Riddle Me This

“Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at mid-day on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?”

The evolution of life takes on many changes as one transforms throughout existence. The Internet is also going through changes as we interact with it. Are we creating that change through our actions? Through the use of Web 2.0 tools, we can participate in our life changes of the transforming web. Follow my guiding light on these travels of my life changing Web 2.0 journey.

Highlights

There certainly were many highlights along the way in this course. You see, I'm a chocoholic and my 'biggest chocolate bar in the world' has been the RSS (Really Scrumptious Seduction). If there were one thing to make my whole life easier - it's been the RSS feeds. It used to take me hours to gather information in what now takes a fraction of the time. And I'm getting more information that I was previously - I just think it's so cool!

When we were first introduced to RSS - near the end of the course - I thought, why weren't we introduced to this sooner - it's so valuable? It makes everything online quicker, easier, more efficient, as the feeds come to you. Why have we not been exposed to it in other courses? I haven't mastered it, but I can certainly see how I am able to utilize it on several counts. I can access research, be up-to-date on what the experts are saying, be informed on what's happening on the Nings, get my news fix, follow blogs, apply it to my personal development, use it at school to assist colleagues and students, for professional development, to share, collaborate, the list is endless. It's become my new best friend.

RSS helps me to be organized, so I've suddenly become a speed-reader - I've always wanted to read faster. Here's my RSS overview. In a review on libraries and RSS, Rightly Sore Subscribers, we learn that, "libraries are currently a large disseminator of RSS knowledge they have the potential to lead the way for all RSS users". That is indeed what I intend to do - lead the way.

There are a couple other highlights I'd like to take you through. My next choice is
social bookmarking. The tool I've come to appreciate is delicious. It is an awesome tool. It allows for added notes and organization through tags. I can share this with my staff, my students, conducting research, using it for reference; it will make collecting and sharing so much more efficient. It's very specialized for your needs.

My third gem is the wiki. We have had a tight time constraint in the course and yet I somehow managed to create two wikis that I can put to use. The Wiki In Training tutorial is directed towards my students, and the DMS Staff Training applies to my staff. It also has the potential for further district/conference development. Wikis are easy to get info online in an organized, easy to follow fashion. I just need to work on the collaborative aspect.

There have been so many opportunities in this course that some other mentions need to be made. I appreciated working with the blog during this course as it afforded me to feel more comfortable in its application. Thanks for the push. With virtual libraries, they offer great resources that I've incorporated some on my school blog. The multimedia sharing with VoiceThreads are so inspiring. Imagine the world wide connections that are possible. I predict this will develop more as we work towards the next level of web interactions.

Speaking of connections, the Internet has long been the source for social interaction. Social networking is so much more than keeping up with friends. We can make such strong connections with experts. My only previous similar example was a Listserve; the world just got that much smaller. It's great to know what's going on and be able to be part of those conversations and share in the global consciousness it affords. As Richardson says on his Weblogg-ed blog from, Networks Not Tools, "It’s about creating connections, intellectual connections".

With the Twitter component, I just don't see the value in it; I have to agree with Doug Johnson and say that too much fluff got in the way of the juicy goods to make it worth my while. I'm not a youngster like Mack Male where he is one with it. One thing I do find useful though, is learning to truncate URL's - a great invention:)

Photos anyone? The value in sharing photos is priceless. Creative commons is a great teaching tool. As Joyce Valenza posts it in Creative Commons: for happier image searching, "Creative Commons demonstrates respect for intellectual property while recognizing a more open information landscape, the desire of content creators to share, and the need of content users to build on prior knowledge".

There was one tool I struggled with (I struggled with the process - see below) and that was podcasting. I don't know why I just couldn't get it. I can record, I can hear it, something gets lost in the final transferring - maybe one day I'll have success.

These tools cannot really be separated and used on their own but rather are used in conjunction with one another. The interactiveness allows for the connectedness of bringing these and us together.

Reflecting on the Whole Process

I had been soooo looking forward to this course. When we started out - I absolutely hated it. There was too much information, too much to absorb, no time to try things out - I was about to drop out but the pressure that I needed this course had me hang on. I hope our marks can be altered for the mastery of what we've learned and not too strictly based on our poor beginning grades it seems we all received. The course applies current trends that are so valuable to know and we can now practise these skills.

Other than the highlighted tools I've mentioned, some other concepts are firmly rooted in my new online existence. I am thoroughly enjoying my Google Reader. I have surprised myself with following 48 feeds - wow, I hadn't counted them before - it sounds like a lot but I seem to be managing it ok. I've taken Richardson's suggestion of making it a habit of checking first thing in the morning to see what's come in. I'm still amazed at how well it works:)

I have to say I had been reluctant to create accounts online - not wanting junk mail, viruses, computer crashing etc. Now after completing this course, I have signed up for 25 Web 2.0 accounts. Some of these include programs to work with new tools - blogs, wikis, photosharing, RSS feeds, social bookmarking sites, professional networking sites, multimedia sharing sites and the list goes on.

In my eleven years of post secondary courses, this has been the most grueling. They say you only get out what you put in - well let me say I'm looking forward to getting some sleep after this course - I wonder if I'm operating on sleep deprivation. I've had many all nighters just trying to get assignment in on time. And it's not that I slack off either - I'm at it all day, all night and many into the nights too. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, it just that there has been so much to do, so much to experience, so much to get actively engaged in, that there just aren't enough hours in the day. Wow, I've survived and have loved the wealth of knowledge I've come away with. I have a clear picture of how I can implement Web 2.0 technology in my school, district and beyond.

If I compare this past six weeks to a lifetime of living - where would I be in the Web 2.0 timeline? Let's see, I started out in infancy, next we worked through so many aspects of applicable tools, that would be the childhood years, I feel I have been taken to my teenage years. That means that my eyes have been opened and there is so much more to do. I still have a lifetime of experiences to explore, share, and collaborate on. I'm still in the growing stage and excited to be on my way.

I wonder if we had more time, in this course, would there have been greater collaboration using the tools in class. I felt we were constantly struggling to keep up and therefore didn't really have the time for anything extra. I created a couple of wikis and asked for collaboration, but it didn't happen. Joanne, suggested having the discussions on our blogs as well - I could see it working if there was a list of discussion topics on the sidebar that linked elsewhere; it would seem disjointed to be attached to our posts, as we would lose the flow.

Over this stressful course and as much as I have probably complained to my husband, I have taken more away from this course than any other in my many years of education. That says something right there. Thank you for offering it. I can see why there are three sessions running at a time and that future courses are full. Is it by word of mouth that people see the value in such a timely course? - You betcha.

Class Connections

I met some friends along the way because it wasn't just about the tools. The class discussions allowed us to have a voice. We learned so much from our colleagues who were going through the same process. Working through our colleagues' blogs, allowed us to gather some great ideas. Niki your background really allows your blog to stand out. Norene, I cherished reading your work as your voice resonated well with me. Have you ever thought about publishing? Tammy's blog post on RSS reminded us to include at least 5 professional blogs. I have enjoyed following the writings of: Weblogg-ed, NeverEnding Search, and Blue Skunk Blog, just to name a few.

I'd like to add some other observations or highlights from our great hard-working group. I can't believe Dawn - she was our Energizer bunny. Dawn did you ever sleep? I was lucky to get about 4-5 hours a night and you were always a step ahead - with posts, suggestions, links, how did you do it? You amaze me:) I was grateful for Kelly's background with some of the Web 2.0 tools in that she could take us to the next level - it was like seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Tammy, I see that you have grown tremendously - you have really blossomed in this Web 2.0 world. Thanks for being with me here on the island - there is a connectedness knowing someone is close. I hadn't realized the importance of proximity until Mack Male suggested looking at local connections. I could go on as you all did a fabulous job under the tight timelines.

Future Plans

How do we take the 50 year old school, and adapt it to current Web 2.0 technology? Richardson has a suggestion in his latest post on "Willing to be Disturbed", he states the change "takes a plan that’s developed collaboratively..., one that is constantly worked and reworked and adjusted in the process, one that makes that long-term investment [of] time well spent instead of time spinning wheels." He continues with what types of actions are needed "global and collaborative and transparent". I propose to start to make these changes happen at my school. My pragmatic approach offers background, application and support over the long haul. My infectious optimistic attitude will warrant our success.

On the workfront, I've created a few things with my new found Web 2.0 tools that I can apply at school. My Wiki In Training can be used with my students to teach them how to create a wiki; the process works through a wiki. I have also created the DMS Staff Development wiki that I've offered to everyone in the class. I'll be able to implement that right away when school goes back as well as perhaps present it for some district pro-d or an upcoming provincial conference. Another tool I've started is a Library blogs for my school library. I will be updating it regularly with school related information, resource links, etc. (I'm quite excited about what I can do with it).

Here is something on my to do list - I'm going to adapt the California School Library Association's tutorial on The 23 Things. It's a step-by-step process to adopt technology into the education system. I will collaborate this with my wiki for staff development to provide a workshop series. Two things to focus on are playing with the tools and offering support. Having the opportunity for teachers to choose to be involved, assists with that first step coming with an open attitude towards making changes with technology.

As you can tell, there were many more upsides than the frustration with the course. Time was against us - that was the only problem. The choices of tools were excellent and we were provided with practical applications. It certainly was a well-rounded package. I'm glad it was short because it sure was intense. Can I go get some sleep now? I know -soon.

I feel that we have been presented with a wealth of knowledge this summer and I am so excited to be sharing these tools with my staff and students. This course has been so enriching.

Here's a YouTube depiction on the future of Web 2.0



These societal changes are happening in our Web 2.0 world. Our collective knowledge is emerging, and the use of these new tools allows us to contribute to the changes. Let's all join in on this transformation of how we educate all interested parties.

Did you think about how that creature from the beginning of this post? How was it able to change? You can change to with the use of these tools to assist in allowing others to change too. This life-long process is yours to be involved in. Let's take the plunge, go out with the surf and bring back some converts to surf in the Web 2.0 world we live in.

Sources

California School Library Association. (2007, Feb). The 23 Things. School Library Learning 2.0. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/mo9bzf

Richardson, Will. (2009, Aug). Willing to be Disturbed. Weblogg-ed. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/mecx8b

Richardson, Will. (2007, Dec). Networks not Tools. Weblogg-ed. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/lh6pxu

Valenza, Joyce. (2009, Mar). Creative Commons: for happier image searching. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/bda484

Blackburn, Gemma and Waker, Mary. (2008, Nov). Rightly Sore Subscribers: Where Libraries Are Going Wrong with RSS. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/kmw5b9