Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A. & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults. Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx
http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf
I was surprised by the findings in regards to social networks. I thought for sure Twitter was going to be more popular with teens and young adults but according to this data teens and young adults are using MySpace. I thought MySpace died a long time ago but I guess I was wrong.
Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr's report focuses on the use of social media, internet and mobile service by teens and young adults. This report compiles data obtained by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. A teen cell phone survey was conducted through a telephone interview which included parents. A separate telephone interview was conducted to compile the adult internet usage data and includes results from a daily tracking internet usage survey.
They found that young adults (18-29) and teens are blogging less since 2006 and the percentage of older adults blogging has increased. Young adults and teens are "microblogging" instead (17). Young adults and teens use different social networking sites than older adults. I think this may be due to teens wanting privacy and to be considered separate from their parents. Older adults use Facebook more frequently. Teens and young adults use MySpace more often. Interestingly, young adults use social networking sites at the same rate as teens. Twitter is also not being used as often by younger teens. I have seen Twitter grow in popularity in our area. Internet use is about the same for all ages but young adults use wireless more often than older adults while older adults use desktops more often than young adults who report using laptops more frequently. I see this often with older colleagues, they shy away from the laptops and find desktops easier to use.
As for cell phone usage, the largest growth of cell phone usage has been the teen group. Seventy-five percent of American teens own a cell phone(9-10). Those with higher income and higher education are more likely to own cell phones. Teen boys and girls use their cells for different purposes. Teen boys are more likely to own gaming devices. I purchased cell phones for my children when they started middle school so that they could call me if they needed to stay after school or simply to keep track of their whereabouts with ease.
51 pages
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Mining PEW - E-Reading
Zickuhr, K. & Rainie, L. (2014). "E-Reading Rises as Device Ownership Jumps". Pew Research Center's Internet & American
Life Project. Retrieved from:
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2014/E-Reading-Update.aspx
It was music to my ears when my teen daughter requested a Nook last Christmas. I was delighted to make such a purchase. As for myself, I read some books using the Kindle and Nook apps but I still find myself purchasing some books.
A survey was conducted in January 2014 to find out how many American adults are reading using e-readers. The survey was conducted by phone interview and included 1,005 adults living in the United States. Zickuhr & Rainie found that half of American adults now own a tablet or e-reader (4). I found it quite interesting but not surprising to learn that owners of e-readers are more likely to be white with some college education. Tablet owners were younger than e-reader owners and overall the levels of education were higher as was the annual income. Once again not a surprise, since electronic devices can be expensive.
The survey also asked about reading habits. The number of American adults reading e-books has risen but very few read e-books solely. According to Zicuhr & Rainie's survey only four percent of American readers read e-books only. Most Americans are still reading print books and seventy-six percent of American Adults read a book in some type of format annually. Women read more often than men and women were more likely to read an e-book or a book in print. On average, most participants read five books per year. The study also revealed that audiobook listeners have the most diverse reading habits (6-7). I enjoy reading books in any format but I find myself looking for print and still needing to physically turn the page and feel the paper. This study included only adults but I often find in my classroom that girls enjoy reading time more than the boys. As a librarian, I hope to motivate boys to read and help them become life long readers.
Zickuhr & Rainie concluded that older adults use mostly e-readers while younger readers access books on their cells, tablets, or computers. They also found that people who read using e-readers read more often but were unable to determine why (11). It would be interesting to find out more about the reasoning behind such reading habits.
20 pages
It was music to my ears when my teen daughter requested a Nook last Christmas. I was delighted to make such a purchase. As for myself, I read some books using the Kindle and Nook apps but I still find myself purchasing some books.
A survey was conducted in January 2014 to find out how many American adults are reading using e-readers. The survey was conducted by phone interview and included 1,005 adults living in the United States. Zickuhr & Rainie found that half of American adults now own a tablet or e-reader (4). I found it quite interesting but not surprising to learn that owners of e-readers are more likely to be white with some college education. Tablet owners were younger than e-reader owners and overall the levels of education were higher as was the annual income. Once again not a surprise, since electronic devices can be expensive.
The survey also asked about reading habits. The number of American adults reading e-books has risen but very few read e-books solely. According to Zicuhr & Rainie's survey only four percent of American readers read e-books only. Most Americans are still reading print books and seventy-six percent of American Adults read a book in some type of format annually. Women read more often than men and women were more likely to read an e-book or a book in print. On average, most participants read five books per year. The study also revealed that audiobook listeners have the most diverse reading habits (6-7). I enjoy reading books in any format but I find myself looking for print and still needing to physically turn the page and feel the paper. This study included only adults but I often find in my classroom that girls enjoy reading time more than the boys. As a librarian, I hope to motivate boys to read and help them become life long readers.
Zickuhr & Rainie concluded that older adults use mostly e-readers while younger readers access books on their cells, tablets, or computers. They also found that people who read using e-readers read more often but were unable to determine why (11). It would be interesting to find out more about the reasoning behind such reading habits.
20 pages
Friday, November 21, 2014
Instagram and Vine
I first started using Instagram about six months ago. I used it to keep in touch with some of my nieces and nephews that live out of state and no longer use Facebook. I only posted a single collage and the rest of the time I have simply followed them and commented on pictures that they have posted. Instagram has become one of the most popular social network services out there especially for teenagers. It allows you to take pictures and videos that can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr. Instagram videos are only 15 seconds long. Instagram has many uses beyond just social networking. Educators can use it in their classrooms to feature the student of the week or to showcase student work. Students can use Instagram to share reading recommendations or record the steps of a science project. Younger students can use it to go on scavenger hunts or to create ideas for writing. The possibilities are endless. Here are a couple of examples for you to view.
Another great service to try is Vine. It is a short video sharing service. The videos are short six second videos. The videos loop and are great to use in the classroom to help students commit content to memory. As an educator, you can create your own videos related to content. Vines are also great for predicting. They can be used by students to create videos, too. Here are a couple of examples of Vines, I created.
Another great service to try is Vine. It is a short video sharing service. The videos are short six second videos. The videos loop and are great to use in the classroom to help students commit content to memory. As an educator, you can create your own videos related to content. Vines are also great for predicting. They can be used by students to create videos, too. Here are a couple of examples of Vines, I created.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Screencast
This week, I learned how to make a screencast. I was nervous about doing so but in the end it was a great learning experience. I used Jing, Screenr and Screencast-o-matic. Of the three, Screenr was easier for me to use. Jing must be downloaded and installed and Screenr and Screencast-o-matic require Java. Screenr is easy to use once you configure Java. That was the most challenging part. I had a difficult time figuring out the settings and I kept getting a message that did not accept the Java download. After completing a Google search, I came across a screencast that walked me through configuring Java. So, Screenr is extremely easy to use if you have the correct settings for Java. I included two screencasts I created using Screenr and Screencast-o-matic. There is also the Explain a Website app for IPad which can be used to create a screencast. I was unable to find it on the app. store but it may have been temporarily unavailable. Screencast-o-matic takes a bit longer to save the screencast and I lost mine a couple of times before finally getting it uploaded. Overall, Screenr was the easiest to use and will be the one that I will use. Please take a few minutes to view the screencasts I created.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Cartoons and Comics
This week I utilized some awesome tools for making comic strips. I had an opportunity to use ToonDoo, Pixton, Tellagami, and MakeBeliefsComix. I created a few comic strips and will share them with you today. So, I set out to explore each site and app.
I created this comic strip using ToonDoo. It was extremely easy to use. I would use this tool with upper elementary school students to promote team building or to practice vocabulary. A comic strip can be used to teach just about anything. It can be used to teach Social Studies, Reading, Life/Social Skills. I would use this tool to help students introduce themselves by creating an autobiography.
I created this comic strip using Pixton. I found Pixton to be the most complex to use but with the greatest variety of options. I would use this tool with middle school and high school students due to the complexity. I would also use it to create autobiographies, to encourage creative writing or to tie in with daily themes such as the news or vocabulary.
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=22883614C1444871
The link above will take you to the third and final comic strip I created. I created this one using makebeliefscomix. This particular tool is very basic and has limited options. It is a great place to start and to get some practice.
Overall, ToonDoo is my favorite tool in this category. I will be using it in my classroom and hopefully some day in my library. I had a ton of fun playing around with these tools. I would definitely encourage students to use them. I plan on using this tool with a special needs child and will use it in the future to encourage creative writing and improved communication and language skills.
I created this comic strip using Pixton. I found Pixton to be the most complex to use but with the greatest variety of options. I would use this tool with middle school and high school students due to the complexity. I would also use it to create autobiographies, to encourage creative writing or to tie in with daily themes such as the news or vocabulary.
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=22883614C1444871
The link above will take you to the third and final comic strip I created. I created this one using makebeliefscomix. This particular tool is very basic and has limited options. It is a great place to start and to get some practice.
Overall, ToonDoo is my favorite tool in this category. I will be using it in my classroom and hopefully some day in my library. I had a ton of fun playing around with these tools. I would definitely encourage students to use them. I plan on using this tool with a special needs child and will use it in the future to encourage creative writing and improved communication and language skills.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Online Book Communities
I recently explored five online book communities. Prior to doing so,
I had no idea they existed. I explored and created accounts for
Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari, Booklikes and Biblionasium. Online
book communities are certainly a good way to find the type of books you
may be interested in reading. Some are easier to use but all of them
take time to build up. They are also a good place to get book
recommendations. I didn't like that it takes a while at first to search
books but once you get the hang of it it's fairly simple. All of them
make it simple for you to connect with friends and others through
Twitter or Facebook.
The first one I explored was Goodreads. It is fairly easy to use but it is a bit busy for my taste. I enjoyed the easy access to reviews and how quickly I could locate books. I also liked the recommendations section. I didn't like the ads. Here is a screenshot of my profile page. Creating bookshelves was simple to do but you have to have to chose whether to duplicate books.
I set up an account on LibraryThing. It was also easy to use and I liked the instant recent recommendations. Every time you type in a title it recommends similar books. This can come in handy when you are having a hard time finding a book or you simply want something similar. It can also be annoying when you just want to add your books. Here is a screenshot of my profile page.
The next account I created was on Shelfari. I loved that I could choose the kind of shelf I wanted. That gave it a more personal touch. You can create a blog called Shelfari blog and that is an interesting option. I also liked that the ratings are easy to see and include stars so that you can easily rate the books you have read. Shelfari was my second favorite online book community. Here is a screenshot of my profile page.
Then I created an account on Booklikes. It was my least favorite online book community. It was not that easy to use and it was not visually appealing. I enjoy color so the brown was not working for me. I also did not like the way the shelves are displayed. I did like that there are many options and giveaways. Here is a screenshot of my profile page.
My favorite online book community is Biblionasium. I love that it is a protected social network and that kids are able to setup virtual bookshelves and track their reading. They can recommend their favorite books to friends. It is also the most pleasing to the eye. I think my students at the elementary level would prefer this particular online book community. I like that it is colorful and user friendly. I'm super excited about sharing this with other educators and parents.
Here
is a screenshot of my profile page.
The first one I explored was Goodreads. It is fairly easy to use but it is a bit busy for my taste. I enjoyed the easy access to reviews and how quickly I could locate books. I also liked the recommendations section. I didn't like the ads. Here is a screenshot of my profile page. Creating bookshelves was simple to do but you have to have to chose whether to duplicate books.
I set up an account on LibraryThing. It was also easy to use and I liked the instant recent recommendations. Every time you type in a title it recommends similar books. This can come in handy when you are having a hard time finding a book or you simply want something similar. It can also be annoying when you just want to add your books. Here is a screenshot of my profile page.
The next account I created was on Shelfari. I loved that I could choose the kind of shelf I wanted. That gave it a more personal touch. You can create a blog called Shelfari blog and that is an interesting option. I also liked that the ratings are easy to see and include stars so that you can easily rate the books you have read. Shelfari was my second favorite online book community. Here is a screenshot of my profile page.
Then I created an account on Booklikes. It was my least favorite online book community. It was not that easy to use and it was not visually appealing. I enjoy color so the brown was not working for me. I also did not like the way the shelves are displayed. I did like that there are many options and giveaways. Here is a screenshot of my profile page.
My favorite online book community is Biblionasium. I love that it is a protected social network and that kids are able to setup virtual bookshelves and track their reading. They can recommend their favorite books to friends. It is also the most pleasing to the eye. I think my students at the elementary level would prefer this particular online book community. I like that it is colorful and user friendly. I'm super excited about sharing this with other educators and parents.
Here
Friday, October 17, 2014
Podcast
A Podcast is online audio content that is delivered via a RSS Feed. The listener can decide when to listen to the audio file. I was first introduced to Podcasting as part of the Tech 21 program at Brownsville ISD back in 2010. As teachers, we were encouraged to teach our students to create Podcasts pertaining to any subject area. Podcasts can be used by students of all ages. Students can create book talks, projects, or record interviews just to mention a few. They can create a Podcast of a trip to a museum, an experiment, or debate. Podcasts can be used to teach "How to's" or to reinforce concepts. Teachers can use them as alternative assessments or to provide study guides. Library Media Specialists can use them for reading (storytelling), book promotions, to share school news or to increase community involvement. David R. Wetzel offers a variety of creative ways that Podcasts can be used in the classroom. You can use Soundcloud, Audioboo, Podomatic, Audacity or other options on the Web. I have used Soundcloud, Audacity and PodOmatic. They are all fairly easy to use. I created a Podcast on a contest we are having to promote literacy. Check it out!
Pumpkin Character Contest
Pumpkin Character Contest
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