Thing #14: Week 6:Technorati and Tags

I subscribed to Technorati, and I started looking at the many different sites that it has. I was also able to add some Del.icio.us bookmarks to many interesting articles that I particularly enjoyed reading about. When I searched for "School Library Learning 2.0" in blog posts, I was able to sort by the latest posts on this topic. When I chose tags, my results got even more refined and data-specific. When I then searched the blog directory, I got broad, general categories that were not specific. So different search modes will definitely get you different results. Because this past week's latest entertainment news focused on singer Rihanna's alleged assault by her boyfriend, I was able to see the police shot after the assault. What amazes me about Technorati is its lightning speed ability to bring information speedily to the forefront. Tagging, then, is a very valuable tool that enables users to search for terms using native vs. controlled vocabulary. This creates such a barrier-free mode to communication because you do not have to have a specialized skill set to participate in community sharing today. Because tagging mirrors our content rich, publisher-ready information world, I truly do not see disadvantages that would derail this philosophy of bringing the information now to today's participating world.

Thing #13 Week 6:Tagging and Del.icio.us

I can see how tagging can be so useful and quite user-friendly because it is fresh, unconventional, and it does not adhere to controlled vocabulary that perhaps might exclude some user groups.


What I like about Del.icio.us is that it reflects communication as we use it and understand it. The ease of use and practicality of this social bookmarking site definitely allows for library users to keep current of latest best practices and methodologies that have already been tried and tested. I can see how using Del.icio.us for online reference can be a boon for my library. I created a Del.icio.us account, and I also installed the toolbars so that I can quickly get to my account, to save bookmarks, and to view it online. My delicious link is http://delicious.com/carmenescamilla
There are so many people networked and commenting on library related events that by subscribing to these sites, I feel better informed of the latest news that relate to my profession.

Thing#12: Week 5 Rollyo and Ning

My Rollyo link is http://rollyo.com/cescamilla
I had never used Rollyo, and I enjoyed its ease of use and convenience. I explored this site, and I was able to choose places that are of interest to me such as CNN, Reference, and Education. I created my own searchroll, and I named it Reference Search. By clicking on it, you have a multitude of sites that I pre-selected. I can see how students would enjoy the portability of Rollyo! I also set up my own Ning account. It is absolutely wonderful, but the dangerous pitfall is that I was so completely absorbed that I lost track of time and spent my whole Sunday morning having fun with Ning. My Ning address is http://mislibros.ning.com

Thing#11, Week 5: Web 2.0 Awards List

I really did lose track of time going thru this list. I started last night, and by the time I saw the clock it was past midnight. It was that addictive!! After venturing to many sites, I signed up for Tweeter because it seems the whole world is on it. I get to ask my contacts to be a part of this online discussion, I get instant news, and most importantly, I get to dialogue and participate in whatever everyone is talking. This evening, for instance, everyone was buzzing about President Obama's press conference, and it was so wonderful to participate in all the buzz. There is even a widget app for Tweeter phone feeds; that is awesome!

Thing#10 Week 5: Online Image Generators

I had so much fun using these insanely attractive sites that I lost track of time. I selected this from http://www.imagechef.com
Online generators will definitely catch the attention of my high school students; they are fresh, unique, and so alive! I will definitely include image generators to highlight upcoming reading promotions!

Thing#9 Week 4 Some Library Related Blogs

Once I set up my Bloglines newsreader account, I went looking for other library related sites. One of the ones that I truly enjoyed was Librarything because I liked reading the newest and newsiest ideas of librarians who catalog using new and innovative techniques. I liked the ease of cataloguing in Librarything and how I can tag/review/recommend books to others. I also subscribed to the ShiftedLibrarian and looked at edublog. ResourceShelf is also a site for library professionals that I liked reading. I truly enjoyed subscribing to the AASL feed. I now feel that I will be "drenched" in newsiness!!

Thing #8 Week 4

I set up my own RSS account by choosing Bloglines. I saw the video on YouTube on how to add feeds. I like the idea that someone else sorts my news by my preference, and I even get to pick what I want to read. I want to experiment with getting news on my mobile phone. I can see how using RSS feeds would be useful in my library by alerting users of new book arrivals and even sharing library news.