Thing #23: Cliff Notes

Oh, this has been a treasured learning experience! Thank you for making me get off my duff and tackle these "things!" Our RCE librarian is one who always just jumps in and does something with new technology--remember the "teases?" I really envied that attitude, and although it is not a "native born" trait, I feel that I am developing into the kind of person and librarian I want and need to be.

It feels so good to have done this and to understand the terminology that our geeky kids seem to have been born knowing. Today I complimented a student for helping me clean up a mess on one of the computers, and I asked him how he had become so knowledgeable about computers. He replied, "Well, I ought to be! I've sat in front of them for 11 years!" I thought, "Well, we have probably sat in front of computers the same number of years, but you are light years ahead of me. How did that happen? How did I let that happen?"

Thing #20: I Tube, You Tube, We Tube, Teacher Tubes....

I received an email this morning from a senior English teacher who asked me to gather resources for a unit dealing with the Vietnam War. Since I was in the mood to play and since the firewall doesn't block Teacher Tube, I engaged in a little detective work! I searched for both Viet Nam and Vietnam, and almost immediately I stumbled upon this lesson plan incorporating primary source research and technology for Tim O'Brian's The Things They Carried. I hope it is embedded properly, and I hope you like it.

Although I dutifully searched for library and libraries and even more dutifully viewed what I found, what I really wanted to see on You Tube was a performance video of Anna Pavlova, and I found one! I was in heaven! Her technique was sadly lacking, but she danced so expressively and had such lovely arms and hands that she was a joy to behold! I am absolutely sold on You Tube now, and I wish I could see it at school!

Thing #14: Technorati

A keyword search for "school library learning 2.0" resulted in 1,593 hits. School librarians in another state are doing just what we're doing--investigating web 2.0 to see how we can prepare ourselves to assist patrons who are more technologically proficient than we are!It's a really big thing, isn't it? I viewed both videos, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the views of the Technorati staff.Of course, I had to use a non-Spring Branch computer to see the second video! Our kickball captains have really done a remarkable job of making these "things" both interesting and motivating. Kudos to you, Cap'ns!

One comment that stays with me is that we are able to "talk" to "regular" people, the unwashed masses as they were called in the 2nd video.The Technorati employee said she no longer reads reviews by so-called professional reviewers. She prefers the opinions of us "regular" folk. Well, we have choices, don't we, with the internet? We have access to experts as well as to everyday bloggers who set forth their opinions, and we can choose whom we wish to believe. We really are living in an age of marvels (says she, sitting in her rocker and listening to the drip, drip, drip as the rain leaks into her bookcase, of all places)

Out of 19 blogs about 'school library learning 2.0' I discovered that we are all on the same journey! I got mixed up searching tags. Anyway, there was one blog with the tag 'school library learning 2.0' that I got tickled by. The writer had the same instructions for Thing #14 as we did, and he/she answered, "Yes, the results were different."

Tagging is fundamental. With all of the blogs and posts out there, how else are we to locate and organize information?

Technorati Profile

I am claiming my blog. Any claim jumpers out there?

Thing #13: Tag! You're it!

del.icio.us
is lots easier than finding subject headings in those big red books! Just kidding; I know the title. Really. The only sidestep I had to make was to read the text version of the video because it wouldn't play on the school's computer. I had fun seeing what showed up when I searched for my favorite tags! I must confess that even though the instructions told me to limit my tag to one word, I had previously used the tag "book reviews." According to information gleaned here, I could have used "bookreviews" or "book.reviews." I may need to go back and make those changes, but it isn't currently a high priority! :)

This was a restful, relaxing "thing!" I was so glad because at 2:00 this morning, my ceiling sprang a leak. Guess where? Yep, the water dripped down my bookcase and cleaned up some of my favorite books! It took two hours to relocate my collection, which had just been cataloged on LibraryThing, and to begin the drying out process. I started out the day tired!