2.0 Librarian-AT- Work

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2.0 Teacher-At-Work, 2.0 Educator-At-Work, 2.0 ____-At Work

Thing #5 Microblogging: Face(book)ing the Truth

I joined Facebook about 8-9 months ago when the district opened it to track graduates and our department was asked to offer some introductory classes on it. It wasn't an easy thing for me to do ... no, it's not hard to get signed up and start...it's just hard for me because I am an anti-social social networker! I ABSOLUTELY see the value in all of these 2.0 tools for educational production, learning and interacting...I am not good at the social side of it.

I have been reading blogs seriously since about 2004 (and teenage angst since 2001), found the edubloggers very soon, and decided to throw my hat into the ring 3 years ago...NOT because I thought I had important things to say, but as a way of storing information I needed and wanted to share with my circle of influence. I would always know where links and directions to things would be if I put them in a blog...and I could share them with anyone who needed the info. Yes, EVERY once and a while I throw a little something into it that is more social/personal than normal. And yes, I have 3 blogs that I read regularly simply because they write the best little short stories I have read in a long time!

I didn't use my cell phone much until I learned to text...now I use it even less as a phone than before. I love being able to leave the info/message and let the other person get it when they want. There are about 5 people I will have a social phone call with...and 3 are family members so they don't count! You have to talk to family anytime!

So along comes Facebook...all these people wanting to be my friends. I added a few to have something to practice. I have ignored a lot. Not an easy thing to do...I would love to acknowledge all of them as friends, but I really don't want to know what they are doing every day...sometimes all day long...and as to what friends of friends are doing...well, you get the picture.

As I learned more, I was able to tighten things up and got it down to the basics...still not sure I have all the settings set correctly and every time I see a new article or posting about how to tighten it down, I look at it carefully for more help.

But you know what happened...I'd check in every once and awhile and a friend would have a thought up that deserved a comment...and then one weekend a fellow dinosaur and I happened to get on together and played around with those goofy little survey tests. Absolutely no redeeming qualities, but harmless fun. Remember, I was doing this in the name of research...how to help others with it.

A longtime friend that I don't get to see very often and I started mixing busniess and folksy news thru the message board instead of going to email...yes I know it is essentially the same thing, but it's all combined here.

And then I had a lightbulb moment...something I knew intrinsically, but an idea that bubbled up and explained why we must do what we do as we play with the 2.0 tools...why I must play around in Facebook and not feel silly about it.

I heard the statement

"These tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring." ( June 09, Clay Shirky)

Until we get comfortable using them, we can't see their true value. I thought about it a long time. I remember how years ago, when computers came on board, supervisors often gave time to play the games included so that everyone would gain keyboard and mouse skills...and then we could take up the business at hand.

I know that is why I have loved all the interactions that revolve around the L2P sessions. Non-threatening opportunities to learn how things work so, that in turn, I can make them work for me.

So I surrender...I'm still not the most consistent visitor, I still have not befriended everyone (PLEASE don't take it personally), I will one of these days, I play a few games, I have uploaded a few personal pictures.

And I definitely have been watching and listening to everyone's educational plans for Facebook ...and there are some great ideas and plans out there. Congratulations to all of you who made it work for you in the teaching/learning world. I am your biggest cheerleader and I will do my best to spread the word, I promise!

Points:

1. You can FB (a thing that has morphed into a verb into an acronym) from your phone. I still don't have all my settings correct there...I get the messages but can't respond from the phone. Need another trip to the AT&T store...AW now.

2. Have you discovered the Chat feature...lower right corner...watch for green circles. Discovered it about 2 weeks ago. Works just like IM (which I haven't done in about 4 years)

3. Have you joined the group that one of the L2P2 beachcombers created? Might be a way to keep the community of sharing going after the beach party ends?

4. Does anyone know how to fix the badge that you can add to your blog? It did not change my status. I tried throwing it away and starting over (3 times!) Shows the change on the badge in FB, but when I add to Blogger, the old status pops up...

See you around the virtual water cooler for some catch-up!

Image from Microsoft Clipart

A Funny "Thing:" Social Networking in Another World

No avatar, no password, no computer, heck, no electricity needed for this form of social networking!

This company is using 2.0 terms to make a new brand for themselves. I laughed out loud when I saw the first one on TV this week.

Coleman - The Original Social Networking Site

Shared via AddThis

They have a Facebook presence...you can become a fan, not a friend.

They even have Itouch apps!

If you still doubt why 2.0 tools MUST be taught and used in school, let this company's branding program be "real-world" evidence.

It's not the future, it's not fluff, it's now, and like it or not, the 2.0 world is here to stay.

Thing #4 An Uploading Experience!

I have been a YouTube consumer for a long time and now I am a contributor!
I signed up for an account...the same ol' same ol' info required. In doing so I also became my own channel! Who knew!

So then I had to figure out what I was going to contribute and that took awhile...I don't have any clever, cute, and worthy kids' projects to share. I only have samples of different things that I use to demonstrate to folks who are going to end up with lots of clever, cute, and worthy kids' projects!

I decided to upload one of my many Animotos that turned out pretty nicely...I threw some "B things" pictures from FlickrCC together one day and discussed how it could be an alphabet lesson, an opportunity to use and think about descriptive words (or as we used to call them in the olden days--adjectives) and even as writing prompt ideas....that all just happen to start with B!

After reading about how to upload and watching the videos provided at YouTube, including an updated version of one, I decided it sounded pretty simple, BUT I also decided to let the power of these programs help me. Animoto has an automatic upload to YouTube feature so I used that and it was very easy...hardest part was waiting the 10-15 minutes...so I folded clothes and put in another load of washing...the fun stuff of life!



Because I did it that way, I didn't have to worry too much about the extensions or other technical needs. The two services already know how to talk to each other! Cool tools.

Now...the issues I did have. I could not locate my video without signing into my account and getting it that way. That can be a good thing and a bad thing! Good in that it is just not widely available to just anyone, but it is not the most interesting subject so I really am not worried. The bad thing...the title "B Things" is too generic...there are all kinds of videos that come up when that term is search. Ditto for the tags...alphabet, adjectives, descriptive words. I also tried searching by my username. Nope, nothing, nada! So for now (and probably forever) I will have to supply the link to anyone who wants to see my creations.


I do need to practice with something that I actually have to upload and so I am going to sign off my MAC and move to my PC and see if one of my Photostories is worthy. (Yes, I need to get organized with one or more of the many tools available and bring my resources together in one place.)

So until later...see you on a channel somewhere!

***********************

Ok, I found a Photostory so I could practice an actual uplaod to YouTube. Again, my choices were slim and none, but it provided what I needed... a wmv file to upload. Yes, be sure you use the finished version of your Photostory--wmv, not the working copy (editable)--wp3.

The video uploaded quickly to Youtube, BUT the processing took "forever" in relationship to the very short length of the PhotoStory itself...I just did more chores around the house. There were plenty to choose to fill the time.

Here it is. Remember, it is nothing more than a demo for training purposes.



Yes, you are noticing the different sizes. Both are the smallest versions available so what it was originally may affect the sizes you have available to you to upload. I purposely messed with the borders as well to see if that affected the size...nope. The Animoto upload is jsut going to be larger than the blog space...oh, well! Remember, every bit of all of this cost me zero! That fact makes it look great, doesn't it?

O, another bit of an update. I used my initials as part of my title...and yes, that DID help my video to float to the top of all the pumpkin videos! So, at least I will be able to find it when I need it. I think I might do that to any others I upload.

I do plan to spend some time with TeacherTube and SchoolTube to see what do at those locations. I have basically run out of samples so I'll have do uploads at some other time.

Can't wait to see what you upload!

Thing #2 More Notes...

This beach blog is truly an exercise in learning and sharing...I am all over the place working on this and that and getting information and ideas from various places and people, and trying to answer questions posed in comments or asked thru emails. My head is spinning, but I LOVE it....there are so many good ideas flying around about how to use all of these image generators!

I have seen two Voice Thread examples...one I could comment on because I was invited to do so and one that was embedded and I wanted to comment, but couldn't...but neither one mentioned being asked for $60 so I am ready to go after that resource again.

The Glogster folks have been monitoring my struggles (without me asking) and sent me a help line and even congratulated me upon my successful piece! A little bit Big Brother-ish, but I am so impressed they want their Thing to be successful that they want to help!  Have you seen all these school examples?

I was contacted by one beachcomber who was having trouble emailing a bookr...so I went into the archives and emailed one from there to myself with no problems. I am hoping the email issue was temporary. Has anyone else had email issues with bookr? Were you finally successful?

Also, the issue of using flickr pix based on tags...if you uploaded your own photos and used a unique tag, could you make a personlized bookr that way? Has anyone thought about this or better, tried it?

I am including the archived bookr sample here just because the photography is so beautiful and the message a good example of some nice writing I think... 

YES, it is a beach theme. Yes, I'm a little obsessed with the theme....and all the rest...does that make me a Blog Bum?

P.S. An issue that we have been working thru over at the 23 Things playground is the hiding avatars! If you have noticed, your Yahoo avatar is not showing. There is an issue with the html code. The work around is to go back to the avatar site and save your avatar as a picture (jpg file) then go to your blog layout screen and save it using a picture gadget, not html!