Thing #23

Before I start by summarizing my experiences with 23 Things, I have to say something first...

I'm Finished!!!

Seattle Municipal Archives' photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/seattlemunicipalarchives/

1. After working through all 23 things I had a few that I really enjoyed and will continue to use after this experience: mashups, iGoogle, GoogleReader, LibraryThing, and photostory.

2. I would say that my lifelong learning goals have changed because I now realize there are so many tools out there that I need and want to learn about. Just working through these 23 things, I realized there is so much more I could be doing at school.

3. I had heard about, and even used, some of the tools/programs from 23 things before starting, but I found a lot of things that I wish I had when I was teaching in my own classroom. I can not wait to share some of these with my teachers.

4. Change the format? Nonsense, I like it the way it is. You have incorporated some of the tools we learn about in your format.

5. Yes, I would participate in another discovery program.

6. Influential

Thing #22

I explored the Teacher Librarian Ning - http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/.

Teacher Library Ning has a lot of features: several groups you can join, Blog, Forums/Discussions, videos, photos, activities, School Library Journal Podcasts, etc. I really liked this Ning and I felt welcomed the minute I opened up the link. I read several of the forums/discussions and wanted to join right away because I could relate to the problems they were discussing and had comments to add. I think Nings are a great way to start interacting with people around the world with the same interests... in this case being a librarian. I think making a school Ning would be a good way to get my staff interacting with each other and maybe even promote collaboration.

Thing #21

I played around with Photostory and fell in love with it. I have decided that I will start posting my pictures on my personal blog using Photostory. The one I created above is from my wedding.

Audacity and Photostory are great resources for school libraries. Both could be used to review books - either by the librarian or students. Photostory would be a great way to introduce new books and promote special programs. I plan on exploring both Audacity and Photostory more and hope to use both at work and home.

Thing #20

I got the above video from YouTube and it is a librarian's manifesto about becoming a 2.0 librarian and making her library 2.0 compatible.

I also got this video from YouTube. It is called March of the Librarians. It is a spoof of the movie March of the Penguins. It is about the 2007 ALA conference in Seattle. It is really cute.

I think it is important to allow teachers and librarians to have access to sites like YouTube and TeacherTube. Not only can a lot of the videos be used to help teach the necessary curriculum, but they can be used to show students that they can also create their own videos. Wouldn't it be awesome to give your class an assignment that involved them creating their own videos and posting them on TeacherTube? I noticed several student-created videos on there already.

Thing #19 part 2

I chose to play with Comiqs, which won 3rd place for Fun Stuff. Comiqs lets you create your own comic strips using photos, either ones they provide or your own. The amount of people that have created and posted their own comics is unbelievable. I think Comiqs would be a great tool in the library or classroom. A librarian could use it to create signs for the library to promote new books, book fairs, and other programs. I think students would get a kick out of creating their own comics. Creating a comic using Comiqs could be a easy and simple project to help end an unit.

The part that I liked the best was after you created your comic and published it, Comiqs gives you the option of posting it in different spots - blogger, flickr, etc.

I started my own comic called The Question of the Day. The first one is just below this post.

Thing #19 part 1

The Question of the Day from BJE_Librarian on Comiqs

Thing #18

I chose to explore Google Docs. I think there are many advantages of using Google Docs, especially when you are working collaboratively with other people. I have had many group projects and there have been times that I have received attachment after attachment with the newest updated version of the project.

I like that the document stays in one place and then the collaborators can fix and change the document without creating more versions of it with a never-ending attachment trail. However, what happens when you realize the first version was the best? Can you get it back? I like the idea of Google Docs, but I think I would still try to save the different versions just to be on the safe side.

Thing #17

I decided to register with Rollyo and create my own searchroll. My husband and I are planning for a trip to England and Ireland, so I decided to create a searchroll just for travel. But not only did I include travel sites, but reference sites as well. I think Rollyo is a great idea, but I am sorry to say that I am a fan of Google and Yahoo. I think I am going to need a little more convincing to start using Rollyo on a regular basis.

Here is a link to a search I did with my searchroll, Our Trip to Europe: http://rollyo.com/search.html?prevsid=481259&q=sites+to+see+in+Ireland&sid=481259

Thing #16

I became familiar with wikis when I was completing my mid-term project. I created one for my library, but have not started using it yet. I like the idea of students being able to interact on a wiki. I really want to start using my wiki as a place where students can post their opinions of books. My hope is to start having my students post their opinions about the 2008-2009 Bluebonnet Nominees once we receive them in the library. Most of my students are familiar with Wikipedia and I think they will enjoy adding to our library wiki. Here is the link to my wiki: http://bje-library.wikispaces.com/

Thing #15

Going to the library today is not like going to the library when I was in elementary school.

I just finished teaching all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders about all of the databases our school district provides them. After 3 -4 weeks of going over everyone (in detail), the kids finally realized they have a library at their fingertips - on their computers. When I was explaining World Book Online and Britannica Online, I showed them a real encyclopedia. Most had no idea what it was! I told them a story of when I was in elementary school and how my mom would have to take me to the public library on Saturdays and we would spend the morning in the reference section of the library hoping no other kid was using the same volume that I needed. I then explained to them, that now I stay in my pajamas and do all my research on my computer.

It was amazing how I showed the students these resources and how they have started using them. The kids are ready for all of the Web 2.0 stuff, but are the teachers/librarians ready to teach them?

Web 2.0 is changing things, especially the library. Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 are good changes and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Thing #14

To start off this post, I have to tell the truth ... I did not like Technorati. First of all, I became confused because the screens that were shown in the information video are not the same screens I see when I go to the Technorati web site. I even joined, thinking it would change, but I was wrong. So the information video did not help me - I had to explore the whole site myself to find all of the features they had talked about.

I did a keyword search for 'School Library Learning 2.0' and I found 0 blog posts, 4 tags, and 38 blogs. After finding the link to the popular blogs, searches, and top 100, I found an interesting blog titled - Blog tips to help you make money blogging. I also noticed that most of the top blogs were blogs about blogs.

I joined Technorati and I even claimed my blog, but to tell you the truth I do not think I will ever use it again. I found it very confusing and I did not like the lay out at all. From my viewpoint, I can not figure out a way that Technorati will ever assist me. Every other thing that I have been exploring for my 23 things has been somewhat useful, but I did not enjoy this thing at all.

After completing all of the things that had me learn and explore tagging, I think tagging is very useful - especially when I can select the tags myself. I think it a better way of organizing web sites and blogs.

Thing #13

After watching all of the tutorials and exploring Del.icio.us, I think social bookmarking is a great way to find information about a certain topic all in one place. Instead of using a search engine and making my way through thousands of websites, I can use a social bookmarking site and see the sites that other people find useful. It is almost like having someone else do the work for me. :) Just by typing in one of my favorite hobbies - scrapbooking - I was able to find several useful web sites that sold products that I need and great ideas for layouts.

I think social bookmarking sites can be used either as a research assistance or just as a place to store your bookmarks. I think it depends on the person who is using it and what their needs are. Like the Del.icio.us tutorial (http://www.ottergroup.com/learning2.0/?p=14) said, it is a great tool for building a shared reading list, finding information for research, and just to share great web sites.

There are many ways a library could take advantage of using a social bookmarking site. For example, if a class is doing research on endangered animals then the librarian could tag several web sites and then have the students access those sites through the social bookmarking site. Students could also see and use the most popular sites with that tag.

Thing #12

After reading the different articles and postings about commenting on blogs I found the two points that I think are important from the Ten Commandments of Blog Commenting: http://www.brownbaron.com/blog/2007/07/17/the-ten-commandments-of-blog-commenting/.

The first point that I think is important was commandment #1 - Read before you write. It said that you should always read the full blog and completely understand it before posting a comment. It is like the saying, 'think before you speak' - you do not want to put your foot in your mouth and you do not want to feel foolish.

The second point that I think is important was commandment #4 - Contribute. This point was in all of the articles about commenting. It emphasizes not to just post a simple comment like 'Nice job,' but add something that will contribute to the topic and continue a conversation.

I have not commented on any blogs yet... more to come later...

Thing #11

I really liked using LibraryThing. It will be a great way for me to keep track of the books I read. I also liked that I could rate the books and that would help me to remember what I thought about each book.

I think that LibrayThing could also be used in a school library: older & responsible students could use LibraryThing to keep track of the books they read. It would be a great way for students to keep track of Bluebonnet or Lone Star books.

I started looking into groups and was able to find many groups that had the same interests that I do. I looked up Jan Austen groups and found a huge list of groups that love the work of Jane Austen.

I also was able to add my Author cloud and LibraryThing search box to my blog (look to your right).

Thing #10

I had a lot of fun with the image generators. I created so many that I could only choose a few of them to share. The following was created at Comic Strip Generator (http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/).

I then created the following at ImageChef (http://www.imagechef.com/)



This is the one question that I get asked at least once a week by one of my library students. Let me just say: we have signs everywhere to help the students find the different sections of the library.

Thing #9

I found Blogline and Google Blog search the easiest to use when looking for feeds to add to my Google Reader. Both were easy for me because I was able to just put in a search term and then I had a list of blogs to choose from. The most confusing was syndic8.com. The page was filled with too much information and I became overwhelmed.

I was able to find a lot of useful blogs for elementary school libraries. When looking through library blogs, I was able to find the bookshelf that I added to my blog (look to your right) I also found some blogs for T.V. shows I love to watch, but sometimes miss. I also found a blog that was full of technology cartoons: http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/ It was a little unusual. And to tell you the truth, I did not completely understand a lot of the cartoons I read. Once I started finding several useful sites, I started looking at the other sites that were connected to them. I found several sites by doing this.

Thing #8

For Thing #8 I went with Google Reader. Since I already had a Google account, all I had to do was sign in. It was very easy to start and once I started searching for blogs, I was addicted. I started with news sites, then moved to library blogs, then blogs my family has, and then onto scrap booking blogs. I probably spent a good hour just searching through sites.

I like Google Reader because it allows me to have all of the sites that interest me in one place. I usually spend at least 30 minutes every day looking through all of my favorite web sites. With Google Reader I will be able to see them with one click of the mouse. It has made things a lot more convenient for me. I will definitely be using the RSS technology in my personal life, but I think I might be able to use it at work. I could make the information I want my teachers to know public and then send them the link to the public web site when needed. Librarians could use the RSS technology to keep updated on important information about what is happening with libraries, new and upcoming technology, etc. Librarians keep track of a lot of information and the RSS technology can help them to stay updated, without spending a huge amount of time on the web.

My public Google Reader - http://www.google.com/reader/shared/06577930041527627102

Thing #7

I really enjoyed all of the Google tools. I had a lot of fun exploring all of them. I choose to use Google Notebook. I created a list of useful web sites that I possible can use for an upcoming project. This would be a wonderful tool for students that are researching topics. It can keep track of the entire web page or just bits and pieces. I really liked this tool - I usually cut and paste the URLs into a Word document and now I just have to open my Notebook. The following link will allow you to see my recent Google Notebook:

http://www.google.com/notebook/public/07732991803185455141/BDQGkIgoQjurNjscj

The other tool that I really enjoyed was iGoogle. I had a blast creating my own web page. There are a lot of features to iGoogle. I put most of the games on my page, but also included news, headlines, and weather. I was unable to figure out how to make it public and I was going to put a print screen of it on the blog, but that has not worked out for me.

Thing #6

Picture created with the Warholizer

While looking at the different types of mashups, I found two that I really liked - Flickrvision (http://flickrvision.com/) and the Warholizer (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/warholizer.php). I became addicted to flickrvision because I didn't want to miss any pictures. For the ones that don't know, flickrvision shows pictures as they are downloaded and the location were they are downloaded. Most of the pictures were downloaded in the US, but every once and a while a picture would get downloaded in another country. The Warholizer turns your own pictures into a piece of art.

Thing #5

.Larry Page's http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

I really like flickr. When I was in the classroom I was always looking for real photos to show my students and I did not know about flickr. Now that I am in the library, flickr will really help me with my lessons. I am usually using the clipart that comes with the Microsoft programs (and sometimes I am limited). I can't wait to start using the photos from flickr.

I chose this group of photos because the life cycle of a butterfly is a big unit in 1st grade. The 1st graders spend 6 weeks learning about butterflies and I like to incorporate it into library lessons.

Thing #3

This was my third experience of creating a blog. I have a personal blog that my husband and I post on to keep our family and friends up-to-date and then I had to create another blog for my technology class. I actually had some problems with Blogger this time around, but finally got everything where I wanted it.

I had never made an avatar and I enjoyed it a lot. There were so many things to choose, that I will probably be going back to my avatar page and changing outfits a lot.

Thing #2

After watching the video 7 1/2 Habits, I think that the easiest habit for me would be number 2 - accept responsibility for your own learning. I have always paid my way through college, undergraduate and graduate, and I know that if I do not pass my classes that would be more money out of my pocket. I have always tried my best in all of my classes and made sure to ask for help when I needed it. The hardest habit for me would be number 3 - view problems as challenges. I am one that sees a problem and thinks that everything is falling apart around me. While I am facing my problems, I do not see them as stepping stones or learning opportunities. But once I have solved them, I then see that I needed to have that problem to learning something new.