Thing #4 Technorati

Technorati always seems to be an enigma when you first start with it. I don't use it very often. I prefer to use Google Blogsearch if I am looking for something in particular. And, as I populate my Bloglines account, I seem to find blogs of interest and value by linking to the blogrolls of my favorite bloggers. That is where you will find the gems and trusted blogs.

The use of good keywords, just as in any search for information, is the ticket to finding good results. Tagging your blog posts, your saved pictures, your saved links, and your main blog all are important if you want to be found and/or organize your information assets for efficient and easy use. We'll learn more about tagging as we get into using some of the information gathering and saving tools. Technorati is a good tool to practice your tag search abilities and to explore the blogosphere.

With, literally, millions of blogs out there, evaluation is one of the most important skills we can develop and teach (for any type of information). Technorati serves this purpose in that you can determine what kind of "respect level" the blogger has earned from other bloggers and peers. For serious bloggers, Technorati has been able to provide key data regarding the popularity of your blog, the authority of your blog, and useful statistics. Many blogging providers now provide these features as part of their blogging service.

All in all, I still use Technorati from time to time to investigate statistics and find some of the biggest and most viewed blogs. The "What's percolating in blogs now" feature is always a good way to find out the big news items being posted.

Thing #3 RSS

If I didn't shout loud enough, in class, on how much I love my Bloglines...I'll do it here. I've used Bloglines for quite some time. I've opened a Google Reader account and will need to explore that one to see if it may serve my needs better. ...when I have time.

I find aggregators, such as Bloglines or GoogleReader, indispensable in delivering the blogs I like to read. I like to know if there is a new post, or comments, on my favorite blogs...without having to visit each one individually (only to find out that there are no new posts) -- THAT is a time saver. There is nothing like keeping a finger to the pulse of what is happening in the areas I find interesting and important. I don't HAVE to read every blog, everyday. I can skim the posts and read it should I desire. Or, I can skip right over it to find something that is more important to me at any given time.

I use a web-based page to aggregate all the newsfeeds I like to read. I can subscribe to the sections of favorite news services I like: sports teams, election news, world headlines, Colorado news and events, investment news, technology news, weather, travel, commentary and editorials, etc.

If I wanted to search all those articles in the different newspapers and magazines... I'd be spending MUCH more time sifting, skimming, and ferreting out the news I want. I see using aggregators as an incredible time saver. I don't have time to go through all the articles, ads, and filler in newspapers and magazines.

Yea, RSS! My next favorite tool is del.icio.us...but we'll cover that next week...

Thing #2, Blogging

Speaking of moving outside of my comfort zone -- blogging is the place I need to start. First of all, I think that blogging, for anyone, is one of the most powerful tools we will cover. Here is our direct route to conversations, interaction with the world, and learning through doing. Here is the path to document our learning journey and share it with others.

I have never been a particularly good writer -- I have forgotten most of the grammar rules I learned (a few decades back), my spelling leaves much to be desired, and my focus has tended to blur recently. So what do I do? Put it all out there for all to see -- and even expect comments in return. Yikes! I guess that if you don't jump in with both feet, you'll never learn to swim.

Is blogging a powerful tool for students? Absolutely! Students, frequently lost in the crowd, given little or no voice in their own education, and dealing with educators who think that social networking is valueless, can finally find their own voice. Kids are creative. They are inquisitive. They want to learn. And, they have a lot to say. They want to learn, play, experience, and grow with their friends. Let them have a voice, a direction, and a responsible part of their own education process. I really think that we will be amazed.

Students are "in their element" in the world of social networking. That is how they get through their days, how they interface with the world, and how they, consequently, want (need) to learn. They create and interact on MySpace, Facebook, Deviant Art; they create and mix up music and video, they share, learn, and create. Until they get to the classroom.

Although we, as media clerks, aren't teachers, we can be educators. We can influence, guide, and show our students new and exciting ways to communicate with the world (and they can teach us much, as well). What a nice symbiosis. What if we can also have an influence on the education process in our building? Now, that’s exciting.

Thing #1 Web 2.0

We are lucky to be media clerks in the library. It is exciting that we are in a position to really use and see the tools of the Read/Write web in application -- to understand, manipulate, and utilize these tools is an exciting journey. There is so much out there -- the very coolest parts are the relationships to be built, the creativity and impact we can wield, and the conversations to experience. And the learning and creativity! So much to learn...so much to create.

My goals for the class are to share some of the tools I use, learn to use more Web 2.0 tools, and be able to use them in the library setting and in my own personal productivity and projects. There are areas where my timidity keeps getting in the way of my own learning journey -- but, together with this PLN and a little disregard for my self-imposed limits, perhaps I can expand my comfort level and try some new things.

Love My New PLC

Today was our first meeting of the Library Learning 2.0 for Media Clerks Professional Study Team. What fun this will be to learn with all the secondary clerks in the district. Such a fun group! I look forward to our conversations, learning, creativity, and exploration of cool tools of Web 2.0.