Blog Dating Correction

I just learned, by looking at my blog posts, that the date for the BLC conference post is correct. Since I wrote it on 7/17 and the draft was saved before I lost wireless, that is the date on the post, even though I published it today 7/20. Very exciting.

Week Four, Thing 1 -- RSS Feeds

Ahhhh, technology!

I just published the blog entry from the November Learning Conference (Building Learning Communities 08) because the wireless in the hotel kept going in and out and I couldn't publish while I was there. So even though it's dated today, the post was actually written days ago.

Which brings to mind, how do all these bloggers keep their sites updated? Some do, some don't. And you really have to be attached to your computer to be a force in the blogosphere. That's not going to happen for me anytime soon; there are too many other humans in my life pulling me away from the keyboard (and that's a good thing, I think.)

Anyway, RSS feeds and readers were something I already knew something about, so I thought this week would be a piece of cake, but I found it just the opposite. I got very confused trying out different aggregator options, from easy to hard. Some of the RSS out there is so available and user friendly that my 7 year old is doing it -- the downside of those is that you are limited by what you are offered. For example, you can make a fun iGoogle home page with tons of changing feeds in about two minutes. Most of the feeds are games and silly stuff that wastes time and bandwidth but it's so FUN!

When I tried to make a serious attempt at finding good library blogs worldwide and adding them to google reader (because that's the reader I had settled on) I got frustrated and overwhelmed. The technology definitely took over. I am still trying to decide on the best aggregator and then just use it. This takes time. I know my students don't have the time or the background to make these decisions, so it's been an important lesson to me in how we help them navigate all this information. We need to demystify, simplify, and remind them why they need a certain technology; or maybe that they don't. Right now I feel like I'm serving the RSS machine rather than it serving me. I'll keep plugging away and something will click eventually.

Greetings from the November Learning Conference

I am writing from the Alan November Learning Conference in Boston (BLC-08). It's an amazing opportunity to meet and learn from educators from around the world about using technology. It's a wonderful combination of big picture ideas and nuts and bolts tech tips. The best part is that it's not about the latest gadget and how to use it; it's about teaching in meaningful ways and perhaps using technology to do that. The keynote speakers have been funny, inspiring, creative and tech savvy. The other professionals are an enthusiastic and hard working bunch. And it's really interesting to meet people from other countries and learn about how they do what they do.

I felt fortunate to have learned a lot this year, through 23 things exercises and my own professional development, about technology. I have noticed that in the course of just a year jargon that was politely being explained in a speech is now just mentioned as if we all know what it is (ex: blogs, wikis, RSS, aggregators, twitter).

Anyway, I recommend visiting the November Learning site to find conference notes from presentations. there are also tons of podcasts being produced from the conference on all sorts of topics of interest to librarians.

One of the main tenets of Alan November is that students need to be taught how to work through and analyze all of the information and media they encounter, and he has an excellent book and program on the subject. I highly recommend his stuff.

Librarians and Tagging

Just a thought; someone should do a study to see whether Librarians' blogs have more meaningful tags than other blogs. You would think ours would be better, wouldn't you?

Week Three, Thing 3 -- Technology Post

There is a lot of talk about the denigration of personal communication that the internet has wrought. I'm inclined to agree with some of it. I do believe we lose something when we choose to text, email, instant message or even use voicemail to avoid personal contact with people. I think the internet has provided a way for people who already have trouble interacting humanely to go two steps further, either with their hatred or with some terrible perversity they may have.

BUT---

that being said, I think I have been most impressed with the generosity and opportunities to create community and communication through technology after starting up 23 Things. Flickr is just one example. All of the sharing and community that goes on is wonderful! Just looking at the other librarians' photos (the Playmobil library scenes really made my day) made me feel a part of that community. And the giving nature of the programmers who create and share their work and projects for everyone else to use -- for Free! The whole open source movement that wants more sharing, not less. The Flickr rules are incredibly human, sensible, and written in a friendly and open manner, an excellent model of communication skills and etiquette. Even blogs, something I had thought was the ultimate in selfishness (and they certainly can be) are more often a way to share expertise and opinions and are a two way street.

It's all in making the effort to keep the technology humane. And part of that is to open up lines of communication. So now I'm off to comment on another blog and try to do my bit.

Week Three, Thing 2 -- Flickr mashups

It is impressive how many skilled programmers are out there creating interesting stuff for the rest of us to do. So far I have made movie and inspirational posters from my photos, ID cards, spelled new words, compared photos of my town and places I've visited with my own impressions...the list goes on. I find I really appreciate the chance to be creative for its own fun sake -- not for any job-performance-related reason. Brings out the smile for sure!

Week Three, Thing 1 -- Learn about Flickr

This is more fun than anyone with a serious job should be allowed to have. I can think of endless uses, both for my students and personally, for Flickr. I am still getting the hang of the group thing, and once again, I feel shy about sharing. I guess I have to get out of "lurker" mode in all of these 2.0 situations; I find I want to stay in the background and not get out there.

Anyway, for a non-visual "word" person like me, it's great to spend some time just looking at and playing with images. And to remember how visual my kids and my students are.

Sites like Flickr are such a gift to the rest of us; technology at its best.

Week Two Thing 4 -- register your blog

I registered my blog and now it's official; I can be seen online with other participants and while I am not necessarily stymied by this while writing, I immediately feel regret after hitting that "publish" button.  It's an openness that this Vermont Yankee has a bit of trouble with, and yet my students and children don't, so it's helpful to try to walk in their shoes.

Week Two Thing 1 -- set up your own blog

Blogger was very easy to use.  I've used Wordpress and I think I prefer Blogger.  I would love to show my kids how to use it; I think they would enjoy writing on a blog, but part of me thinks it is either too risky (because of safety or just hurt feelings when people comment on their blogs) or too artificial (if you put so many protections on the blog that no one is truly reading or commenting on it).  

It's a whole new world for parents and librarians and we have to make individual judgments as best we can.

Week 1 Thing 2 -- Lifelong learners

I enjoyed the online tutorial about lifelong learning and this is, of course, a great exercise for someone who works in education to be gently forced into putting my learning process online for many to see.  (Of course, there are probably not many who will see it, but it isn't easy to put yourself out there, and students must do that every day).  So along with thinking about lifelong learning, I am thinking about my students and the value of seeing from their perspective.  So this group of exercises will have another layer of value to it for me.

Week 1 Thing 1 -- Introduction to 23 Things

Already I have learned a lot just by reading the 23 Things blog.  I didn't realize my home town library had started a presence on the web until I saw a link on the 23 Things blog.  I think of blogs as personal diaries, but I am now seeing many more possibilities.  I am very excited about taking this learning journey.

Back to Work

I just got back from a week long road trip with my family to Michigan. Yes, we planned a road trip when gas prices are at an all time high! It was fun to see some of the great lakes and the midwest, but we were glad to be home, and as always, impressed to see our beautiful Vermont again. We felt we were very objective in thinking it was much more gorgeous than the midwest.

We visited my niece, who works for Google in the midwest. What a great company to work for! It has definitely spoiled her for working anywhere else!

Now it is back to work; lots of projects for school librarians over the summer. Someone asked me if I worked in the summer. If I didn't do anything regarding my library, I don't think I would be able to start the school year! We have computers to set up, a wireless system to attack, DCF books to read, books to order and process, a collection to finish cataloguing online, never mind all the usual AV equipment maintenance, etc. It may be my poor time management, or it may be the nature of library work. What do you think?