Method 12

I enjoyed the various methods presented. My biggest problem is that I was already familiar with them, so I didn't learn as much as I had hoped. But, all was not lost! I really appreciate and liked the various videos and other resources provided. As with any workshop, I think I am able to find something I didn't already know about even if I already am familiar with the topic. Sound confusing? As far as favorites go: cloud computing, wikis, and photosharing. Will I be able to make use of what I experienced...you bet! Experiences like this are never a waste of time. They always come in handy and I would be more than willing to promote this if it is repeated next year. I know some librarians who would benefit from the exposure and information!

Thanks!

Method 11

Podcasts! I actually did a mini workshop for some of my colleagues on creating podcasts for our libraries. We used audacity and then we posted them to our respective blogs and wikis. I told them that it would be incredibly easy to do and they were skeptical. But now, one regularly creates them based on spelling lists that a teacher asked her about. To be honest, that was why they wanted to learn. Several of my friends had been asked by teachers about podcasts. The rest is history.

I don't really subscribe to any because of time constraints, but I do enjoy a good discovery!

Method 10

I really enjoy a good wiki! My colleague and I created one for our school as a resource for teachers. Now, when they need some type of for, I direct them to the wiki. http://cliftonteachers.wikispaces.com. I use this wiki to play with web 2.0 apps to see which widgets work, how, and what uses I have for them. Right now I'm a member of 20 or so wikis. I don't necessarily contribute to them, but I check back in to see if there is anything important I may have missed. We have a teacher on our campus who uses one for her classes. She has inserted google forms for students to fill out and submit for different projects and has class info and all kinds of interesting stuff on it. Sometimes her students come to the library to access it and complete work. Between nings, blogs, and wiki's, I'm not sure which is best for my school's library. That's the struggle right now...what to create...each has limits!

Method 9

I've experienced chats and im-ing. Because I am in grad school and all of my classes are online, I have had to attend class or section chats several times. I always enjoy them because it is much more interesting than having to wait for a response through email. And, if the chat has voice capabilities, that is all the better. I have one problem, though, the lingo. I prefer to use proper grammar and spelling most of the time. I think it is because I have seen so many students who think it is okay to incorporate it into formal papers. And, when we are chatting with a professor, I feel like I am being disrespectful by using it. Silly? I don't know.

Method 8

I love Facebook...but not for the same reasons my friends do. I love it for the games! MySpace doesn't compare in this respect. I do not use my real name, though and I don't use a picture of myself. In fact, I have my privacy settings to where only my friends can see my stuff. I enjoy finding friends and family and adding new ones to my facebook...but it's still all about the games.

That being said, I see many uses for social networks in education. The biggest problem is to use them appropriately, meaning for educational purposes. And, as always, I worry about student safety. I don't think students realize how much they expose themselves through their MySpace pages and they often just won't listen to reason. Even some adults don't make wise choices when it comes to what info to post and what pictures to post.

Method 7

I already have a delicious account. Actually, before I had that one, I used www.ikeepbookmarks.com. I really like being able to save the urls without having them all in my favorites. I have already started one for my school's library. The first site I saved was the online resources for my district. I've explored another site, www.laterthis.com, but haven't gotten into it yet. I prefer delicious.

Method 6

I love one of the YouTube videos about "Mariachi Los Gallitos". I love it because I am in the video. I used to be a ballet folklorico dancer and my group used to perform with the Mariachi group. One of the members created a promotional video that had my dance group performing at the Economic Summit '89 at the University of Houston. As with Flickr and Picasa, I am leary about posting videos featuring students. But, if the site were used to post videos that have educational substance, then yes, I see a purpose.