THING #20 (Week 9)

I have posted a YouTube video on my sidebar which I think is appropriate and humorous, and should bring back good memories for many of us! I changed my template to try to give some width to the sidebar, because as you can see many of the things I have embedded have been cut off. This new template helps only a little. Does anyone know of any way to resize the page elements?

I can understand why YouTube is blocked in many schools because it is quite easy to come across things that are inappropriate. I like the rating system; I think it is a pretty accurate way to quickly judge which clips are worth your while.

I think an orientation video on a library website would be helpful, especially for a large public library. Many people are apprehensive about going to new places unless they know where they're going--they don't want to look foolish. A video clip to show them around the library first might help actually get them there. A library could also add clips to promote upcoming events, such as a book talk or book signing.

THING #19 (Week 8)

THING #18 (Week 8)

THING #17 (Week 7)

I have posted my WebQuest lesson in the California Classroom Curriculum Connections wiki. Here is the link: http://classroomlearning2.pbworks.com/f/Mystery%20WebQuest.htm

I have to admit I found the wiki a little confusing and had some moments of panic as I tried to figure out how to upload my WebQuest file, but it worked out in the end. I guess it is just like everything else...you have to get used to the layout and how to navigate through the site.

I can imagine that a wiki page would be useful to communicate with teachers from other schools. I am wondering if the regional school library system in my area has a wiki...it would be so much more useful than just a website. It could be one-stop shopping for anyone with questions or concerns and might help with listserv over-use.

THING #16 (Week 7)

I have so far enjoyed using wikis since I was introduced to them last year. They are easy to use and extremely practical for people separated by distance. It is nice for collaboration because you can contribute to the wiki on your own time; you don't have to agree to meet at a certain time with your collaborators and work around busy schedules.

I enjoyed exploring the wiki on "Library Success". It has everything you need to know and what's best is you know it's created by people with experience in the library field who know what they're talking about.

I use Wikipedia a lot as a reference tool and I don't think any encyclopedia has it beat. It may seem dangerous to let just anyone edit content, but I think that for every crackpot out there who tries to vandalize a wiki, there are professionals who can step in and correct it. I think it evens out in the end.

The idea of using a wiki for collaborative note-taking in the classroom is interesting...maybe after using it awhile students could get a clearer idea of how to take better notes. Hopefully it would also foster the idea of teamwork.

THING #15 (Week 6)

I learned a lot about copyright, fair use, and the public domain by reading the comic book written by the students at Duke University Law School. Although it focused specifically on making documentaries, the examples were applicable to any materials. It really drove the point home that a balance has to be struck between protecting the copyright holder and the creator of new works who wants to build on others' ideas. As secretary to the teachers at my old job I did all the copying, and in several situations questioned if what I was doing was indeed within the realm of fair use.

As for the concept of Library 2.0, I agree with the point made in the #15 Post, that libraries have almost always displayed the attributes that Library 2.0 is supposed to promulgate. Sometimes I think there's a lot of pressure on all of us to use these new tools simply because they're available. What we need to do, and what we are learning from this online course, is how to enrich our curriculum and facilitate learning through new technology.

THING #14 (Week 6)

If you're crazy about blogs, Technorati is the way to go. It organizes blogs by broad topics and you can also search for items within the blogs.

I think tagging is an inevitable result of regular users sharing their information globally. Many may welcome tags as a "common sense" approach to searching. Others may be frustrated because "common sense" is, after all, not universal. And there is also the confusion that can result from not having an authoritative tag for something like "pool", which could signify a swimming pool or the billiards game. I think tags are a great way to find something informally, especially if you're navigating in a context that's familiar.

Technorati could be used as a way to introduce students to blogs. They could follow one they find interesting and keep a journal on it in preparation for writing their own.