Thing 7: RSS Feeds

I think that RSS feeds are amazing technology, but they can also become very addictive - again with the information overload idea. I love the idea of one-stop shopping so to speak, and trying to choose which sites to put on your reader is sort of like picking your 10 favorite friends on your cellular phone plan. I tried all of the sites listed in 23 Things because they are not the sites I usually frequent and that alone makes them interesting.

I read all of the Unshelved comic strips and then got entrapped in an article on the future of Social Security. I better start saving, apparently. I did find several different summer reading book lists to cull through and pick my favorites. I need to put together a summer reading list, and having different ideas was fun. I do like having everything in one place, but I was right on my personal penchant for making sure I skimmed all the information and checked them all as unread. I'll have to work on that, or I will be up all night.

Thing 6: Blog Readers

Blog readers remind of the way that my Yahoo page is set up through Uverse. I was able to customize it by choosing which headlines and subscriptions I would like on my Home Page. I can then just click on those links to read snippets of information rather that sort through all types of news that I am not as interested in reading. (Sorry, sports fans, but I have absolutely no sports links on my Home Page....)

I'm not convinced yet that this will be one of my favorite "Things" because I already feel bombarded by information and this may just be information overload at its finest. It wasn't the easiest application for me to set up, and it took a while for the Folder link to work. If I want information, right now I prefer to go straight to the source, and I may not check a particular site for weeks. I would have a lot of unread items for each of my subscriptions, which again would probably cause me and my overly organized self to feel obligated to check out all of the unread items. We'll see about this one as time goes by. I can see subscribing to my favorite library and books news sites to check out the latest and greatest, so I'll give it the old college try.

Thing 5: Image Generators

I thought the image generators were really fun, and I spent entirely too much time playing with them. A friend of mine used my name on a marquee, and I wondered how he did it. Now I know! I didn't realize it was this easy.

I can think of countless ways to use the image generators in the library. The comic strip generator could easily be used by students who love the graphic novel genre. I had already been toying with the idea of trying to create posters with students' pictures in them for next year. I wanted to come up with a format to highlight different places students were "Caught Reading." The motivational posters would allow you to photograph students and then create your own words to highlight them.

I spent the most time playing on Image Chef with different words and shapes. I noticed that different shapes worked better with different fonts, so I had to experiment until I found the right one. My favorite one I created is:

Thing 4: Flickr Mashups

I really had fun with the mashups. I first tried the Spell with Flickr and tried several different words. I found a combination that spelled "Library" that I thought would look great on a web page or even banner. I had difficulty saving the HTML code, though. I also loved playing with images in different colors, and could think of many ways to use this in a lesson, especially one in which we were studying color poems.

I think my absolute favorite mashup is the one I used below with the captions. I found it very easy to use and fun to play with. I tried it with several different photos, and had fun experimenting with the many thought bubble and stamp options. This picture is just one of my daughter at Christmas. I could easily see creating a fun photo album.


In the library, this would be a really great lesson to use with the students. Graphic novels have mushroomed in popularity, and I can't keep Bone, Babymouse, and Captain Underpants on the shelves. Both girls and boys love the comic strip format, and I often catch them creating their own comics in their spirals. We could use the digital cameras to take pictures, upload them, and let the students create their own comic strip bubbles to go along with them. Now I know that is one lesson that the students would absolutely love!

Thing 3: Flickr (or Where did the "e" go?)

I have heard of Flickr before, but really didn't know exactly what it was. I use the Kodak EasyShare site for all of my pictures, which is pretty basic. I took the tour to get some idea of what Flickr is all about. Wow - there is a lot of venues for people to create and share their imaginations with the world. If I was a professional photographer, I would be in heaven. My digital camera battery is charging after last night, so I decided to just explore Flickr.

I did a few searches, but since I just got home from work and am already trying to come up with new ideas to freshen up my elementary library next year, my favorite search was for "elementary libraries." Here is the link to my favorite photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessalyn/2678600236/ . The accompanying photostream is full of wonderful teaching ideas, but this picture of the library is exactly what I needed to get some great ideas for next year. The library is colorful and inviting, but my favorite part is the notes feature. You can move the mouse over the bulletin board displays and see the author's comments. She has a bulletin board for poetry month about growing a garden of poetry, but the notes elaborate on how she took favorite poems and put them around the display. The display "Books can take you places" is further explained by mentioning that each car lists a student's name and favorite book. I could never have gleaned that information from the photo alone. The "Leap into Reading" display is also a fun idea. As you can tell, I love the notes features and in one photo already have three excellent ideas for displays. I would say that I hit the jackpot with this exploration of Flickr!

Thing 2: Library 2.0 and the Future

Well, to tell the absolute truth, I didn't know that there was a Library 1.0 or a Web 1.0, so now that we are on Library 2.0 and Web 2.0 - I better catch up. I agree with John Blyberg's position that Library 2.0 is basically making libraries more relevant. It is imperative that as a librarian working with elementary students, that I lay the foundation for the use of technology in the library. Students today have been raised with technology and are drawn to it. Most of my students prefer to use the computer to search for books in an interactive format, and then go to the shelves to find their choice. I also agree with Stephen Abram's belief that everyone can find the time to learn if it is important enough. We find the time to watch our favorite television reality shows, so surely we can find time to stay up with technology. As teachers, we use language immersion with our students, so why not use technology immersion as adults? I heartily agree that we learn best by experience, so what better way to learn Web 2.0 than by actually trying it all out.

Thing 1: Starting the 23 Things

Well, I'm embarking on the Learn 23 Things journey. I definitely need to learn more about Web 2.0 and how it all fits together. Plus, then I just might be able to understand what my 16 year-old son is actually talking about. I would love to use more web resources in the library with my students, and I think this is just the place to get started. I have read blogs before, but never thought I'd actually start one. So, onward.........