Thing #23: Summarize Your Thoughts

I made it! Yeah! Here are a few thoughts about my journey into 23 Things:

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I especially enjoyed learning about the creative tools available to add a little spice to my library program. I enjoyed using Flickr and learning about the Creative Commons site for photos. I had a lot of fun with the mashups and online image generators.

How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

I have learned about so many new tools that I am already using to make my library program even more effective and hopefully more inviting to my students and staff.

Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I found that I really enjoyed this online course format so much more that going to a week-long seminar. I was able to work at my own pace to complete the assignments and that really worked well.

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

I do wish that I had the opportunity to visit everyone's blogs. The participants have so many great ideas, but it is time consuming to go to each blog for each thing assignment.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?

Yes.

How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities?

23 Things is a wonderful opportunity to learn new tools and share valuable advice with fellow educators.

To my fellow librarians and educators throughout the Net, keep up the great blogs!

Thing #22: Nings

Thing #22
I had never heard of Ning before. I can how a group of people sharing similar interests could be beneficial. I explored, and joined the TeacherLibrarianNing because the discussions were current and meaningful for me. Quite a few of the Nings are very small which does not allow for a lot of discussions. I can see creating a Ning with other librarians in our district, though we may be better served by using a wiki or blog. There are so many resources to still explore! How do you communicate with fellow librarians?

Thing #21: Podcasts and Videocasts

Podcasts and Vidcasts are great ways to share book reviews. I've used Photostory quite often to create booktalks and other library lessons. Photostory is a simple program that is wonderful for pulling together a project during the busy school days. Teachers enjoy having access to these short videos to share with their class. I place the vidcasts on a shared drive and send out a link to the teachers. Here is a short Photostory on my family's recent trip to the Grand Canyon.

Thing #20: Explore YouTube And TeacherTube

I've used YouTube and TeacherTube to search for videos, lesson ideas, and information. It is so amazing what you can find! I think TeacherTube is a wonderful tool for educators to share. I found several videos on technology, books and libraries including one called Pay Attention that has the common message that we need to capture our students with what they are already using --technology!

Thing #19: Explore the Web 2.0 Awards List

I took some time looking over the Web 2.0 Awards List and discovered that most of the sites that I liked best have been suggested by Library2Play! I did go to the yourminis site and found some fun widgets. However, a word of caution about adding widgets that someone else created -- be careful what you add to your blog. Some of the widgets with changing text or images may contain items that you do not want on your blog. Just browsing through some "fun" widgets, I found a few surprises.

Thing #18: Online Productivity Tools

Open Office appears to be an option for students to use especially if they need a free word processing program to use at home. Google Docs is a good solution when you want to access a document away from home or work. I always carry my faithful flash drive with me to save documents, but Google Docs provides another location to save my files. I recently used Google Docs to save flight information and my travel itinerary so that I could access it on my iPhone. It worked beautifully.

Thing #17: Rollyo

I have to admit that I wasn't sold on the idea of one more search engine to clutter my mind (and my laptop). However, I did sign up with Rollyo even though I kept thinking that I could do this with Google too. Then I tried creating a simple searchroll using some favorite recipe sites. Wow! It was so easy to create Cooking at Home. I can see this tool being used by teachers and librarians because it is quick and easy.

Thing #16: Wikis

We all spend many hours sifting through emails, sometimes deleting that one valuable posting in our hast to rid ourselves of the mountains of clutter. I really feel that some well designed wikis could help librarians and teachers use their time and share resources more efficiently. Our biggest obstacle has been the district firewall and the belief that wikis and blogs are "social" instead of professional networks. Hopefully by presenting some examples of useful wikis, that belief will change.

Thing #15: Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the Future of Libraries

Libraries need to embrace technology, not fear it. I think that many librarians worry that our wonderful centers filled with printed books will fade away if we encourage the use of online resources. I hope not. I see the eager faces of my young patrons as they choose their first books. But I also realize that these same students use YouTube, iTunes, MySpace, and other resources for entertainment and information.

Librarians of the 21st century need to wear many hats -- and keep changing them as our patrons' needs evolve. We need to teach our young patrons to be smart, savvy, and selective when it comes to internet resources.

Thing #14: Technorati

After searching the "blogosphere" of Technorati for School Library Learning 2.0, I found 251 results and many interesting articles. Here is just a sample of some of the results: AASL Announces Inaugural Best Web Sites for Teaching and Learning; 20 iTunes Feeds for the 2.0 Teacher; and the fantastic In Bb 2.0, a collaborative music and spoken word project conceived by Darren Solomon from Science for Girls.

I spent quite a lot of time browsing Technorati and using Delicious to tag some sites of interest. I think Technorati is a very user-friendly search engine that will help me connect with some blogs of interest to me as a librarian.

Thing #13: Tagging & Social Bookmarking Through Delicious

I must confess that I bookmark quite a lot at school and home and do not keep them very organized. I've been frustrated on many occasions and even starting copying and pasting websites into a word document just to save them. Of course then I need to find the file when I need it. I'm glad that Delicious was introduced to us. I am now a believer!

I've read several comments on how to use tagging and bookmarking in a school setting. I will definitely share this site with my teachers. I think this will also be a great way to share websites without emailing each one.

If you work in an elementary school, how do you plan to use Delicious with your staff or students?

Thing #12: Creating Community Through Commenting

I really enjoyed the article called 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog. Inviting comments and asking questions would be great ways to encourage comments especially on my library blog for students and teachers. Since I consider myself a novice in the world of blogging, I also found helpful tips in Beginning Blogger Checklist: 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a New Blog. So what did you learn about commenting? Let's share!

Thing #11: Library Thing

Library Thing is very addictive. I spent some time adding books and searching the groups. I can see a use within a school environment by setting up an online "book club" for your students, teachers, and even parents. They could read and react to the book through Library Thing. I will recommend this site for the book lists...there's a little something for everyone. I added a Children's Books list that includes the books on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2009-2010.

Thing #10: Image Generators

I found Wordle and the Custom Sign Generator very versatile and easy to use. The wordles are visually stimulating and would be a great way to generate interest in certain genres in the library. I will be using many of the image generators this year to add variety to my blogs and library newsletters.

http://www.wordle.net/. Images of Wordles are licensed .

Thing #9: Useful Library Blogs

Sifting through the world of blogs has been interesting and a little overwhelming. There is so much out there, I feel like a student asking "where should I start?" I think that the article How to Create your Circle of Wise on Cool Cat Teacher Blog helped put things in perspective for me. As far as blogs go, we should take what works for us and leave the rest for another day. Google Blog Search is a great way to find a site but not as useful for browsing. The Edublogs' award winners is good for finding some blogs with helpful information. Technorati had some interesting topics, but not necessarily things related to libraries.

Thing #8: RSS Feeds

I can see how using RSS Feeds can save you time. I have several that appear on my iGoogle page. Now whenever I open the page, I can glance at it to see what's new. While using RSS feeds can save time, they also take time to set up.

I hope to use and share RSS feeds with teachers and other librarians this fall.

Thing #7: Cool Google Tools

As the proud owner of a new iPhone, I discovered (by Googling) that I could use Google calendar as my iPhone calendar and instantly sync all events on the computer. I do not need cables or Bluetooth. Wow! It's fabulous. I can even share the calendar with my colleagues, family, and friends. Here's where I found the information: http://www.groovypost.com/howto/apple/sync-iphone-or-ipod-touch-calendar-and-contacts-with-google/. I'm also using Google Docs to have access to pdf and other files at school as well as home. Google Maps is a great way to plan a vacation.

Thing #6: Mashups & 3rd Party Sites

I worked with the mosaic maker and had some fun. I want to take more pictures now to make more of my own mosaics. I would like to see about using the trading cards in school -- possibly as incentives for students or a fun way for teachers to learn more about others on the staff. I was thinking about having a silhouette of a teacher with clues and having others guess who the trading card really is. There is so much to learn from these sites. :)

Thing #5: Flickr

Using Flickr was a wonderful experience. I will definitely be using photos from the Creative Commons site as I create powerpoints and photostories for lessons. I discovered that using tags to search is an efficient way to find some great photos quickly. I plan to share some of the groups with teachers at my school. As you can see, I am rather fond of the funny animal pictures!

Thing #4: Blogging

My blog is up and running and I'm learning about Flickr and adding pictures to a blog. One of my biggest challenges so far has been to learn about formatting and editing. My goal is to blog just a little each day -- I have a lot to learn!

Thing #3: Avatar Creating

It took a little tweeking, but my blog now has its own avatar. I had fun adding accessories and changing outfits. I tried to save the html code but ran into a problem. After saving as a jpg file, it zipped right onto the blog!

Thing #2: A Lifelong Learner

I love learning about and using new technology. I am always willing to use new "techy" tools to engage students and get them excited about research and learning. My biggest challenge is the obstacle of time. I need to read books, create lessons, order materials, and still find time to stay "up" on the newest trends. Lifelong learning is not just part of my job. It's an essential element of my life!