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.