I love social networking! I have had a Facebook page since March or April of this year and am enjoying it more each day. I initially joined FB in order to view some family photos that were only on FB. But as I explored more and added more friends, it became more interesting. And now that I've discovered their virtual games (especially Farmville and YoVille), it is addicting.
Through this course, I was able to compare FB and MySpace by looking at the Texas Tech University Library site on both. I can see the attraction to MySpace because it has the colorful layouts that can be edited, whereas FB does not.
As I read and viewed the lesson videos, I also realized that my Shelfari page and even my Amazon book reviews are social networking as well. All of this has fueled a desire for me to utilize the capabilities in my elementary school library. The bad thing is that my school does not have a website and my school district has a filter on FB and MySpace. The good thing is that I can still use FB, Shelfari, and electronic newsletters to pique student interest because many have home computers with internet access. I'll promote these new ventures with staff and students, and no doubt the word will get around to parents as well. I'll just have to set up a 2nd page on each site---professional, therefore separate from my personal pages.
I do have privacy concerns, as I'm sure most librarians have. But I plan to utilize the knowledge I've gleaned from the articles on privacy and my experiences on FB and Shelfari to bring my school's library into 21st century applications of social networking. This is going to be so exciting!
My FB Notes page (which I think I correctly changed the privacy setting to allow anyone to view):
http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?ref=sb#/notes.php?id=729469928
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Method 7, November 28, 2009
As I watched Lee LeFevre's video ("Social Bookmarking in Plain English"), I realized that not only is tagging useful, but I've been utilizing this for several years with Amazon and Shelfari. Imagine that! Now, it has become not only useful with me for those sites, but in the library as well. I see students everyday who are more interested in selecting books based on my recommendation or that of a fellow classmate. So tagging is going to be extremely useful in this respect. Can't wait to get started using this in my school library. I think even first and second graders will be excited to contribute and share tags. Hopefully, it will also lead to them posting comments (with a little help from their teachers and me---well, maybe a lot of help initially). On a good note: it can only help their writing skills.
As for social bookmarking, the necessity of this tool became painfully obvious as I thought back to my frustration this school year when my old school closed and consolidated with another. My computers were damaged in the move and although I eventually located the box with the backup zip disks, in the interim, it was frustrating to try and recall many of the websites I had used for various library skills and activities. Now, I can use Delicious anywhere, so I'm a new fan of this tool. And again, I'll be able to share it with not just students, but mostly with my co-workers and fellow school librarians.
This has been a wonderful lesson that has really jumpstarted my mind with ideas for using and, in the process, reinventing my school library's method for reaching patrons.
As for social bookmarking, the necessity of this tool became painfully obvious as I thought back to my frustration this school year when my old school closed and consolidated with another. My computers were damaged in the move and although I eventually located the box with the backup zip disks, in the interim, it was frustrating to try and recall many of the websites I had used for various library skills and activities. Now, I can use Delicious anywhere, so I'm a new fan of this tool. And again, I'll be able to share it with not just students, but mostly with my co-workers and fellow school librarians.
This has been a wonderful lesson that has really jumpstarted my mind with ideas for using and, in the process, reinventing my school library's method for reaching patrons.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Method 6: November 27, 2009
I enjoyed this step. Touring YouTube was fun. I even found a video of the upcoming Motown 50 Anniversary video to post to my Facebook page! Enjoyed TeacherTube even more. I suppose that is understandable though---right??? It is easier to navigate and not as full of trash as YouTube. Plus, since it is geared towards education then its content is more usable in the library and on library websites without fear of being blocked.
Anyway, the video I selected was about why we should allow students to blog. It goes to the heart of what I'm learning in this online course, so that's why I chose it.
Why Let our Students Blog?
Anyway, the video I selected was about why we should allow students to blog. It goes to the heart of what I'm learning in this online course, so that's why I chose it.
Why Let our Students Blog?
Method 5, November 27, 2009
This was a fun step, and one that I am using already---just not on Flickr. I started using Kodak Gallery in the spring, after treating myself to a Mother's Day gift of a Kodak digital camera. So I've been storing, editing, and sharing photos since spring.
Now, however, I'm being baptized into the granddaddy of online photo sharing sites: Flickr. I find it fascinating, fun, and a little unnerving. Okay, I get it: the practical aspects of archiving photos, like documents, online. But I also get a little nervous about the safety of doing so. Hackers are getting more sophisticated and bold, so I just don't know about the public sharing aspect. Heck, I'm just becoming a little comfortable with posting photos on my Facebook page!
Anyway (lest I digress), I do feel that I'll be utilizing Flickr now and am posting & sharing my chosen Flickr image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clickr_clickr/317198927/
Now, however, I'm being baptized into the granddaddy of online photo sharing sites: Flickr. I find it fascinating, fun, and a little unnerving. Okay, I get it: the practical aspects of archiving photos, like documents, online. But I also get a little nervous about the safety of doing so. Hackers are getting more sophisticated and bold, so I just don't know about the public sharing aspect. Heck, I'm just becoming a little comfortable with posting photos on my Facebook page!
Anyway (lest I digress), I do feel that I'll be utilizing Flickr now and am posting & sharing my chosen Flickr image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clickr_clickr/317198927/
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Method 4, November 26, 2009
The discovery activity was to learn about RSS feeds and subscribe to at least 3. Now that I have learned more about them from the video, readings, and just browsing through a few, I realize this is about saving time by centralizing your feeds into one location. And that in itself, is worth the activity!
Three of my RSS feeds were to:
1) Black America Web http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=rss.xml
2) New York Public Library New Databases http://www.nypl.org/rss/databases.xml
3) Library Journal News http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibraryJournalNews
But I also subscribed to Black America Web, NPR, KHOU.com (local tv station in Houston), and CNN. I'm sure I'll add more. But this is a great start!
Three of my RSS feeds were to:
1) Black America Web http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=rss.xml
2) New York Public Library New Databases http://www.nypl.org/rss/databases.xml
3) Library Journal News http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibraryJournalNews
But I also subscribed to Black America Web, NPR, KHOU.com (local tv station in Houston), and CNN. I'm sure I'll add more. But this is a great start!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Method 3, November 15, 2009
Online productivity tools such as Google Docs, Zoho Projects, Wiki and Show are wonderfully invigorating and highly transforming. To know that I can perform all tasks online, access it anywhere, and not use my computer space is mind-boggling. The more articles and comments I read, and the more videos I watched, my mind began moving in a hundred directions and I became more eager to give cloud computing a chance.
As for library uses and benefits, the greatest is financial because living in the cloud saves time & money. In these times of library funding cuts, it seems to me that library productivity and patron usage would increase, OPAC services could be expanded, social networking sites could be unfiltered thus provided additional sources of often-needed patron information, and librarians could be the means by which patrons are instructed on how to use 2.0 tools effectively and efficiently.
Overall, I'd have to say that I am excited about living/computing in the cloud. Yet I know that I will proceed cautiously at first because of the ever-increasing incidences of successful hacking. But the endless possibilities to re-create the library is spurring me to proceed---with a bit of measured haste.
As for library uses and benefits, the greatest is financial because living in the cloud saves time & money. In these times of library funding cuts, it seems to me that library productivity and patron usage would increase, OPAC services could be expanded, social networking sites could be unfiltered thus provided additional sources of often-needed patron information, and librarians could be the means by which patrons are instructed on how to use 2.0 tools effectively and efficiently.
Overall, I'd have to say that I am excited about living/computing in the cloud. Yet I know that I will proceed cautiously at first because of the ever-increasing incidences of successful hacking. But the endless possibilities to re-create the library is spurring me to proceed---with a bit of measured haste.
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