Wow! I'm finished! What a great journey! I've come a long way and learned many things. Although there are some technologies I likely won't ever use again, I plan on returning to this blog to relive some of these experiences and develop more expertise with certain Things.
I think a few of my favorite Things were the mashups and image generators. I can't wait to start playing around with those to incorporate them into my library webpage and blog for promoting programs and books. I also want to do more with blogging in general. I want to create my own videos of booktrailers to post, as well as create wikis for instruction and collaboration. I'd like to team up with some teachers to put together some projects with podcasts and other Web 2.0 technology.
I may not ever spend much time "Tweeting" or on Ning or Digg, but I've certainly gained a lot of knowledge regarding what these things are and how crucial they are in today's society. In order to prepare the future generations, we have to teach young learners how to be effective users and creators of information. We also must teach them Internet safety, how to evaluate online information and sources, and we must allow them to grow and develop their skills as "digital natives" in a highly diital world.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thing 22 -- Creating My Own 23 Things
I have learned so much by stepping out of my comfort zone to participate in this program. It would be simple enough to replicate for the faculty/staff at my own school. I might not get much participation at first, but I think once people see and realize the value of this technology and these resources, they will want to continue to stretch themselves as learners and educators.
If I were to create a similar program, I don't know if I would include the same types of activities. Some of the Things, although interesting to me, did not seem the best idea to test out so quickly. I think I'll need time to absorb and adjust to everything I've learned this summer through the NT 23 Things before I begin to develop my own version to share with others.
If I were to create a similar program, I don't know if I would include the same types of activities. Some of the Things, although interesting to me, did not seem the best idea to test out so quickly. I think I'll need time to absorb and adjust to everything I've learned this summer through the NT 23 Things before I begin to develop my own version to share with others.
Thing 21 -- Podcasts
There are huge applications for podcast technology. I envision a daily/weekly podcast feed in a school library that promotes literature through booktalks. I see using podcasts as a way to explain certain procedures or talk a person through a process. Students could create podcasts in lieu of bookreports, as a way to share their own reviews of books they are reading. They can also be used to keep up with news and information updates.
I listened to a few different podcasts. The one I spent the most time listening to is Teacher Librarians, produced by Julie Darling. These started with a brief musical intro, followed by interviews with library media specialists or other experts in the profession. They ranged in length from 7 minutes to 30 minutes. The information was quite useful, but there were only 3 episodes. I'd like to see more episodes that are shorter in length. These podcasts were relevant and informative regarding the future of the school library profession, the application of Web 2.0 technology in schools, and the new AASL standards. The sound quality was in and out, and there was a lot of background noise during the interviews because of the conference setting.
I also listened to Booktalks Quick and Simple. These short clips give a sneak preview of new books by providing a very brief booktalk. This could be a great tool to use in the library to promote reading and literature. I will not subscribe to it, but I see a lot of great bookstalks in the archives.
The SLJ Podcast feed has tons of great episodes. They are like little mini articles that are read to you. The poetry series are fun, and the professional information can be quite useful. Once I am more comfortable with podcast technology, I might subscribe to this one.
At first I couldn't figure out how to listen to the podcast. It seems that iTunes is a necessary piece of software, and unless the user knows and is familiar with it, it is not intuitive to figure out how to listen to a podcast without having to download or subscribe.
I think I might try to discuss podcasting with one of the fifth grade teachers at my campus. I would be interested in collaborating with her to get the kids to create podcasts of the synthesis of their learning as a way to share out their research and recommend/review books they have read. I'm not sure if I'm up to the task, but it seems like a worthwhile project that could incorporate a lot of information literacy skills.
I listened to a few different podcasts. The one I spent the most time listening to is Teacher Librarians, produced by Julie Darling. These started with a brief musical intro, followed by interviews with library media specialists or other experts in the profession. They ranged in length from 7 minutes to 30 minutes. The information was quite useful, but there were only 3 episodes. I'd like to see more episodes that are shorter in length. These podcasts were relevant and informative regarding the future of the school library profession, the application of Web 2.0 technology in schools, and the new AASL standards. The sound quality was in and out, and there was a lot of background noise during the interviews because of the conference setting.
I also listened to Booktalks Quick and Simple. These short clips give a sneak preview of new books by providing a very brief booktalk. This could be a great tool to use in the library to promote reading and literature. I will not subscribe to it, but I see a lot of great bookstalks in the archives.
The SLJ Podcast feed has tons of great episodes. They are like little mini articles that are read to you. The poetry series are fun, and the professional information can be quite useful. Once I am more comfortable with podcast technology, I might subscribe to this one.
At first I couldn't figure out how to listen to the podcast. It seems that iTunes is a necessary piece of software, and unless the user knows and is familiar with it, it is not intuitive to figure out how to listen to a podcast without having to download or subscribe.
I think I might try to discuss podcasting with one of the fifth grade teachers at my campus. I would be interested in collaborating with her to get the kids to create podcasts of the synthesis of their learning as a way to share out their research and recommend/review books they have read. I'm not sure if I'm up to the task, but it seems like a worthwhile project that could incorporate a lot of information literacy skills.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Extra Thing -- Shelfari
Although this is officially not part of the 23 Things, it is definitely worth mentioning on this blog. Shelfari is an interactive, social bookshelf. It is kind of similar to LibraryThing. It allows you to create a bookshelf with books you have read, are currently reading, or plan to read. You can rate books, tag them, and write reviews. Like most social networking sites, you can have friends and join groups. You can see what friends are reading and what they think of something to help you decide what to read next. I've added the Shelfari widget to my blog so you can see what it's like.
I know a teacher librarian who has used it with a class for the students to write reviews and share books with their peers. It seems like a great idea! I couldn't let the opportunity to share this Web 2.0 technology with someone pass me by. Enjoy!
I know a teacher librarian who has used it with a class for the students to write reviews and share books with their peers. It seems like a great idea! I couldn't let the opportunity to share this Web 2.0 technology with someone pass me by. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thing 20 -- YouTube
YouTube is a powerful tool that reaches millions of people very quickly. The only problem is that many district filters block it, so it isn't accessible to students. As a librarian, I hold the power to override the filter. My district has come a long way, making improvements by now having tiered filtering. Teachers can now access a lot of the Web 2.0 and social networking sites (such as YouTube) that were formerly blocked to everyone, but they are still blocked for students, and teachers still don't have access to everything.
Most of theYouTube videos that I watched using the recommended search terms for this Thing were short videos promoting libraries and library resources. I got a little bit sidetracked by the bookcart drill teams, but I quickly found my way back to my mission of perusing library related videos. Some that stuck out were "TextShare Databases," "School Library Media Specialist--My Library-My Life," a stop animation video by Carlton Middle School Library. Some of the videos I found could be used to teach a concept or skill, and several discussed the concept of plagiarism. I got a few good ideas about making videos for my own library by searching through YouTube and the suggested videos that came up. Maybe creating movies can be a project for this school year, or if it's as crazy as last year, it may have to wait until the summer.
Another thing I'd like to try my hand at is making book trailers. There are quite a few good ones available on YouTube. I think I'll add a trailer for Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book to my school library blog. YouTube is a good host for book trailers, and it is a good source to search to see if one is already available. I attended a session called "Amp Up your BookTalks" at the TLA conference this past year to learn how to make book trailers and use them to promote reading, so that is definitely a goal of mine for the upcoming year.
I'll end with this YouTube video that I think sums up what we have been learning in these past few months with the 23 Things. I believe this manifesto rings true. It is not for the close minded or easily offended, but for those who embrace change, the power of information, and intellectual freedom.
Most of theYouTube videos that I watched using the recommended search terms for this Thing were short videos promoting libraries and library resources. I got a little bit sidetracked by the bookcart drill teams, but I quickly found my way back to my mission of perusing library related videos. Some that stuck out were "TextShare Databases," "School Library Media Specialist--My Library-My Life," a stop animation video by Carlton Middle School Library. Some of the videos I found could be used to teach a concept or skill, and several discussed the concept of plagiarism. I got a few good ideas about making videos for my own library by searching through YouTube and the suggested videos that came up. Maybe creating movies can be a project for this school year, or if it's as crazy as last year, it may have to wait until the summer.
Another thing I'd like to try my hand at is making book trailers. There are quite a few good ones available on YouTube. I think I'll add a trailer for Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book to my school library blog. YouTube is a good host for book trailers, and it is a good source to search to see if one is already available. I attended a session called "Amp Up your BookTalks" at the TLA conference this past year to learn how to make book trailers and use them to promote reading, so that is definitely a goal of mine for the upcoming year.
I'll end with this YouTube video that I think sums up what we have been learning in these past few months with the 23 Things. I believe this manifesto rings true. It is not for the close minded or easily offended, but for those who embrace change, the power of information, and intellectual freedom.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thing 19 -- Google Docs
What a useful set of applications! These are tools that can be applied in so many different scenarios, both personal, professional, and educational! I tried a variety of different applications. I created a document and inserted an image (although I couldn't figure out how to put it into landscape mode), I created a spreadsheet and forms, and I even created a presentation about my 23 Things. It's only in its infancy, and I created it in minutes, so it's far from perfect.
I only spent a few minutes creating each document. The tools are relatively simple to use. They don't provide as many complex functions as the Microsoft Office tools, but the sheer fact that you can share, publish, and collaborate with them so easily makes it pretty exciting! I also like the fact that you can save things as PDF files. Those files can be read by just about anyone, so no more worrying about whether the files your sending are compatible with the recipient's word processing software. You also don't have to worry about anyone changing your original, either. On the other hand, if you want people to help you edit, or if you are collaborating with someone and want them to add their input, you can invite them to edit the document and they can change it how they want! It's great!
The Google Docs Blog has some great tips for further uses of these applications. I'm pretty excited about the things that can be done. Maybe ILL requests, collaboration/lesson request forms could be used (I created some, but I haven't figured out if they'll work the way I want yet--still in the testing phase). I love the fact that you can create a presentation and embed it into a website. That will be great as a teaching tool. I'll be able to share things with teachers and students in a whole new way! Amazing! My husband told me about Google Docs last week when he used it for the first time to create a new resume. He was thoroughly impressed, and now I am too!
I only spent a few minutes creating each document. The tools are relatively simple to use. They don't provide as many complex functions as the Microsoft Office tools, but the sheer fact that you can share, publish, and collaborate with them so easily makes it pretty exciting! I also like the fact that you can save things as PDF files. Those files can be read by just about anyone, so no more worrying about whether the files your sending are compatible with the recipient's word processing software. You also don't have to worry about anyone changing your original, either. On the other hand, if you want people to help you edit, or if you are collaborating with someone and want them to add their input, you can invite them to edit the document and they can change it how they want! It's great!
The Google Docs Blog has some great tips for further uses of these applications. I'm pretty excited about the things that can be done. Maybe ILL requests, collaboration/lesson request forms could be used (I created some, but I haven't figured out if they'll work the way I want yet--still in the testing phase). I love the fact that you can create a presentation and embed it into a website. That will be great as a teaching tool. I'll be able to share things with teachers and students in a whole new way! Amazing! My husband told me about Google Docs last week when he used it for the first time to create a new resume. He was thoroughly impressed, and now I am too!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Thing 18 -- Wikis
I am a seasoned wiki user. I have even edited a Wikipedia article in the past. I think that article was re-written, because now the text is not even nearly what it used to be and I'm not even in the history anymore. It was an article about a band my husband was in, and the creator had misspelled his name. Lame. But now, his name is no longer in the text of the article like it was before, it is down in the list of band members. In the comment portion, there were comments about possible copyright infringement because the cover art for the albums were there listed as "fair use" but with no explanation of how. I thought that was interesting. I'm not sure who created the article or who changed it, or even if the original article was deleted and re-created. Who knows.
I enjoyed looking around at some of the 23 Things wiki pages, especially the link I found under BCR. I think I'll have to go back to that one to look at the presentations and technology links, as well as her information about collaboration and information literacy. As a school librarian, all of that stuff will be useful as I jump into the world of wikis. I think I might use a Wiki to create a WebQuest. That would be fun, huh? Maybe I'll use a wiki for research projects and students can post their research to the wiki. There are lots of potential uses for this technology.
I created a wiki page using Wet Paint. You can read all about it here. You can also read about my other experiences creating wikis here. And if you just want to know more about my interests and hobbies, click here.
I enjoyed looking around at some of the 23 Things wiki pages, especially the link I found under BCR. I think I'll have to go back to that one to look at the presentations and technology links, as well as her information about collaboration and information literacy. As a school librarian, all of that stuff will be useful as I jump into the world of wikis. I think I might use a Wiki to create a WebQuest. That would be fun, huh? Maybe I'll use a wiki for research projects and students can post their research to the wiki. There are lots of potential uses for this technology.
I created a wiki page using Wet Paint. You can read all about it here. You can also read about my other experiences creating wikis here. And if you just want to know more about my interests and hobbies, click here.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thing 17 -- LibWorm
It's a cool concept. LibWorm is still in the beta version, so it may still have some bugs to work out, but I like the idea. I looked up terms such as information literacy, challenged books, intellectual freedom, and Bluebonnet Award List. Some of the hits were relevant, and some, not so much. I tried looking up Stephan Krashen, but nothing came up, nor did I get any hits searching for my own school library (and I do have a blog for it). I did find some relevant hits for the Austin Public Library, some from the APL blog, and some from stories in the news. I think the idea of a search engine that only searches library related sites is a great way to filter searches, however I don't think the Worm is finding all of the library sites and blogs, even some of the most relevant and prominent library blogs seem to be missing from the results lists. With time, I think this will become more and more useful as a tool for librarians.
Thing 16 -- LibraryThing
This is not the first time I've heard of LibraryThing. It came up at one of our district library meetings last year. One of the librarians told us about how she was using it to help organize the library at her church and to create a searchable catalog for it. I didn't really play around with it then, but I've spent the past few evenings exploring LibraryThing. I've joined groups, participated in discussions, added (and tagged) books to my own library, and just clicked here, there, and everywhere. I never did find the ThingLang, ISBN Check, and MARCThing sections we were supposed to read (if anyone can post some comments about how to find them, that would be great). I did find the Thingology and LibraryThing blogs and poked around there for a while. Good stuff. I especially liked the local venues section--now I can find libraries, bookstores, and book-related events around town with the click of a mouse. I'll probably keep coming back to this Thing on a regular basis.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thing 15 -- Digg
I totally Digg it! What a cool idea! I had a blast browsing through the various articles, reading comments, and finding out what seems to be "hot" in the news right now. The idea of the community dictating what stories it deems newsworthy makes a lot of sense. How many times have we watched the news and thought, "Do they really need to spend this much time and energy on a story like this?" Well with Digg, the community decides what is important, so the junk may fall to the wayside. I also like the idea of "self-policing." If something is inappropriate or not considered worthy of attention, it can be buried. That helps maintain higher standards of quality for the stories being posted. I may have to frequent this site to get my news in a more filtered manner.
I honestly don't know if I'll join this network--thanks to the 23 Things, I've joined way more social networks than I ever anticipated. I can only handle so much virtual socializing. I need to focus on the actual people in front of me, too, you know. This is one concern that I have with social networking in general. Are people spending more time in the virtual social world than with the people in close proximity? It irks me to no end to see young people texting when there are other people sitting with them at the same table. Don't the people in your presence deserve your attention more than someone on the other end of a cell phone (or social networking site)? I guess I'm just getting old, but I think some cell phone etiquette or "textiquette" is in order.
Wow...that was an aside I wasn't expecting. I just don't want to become one of those people that is so absorbed with social networking and technological hype that I begin to neglect the important things and people in my life. I've seen it happen too many times. As much as I love technology and the fact that social networking has brought me back into contact with so many people I've lost touch with, I can't lose touch with the reality of the present.
I honestly don't know if I'll join this network--thanks to the 23 Things, I've joined way more social networks than I ever anticipated. I can only handle so much virtual socializing. I need to focus on the actual people in front of me, too, you know. This is one concern that I have with social networking in general. Are people spending more time in the virtual social world than with the people in close proximity? It irks me to no end to see young people texting when there are other people sitting with them at the same table. Don't the people in your presence deserve your attention more than someone on the other end of a cell phone (or social networking site)? I guess I'm just getting old, but I think some cell phone etiquette or "textiquette" is in order.
Wow...that was an aside I wasn't expecting. I just don't want to become one of those people that is so absorbed with social networking and technological hype that I begin to neglect the important things and people in my life. I've seen it happen too many times. As much as I love technology and the fact that social networking has brought me back into contact with so many people I've lost touch with, I can't lose touch with the reality of the present.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thing 14 -- Delicious
This reminds me of ikeepbookmarks.com , a very similar web based bookmarking site. It has the option of keeping things public or private or both, so things can be shared (or not). I've had an account with ikeepbookmarks.com since 2003, but I haven't used it much lately. I think I might have to add the Delicious toolbar to my workstations in the library. It would be super handy to have all of my bookmarks in the same place and be able to access them easily.
Tagging may be a difference with Delicious and ikeepbookmarks. I don't think there was an option for tagging, although there was a way to put things into folders and rate sites according to usefulness. I was a bit confused when I first opened up my imported bookmarks because there no longer are any folders. I like the hierarchical organizational scheme of my bookmarks being in folders. There was just a random list of 223 bookmarks! But then I noticed the tags. Upon importing the bookmarks, all of the folder names were converted into tags, so to find the items in a folder, I just click on the corresponding tab and it straightens it all out for me. Pretty cool!
Delicious might be a tool that librarians and teachers can use so that students can access a bibliography of preselected websites for research or units of study. This would narrow their number of resources, and by having them selected in advance, the sites can be evaluated for usefulness, accuracy, bias, currency, and relevance.
Tagging may be a difference with Delicious and ikeepbookmarks. I don't think there was an option for tagging, although there was a way to put things into folders and rate sites according to usefulness. I was a bit confused when I first opened up my imported bookmarks because there no longer are any folders. I like the hierarchical organizational scheme of my bookmarks being in folders. There was just a random list of 223 bookmarks! But then I noticed the tags. Upon importing the bookmarks, all of the folder names were converted into tags, so to find the items in a folder, I just click on the corresponding tab and it straightens it all out for me. Pretty cool!
Delicious might be a tool that librarians and teachers can use so that students can access a bibliography of preselected websites for research or units of study. This would narrow their number of resources, and by having them selected in advance, the sites can be evaluated for usefulness, accuracy, bias, currency, and relevance.
Thing 13 -- Tagging
What an interesting concept! I love the idea of "folksonomies." In our library courses, we studied metadata, discussed hierarchies and thesauri, and created our own metadata schemes of organization with broader terms, narrower terms, and related terms. This type of metadata, however, is organized chaos, which may bother some librarians who are organized to the point of rigidity (unlike myself-the most disorganized librarian I know). The users get to pick the terms that describe the information object, and they can use any term that makes sense to them rather than being forced to choose from a list.
I have used tagging with social networking, blogging, Flickr, and Shelfari (which, by the way, you have GOT to check out). Our library's automation system, Follett's Destiny, now has an option for user tagging. I think it's a good idea for people who are used to tagging. Sometimes users have a better way of classifying something, or at least a more common sense way, rather than trying to force a concept or idea into a predefined set of terms. At the elementary school level, I'm not sure that it will be utilized much, but I can definitely see it as a plus at the middle school/high school level, especially when kids are already so well versed in the web 2.0 world.
I have used tagging with social networking, blogging, Flickr, and Shelfari (which, by the way, you have GOT to check out). Our library's automation system, Follett's Destiny, now has an option for user tagging. I think it's a good idea for people who are used to tagging. Sometimes users have a better way of classifying something, or at least a more common sense way, rather than trying to force a concept or idea into a predefined set of terms. At the elementary school level, I'm not sure that it will be utilized much, but I can definitely see it as a plus at the middle school/high school level, especially when kids are already so well versed in the web 2.0 world.
Thing 12 -- Twitter
Honestly, I have been dreading this Thing since I saw it on the list. I did not want to be a part of the Twitter frenzie! But now I have succumb to the pressure and I am part of the tweetiverse. Don't tell my husband. I refuse to get updates on my phone, however. Even if I had a fancy phone, I still wouldn't want to be a slave to other people's tweets all the time!
I can't believe that I've been on Twitter for 7 minutes and I already have a follower. I have no idea who she is or how she found me! She will be sorely disappointed by my boring life, I am sure. I will not update every time I change activities. No one really wants to know if I'm eating a sandwich, watching the Daily Show, or going to the john. I don't think I'll really use it much. However, I am now following a few people.
Last month, a friend of mine (who I met through my husband), found out I was about to graduate with my MLS, and then asked if I was on Twitter. He told me if I joined, I should follow his dad. He thought I might find some useful insight if I decided to follow him. "Who's your dad?" I asked. "Stephen Krashen," said he. "Are you kidding me? THE Stephen Krashen? That's your dad? I had no idea!!!" was my reply. I've read articles by him, my library director has recommended his book, and he's been mentioned in many of my SLIS courses. So the first person I looked up on Twitter was Stephen Krashen, and the next person was his son. I looked up Jon Stewart (but decided not to become a follower), but through his page, I found Stephen Colbert and NPR, both of whom I am now following. I think I'll stick with 4 people to follow for now--that's probably plenty!
I've been trying to keep somewhat anonymous, but what the heck! If you'd like to be a follower, go to http://twitter.com/estheruribe. But don't say I didn't warn you--it will be boring!
I can't believe that I've been on Twitter for 7 minutes and I already have a follower. I have no idea who she is or how she found me! She will be sorely disappointed by my boring life, I am sure. I will not update every time I change activities. No one really wants to know if I'm eating a sandwich, watching the Daily Show, or going to the john. I don't think I'll really use it much. However, I am now following a few people.
Last month, a friend of mine (who I met through my husband), found out I was about to graduate with my MLS, and then asked if I was on Twitter. He told me if I joined, I should follow his dad. He thought I might find some useful insight if I decided to follow him. "Who's your dad?" I asked. "Stephen Krashen," said he. "Are you kidding me? THE Stephen Krashen? That's your dad? I had no idea!!!" was my reply. I've read articles by him, my library director has recommended his book, and he's been mentioned in many of my SLIS courses. So the first person I looked up on Twitter was Stephen Krashen, and the next person was his son. I looked up Jon Stewart (but decided not to become a follower), but through his page, I found Stephen Colbert and NPR, both of whom I am now following. I think I'll stick with 4 people to follow for now--that's probably plenty!
I've been trying to keep somewhat anonymous, but what the heck! If you'd like to be a follower, go to http://twitter.com/estheruribe. But don't say I didn't warn you--it will be boring!
Thing 11 -- Instant Messaging
I've been IMing since before IMing was invented! Is that really possible? Maybe not, but let me explain anyway.
When I was a child, my father was a "sysop" for a BBS long before the Internet became common place. I learned to chat in real time back then with people who visited my dad's BBS. Then, when I went off to college, I would chat with a friend of mine from high school through the Unix based system at my University. Now instant messaging has become more user friendly and has a nicer interface. I don't have much need for it anymore, but I still occasionally find myself chatting with old friends who pop up.
I have seen many useful applications in the business/customer service world, and I've even used it with a reference librarian before. I don't think it will go away anytime soon, and I'm sure people will continue to find ways to use IMing to their advantage.
I found the link to IM lingo to be quite interesting. I had made up my own abbreviations way back in the day when I first started chatting with people. I used "somth" for something, "ppl" for people, and "L8R" among others. Some of those made it onto the list. I have also been using TTFN for years, since it originated with Tigger on Winnie the Pooh. Glad to see that classic children's entertainment has found it's way into the high tech world. :-)
When I was a child, my father was a "sysop" for a BBS long before the Internet became common place. I learned to chat in real time back then with people who visited my dad's BBS. Then, when I went off to college, I would chat with a friend of mine from high school through the Unix based system at my University. Now instant messaging has become more user friendly and has a nicer interface. I don't have much need for it anymore, but I still occasionally find myself chatting with old friends who pop up.
I have seen many useful applications in the business/customer service world, and I've even used it with a reference librarian before. I don't think it will go away anytime soon, and I'm sure people will continue to find ways to use IMing to their advantage.
I found the link to IM lingo to be quite interesting. I had made up my own abbreviations way back in the day when I first started chatting with people. I used "somth" for something, "ppl" for people, and "L8R" among others. Some of those made it onto the list. I have also been using TTFN for years, since it originated with Tigger on Winnie the Pooh. Glad to see that classic children's entertainment has found it's way into the high tech world. :-)
Thing 10 -- Ning
I have been super busy and out of the loop for a while--finishing graduate school (I now have a Master's Degree in Library Science), moving (with no Internet access for several weeks), hosting family from out of town (the day after we moved--there are still boxes everywhere), etc... But now I am back and I'm ready to finish up my 23 Things! I have a lot of catching up to do, but I think I can handle it.
I briefly checked out Ning a while back when this Thing was first posted. Today, I came back to it, and some stuff popped up that I didn't remember from before. The Library 2.0 network seemed pretty cool. I really wanted to look at the slide show that Dr. Cho posted, but I don't have the new version of Power Point. Some of the commentary was interesting. I think I'll definitely have to come back to this one periodically.
The ALA network on Ning is not active anymore now that they have their own social networking site now. Go to http://connect.ala.org/ to see what they are up to now. I don't know if I'll join it, and I didn't join the Ning network because there's only so much time in the day. I already belong to a few social networks, and I don't know if I can handle many more!
The Librarians network had a useful thread when a person asked about helping library users develop reading habits. Only one person responded, but he had a list of helpful links related to the topic. It seems like these networks would be good ways to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of other professionals.
The last network I looked into was African Village Libraries. I did not get very far browsing that network because I'm not a member, but the link to the blog was interesting and close to my heart. I studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa back in 2003. A community school in my town collected book donations for a school they sponsor in Adafianu, a small fishing village in the Volta region. Each of the students took a box of books and packed it into our luggage. We walked with the villagers as they carried entire encyclopedia sets on their heads back to the small room with no shelves that would eventually become the school library. At that time, I didn't know that I would go back to school to become a school librarian, but I think it planted a seed. When I saw the village children eagerly scanning the stacks of new books, I knew that getting books into the hands of children is a very noble thing, indeed. Maybe some day I will make it back to an African Village and help with the library cause there.
I briefly checked out Ning a while back when this Thing was first posted. Today, I came back to it, and some stuff popped up that I didn't remember from before. The Library 2.0 network seemed pretty cool. I really wanted to look at the slide show that Dr. Cho posted, but I don't have the new version of Power Point. Some of the commentary was interesting. I think I'll definitely have to come back to this one periodically.
The ALA network on Ning is not active anymore now that they have their own social networking site now. Go to http://connect.ala.org/ to see what they are up to now. I don't know if I'll join it, and I didn't join the Ning network because there's only so much time in the day. I already belong to a few social networks, and I don't know if I can handle many more!
The Librarians network had a useful thread when a person asked about helping library users develop reading habits. Only one person responded, but he had a list of helpful links related to the topic. It seems like these networks would be good ways to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of other professionals.
The last network I looked into was African Village Libraries. I did not get very far browsing that network because I'm not a member, but the link to the blog was interesting and close to my heart. I studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa back in 2003. A community school in my town collected book donations for a school they sponsor in Adafianu, a small fishing village in the Volta region. Each of the students took a box of books and packed it into our luggage. We walked with the villagers as they carried entire encyclopedia sets on their heads back to the small room with no shelves that would eventually become the school library. At that time, I didn't know that I would go back to school to become a school librarian, but I think it planted a seed. When I saw the village children eagerly scanning the stacks of new books, I knew that getting books into the hands of children is a very noble thing, indeed. Maybe some day I will make it back to an African Village and help with the library cause there.
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