Thing 24 - Back to Blogging

Let's browse, not blog! Granted, it would be highly difficult to track my Web 2.0 adventures, but would better suit my style. However, for the opportunity to participate in More Things on a Stick, I'll gather my keyboard, shake out my fingers and begin blogging again. I continue to follow David Warlick in my Bloglines account and recently added The Swiss Army Librarian. Though blogging has not been my focus, I have continued to explore and enjoy the vast resources that abound online.

Thing 23 - Final Thoughts

Hurrah, I am done! 23 Things was a journey well worth making! It provided an organized pathway through a whirlwind information and avenues of access. Please keep it available as a resource; there are many things I would like to revisit. If a second 23 Things was offered, I would follow once again. This world will continue to evolve and a few more Things to guide the way would be welcome. It was a great idea to have a deadline, a date to work toward, so as not to get lost along the way. Thank you.

Thing 22 - What Did I Learn Today

My Bloglines account, my Google homepage and my Del.icio.us account have become a part of my Web 2.0 life. I use them daily. I have carefully refined the feeds on my Bloglines account and added news headlines to my iGoogle. As I move on from the 23 Things, I believe this process of evaluating how best to access and communicate information will continue. Each time a teacher approaches me with an idea or project, I will stop and consider the options. When I have something I wish to share with students, I will not assume it would be best to "plop" it on a webpage. 23 Things has presented limitless resources in the Web 2.o world. I love the tools that bring information to me; particularly RSS feeds, news alerts, and widgets. Though our students are tech savvy, there is much for them to learn. I will assist them, as best I can.

Thing 21 - Beyond My Space

The Teacher Librarian Ning, Webjunction and Shelfari are social networking sites that I will explore further. Some of book in the forums in TeacherLibrarian included Books for Boys, Middle School Media Specialists and YA Lit in School Libraries. With the September 15th deadline looming right in front of me, I believe I will finish 23 Things before exploring these further! As others have said, the time just flies while exploring web 2.0. I found that nearly an hour flew by as I enrolled in and explored the 23 Things on a Stick group in Ning, carefully considering what I did, and didn't want to share. I wanted to explore Gather, but had trouble pulling it up today. It just wouldn't load. I'll have to return to it another day.

Thing 20 - Facebook and My Space

Libraries, such as our own Hennepin County Library, are using My Space as a portal to their website. With almost 1400 friends, they have seen some success. Clearly the site is directed at teens, with links to teen CD's, DVD's and new books. Teens have the ability to comment, as with the Top 10 Books of 2007, however, that appears to receive limited use. Their embedded search window takes them directly to the catalog. In her article, Libraries in Social Networking Software, Meredith Farkas describes a few libraries that have truly developed their websites to receive feedback, encourage recommendations and respond to requests. Since that article was written, one must wonder if more libraries are finding a social networking site as a communication link with teens. I liked the use of Shelfari at the Denver Public Library's My Space page.

Thing 19 - Podcasts

Grammar Grater Podcast from MPR sounds like something I need to share with my English teacher friends! It has a new home in my Bloglines reader. When podcast.com required a signup process before one could access a podcast, I moved on. The podcast that I found of interest was available using a Google search. Why log into a directory in order to listen? I located Connect Learning with David Warlick though the Education Podcast Network. The menu in this directory provided a breakdown by curriculum area which made navigating to relevant podcasts easy. One of Warlick's podcasts was an interview format with media specialists, discussing issues related to podcasting with students. The discussion about media releases and acceptable use policies was very helpful. Though I am not personally interested in posting podcasts at this time, I am interested in supporting teachers and students in podcasting as a way to demonstrate their learning. As presented in this podcast, using multimedia is natural for students and provides them with a broader audience. Well, maybe I would consider a book talk podcast...
http://davidwarlick.com/connectlearning/

Thing 18 - You Tube

Video clips can provide a valuable resource in the classroom. Teachers in our building are increasingly using resources like You Tube for curriculum support. Though resources like You Tube and Google Video are full of junk, there is also an abundance of educational resources at your fingertips. A search for Heifer Project, a charitable organization that our students have supported, resulted in a wonderful video reporting on a visit to a Heifer Project location by students from Hong Kong. This video was available in both You Tube and Google Video, but Google Video offered a search alert. Did I mention that I like search alerts? Specific topic searches, particularly proper names, seem to yield more valid responses. The video above, about the Olweus Program, was produced by a school. Though we may not post our videos online, I anticipate using more video within the school. We have a video distribution system on which a slideshow displays daily reminders and announcements. Video seems like our natural "next step" in building communication and it sounds like fun!