A great Thing to end on

Overall, Learning 2.0 is awesome. I am torn between just one thing a week or how great fewer weeks looks. Is it better to know I have one Thing each week? Would that make the list on the blog archive too overwhelming? I am glad I don't have to make that decision.

I still wonder why I need a Skype or Twitter account. However, I am very thankful I didn't have to create a Facebook account. Oh, thank you!

I have shed tears of frustration (Week 3, photos & images) and laughed myself to tears (Week 11, Online Video). Many of the things were fun (Week 10 Spring Break and Week 13 Tag Clouds). I found I learned many things I can use in the future (so many I will not list them). Perhaps another important lesson I learned is there is so much out there to learn. Now, I can search it out and do it.

Oh Wordle, how I love you!

That's right, I love Wordle. I had been introduced to Wordle.net while on an observation. She was creating Dewey signs to help her high school students navigate through the collection. I've been a Wordle fan since.

Podcasting

We make what we call podcasts quite often at my school. They are not saved out in a public place like the internet, rather in house on the server. They also have pictures with the various layers of sound. So, my question is this: Are these still podcasts or something else?

The core has me teaching literary genres so I found this address which is about how those genres are written. The genre I listened to was historical fiction; but there were many to choose from in the archive. Anyway, I thought that was a unique viewpoint to share in the library.

http://epnweb.org/index.php?request_id=1401&openpod=4#anchor4

Video

Once I watched the YouTube about how to embed YouTube into Blogspot it was miraculously easy. I do not know if that is because it is actually easy or if I am getting better at this stuff.
I had an awful time choosing from the many great videos associated with libraries. In searching, I found a great clip of Mr. Bean in the library I plan on using next year to help teach library behavior. For this assignment, I chose a video that shows the many formats available within a library. Happy viewing.

Rollyo

When I first tried Rollyo I thought it was worthless. I went through creating an account and rolling together websites because that was the assignment. I went through the motions wondering why I was doing this and when it would be over. Then, I got into searching others rolls. I am so glad I continued beyond just the motion of completing the assignment. I found some great resources for next year. I will have to bookmark this site. It is great. Was I a bit too honest?

A Trip to the Library

With a tweet, tweet here and a tweet, tweet there...

That's right. Having to announce my every move to followers is for the birds. If I want to have lunch with a friend, we are both so busy we have to schedule "tweeks," not tweets, in advance. I do not see a personal use for Twitter.

Luckily, the question was what can Twitter do for a library. I can see perhaps using this to announce new titles or fun events at the library. But really, who wants to follow a small school library's blog, wiki, AND Twitter account? Seems to be overwhelming, not only to the patrons but for a single librarian to keep all of these accounts up-to-date and active. Really? I guess it would be a great volunteer opportunity for a tech savy parent. Still, they would need the librarian to provide a lot of the information.

In summary, I do not see an efficient use for Twitter for a small library that also has a blog and a wiki.

RSS or Really Suitable Sites

I found several great sites but not many I would want to hear from daily. You would really have to be passionate about something to want to hear from them daily. I don't even talk to my dad on a daily basis. I guess that is why I am the technology alien. Anyway, I subscribed to "Kiss the Book" blog because I was familiar with this incredible site and know it has some great information. I will be ordering for 7-9 grades so I also subscribed to the tweendom, okay I haven't yet. I thought I had but when I went back to get the name correct it wasn't there. Anyway, it has some information which I may find helpful in selecting books for the order. I also do not see "Geek Dad" which I thought I subscribed to. This is a site full of geeky projects dads can do with their kids. Since we are one big happy family at school, I thought we could use some there as well. Off to see why those two did not show up in my Feeds. Oh, after I feed the dog! So much to do!

So many blogs, so few worth reading

So I searched for subjects relevant to me: LEGO and creative writing, not together of course. I started very specific with both, LEGO MindStorm NXT 2.0 and poetry. I was given one match total and that was a poetry sight. This was the case with both types of searches. I decided to focus on a more general LEGO search with LEGO MindStorm. This still found 0. Only when I searched for LEGO were any sites found and then I had to wade through blogs not worth the screen they were displayed on. Remember when we use to say, "Not worth the paper it was written on."?

I think I can do without Technorati. In order for great blogs to be available, the blogger needs to know about Technorati. Now, I know I had a barn when I was growing up (I did not actually live in it) but Technorati is just not well known to the general public that I hang around.

I was also very disappointed "education" was not a category.

Yum, that was del.icio.us

I attempted several searches on delicious. I found the results very helpful. I have recently been given the opportunity to lead the LEGO MindStorm afterschool club. I searched for building ideas for not only the MindStorms, but the WeDo as well. I found a lot of great information.

Also, the word for next year is I will be a traveling LA teacher, as well as the librarian. If I keep my bookmarks in delicious, I can access my resources from any and all classrooms I may be teaching in throughout the day.

As for the students, they are not assigned a single computer. They can be working at several computers throughout the day. If they could save their sources on delicious, they would not have to search again for those great sites.

DELICIOUS!

Wiki Worries

My wiki address is as follows:

technologyalien.pbworks.com

Library 2.0

As I read this article, I couldn't help but think of the charter which governs my school. We are to embrace and intigrate technology as our focus or emphasis. I wondered how I could do that in the library with the entire student body. The bigger question I am always pondering is when? When can I review blog or wiki postings? When can I tutor the student who posted inappropriate material? I guess when I am released as the librarian for not pushing technology to the limit I will have all the time I will need to do what I need to do now.

Library Thing

I actually enjoyed Library Thing. I have my personal library inventoried on a spreadsheet. Library Thing would be much more enjoyable, however more work as well. While Library Thing is fun, I do not see that I have the time to enjoy it. With a family, a job, and going to school, I really have to eliminate the fun stuff or at least postpone it. As for the library use, this would be a great place to send students to see what is a good read for them. However, how do you control what books they preview and whose bookshelf they visit? The blurb is not much different from reading the summary included on the software they use to search the collection. Our software also displays a cover when available. I have a listing of books I've read on my website, although there is not a summary, a blurb or a review. What to do? What to do?

Where has all the funding gone?

Where has all the funding gone?
Originally uploaded by Technology Alien

Help us avoid empty shelves. Contact your representative today.

Wikis

So, is my pbworks account a wiki?

My thoughts on Wikis: While Wikis can be useful, so can talking, texting, meetings, email, snail mail, any communication. Everything has its useful niche in our world. I'm just not comfortable in the Wiki niche. Txt? I can do it blindfolded. Wikis? I am going in blindly.

Lifetime Learner

While sitting with our son, Makita, doing homework, my husband told him he can 1)do it for him, 2)talk him through the steps or 3)watch him do it and help when he needs it. He told Makita he would remember it better if they did the last choice. What do you remember from elementary? The projects you had a lot of help completing? The homework you sat together to complete? Or the award you won because you did your own, original work? To be a life-long learning, one must start learning and stop leaning. So, my husband definately had the end in mind while Makita was set on the idea of play.

I, on the other hand, read the 7 1/2 habits and wondered how I ever made it this far. In testing myself, I only passed #7 and # 1/2. I have a lot of work to do if I want good learning habits. Augh! There's the negative feelings from Kuhlthau's Information Seeking Process setting in! I'm going to close out now. See you Tuesday.