Sunday, March 29, 2009

Week 6, Thing #15

After reading "Into a new world of librarianship" by Michael Stephens, I thought alot about the importance of my "embracing" Web 2.0 tools to help all our library users find information, gather knowlegde and create content. Mr. Stephens listed 6 traits of Librarian 2.0
1. Plan for users - allow users access wherever they are, strives to NOT impede user's access to library in any way.
2. Embrace Web 2.0 tools - how library services can be enhanced, uses Web 2.0 tools to further mission of the library, building connections online.
3. Controls tecnolust - creates a flexible technology plan that puts service to users first.
4, Make good, fast decisions - perpetual beta, redesign for ease of use, user involvement, and easily added pieces, locates and shares evidence from journals, blogs etc.
5. Be a trendspotter - seek out information that could impact users in the future, watched impact of technology on users.
6. Gets content - have an understanding about how users ACCESS, CONSUME, and CREATE content, help users control content.

Taking this class and using and exploring many of the Web 2.0 tools is a step in meeting the traits of Librarian 2.0. If I have an understanding of what is out there, I can try to assure that our patrons have EASY access to the information they need and be a "strategy guide" to their finding, gathering, and creating. I especially liked the comment that one has to "allow staff time to play and learn". I will try to schedule time into my week to play and learn Web 2.0

I thought I'd try a Google map mash up of Juneau's local libraries after reading about the Chicago libraries in this article. Look to the right on my blog to find it. It was fun, but a little time consuming.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Week 6, Thing #14


I have never used Technorati before, so this was all new to me. After discovering that I had to use the advanced search to differentiate I found that between blog posts, tags, and the blog directory, the tags gave me the most relevant results. The blog directory was too basic and limiting and the post search found ANYTHING with any of the search words in the post. I found so many "23 things" blogs. It's easy to start reading and then the time just flies!
I didn't find much of interest in the "popular" sites. I tried looking at Boing Boing - the most popular blog - but found that most posts were about things I just don't have interest in.
I think that the key to many of the Web 2.0 tools is tagging. The more relevant "subjects" one can add as tags - the more likely an information seeker will find what they are looking for, and the more likely one's work/ideas will circulate.
By the way - here's the most popular photo today. A lunchbox that heats and stores your food???

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Week 5, Thing #13

Well,after watching the tutorial I created a Del.icio.us account and added many of my bookmarks from home and will add more from my school computer this week. I started going through the SJLibraryLearning2 list and added a few interesting sites I found there. I am hoping that this will help me manage my long messy bookmark list.
I suppose social bookmarking could be valuable for a class. The teacher and librarian could start the account with a few valuable bookmarks for a research project or whatever the class is doing, then students could add to it as they find other web resources.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Week 5, Thing# 12

VoiceThread is a very interesting tool. This first educational use I thought of when learning of this was for our youngest students (pre-writers) to dictate what they were thinking of when they created their artistic masterpieces. I think the applications for this technology are endless. It could even be used as an informal "book review" by using the image of the assigned book. Instead of written book reports, the students could comment on the book either orally or in text using Voicethread.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Week 5, Thing #11

From the Web 2.0 awards winners list, I choose to look at del.icio.us and Google docs. I found del.icio.us helpful for finding websites and blogs about certain topics. When I choose web 2.0 and deducation together, I found some links that would be helpful and some I already use like Thinkfinity and Edutopia. However, when I looked for plays for teens (my drama teacher has been looking for scripts online) all I found were pornographic bookmarks! I can see using this to find resources occaisionally, but I do not think I will subscribe unless there is a real need in the future. Google docs could be a great tool for group projects.

The Ning I joined was set up by Joyce Valenza. BookVideoNing's purpose is to share media (in any digital format) to promote books, reading, and literacy K-12. This fits in perfectly with the "book trailer" ideas a teacher and I are working on. I've already found some useful information, especially about the use of creative commons in education.

I played travel IQ, but did not make it through all the levels! Geography bee students just might like this.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Week 5, Thing #10








from: http://search.creativecommons.org

I chose to make a trading card using the Trading Card maker from BigHugeLabs. I wanted some quick handouts to give students with information about the Digital Pipeline's databases from the state libary and thought these would fit the bill. (the user name and password are deleted because this is online)I found the photo of the Alyeska pipeline from creative commons/flickr.
The "rainbow of books mosaic" was made again using BigBlueLabs and some photos of books in our library. My assistant is very influenced by color in her artistic endeavors and I thought she would enjoy this. It is also a nice poster for a dreary gray spring day!


ImageChef.com Poetry Blender

This is my attempt at Image Chef. I used a photo of my son and text and background from the ImageChef site. Happy Sun!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Week 4, Things #8,#9



photo obtained from creative commons - flicker

It's a beautiful SUNNY!!! Juneau day and I am here on the computer instead of up at Eaglecrest skiing (and like yesterday falling).

I have never tried using rss feeds before. I had always just bookmarked everything. I am now convinced that the feeds are great because they are faster to access all the blogs from one page. I have intermittantly read "the neverending search", "blue skunk blog" (library) and "edutopia" (ed. best practices) blogs, but now hope to keep up with them more regularly. Now I just have to figure out a way to organize and truly use the best information from these resources. The "something for sophie" blog belongs to my very artistic library assistant Wendy.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Week 3, Thing #7



This is the view outside my library window! (On a sunny day.)

I mentioned in my 1st post that a student and I are working on a "book trailer" project. Well I found out a couple of days ago that "book trailer" is a copyrighted term so we have to figure out a new name for our project. Any ideas out there?
To start this project, I gave the student some handouts and the URL to Jason Ohler's digital storytelling web site. I hope next week to get his story map.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Week 3, Thing #6



This was so much fun! I used BigHugeLabs to make a magazine cover for my boys. This would be a great "beginning of the year/get to know you" project for a class. I would also be a fun new way to introduce staff to the students. They love knowing what their teachers do "outside" the school.

Week 3, Thing #5



from http://m.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=540049447& on March 1, 2009

I am from the Rocky Mountain Front/Sun River area of Montana and sometimes miss the wide expanses of land and sky as I now call the southeast Alaska rainforest my home.

Tags - the subject headings :-) for photos so they are more likely to be found during a search. You can invite your friends to add tags to your photos.
Groups - Folks you want to share your photos with - usually for a specific purpose. Only members can access private group photos.
Libraries - These groups are about everything library related. From Library quilts to the Library of Congress.