Youtube Treasures

I was surprised to see how many library/libraries/librarian videos have been posted on YouTube! I had never looked specifically for this topic, and I was not surprised to see some informative, serious clips, others not so. I was also surprised to see so much resistance by members on Flickr to the addition of video--some resistance was down right nasty! I suppose those who prefer still photography feel overwhelmed by those who would rather work with video--the latter would win most popularity constests, I would presume. I know YouTube as excellent educational possibilities, and library applications would be no exception. Assigning the students to produce a short video clip on some library aspect, post it to Youtube, and then watch each other's work would, I think, be fun for the students as well as educational. A bit like sugar-coated cereal--at least they will eat it and derive some nutritional benefit.

Podcast Pleasure!

Hey, I could get excited about this application--the topics seemed just about endless, and the possibilities without limits! I didn't realize podcasts were 1. so easy to find and 2. diverse and interesting. I am wondering if I need a portable device now to take advantage--I have always preferred radio to TV, and this reminds me of being able to have a personal radio station, playing only those things I decide I want to listen to. I did an RSS feed on Nancy Pearl's book reviews (she is so hot, professionally speaking). I look forward to this and other gems I will no doubt find along the way. I wonder where I have been, why I didn't look into this sooner. Better late than never, I guess! Wouldn't it be fun to make podcast book reviews at school--the kids might enjoy doing this, and actually want to do a book review instead of resisting with every ounce of their being.

Jigsaw Magic

Wow, what fun--making custom jigsaw puzzles seems like a way cool app that I might use just for. I am having difficulty exploring some of these mashups--I think Web 2.0 must work best with the newest computers, as I am being shut out at random moments, which I attribute to my ME Windows and a slow machine! Probably time for me to update.

Flickr In My Future?

The link for an interesting and appropriate (for this time of year) photo is as follows: http://www.flickr.com/photos/unicoletti/3753874957/ I like this photo because it reminds me of my youth and the harvest time. I think this tool would not be particularly useful in my personal life--I abhor the camera lens, both in front of and behind. But I can see my wife and kids using it to share photos with each other. Professionally, I looked over some of the library groups, and didn't see too much that would be useful to me. I didn't see much activity in the form of posted comments, which makes me wonder how many views these groups actually have. I did not get an account with Flickr, probably because I would not be inclined to use it at this point.

Blogging Basics: Can It Be This Easy?

Setting up this blog was one of the easiest things I have ever done online! The registration was a breeze, and the professional look of the blog is a snap with the canned templates. I suppose one can customize and add bells and whistles, but for a beginner, this was so easy to get started! I can see applications in the library and in my personal life. For the library, I could add book reviews and have students/patrons add comments about the book if they read it. New book lists could be discussed, or ideas for bibliographies could be shared. It is an easy way for anyone with a computer to add to a discussion of interest, in a timely format.

Life-long learning habits

I think the most difficult habit for me is number 3: View problems as challenges. I tend to view most problems that roll my way as unwelcomed disasters that appear more like a doomsday threat than a challenge to undertake and learn from. This panic attitude does not help with solving problems or learning from them, so I need to work on attitude adjustment in this area.

My strongest habit is probably number 7: Teach and mentor others. I truly enjoy helping others with questions they might have about how to accomplish a task or how to find information that will enable a task to be completed. And it is true: we can learn a great deal from helping others.