Select one of the following topics for your final journal entry:
1) At the beginning of this course, you were asked to assess your present strengths and weaknesses in technology. Has your assessment changed? If so, how?
2) How do you plan to keep up with new innovations in technology once you have completed your classes at UNT?
3) What specific plans do you have for implementing technology in an educational setting as a result of what you have learned in 5720?
I am aware that the directions tell me to select just one question to answer but I think that I want to address all three. I do think my strengths and weaknesses have changed in comparison to what I thought at the beginning of the course. I actually see myself as not as knowledgable as I had thought I was. I have learned of so many different technologies and ideas for using them that I now feel that although I am capable of learning and utilizing technology, there is much more out there for me to learn about. I find that very exciting. As a math teacher my technology has lent itself easily to a few online game sites and calculators mainly. Transitioning into the position of a future librarian opens up various avenues of technology for use in the library and to suggest for use to the staff.
Keeping up with new innovations in technology might be the biggest challenge- there is just so much available. I feel the best way to get a handle on these things is to continuously be looking for professional development and even better than that, collaborating with colleagues and peers. We can learn so much from one another just as we have in this class.
Specifically and initially my project 5 will be my first implementation. I created the site for my mentor librarian who is not as comfortable with technology, so I hope to pass on all the log in information to get her going on the site itself, as well as to be available to help her feel comfortable using the site and making it her own. From there I am most interested in getting started using blogs for book talks. Our current school age children need to use technology as it is where their future is strongly headed, and in addition I believe they love to use technology.
I am really excited for all the things this course has introduced me to and I am even more excited to try it out in the realm of education.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tag Clouds in the Library Catalog
Organizing books and materials used to be in the domain of professionally trained catalogers and indexers. Now, through Web 2.0, it is in the hands of everyday "folk." What are the implications of this trend for librarians? Also, for additional food for thought, go to your Delicious site and examine your list of tags. In your opinion, are these tags more or less helpful than traditional subject headings?
When I think of how out of control the tagging can become with every patron's opinions on tags, or those who find it humorous to be misleading or inappropriate in their choices, I fear that the librarians job could shift to a role of clean up control. Having to manage the tags in order to keep them from moving into complete chaos. I do personally, as a typical library patron and Google user prior to beginning my library courses, do see the need for the library catalog and search set up to be more user appropriate versus librarian appropriate. It is my opinion that many years ago it was in the curriculum how to properly search a library catalog, and these days there is so much material and information to be learned, this is one thing that has been slashed from curriculum. So instead of requiring society to conform as they have in the past, it is now on the library to conform to society. Which is more practical could be a long debate.
Are these tags more helpful than traditional subject headings? After taking my cataloging class with UNT and creating my MARC records I would have to agree that the tags could be more helpful because they make sense and would fall into street language. I had difficulty sometimes choosing the correct subject headings because in my mind there wasn't a match up. Sometimes more is better, and then other times more gets out of hand. It will definitely be interesting to see how it all pans out.
When I think of how out of control the tagging can become with every patron's opinions on tags, or those who find it humorous to be misleading or inappropriate in their choices, I fear that the librarians job could shift to a role of clean up control. Having to manage the tags in order to keep them from moving into complete chaos. I do personally, as a typical library patron and Google user prior to beginning my library courses, do see the need for the library catalog and search set up to be more user appropriate versus librarian appropriate. It is my opinion that many years ago it was in the curriculum how to properly search a library catalog, and these days there is so much material and information to be learned, this is one thing that has been slashed from curriculum. So instead of requiring society to conform as they have in the past, it is now on the library to conform to society. Which is more practical could be a long debate.
Are these tags more helpful than traditional subject headings? After taking my cataloging class with UNT and creating my MARC records I would have to agree that the tags could be more helpful because they make sense and would fall into street language. I had difficulty sometimes choosing the correct subject headings because in my mind there wasn't a match up. Sometimes more is better, and then other times more gets out of hand. It will definitely be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
"The Machine is Us/Using Us"
The title of the video that you were asked to view this week is "Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/Using Us." Referencing what you have learned about Web 2.0 through the readings in the Courtney text and through watching the video, why do you think that Professor Wesch gave this title to the video?
I believe this question could be answered even prior to reading Chapter 1 in the Courtney textbook or watching the video. When thinking about the internet it was something created by man and in its continuous growth continues to grow and develop based on decisions and creations by users, people. On the flip side we can only do with the internet what is made available to us, so in that way it dictates how we use it. In addition the internet offers so much many of us have become very reliant on it, as we are as distance learners.
One example from the Courtney text that I think shows both sides is from page 2 to 3: "In fact, they view their users as extensions of the development team. The programmers regularly put out new features and evaluate how web users make use of them. If the new features get a lot of use, they are offered more broadly, if they get little use, the new features are pulled for revision or discarded altogether." There are people on both sides of this explanation making "The Machine Us." But those people are also manipulating "the machine" and viewing how users go about using the features and adapting from that information, which for me is "The Machine Using Us."
I believe this question could be answered even prior to reading Chapter 1 in the Courtney textbook or watching the video. When thinking about the internet it was something created by man and in its continuous growth continues to grow and develop based on decisions and creations by users, people. On the flip side we can only do with the internet what is made available to us, so in that way it dictates how we use it. In addition the internet offers so much many of us have become very reliant on it, as we are as distance learners.
One example from the Courtney text that I think shows both sides is from page 2 to 3: "In fact, they view their users as extensions of the development team. The programmers regularly put out new features and evaluate how web users make use of them. If the new features get a lot of use, they are offered more broadly, if they get little use, the new features are pulled for revision or discarded altogether." There are people on both sides of this explanation making "The Machine Us." But those people are also manipulating "the machine" and viewing how users go about using the features and adapting from that information, which for me is "The Machine Using Us."
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Technology Budget
Your technology director has given you a budget of $10,000 for the purchase of handheld devices in your library. Using the prices in Chapter 5 of Courtney as a general guideline, what would you purchase and why?
I discussed with a middle school and high school librarian and did some internet searching considerations for purchasing technology, specifically mentioning the list as suggested by Nancy Courtney in Library 2.0 and Beyond, Chapter 5. I decided the two most useful items for purchase that I would be interested in are ebook readers and PDAs.
Based on the range of prices for each item I used the median price. For Ebook readers the range was $100-$700, so I went with $400 a piece and purchased 12, putting my total at this point at $4800. From my experience in a middle school I believe Ebooks would be beneficial to the struggling readers, and even middle school students in general, just to get them interested in reading through a new technology. I also think this could permit shelf room if the Ebooks held the resource materials (encyclopedias, etc) which would also in turn open up computer terminals for internet and database research.
The second item I would be interested in purchasing are the PDAs. Their price range is $100-$500, so using the median price of $300 I would purchase 17 PDAs for a total of $5100, taking my grand total to $9900. I found a very interesting blog by Sue Waters who provides a video of PDA use in her science lab. Students are studying fish diseases and each student has a PDA that allows them to pull color images to recheck themselves, as she explained, is more useful than a black and white handout. In addition with a PDA if there is a video or block of notes the students can view and review them at their own pace and interest which allows others to move ahead of their classmates, or work with the aid of the available teacher.
Link to Sue Waters blog http://suewaters.com/tag/mlearning/ . Specific blog article title Why I Use PDAs in the Classroom.
I discussed with a middle school and high school librarian and did some internet searching considerations for purchasing technology, specifically mentioning the list as suggested by Nancy Courtney in Library 2.0 and Beyond, Chapter 5. I decided the two most useful items for purchase that I would be interested in are ebook readers and PDAs.
Based on the range of prices for each item I used the median price. For Ebook readers the range was $100-$700, so I went with $400 a piece and purchased 12, putting my total at this point at $4800. From my experience in a middle school I believe Ebooks would be beneficial to the struggling readers, and even middle school students in general, just to get them interested in reading through a new technology. I also think this could permit shelf room if the Ebooks held the resource materials (encyclopedias, etc) which would also in turn open up computer terminals for internet and database research.
The second item I would be interested in purchasing are the PDAs. Their price range is $100-$500, so using the median price of $300 I would purchase 17 PDAs for a total of $5100, taking my grand total to $9900. I found a very interesting blog by Sue Waters who provides a video of PDA use in her science lab. Students are studying fish diseases and each student has a PDA that allows them to pull color images to recheck themselves, as she explained, is more useful than a black and white handout. In addition with a PDA if there is a video or block of notes the students can view and review them at their own pace and interest which allows others to move ahead of their classmates, or work with the aid of the available teacher.
Link to Sue Waters blog http://suewaters.com/tag/mlearning/ . Specific blog article title Why I Use PDAs in the Classroom.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Technology Strengths and Weaknesses
Question: As an educator, what are your present strengths and weaknesses in technology? How do you plan to use your strengths? How do you plan to address the weaknesses?
My educator background is very centered in mathematics. For that reason one of my strengths is the use of calculators, basic four function ranging up to graphing calculators. I also am comfortable with the use of what I would consider basic technology: overhead projectors, computers, projectors, televisions, and VHS and DVD players. At this time I believe my strengths regarding technology to be above average and my plan is to use that knowledge in order to improve upon my weaknesses. Regarding my weaknesses, I plan to go along with the course as directed and to be open to asking for assistance from my mentor when I encounter technology that I am not yet comfortable with. I hope in the end that I will feel comfortable using technology in its various forms to better assist in the classroom, to help other teachers and to help students become more comfortable too.
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