Thing 23

My favorite thing has been Flickr and the image generating. I got lost time wise in those activities. And, I do love working with pictures like in scrapbooking. (Guess you know there’s all sorts of web 2.0 tools dealing with storing images and creating scrapbooks online and to print out). I can see lots of in house promotional fun with signs created with images of the students at your school (all within the school’s publication guidelines of course). I also like Twitter. I’ve been seriously following with Denton ISD Libraries is doing. I think that has lots of value—getting out the word on your libraries and how they impact students. I just can’t quite decide if that has value. But, then again, I put the line of what I was reading currently on my email signature once. I was very surprised by the positive reaction to that. I took it off because I kept spending the day corresponding about what I was reading rather than taking care of organizational business.

Ning and LibWorm didn’t really appeal to me. However, I think it’s more the I’m not as familiar with those tools as others. And I just haven’t had the spark to really see how they could be useful. (I’m still holding out on Second Life, but recently read an article about how a hospital in Chicago I believe was going to use Second Life to explain to mentally challenged patient their treatment options so they would be more informed as they gave their consent to treatment—just might be of strong value in their respect.)

I found Instant Messaging the most challenging because of restrictions with my work environment. I still think picking up the phone or f2f will work for me in most work situations. Texting is becoming more useful as time goes on. It sure works well to communicate in a quick, efficient, almost nonevasive way with friends and family. I’m also a bit perturbed that schools block Facebook though it’s one of the biggest social networks out there ever increasing with the older generation.

The blog reader—though not new and certainly someone tried to get me into these before—was the most useful new thing I learned. I even heard myself recommending a blog reader to someone the other day who expressed his frustration in keeping current with the economic news of the world. That personalized focus of just what I want to know about makes so much sense.

Overall, I learned lots during these sessions. I’m surprised at varying opinions and uses others have for the same tools when you read other participants postings. I know that I’ve met with frustrations and it’s taken lots of time. But, it’s time that has helped me to learn these new tools and thus put me more in sync with the 21st Century users out there. Thanks for sponsoring this session. It is worth repeating, or having an advanced session!!!