Thing 2: Does Web 2.0 = Library 2.0? Is there enough trust to change?

What is Web 2.0? What is Library 2.0? I thought Sarah Houghton's definition of Library 2.0 was helpful:

"Library 2.0 simply means making your library's space (virtual and physical) more interactive, collaborative, and driven by community needs. Examples of where to start include blogs, gaming nights for teens, and collaborative photo sites. The basic drive is to get people back into the library by making the library relevant to what they want and need in their daily lives..to make the library a destination and not an afterthought."

I read an interesting article from one of the "Top 25 Librarian Blogs" link on the 23TOAS site Krafty Librarian: Jan. 29 posting: Librarians' sport of choice: Teaching information literacy through fantasy football. The article was about Librarians at the University of Dubuque who saw the potential in fantasy football as a way to reach incoming students by connecting their fantasy sports skills to information literacy. I think the article points to the need for all librarians to know their clientel and to take into account that their clientel is familiar with Web 2.0 (social online networking) applications.

I don't think it is just a matter of keeping pace with our students (I'm way behind already), but I do think the more we keep abreast of what they are doing can only help us in trying to meet their information needs. We may need to change our patterns of thinking as they change their modes of communicating. What's the alternative? It's like being a good parent to our teenagers. We need to be interested in what they are interested in. They even might let us into their conversations.

Last night I was talking to a friend about my blog. He wondered what was the point of having a blog. He surmised it was just a form of entertainment for people with too much time on their hands. He also thought blogging seemed an impersonal way to relate to other people. I've had similar thoughts about blogging, but his comments also made me think about pulling my head out of the sand a little and give it a chance as a new way for people to communicate. Would I have found that interesting article about teaching information literacy by using fantasy football if I hadn't read someone else's blog? Networking with others seems to be a big reason to keep an open mind about blogging.

"Trust drives change." I ran across this quote somewhere along my haphazard way through the 2nd stick task. I believe there is a stigma of mistrust regarding social networking over the Internet, including blogs. Do some teachers view blogs and other forms of social networking as a way for students to put down their classmates or teachers? I personally don't know any early adopters to blogs. I would like to start using blogs with some of the student groups I work with, but security is an issue. Can we trust our students to be responsible with school blogs? Our school is looking at getting a service called SchoolCenter which can enable a teacher to control what gets posted to a classroom blog. However, unless the feeling of mistrust subsides, I don't think there will be an immediate influx of blogging in our school environment.

Thing 1 : Setting up a blog

I decided to take the plunge and do 23 Things On A Stick. I think it will motivate me to incorporate some Web. 2.0 applications into our school's library media program. Recently we had a staff technology day. I wish I had started 23TOAS sooner; I might have designed a class around some of the ideas listed. I definitely have a potential set of ideas for future staff dev. classes.

When I went to blogger.com to set up my blog I discovered I already had an account set up, but had never used it. I must have learned about Blogger when I attended a TIES conference or other workshop but didn't take the time to follow through. I am hopeful about the 23TOAS initiative. Maybe 23TOAS will push me to try some new things.

I created a weak looking Avatar. I probably should have went with an alter-ego type of get-up. Maybe I'll create a new one and go for a Tarzan look.

During the registration process for 23 TOAS my browser took me to Survey Monkey. I thought I had inadvertently jumped ahead on the 23TOAS list. I hadn't checked the rest of the TOAS list yet, so I thought this site was stick #2. It wasn't, but I created an online survey for my 6th graders with it anyways. Survey Monkey seems like an easy way to get some curriculum planning data from our students! I plan to bring this tool up at our next media department meeting in Feb.

Beautiful Corner : 23 things on a stick