Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Thing 2 - Library 2.0

Where will I find the time to do this? Certainly not at work. I debated trying it during my lunch time...but that would mean eating at my desk which means I'm visible to staff and students. Thus, there would be no time. Instead, I must do this at night after the kids are in bed or on weekends when they are otherwise occupied. I do find/make the time to exercise, and this is no different (except the reasonable cost) than my formal coursework. I will take time to learn about things new to me.

I'm really not certain what I hope to learn. There are many terms I've read, things I've heard discussed, ideas about which I've wondered. This will give me the opportunity to learn first-hand and discover what my own children might want to do/be doing, as well as what might work for my library. The 23 Things will open my mind to options and possibilities, some of which I have not explored.

The vast array of information and options available due to the Internet has changed my work life immensely. The information sources available for students, the resources for teachers, the links to authors and illustrators, and the questions about what is appropriate for elementary learners grow daily. I try to keep staff members informed about things they might want to see and use, so previewing and searching for them are daily activities. Students in my elementary school gravitate toward book content first, and our circulation and highly relevant collection (to the student interests and to the grade-level content) affirm that. In the lab, they are learning to wonder about what is authentic information and what might need scrutiny. That's a hard thing to teach young children, and I think we use ELM databases to help guide their choices. I can bring so much to students through the Internet that was unavailable prior to its prevalent role in society.

At home, I have taken many online courses, communicated with my peers about course topics, planned events, participated in discussions, done countless hours of research, and enjoyed photographs, video clips, and communication from friends and family. When I'm out in the wilderness on vacation, it feels odd to come back to the computer, but in daily life, it feels strange to be without a visit to my e-mail account each day.

My knowledge about many of the Web 2.0 tools is minimal. I have heard of most things but not done anything on my own (LibraryThing is an exception). In our library, we use virtually none of the tools. I don't see that changing much in the elementary school setting for a while.

I look forward to discovering possibilities and considering how I might integrate tools into library life. Mostly, I think it is essential that I understand what older students and public library colleagues are using and doing. I like the partnership I have with the public librarians, and they understand what I do for and with my students. I want to learn about the extensions of information options they use currently and will use in their setting with patrons of all ages.

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