Thing 23: Final Thoughts

Wow! I finished! There were times, I questioned if I could do what was asked, but now I know, I can tackle any one of these Things, and more. I learned so much, and found, I have so much more to learn. I compare this to a favorite author's new book. I read it through quickly, so that I can find out what happens. Then, I read it again to savor the thoughts, ideas and words. That's how I plan to revisit 23 Things. Now that I am done, I will go back and do some of them again--just to make sure I understand the process. I will delve deeper into them, and add them to the list of resources our students have, so they can become more worldly, in an internet sort of way. Until the next time, Gator Reader signing off--

Thing 22 What did I learn?

Mainly I re-confirmed my thoughts that there is sooooo much out there and I am only using the very teeniest tip of the iceberg. 23 Things gave me the opportunity to see more, (and want more). I will continue to keep up my blog, and as a media specialist, I hope to keep up with what's new in the technology world. I briefly explored the Library Web 2.0 blogs, as suggested, so the first part of my plan is to spend some time with each of them. I will go back and review what I have already learned, and incorporate some of them into my library as communication or research tools. I don't know if I will get to 15 minutes/day, but I do plan to do Saturday or Sunday afternoons (instead of watching TV)--Sunday is "watch-hunting or sports day at our house, so this will be easy to remember. I find that revisiting the things that we have done (I like to read what the others say in their blogs after I have finished mine) and then go back to find something they may have found and I have missed. I will keep up with the GoodReads and the 23 things on a stick Ning, just because I found the comments useful and interesting. The best way for me to keep up, is to do this on a weekly basis--I have too many evening activities to do this every day. So I will continue on Sunday afternoons, and refresh my memory as I go.

Thing 21 Beyond My Space

It took me awhile to get through all the links in this "thing", and of course, I wasn't allowed to enter any of these social networks at school. So, here I am, Easter weekend, finishing the 23things. The 23things on a stick Ning was interesting. I uploaded a photo, and added the badge to my blog. I also joined the GoodReads network and invited my son to join me, and he has added a huge amount of books and reviews that I didn't even have time to catch up on. But it was easy to join that group. It appealed to me because of the book reviews. I am always looking for new/old books for my students to read, and this network might just prove to be helpful later on. On to the next Thing! Almost done. Huzzah!

Thing 20 Facebook and My Space

After viewing the Common Craft Show Video and perusing both Face Book and My Space, I formed a different opinion of the Social Networks especially after looking at the libraries that used My Space. I can see where teens and younger people would relate to this type of space. I felt more secure with Face Book, so I joined that site. I will see what happens in the next week. I did ask friends to join, and I also posted a short message on the wall. I do have a friend or two out there that has a Face Book site, and will see what their page looks like. I joined the Librarians and Facebook group and read a few of the posts that I found interesting. I can see why these sites would be appealing. I, too, like to have all my stuff in one bag. It is time to call it a day.

Thing 19 Podcasts

Huzzah! I just added an RSS feed for some Yoga Podcasts on my blog. I just started doing Yoga--and I am loving it. I even recognized some of the terms from the feed and knew what they were talking about. I listened to several podcasts about Harry Potter, and other book related casts. I found the educational directory the easiest, although I thoroughly enjoyed the ones from St. Cloud State (after they finally downloaded). I'm not sure I will try it myself, but I know that I will check on the RSS feeds that I subscribed to on a regular basis and keep up with my yoga, and the other health site I added.

Thing 18 YouTube and others

It is fascinating to find a video about any possible topic (and some impossible ones) and watch it instantly via YouTube or Google Video. I found that on my iGoogle home page, it shows the most recent YouTube videos. After looking at Google Video, I found that they were all labeled YouTube. I disliked the small pictures (yeah, I know I can make them bigger) and I did not like the hesitation between some of the scenes. I thought the library ads were hilarious, especially Conan the Librarian -- I feel like that some days. Sometimes the videos were hazy and that is what happened with the Librarians on Parade, so I did not recognize the person from MN--although, it might have been the one sticking out her tongue at the camera. I chose the Jodi Picoult Video because she is one of my favorite authors and she was visiting a favorite city of mine. I actually got a hug from Jodi Picoult when she did a book signing at Borders in Minneapolis. (Because I came the farthest distance to see her). I do think these short video clips could be useful in a library setting -- in fact, I have used some for Internet Safety training. I have not put them on our website as of yet. I think they could become a distraction for students, and that is why we do not allow YouTube in our school--I found a lot of inappropriate videos that I'm sure students (and maybe staff) would find very fascinating. I am glad for the opportunity to have used this option, and I did sign up for a YouTube account.

Thing 17 Part 2: NetLibrary

I was finally able to figure out how to get into NetLibrary (it was tooooo easy) and found that I really think that I will recommend it to my High School staff. What a great way to get resources for Social Studies, Science and English research papers. Using the search feature and finding parts of books that pertain to a topic, and then being able to view them and see what information pertains to the subject is great. Adding notes for personal use is an added plus feature. I am glad I took the time to use this tool.