What a journey!

This assignment is one that I could sink my teeth into.  It represents hands on learning, which is the way I learn best.  Give me what I need and let me run with it.  The beauty is that there were really no right or wrong answers to this assignment.  Every one's reflections and thoughts are their own and I'm sure there were a wide variety of opinions about different exercises.

I especially liked the exercises on finding podcasts and rollyo.  The use of podcasts is fairly new for me and I was exposed to the vast amounts of information to be explored through podcasts and how to find it.  Rollyo is something I had never heard of, but that has such promise in a school setting.  I can envision using Rollyo with students and teachers.  Additionally, I was have a deeper understanding of things I was already familiar with.  For example, I have had a blog in the past, but never knew how to embed a photo or video.

I was surprised to find that a few of these exercises frustrated me or felt worthless.  I will probably never use zotero.  I found it so hard to use and I did not get a clear understanding of how it would benefit me, therefore not finding much value.

For me this assignment does not end here.  We were exposed to so many ways to gather information, but could only scratch the surface in this assignment.  I will go back and search for podcasts, follow more blogs on my google reader, and discover more award winning web 2.0 sites.

I do have one suggestion for improving this assignment.  Web 2.0 tools can be used in so many creative ways.  Unfortunately, I am not super creative and tend to profit from others' creativity.  We were asked to reflect on ways these applications could be used in a library setting, but unless we read everyone's blog posts, those ideas were not shared.  I think it would be helpful to share these ideas in some way.

I leave this assignment with a quote from Dave Barry, but I cannot verify if it is truth (but if it is, maybe it should be included as the 24th thing)

"One day soon the Gillette company will announce the development of a razor that, thanks to a computer microchip, can actually travel ahead in time and shave beard hairs that don't even exist yet."

Biblio.com

From the list of web 2.0 award winners I chose biblio.com, the 2nd place winner in the "books" category.  Essentially biblio is a bookstore for textbooks, new books, out of print books, and rare books.  I searched for a favorite of mine called It's Going to be Perfect by Nancy Carlson.  The search returned 4 copies, but the pricing was bizarre.  Two of the copies were under $3.00 and the other 2 were over $100.00!  This site could certainly be used by libraries as a place to acquire rare and out of print books, or archivists could use this tool to see how much certain books are worth.

The web 2.0 element is in the community forum where users can review and discuss books.  The site also has a facebook page, a blog, and twitter.

Zotero - why do you pain me so?

This was by far the hardest technology to understand and use in the 23 things assignment.  I had such a hard time with it that I skipped it and came back to it.  I watched the tutorial several times, but it just didn't make clear what how the application could be useful to me.  The tutorial went very fast and was hard to follow.  I had the hardest time finding search results that has the folder icon for saving.  I tried amazon and my local library catalog, neither of which had the save icon.  Finally I went to UB's online databases and it showed up on the search results page.

The truth is that I am so turned off by this website that I am not even interested in how it may be useful to me.  I am just mad and frustrated.  But that is tonight.  Tomorrow (but probably several days or weeks from now) I may give Zotero another chance.

My Zotero Library

Perspectives on Web 2.0 and libraries

Web 2.0 applications make my life easier.  In 2006, when these articles were written, I would not have made that statement.  I hardly knew what web 2.0 meant, much less use it.  I think these articles were progressive and quite accurate based on how libraries look today.

I was on board with the majority of the perspectives I read about, but I have to admit that they went a little over my head as well.  Into a New World of Librarianship stressed that libraries must be user centered.  Library decisions should not only take users into consideration, but should have users as active participants in decision making.  Lastly, the library must embrace web 2.0 applications and change with technology in a timely manner.  This was the article that most closely mirrored my own thoughts about web 2.0.  With so many users struggling to use the library effectively,  it is about time users were put first! 

To a Temporary Place in Time touched on the history of libraries and what libraries of the future may look like.  I have lived through the "libraries are buildings and books are commodities" mindset, and I am now experiencing the attempt to have the library be everywhere with an emphasis on user participation.  OK time for true confessions:  I did give second life a try once.  As my avatar was walking to the library, it fell into a fountain and was unable to get out.  It is probably still there today.  My feeling is that we have a long way to go to make the 3D experience user friendly.  Then I was just lost altogether when there was mention of a "knowledge spa" library experience.  I don't know what that means, but it sure sounds nice!

Rollyo

Rollyo is one resource I had no idea about before this 23 things assignment.  After exploring what Rollyo is all about, I decided to use one of my favorite resources, delicious.com, to create my own searchroll.  I went to my delicious page and found that I had 95 tags for "lesson plans".  I took several of these websites and created a searchroll titled "Lesson Plans".  As I explored further, I found that others had created searchrolls with the same title.

Next, I chose to try the explore tab.  I discovered many searchrolls that would be helpful for librarians and I added them to my saved searchrolls.  This resource could have many applications both personally and professionally.  As a school library media specialist, I could create searchrolls for students or teachers to use for research.  These searchrolls would ensure that the students are using only reputable and safe websites.  Rollyo could be a great way for teachers to store and share information with colleagues all over the world.

Check me out:  My Rollyo profile

Library Thing is a good thing.

Wow.  Could a book lover find a site that would be more beneficial?  I can't imagine it.  Creating my account was easy, but the navigation and adding a book to my collection was a little bit confusing.  Once I figured that out, the wonder of library things came alive.  Based on the books I entered, the magic began.  When I clicked on one of the books in my collection, I was expecting reviews by other library users, but I was not expecting to see links to other members who have that book in their collection, recommendations from library thing and other users, and even a list of users who have libraries similar to mine!  I learned that many authors use library thing and share their library with other users.

Just when I thought they had covered it all, I clicked on the other tabs.  The talk tab has an active and interesting forum for topics related to reading and books, and the local tab shows venues and upcoming book related events in a particular area.  Although I could get lost in this site, the most practical uses for me will be to keep track of what I've read and to get ideas about what to read next.

Here's a link to my library thing catalog:

Becki's Library Thing catalog

Cool tools from Google

I loved this assignment because I have been wanting to check out Google Voice for a while and just can't seem to find the time.  So I was able to kill 2 birds with one stone.  Google Voice is interesting, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger.  I like the options for categorizing callers in terms of where calls are received and where voicemail is stored.  I think that the best feature is that the voicemail messages can be sent as text messages.  I always find it such a hassle to have to call my voicemail to receive messages.  Ultimately, it seems like a lot of set up work.  Maybe when I have more time I will explore more and give it a try.

The one tool I discovered that I LOVE is iGoogle!  Having all of the information I want in one place as my homepage is great.  In addition to the staples of weather, news, Facebook, and gmail, I added some gadgets like Amazon.com's deal of the day and "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy.  I also love that you can choose from so many different themes for the page.  I think I will be changing the look frequently just because I like the themes so much and it's hard to chose just one.  Google just keeps making my life easier and easier.

Google Docs

Well my experience was good and bad.  First the good news - I discovered that there are thousands of templates for various uses in Google Docs.  There are backgrounds, budgets, invoices, and even scrapbook pages.  The bad news is that I was totally prepared to "share" my blog post with a Google Doc background (I even had it all typed up) but them I was unable to find the "share" option or even anything similar.  If the option is there, it must not be user friendly because I couldn't figure it out.

Nevertheless, I see proof that these web based word processing applications are taking off.  This year my daughter's school PTA is using an application similar to Google docs to keep track of volunteers or events and my church is using them to organize who is responsible for Sunday morning tasks.  These applications have a wide range of uses and have a promising future.

Library wikis

I enjoyed the variety of wikis that were provided as examples.  I had always lumped wikis into one catergory with the importance placed on anyone sharing information by editing the wiki.  As I explored the "Library Success:  A Best Practices Wiki" and the "Bull Run Library" wiki, I realized that these two wikis are very different both in purpose and in management.

The Library Success wiki is what I have always thought of as a traditional wiki.  It is a space where and and all users are encouraged to share their insights and knowledge by adding to the wiki.  The purpose is for everyone to learn from each other.  Although there were some great links under categories such as "services for teens", "grants for programming" has nothing.  Certainly there are people out there who have knowledge on grant for programming, so why is there no information on this wiki?  That is one of my problems.  This kind of wiki is only as good as the people who know about it and are willing to contribute.

The Bull Run Library wiki has the capability to allow any and all users to edit, but only certain users are granted access to edit.  In this case the wiki is a tool for library patrons to gather information about library.  Most likely only certain library staff can edit or add to the wiki.  Using a wiki in this way allows for more flexibility for staff to get information to their patrons.  When using a traditional website, staff would need to submit information and wait for the person who updates the website to enter it.  The wiki allows for instantaneous updates by any staff with permissions.  I could see a drawback in this situation if there are people who should be contributing to the wiki but don't because they don't know how or don't want to learn.

I hope it's OK to not love all of these "23 things"

Hmmm.  Technorati.  I understand the concept, but I just didn't get excited about this site.  First, the website itself had too much going on.  It made me think about usability and the many great tips I have read in the textbook.  Unfortunately, I felt like I had to think too much about what to do once I was there.  There was a search box for blogs/posts, but then several places underneath that for various subjects.  The "tag" tab did not have a search box, but rather listed popular tags within the last 90 days.  Technorati does seem to be one more place to acquire useful information, but I was hesitant to give it much effort because it made me work too hard.

To answer the direct questions from the discovery exercise, searching for "learning 2.0" in blogs, the blog directory, and tags led to different results.

Delicious and Diigo

I remember when I first discovered delicious and diigo.  It was probably the turning point for me in my view of using the web.  I had always known that there was vast amounts of information on the web that would be useful to me, but was never sure exactly how to find it.  Now I have more bookmarks than I will ever need or use, but I get reassurance knowing they are there and organized if I do need them.

The first reason I love these social bookmarking sites is because I can search for anything and find something.  If I am going on a vacation, I can search for the place I am going and instantly see the websites other people have bookmarked as useful or important.  With Diigo, I value the "my groups" option.  Here I have joined groups about various topics and I can choose to receive weekly or monthly emails from these groups showing me what people have bookmarked about a certain topic.  As I am planning to work in a school setting, Diigo has an educator account as well that allows teachers to create a group of websites about certain topics for students to use for research.  Diigo has made it a safe, controlled environment appropriate for a school setting.

In my opinion, these are the most powerful web 2.0 tools I use.  It is the best of sharing information on the web and I anticipate using them often in my career.

RSS Feeds

When starting this exercise, I knew that I had already set up a Google reader account and that I had a few feeds already.  The problem with these feeds is that I never have time to actually check them and read them.  When I do occasionally visit my Google reader, I have over 1000 posts that I have not read yet.  I can't remember how I found the ones I already had, but low and behold, Google had some recommendations for feeds I may be interested in based on what I already subscribed to.  How easy is that?  Although I did peruse the search sites suggested in the discovery exercise, I ended up going with several of the Google recommendations.  During this exercise, I learned that each feed suggestion tells you the average number of posts each week.  Based on this information, I was able to choose feeds that would not overwhelm me.  I also learned that there are feeds on just about anything.  If you want it, you can find it!

Librivox

Well, I guess I may be an audiobook snob.  Sadly, I did not find anything on Librivox that I wanted to download.  I tried older books that may be in the public domain, but got no results.  After trying several titles, I opted to search the books most recently added to the catalog.  Again, I did not find anything interesting.  I wish my experience was more positive, but I am never at a loss for a great audiobook thanks to my local library!

Tricky tricky

See those podcasts on the left?  It took me a long time to get them there.  Finding an interesting podcast was easy.  Getting the feed on my blog was another story.  Thanks goodness I found a website to help me or I may still be trying to figure it out.  The podcast I chose features author interviews.  It is always fascinating to learn how authors formulate ideas and to hear about their lives.

Heartwarming Story of Christian the Lion

YouTube is certainly a cultural sensation.  The Flickr assignment and this assignment were similar in that there is such a vast amount of items to choose from that it is very hard to choose just one item to display. I chose this video because it stirred emotion in me and I thought that the ending sentiments were appropriate for the anniversary of September 11, 2001.

I have mixed feelings about YouTube.  First, my children love it, but have accidentally stumbled upon inappropriate content.  Unfortunately, I think it is too easy for any user to encounter adult content without intent.  That being said, YouTube is also a treasure trove of primary sources, how-to videos, music, etc.  The user learning potential for a site such as this is immense.  I appreciated the easy to use tools such as favorites, sharing, and subscribing.  I have not yet felt the urge to post my own videos on YouTube, but I do enjoy viewing others'.

The Motivator by Big Huge Labs

The mashups I explored were all very clever, but I especially liked The Motivator by Big Huge Labs.  This application allows the user to choose a photo and make a motivational poster out of it.  The possibilities with an option like this are endless.  As I think about the usefulness of this application in a school setting, I can envision these images representing library rules, acting as advertisements for new books, or reminding students and staff of tools the library can offer.  These posters allow for an eye catching (and humorous, if desired) image and just a few words to get a point across.  Brilliant!!

Read Books. Eat Cookies.

Read Books. Eat Cookies.
Originally uploaded by Geneva Designs

I can get totally lost on flickr. Photography is one of my favorite things, so viewing others' creative outlook on the world is intoxicating. What a challenge it was for me to find just one photo to post, but I chose this one for a couple of reasons. First, it makes my mouth water. I have a very stubborn sweet tooth and would love to have a taste of one of these. Secondly, it represents such a clever idea. These cookies are part of an incentive for a school book fair. They were for teachers to munch on when they came to visit the fair. If there are any teachers like me, they could easily be swayed by a yummy cookie. The only problem I see here is that whoever the librarian is clearly has a lot of time on her hands to be making such goodies. Not sure that I will be in the same boat when I am a school librarian!

7 1/2 habits......

I enjoyed the presentation about the 7 1/2 habits of lifelong learners and it affirmed for me that I am a lifelong learner in many ways.  I would say that the habit that is easiest for me to keep would be accepting responsibility for my own learning.  When I commit to something, I value doing it well.  When it comes to learning, I am motivated to go the extra mile to understand so that my work or learning will be complete and of high quality.  If I learn something thoroughly, I should be able to teach someone else.

One habit that I need to work on is viewing problems as challenges.  I like things to run smoothly and as expected.  I know that this is not always the case, but I appreciated the perspective of the presenter.  Her example of using problems such as a flat tire to learn how to change a tire struck a chord in me.  I learned that the way you react to problems is all in your perception and that I may need to look at problems as unexpected opportunities to learn.