Okay, if I am being totally honest, I must admit that I did not always love this project. When I had to explore and comment about things that I did not really care for or about things that I was pretty sure I would not use, I did not have the best attitude about it, but I did it anyways because I am a compulsive rule follower! LOL!
As I reflect on my own experience and hope to make a 23 Things for my staff and/or all the teachers in my district, I need to make sure that I address this issue with my people. I'm sure some of the things that I think are just fab, they will think are boring or not necessary to study. If I recall that going in, hopefully I will make good decisions in that realm or provide instruction that reminds them that if they pursue things they don’t care for initially, they may find that in the end, they will see the value of each thing.
I will use many of these technologies in my building. I am coming from a very technology-rich district into a district that is not quite as advanced, so I must be sure to be not only a technology cheerleader, but also a teacher, and supporter of the use of technology.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thing 22 Developing your own 23 Things for your library
I have really enjoyed the 23Things project, and I think it would be a great way to introduce some new and underused technologies in my new schools. Just as doing each of the things made me think about how to use them in my new job(s), I think when the teachers do them they will have similar thoughts. It would be a fun and painless way to teach so much technology through these free web apps!
The five librarians in my distrcit did the 23 things on a different site, and I plan to go check them out as well. Since doing this together puts us all on basically the same page, I bet they will be intersteteed in getting our own 23things going as well!
Here we go!
The five librarians in my distrcit did the 23 things on a different site, and I plan to go check them out as well. Since doing this together puts us all on basically the same page, I bet they will be intersteteed in getting our own 23things going as well!
Here we go!
Thing 21 Podcasts
Podcasts would be very useful to my patrons if they had internet access, which I am not sure about (new job!) In the library they could be used for the same things YouTube could be used for--library promotion, booktalks, lessons, instructions, children's work, etc.
Some of the podcasts I listened to that covered technology may be useful to my teachers, but in general I have found that they prefer hands on instrction in technology. I have had success recording kids' poetry and spoken word before--it was a fun way to publish their work on the Internet and share their performances.
In general, I think that the ease of publishing video has made podcasts less popular, even though podcasts are so much easier to create and publish.
Some of the podcasts I listened to that covered technology may be useful to my teachers, but in general I have found that they prefer hands on instrction in technology. I have had success recording kids' poetry and spoken word before--it was a fun way to publish their work on the Internet and share their performances.
In general, I think that the ease of publishing video has made podcasts less popular, even though podcasts are so much easier to create and publish.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thing 20 YouTube
I have definitely enjoyed YouTube over the years for everything from fun/entertainment viewing, to staff develpment viewing, to posting my own school library related videos.
I searched using the terms suggested and a few others and found some library-related videos. Most were instructional and relatively B_O_R_I_N_G! Others were fun and some were funny--funny on purpose in order to entertain, and some were people being funny IN a library.
There were a number of school library entries--children's work that was very nice. After a while I decided to search TeacherTube instead of YouTube and I found much more library related work.
I think I'd like to use YouTube to do a tour of the library and to do videos on how to care for a book etc for hte children to see when I am not there. Since I will be in two libraries, I think that will be a great way to keep my "presence" in the building even when I am not htere physically.
I searched using the terms suggested and a few others and found some library-related videos. Most were instructional and relatively B_O_R_I_N_G! Others were fun and some were funny--funny on purpose in order to entertain, and some were people being funny IN a library.
There were a number of school library entries--children's work that was very nice. After a while I decided to search TeacherTube instead of YouTube and I found much more library related work.
I think I'd like to use YouTube to do a tour of the library and to do videos on how to care for a book etc for hte children to see when I am not there. Since I will be in two libraries, I think that will be a great way to keep my "presence" in the building even when I am not htere physically.
Thing 19 Google Docs
What fun! I had used Google docs a little with my former library collegaues and we liked being able to each edit the docs. We used it for creating and adding to bibliographies and other special things like our author visit.
When I went into the spread sheet function in GOogle docs, I built a spreadsheet for my new job which is elementary librarian to two schools. I built a spreadshet to record book requests for teachers from each school. I saw the video explaining how to make a form for the spreadsheet and made that too! Now the teachers can just fill out a form with info on their name, date books needed, types of books, room number and school. I can monitor the spreadsheet from whichever campus I am currently stastioned and keep up with book requessts no matter where I am!
When I went into the spread sheet function in GOogle docs, I built a spreadsheet for my new job which is elementary librarian to two schools. I built a spreadshet to record book requests for teachers from each school. I saw the video explaining how to make a form for the spreadsheet and made that too! Now the teachers can just fill out a form with info on their name, date books needed, types of books, room number and school. I can monitor the spreadsheet from whichever campus I am currently stastioned and keep up with book requessts no matter where I am!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thing 18 Wikis
My Wiki exercise is at http://dfw23things.wetpaint.com/page/MyLibraryLady
Wikis are very easy to set up and to maintain, and I have used them before. This particular site was very easy to manage and very clean looking. It is a very nice example of the wiki application and it is free! Very cool! I have not found an instance in my professional work so far where this option is better than a blog or the use of shared documents like Google Docs.
One great application I can think of is for book recomendations and reviews-- assuming people don't write over others' work accidentally like many studetns here in the 23 things blog did at first. I think that is why I have used blogs and tools like Shelfari instead. I look forward to reading other's posts and ideas about using Wikis in the library world. I
m sure my colleagues have some great ideas that will blow me away!
Wikis are very easy to set up and to maintain, and I have used them before. This particular site was very easy to manage and very clean looking. It is a very nice example of the wiki application and it is free! Very cool! I have not found an instance in my professional work so far where this option is better than a blog or the use of shared documents like Google Docs.
One great application I can think of is for book recomendations and reviews-- assuming people don't write over others' work accidentally like many studetns here in the 23 things blog did at first. I think that is why I have used blogs and tools like Shelfari instead. I look forward to reading other's posts and ideas about using Wikis in the library world. I
m sure my colleagues have some great ideas that will blow me away!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thing 17 LibWorm
From the description on the 23 Things blog, this site sounds like one I would really enjoy-- sort of a goolge-of-LM_Net kinda thing....too bad it won't work.
I cannot get it to pull up even after I cleared my temp files and cookies. I will keep trying and hoping not to get "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage."
I cannot get it to pull up even after I cleared my temp files and cookies. I will keep trying and hoping not to get "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage."
Thing 16 LibraryThing
Library Thing is HUGE. It's cool, but it is too big for my taste. I prefer Shelfari for it's ease of use and more graphic interface, and I use it on my school sites.
The very cool things on LibraryThing that are better than Shelfari are the cloud tags, the recommendations, and the direct links to discussions about a given book. I also like that you can check your collection form your cell phone. Very, very cool.
A theme I keep finding as I do the exercises in this NT23 set are how much time these time saving sires take to use/enjoy. It seems the more time we are able to save with service like these, the more we find ways to spend that saved time. I am not compelled to spend/waste time on Librarything because the format of it is so uninviting to me, but many other sites we have explored do compel me to spend my time and evergy there. So far the only thing I think would be a great use of time and a time saver for me is the Google reader. I look forward to exploring the rest of the activities.
The very cool things on LibraryThing that are better than Shelfari are the cloud tags, the recommendations, and the direct links to discussions about a given book. I also like that you can check your collection form your cell phone. Very, very cool.
A theme I keep finding as I do the exercises in this NT23 set are how much time these time saving sires take to use/enjoy. It seems the more time we are able to save with service like these, the more we find ways to spend that saved time. I am not compelled to spend/waste time on Librarything because the format of it is so uninviting to me, but many other sites we have explored do compel me to spend my time and evergy there. So far the only thing I think would be a great use of time and a time saver for me is the Google reader. I look forward to exploring the rest of the activities.
Thing 15 Digg
Digg is dangerous.
Dangerous like Target-- you go in for a few things and come out with a basketful. I went into Digg a few times for this blog and both times I stayed too long looking at a bunch of distracting, meaningless, yet interesting-enough-to-get-me-to-click-on-it stuff.
I do not see myself going back to Digg, but I do like the concept for what it is and think it is interesting. I just don;t have the time or inclination to become a fan or user in any way.
It's use of user ratings and number of views is interesting and reminds me of the fantasy future world Westerfeld creates in his YA book Extras--where popularity is the currency of the community.
Dangerous like Target-- you go in for a few things and come out with a basketful. I went into Digg a few times for this blog and both times I stayed too long looking at a bunch of distracting, meaningless, yet interesting-enough-to-get-me-to-click-on-it stuff.
I do not see myself going back to Digg, but I do like the concept for what it is and think it is interesting. I just don;t have the time or inclination to become a fan or user in any way.
It's use of user ratings and number of views is interesting and reminds me of the fantasy future world Westerfeld creates in his YA book Extras--where popularity is the currency of the community.
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