Final Reflection: Digital Technology for School Librarians

 Please click here or scan the QR code below to see my Final Reflection presentation! 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework “to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn” (CAST). It is based upon the neuroscience finding that there are three brain networks: one for caring and prioritizing (the Why of learning), one for recognition (the WHAT of learning), and one for skills and strategies (the HOW of learning). These form the 3 main principles of UDL: Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression. To understand how to use this framework, whose guidelines are shown in the chart above, we must examine all three parts. 

Engagement: The WHY of learning

This is where we motivate learners and stimulate interest. Some examples include letting students make choices, giving assignments that feel relevant to their lives, making skill-building feel like a game, and creating opportunities for learners to get up and move around (Morin, Understood.org).

Representation: The WHAT of learning

This is where information is presented in multiple ways. For example, in addition to a lecture or worksheet, instructors could also provide audio or verbal directions, videos, and hands-on learning experiences (Morin, Understood.org).

Action & Expression: The HOW of learning

Here learners are given choices of ways to interact with content and show what they know. For example, learners may get to choose between a traditional test, oral report, creation of content through a video or comic strip, or doing a group project.

The common theme between all three main principles is giving students the tools and choices to learn in whichever way works best for them as an individual.

Implementation of Guidelines

There are some guidelines I have already been using as a teacher. I try to offer varied content delivery through a combination of visuals, lectures, hands-on activities, songs, discussions, and opportunities for movement. I also like to provide flexible learning choices when possible, such as through the use of choice boards. 

While I offer choices for some learning experiences, I would like to find a way to add more student choice to the assessment activities. The prospect is a bit overwhelming with younger students, as a lot more guidance is needed for a majority of students to complete any kind of project. Offering individualized pathways is something I would like to add to my teaching practice.

The use of assistive technologies to help students with different needs is something that sounds great to me, but I would need some help to implement it. I have never been an a classroom with 1:1 technology, so I have never been able to offer all students the choice of using these features. Some additional professional development on the use of these different technologies would be helpful as well.

Further Exploration of UDL

I would like to explore more about how UDL can be utilized in a library setting. While some aspects of a classroom are present in the library as well, there are also different needs and possibilities in a library that need to be addressed. I also want to look into aspects of a library floorplan that need to be planned specially to accommodate UDL guidelines. There are many resources I have found that I intend to explore further including:

General UDL Resources

The difference between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and traditional education

https://www.understood.org/articles/the-difference-between-universal-design-for-learning-udl-and-traditional-education

This offers a chart comparing the differences between methods used in the traditional classroom and those used in the UDL classroom.

What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

https://www.understood.org/articles/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

This guide is in easy-to-understand language and was advertised as something that can be shared with families to help them understand this approach to learning.

Getting started with Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-universal-design-for-learning 

This includes a great printable “Getting Started” chart with questions to help teachers focus on all three principles when planning a lesson, daily routine, or activity for students, as well of examples of different means that could be provided. 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Toolkit

https://myusf.usfca.edu/usfteach/udl-toolkit

This toolkit has information about different ways to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression.

UDL for Library Resources

What Can Librarians Do to Incorporate UDL into Their Library Instruction?

https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/udl

There is a list of “easy tasks librarians can do” as well as a list of questions to help you recognize any infrastructure issues.

Equal Access: Universal Design of Libraries

https://www.washington.edu/doit/equal-access-universal-design-libraries 

Through bulleted lists of questions, this guide helps you consider UDL issues in the areas of planning, policies, and evaluation, physical environments and products, library staff, information resources and technology, events, and communication.

Instruction Librarians' Toolkit

https://guides.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/c.php?g=560375&p=4074407

Here you can find a framework for applying the 9 UDL principles to the library classroom.

How Universal Design Will Make Your Library More Inclusive

https://www.slj.com/story/how-universal-design-will-make-your-library-more-inclusive

This article discusses how to use UDL to make your library more inclusive for all.

UDL Library Floorplan Resources

Universal Design for Library Buildings

https://iflalbes.wordpress.com/2017/10/13/universal-design-for-library-buildings/

This article talks about features of the library building that must be considered for UDL including building navigation, service desks, shelving, learning and study environments, power outlets, self-service, storage systems, and the implementation of use-centered design.

Academic Library Building Design: Resources for Planning: Accessibility / Universal Design

https://acrl.libguides.com/c.php?g=459032&p=7152730

This focuses more on the features that need to be looked at for those with disabilities. There are links to many articles and other resources about how to make libraries accessible.

References

CAST. (2010). UDL At A Glance. YouTube. Retrieved October 23, 2023, from

    https://youtu.be/bDvKnY0g6e4.

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from

    http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Morin, A. (n.d.). What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?. Understood.

    https://www.understood.org/articles/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

Posey, A. (n.d.). Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A teacher’s guide. Understood. (n.d.).

    Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A teacher’s guide. Retrieved from   

    https://www.understood.org/articles/understanding-univer

Podcasts

Have you ever listened to a podcast? In a recent article, Salman Aslam (2023) shared that while only 22% of the adult population in the United States was aware of podcasting in 2006, by 2021 this figure had risen to 78%. In 2023 the number of podcast listeners is expected to surpass 160 million! This platform for information sharing continues to rise in popularity. Additionally, 74% of people listen to podcasts to learn new things, which makes it an ideal place for students, teachers, and educators to share knowledge.

While I have only this year begun listening to podcasts myself, I have quickly become a fan due to the ability to access them anywhere, especially during activities like cleaning or driving. However, I have never attempted creating a podcast before, so some research was needed to do so. I created accounts for three podcast hosting platforms to compare their features and usability: Spotify for Podcasters (formerly known as Anchor), Buzzsprout, and PodBean. I typically have a strong preference towards one platform when doing these kinds of comparisons, but to be honest I felt they were all great and each had different benefits to offer. Read on for more information on the podcast I created and my evaluations of these different platforms.

Creating My Podcast

My podcasting partner Sylvia and I had a great time collaborating to create our podcast, Library Lore: Exploring Books Beyond the Stacks, where we aim to explore quality literature from the perspective of librarians! In this episode, “Time Traveling Through the Pages of Historical Fiction,” we inform listeners on how librarians evaluate historical fiction novels and share some children’s literature recommendations. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to our podcast at the link below and leave us a comment about your favorite historical fiction novel for children!

➡️ Click here to listen to our podcast episode! ⬅️

You can also visit our Podcast channel on Spotify or on Spotify for Podcasters.

I created the cover art through Canva, combining Sylvia’s love of purple with the vision of us in a library discussing books together. I took this opportunity to explore Canva’s new AI-powered Media Magic feature for creating the picture. I’d love to do a future exploration into different AI creation platforms to see how they compare – perhaps the topic of a future post on this blog! 

Spotify for Podcasters (https://podcasters.spotify.com/)

This is the platform my podcast partner Sylvia and I ended up using. We needed a platform that made recording from different locations possible, since we live nearly 6 hours apart. The Spotify for Podcasters mobile app makes the process of recording multiple people through their phones very easy. As seen in the images below, it is very easy to find where to record and how to invite friends to record with you.

   

Once recordings are made, they are instantly saved to your library, which can also be accessed via computer in your account. From there you can easily combine and edit multiple recordings, as well as transition music, into one episode. 

Another large benefit of Spotify for Podcasters is that they offer free hosting, without the limits other platforms place on free accounts. The length of recording times does differ based on the device you are recording from, but other than that there are few limits. Once saving, the podcast is quickly available on Spotify, but you can also export the recording to different listening platforms. There are also options for monetization, but I did not explore those at this point. I also like how the platform allows you to post a Q&A question that listeners can respond to for growing engagement.

One thing that initially confused me with this platform was how to set up certain features before creating my podcast recording. For example, you cannot start with creating an episode name or cover art. You must start with the recording, and then are led to fill those parts in step-by-step once the episode is put together. It would be hard to explore this platform’s operating possibilities without going through the entire process of publishing the podcast episode. 

Overall, using Spotify for Podcasters was a great experience and I would both recommend it and use it again. They also provide articles and resources for learning more, including this helpful guide to starting a podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/resources/learn/how-to/start-a-podcast. 

Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com/)

Buzzsprout has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. It also has easy distribution to major podcast directories and opportunity for website integration. A feature I liked was the ability to create episode artwork through Canva directly on the platform and have it upload straight into your Buzzsprout account.

The biggest negative to me with this platform is the limited free hosting. The free plan has limited storage and feature access. I started with 2 hours of content upload available, with a note that my allowance would renew in one month or I could upgrade to get more time. Depending on your intended podcast use that may or may not be enough time. There are plans to upgrade to 3 hours each month for $12/month, 6 hours for $18/month, and 12 hours for $24/month, each with hourly fee options to upload more content. The biggest deterrent for us to using this platform is that with the free plan, episodes are only hosted for 90 days.

Podbean (https://www.podbean.com/)

Podbean has a very organized dashboard, making it easy for find and control features. I liked the way it was organized with features in a panel alone the left side, much like in the previously explored programs of Canva and Pixton. There are many features available including the ability to create a podcase website, easily submit the podcast to popular podcast apps such as Apple, Google, Spotify, Audible, etc., share to social media, and include an embeddable player. Thanks in part to all the advanced options, Podbean could have a steeper learning curve than others. 

The free, basic plan includes 5 hours of storage space and 100 GB monthly bandwidth before upgrading. All upgraded pay plans include unlimited storage space and unmetered bandwidth. The Unlimited Audio plan is $9/month (billed annually or $14 monthly) and the Unlimited Plus plan, which is best for video podcasts and podcast monetization, costs $29/month (billed annually or $39 monthly). I do like that Podbean’s free plan does not delete episodes, but it is also a costly option if planning to upgrade to video or access monetization features.

Use of Podcasts in the Library

As mentioned previously, the majority of people listen to podcasts to learn new things. Since the library is a hub for knowledge within a school, podcasts can serve many purposes in a library setting. Some possible uses include:

• Sharing of educational content aligning to classroom coursework

• Promotion of library services and library orientation information

• Author interviews

• Book/audiobook recommendations and promotions

• Children’s programs and storytelling

• Staff training and professional development

• Community engagement and sharing of local history 

• Student projects to show learning or collaborate with others

Educational Podcasts

There are many podcasts out there about libraries and learning. Here are some to get you started on your educational podcast listening journey:

Stuff You Should Know is a popular weekly educational podcast covering everything and anything, from history and science to pop culture and anything else you can imagine.

The Librarian’s Guide to Teaching is hosted by two instruction librarians who “share their experiences with teaching information literacy, discussing current trends, and having meaningful conversations about librarianship.”

The Librarian Is In is The New York Public Library’s podcast about books, culture, and what to read next. This podcast is said to be, “funny, smart, and everything you could possibly want in a reader’s advisory podcast by librarian New Yorkers.”

Cyberpunk Librarian talks about all things digital including “ideas, trends, and cool stuff for technologically minded librarians who are high tech and low budget.”

Resources

Aslam, S. (2023, January 8). Podcasts by the Numbers: Stats, Demographics & Fun Facts You Need To Know. Omnicore. https://www.omnicoreagency.com/podcast-statistics/ 

Buzzsprout. (n.d.). https://www.buzzsprout.com/ 

Bryant, C. & Clark, J. (Hosts). (2008-present). Stuff You Should Know [Audio podcast]. https://stuffyoushouldknow.com/

Canva. (n.d.). https://www.canva.com/

Collerius, F. & Chen, C. (Hosts). (2015-present). The Librarian Is In [Audio podcast]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-librarian-is-in/id1070595177?mt=2

Garcia, J., & Ellis, C. (2022, March 16). Best podcast hosting: 13 free and paid platforms tested and compared. Tooltester. https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/podcast-hosting/ 

Gooding-Call, A. (2020, January 6). 13 must-hear librarian podcasts. Book Riot. https://bookriot.com/librarian-podcasts/ 

How to start a podcast: The creator’s step-by-step guide. Spotify for Podcasters. (2023, July 26). https://podcasters.spotify.com/resources/learn/how-to/start-a-podcast 

Messer, D. (Host). (2013-2022). Cyberpunk Librarian [Audio podcast]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cyberpunk-librarian/id510825688

Piekart, A. & Kiebler, J. (Hosts). (2019-2021). The Librarian’s Guide to Teaching [Audio podcast]. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/librariansguidetoteaching

Podbean. (n.d.). https://www.podbean.com/ 

Spotify for Podcasters. (n.d.). https://podcasters.spotify.com/ 

Yakubovsky, M. (2020, June 11). Handing students the MIC: Podcasting to increase engagement. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/handing-students-the-mic-podcasting-to-increase-engagement?utm_campaign=1519-hs&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ascdexpress 

Teach Someone to Do Something

    To be a librarian who teachers want to coteach and collaborate with, you need to be willing to step out of your library comfort zone and into their curriculum. Teachers need to see that you’re not just about books and reading, so I decided to create a guide for a challenging math concept – long division.

    I created the following “Roadmap To Doing Long Division” to teach the steps of this process. This would most likely be used by 4th graders, as that is when long division is taught. However, I envision that teachers could use it as a teaching tool, students could use it for help with understanding the process, and parents (who may have forgotten the days of long division) could use it to help their children practice.

⬆️ Click the image to bring it up full screen for a more clear viewing. ⬆️

Resource - All graphics on this post were created using Canva.

Book Trailers, QR Codes, & Cartoons

 

    In today's digital age, librarians are embracing the use of technology for finding creative and engaging methods of sharing content with their patrons. In this post, we'll explore three ways librarians can share content: book trailers, QR codes, and cartoons/comics.

Book Trailers

    In my previous post on Infographics, the visual showed that the social media site used most frequently by teenagers was YouTube. This makes it an ideal location to try and reach patrons, especially young adults. Book trailers are short, promotional videos for books, similar to a movie trailer. The purpose is to promote a particular book and entice viewers to want to read the book themselves. 

    When creating my own book trailer, I first explored Animoto, a well-known platform for creating and sharing videos. An advantage of using this program is that it has two book trailer templates you can use as a starting point and edit to fit your book. A disadvantage is that with the free account you have an extremely limited library of stock images and photos to use, so almost all features will need to be found elsewhere and uploaded. 

    I explored different book trailers online and found that those with videos and moving images were much more appealing to me than those with just still images. This was going to be a challenge with the free Animoto account’s lack of stock videos, so I turned to Canva to see what options were there. (See my Infographics post for additional information on Canva – After exploring sites for creating infographics, the comparison of prices and features convinced me to upgrade my Canva account to a Pro membership!) While there appeared to be no book trailer templates, the expansive stock video library was enough to convince me that I could create a great book trailer from scratch. 

    I used the “Slideshow Video” format and searched for applicable videos in the Elements tab. There was definitely a learning curve, but the further I got into my project the more options I discovered for customization. One feature I really found useful is that you can move the cursor to a location in the middle of a video clip in the pages bar at the bottom, right click, and select “split page.” This allows the same video to continue uninterrupted while changing the words or other features. I also used the video to “replace background” on most pages, making it easier to manipulate other features on the page. I explored the use of different effects and animation to make text stand out as well. You can even add stock audio to parts or all of the video. While you can share a link directly to Canva to share the project, I did find the video runs smoother when you export it to YouTube and share from there. I’m sure I will continue to learn new tools and features as I create more projects on Canva, but I found the program to be very user friendly with an expansive collection of options and features. 

    I created my book trailer on the young adult novel, Anna and the French Kiss, an international bestseller by Stephanie Perkins.

    Publisher’s synopsis from author Stephanie Perkins’ website:

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her attention. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking of word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken—and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's been waiting for?

    My book trailer can be viewed at https://youtu.be/diBiaiuSqZc or by scanning the QR code in the section below!

QR Codes

    A Quick Response code, commonly known as a QR code, is basically like a barcode, but it can store much more information and be scanned and read using mobile phones. You’ve likely seen them around, as many restaurants started using them as a way to share their menu in a contactless way in 2020. I remember when QR codes first emerged, a special app was needed to scan them. Now just aiming your phone camera at a QR code will bring up the option to open the website or file it links to. 

⬇️ Scan my QR code below to view my book trailer! ⬇️

    I looked at several “free” QR code creating sites but found that most only allow you to create a few QR codes for free before needing to pay to create more. So, I was happy to find the Adobe Express QR code generator (https://new.express.adobe.com/tools/generate-qr-code). It advertises that you can create any number of QR codes for free, and unlike sites that only offer a free trial, the QR codes generated in Adobe Express don’t expire. It was incredibly easy! You just paste your link and then even have options to change the style, color, and file format. Below are examples of ways the QR code style could be changed, but still link to the same site:

.

    I learned from a classmate that QR code templates can be created in Canva, which is where I created the pink frame around my book trailer QR code above. This would be a great way to create visual appeal and catch attention in the library. You can even order them printed on stickers directly from Canva.

    I also found that QR codes that are digital on your phone (making you unable to scan them with the camera) can still be opened on your phone by holding down on the QR code (sometimes twice). It then provides the options seen in the screenshot below:

    There are many ways QR codes can be used in the library. Some ways I would be interested in using them in my own library include:

• Bookmarks – A QR code linking to the library website could be printed on stickers (such as the ones mentioned earlier, available to purchase through Canva) and then can be easily placed on the free bookmarks many libraries offer at check-out. This would give patrons an easy way to find library information whenever they need it… like when they loved a book and MUST place a hold on the next book in the series immediately. (We’ve all been there!)
• Easy Catalog Access – Quick, easy access to the library catalog via a QR code that is posted centrally or near the doors.
• Book Lists – Links to themed book lists to help patrons narrow down their search.
• Book Trailers – These could be attached to either the shelving section books are on or even directly on or in the books. 
• Interactive Activities – For example a scavenger hunt through the different sections of the library to teach patrons where to find different types of books.

Cartoons

    Cartoons and comic strip are effective ways to share content because they are a visual, fun way to share information creatively. As the school librarian, it's important to vet resources and share the best ones with teachers. Many teachers may not realize all the ways comics can be used as learning tools. Creating examples of the kind of projects students could create or leading students in introducing these tools is a great way to create teacher buy-in. For more ideas on the kinds of activities and ways that cartoons and comic strips can be used, check out the article Teachers Guide to The Use of Comic Strips in Class: Some Helpful Tools and Resources on Educators Technology. The bulleted lists of reasons to use comics in your classroom and uses of comic strips in class would be good points to share with teachers.

    There are many sites available for creating comic strips, but without trying them yourself it's very hard to determine which sites would be best for teachers and students. We created comics on three sites so that we could evaluate their effectiveness: Pixton, FotoJet, and MakeBeliefsComix. My comic created with each and my subsequent evaluations follow. I chose to create a story that would continue throughout the three comic strips and focus on the topics of this post - book trailers, QR codes, and cartoons. I hope you enjoy!

Pixton

Comic Code Crusaders: Adventures Beyond the Pixels Part 1 - Pixtonville

   Tip: Click the images to bring them up full screen for a more clear viewing.

    Pixton was by far my favorite of the comic strip programs we tried and the clear winner for me! It was easy to use due to the very organized setup of features, with the elements along the left side sorted into categories for things like backgrounds, characters, and words, making it easy to know where to look. Take a look at the screenshot below of how the comic creator looks upon opening it to see how well it is formatted: 

    There is definitely enough variety to make an interesting comic! I was extremely impressed by the multitude of customization options including: 

• Backgrounds can be changed for day, night, flashback, or a certain color filter.
• Characters can be fully edited including clothing, skin tone, age, weight, body poses, facial expressions, objects held, etc. These built characters are saved so they don’t have to be recreated for each panel. I enjoyed the style of the characters as well.
• Great attention to details on the part of the programmers – When swapping the position of two characters the eye direction even adjusts automatically for you.
• There is an option to not only create your character, but to select characters that are real people like Rosa Parks and John Adams (which would be a great tie-in for use in social studies classes) or literary characters like Sherlock Holmes and The Little Prince (a great tie-in for use in language arts classes).

    The variety of options may be too much for the youngest students, but most students would easily be able to use this program without much instruction due to the well-developed layout.

    Another thing I like about Pixton is that it has great resources for educators including lesson ideas, comic school to learn about how to make comics, story starter prompts, assessment tools, interactive rubrics, and printables. Those kinds of tools being already created would make it much more likely to be utilized by teachers in classrooms. There is also the ability to create and save not only comics, but also avatars and classrooms.

    The only negative I can really say about this program is that you are unable to print or share your comic with the free account. (I took screenshots of the two rows of comics to save mine.) However, at only $10/month for teacher only access and only $12/month for classrooms, I think it is very reasonably priced and would upgrade my account if I was planning to utilize it regularly. 

FotoJet

Comic Code Crusaders: Adventures Beyond the Pixels Part 2 - FotoJet City

    You may be able to tell from my comic, but I was not a fan of FotoJet’s comic strip creator. I tried my best to make it work, but it was not easy to create at all and students would need a lot of assistance. The comic strip features you’d expect to find, like background, characters, and dialogue bubbles, where not given as options to be selected from the program. There was not enough variety available within the provided features to create interesting comics.

    My biggest complaint is that it is not easy to find characters. In fact, it was actually hard to do! There’s no characters tab, so I used the clipart tab. Clipart search says you can search 220,000+ clipart, but even when I searched for something basic like “girl” or “boy” there were only 10 pictures available without upgrading my account, and most were not great options for a comic strip, like just a head. Looking for a boy character I had to get creative searching other similar words like guy, brother, male, etc. just looking for a character I could use. I think I eventually found the one I was able to use with some version of the term “guy book.” This also meant I had no options for making my characters seem to move during the comic.

    The movement of parts is not very user friendly either. For example, you cannot move a text bubble and the actual text together, they must be moved separately, which is challenging when trying to arrange a panel.

    Despite my complaints, I can still find a few positives with this comic creator. It does have some interesting template arrangements with panels that are not in traditional rectangular shapes (though many do require the pro upgrade.) It may be worth noting as well that the templates are primarily vertical, more like the page of a graphic novel or comic book than a comic strip. FotoJet also has a large variety of font options. It was also easy to save my project. I only wanted to use features I could find within the app for my test of the program, but if you wanted to create a cartoon using pictures you already had then it would be much easier.

    I would only recommend this program for those wanting to add text to their own photos in a comic layout. For that purpose FotoJet would probably be a sufficient option.

MakeBeliefsComix

Comic Code Crusaders: Adventures Beyond the Pixels Part 3 - Makebeliefscomixburg

    MakeBeliefsComix has a relatively simple looking design. Though I would not pay for use of this site, it works sufficiently for the free comic maker program it is. It is not the easiest to use, but easier than FotoJet, as all the comic strip features are on the program. I had a little trouble finding the features I was looking for on the scrolling panel below the strip. 

    There were a few difficulties I noted that may make it challenging for students (or teachers) to use the program:

• There is no search feature, so you must scroll through all the options hoping to spot the kind of character, background, or object you’re looking for.
• The character options are quite quirky (to put it mildly), and I couldn’t even find a generic boy and girl character to continue my storyline (hence the anime characters). Sometimes I would think I may have found a character I could use, but once selecting them to see their poses, found they would not. (For example: A woman… whose other pose was turning into a fish monster. A boy… whose other poses were transitioning into a woman.) 
• Selecting a background, which was harder with no search feature, does not fill the panel shape and it’s hard to line it up perfectly with the box.
• Characters enter the panels very large, and the scale tool to make them smaller or the same size was not easy to use.
• There is no Undo button. The editing tools seemed a bit rudimentary, and I was worried when deleting something that I would end up with other parts of my comic deleted as well.
• You’re unable to copy-paste any features to other panels or duplicate panels to edit for consistency.
• It is hard to make speech bubbles fit text well. The sizes don’t adjust and there are no font alternatives. Also, the text fills the space differently while typing than how it is displayed on the comic. I had to rephrase text often to make it fit in the text bubble without leaving tons of white space or continuing out of view below the bubble.
• It is difficult to go back to past panels if you have more than 3, and you cannot add a panel between two or rearrange the order.
• I wasn’t a fan of how MakeBeliefsComix presented the final comic as 3 panels on top, one on the bottom left, and then an empty box. I would have preferred to keep the comic in the strip layout as it was when I created it. I also feel the addition of an extra blank panel made the comic appear incomplete. I tried adding 2 more boxes to see if it would look better with an even 6 panels, but it still adds an extra seventh panel in a third row.

    I did like that when selecting a character, there were a few different poses available for them. There is not enough variety on here to easily create a particular comic if you have something in mind you want to show, but if the goal was just creative writing, then the variety could be enough to make interesting comics. 

    The comic was fairly easy to save, though there are almost too many choices of sharing the comic to social media, which makes the option to download your comic harder to find. In fact, with the option being called “Save image to disk” many may not even realize that is how to download the comic.

Bonus Add-On: Canva

Comic Code Crusaders: Adventures Beyond the Pixels Part 3 - Alternate Ending

    I hate to sound like a broken record, but Canva would have been an easier comic strip creator than FotoJet and MakeBeliefsComix. (Though I do think Pixton would beat out Canva for comic strip creating due to its focused features, so I’m excited about that find!) To learn more about creating comic strips with Canva click here.

    Since my comic was primarily about using QR codes, I had initially planned to include a QR code within each comic linking readers to the comic book creator sites they were traveling to (so readers could “travel” with them!) I realized that wouldn’t work when two of the sites did not have an option for uploading pictures. My plans for each comic changed from my initial plan once I began using the features of the comic makers. So, when I saw MakeBeliefsComix was going to include extra boxes, and that I couldn’t add other panels into the middle of the comic to make it longer, I decided to utilize the extra blank for some QR codes. It seemed like the ending the story needed. I used Canva to do this, as I knew it would be easy to combine both my comic strip and QR codes on there. Canva also has a large collection of free comic strip templates of its own (that you will find by following my QR code!), so that would be worth exploring as well, just like Luke and Jane!

    Which brings this blog post full circle back to where we started! I hope you enjoyed the content I created and that the insight I shared will help you create content for your library, teachers, and students as well.

Resources

10 ways to use QR codes in school libraries. QR Tiger Blog. (2023, August 15). https://www.qrcode-tiger.com/qr-codes-in-school-libraries

 

Anna and the French Kiss. Stephanie Perkins. (n.d.). http://stephanieperkins.com/anna-and-the-french-kiss

 

Free Comic & Avatar Maker. Pixton. (n.d.). https://www.pixton.com/

 

Free comic strip maker - create comic strips online. Canva. (n.d.). https://www.canva.com/create/comic-strips/

 

Free online QR code generator. Adobe Express. (n.d.) https://www.adobe.com/express/feature/image/qr-code-generator

 

Free video maker: Create & edit your videos easily. Animoto. (n.d.). https://animoto.com/

 

How teachers can use makebeliefscomix in the classroom. MakeBeliefsComix. (2023, June 16). http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/How-to-Play/Educators/

 

Kharbach, M. (2023, May 19). Teachers guide to the use of comic strips in class: Some helpful tools and resources. Educators Technology. https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2018/01/teachers-guide-to-use-of-comic-strips.html#:~:text=Comic%20strips%20and%20cartoons%20are,%2C%20reading%2C%20speaking%20and%20communicating.

 

MakeBeliefsComix. (n.d.). http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/

 

O’Keeffe, J. (2023, August 11). How using QR codes can transform your library. Softlink. https://ic.softlinkint.com/blog/scanning-for-success-how-using-qr-codes-can-transform-your-library/

 

Photo Comic Maker. FotoJet. (n.d.). https://www.fotojet.com/features/misc/photo-comic.html

 

QR code in libraries: Some diverse use cases. Scanova Blog. (2023, September 8). https://scanova.io/blog/qr-code-in-libraries/