Teens, 2015).



Social media is how teens connect. They connect with all  types of relationships even romantic ones. While it provides a sense of closeness,online can also encourage abusiveness. The advantage of online is parents can monitor their teens if they know the account name. Just like with any generation, parents have to be connected and involved.


11 pages

Younger American Reading Habits

Younger Americans' Reading Habits and Technology Use. (2014, September 10). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/09/10/younger-americans-reading-habits-and-technology-use/ 

When I first looked at the title of this article I thought WOW! Then I realized teens are reading because they are in school. Duh. I got a little excited until I thought about the results. However, who really cares as long as they are reading right? Check out these numbers....

Then I thought about the older group. My first thought is they may have health issues that impede them from reading. I would highly recommend audio books to this generation. It amazes me how many people don't think listening to audio books is as good as reading. I disagree. Engaging any of the senses is gaining knowledge. The article goes on to discuss people purchasing books. A purchase is typically a hardship for many senior citizens. We must promote FREE at your public library. 

All of this to say people are reading digitally an in print. But lets look at the digital side of things. What are the numbers?

Interestingly enough --- we talk about a digital divide. Looks as though that divide is getting smaller. Or maybe people want to look "techy."

One of the most interesting things I found in the article was about information on the internet. Most people felt there was a good amount of information on the Internet and determining good and bad information is fairly easy (Younger, 2014). This may have started the trend to eliminate librarians. However, young people felt there was not enough information on the Internet (Younger, 2014). Now if that does not prove students need librarians I do not know what does. There is information on the Internet and here is where a librarian can help you find that information.

So if the library is where you find information....why are people not going there? Adults over 65 have the lowest rate of library use. There could be so many reasons to explain this. However, the next under group of individuals are using the library. 

Libraries are being used differently. This article reports while the brick and mortar libraries are being used less the websites are being use more (Younger, 2014). 

So here is the bottom line. Most young people know where their library is they just do not know what services they offer (Young, 2014). Most young people feel as if they can easily find things in the library (Young, 2014). We as librarians should be promoting the services we offer. The kids just do not know. We need to using digital devices to promote these services as that is where the kids are getting information. 

But here is the skinny on how people really view the library.....

Many views exist on why the library is important. The library is important to me because it is the one place you can go to find information you are looking for at no cost! Better yet reading is still free at the public library.

Go to the library....better yet.....take your kids, cousins, nieces, nephews....or maybe your parents!

4 pages

Americans Who Don't Use the Internet

15% of Americans don't use the internet. Who are they? (2015, July 28). Retrieved November 15, 2015, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/28/15-of-americans-dont-use-the-internet-who-are-they/


Believe it or not they do exist. American who do not use the internet that is. According to a recent poll 15% of American adults do not use the internet. Many of these individuals feel the Internet has not direct impact on how  they live (Americans, 2015). Others claiming difficulty and cost as a reason not to use the internet (Americans, 2015). While these results are not shocking, the amount of Americans online is increasing. What exactly does that mean? More opportunities for the global marketplace. That means we must prepare our children to do business with anyone from any country.

I am surprised at the percentage of people not using the internet. But maybe they are on to something because I believe there exists a group of people who use it too much.









1 page

Instagram and Vine

This week I will look at two other forms of social media. Yes Facebook is not the only place kids are hanging out virtually. Vine has faded over the last few years; however Instagram is still a favorite. Both of these sites allow the user to post using video or pictures to express a message.

Instagram
(app store or www.instagram.com)

Instagram is a great way to stay connected online. Just a quick snapshot of a moment in time. Teachers can use this in the classroom in a variety of ways. I immediately think of using a picture to share imagery. Or a sequence of pictures to create a story. I do not like the idea that people can hide behind strange names. Identifying the other user seems a little difficult. The service acts much like Facebook but uses far less of the screen. I like the idea of seeing all the comments without having to click on another screen. This service is extremely comparable to Facebook and easy to set up and follow. I would recommend joining this site as it is easy and the students seem to like this site. Instagram is popular and fun.

What books are on your shelf?

A photo posted by Connie Lee Knotts (@connieknotts) on Nov 14, 2015 at 6:14pm PST

Vine
(app or www.vine.co)

Vine is an interesting app to say the least. I struggled loading and creating the video. I resorted to just recording on my phone then uploading to the site. The videos are short and quick. This is a great way to catch the attention of a student in a quick flash. The videos will loop if you so choose. The major drawback to this site is the lack of use. Many students have moved on from vine. I would rather create a video and upload to Facebook. Vine almost seems like a waste of time. I would not recommend this app as the students do not actively use this anymore. The idea behind social media is to share information and be in the "cool" hangout sites.




Social media continues to progress. The attention span of students is much like many of the social media sites. While these are two additional sites to Facebook, there are so many more. Vine had its time but has gone by the wayside. Students tend to like Snapchat more than Vine. My recommendation is to stay in the know of the latest trends in social media. Facebook seems to be a staple while others come and go. Many times the social media sites are linked so joining more than one is easy. At this point most social media sites allow for videos and photos. The trick is finding the site most kids frequent.

Screen casts

This week I will be reviewing several screen casts. Screen casts allow a person to explain and add voice to website or presentations I  want to say do not waste your time on anything but ScreencastOmatic. I will give more details on the screen cast systems I used. However, the time I spent just trying to get them to work was ridiculous. Creating the videos are great but you have to be able to share them for them to worthwhile.

Camtasia Studio

(www.camtasia.com)

When I could not get screenr to work, I searched for an alternate site. This was the site I found. I was so excited to get a free trial of this awesome program. This is professional grade all the way. Annotations can be added. Each portion is treated as a track on its own. For example, your voice is one track, your photo is another track, and lastly the screen is a separate track. This makes editing so much easier. This program has lots of extras like annotations on the screen and editing abilities. I loved creating on this site. Now for the reality. Publishing and sharing from this sight was a nightmare. I was logged on to my google drive and cookies were allowed. The site repeatedly told me my cookies were disabled. I had to save several versions of the screen cast to get the video below. I am not sure the video will even load properly to play. I am not sure if this is on purpose to get the user to buy the paid subscription. The subscription is $299 but for educators the price is $179. I would not recommend this program unless you plan on doing lots of screen casts. Other free options exist that are just as good if not better. At the point I found this site, I did not realize it was connected to Jing. So Jing is free and my comments about Jing are listed below.

Jing

(https://www.techsmith.com/jing.html)

Jing is the little sister to Camtasia. The basic difference is the upgraded editing benefits. For example, three tracks can be edited independently versus all items on one track on Jing. Also, Camtasia allows for web recording as well as voice recording. In fact, Jing has to be edited in Camtasia. I am not really fond of either. I saved the format in various ways but the video did not play. I finally uploaded to my youtube channel, which I did not want to do, and the video loaded from there. The time and effort that goes into creating the screen cast are not worth it. I am happy providing simple screen cast to my staff and students on topics they need to know that do not aggravate me as much as this site did. I do not like the "sun" hanging out at the top of my screen either. The sun is the icon for the site. This loads at the top of your screen. This is how you access the site. I would rather just have an icon on my desktop like all the other sites.Again, I would not recommend this site as it is far to complex and time consuming.

Screencast-O-Matic

(www.screencast-o-matic.com)

Screencast-O-Matic is a great screen cast system. I asked a few other people and they quickly referred me to this site. This site is easy to navigate without complex buttons. I struggled in the beginning trying to get the software to start where I wanted it to start. But out of all the screen cast sites, this is by far the easiest and best. For me, I do not need a professional grade screen cast that takes hours to create. I need to be able to create the video quickly and move on to the next project. I would like a few upgrades such as annotating the video but can live without that. This is a great site to start learning screen cast. At some point if I get better, I may want a more advanced site. This would be the place to start and this site is what I would share with my students.This is a basic no frills site that gets the job done quickly.

Explain Everything
iPad App

This is an app for $3.99. I did not purchase the app. However, this is just another option. I am a strong believer in free. So, if you have purchased the app let me know in the comments how it worked for you.

All in all, screen cast are fun. Videos are a great way to inform both teachers and students. The video provides details and actually shows the user how to access or retrieve the information they seek. I will be creating more screen casts in the future. The screen casts just makes sharing directions so much easier.

Mobile Etiquette

Americans' Views on Mobile Etiquette. (2015, August 25). Retrieved November 10, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/26/americans-views-on-mobile-etiquette/ 

With the onset of technology more and more "traditional" things come into question. Many times those items are just ignored and never get to the question stage. Etiquette is a good example of this change. People are now distracted by the issue of cell phones everywhere. This includes personal conversations and social media at every twist and turn (Americans', 2015). Yes, this includes restaurants, movies, and parks. 

This review discusses how Americans feel about cell phones and the etiquette that sometimes does or does not follow. When looking at my own cellphone behavior I may fall into some of those areas as well.

92% of all Americans have cellphones and 45 % say they rarely turn it off (Americans', 2015). Check out what else people are saying about cell phone use.

Interestingly enough, cell phone users know that using cell phones at inappropriate times such as social encounters but will still use them anyway (Americans', 2015). The users go on to comment that using the phone during a social interaction could hurt the conversation. Of course, more women feel this way than men (Americans', 2015). That is no real surprise. But the most shocking information is people know that cell phones take away during social encounters but still continue to use them. 

There is an exception to this rule. When the user is using the device to capture moments or events the device becomes more relevant to the event. An even bigger irony.....people are still connecting socially through the cell phone while at another social event (Americans', 2015). In my mind, this is almost hysterical. Some may just say this does not make sense. They are being antisocial to be social. If that even makes sense.

What are people using their cell phones for?

The study goes on to say that young adults use their cell phones in public more than elderly. I think we already knew that. More importantly, the elderly view etiquette in a totally different light than the young. When looking back through the generations, that has always been the case. The parents of teenagers in the 50's believed Elvis was the end to society. Well we are still here and Elvis has nothing on Miley Cyrus. This pattern will never change....older generations will never understand younger generations. At some point, we just have to accept change.

7 pages

Creating Comic Strips

MakeBeliefComix
www.makebeliefcomix.com

This app was fun. However, I struggled sharing since you can not save the comic strip. Also, my virus protection software, Kaspersky, did not like the web site and considered the site a threat. I was able to create a comic on my iPad and perform a screen shot. I would say the site is simple and easy to navigate. Students in any grade would be able to create a simple cartoon quick and easy. The site guides you through every step. The major drawback is the inability to save the comic. This is enough to make me not want to use this software. There are ways around saving by creating screenshots and emailing the strip to yourself. You can even share to social media. I just see this as an issue since there are other options that would meet those needs. As in this strip, students can create scenes of stories, summary and factual mini strips. I did like the variety the site provided and the ability to create without registering. I still think registering is worth the time to be able to save work. Especially when students can no finish is a small amount of time. I would recommend this for high school students as emailing would be a great solution to the saving issue. However, elementary students may struggle with the emailing option.

ToonDoo
(www.toondoo.com)

By connieknotts | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

I really enjoyed ToonDoo. The site was easy to understand and navigate. I did have to spend some time learning the site. I did like how the images helped guide the user. For example seeing a word bubble was easy to understand. There were not complicated buttons and requirements to complete the comic. I could not access many of the characters. The site loaded slowly which was discouraging.  I do wish there were more options for pictures. I do not like having to keep going back to google to find what I am looking for. However, a great feature is the site saves your work. So the user can go back to a comic created. This could be appropriate for all grade levels. Students could use this as a summary of a concept. Maybe even a flow chart or process. I like the idea of creating one panel for each core subject per day and using this as an exit ticket (this might only work for elementary). I liked this app except for the limited amount of options. Those options come with a paid subscription. Overall this is a good site that I would recommend to others because it is easy to use.

Pixton
(www.pixton.com)


I was impressed with Pixton. The software gives you the option of beginner or advanced before creating your comic. This provides a comfort level for the user. I initially selected advanced and then decided I was not advanced. I selected the beginner and that limits your options; however, the software is easy to manage. I like this for the classroom because each student can be as creative as they desire or have guided help throughout the process. The software also allows a person to set up as a teacher with options for groups. This is all free. You can't beat free. My goal is to go back and create more advanced comics in the future. I would not use this in the primary grades but maybe with junior high and up. Students could create actual story boards as this site as many options even for the type of comic you are creating. The possibilities are endless on this site. Students can create stories, summaries, plots and even explain a concept. I would recommend this site for junior high and above because of the options.

In summary I would have to say I would pick different sites for different grade levels and different assignments. Or maybe show all to my students and allow them to pick the site for the final product. While Pixton was a bit more complicated I would have to say that is my favorite. I like the idea of options and the ability to save everything. In the case of elementary I might use ToonDoo for the sake of ease. In a pinch I would use Make Belief Comix but I do not like the idea of not being able to save. All of these could be used for all grade levels. My recommendations are merely that.....suggestions. Try them all and see which one fits you and your classroom/students the best. In the meantime, enjoy my book trailer, using Tellagami, featuring The Mighty Miss Malone.

Tellagami
(iPad app)




I must say this is one of my favorite apps ever. The possibilities are endless. Students can use this app to create summaries, autobiographies, and book trailers like I have done. The app loads quickly without any issues. The video is easy to create and save. Students at all age levels will be easy to use this app. The app is easy to understand and navigation is a breeze. I wish more options were available with the free version. Basically, you get a few hair and clothing options with the free version. Students will have fun creating aviators resembling an image of themselves or a random person. I would recommend this app for classroom use. Mainly because the ease of use and flexibility of application in the classroom.