Week 9, Thing #20

You Tube is blocked in my school; too many instances of "inappropriate content" to pass muster. Students complain about that a lot, and once in a while we can get it unblocked to access something, but it's not easy.
I look at it from time to time, usually on recommendation from someone who wants me to check out a funny or instructive video. There's so much on it, and it's fun to browse, you can find yourself wandering far off the beaten path.

Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlkplvYdgA

Week 8, Thing #19---make that LibraryThing

I liked looking into this site, but I never enjoy cataloging; not at work, and certainly not at home! Still, I can understand the fun in joining a large cirle of like-minded readers, and it could be useful for book clubs, curriculum connections, and the like.
I did link to my mini-collection in LibraryThing for this exercise, and there are MANY others who have tagged the Jane Austen novels.
Tags are growing on me---once I read the comparison to putting labels on folders, and having the same thing in more than one folder it made more sense. How many times I've looked in my recipe file for apple squares, and had to search under apple, brownies, cookies, squares, before finding it---usually on the shelf beside the box, waiting to be filed...

Week 8, Thing # 18

That's my Zoho document in the previous posting. So easy! Students using the library computers are always asking to send their work to themselves at home, or to another student--web applications such as this are much better for that type of collaboration and multiple-venue working. You learn something new everyday...

Untitled

Starting with Zoho

 

I do some work for school at home, and will sometimes forget to email myself the document, or to save it to a memory stick. I'll use this site for all that type of work in the future. I've tried Google Docs, but like the Zoho set-up more.  It seems friendlier,   easier to use, and has many ecstra extra features to incorporate.

 

 

Week 7, Thing #16 wikis and libraries

Libraries would be smart to promote wikis as a community resource for shared discussion and reviewing of books and materials, among other uses. The Princeton wiki does this.
The Joyce Valenza wiki was inspiring, as all her materials are. She supplies so much information, so many places to find it, the usual copyright cautions, the fun sites...a superstar in the field for the rest of us mortals to admire.
School "group projects" are a natural for wikis, with contributions from all members of the group going into the wiki, and all members accessing the info from wherever they are. I see a lot of opposition to group projects in my high school because of the conflicting schedules students have, but this is a way to avoid that.

Week 6, Thing #15 perspectives on Web 2.0 and the future of libraries

I loved reading the OCLC newsletter in this exercise. It's so optimistic, hopeful and sweet, and loaded with technical jargon at the same time. Like reading a certain type of science fiction. I found the images of Library 4.0 very inviting---a knowledge spa!!! immersed in luxuries such as thought ! and "aromatic cigars"---away from the "technohustle"...where are the students in this utopian scene? I can't make them out in the aromatic cigar smoke...but I can hardly wait, it sounds like a nice place to work. In the meantime I have to log off,as my present work day, with its students and start-up technology begins in just a few short hours!

Week 6 , #14 Technorati

I found this site to be hard to use; whenever I tried to access it, each page took forever to load. It has a very lean look to it, with a spare, linear, "print" feel, rather than graphic, which surprised me. I'm not into blogging enough to want to wait around for it to load, but can see its usefulness in tracking down the obscure and fleeting.