Memes are a creative way of promoting literacy with visuals and text. You can create them digitally with Canva, Buncee, and Google Slides. Or you can go "old school" with pictures cut from magazines and writing.  There are many ways to do this:
* You provide the content, and your students find an image.
* Your students apply the content to your image.
* Your students choose the content and the image.
* Your students choose the content and create the image.
* Your students create the content and the image.
* You provide the content and a variety of images, and your students match them.

Create video memes with Flipgrid by adding text and images while recording.

Sites for Royalty-Free Images:
https://pixabay.com
https://morguefile.com
https://avopix.com
https://www.pexels.com
https://www.publicdomainarchive.com
https://unsplash.com
https://www.stockvault.com
https://nos.twnsnd.co
https://gratisography.com
https://picjumbo.com

*Please use your discretion when recommending sites to your students.

As a matter of fact, yes.  Yes, I'm going to wear that apron in the library and here's why...
1. Making is messy.
2. Here's to the end of calling myself from the library phone to find my cell phone.
3. Who needs to see the sauce spot on my shirt from my lunch?
4. A granola bar is just what a teacher needs to wolf down on between classes.
5. It's always handy to have a pen and post-it notes to jot more things down on the endless "To Do" list.
6. Librarians are always "cooking up" something, especially during book tastings.
7.  Pockets are perfect for holding change for kids who forgot their lunch money.
8. Students can scan the QR code on my apron to access their Flipgrid of book recommendations.
9. If students are already late to their next class, don't waste time by finding a hall pass.
10. Book fairs can be busy, and an apron can help you be organized.

I just love this photo of my co-author Stony Evans and his co-librarian during a book tasting.

Here's a cool hack:
Use Wakelet, Buncee, or Flipgrid create a digital cookbook. Then print the generated QR code on an apron. You will have access to a wonderful collection of recipes whenever you scan a QR code.  What a wonderful gift for a teacher if each child submitted a recipe from their culture.

So proud to be able to present one of my favorite tools (Wakelet!) with three of my favorite people (Kathi Kersznowski, Amy Storer, and Brad Dale!)

​​Wake Up! Top 10 Ways to Boost Productivity and Creativity With Wakelet - ISTE 2019 People's Choice Panel Presentation 

Wakelet Webinar: Top 10 Ways to Use Wakelet in the Classroom

10 Awesome Ways to use Wakelet in School Libraries
https://blog.wakelet.com/2019/02/19/use-wakelet-libraries/

​Turn the tables on the first day of school. Instead of discussing supplies and syllabi, build relationships. Ask your students to record Flipgrid videos about themselves, with their preferred names and pronunciations. Then YOU go home and study!

​Here's a video of one of my graduating 8th graders watching a video of himself when he first entered the middle school.

I've always believed that there should be opportunities for students to learn with their heads, their hands, and their hearts.  Our students may understand the effects of the Cold War, how to balance equations, the scientific method, the proper format of a persuasive essay, how to speak another language, score a goal, mix watercolors, and play in tune but what will any of that matter if they don't develop a sense of compassion for others and pride in their work.

This year I was fortunate to continue my career in a district where I met an occupational therapist with a focus in assistive technology.  She and I were both familiar with the benefits of sensory walks for ALL children.  These walks reminded me of the painted footprints that I used to follow from the lobby to the Children's Room in the basement of my public library.  If you have never seen a sensory walk before, check out this video.

While brainstorming we began thinking, "Wouldn't this be a wonderful opportunity for kids to do something FOR kids?"  My colleague invited two special education elementary classrooms in our district to be part of our pilot program.  Then we approached a special education teacher who helps to prepare students for work study opportunities.  With her advisement, a graduating special education senior was invited to become the project manager for this endeavor.  Applying the skills that she had learned in the program, she created a Google survey for pilot classrooms, assisted with cutting and weeding the designs created by the Cricut Maker, and even created a PowerPoint presentation about proper line up procedures that she shared with the elementary students.  This student developed leadership skills that will last a lifetime.

Using the Cricut Maker to design and cut the shapes...

The Cricut Maker in action...

The student project manager teaching the elementary students about proper line up procedures...

Trying out the sensory walk before it is installed...

These first sensory walks are fairly simple designs, and we look forward to working with classrooms in other district elementary schools on more elaborate projects.  Although sensory walks are available for purchase, the benefits of this project were more far reaching...
* using technology and resources already available
* ability to customize during the creation process
* making connections among schools in the same district
* involving special education students in the process so that they can apply what they have learned in the classroom
* empowering students and educators

Some of my favorite professional development moments are during Twitter chats.  Last night while moderating the monthly #wakeletwave chat (archived under the portfolio tab), I saw Erin Flanagan's post about monthly newsletters that she had created.

Erin's idea was simple, user friendly, and a timesaver...all ingredients for an epic hack!  This immediately got my mind going.  What about a Wakelet newsletter template that LIBRARIANS could use? So here it is...

Save time and money by using Wakelet to create a library newsletter each month! With Immersive Reader technology by Microsoft, your newsletters will automatically be read aloud and even translated. Embed the newsletters on your website, and share them through email, social media, or Remind. Remember...this is just a template to get you started. Have fun and be creative by adding your own images, videos, links, tweets, PDF files, and Google Docs. 

1. Log in to Wakelet.
2. Make a copy of the newsletter at 
https://wakelet.com/@lieberrian.  Scroll down until you see my logo.
​3. Edit it by deleting, adding, and modifying information. 4. Then share it with your students, their families, and your colleagues.
5. Each month you can copy, create, and title a new newsletter.

TEMPLATE LOGO

LIVE VERSION OF THE NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

IMMERSIVE READER DEMONSTRATION

Sometimes a post pops up into your twitter feed that inspires you to create something.  This is what happened with Heather Lister posted about a website called the Breaking News Generator, and suggested to use it to create fake news posts.  I immediately thought about the "Two Truths and a Lie" game where participants have to determine which two statements are true and which statement is a lie.  It also reminded me of the books by Laurie Ann Thompson and Ammi-Joan Paquette, as well as my Amazing Makerspace True Books.

So I set out to create a Flipgrid topic using these "Breaking News" posts as the prompts.  Take a look at the finished product.

There are several ways to transform images into videos, but this is how I did it. Follow the steps to create your own.  
1. Decide on a topic to establish prior knowledge or to review content. Research the topic and write three statements that seem plausible, yet only two are actually true.
2. Use http://www.breakyourownnews.com to create three posts with appropriate headlines, tickers, and images.

3. Since Flipgrid only always video submissions in .MOV. .MP4, and .WEBM format you must create a video file.  First I take my image and use https://giphy.com to create a GIF.  I like doing this because I can add stickers, text, and drawings to my images.  This animation really gets students' attention. If you create a free account you, you will be able to save and access your GIF's online. 

Here is my finished GIF.

4. Now go to https://ezgif.com/gif-to-mp4 to convert your GIF's to MP4 files so that you can upload them to Flipgrid.

5. Create a grid called "Two Truths and a Lie," and then create separate topics for each activity.  Upload your videos to responses to the prompt.  You can either provide links to resources and databases, or require that your students locate their own as evidence.  Share the link to the topic that you would like your students to focus on.  After your students research the statements, they will determine which two of the three statements are true and which is a lie.  Then they will record their reply to your response giving their opinion with evidence and citing their sources.  Empower your students and encourage them to create their own "Two Truths and a Lie" Flipgrid activities.

BREAKING NEWS - FLIPGRID UPDATE
You'll be excited to learn that soon you can bypass the above hacks and just import your own images as stickers.  Check it out!