Week 3, # 7: Technology Post

Does this sound like anyone you know: "I'm not thinking the way I used to think. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do."

It certainly sounds like me. A recent article in the Atlantic Monthly by Nicholas Carr entitled "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"(http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google) expounds on the notion that we have become "power skimmers" because of nature of the Internet media. Carr provides personal anecdotes from friends who agree that they no longer read longer pieces of literature. Text messaging has reinforced this emphasis on communicating in the briefest manner possible.The article also reviews how earlier technologies, even the typewriter, impacted communication-both writing and reading. Carr concedes that the research hasn't been done yet to explain why/if the Internet is impacting reading. But, he explains, the real question is this: Does the new Internet-type reading change the way we think?

I'm fascinated with Carr's explanation of reading as being non-instinctive, and thus easily lost. Carr intrigues me with his idea that today's Internet encourages us to think efficiently but not reflectively. He claims that the business world wants us to move quickly from page to even shorter page, thus putting their ads in our vision. The traditional media, he insists, has no choice but to bend to the way of the Internet. Carr includes many examples of how reading and thinking were impacted throughout history. He also quotes famous people from antiquity to the 20th century on the impending doom on society because of changes in our we process knowledge. This gave the article a feeling of perspective and history.

Carr concludes that our society will lose it's richness if we allow this to continue: "In the quiet spaces opened up by the sustained, undistracted reading of a book, ...we make our own associations, draw our own inferences and analogies, foster our own ideas ...If we lose those quiet spaces, or fill them up with “content,” we will sacrifice something important not only in our selves but in our culture."

Because I believe that Carr is correct in his assessment of our changing reading and writing, I see the librarian's role as the "balancer." We need to show our students that reading is as cool as I-Life. We need to work with our teaching staff to have them require that students read deeply and broadly within each content area. I'm as addicted to technology, particularly the Internet, as anyone I know, but I'd give up the Internet before I'd give up books. Luckily, I don't have to make the choice. If our students aren't taught to read deeply, the choice will be taken from them.

These ideas are not too surprising coming from a person who entitled her blog Live to Read. I'd love to hear what others think about the article.

#6, Week 3: A Mashup

Remember the first time you ever saw a "customimzed" magazine, one with someone's personal picture on the cover? It seemed so cool and almost convincing. For that one second, you thought your friend was really on a magazine. (I guess you have to be of a certain age to remember this.) Now anyone can make a magazine cover. I chose to use our pictures from a vacation last week to Italy to create my own retirement magazine.

Other than just for fun, I'm not sure why I would use this mashup rather than Publisher, etc, but perhaps that's because I have creation programs on all of my computers, school and home.

I'm going to explore the other mashups to see how I might use them. I'm thinking of a project in which I make playing cards--some with book covers, some with characters from the books. Students would have to make sets matching the books and the characters. Or cards with books and actors. Which actor would best be suited to playing the main role?

I've seen a number of people using Flickr for writing prompts, an idea I enjoy. One of my personal favorite mashups is the use of Google/Yahoo maps in other applications, such as a library's contact page on the Internet.

Off to learn more Web 2.0

#5, Week 3: Flickr is Our Hero

Flickr was extraordinarily easy, at least in the basic mode. I can see how easy it would be to use this to share photos with family or to share info about the library. Random thoughts: This is a good way to "archive offsite" photos you would never want to lose in the event of a personal disaster such as a fire or flood. The idea that "someone" else holds my pictures makes me pause. Programs such as Flickr are very popular with my friends, especially those with children. I'm looking forward to trying some advanced features.

I chose to upload a photo that shows one of the students' favorite days in the library: Guitar Hero Tournament Day. As one of our celebrations during School Library Month, we have a Guitar Hero challenge. Earlier we select the five best players in the school. We set up two supersize screens with 5-channel sound. In one area, students can challenge one of our Guitar Hero Masters. In the other area, students can play against anyone. To participate, students pay a nominal fee, thus raising money for the library.

I'm pretty sure that if I think hard enough I'll find a way to relate Guitar Hero to reading and research. Until then, all I can say is that we do it because it is fun.

Tech question: Did most of you upload your photo from Flickr or from your hard drive?

#3, Week 2: Why I Love Being a Librarian --and learning to make lemonade

Today's Top Five Reasons I Love Being a Librarian

5. I work surrounded by computers, books and potential readers.

4. Kids think I'm a genius when I say, "Assassinations? Go to 364.1." The easiest thing can make you look great.

3. Teachers think I'm a genius when I say, "I can fix that for you. Restart the computer and everything will be fine." Another easy statement with big results.

2. My fellow librarians are the most dedicated, enthusiastic educators I have ever met.

1. Professional development includes creating my own avatar. How cool is that? I think this training program will be useful and fascinating.

Reviewing the 7 & 1/2 Habits online tutorial reminded me that professional development will have challenges, that everything won't work the first time, that lemonade can be made from those life lemons. Seeing problems as challenges will be the most difficult habit for me to develop. Maybe it's that half full/half empty glass syndrome. I think my aversion to problems is exacerbated by never having enough time, even if I am "off" for the summer. So now I'm going to think of myself as the librarian who is learning to make lemonade.