Thing 4: Behold the Power of Blogging

I'm hooked on blogging. Even though it's been a whirlwind of a week, and I have not devoted much time to my "things, " I feel my blog beckoning me. I WANT to sit down and type my thoughts. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not my personal journal--for my eyes only--locked--only I have the key. Once I hit the "PUBLISH POST" button, this piece of writing will be broadcast on the mighty Internet for all of the world to read--okay, maybe just the four followers that I have, but that's an audience, right? My personal journal gets an audience of ONE. There lies the power of blogging--publication. Blogging provides the opportunity for all "writers" (I use that term loosely to describe myself) to become PUBLISHED. And to think we can give this power to our students? As Joey on Blossom use to say, "Whoa."

The Blogosphere contains all types of writing, and this is why all bloggers should feel welcome and comfortable expressing their thoughts. There is not a certain format to blogging; there is no formula. The possibilities are endless. Voice--that intangible of writing--rings true through blogs just as it does on paper. I'm reminded of Julie Powell, of Julie and Julia fame, whose Julie/Julia project started with a simple blog. And the rest is history.

Here are some of my thoughts on the suggested blogs that I read:

• I was particularly struck by Patrick's blog about 5th Grade because it shows the impact of comments in blogging. If this was written on notebook paper to satisfy a journal assignment, then this powerful piece of writing might have received a "keep up the hard work" scrawled at the top of the page from the teacher. But this is a blog, and blogs bring comments. The fact that Patrick received so many positive, inspiring comments gives me chills! This boys' life was changed by these comments! Blogging opens the door for validation--and that's what all writers (people, for that matter) want. We want someone to read what we have to say and then reply, "I totally get that." Think of Facebook, my personal form of crack. Don't we feel good when we get those little "likes" and even better when we get comments? Honestly, I feel like a total loser when I post a status update and get nothing in return. The power of validation at work, which to a writer is like air; it sustains us and keeps us coming back for more. Blogging is powerful stuff--publication and validation are only a few clicks away. Awesome.
  
• I love it when my worlds collide. For my UNT class, I had to read a wiki post by Joyce Valenaza in which she urges school librarians to step into the 21st century and embrace Web 2.0 tools. And now her name pops up here! I love it! Her blog about power point Reform should be recommended reading for all of humanity. I despise power point (it's not even worthy of capital letters).
• Cool Cat Teacher Bog: Spies Like Us should be recommended reading for all educators and DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS (especially on the secondary level). Blocking access does not make those little spies go away. As a high school teacher, my worst nightmare was to end up the laughing stock of You Tube. Thank goodness I escaped unscathed...at least I think I did.
  

And there it is: the power of blogging. My thoughts. My writing. Not confined between the covers of a journal. Not lost on my hard drive. My voice. Waiting to be read. The moment that I hit "PUBLISH POST."

(And praying that my links work.) :)

Thing #2: Thoughts About Web 2.0

After watching the posted videos, it is OBVIOUS that every educator in our nation needs to not only be familiar with Web 2.0 tools but also needs to utilize them in the classroom in order to fully educate the 21st century learners that fill our schools. "A Vision of K-12 Students Today" was especially powerful in relaying this message. I understand the resistance that some teachers feel toward this shift because this is not the way that most of us were taught. But as the Hebrew proverb says, "Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time." The "time" that our children are born in is one of rapid change and growth, and students must be equipped with the skills that it will take to navigate this world that is saturated with information. Like it or not, the times they are a changin' (so said Bob Dylan) and we (teachers) have to change with them.

Web 2.0 tools such as podcasts, blogs, and wikis offer dynamic ways for kids to share the information that they learn, and I can't imagine an educator thinking this is a bad idea. Why ask a kid to write a research essay on notebook paper when he/she can publish it as a podcast and share it with the world? Why ask a kid to keep a journal when he/she can keep a blog? Why give a kid a study guide for a test when he/she can create a class wiki? Why would a teacher NOT want to offer these tools to kids? I am excited about learning more about these tools so that I can be a more effective librarian. These tools will not only benefit my students, but they will also benefit me as a learner. I realize that these tools will link me to tremendous resources and information that will make me a better educator. I can't wait to learn more!

Thing #1

Here I am out in the blogosphere--finally! I've always wanted a blog and have never taken the time to set one up, so I am so excited to finally be a legitimate blogger. So here it goes...

As I begin the 23 Things to complete my Learning 2.0 journey, I think the most challenging habit for me will be #3: View problems as challenges. I get easily frustrated and a little intimidated by technology, so I'm hoping that I won't run into too much trouble as I complete the tasks. Hopefully, the computer gods will smile down on me. I am extremely busy right now because I'm teaching the first session of the New Jersey Writing Project (Abydos) for the district, taking a grad class at UNT, not to mention taking care of my family (my two daughters keep me on my toes), and trying to relax (just a little) after a very challenging school year. Add to this the fact that I am a procrastinator--I fully admit it and own it--and I that just spells trouble. But I'm going to stay positive and TRY to stay ahead of the game. It's always good to have a goal, right? (Habit #1!)

The easiest habit for me to uphold will be #4: Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner. I embrace learning in all areas of my life--as a mother, writer, librarian, educator. As cliche as it sounds, I love to learn! My personal philosophy as an educator is that being a lifelong learner makes me a more effective teacher. Taking online classes at UNT has helped me become a more confident learner because I've had to really take ownership of my learning, and I know I will have to do the same in this course. I also just finished my first year as an elementary librarian, and not only did I survive, I LOVED it (hence my blog name). It feels so rewarding to have found my "dream job."But talk about a learning curve! It makes me dizzy to think about all of the things that I know now that I had no clue about this time last year. Being a high school English teacher for 11 years and then jumping into the elementary library was one of the hardest challenges of my life but also one of the most rewarding. So I'm feeling pretty confident about my ability to jump into unknown waters and do whatever it takes to stay afloat until I figure things out.

I think the most important habit for me will be #5: Creating my learning tool box. This is the reason why I'm taking this course. I want to become a 21st century librarian; this means not only learning about technology but really USING it and feeling comfortable with it so that I can teach it to others. I want to LEARN these "things" and absorb them so that I can use them effectively when the school year starts in August. I don't just want to complete these things and then it all be a foggy memory, which honestly tends to happen when I have too much going on in my life (like now). So I'm going to really commit to learning these 23 Things so that I can be a better librarian next year.