Tired of thinking

Its almost midnight, but I did remember to post. This was a very busy week and the AT newsletter was a bit overwhelming to me, as I knew nothing of the topic, until now. I learned a lot, but find I am too tired to explain it all. There was almost too much information out there. It was hard to decide which resources to use and which devises my library would have. I did like the way the newsletter turned out though-hopefully Susan Allen will like it too. I will write more in the morning. I'm just too tired now!

Web 2.0 Monsters

Well, I survived another week, fumbling along through the dense, dark forest of new electronic tools and complicated topics. I honestly feel myself avoiding the computer, as I know I have so much to learn for this class, and I am not great with technology, and it sucks the hours out of my day whenever I attempt to get a few things done. After the web 2.0 monster steals the hours from me, I find I still have so much more to learn. It is not a simple tool for many reasons. There is so much to explore, which is fun, but distracting also. It took me a while to figure out how to use the podcast, wiki, diigo site, diigo educational acct., NY virtual library, thinkfinity, etc. I even managed to post to the wrong discussion group-twice! I did not get to my google reader acct., and have to make an effort to remember that tool next week. The reading is great as I like learning new things, (or at least reading about them), but the writing is slow for me as I have never been much of a writer. There were times when my children were little, that I thought it would be nice to keep a journal documenting their growth and all the cute things that they did and said, but I never liked my writing. I am too critical and self-conscious! So, if anyone reads this, tell me it is not as bad as I think or say nothing.

The new web tools are not the only thing that I find scary; copyright law is probably worse! I do hope the law becomes clearer to me when I am working in a library and media center, as I would not want to violate any laws, either as an innocent, standard, willful or contributory infringer. Although, it does seem like the classroom teacher will encounter the greater burden in finding material that can be used for assignments. It may end up being my responsibility to teach copyright literacy though and assist teachers with materials that are legal to use. So, this is a subject I will likely hear about for years to come. To be fair, I do find it to be an interesting topic, but it seems like it would be very easy to use copyright material without realizing that it is a violation. When I worked in a small special ed. classroom, we played music, DVD's and videos all the time for the students and there was no concern over the use of these materials. Technically, should we have asked permission? It would take quite a bit of time to do this, as we had a wide variety of entertainment for these students. These were used as motivational reinforcements to keep the students working. I will be interested to learn more about the role of the school library and media specialist in copyright protection.

Lastly, the chapter I read regarding weblogs was interesting, especially as a collaborative learning platform. The topic of blogging and how it is different from writing was interesting, with blogging being an ongoing, collaborative" conversation", that continues endlessly and becomes something called "connective writing". I can see the benefits of having an educational blog, as we can all learn from each other. It also seems to be the way of the future with the popularity of social networking and Twitter.

New Options

OK, I believe I have completed all the details for week one in LIS 568. Well, I still have to register for iSafe program. I have never blogged before, so it will take some time for me to get comfortable with it. I am excited to see if this is something I will get hooked on. I joined Facebook just a few months ago and am amazed at how much I enjoy it now. I have found many old, new and current friends and like to hear about most of the things that they are doing, even if some post needless statements too often. I have also enjoyed the information and links that my friends post for others to check out. I used to check my email several times a day looking for personal connections, but all I seem to get are automatic news messages from my sons' schools and organizations, UB list serve information, advertisements and solicitations from banks, etc. I spend most of my time in my email accounts deleting messages I am not interested in. Now that I have my Facebook account, I have a social networking outlet, something I was looking for all along. It will be very interesting how the new applications I use in this class will change the way I use the internet. I also have an iphone and find endless tools and applications that have changed the way I look for information, music and social connections. Technology is rapidly changing my life!

New Challenges

So much to do. Two classes begin and a 6 credit test to prepare for. Playing in the snow was fun while it lasted.