Revelation

This week I learned a few new things about the art of blogging. I view blogging as an art form because one definitely needs critical thinking skills to be able to blog successfully. When the word blog is mentioned people often think it's just online journaling. But I learned that blogging is much more than keeping a journal. A journal or diary is for writing one’s daily activities or feelings. A blog on the other hand is in my opinion, more sophisticated in nature. You can write about your feelings or daily activities, but in a true blog there is more depth and professionalism. A blog’s content elicits a response and rebuttal whether positive or negative. It “feeds” on the response of others because this in turn perpetuates the existence of the blog.

It’s funny how you see things differently after you study them. I’ve seen and read a variety of blogs for different reasons. But after last week, I found myself examining their content. I began to analyze their topics and check out the links they provided. It’s one of those learning experiences I want to pass on to my students as a media specialist. Sometimes we have to look at things in an objective way. It’s a real eye-opener.

Frustrations

So I struggled with Diigo yesterday.   Everything was going well and I had even bookmarked a few good websites.  Then, suddenly it seemed I couldn't view any followers or people in my group.  I went through the tutorials, searched in the help menu, and did all I could to find a solution to the problem.  I was convinced that the "malfunction" was the result of my wrongdoing.  And boy was I steaming mad.  The more I searched for an answer, the angrier I became when none could be found.  Finally, I decided to Google the situation and found that the snag was with FireFox.  It turns out that Diigo has some shortcomings when used in FireFox.  Well, by that time I was livid but somewhat satisfied that it wasn't my fault.
Web technology is exciting but sometimes makes me want to smash my laptop with a hammer.  Luckily I didn't resort to any violence against my laptop and will use this as a good learning experience when working as a media specialist.  I think children have a higher tolerance when working with faulty technology.  They seem to know how to let go and move on.  I am going to practice counting backwards from 20.  Take a deep 20, 19......

New Beginnings

This past week has been a flurry of activities.  I was preparing myself to observe school media specialists in action and setting up all of my LIS568 online accounts.  It's amazing how much the Internet has influenced our lives.  We can communicate with friends in other cities, states and countries, all via a cell phone, laptop or desktop computer.  Our children know how to text, blog, Skype and use word process applications better than most adults.  Yet, why is it that adults are still reluctant to accept and use Web technology?  I have friends older than myself who still refuse to use online pay for bills, let alone buy anything online.  Young people on the other hand are adventurous when it comes to the Web.  They seem fearless when it comes to exploring the many online gadgets.

As I thought about all these new ways of communicating via the World Wide Web, I realized how important it is for school media specialists to keep current with this new technology.  Just as physicians need to stay current with new medical breakthroughs in order to provide better care, media specialists need to do the same.  Sure, we are not exactly saving lives, but we do provide a service that benefits and educates our future generation.  Pretty special responsibility huh?
And so, while I might not always be comfortable using online gadgets as much as my kids might, I will definitely dive in and give them a try.