Thing#11-LibraryThing

I am really enjoying this blog. It will be so useful as I am busy reading the 08-09 Bluebonnet Nominees in order to booktalk them with my students this fall. I am adding these books to my LibraryThing as I read them. It will be great to get feedback on the books from other bloggers and I am sure I will get ideas for using the books with students too. This is a great tool for me.

The Author Chat group looks interesting. I like that there is a schedule/time for upcoming chats so I can put them on my calendar. I also enjoyed the group Librarians who LibraryThing. This blog allows me to click on a book and have instant access to thoughts/opinions from others about the title. This "thing" is a keeper!!

Thing#9-Useful Library Blogs

The Bloglines search options were easy to use and I liked the way results were arranged on the page. It just looked organized to me in a way that made sense. Technorati was confusing to me. As I read through posts and took notice of tags I began to develop a better system for searching. This may sound elementary to some who have had a lot of practice with blogging but it really is a different way of thinking about how a person finds information. Am attempting to use Topix.net to locate info on Alaska as my husband and I are planning a trip there. The site seems so busy but I am working through it. Found good info on Anchorage Bay.

Thing#10-Image generators

This fun activity lead me to a multitude of really cool sites. Loved the comicstrip generator which would allow students to create their own cartoons with speech balloons. This could be used with first graders to highlight a lesson on using speech balloons in reading. Having done this with students and having them draw the cartoon themselves, there was frustration with some children about their inability to draw the characters the way they wanted. This tool would allow the students to be creative and have their finished product turn out the way they envisioned them. Definitely a small group activity with the youngest students but could be collaborated with computer lab teacher.

Could play here all day.

Thing#8-RSS

RSS-Really Simple Syndication to some. Confusion to me. This was definitely a "thing" that required a lot of play time. I will be tweaking this aspect of my blog for some time. The video RSS in Plain English was a big help in understanding the concept. But as I went to a blog, such as Librarian Philosopher, etc. I kept getting confused. I am also trying to figure out how to use RSS for my students on my K-4th grade campus. RSS in my personal life is a great way to simplify surfing the web. As Cool Cat Teacher stated, it allows you access to alot of information during your few free moments of the day. I could see a high school librarian using RSS feeds on a library blog to gather all kinds of information for students/teachers as needed. It is simple to establish a feed, I just have to get better at searching for good reliable sources.

Thing#7-Cool Google Tools

What a wealth of great tools to be used. I have set up a Google Alert for news about graphic novels. As an elementary school librarian I am constantly working on ways to get my boys to read and graphic novels are really something they gravitate to. I have also set up a Google Calender. I have been using a planner for years so letting go of it may be hard to do.
Using a Google Calendar among grade level team members would be a great way to keep everyone up to date on what is happening in the grade level and on campus. If grade level team members are writing lesson plans for different subjects then using calendars that are accessible by everyone would allow teachers to keep up with requirements/due dates for team members, students, etc.

Thing#6-Mashup/3rd Party Sites

Trading cards was a lot of fun to work with. I think I am repeating the word "fun" more and more as I work through these 23 things. The use of trading cards in the classroom would work well for teachers creating games or incorporating this feature into lesson plans for students to create games. Social studies and geography would be two areas where students vacation pics could be utilized.

Thing#5 Flickr

This activity was alot of fun and I found this great photo after searching using children and readings. This picture reminds me of my daughter and what her room would look like after an afternoon spent "reading" with me when she was 4.

Thing#4-Registering

Well, I guess I am fully committed to this now. A little scary as I look at other blogs that seem so sophisticated compared to mine. I am sure my blog will improve as I work thru it.

Thing#3

So far this has been fun! I am always uncomfortable following tech directions but these have been well thought out. It was fun designing my Avatar and my daughter was impressed that I knew what an Avatar was.

Thing #2

Thing #2 The hardest habit for me is #3. I have a bad habit of viewing problems as a crisis that must be dealt with. Thinking of them as challenges makes me feel much better about this blogging business! The easiest habit for me is #2. I do accept responsibility for my own success in learning. What I make of myself in life is up to me.

Thing#1

Thing#1 Looks like this will be alot of fun.