I'm Back

I had planned to blog during vacation. Guess that didn't happen. I found that I was forgetting some of the great tools that I struggled to learn. So I am going to review 23 Things... and vow to utilize all that I can.
Two great juvenile books that I read this summer were The Klipfish Code by Mary Casanova, and Fearless by Elvira Woodruff. I did read a multitude of average books.

Thing 23. Final Thoughts

My first thought is that I had no idea of all the tools and resources in Web 2.0. While I had heard of many of the "Things" such as MySpace and Flickr, there was so much more to these sites that I realized. I also am very excited to share some of these resources with the students. Google Doc and PBwiki to mention two. I am also interested in continuing the blog, although I am not sure it is of any interest to anyone. I might focus my blog on book reviews for the students and parents of my school.

This was great, it was fun and a super learning experience. Sign me up for the next one. I am so appreciative. Thanks to all who sponsored and all the blog readers.
Mary

Thing 22. What Did I Learn Today?

I learned way to much to process right away. While I don't agree that it won't really take too much time, I do think it is well worth the time. Maybe I am a slow learner but I always have to completely understand before I am satisfied. I have spent many many hours on the 23 Things.
I am grateful because I will be more confident next time I come across a new "Thing" but I know it will take more time.
I added ALA TechSource and Web2 to my RSS, I know that both will be helpful in keeping current. I also enrolled at WebJunction- Minnesota, while I knew about it I never got around to checking it out and I am impressed with what it has to offer.

Thing 21. Beyond MySpace: Other Social Networks

I joined 23 Things on a Stick Ning. I uploaded my avatar ( I prefer my creation over reality). I added the badge to my blog and explored some of the groups. I found the Teacher Librarian Ning to be immediately useful. I had forgotten about Poem in a Pocket Day so I was thrilled to see it mentioned so I still have time to participate. I looked at the book groups and really liked Shelfari. I had viewed someone's Shelfari somewhere in my explorations and was impressed and noted it so I could look into it later. I was pleased then to find it. Added it to my summer list. I am on Thing 21 and I now have more than 21 things to investigate on my summer list.

Thing 20. Facebook

I have been joking about joining Facebook ever since I saw it listed in 23 Things on a Stick.
It seems rather like a mid- life crisis activity than a tool of an old librarian. And it is true that I found no one I knew from my class in high school. I joined the Librarians and Facebook and the Jane Austen Fan Club. I resisted the temptation to join some of the more colorful groups. Perhaps I will this summer. I joined Facebook because my advisory committee (my children) assured me that Facebook has more to offer an old librarian. I can see the need for adults working with students to understand these social networks. At this point, I don't think it will become a routine tool for me. Glad to experience it though.

Thing 19. Podcasts

I have been intrigued by podcasts for awhile. Up until now I have not taken the time to research for podcasts of interest to me. I have listened to a few that have come my way but not really utilized this tool. I listened to a few from St. Cloud State and then I used Podcast.com to search for gardening podcasts. I was pleased with the number available. Then I googled for children's book review podcasts and hit pay dirt. I read many book reviews now I can listen to reviews while doing other library tasks. I added probably too many to my Google Reader. I was excited to discover childrenbookradio.com. It has an archive of interviews with children's book authors. Making my own podcast with students will be the next step. I added "Just One More Book" podcast feed to the sidebar on my blog.

Thing 18. YouTube & Other Online Video

I am in awe of the creativity of the YouTube contributors. Who could have thought that two of my favorite books could be combined? This is by far the most seductive and time absorbing activity. Gaming was not interesting to me, but I found so many very funny and clever videos to watch. I am not surprised this site is banned at some schools.