Lifelong Learning Action Plan

After giving careful consideration to the different tools that I have learned about, I decided to first focus on using this blog as my primary tool for delivery. It is an extension of the library in that I can communicate about great books, good websites, and tools for learning whether it be a technology tool or a visiting author. I plan to provide the blog address in the school newsletter, have the blog address on bookmarks to give to students during the course of the year, introduce it to students in the beginning of the year, advertize it in signage during Curriculum Night, and encourage participation by students, teachers, and parents. If anyone else has other ideas about how to effectively using this blog in my school community, I would love to hear about them.

Wikis

After exploring Wikis, I can' t decide which I like more...Nings or Wikis. I was totally sold on some of the resources suggested such as Must Have Graphic Novels Primary and the ASU Digital Booktalk with Book trailers or Digital Booktalking (ASU Digital Booktalk -
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=92ac7a87c19d69f261db). Nevertheless, one particular one that caught my eye was titled New:Saving School Library Programs for Learners which has so many sites on the topic that I can't list them all here.
I definitedly would add Wikis to my Web 2.0 toolkit. I think this has a wealth of ideas which teachers would benefit from as well not to mention administrators. I even see how it could be of use to parents and students, particularly with some of the books suggested.

Nings

One great thing about Nings as opposed to FaceBook or MySpace is that while it is social, it is also centered around specific interests. I checked out all three Nings and liked Teacher Librarian Ning the most. I felt like the ideas being shared were worth my time to read whether it was about book club ideas, collaboration, or decorating. I also visited the blog posts and appreciated the input from the responders. I thought this Ning was set up better than Texas School Librarians Ning,but still enjoyed the forum on the later. The Teacher Lingo Ning would be most suitable for its lessons and message board. I would provide it for teachers to check out particularly if they are searching for new ideas; however, most teachers I know are so overwhelmed already, I'm not sure how many would take advantage of it.Laura

Digital Age Publishing

Ah the joy of publishing! My dream of being published always centered around a children's book. I never thought of being published on a blog. However, when I think of it, it is another way of getting my voice heard.

When Benjamin Franklin thought of sharing books through public libraries, he had no idea of the technology yet to come. What would he think today if he could witness our wealth of information being shared through digital age publishing? As our forefathers established in the Bill of Rights the freedom of speech, we now can extend that freedom through another medium. Yet, I would expect with that freedom, we would remember our responsibilities. Like having a license to drive a car, we still need to be courteous and observe the "rules of the road".

We are fortunate to have the technology to share our thoughts and to in turn get other's opinions in this forum. Hooray for blogging!

First Challenges

Ya know, it's funny. I'm already using Habit #3 "View problems as challenges". I created a blog through 23 Things about two years ago. I don't remember having problems getting my Avatar character embedded, but sure ran into problems, er...challenges today. I finally figured it out! Yay! Does that make me feel empowered? I am choosing that word over something less flattering. Nevertheless, even though this is not my first experience with blogging, I learned something new with my Voki...keep working on it.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. I have created this blog to share the excitement of reading and lifelong learning. Whether that be by finding a great book to tell others about or learning about another technology, I look forward to creating a network of other fellow readers and learners.