Method 12 Evaluation

Wow, I can't believe that I have finished the program. Each module gave me great information about the different Web 2.0 tools and my knowledge has increased. I enjoyed setting up a delicious account and adding links that would benefit the students; however, the "wonderful" filter will not let the students access the account as it is blacklisted.  The teachers can access delicious and the perhaps add the links to their classroom webpage.  I plan on working with my ITS to add research Wikis to my library webpage.

It would be great if the filter would allow some of the social net working sites through , but it does not. So I will use the web 2.0 tools that I can and dream about the rest.

If a new session was ever created perhaps it could take the modules a step further. For example with the Wikis have each of the participates contributed an activity that was held in their library or for other school librarians lessons or research helps.

Method 11 Podcasts

It is truly amazing the amount of information that one can find.  I enjoyed looking at the first link for  Podcasts, the others I found too crumbersome. The shear number of Podcasts is overwhelming. I could have spendt hours going through the different Podcasts, but I didn't. I choose the Barnes and Noble podcast of author interviews.

Applications for podcasting in the library are numerous. One could make a podcast concerning library procedure and hours of operation, special events, authors that visit the library, and book talks to name just a few.  I am sure my fellow librarians could come up with even more Podcasts.

Method 10 Wikis

We have started to use Pbworks at my school.  The teachers set up a page when they are collaborating between other schools for a video conference session.  Using PBworks has helped organized the lessons and has kept the email accounts from getting overloaded. Wikis are a great collaboration tool.

I create Pathfinders for the subjects/classes when them come to the library for research. I create them electronically and then make copies for the students.  The only problem, the pathfinders are left all over the library.  When I return to school after the Thanksgiving Holidays I am going to meet with my ITS to help me create a Pathfinder Wiki for the various research topics.

Method 9 Chating

I completed my Masters through TWU totally online.  In one of the courses the Professor openned up the Chat room part of the Blackboard.  I found that I couldn't type fast enough to keep up with the conversation. It almost felt as though I was in a huge party room with 1,000 people talking at once and I was trying to follow each of the different conversations and respond to the questions. I guess I am old school and really did not enjoy the chat room.

The ITS at my school where I am the librarian uses Sykpe between the computer labs, but she is giving directions to the students and I don't think really carrying on a conversation. 

Again being a public school librarian limits me to what I am allowed to use.  Instantance messaging  is another Web 2.0 tool that has not yet broken into the public school venue.

Method 8 Social Networking

I remeber watching The Net with Sandra Bullock. Sandra played a computer "geek" (apologzie for the lack of a better term). Her whole life was online and in the process of her job (which was to find weaknesses in other computer programs) her idenity was stolen. Everything from where she shopped, to how often she purchased items online was known.  The Net was made in the late 80's early 90's. Are we there with the Social Networking sites and Twitter?  Or is our information out on the web even without a Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account?

 In order for our district to receive funds for technology, we have to teach our students an internet safety course.  We stress the importance of not placing any personal information on their facebook page. But even if you don't place anything personal on Facebook, there are websites that will bring up personal information by just searching a name. So is anything private anymore, we would like to believe so but in reality I don't think so. I even mention my concerns to my son about a webpage he had created for a fundraising event.  Every personal item was mentioned. His name, university, what he was studying and the name of his faternity. When I voice by concerns, his response was "if someone wants to find me they can with or without the personal information." 

I have my own Facebook page and I am probably not the greatest at keeping it up.  I really don't care if one is having pot roast for dinner or not.  I can see the potential in having a professional page to help promote the library and I have become a "fan" of the Library of  Congress page and the Library development page.  By becoming a fan of the two pages I am now connected with librarians across the country and through out the world.  I would like to create a Facebook page for my library, however; my library is a pubic school and all social networking sites are blocked by the filter.  Perhaps in time this will change but until then I will have to promote my the library the "old fashion way" by talking to parents and students face to face.

Method 7 Delicious

I have to admit that I am having, again way too much fun, with delicious.  I have started putting together websites that will benefit my Social Studies and Science teachers.  With Science fair coming up I have found sites that will give the students ideas and a jumping off point to their projects. We have a campus webpage and within that webpage I have my library page.  I have placed a link to my delicious site under Teacher resources.  I will then let the teachers know that this site is available for their use.

Method 6 You Tube

As with most school districts, You Tube is blocked by the filter. Teacher tube; however, is available for the teachers and durning a Electronic Resource training that I gave, I directed our teachers to Teacher Tube. I have an account but I haven't added any videos to Teacher Tube. My intentions were to add some book trailers of this year's Lone Stars, but like most "good intentions" it has yet to happen.

I found You tube to be fun. Yet as I was searching and watching some of the videos, I came away with the impression that people were very "proud" of the self-made videos. I shook my head in wondernment as to why anyone would think others would want to watch them, but we do.

One video on teacher tube gave me a chuckle. It was based on the "Top ten list" and it was entitled the "Top ten things they don't teach you in college" about teaching.

But I really enjoyed Mr. Bean in the library and I have added the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyDY0hiMZy8

Library of Ephesus-Method 5

greece beginnings 032
Originally uploaded by aegrobe1

I chose this picture because this was the 4th largest library in the ancient world. The library was located Ephesus. Interesting story behind this library. Located in the library was a tunnel that went to the Temple of Diana. The gentlemen of the time period would tell their wife that they were going to the "library" and then go through the tunnel to the Temple. It gave new meaning to the pharse " I am going to the library."

The ITS and myself are working with the 7th grade ELA students with movie maker. Since Google images is blocked at our school, we direct the students to Flickr, and (Yes we have them cite the source) but are we violating copyright? I agree with the blog article in respect that perhaps it is time to revisit the copyright laws in order to incorporate the new technology.

I have posted my personal photos on Flickr and also Shutterfly. I am so glad that I did. If I hadn't when my hard drived crashed I would have lost all the photos from my Greece trip this summer, including the one that I posted

My son's faternity did a cross country bike ride this summer, and daily their pictures were posted to flickr. It was really wonderful to be able to go through the posting and see the daily activites.

With advent of photosharing, blogging, and google docs our world has truly become "a small, small world."

Method 4 RSS feeds

What fun it was to search for different sites. I have to admit that I had way too much fun with this method. I truly believe it is important to laugh and to laugh loudly, so on that end I subscribed to Unshelved. Librarians really have a "wicked" sense of humor.

I have to admit that I am a huge Twilight fan. So of course I had to subscribe to a Twilight site.

But eventually the educator came out, I subscribed to the Life Science feed. This will be beneficial to the Science teachers at my school.

It would be really awesome if the teachers would be able to add RSS feeds to the district webpage, but I don't think this will happen anytime soon

Method 3 The Cloud

I have been without a computer for over a month, hard drive crashed. As I was waiting for the timely return, thinking how nice it would have been if I knew about the "cloud" before the hard drive failure. I could have used the presentation tool in Zoho to complete the PowerPoint of my son's cross country bike ride this summer and I would still have it available; to edit, to share and just look back on. But alas, it is no more. My computer returned, but without a C drive to download Microsoft Office, so Google Docs here I come.

It would be beneficial to our students and to our teachers if Goggle docs was allowed to be used in the district. Students would be able to create a document, calendar or presentation that would be easily accessible to their teachers.

After reading the comments about security issues, I was speaking to my ITS and she had the same concerns. What happens when the "cloud" breaks open and sensitive information is "raining" down in "cyper space" for anyone to gather up? But with technology advancing faster than we can keep up, perhaps using the "cloud" for personal information is not feasible at this time.

Methods 1 and 2

After reading and viewing the materials in Module 1, I have come to the conclusion that I know just enough about Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 to be dangerously ignorant. It is interesting to learn that with the advances of technology HTML is slowly being replaced by XML which is content based not formed based as HTML. To be able to ask our patrons, in my situation students, to seek out and explore “strange new worlds” is as close to a science fiction movie coming to life.

“The times are a changing” and order not to be left behind we must change with them. That is the reason that I have decided to do this course, to no longer be ignorant to Lib 2.0 but to be informed and pass that information onto my students.