In spite of good intentions I haven't done any posting since finishing the 23 Things. So, it's time for an update. We did get through our graduation open house and everything went very well. We had great weather, lots of good food, and a great time with friends and family. Joel is now working at Fleet Farm for the summer and will be attending the U of M at Morris in the fall. He has participated in the PSEO program at UMM for the past two years, so the transition shouldn't require too much of an adjustment. He will still be commuting for this year at least.
Our library is well into the summer program, "Look What's Cookin'... at Your Library!", and our Children's Librarian, Karen Simmons, is doing a fantastic job as usual. Niki, Kim, and Suzi fill the much needed supporting roles in the children's library, although the effect of "school being out" does impact us all. Summer is truly upon us!
Living in Minnesota we know that we have to make the most of these hazy, lazy days of summer. The countdown to Norway is now at 39 days, so I am understandably getting excited! There are, of course, some final details to work out, a big one being how much luggage we girls will be allowed to take! Between now and August 6th I am determined to sneak in some other fun and relaxing getaways along with just enjoying quiet moments in the back yard.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Exploring & Promoting the Tools
Recently I have been attempting to help a co-worker create a presentation for a class project. She is combining a podcast with a slides using Picture Trail, but we aren't sure how the timing will work out. Just now I was also looking into Zoho and Thumbstacks to see if one or the other would be something that she could use.
I have been actively participating in Facebook and have 5 friends! So far I have preferred that over doing anything with Google Chat. And now Facebook has Chat also, so I'll probably use that instead.
I have been actively participating in Facebook and have 5 friends! So far I have preferred that over doing anything with Google Chat. And now Facebook has Chat also, so I'll probably use that instead.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thing 23. Final Thoughts
Well, here I am doing Thing 23!! Almost finished! When I started with Thing 1, my thinking was that this would either be so way beyond my capability or may not be of interest to me. I wasn't at all certain as to how far I would go. I couldn't have guessed that I would hang in there to the end, but one Thing led to another Thing, and then I was hooked!
I can't say that I have connected much with others that are doing 23 Things on a Stick, not yet anyway, but I did join the 23 Things Ning and hope to connect there. Also, there may be some from our library doing the "Things" the next time it's offered, and I would hope to at least be an encourager when that happens. I have made connections in Facebook, of course, and that wouldn't have happened without 23 Things. Also, just becoming more knowledgeable of Web 2.0 has opened doors of conversation with others, especially younger people. I suppose that would fall into the "unexpected outcomes" category.
The overall unexpected outcome of doing 23 Things on a Stick was a reviving of the joy of learning. I never would have guessed that I would enjoy doing it so much that time would go by without even thinking of snacking or eating! The positive outcome of that was losing a few pounds! A somewhat negative outcome has been that I haven't been doing much reading at all while doing the "Things".
I have a hard time coming up with "favorite Things" and "least favorite Things". Some "Things" were obviously more fun, like Flickr and the Online Image Generators, but some of the more challenging and frustrating, like the ELM Productivity Tools, are probably the most useful in our work.
With respect to improving the program in any way, I do have one suggestion that was inspired by the WebJunction article in Thing 21, "Building a Social Networking Environment at the Library". The examples were very specific. I think it would be helpful to propose a real or imagined scenario and then demonstrate how to apply a certain web tool to it. It's fine to ask for participants' ideas of how to use the tools, but frankly we need help to see the possibilities from those who are much farther along. At least I do. Perhaps a typical situation could be presented in which the old way of handling it could be contrasted with a new approach using the Library 2.0 tools. Or maybe there could be an assignment for participants to work together in a team project in which each one is given the task of applying a particular tool, or otherwise, to be responsible for a particular aspect and use whatever tools they find appropriate.
I appreciate the opportunity provided through 23 Things on a Stick to learn about web tools that, at most, I had only heard about. Where else could I get this training, and to be able to do it at my own pace, in my own setting, and at no cost to me? 23 Things has enabled me to break through a sort of information barrier that, from my age and perspective, I would not have thought possible. I would be very interested in participating in future learning programs of this sort, but not without having a break. Having been exposed to so much new information through 23 Things in just a few weeks, I will need some time to digest and attempt to apply what I have been learning. I also need to get ready for my son's high school graduation, learn a few words of Norwegian before my trip in August, and yes, read a few good books!
Thank You! Thank You! This has been an amazing experience, and I am so glad that I did it.
I can't say that I have connected much with others that are doing 23 Things on a Stick, not yet anyway, but I did join the 23 Things Ning and hope to connect there. Also, there may be some from our library doing the "Things" the next time it's offered, and I would hope to at least be an encourager when that happens. I have made connections in Facebook, of course, and that wouldn't have happened without 23 Things. Also, just becoming more knowledgeable of Web 2.0 has opened doors of conversation with others, especially younger people. I suppose that would fall into the "unexpected outcomes" category.
The overall unexpected outcome of doing 23 Things on a Stick was a reviving of the joy of learning. I never would have guessed that I would enjoy doing it so much that time would go by without even thinking of snacking or eating! The positive outcome of that was losing a few pounds! A somewhat negative outcome has been that I haven't been doing much reading at all while doing the "Things".
I have a hard time coming up with "favorite Things" and "least favorite Things". Some "Things" were obviously more fun, like Flickr and the Online Image Generators, but some of the more challenging and frustrating, like the ELM Productivity Tools, are probably the most useful in our work.
With respect to improving the program in any way, I do have one suggestion that was inspired by the WebJunction article in Thing 21, "Building a Social Networking Environment at the Library". The examples were very specific. I think it would be helpful to propose a real or imagined scenario and then demonstrate how to apply a certain web tool to it. It's fine to ask for participants' ideas of how to use the tools, but frankly we need help to see the possibilities from those who are much farther along. At least I do. Perhaps a typical situation could be presented in which the old way of handling it could be contrasted with a new approach using the Library 2.0 tools. Or maybe there could be an assignment for participants to work together in a team project in which each one is given the task of applying a particular tool, or otherwise, to be responsible for a particular aspect and use whatever tools they find appropriate.
I appreciate the opportunity provided through 23 Things on a Stick to learn about web tools that, at most, I had only heard about. Where else could I get this training, and to be able to do it at my own pace, in my own setting, and at no cost to me? 23 Things has enabled me to break through a sort of information barrier that, from my age and perspective, I would not have thought possible. I would be very interested in participating in future learning programs of this sort, but not without having a break. Having been exposed to so much new information through 23 Things in just a few weeks, I will need some time to digest and attempt to apply what I have been learning. I also need to get ready for my son's high school graduation, learn a few words of Norwegian before my trip in August, and yes, read a few good books!
Thank You! Thank You! This has been an amazing experience, and I am so glad that I did it.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Thing 22. What Did I Learn Today?
I do resolve to keep up my blog, to use what I have learned in 23 Things and to continue to be on the lookout for new tools and ideas. I'm already hooked on Facebook, Flickr, my "tewdew" calendar, my email, etc., so that part will be easy. I did set up RSS feeds for ALA TechSource, LibraryBytes, and Web2 to help me keep up with Library 2.0. How could I forget anyway!? It will be fun to go back to the "Things" and explore a little more. I plan to check out some of the topics in OPAL and the Webinars and hope to gain a better understanding of ELM in particular. We will also be having some staff training on ELM in May. I don't really have many opportunities to apply Library 2.0 tools to the particular job that I do at the library, but I will try to promote their use when appropriate. In my personal world, I think about wikis a lot, wondering if a wiki would work here or there! How about a wiki for our homeschool group, a wiki for the co-op buying club that I belong to, or a wiki just for our family? Wikis are intriguing!
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