5 days of Web 2.0

This class took me from Web0.0 to Web2.0 in the short time of just five days. I came into this class thinking Google was simply a search engine that turned up way too many websites when conducting a search, but came to learn about the vast amount of useful Google applications that I will use going forward to narrow down the information I'm looking for.

I was always somewhat reluctant to accept the ways of the "net" generation thinking that moving away from more traditional libraries was a bad thing, but at the same time realizing the importance of being current and relevant.

At first I was completely overwhelmed by all of the technology we were seemingly drowning in during this class, but after the first day of feeling that way, I found it very fun and enjoyable to learn. And, even better, everything we learned can and should be incorporated into our own School Media Centers in the future to promote literacy.

As an example, on the very first day of class we learned about Wikispaces and Blogs, which we as librarians can both learn from and utilize to promote our own libraries to parents, students and the community. And on the second day we learned about building a PLN - Personal Learning Network - through social networking (Twitter and facebook),as well as blogs to create connectoins with others who we can ask questions and receive answers and information from. This is definitely something I plan to keep up with. We also learned about social bookmarking through Delicious, which is another Web2.0 tool I will continue to use to organize the web resources I suggest for students and other educators and guide them to the most relevant web sites for a given topic. I also plan to use Shelfari to develop recommended reading lists.

All of the image sharing tools were great as well. They can be used to create interesting images for library newsletters and to decorate the library. I Think I will use Spell with Flickr, Wordle and Amaztype frequently.

I love the digital storytelling tools, especially VoiceThread and Photostory. VoiceThread is a great collaboration tool and I think Photostory would be a perfect tool for student book reports and promoting new books.

The possibilities are endless with Web2.0. I don't think there is anything I wouldn't use at some point. Now I just have to find a SMS position after I graduate and prove that I am relevant with my Web2.0 knowledge.

Digital Storytelling

It's always an adventure in LIS 629!

Today we discovered various tools for Digital Storytelling to add to our repertoire of web2.0 tools we've be exposed to over the last 4 classes. We learned that Digital Storytelling involves using digital tools to help ordinary people tell their own 'true stories' in a compelling and emotionally engaging form. These stories are short and can involve interactivity.

I enjoyed learning about Digital Storytelling and feel the available tools are beneficial for students and teachers alike because they bring out our creativity in a fun, new way. They also allow us to easily reflect on the work of others and provide feedback as with VoiceThread. VoiceThread is a tool all educators can utilize with their classes to encourage discussions. The teacher can enter students' work then the other students can view it and make comments.

Photostory is another tool that can and should be used by educators. I loved the idea of students doing book reports or book talks with Photostory, and its very simple to use even for younger students. As a librarian I might use this to do book reviews and post them on the school library website.

We are learning so much valuable web2.0 technology, and I am looking forward to incorporating into my own School Library as a future School Media Specialist.

So Much Technology: LIS 629 - 15 July

During today's class we learned about Goggle Apps, Personal/Professional Learning Network including social networking and social bookmarking. We signed up for Twitter, tagged website on Delicious, and subscribed to blogs. This felt a technology overload, and yet there's so much more to learn.

At first, all of these web2.0 tools seemed overwhelming, but once I started thinking about how they could help me in my personal life, in school, at my current job and of course as a future librarian, it is actually very exciting.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Google is not just for keyword searching. I never used the advanced search feature before, and it will make finiding the information I need so much easier. I also really like the translate text, the wonder wheel and the timeline apps. The timeline is perfect for students who are doing research on a particular current or historical event. As a librarian, I will definitely use the Google Books as well and create book lists and reviews for students and parents. I never used Google Docs either, but now I will for collaborative projects.

I am always looking to learn, so being a part of social netowrking sites and subscribing to blogs will allow me to learn from other professionals in the library field. However, Twitter may take some getting used to...I tend to be wordy, so keeping it to 160 characters might be a challenge!

Using Blogs in the Library

Blogs are a perfect tool to get students interested, involved and interacting with the library. School libraries can set up a blog where students will write reflections on things they learned, discovered or expereinced in the library at the end of each class visit. The incorporation of a blog in school libraries will allow students to learn from each other, and can also act as tool for the School Media Specialist to assess the effectiveness of library lessons.