Thing #16

I like wikis and the options that the teacher has when creating one. I have used a wiki page in almost every one of my grad school classes and helped to create one for a group project. I have not used them in my classroom. I can't wait to share this idea with my fourth grade team and maybe we can create some sort of grade wide wiki for the kids.

Thing #15

Library 2.0 librarians plan for their users plans. They must make their libraries more accessible and interactive based on their patrons needs. I know from my own experiences that libraries have changed in the last 16 years since the last time I was in college. I used to have to go access the information I needed within the library walls. This time around I can sit in the comfort of my own home and find what I need via the web, which includes the information available to me through the UHCL library website.
This does not just apply to college courses. This needs to happen in elementary and secondary schools as well. I see the effects of Library 2.0 in my own elementary school library. My students have access to databases, websites the school subscribes to, and the collection catalog, all through the library web page. I realize how important it will be in my job as a future librarian to keep up with technology and find out better, more improved ways to meet my patrons needs.

Thing #14

Technorati
I liked the features on Technorati. It seemed easier to me to navigate than some of the other sites I have looked at previously. One thing I liked was the "Top 100 Lists" which lists the top blogs for things like technology, politics, and gadgets. I also typed in "library" while on the site and 878 posts came up. Some involved actual library information and some were about events that happened at libraries.
I also noticed a section called "Hottest Blogging Blog Posts." This is where you could go if you strictly wanted information about blogging and how to improve your blog. You could also click on "list of popular tags" which I found helpful because sometimes what I type in as a tag does not give me the information I am looking for.
I found Technorati to be a very helpful site which I will definitely use in the future!

Thing #13

I checked out Delicious and the other social networking sites. I think these would be great sites to use, particularly in the secondary schools when you want your students to find good information on whatever they are researching. You could already have tags ready and use them each year without having to do all the research again yourself. Then your students could locate what they wanted to from what you have already tagged. Hopefully, then they will explore on their own and find more things related to what they are researching. I can also see how this would be great for networking with other teachers or librarians and sharing information that you have found with your peers.

As a fourth grade teacher, I experimented with the tag "Texas" and found some good links. I could use this in a lesson on the ActivBoard and let my kids click on the tags they wanted to discover. For example, after typing in the tag Texas, I found links to Texas historical markers, Texas weather, and a Texas map. I will need to play around with Delicious a bit more to see where it will fit in with my fourth graders, so I will revisit this site when I am done with pro

Thing #12

Creating Community Through Commenting
After looking through the suggested sites for blogging/commenting, I found the Cool Cat Teacher Blog to be the most helpful to me. For one, it seemed to be written in a more simple way, which I need when it comes to technology. Another reason I like it was because it had tips for how to apply your new skills to teaching.
The first point I really liked was to make sure you are typing meaningful comments. Educational blogs aren't exactly facebook pages and probably need more thought put into commenting. Your comments should show the blog author that you hear them.
Another point on the Cool Cat Teacher blog that I liked was that you should actually teach commenting to your students. They need to know the etiquette and tips on commenting since they are also trying to navigate through this 21st century technology stuff!

Thing #11 - Library Thing

I am no stranger to Library Thing! However, in the past I have only used it to find books and look at the reviews listed for the books. On this visit, I checked out the groups. I found a few interesting ones, like "Librarians Who Library Thing." This one will be good to frequent to keep up with what other librarians are doing or what they think about library issues. I also liked the group YA Lit, as that is something I'm interested in and now that I'm not in YA Lit class, I need to hear about new titles! Another interesting group I found was 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. People in that group have posted lists of books they think you should read - another good resource for finding personal reading suggestions!
I also started a list of my favorite titles, but after adding a few, I realized I could be adding titles all night. So, that will be something I will go back to at a later time, when I have more time!

Thing #10

I played around with Cartoon Generator. What a fun tool! I can see myself really getting lost on this site! And having fun doing it! The kids will really like things created from here.