The Circus is Coming to Town!

You hear the music, you run outside to see the circus parade with elephants, jugglers, acrobats, and clowns. You can picture the bright red and yellow striped tent with the ringmaster in his top hat and tails. There are three rings set up for the entertainment - where do you watch? Is it the flying trapeze act or the lions jumping through hoops?

No, that's for the little ones - you're after the amusement park rides that are also a part of the celebrations. You wouldn't go to the amusement park by yourself though, so why would you go online to be alone? Just one of the many reasons people use the Web to connect. Whether it's for entertainment, shopping, or learning - the Internet really is a social place. Think of how many million people use the Web. In North America alone there are 250 million Internet Users World Wide Users (2009, March).

As a T-L, I'll address how I can connect and interact with Web 2.0 to have advantageous results. There is no way I can be exhaustive here, as the world is large and this blog is very small; therefore I'll limit my findings towards my situation. I looked at online networks, blogs, and articles to collect a base from where to start. Starting small and getting the hang of it seems the most realistic. Here goes.

Teacher Librarian Network - TeacherLibrarianNing Teacher Librarian Network by Joyce Valenza, was truly an eye opening place to discover. I've always known I should be connected to others in the field, but I don't know how or where to begin. This was a gem to find as it offers:

·A community for teacher-librarians and other educators
·Allows those of us to connect, teach, share, and lead in new information landscapes.

The site suggests to come play in the "exciting learning sandbox", to pose questions in the forum, to add your images and video, and to post in the blog.

I like how this site is set up with groups along the sidebar to direct you to topics of interest. Some of the group topics include: instructional technology and Web 2.0 in the Library

Web 2.0 in the Library This group is for those who wish to share about using collaborative Web 2.0 tools in their library instruction. Here we can discuss what tools we are using, make connections for collaboration, and celebrate our technological triumphs!

The layout of the site has an easy format to follow. The forums are centrally located on the page with links to who started them, how many replies there have been and who was last to post. After reading them, I decided to check out Joyce's thread on Database widgets - and Web 2.0 Tools in your catalogue. It's easy to get distracted though.

Back to the layout. It also includes videos, photos, a poll, calendar of events, T-L positions available (wow-talk about networking), podcasts, SLJ News (School Library Journal), ALA TechSource, tabs for members, photos, videos (158), forums, events, groups and blogs. There are also subheadings under each of the above tabs. The blog tab lists all the blogs and breaks them down into categories of popularity, by tag topics and then the monthly archive. I couldn't resist any longer, so I've signed up for an account.

Back to the layout again - my goodness - I've become a random reader. The pages are segregated - sort of thirds- each with a different purpose - I'm still trying to figure out how it's decided what goes where and why. As I'm reading a post along the left hand sidebar, I wonder if our writing will change do to the format in which it will be printed? In this post on Library Mashups by the Library 2.0 Gang hosted by Richard Wallis - I learned about links to Google Book Search, and WorldCat. And a link to a book and related article edited by Engard, Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library which goes into more detail on how we can "share and combine digital content". I get it - it's like in real estate where it's all about location, location, location, only here it's all about connections, connections, connections. The connections are simply amazing. Ok, time is limited - move along.

National Council of Teachers of English or NCTE Inbox. This includes: news, views, and ideas you can use! It's a professional association of Educators in English Studies, Literacy, and Language Arts. The tabs offer: the current issue of inbox, standards, pro-D, meetings, action center, and online store. The right sidebar - lists the editors, tag topics, access to linked resources, archives, NCTE blogs, syndication and bookmarking service providers. When you click on the current issue - there are also announcements after the articles. In a very apropos article - Social Networking: The Ning's the Thing, it starts with an overview of what social networks are "Online, social networks connect[ing] people who share common goals or interests." Let's look into this Ning thing.

Ning (Wikipedia) is an online social network platform that allows you to create your own customized social network. The difference between Ning and FaceBook is that Ning has "the ability to customize the features to meet the needs of a specific group of people" The plusses:
·Create all groups yourself, or leave it open to members
·Approve groups, so that nothing off-topic shows up
·Approve all photos and videos before they are posted
·Delete any groups or discussions that are inappropriate
·Ban members from the network if necessary
·And reverse any of these decisions with a click of a checkbox!
If you're into stats, here's an interesting study on the different types of users and how we can attract these groups to Web 2.0 activity. Friending Libraries.

Friending Libraries: Why libraries can become nodes in people’s social networks

View more presentations from PewInternet.

There's more out there, I can feel it.

Blue Skunk Blog by Doug Johnson's header states: Leaving readers confused at a higher level since 2005. It's nice to see some comic relief in the serious business of libraries. The tabs across the top include: Blue Skunk blog, website, contact, bio, biases, archives, endorsement policy, and Why the Blue Skunk blog? Of course I had to start with why? The name has a local meaning and misunderstandings attached to it. He's twisted, lets us know it - good, I like that. His archives are dated for a month at a time. This site is fun, entertaining and informative too.

OK on to the article Facebook: an educational resource? I like his spin on things - To give Facebook a fair shake as with anything on the Web. Its the content that's questionable not the format. Some great points are made to encourage us to use Facebook in our schools. Enough of Doug's silliness - let's move onto something more serious - Harvard.

Ed Magazine from Harvard Graduate School of Education has some great educational articles. One such article by Blanding on Thanks for the Add... Now Help Me with My Homework has implications for social networking sites to have educational potential. These Social Networking Sites (SNS), work like this, "the way they mix social interaction and schoolwork mirrors the way that office workers dive in and out of work and personal e-mail on the job -- perhaps preparing students for the real world in ways they don't even realize." This connection helps to make so much more sense to us as adults in the practical world. In the real world we don't always have time to sit and read a whole article, therefore we need to be able to connect with blogs where we can get some quick updates, find out about something new, see if our posed questions have been answered.

LibrarianinBlack by Sarah Houghton. Her header states: "Resources and discussions for the "tech-librarians-by-default" among us..." This site helps us with the technological side of things in the library. The focus is towards T-L's with computer labs. For the library site, she offers some great tips in Ten Social Networking Tips, like keeping your site current, make it look good, and have something fun on it. Suggestions are offered to make your interactive site valuable. Now for those times when more general information and networking is required, let's turn to the library on the interactive web.

Library 2.0This network is for Library 2.0 Stuff. It is for librarians and others interested in Library 2.0 and is hosted by Bill Drew. The tabs consist of : my page, forum, blogs, groups, events, notes, chat, photos, and videos. Under the blog tab, there are discussions by various authors. Also listed are featured blog posts, latest, most popular, blog posts by tags, and archives. The events and recent activity are also posted on the right sidebar. Some of the groups of interest include: a School Library group, Training 2.0, Teen Services and Library Greenies (libraries going green). There is a lot going on to check out later. There is still another network to include.

Library Network Group is the electronic meeting space for libraries and the information profession. It states: "The challenges raised by ever-changing ideas, fresh perspectives and marketplace developments are being met by us every day. The continuing need to develop techniques and skills that keep us abreast of change are leading us to new solutions that we need to talk about. The pressure to share our best practices and, more importantly, our developing thoughts have led to the creation of Library Networking Group on-line community." The site consists of tabs directing us to forums, groups blogs, recent articles, podcasts, tried & tested and archives. The left sidebar lists blog categories- breaking down the different types of libraries, recent forum topics, LNG frequent bloggers, and upcoming events. On the right sidebar are: recent comments, who's new, and archive menu.
One of the benefits of networking is for inspiration. At the Library Network Group site, under podcasts I found a video to inspire us to have some fun. Think about incorporating this as a library orientation.

See the Amazing Library 101 challenge.


Connections with Articles

With covering some of how to connect with online sources, there has to be some background research referring to how and why it works. The following are some connections to articles sharing the pros and cons of online networking. I feel there are more benefits than there are downsides.

Some benefits can be found in the key ideas to networking. There are communications with new developments ie subscription to magazine titles like Multimedia and Internet@Schools, School Library Journal for current articles. Communication is important therefore we need to speak the same lingo as our students, share referenced documents when learning new information with staff and parents, and problem solving with asking questions of others in the same environment - as many heads are better than one. In Abram's article Justifying the Social Tools, he lists the following advantages for using social networks for teens:
·empower teens
·give teens the chance to meaningfully serve the community
·support teen reading and writing and text-based literacy needs and skills
·give teens opportunities to create and collaborate
·make sure teens are able to plan and manage projects
·communicate with community embers
·provide teens with opportunities to choose how to be smart and safe when using technology

With teens only being one group we need to connect with, it seems it's the biggest gap to close with online networking. By acknowledging their needs, and participating, to some extent, along with them, we can reach out and make their learning more real thereby engage them. Keeping the line of communication open is key in discourse with all involved parties. This benefit to social networking opens up the world as we used to know it. Let's be realistic, there has to be a balance to really make it work.

You've heard the horror stories about letting our youth hang out online and being stalked by pedophiles. Are you really communicating with a truthful identity? Negative press abounds with online predators and hackers accessing your personal information - there was a note on the LibraryNetworkNing site suggesting that spammers were attacking the system and that Joyce was working on resolving the problem. How can you keep up with all the networking that our students are up to these days - they have more time on their hands than we do. Second Life may be virtually real for some but I hardly have time for my real life. How do you know the information that you find online is fact or opinion? How can you justify who has written the work? Social network sites like Facebook and MySpace restrict participants under 14 - so how do you use this social networks in elementary schools?

What About in Schools?

In Gorman's Do You Speak Digital?, I can take some of the suggestions and apply them to my situation. I'll open a staff meeting with the quiz on the new technical language of teens to show we need to connect by being informed about what they're doing. Abram suggests in Scaffolding the New Social Literacies, that we need to teach to online privacy of personal information and that when schools are blocking social sites, we are driving our kids underground. We know social networking is still going to happen, but not in an educationally sound way. So we need to teach the positive uses to empower both our students and teachers.

We can be walked through this by referring to Lamb's article on Social Technology and Social Networks. She lists some great suggestions in 8 easy steps. Some of these steps include: dealing with the controversy, the T-L role in implementing the tools, dealing effectively with the content, addressing the profile issues, accessing information, and what the future holds.

Here's more detail on how it can be implemented. The controversy widely held in the public is to block online access because it is harmful and dangerous for our young people. A few things we need to do are teach social responsibility to counter cyberbullying, use web wise sites, and discuss fact vs. fiction online. The first tool to incorporate is netiquette. Also consider evaluating web content and develop effective posting methods. The content to suggest includes using photos, videos, etc with creative commons. Student profiling is huge - suggest using pen names and limit personal information in public settings. When considering publishing and accessing student work, ask will it be within a closed system or available globally? Finally the consideration of virtual spaces like Second Life for Teens allows us to see the future of where Web 2.0 can go. With these practical suggestions, we can be well on our way to incorporating social networking in our schools.

I have taught Internet safety with my students. In reading Kollie's article Social Networking: It's a Good Thing, I realize I must also teach media literacy. We used to be concerned about students access to objectionable material, now we're concerned about them posting images that are inappropriate. We need to educate the students, the teachers and the parents. It is by acting together that the connections can be made stronger.

In educating how to engage in the Web 2.0 world, we are asked to create accounts. Join this, or that - all of these services ask for particular information. I for example in this short time frame have been encouraged to create over twenty online accounts - each one asking for personal information like what is your real name, birth date, etc. Are we to teach online users to be untruthful? Many sites ask that you are over 13 - if a young student wants to belong - they'll just lie to be included. What are we teaching them? It's innate that the youth are engaged online - how can we undo the wrongs that have already been done? How do we help to protect the private information that has already been distributed into cyberspace? Kollie suggests educating early and often. I have learned not to fight it but to join in.

This Web 2.0 information has been so valuable. It is perfect for keeping on top of pro-d, being connected, being up to date, and I continue to share and learn new things. I give the Web 2.0 - 2 thumbs up.

We are so fortunate that the world is at our fingertips. The future is here now in terms of accessing information and contributing with the world. It's almost like going to the amusement park and being overwhelmed with stimuli. Where do I start first? Plan out where to go to take advantage of what's out there. When we talk about engaging in the fun - we look at the biggest and the best. The London Eye(biggest ferris wheel in Europe) or Kingda Ka(world's tallest roller coaster) (wikipedia) would have the best to offer in terms of entertainment. We also want to have access to the best information available and we can by exploring Web 2.0. Communication can come to us or we can go to it; either way social networking is here to stay.

How can I contribute to this technological advancement within our system? Our BC Ministry of Education has not updated our technology curriculum since 1995. An updated version is needed that includes Web 2.0 developments with technology. Being involved on these committees would be beneficial. I can send information to library networks, administration, and the superintendent to create a foundation to be in place to teach these important skills in today's Web 2.0 society. This can only help bring to the teaching forefront, the importance of staying connected with our youth. Web 2.0 is not a separate entity; it needs to be tied with other curricula like socials or literacy education. Let's embrace this Web 2.0 world and enjoy OUR new playing ground.

Sources

Baird, Catherine. (2007). Library Networking Group. Retrieved from http://www.libraryng.com

Dekker, J. (2008, February). Amazing Library 101 Challenge! YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXy35Bvnq18

Drew, Bill. (2009). Library 2.0. Retrieved from http://library20.ning.com/

Engard, Nicole. (2009, September). Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library. Retrieved from http://mashups.web2learning.net/

Gorman, Michele. (2006, October). Do You Speak Digital? Understanding today's teens is a lot of work - but it's worth it. School Library Journal 10 (1). Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6376097.html?industryid=47192

Kollie, Ellen. (2007, January). Social Networking: It's a Good Thing! School Planning & Management, 46(1), 22-24. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1221088821). http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=1221088821&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Lamb, Annette. (2007, Nov/Dec). Social Technology and Social Networks
School Library Media Activities Monthly - Retrieved from http://0-www.ala.org.sapl.sat.lib.tx.us/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/knowledgequest/kqwebarchives/v36/362/KQW36_2Lamb.pdf

Rainie, Lee. (2009, March). Friendling Libraries: Why libraries can become nodes in people's social networks. Retrieved from http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/video/friending-libraries-why

Stephen Abram. (2007, January). Justifying the Social Tools: Improving the Conversation. MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 14(1), 21-22. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1193755291). http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/pqdweb?did=1193755291&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=12301&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Valenza, Joyce. (2009). Teacher Librarian Network. Retrieved from http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/