Thing9

I found the easiest way to find feeds is by looking at the lists on the sidebars of blogs. When looking at a library blog, I can find all kinds of related discussions.

My favorite search tool was Google Blog Search. I added a blog search gadget for school librarian blogs to my Google home page.

I did not like Syndic8 - it covers too much - the format is overwhelming. I was also disappointed by the School Library Blogs on Suprglu - too much scrolling to get anywhere. They should use a sidebar format.

When I blog, I am usually looking for job related information, so I would say that the most useful would be Edublog Award Winners. I noticed "A Library by any other name" was listed.

the most unusual feed (and actually useful feed) I found was the Atomic Learning. I liked the free tutorials.

The most useful feeds for me are the ones that I find in online databases such as Ebsco. I know I can depend on the information.

Thing 7

I created an iGoogle page which is very handy. I included my favorite library RSS feeds which included Joyce Valenza's Never Ending Search and also the YALSA site. I love the to do list feature which allows me to list daily library related tasks as well as personal items. Google Docs is the second tool that I found helpful. As the facilitator for our library group, I plan to create a spreadsheet for our first meeting, called Best Practices. Each librarian can access this document and schedule their best practice presentation at one of our 08-09 meetings. I also enjoy checking Google Scholar to see what articles my PhD scientist son has published. A quick search calls up everything he has written and I can choose my own search preferences.

Thing 8

I think that RSS feeds can be overwhelming. I believe that the key is choosing wisely -otherwise it is just another way to deal with information overload. The concept is great - however I tend to collect too many favorite sites and then don't have time to read them.

In my personal life, I like the fact that the iGoogle page allows you to access your favorite sites - all in one place. The bundles they set up were great.

As far as professional life, I did manage to set up a folder called Library Stuff - and choose two recommended sites that would be helpful to me: Joyce Valenza's never ending story and also YALSA.

I do not wish to make my reader list public.

Thing 6

I had fun looking at all the creative ideas mentioned in "Big Huge Labs." I uploaded photos from authors who will be attending our Teen Lit Fest in January (with their permission) and created two different posters:

The first one was a collage of all the authors using Mosaic Maker
The second was a poster adverstising the event using Motivator.

Thing 5

Flickr has many possibilities for library use. I appreciated the partnership with the Library of Congress and also the help given on how to save unitedstreaming pictures. The greatest advantage is being able to access your collection as well as other collection from any computer. Who needs a jump drive anymore?

Thing 4

I have successfully registered and received a welcome letter from Vaughn. I liked the suggestions concerning topics for new blog. With potential staffing cuts in our school district, (Humble ISD), I think a library advocay blog would be a good idea. Does anyone have a current list of Texas legislators who would be good advocates for library staffing?

Thing 3

It was easy to create the avatar. I am anxious to learn more about using avatars in the library setting. Very exciting!!

Thing 2

The easiest habit for me is using technology to my advantage. I do this daily by: updating library website, teaching online research databases, and even accessing our union catalog, Destiny.

The hardest habit for me is viewing problems as challenges. Some days, I'm just not up to a new challenge and tend to view life's little "challenges" as problems that are often put off until the next day... I should work harder on this.

Thing 1

This is a great tool for actually making yourself learn the things that teenagers do automatically. As a high school librarian, I think it is important to understand where they are with the use of technology. What better way is there than forcing yourself to learn what they already know. This will be a great communication tool with teens.