Searching for Dr. Scott's HDFS class

If you have any trouble with the steps in the video please do not hesitate to contact Cynthia @ 742-2238 ext 293 or leave a comment.

Fellow Lubbockities

Well, I bet we are all resting easier now that we know that our city is protected from those dreaded released balloons. With all that is going on in the city, this is the item that the city council chooses to spend time discussing?

"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult

I just finished another book! I can't believe how much I have been reading.

I had been hearing about this book for a while and when at the movies recently, I saw the preview. It was so sad I decided that I had to read the book. Surprisingly the book was not as sad as I thought it would be. I really liked how the format of the book was set to help you identify with the characters... I am not sure how it could translate to the movie. This is a great book.

My next book this summer - "Tribes" by Seth Godin

Tribes is a book that after hearing about it for the 4th or 5th time at TLA ( Texas Library Assoication, which is a conference I attend regularly) I decided I must read it.

This book is about leadership but from an unique perspective, the underdog. I have always related to the underdog, probably because I identify myself as a underdog and wear that proudly. Tribes is a call to leadership, and then tells the reader that anyone can lead now as we all have new (Web 2.0) tools that we can use to lead our tribes. You just have to be willing to lead.

Some great quotes from the book "Tribes" are:

"If your goal is to make change, it's foolish to try to change the worldview of the majority if the majority is focused on maintaining the status quo. The opportunity is to carve out a new tribe, to find the rabble-rousers and change lovers who are seeking new leadership and run with then instead." page 110

"By the time you realize that your corner of the world is ready for an innovation, it's almost certainly too late. It's definitely not to early." page 120

Weather Alert! 2 hot 2 sit

OK, so I go out to my car yesterday and sit in the seat and BAM! My legs are burning! It is so hot that I cannot even sit to drive much less touch the steering wheel. Well somehow, I manage to get the car turn on, which is a feat in itself. Picture it - I drive a stick! While not trying to put my bottom in the seat, I contort myself into a position where I can get my left foot on the clutch, my right foot on the brake, my right hand at the ignition, it occurs to me now that my shoulder blades are touch the back of my seat and while it is hot it is not the intensity of the spot where my bottom should be. When I realize that somehow my left hand has mysteriously, on its own, thrown itself in the air as if I was riding a bull! I guess this is where my years of playing Twister pay off.

Suddenly, I am thrown back to the summer of 1980. If you were in Texas that summer, you remember it. I was in Fort Worth that summer. All I know really is that you didn't live through that summer you melted through it. And I remember my Mom would keep a towel in the car so I could sit on it.

I look at the dash, in the stifling car, and the temperature reads 111. Yikes! I hope that this week is a fluke and the rest of summer is not bearing down on us with century marks throughout August. Then I get in the trunk and get out the trusty towel, like Mom did, put it in my seat and drive home.

Summer Reading - "The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian"

Let me start by saying that I have always been an avid reader but somehow I have always treasured summer reading the best. Maybe it is still ingrained in me from summer vacations, 3 months of lying around in the sun and reading! Therefore, I always seem to read more in the summer.

I started this summer by reading the book “The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. It is a charming story where you are privilege to get a glimpse of how it might be growing up on a reservation. Junior, the main character, uses humor as a tool to survive his life. Just when you think for sure this kid is beat, he comes up swinging. I truly enjoyed the visual comedy this book uses throughout the story.

Thing 23 Summary WHEW I made it!

My favorite discovery I would still have to say is Flock the new browser I ran across while playing in the 23 Things - I think it was Thing 13 exploring when I discovered Flock. I also liked the variety of what I learned/explored.

I have always believed in being a life long learner. So while I continue to read, explore and learn at least one new thing each day this program as renewed that yearning in me to actively learn.

I think I would like to see the next 23 Things that I could learn. I really like this format.

I would choose to participate in another discovery program such as this.

I would describe 23 Things as Dynamic!

Thing 22 Ning

I looked at all the Ning items that were listed in Thing 21 and I can see that you could develope a social network for people with like interest. One cool thing I thought Ning did was allow you to use several tools to communicate to one spot, so that in a social network someone might be really use to posting in a forum while others can still load video if they want. Until we had these customizable social networks we had to chat in one spot post pictures in another. This allows for one stop shopping. As for an idea of how I might use this I am not were sure yet, will have to think on this for awhile.

Thing 21 Podcasts and Videocasts

I really liked PhotoStory software. I am already thinking of ways I can use it, but I need a mic! I took some of my pictures I had from a trip to Scotland and created a story.

Thing 20 Explore YouTube and TeacherTube

I found that TeacherTube would be useful if I was on a campus where YouTube was blocked by a firewall, but since I can get to YouTube I find it easier to work with and faster to load videos.
I found several videos when searching on both TeacherTube and YouTube that I could use in the classroom. For my search activity I searched for Web 2.0 and found the video "The Machine is Us/ing Us", which I have seen before and I really like. Enjoy!

Thing 19 Web 2.0 Award List

I am again going to say check out Flock is it so cool and it is on this List! I have been using it now since I ran across it when doing Thing 13. I really like how it helps me keep connected. While exploring this list I checked out several of the items, like yahoo pipes and a few of the fun items. I am already thinking how can I use yahoo pipes in the future.

Thing 18 Google Docs

I am so excited about Google Docs. This is not the first I have heard of it but it is the first time I decided to explore Google Docs. I am going to work this into my normal habit of saving items. Also I like the new features that Google Docs is offering, like the new forms.
I really like using tools online since then I can get to the materials from any computer. I have used my yahoo email this way forever, saving items in my email that I knew I would need to be able to get to from other computers and locations.

Thing 17 Rollyo

Well I did not like Rollyo at all, and did not see the point of creating different search engines that would only search the sites I wanted it to search. I just Google and find what I need. This maybe useful if I was not good at searching, but I still think you would run into the problem of remembering which roll included which sites.

Thing 16 Wiki's

I really like wiki's and have been using wiki's for a while. I really like to use Wikipedia as a starting out place if I know nothing of a subject. It helps me to get my bearings, but I also keep in my mind that the information may not be authoritative. I have used a wiki for TLA. The districts keep a wiki of recent district meetings as a resource to draw on while looking for future district meeting topics.

Thing 15 Library 2.0

I really liked what Rick Anderson wrote in "Away from the “icebergs”", I believe that it is up to the librarian to take the library to the student. I try very hard to meet my patrons where they are at instead of having the patron conforming to meet me. As such, I try to give a handout at all my demos and on this step-by-step handout for whatever topic I am discussing I also put my contact information, so that if they have a question they don't have to now find my email to get an answer. I am still not to a Web 2.0 technology customer service point but I am trying to get there. Micheal Stephens goes on to write in "Into a new world of librarianship", that we as librarians must be careful of technolost. I agree completely. Each library must ask why are we getting this new piece of equipment because we know that it is something our patrons need or is it something that we would like to try ourselves?

Thing 14 Technorati

Well I did everything on this "Thing", but I did not really get Technorati. It seems useful for Top 100 or most popular but I did not have much success at individual searches. However, that being said I really do like the function of tagging and try to tag whenever possible. I really am fascinated by tag clouds.

Also I am half way through 23 Things!!!!

Thing 13 Tagging

Well I checked out all the tagging sites and while I have had a Delicious account for a while I don't use it very often which defeats the purpose. I have decided to try a few of the others that were listed on the top 20 list and see if any of these work better for me.

However, while playing with all of these tagging sites I ran across a new browser called Flock. I have set it up and while it probably will not be my main browser, I really like it's layout and functionality as it makes it easy to keep up with all of my 2.0 technologies.

Thing 12 Comments!

Ok, I admit I have been a lurker for a long time in the blogs I read. I very rarely comment, but now that I see it from the author's side, I will be more inclined to comment. Of my friends’ blogs, I always received positive feedback for my comments but believed I was getting the kudos do to the fact that it was my friend’s blog.
I do think that trying to add something to the conversation is optimal, instead of just saying I agree. State why you agree with the post or other comment.
When looking for my 5 Library2Play blogs I revisited some of the blogs that I looked at for previous activities. As for the personal blogs, I commented on a friend's blog and then searched for one on Google Blog Search, and found one on basset hounds!

Thing 11 LibraryThing

I have been using LibraryThing for a while now. So I am not new to this resource, however I did check out the groups and the local features for the first time. I really liked those features and will hopefully use that more than I have in the past. I think setting up an account and adding books is very easy on LibraryThing.

Thing 10 Online Image Generator

This is cool! I like the word cloud look from the word mosaic on imagechef.com. This is the Visual Poetry! Create your own Rubik's Cube Yea Bart! I really liked playing around with these image generators, it was a lot of fun. I could see using these in class as a learning tool that is fun by learning to post links to a blog. Maybe use the word images as a review tool, for example, know the definition to each word. Who says the list has to be generated in a staright line?

Thing 9 RSS Feeds

I found Google Blog Search and Edublogs' award winners the best and easiest search tools for me.

I did not like the layout of Syndic8.com therefore I did not stay long on that search tool.


I found some useful feeds for libraries and then found some feeds on going green.

Thing 8 RSS

What I like about RSS is that it sends information that I have select to keep up with to me, instead of me having to go look for the information!


I use RSS feeds for alerts on topics that I am researching.


Libraries can use RSS by teaching people to use readers so that individuals can organize and manage specific information that is on the web, which may help people to not feel so ovewhlemed by information overload.

Thing 7 Google Tools

As I have used most of the tools offered by google I choose to explore Google earth and Google Docs. Both of these tools are really great. I was able to see how you could use google earth as a interface for teaching. Google Docs would have been great for group work in graduate school.

Thing 6 Mashups

Well Flickr is a neat site and I have been using it for my pictures for a while now. I was really excited to see some of the mashups that use Flickr data. I am not very good at thinking outside of the box, I have colleagues that do this much better than I do, so I am struggling a little to see how I could use this in my class. However I work a lot with the digital collections here at TTU and know I could use some of the mashups with that material.

Thing 5 Flickr

I saw this posted on flickr and thought it was a cool pic! It is posted by AGoK which stands for The Art Gallery of Knoxville. The picutre is titled COPYSHOP Knoxville and was posted Sept. 16, 2008. To me the message that this picutre is trying to convey is intellectual property is the right of everyone.

Thing 4 Registration

I have just finished Thing 4! Whew! I am registered.

Thing 3 Blogging and avatars

I was able to set up this blog by completing Thing 3. I also I really enjoyed creating my avatar! I think she really does look like me!

Thing 2 Life long learning

I learned a lot by reading the blog and watching the videos from Thing 2. I think the habit that is easiest for me personally is knowing that you need to accept responsibility for your own learning. One Habit I have a hard time with is viewing problems as challenges, I never think this way. I am able to problem solve but that is what is in my head while working on the issue: I have a problem now how will I resolve it.