Thing # 23

Well in has been a really interesting trip down the rabbit hole, and I always felt that the white rabbit was right behind me the whole time muttering :I'm late, I'm late for a very important date!" But as I look back on the journey, I am amazed at what I have learned, and what I have acomplised in such a short time.
I can create Web 2.0 products, not just understand what they are, and I actually have opinions about them. I also found that I was using some of the technology, but didn't recognize their "Tags" . All in all it was a very worthwhile journey.
The highlights are these:
Big Huge Labs. What a wonderful tool and so convenient. With the links on this site, I can make interesting and professional presentations, as can my students. I am a firm believer that if I can do it, they can do it so much better and faster, so I share my new learning as quickly as I can.
Wikipedia. I had only heard negative things about this site in my district, and since it is blocked, have never explored it before. That mistake as been taken care of now.
SEOmoz's Winners. This is a great place to check out the best of 2.0 and make my own choices. I love to shop so this is a natural choice for me.
Commoncraft. com. This site is a great refresher for me and a teaching to when I get back to campus. Staff and students alike will see these great videos.
YouTube. No longer a mystery to use & find some great videos both serious and hilarious!
TeacherTube. Not to be forgotten. I used this early on in my vidio hunting experiences. For some reason I didn't feel as intimidated by it and it had some great kid created products in the contents I needed. So never forget the TTube!
Biblio.com. A place I can find the out of print books ect. I am always looking for some oldies but goodies for the hard to please staffers.
Technorati. If for no other reason than to keep on the cutting edge of what is going on I feel I need to have their RRS feed handy.

Which brings me to the Wikis, podcast, RRS feeds and blogs that I have created, and added as well as enjoyed. My level of self-confidence is quite good now, and I won't hesitate to keep practicing and honing them in my future library home. I mentioned going to the Houston downtown library and I am still inspired by what I saw there. Libraries of the future are going to be amazing, and I want to be an active participant in that process!
I am thrilled to be able to say that I have completed the 23 things!!!

Thing # 22

Nings... an intricate social network example for libraries. I liked questia because of the online references and I found a great book on readers theater : "From the Pages to the Stages" Educators complete guide to readers theater by Shrilee Sloyer I intend to look into that one because I love to do RT's and am always looking for ideas.

I really liked the Teacher Librarian Ning the most. It seems to have more subject specific online help for us newbies, an it looks like everyone is a newbie in the 2.0 environment, so I don't believe I would feel inept when asking my many questions. It is easy to navigate which I didn't find to be the case with the Teacher Ning. There I felt like I was in a more random place were I had to filter through a bit of venting, which also has it's place!

Thing # 21

We were working on a chemistry unit last year and my 2nd graders were spontaneously inspired by a science experiment we were doing. They all decided that they could each write a great Science Fiction story about it. As you might have guessed it involved something green and gooey.
After a bit of brainstorming they decided that the best way to present their stories was in a Podcast and here is an example of their inspiration! Enjoy~

Thing # 20

Here is a flash back for sure. I remember having one of these dolls


And here is a Teamwork clip from TeacherTube
TEAMWORK p.s.a.

Shared via AddThis

I love the videos made by kids for kids. I think that the kids pay so much more attention to them using critical analysis to it's fullest potential.

Pulling primary documents [and I use that term losely with the Barbie commercial] is also very effective becaues it develope place and setting for a time period that one really can't to justice to when trying to describe it in the 3rd person.

Thing # 19

I just found Picasa on the SEOmoz's web awards. Had to try my hand at it.
There are so many applications for this. Morning announcements to feature what is going on in the library, BookTalk collage of say... Bluebonnet selections. You could start a wall of Fame and feature young writers or make great blog uploads. The list is endless.

And Here is a collage from the same site. This is awesome!!

Thing # 18

Google Docs is by far my favorite. It might be because I have already been using the Google platform so long, and it is easy and familiar for me to navigate and interfaces with. I love the online forms application process. When I can get one less thing to do, I am so there. Less sifting and less paperwork, digital or other wise. I have used their eco friendly Blackle search page for years, and so this is just a natural progression for me.
Becasue it is web based, you don't have to worry about what platform everyone is using. Do I have office 97, or 2004, or the lastest version. Will I be able to open it or will it have to be sent again or made into a PDF which is a read only doc.... all of this is a mute point and one less head ache... well actually 2 less for me!

Thing # 17

Rollio seems like a great thing if you have a really good search base, but I found that is no easy feat. When I tried their pre-made search clusters, I did have better luck than when I tried to create my own. I still found that most of the sited that I got were repetitive and off topic, or I should say of my topic. I think that I will have to learn a lot more before I will be confident, or have the vision to understand how this site might help me. A down and dirty Google search was much more fruitful than my attempts on this site.

Thing # 13 mastered!

blog (4) blogg (3) book (8) called (2) cataloging (2) collaborative (2) comments (10) community (3) considered (2) create (3) edge (8) everyone (3) feel (2) http (3) idea (2) intend (3) interesting (2) intimidating (2) knowledge (2) learn (4) library (6) link (3) love (5) needs (3) organize (2) people (3) pepper (9) personal (3) pm (5) posted (7) rather (2) reader (2) reliable (2) review (2) shelfari (2) site (8) skill (3) social (2) someone (3) space (3) tags (6) think (6) tools (3) town (2) used (2) visit (2) wiki (5) wonder (2) working (4) world (3)

created at TagCrowd.com

Thing # 16

Wiki, wiki, wiki. I love that it is an actual word in Hawaiian. That seems fitting as like it's name this 2.0 platform is very unstructured, and laid back as the islanders themselves. From what I can tell, wikis are as varied as the people who develop them. I love the collaborative aspect of the sites. I also intend to explore their use in the next year if not on a district platform, then on a personal one.

So many possibilities to organize, communicate and reconfigure plans in ones own time. Real time is great, but creativity sometimes needs time to develop core ideas and allow those to be mulled over.
I founds a neat site to compare wiki sponsors it is called WikiMatrix . I will visit that when I decide on my project.

Thing #15

programmers write reusable, constantly updated software components that are embedded or loosely coupled with other Web applications.

This comment by Tom Storey in the OCLC Vol. 2 (2006) newsletter speaks directly to the dilemma of the librarian today. The dynamic of 2.0 is self-evident. With very little effort, you can modify one of the most reliable database "wikipedia" in real time, insert your opinion into any blog conversation no matter where in the world it is being had, while texting your BFF on your phone and getting help from class mates clear across town on by e-mail . The skill is called multitasking, and it is the one skill I don't see in the TEKS.

I don't think that books are obsolete, or disappearing before our very eyes. I teach my students that there are checks and balances in place in the book publishing world[we call them editors and fact checkers] that allows a margin of reliability to this tangible object. But I do understand that it isn't the only option any more and when I recently visited the Central Library in downtown Houston, I was thrilled with their take on Libraries in the 21st century. More computers [being used to the max I might add] flat screen TV's movies and books on tape as well as my beloved books. I felt like I was in a Barns and Noble, not a library. It felt vibrant and essential.

In order to create an inclusive community I see tagging, sharing and personal cataloging as important services to offer. It creates a sense of ownership, like everyone who uses the library can design their own study carol and no one needs worry about there being enough space for everyone. for me now, the library is a communication hub if you will where everyone has access to the same vast database of knowledge .
Democratcy depends on this acces to knowledge, and Ben Franklin and Tomas Jefferson would be stunned but rather impressed I think.

Thing # 14

Technorati is huge, and thank goodness someone wanted to make the blogg world more accessible. I like the comparison to the voice of the people. It is very much a town hall scenario.
I registered my blogg, but now I feel a major pressure to put something wise or at least global on it. Then again, the chances of someone wandering into my space is not so intimidating considering all of the sites. I loved the comment about the people who blogg the most, and therefore get the most pings, might be a bit crazy. I was wondering if it was just me lol!
I had never been interested in bologing before because the sheer numbers, and how to wade through them to find anything I could use seemed a waste of my very limited time. Now, not so much. In my next life [the one after grad school] I intend to roll up my sleeves and get in there. I think that like collaboration anywhere. You can find great insight with the right tools.

Thing # 13

Tagging is not a new skill, but the efficiency of Delicious when trying to search through such a large amount of information seems invaluabel. The one drawback is that I will have to take time to learn the many intricacies of this app before I feel like it is practical for me. I can see how it will be a great system to set up initially and the dividends will be great once it is organized. As I see the interest and teaching patterns of the staff I will be working with, I can start cataloging sited that will support their needs. Since I can personalize the tags to my own style I don't have to learn someone else's logic and I believe I will more readily think of this as an invaluable organizational tool. As I am typing I got an image of all of the tags I might associate with the 23 things. hummm... now there is a tag cloud I would like to see!

Thing # 12

I found myself in a steep learning curve when I got to thing #12. I had assumed that blogging was kind of like thinking out loud. I had not considered the whole concept from the perspective of the audience. I have not tried to hyper link as the html is rather intimidating to me, but I intend to attempt it in the next few days to come back and link to some of the sites I am mentioning here.
I am going to look into CoComment in more depth. It looks very interesting and I do use FireFox as my browser.
As I went into How to invite comments, I thought to myself that this would create a responsibility in me to respoint to all the comments. I was relieved to read that not every one feels the compulsion to respond [10% did seem quite minimal]. I know that my strength is open ended comments, so I am going to throw a few of those out there, and see what happens.
I like the idea of a community in cyber space. Much of the social judging that we do in face to face interaction has strong overtones of our social, religious, economical and educational background. I wonder how much of this is picked up in blogs.

Oh, I have a question in all of this is: is there such thing as too much .... in this process? AND what about the voyeurs... where do they fit in?

Thing # 11

This is an incredible site. I have just logged one author in and it is incredible. I love the visual aspect. I am not a list person, so to be able to see the book jacket is great. It is the same feature I love about iTunes. I will be working on my LibraryThing site off and on till I catalog all of my library collection.

Thing # 10

1. I love playing around! These cartoons are great learning tools. Every word must count or it just doesn't work. Here is the site I used: http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/

2. The fake magazine site is great for political satire =0) This is where I created this magazine cover: http://graphics.imagetemplate.net/magazines/?page=10



3. The puzzle maker is interesting but I don't know how I would apply it just yet. Here is the link: http://bighugelabs.com/jigsaw.php



But my favorite is BigHugsLabs. It's all in one place and I think that this would be most efficient when working with the kids.

Thing # 9

Blogs, wikis' and RRS feeds.... so much information, so little time. I really liked Cool Cat's recommendations about surrounding yourself with wise... I know I get impatient when I run across someone with a soap box. I am looking for the communicator myself. I checked out CC's own choices and found a few I liked, then did a bit of a personal search, and am pleased with my personal list.
I also liked Edublog for many reasons. First of all I wanted to see what a really good blog looked like and I was very happy to see so many variations on a theme. I really want to develop my own presence when I am out in cyberspace and now I have a few inspired thoughts thanks to this site. I still don't know what type of blogging I am interested in.... guess time will tell.
I wandered into a space on YouTube that had a great wiki vidio, and it got me thinking about collaboration methods... I see wiki use in my future collaboration efforts! Very serendipitous. I think that is what I like most about this new method of communication. I may start out looking for one ting, but invariably I find other items that are potentially useful in other areas. Keeping an open mind while searching may be the key to this paradigm shift.

Thing # 8

I have always been wary of the strange little orange icon. After creating my own way to manage them, I have found that they can be useful. I just found a great deal on pet prescriptions while doing my homework. I like this!
I can see how you can manage your professional communications much more effectively without feeling totally overwhelmed. With some well honed skim reading skills, I could actually keep up with the trends that are my passion and those that are my responsibility efficiently. I believe I will keep up with my Google reader account. I have put it into my quick links bar, so that i don't forget it. Once it becomes a habit, like my 3 e-mail accounts, facebook , and online banking, I can remove it from the must remember checklist.

Thing # 7

Google has always been a favorite of mine. In fact, at home and on the computers in my class we use Blackle the energy saving component of google. Now I find that there are way to many choices out there to customize any aspect of my online experience you can think of. I built the quick home page and found that in no time I had cluttered it with so many "aps" that I would never leave the space if I tried to take advantage of all the "tailored to my taste" toys I had collected. only a minimalist could survive this onslaught of multimedia nirvana.
The practical tools and information is as amazing with the volume of information right at your fingertips... literally.
It seems I am not all that good at the game "Where in the World" by round 22 my highest score was 657. hmmm.

Thing #6

Yahoo travel trip planner was a neat mashup site. It is a great way to let people see where you have been. No more hard copy photo albums for me. I didn't understand color pickr though. I couldn't see it as an application, but is was a great way to see the photos. Will need to get some guidance here. I really liked mosaic maker. I think the kids could do some neat assignments with this one. This is not a topic that one can skim over, but I have to get up and walk away frequently because all of the possibilities are a bit overwhelming.

Thing # 5

Flickr is huge. I wandered for about 2 hours, and still don't think I have a real grasp of the scope of this site. I love the Big Huge labs page and all of the flickr toys. I think I will upload some pictures and see how they can be organized and I feel like I can search for pics pretty well but will have to be aware of the fair use practices.
Some of the pictures are so awesome, that I immediately wanted to know how they got the effects. Being a minor photo geek, I am always curious how a shot was captured. This site could be a time warp trigger for me.
pepper

Thing #4

It's done. I need to see if I can personalize it a bit, but for a first time I feel pretty good about it..nuff said.

Thing # 3

Well, I think I have officially created a blog. It lacks much, but it exists somewhere out there. I hope to keep up with it through out the summer, and maybe someone will read it. lol
I feel like I should say something worth while, but all I keep thinking of the old query: If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it really make a sound?
So I am wondering, if you have a blog and no one reads it, is it really a blog? hhmmm??

Thing #2

71/2 habits was most interesting, though not surprising after 3 decades of teaching. I am glad that the 1/2 was added. To my way of thinking, if you are not in it for the fun, then you are in the wrong business. So the easiest would be the 1/2. On the other hand I believe that the Think/win/win is for me the hardest. When you think of maintaining one or two interpersonal relationships sucessfuly on a professional basis, this habit is doable, but when you are trying to keep up with an entire staff, or even 5 to 6 grade levels, it becomes very complicated, and sometimes I am not as flexible as I would like to be. I become frustrated when more often than I like, I find the answer is no deal. I have to pull back and remember my original goals and regroup to Think, and Win another day.
On a completely different note, I thought the powerpoint was a little anticlimactic... I expected a few more bells and whistles.

Thing #1

I didn't realize until I did the reading in Thing # 1 that my Facebook page is just a controlled blog where all of the layout and design are done for you... That made me a bit more curious to see what else I could do. Still not sure how I feel about wikis though.