I need you network-my collective brainpower
January 23, 2008
I’m still reeling with the knowledge that my wonderful advisor from the University of South Carolina, Dr. Donna Shannon, is reading my blog. This just blows me away! Look at the bottom of this email she sent me:
W00T! Best of all she wants me to “virtually” join her SLIS 761 class to talk about Web 2.0 Tools with current students and educators working towards school library media specialist certification. Ain’t technology grand! She assures me since I use Skype, it will be fairly simple! I remember my days in library school and having visitors (back then it was not really done virtually other than one tv studio to another–i can’t believe I think that is so old school now!!) The visitors for the most part were highly successful practicing educators in the field. One of my favorites was a class where we had the “standards” folks in charge of testing from our very own state department of education. That was a powerful class. Lots of great discussion about “the test.”
So now I’m slated to be that practicing educator who will visit the class to offer words of wisdom. Oh geesh am qualified? I still feel like I’m such a beginner, learning new things in on-the-job training everyday.
So I ask you, my collective brainpower here in the blogosphere! What 2.0 tools do you think I should share and focus on? Blogs? Readers? RSS? Twitter? Social Networks? Aye-aye-aye where do I begin? Maybe I should regenerate and tweak an old preso? Let’s hear it! What do U think oh-collective-brainpower that I know as MY NETWORK!!
PS–You better believe I did a spell-check and proofed this one folks! I have a reader who can hold me accountable!
Image Attribution:
Image: Doctor Donna Shannon, Ph.D.
www.libsci.sc.edu/fsd/shannon/shannon.jpg
Image: “Donna_NoteJan08.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/c_nelson/2213786902/
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:41 am
I’ve been a guest speaker in several classes in my discipline in the past year. At first, I didn’t think I was the expert. Then I realized, I knew more about the subject, had worked in it, and had done academic research in it for years. I am the expert in a very specific area of study.
You’ll do fine. You know the topic.
At our school, the big thing is having librarians in Second Life. It’s kind of a cool thing. But, we’re also working on digital media libraries that are huge repositories and can be shared between disciplines (colleges). We are also doing iTunes U, which is a repository for podcasts/videocasts, etc. Those would probably be topics I would choose because they deal with social media, feeds, development, etc.
That being said, choose to speak about what you know and what you have learned works in your experiences. Do blogs work in your area? How are feeds used? Go with what you know and what is proven for you.
Good luck!
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:42 am
Hi Cathy,
Tell them it is not about the tools. It is about The New Story of Learning we need each and every child to embrace!
http://tinyurl.com/2mygrf
Dennis Richards
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:44 am
I wouldn’t focus on tools, I would focus on learning. What affordances does the Web 2.0 environment bring to learning? Why is it a powerful platform for learning? I’d talk about the opportunity to learn from each other, via networks, and collaboration opportunities that enable individual skills to be amplified within a community. How do these new opportunities to network potentially change the learning landscape?
What was the first thing you did when you looked for help? You went to the network. The tools simply enabled that, but you were looking for advice from your online colleagues.
Then I would talk about tools. But they are secondary to the goal, and that’s learning.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 am
@Dawn, @Dennis thanks for sound advice and encouragement.
@David Jakes, how is it that you read me so well? It is exactly the approach I thought would work best. I may even have to show off my network a little, and call for a twitter hello to these future information specialists. I hope that my connecting with them (and yes, it will be an opportunity for connection, a discussion, a development of more nodes for my network)that will make this fun, enjoyable, and learning for all of us. So looking forward to it now. Hey, can I skype u in? Put it on your calendar–evening of Jan. 30.
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:54 am
Cathy,
I think that David Jakes summed it up for you, but yes, focus on the learning and how that can be enhanced through the tools. Make sure that you have concrete examples of each tool - if you use Twitter, do a shout out with a practical question. If you show wikis, show a few examples of what works - and maybe what doesn’t. What doesn’t work may show you just as much - if not more. It may also start a good discussion of what “learning” is in the 21st Century. Share what you end up doing, okay? I’m curious to know!
Susan
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Cathy,
Share your journey with them: they will be a mixed group bringing a variety of experiences and skills with them.
Let them know that even the seasoned pros are still learning and asking others for help.
Tell them what you know; ask them what they know. Teach each other.
diane
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Thanks for the great and motivating post! I fully agree with you. Do check out http://www.subconscious-mind.org, they have a whole host of interesting and helpful articles.
January 27th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Hi Cathy,
I’m one of Dr. Shannon’s students who will be at the “virtual” class on Wednesday and am looking forward to it very much.
We met at an EdTech conference when we were both speakers at the same time so I couldn’t go to your session, etc.
What I really want to know is how you keep up with “cutting edge” technology” with everyday responsibilities.
And, what I see as very critical is what David Jakes said..how can we use the Web 2.0 in a learning environment and convince our teachers to use it.
“See” you on Wednesday.
Carol Price
Spartanburg