Thing 2: What Is Library 2.0?

OK. I've watched Stephen Abram's video. I've read the articles. I watched "Web 2.0
. . . The Machine Is Us/ing Us" by Michael Wesch. I read the articles from OCLC. And I have some comments.

Stephen Abram

I agree that we are experience-based learners (and so are my students). But as a teacher I feel the need to guide and shape the experiences for my students. I would like to have some control over what they are learning. "Unintended consequences" send a chill up my spine.

One phrase that resonated with me was "addicted to learning". This is something that I want for myself and I want for my students. I'm not sure how to addict my students.

In regard to his comment that everyone can find 15 minutes a day. His analogy to smoking doesn't hold up for me. You can smoke and do something else totally unrelated at the same time. I'm not at all sure that is true for learning. Also, I must be a slow learner. I know it took me more than an hour to compete Thing 1 (and I am sure I have barely tapped the potential.) I haven't any idea how to link a URL to text and I see it done all the time in blogs. I want to know. Oops! I just looked at the tools in this compose window and found out how. But that is an example. It takes more than 15 minutes to explore an application.

Rick Anderson
Away from the “icebergs”

I especially noted this quote: "We need to focus our efforts not on teaching research skills but on eliminating the barriers that exist between patrons and the information they need, so they can spend as little time as possible wrestling with lousy search interfaces and as much time as possible actually reading and learning." That may be true in a college library -- but I am in a school library. Teaching the research process is my job and the job of my fellow teachers. It is part of MEMO's standards and it is part of the State of Minnesota's standards. Besides, you can't just tell a child to go out and research and expect them to come back with answers. They don't know where to begin or what to do.

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Just generally, I see some problems with the Library 2.0 concept as it relates to my mission as a school media specialist. We have things like CIPA, filters, limited numbers of computers, limited bandwidth, and our school's acceptable use policy which states that our computers are to be used only for educational purposes. We block MySpace because it was such a time-sink for our students. Unbelievable as might be -- some of my students are not able to prioritize and decide that school work should be done before using the computer for fun. I know, my kids must be unusual and everyone else's kids are eager learners who always do their schoolwork first. ;)

Where will I find the time for this? I have high speed internet at home and will likely do most of it there. I began at work but the constant interruptions which are a normal and expected part of my job make it difficult for me to learn. I need a block of time when I can concentrate.

Thing 2 has taken a couple of hours not counting thinking time. Maybe Thing 3 will actually take Stephen Abram's 15 minutes.