Thing 33 - travel 2.0

For planning trips (and many other applications such as purchases), 2.0 sites are a must. I find actual user information an important factor in my decision making. However, it also helps to know credible websites and the people using them. Getting off of the travel topic for a moment, when making electronics purchases, I like to check out the site newegg.com. This site has many reviews on new technologies from users who are definitely more techie oriented. But I will also check out Amazon.com just to see if the item I am interested in is also a popular seller. I have found this type of information very helpful, especially when formal evaluations such as Consumer Reports may not be available. This type of "consumer" 2.0 information is a great outcome of the web 2.0 phenomenon.

Thing 32 - Google Maps and Mashups

I have used several types of mashups. One site that I liked until it became inundated with ads was Mapmyrun.com. It was great for mapping out and calculating mileage for runs and walks. I also liked the solar calculator site from this activity that allows you to find out how much solar power you can possibly generate by adding solar panels to your roof. I think that the My Maps tool could be a great project for students to be able to map places and then share what they have learned about them rather than using the typical poster for assessment. One comment on the map function however, is that sometimes the maps freeze up, or else the mouse can not be freed up without clicking and adding an unwanted point to a map. I have noticed this issue on several sites. But most likely this problem will improve with the technology. In the mean time, mashups are still a positive enhancement to any curriculum.

Thing 31 - More: Twitter

I think that Twitter can be used as a great professional tool for librarians. As I have said before, we must go where the people are, and they are definitely on Twitter. Using Twitter as well as adding a Twitter RSS feed into a website or blog for example is a simple and quick way to keep patrons up to date on news and events. As for me, I prefer to use Twitter for professional posts and conversations. For some reason I feel that my personal posts need to be funny or clever. This is probably because the people who I follow are lol funny. The pressure... I'll have to work on that one. In the mean time, I do think that Twitter is an innovative tool for librarians. As for a classification, the beauty of Twitter is that it is what you make of it.

Thing 30 - more ways to use RSS & Delicious

For this thing I chose to update my RSS feeds in Blogline. After searching for resources to add and getting them entered, I was disappointed to see that once I clicked into a feed and then left it, Blogline defaulted to the entire feed being read. This meant that when I went back into the feed moments later, I got the Blogline splash page instead. I literally then had to click into the source to resume reading the content. This seemed like a wasted click to me. I know, in the grand scheme of things, it's just one click. But for me, it was one too many. I looked all over the site to try and change the setting, but found nothing.

So I moved on to Delicious. For this activity, I finally updated and organized my existing favorites, and also found a few more. I then imported them into Delicious. I like that I can now have them available at any time.

However, these two activities made me really think about how I wanted to access and make available all the many resources that I have found. So... I actually created another blog in Blogger (I like this format over some of the other options out there) where I added RSS feeds, links, videos, etc. of all the resources that I have found helpful. I think that I will probably end up using this web tool the most - in the past I have looked up items in my 23 Things on a Stick blog - so this step seemed like a natural progression.

As I have said before, learning about these many tools has been great. Better yet, I now have a useful place for me to find all the great information and resources that I have learned about. Plus I can easily share it with others!

http://libraryinfotogo.blogspot.com/

Thing 29 - Google Tools

Search tools: I looked at the SearchWiki tool and thought it was interesting. But I don't think I would take that much time to customize a search. In fact, I actually use Clusty more than Google because of the clustering results that suggest other possible topics to look under. In other words, I appreciate the "feedback" I get from this site in comparison to Google. By limiting my search results with SearchWiki, I would think that I might miss some information that I didn't think of originally, or new content that has come online, etc.

I do have to add that during a training I learned about a Google search tool that I found very useful. It's called Google Special Searches. A user can take a topic and choose the websites that are used during a search. I like this tool for students because I find that sometimes students get carried away by interesting, but extraneous content and end of clicking off topic. Or else they may start on a credible site, but end up on one that is questionable. By reviewing the sites ahead of time, computer research time can be much more productive and efficient. I should mention that I would use this search tool when the purpose of the search activity is to get good research content, not for learning about credible content.

Productivity: I have a GMail account for professional activities (used for all those account logins). Having this account was a requirement for using Google docs as well and made communication during this process convenient. I also think that it is helpful that a user can click into the calendar, reader and document features from this account. I finally went into the Theme and Lab settings (I hadn't looked at these before). It was nice to be able to set the theme - I didn't like the default look. I also added a few Lab features such as the attachment reminder. While I will not be getting rid of my personal email account (through another provider), I did appreciate these options in GMail.

Given all the tools that Google has, it would be interesting to participate in their Google Teacher Academy.

Thing 28 - customized home pages

As I have mentioned previously, I like the look and features of Pageflake, but I honestly did not want to create another account. When I joined Flickr, I simultaneously registered with Yahoo. So I went with this previously existing account. I have noticed that other participants have commented on the amount of accounts needed for the various 23 Things activities. I see advantages and disadvantages to all of these accounts. Disadvantages of course are the many accounts to remember. Advantages include the extra security of not having everything connected. However, I'm not sure how much hackers really want to know about my widgets and gadgets. I have also been careful about not adding personal information. Therefore, I can see that in the near future, connectivity will most likely be greatly improved. It has already gotten better since the first 23 Things.

That being said, the initial set up of my page was time consuming. I had been previously bookmarking favorite sites, and noting which content I was interested in. But now I had to get it all organized. Not to mention the fact that there are so many content options to choose from. Now that my page is finished for the time being (I'm sure I will be adding and updating in the future), I can see how much easier it will be to keep up with topics that I have been neglecting - out of sight, out of mind. I can see that it will be helpful to set aside some set times for reviewing all this great content. I also feel that this tool will be key in helping me to better keep up on professional topics. Yahoo!

Thing 27 - twitter

On a personal level, I am not an extensive user of Twitter. I can't imagine anyone I know wanting to read about what I do each day. But I can see that for this generation growing up with Twitter, it is one of the many great ways to communicate. So on a professional level, I think that Twitter is yet another significant Web 2.0 tool. On a side note, I have a younger relative that I was trying to track down. He uses a cell phone for his home phone, and he does not have email or voicemail. However, he does text. I finally got a hold of him through texting. In other words, as librarians, we must go where our users are, and many of them are on Twitter. But that is not the only place. They are also on Facebook, blogs, websites, IMing, calling and even still reading the newspaper. So we must make a concerted effort to communicate the many good things going on at libraries in these many ways in order to reach our diverse users.

Thing 26 - 23 Things on a Stick ning

I joined the 23 Things on a Stick Ning previously. I have to admit that I am not as excited about this tool since there are so many other communication options out there. I can see how a Ning can be very useful for individual projects where a discussion group is needed. However, usually there is a specific end product that is also needed. Therefore I have found tools such as Google Docs and wikis more useful since all members can add and modify the content as needed. However, I do appreciate learning about this option and will keep it in mind for future reference.

Thing 25 - bloggers' toolkit

Wow - there are so many options out there now. I could spend a great deal of time trying out all these different tools. My solution to keeping these many choices under control is to link to this wiki page and reference the tools as the needs come up. The gadgets I added to my blog were "search this blog" and feedjit. I also tried out the Typealyzer (Myers-Briggs of your blog site). Apparently my blog is typical of an ISTP or Mechanic. Hmmm... As I said, I could spend a many hours on this wiki page alone. Thanks for putting so many interesting gadgets in one place.

http://morethingsonastick.pbworks.com/Thing-25-Bloggers-Toolkit

Thing 24 - refresh your blog

I finally took the time to create an avatar. I looked through a few sites - there is so much to choose from! I was just thinking that using the avatar sites is a great segue for lessons and talking about Internet safety - discussing with students about not using real photos of themselves online. I also like the flexibility and ease of use of Blogger. I have tried other blog sites, but have not found any as user friendly. So, here we go again!

Thing 23 - final thoughts

I have taken away many useful tools from 23 Things on a Stick. But more importantly, I have taken away some great resources for organizing this information and helping me to educate staff and students on these many wonderful options. Before 23 Things on a Stick, I was feeling that I was falling behind with keeping up on all the Web 2.0 resources. While I know that there are still many more "things" to learn, I do feel that I am now better prepared work with staff and students. 23 Things on a Stick has been a great experience, and I look forward to learning about more "things" in the future.

Thing 22 - what did I learn today

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I need to make time to keep up with all this great information. I am happy to hear that the 23 Things on a Stick resources will remain up indefinitely. I have created a link to Thing 22 and hope to take some time to explore the many resources listed. I have also found that if I focus on a few items, rather than trying to keep up with many resources, I am much more likely to follow through. I have to say, the focus of 23 Things on a Stick has been ideal for me since I could go to one place for so much great information!

http://23thingsonastick.blogspot.com/2007/10/thing-22-lifelong-learning.html

Thing 21 - other social networks

I think that the concept of social networks is a great idea for people with common interests to have a way of connecting. I have yet to find a site/group that has resonated with me though. However, it has been great learning about Gather - I had not heard of it before. I have heard of Ning and have kept it in mind for small group discussions. There are so many options to choose from - blogs, wikis, collaboration tools, etc. - that I believe it is very important to match the tool with the purpose of the event. I also think that it is important to recognize what tools work for you and/or your library but continue to stay of aware of what else may be out there. Thanks 23 Things on a Stick!

Thing 20 - libraries and social networks

I think that the one thing we need to remember as librarians is that patrons no longer have to come to the library to use resources. We must go to them. Today, there are so many ways that patrons can access libraries - websites, chat and now social networks. I think it's great that major organizations such as ALA and other libraries have a presence on these sites.

Call me a bit old fashioned, but I still like getting a personal email from a friend. But I find the concept of the Facebook wall interesting and certainly have been checking out mine. I can see that I will probably not spend as much time in Facebook as some of my friends, but it is fun watching the activity.

For a social network safety lesson, I opened accounts in both MySpace and Facebook. What I noted is that the default settings for Facebook appear to be somewhat more secure - not everything is open to everyone like MySpace. In addition, not all of my students knew how to make their accounts more secure, or even that they could change the settings. So, while these tools are a great way to get connected, we still need to educate users (adults included) on how to use them in a safe way.

Thing 19 - podcasts

I know that there are many worthwhile podcasts out there. I have not taken the time to really take advantage of these many resources. With regard to the time factor mentioned in my first post, it would be helpful for me to start listening regularly to just one podcast. However, I also find that unless I am driving in the car or doing some other activity, I'm not good at just sitting and listening to something. Since many learners are not usually auditory, this is interesting to note for students as well. I can see having students fill in notes or answer questions as they are listening to a podcast.

I have collaborated with a teacher for students in the class to make podcasts of essays they had written. The students did a great job and seemed to enjoy working with the technology (Audacity). I'm not sure if I'm ready to make a podcast of my own yet...

Regarding resources, iTunes has a whole library of free podcasts for educators as well. I can see using these podcasts for lessons and for learning about a particular topic for me. I will have to get back to this Thing.

Thing 18 - online videos

Of course I couldn't resist embedding Conan the Librarian into my blog. I have been on YouTube for both work - I have used clips in classes - and just plain entertainment. It is amazing what you can find on YouTube both current and vintage. YouTube does a great job of tagging, so it's hard to stop following the trail of other possible related videos. I have also posted educational videos to TeacherTube. I have noticed that TeacherTube does not seem as robust - it sometimes freezes and can also take a long time to load. But I do like that there are less worries with TeacherTube for student use. I have found that students enjoy watching and definitely making their own videos. To then be able to post them to a site is a great 2.0 option.

Thing 17 - ELM productivity tools

I have used some of the ELM tools for research and found them very helpful. I know I have only scratched the surface. ELM is a great resource that I have been promoting to my students as well. I have not introduced them to all of the features, but I am glad to see them use this resource as opposed to going directly to the Internet. I talk to new students about the ELM databases during my library orientations. I have also made quick links available on the first page of our website in order to further encourage them to use this resource. I can see how it would be beneficial to offer additional instruction to patrons who are or will be performing in-depth research so that they can take advantage of these many features.

Thing 16 - student 2.0 tools

I have used paper versions of these tools to help students break down a project into manageable chunks. Any time a tool such as this is online, with an option to print, I think that students tend to be more engaged. Both resources are a great way to introduce students to the concept of time management of a project. Large, undefined projects can certainly be intimidating for any student. These tools offer students a manageable way to plan a project first hand, rather than having the teacher do it for them. In addition, students with special needs will benefit as well since the tools can help to break down a project into smaller, more simplified parts.

As for project management in the library, I can see where tools like this can help to improve communication. These tools offer a starting point for discussion as well as getting something on paper in order to review and refine what steps might still be needed. I will certainly keep these tools in mind for both student and staff projects.

Thing 15 - online games in libraries

I have been looking into Second Life and other possible gaming scenarios for ways of using them in education. I think that the format is a great way to engage students. I also listened to a speaker that pointed out how gamers use many important skills while playing such as writing, problem solving, collaboration, etc. One difficulty is finding a format that is safe and appropriate for a school setting. An issue that I came across with Second Life is that there is an age limit for use of the student site. Some of the students I work with are "super seniors" - older than 18 - so they would not be able to use the student version of Second Life.

I still believe that MMOPRGs have a place in education. I also think that it will only be a matter of time before someone comes up with a format that is better geared toward educational settings. My other barrier has been time. But I am excited about the possibility of using gaming in the classroom, and I will continue my investigation.

Thing 14 - LibraryThing

I have actually sent out information on LibraryThing to my staff. A number of teachers have classroom collections, so I thought this site would be useful for helping them track their books. I find it interesting that smaller libraries are using this site for cataloging. Once again, it is interesting how Web 2.0 tools are beginning to replace large, costly systems that are not a good fit for smaller settings. I also like the search features on LibraryThing. Using the tag clouds I have been able to find categories that are just gaining in popularity in more traditional book resource lists such as "street lit". Finally, I think that sites such as this are a great way to bring people together with similar interests.