I chose Chapter 8: Systemic Issues because I have a soft spot for the underdog. I was curious what the authors had to say about technology and ESL or Special Ed students. It seems that there are so many wonderful tools out there, that technology can be an excellent way to help these students gain skills and be productive learners.
The second part of the chapter talks about the fact that so many of these students do not have access to the exact technology that could be helping them. How many times have we gone from one school to another and noticed the huge differences in what one school has and the other has not? Not just in the areas of technology either. The good news is there are programs out there trying to make up for some of these differences. Getting these schools noticed and cared for will take some special people standing up and doing a jig for what they believe in.
Schools also need to realize that for some students, technology is only an option at school for a wide variety of reasons. Getting parents on board and at least minimally trained will be another important task.
The last part of the chapter talks about assessment. This made me smile. As I read Chapter 9 and the future of the new schools, I thought, "What about assessment?" Of course, it has to be there! I actually think that the assessment will be one of the easier parts of this movement. Chapter 8 has some excellent ideas and resources for assessing the wide variety of students (with all of their challenges) in our schools.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Chapter 9 - Reflection
Chapter 9: New Schools was a difficult one for me! Not because it was hard to understand or read. It is just a scary thought for me! I am such a traditional & linear learner, that thinking of having so many options out there and so many ideas for what "school" could be makes my eyes shake! Even for this class, I had a hard time at the beginning with keeping focused on what I was doing and where I should be. I finally just printed out the list of the 23 Things and then printed out the detailed description of each of those 23 Things. I really needed that paper in my hand. I would have it up on my computer, read the paper, then click the link when I saw a BLUE word. My husband laughed, but that is my learning style. I also know that I cannot have too many choices, I will just go into overload as we saw on a few of the Thing options!
As we have seen in the past 10 years, our community is asking for some educational options. We have more and more alternative schools and programs out there for our children. Parents have so many choices for their child. The question is, are these new schools working? Language immersion, technology based, home school, ABC, optional...are the students getting EVERYTHING they need to succeed later? Of course, that leads us the definition of succeed. According to this book, succeed means to keep up with the rest of the world and remain a world power.
I am going to assume that the educational system of the future will be very good at assessing a students' learning style first and foremost. It will be interesting to see where it goes. I am excited to be here at the beginning of it all!
As we have seen in the past 10 years, our community is asking for some educational options. We have more and more alternative schools and programs out there for our children. Parents have so many choices for their child. The question is, are these new schools working? Language immersion, technology based, home school, ABC, optional...are the students getting EVERYTHING they need to succeed later? Of course, that leads us the definition of succeed. According to this book, succeed means to keep up with the rest of the world and remain a world power.
I am going to assume that the educational system of the future will be very good at assessing a students' learning style first and foremost. It will be interesting to see where it goes. I am excited to be here at the beginning of it all!
Chapter 7 - Reflection
Online safety and security is one of my biggest concerns with the internet. We have seen plenty of bad examples of this exact issue.
This chapter was a good resource for me. I had heard of CIPA and COPPA, but this provided a concise explanation for each of them. I am also going to check on the DOPA movement. As of the writing of the book, it had not come to pass.
Another section of this chapter that I appreciated was on Copyright and Creative Commons. I start explaining copyright in Kindergarten, but it will always be such a confusing issue. I like to put copyright information up around the school and tell teachers that copyright is much like CPR...you can never have too many refreshers.
I will definitely share the Student and Teacher Information Code of Ethics with my Technology Committee at school. It encompasses so much of what we are trying to get across to students. It is very well laid out nicely expressed.
I need to look at the FERPA site. I have a form for parent consent for use of student photos for educational purposes. It is very basic. I would love to update it and be confident that I have my bases covered. Having student photos posted to a school web site or blog is such a great thing. Unfortunately, it is not always the best idea. How sad is that?
I will also be checking out the My Space Safety Tips link. If it is good, I may suggest that we let parents know about it via our school newsletter. I truly think that if the children know that not only the parents, but friends, teachers, and many others are paying attention, they will act appropriately when using technology. Children need to know what is okay and what is not and what to do when they see/hear/read inappropriate content.
After doing so many on-line searches for this class, I have been amazed at how easy it is to all of a sudden find so many inappropriate sites! Even if I don't click on the link, some of the language and photos/drawing that are posted there to advertise the link are so bad. I am thankful that ASD has a blocking system that seems to work well. I have not had any "surprises" pop up at school.
This chapter was a good resource for me. I had heard of CIPA and COPPA, but this provided a concise explanation for each of them. I am also going to check on the DOPA movement. As of the writing of the book, it had not come to pass.
Another section of this chapter that I appreciated was on Copyright and Creative Commons. I start explaining copyright in Kindergarten, but it will always be such a confusing issue. I like to put copyright information up around the school and tell teachers that copyright is much like CPR...you can never have too many refreshers.
I will definitely share the Student and Teacher Information Code of Ethics with my Technology Committee at school. It encompasses so much of what we are trying to get across to students. It is very well laid out nicely expressed.
I need to look at the FERPA site. I have a form for parent consent for use of student photos for educational purposes. It is very basic. I would love to update it and be confident that I have my bases covered. Having student photos posted to a school web site or blog is such a great thing. Unfortunately, it is not always the best idea. How sad is that?
I will also be checking out the My Space Safety Tips link. If it is good, I may suggest that we let parents know about it via our school newsletter. I truly think that if the children know that not only the parents, but friends, teachers, and many others are paying attention, they will act appropriately when using technology. Children need to know what is okay and what is not and what to do when they see/hear/read inappropriate content.
After doing so many on-line searches for this class, I have been amazed at how easy it is to all of a sudden find so many inappropriate sites! Even if I don't click on the link, some of the language and photos/drawing that are posted there to advertise the link are so bad. I am thankful that ASD has a blocking system that seems to work well. I have not had any "surprises" pop up at school.
Chapter 1 - Reflection
As I started reading this chapter, I kept thinking back to a video that I saw on Teacher Tube which would totally drive home the entire point of our nation being left behind in the area of education & technology.
Did You Know 2.0
It is long, but very well done. If you need a visual to support the importance of keeping up with technology for our students in this new 2.0 world, this is a great one. I think we may have seen this at a conference??
As we have heard in conference presentations, heard in the news & read in chapter 1, other countries are quickly passing up the US in technology and education. There are several reasons for this as mentioned in the chapter. I saw several of these reasons as being "top rated." Mainly, American kids view technology as entertainment, pure and simple. It is not something many students use in school to learn or to show what they have learned. They are not using technology in school to collaborate, investigate or contribute. For our students, technology means their i-pods, cell phones, video games, texting, You Tube, Face Book, etc.
Now, our job as educators is tough. Not only do we need to teach the 3 R's, but we need to do it in a way that incorporates technology in a way that students will realize that this is how they will be functioning as a contributing member of our society. Many of these students are way ahead of us as far as being tech saavy. But, we can learn how to guide them to use their tools wisely, introduce them to new tools and new ways to use what they already have.
Another detrimental aspect of our society is that our kids (this is a generalization and I apologize to all of those wonderful, achieving students out there) are not nearly as driven as some from other countries. Technology and education are valued and recognized as a way to get out of poverty, a way to move up in society. Students in other countries are using technology to learn, not just for fun.
We hear about other countries and their educational styles all the time. It is interesting to see which countries have recognized the shift and are making changes in their educational systems now. Hopefully, we have enough forward thinking teachers out there to guide our students in the right direction. As a librarian, I see that I can be a huge influence for these classroom teachers who may need the technology support.
Did You Know 2.0
It is long, but very well done. If you need a visual to support the importance of keeping up with technology for our students in this new 2.0 world, this is a great one. I think we may have seen this at a conference??
As we have heard in conference presentations, heard in the news & read in chapter 1, other countries are quickly passing up the US in technology and education. There are several reasons for this as mentioned in the chapter. I saw several of these reasons as being "top rated." Mainly, American kids view technology as entertainment, pure and simple. It is not something many students use in school to learn or to show what they have learned. They are not using technology in school to collaborate, investigate or contribute. For our students, technology means their i-pods, cell phones, video games, texting, You Tube, Face Book, etc.
Now, our job as educators is tough. Not only do we need to teach the 3 R's, but we need to do it in a way that incorporates technology in a way that students will realize that this is how they will be functioning as a contributing member of our society. Many of these students are way ahead of us as far as being tech saavy. But, we can learn how to guide them to use their tools wisely, introduce them to new tools and new ways to use what they already have.
Another detrimental aspect of our society is that our kids (this is a generalization and I apologize to all of those wonderful, achieving students out there) are not nearly as driven as some from other countries. Technology and education are valued and recognized as a way to get out of poverty, a way to move up in society. Students in other countries are using technology to learn, not just for fun.
We hear about other countries and their educational styles all the time. It is interesting to see which countries have recognized the shift and are making changes in their educational systems now. Hopefully, we have enough forward thinking teachers out there to guide our students in the right direction. As a librarian, I see that I can be a huge influence for these classroom teachers who may need the technology support.
Week 9: Thing #23
Ta da!!! What a great class! Thank you so much for laying it all out for me.
Here's what I liked...
*Huge learning curve
*Self-paced
*Relevent information
*Great resources
*Immediate & helpful feedback
*Interaction with peers
*Practice time
Here's what I did not like...
*Time...this took a LOT longer than I thought it would, although I am not really complaining as it was almost all valuable time
*Ignorant people posting ignorant and inappropriate material. Again, these things did not really bother me, but every time I came across some offensive site/blog/feed, my first thought was, "What if my student/son were to unwittingly tap into this??"
There are sooooo many things that I learned in this class. Every night, my husband would come to my computer to look at my blog to see what all I had done. I am proud of my accomplishments.
Here's what I liked...
*Huge learning curve
*Self-paced
*Relevent information
*Great resources
*Immediate & helpful feedback
*Interaction with peers
*Practice time
Here's what I did not like...
*Time...this took a LOT longer than I thought it would, although I am not really complaining as it was almost all valuable time
*Ignorant people posting ignorant and inappropriate material. Again, these things did not really bother me, but every time I came across some offensive site/blog/feed, my first thought was, "What if my student/son were to unwittingly tap into this??"
There are sooooo many things that I learned in this class. Every night, my husband would come to my computer to look at my blog to see what all I had done. I am proud of my accomplishments.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Week 9: Thing #22
I don't think I will ever get into the eBooks. I am sure you have heard the spiel before, I like to hold the book, curl up with it, yah, yah, yah. I did try reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to my boys. Then I took a poll...both voted for sitting on our couch with the real book. Of course, my choice may have had something to do with that. I was coming up dry searching for a book that was a free download that they wanted to hear.
I also peeked at an eBook for adults. ugh. There is no way I could sit at my computer and do that. I know that there are those small, hand-held things now and maybe I could do that. We'll see.
Audio books & audio ebooks on the other hand are awesome!! I check out audio books for my boys all of the time. I have had a chance to listen to a few for myself, but usually the boys are in the car with me, so Magic Tree House is about it for us. The boys love listening to them in the car. Whenever we go on a road trip, I make sure we have a few on hand. I just rent them from our lovely municipal library!
I just recently acquired an ipod. I understand that I can purchase books to download to that as well. I also see that I can download books through the municipal library system. I will definitely try that once I have all the right stuff at hand. I can see us on the airplane now...boys with the ipod earbuds tucked in and listening to The Magic Treehouse. : ) Maybe I will even get a chance to listen to a book through the ipod??
I also peeked at an eBook for adults. ugh. There is no way I could sit at my computer and do that. I know that there are those small, hand-held things now and maybe I could do that. We'll see.
Audio books & audio ebooks on the other hand are awesome!! I check out audio books for my boys all of the time. I have had a chance to listen to a few for myself, but usually the boys are in the car with me, so Magic Tree House is about it for us. The boys love listening to them in the car. Whenever we go on a road trip, I make sure we have a few on hand. I just rent them from our lovely municipal library!
I just recently acquired an ipod. I understand that I can purchase books to download to that as well. I also see that I can download books through the municipal library system. I will definitely try that once I have all the right stuff at hand. I can see us on the airplane now...boys with the ipod earbuds tucked in and listening to The Magic Treehouse. : ) Maybe I will even get a chance to listen to a book through the ipod??
Week 9: Thing #21
I think I might appreciate podcasts more if I lived further away from work. After browsing through quite a few, I realize there are a lot of great podcasts out there. But, I really don't get many chances to just listen (I don't even have time to sit and watch!). I could see downloading a podcast and listening to it in my car. However, I have a 5 and 6 year old, so listening to anything is fruitless!
I do love NPR and a lot of their shows. Here's a podcast http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510288 called Voice Diaries that is good (the one I have here is about Nelson Mandela). I subscribed to several of the NPR podcast feeds, including their book reviews.
I also found podcasts that were about Smart Boards which I almost downloaded, but each one was over an hour long!! I didn't know if that would jam things up.
I looked at the TechSavvyGirlz site and enjoyed some of their work. This would be a good one to use as an example when students are learning to put together their own podcasts.
I do love NPR and a lot of their shows. Here's a podcast http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510288 called Voice Diaries that is good (the one I have here is about Nelson Mandela). I subscribed to several of the NPR podcast feeds, including their book reviews.
I also found podcasts that were about Smart Boards which I almost downloaded, but each one was over an hour long!! I didn't know if that would jam things up.
I looked at the TechSavvyGirlz site and enjoyed some of their work. This would be a good one to use as an example when students are learning to put together their own podcasts.
Week 9: Thing #20
Well, let me start out by saying that I just had a great laugh...at myself! I started out on TeacherTube looking at some of the recommended videos. Then, I started clicking on related videos. I clicked on one that was what I thought said Super Librarian. As this girl goes on and on and on about her mom having sex in the afternoon (not with her dad), her dad drinking too much and her new job at a bookstore, I finally look at the top of the screen to discover that I had moved to YouTube and was watching some random high school girl and her video diary. Oh my goodness, the things people tape and put out there for us. The really crazy thing is that there were tons of comments for her videos!
Here's my Teacher Tube video. It is totally stupid, but I gave up searching for something new, different, yet meaningful. If you want to, watch the first 60 seconds and then turn this ridiculous thing off.
I did search for real tutorials on Teacher Tube and found some great stuff. I entered most of the "things" that we have been learning about and was able to find something about almost all of them. This will be a great tool to share with staff for those tutorials. There are a few videos that would be fun and meaningful for students, but I really don't have the time to spend searching for those.
Here's my Teacher Tube video. It is totally stupid, but I gave up searching for something new, different, yet meaningful. If you want to, watch the first 60 seconds and then turn this ridiculous thing off.
I did search for real tutorials on Teacher Tube and found some great stuff. I entered most of the "things" that we have been learning about and was able to find something about almost all of them. This will be a great tool to share with staff for those tutorials. There are a few videos that would be fun and meaningful for students, but I really don't have the time to spend searching for those.
Week 8: Thing #19.1
It had been so long since I had been on SLED, I was pleasantly surprised by the "new" look. Does anyone out there remember the days when we had those M&M contests using this tool? I am totally thinking of starting that up again as a way to teach students, staff and parents about SLED and how to use it.
I really like the way the page is laid out. Once I went through the flash movie, I had a great understanding of all of the options. However, the manga "kids" on the Digital Pipeline have got to go! I do not know of too many self-respecting tweeners who would sit for that. It was dry and almost over my head as my head kept drooping from boredom!
I love the options on the side for narrowing searches: timeline, photos, text. I would definitely use this version of SLED with my older students. For my younger students, I would stick to the Pipeline version and only with help.
I think that the folder option on the sidebar looked really useful as well. I think having the folder right there and visible on your screen is a great reminder to save and organize your materials as you go.
The related articles option is a nice touch. I felt that the articles suggested were on target. Sometimes when the computer is trying to predict what you are looking for, it is way off base... and a little scary too.
I am glad that I went poking around again. I will use this with my school this year. Since so many teachers will be overwhelmed in those days before school starts, I will probably try to tag team with the technology "classes" that are offered after school for teachers. Small steps!
I really like the way the page is laid out. Once I went through the flash movie, I had a great understanding of all of the options. However, the manga "kids" on the Digital Pipeline have got to go! I do not know of too many self-respecting tweeners who would sit for that. It was dry and almost over my head as my head kept drooping from boredom!
I love the options on the side for narrowing searches: timeline, photos, text. I would definitely use this version of SLED with my older students. For my younger students, I would stick to the Pipeline version and only with help.
I think that the folder option on the sidebar looked really useful as well. I think having the folder right there and visible on your screen is a great reminder to save and organize your materials as you go.
The related articles option is a nice touch. I felt that the articles suggested were on target. Sometimes when the computer is trying to predict what you are looking for, it is way off base... and a little scary too.
I am glad that I went poking around again. I will use this with my school this year. Since so many teachers will be overwhelmed in those days before school starts, I will probably try to tag team with the technology "classes" that are offered after school for teachers. Small steps!
Week 8: Thing #18 - Really!
Zoho Writer
Wow! What a concept. This reminds a lot of the del.icio.us capabilities. I am no longer chained to just MY computer. I can access my bookmarks, my work, my photos (thru Shutterfly) via the Interenet on any computer! Very exciting.
This makes working with others so much easier. I don't know how many times I have tried to share a document with a colleague only to hear back that he/she cannot open it because of the version or some other trouble. This would be a simple way to utilize some of the wiki ideas. Rather than have a wiki, you could have the documents to share out there and available for others to add to or to add their own comments.
This is definitely something that I will use. I have already added it to my del.icio.us site.
Week 8: Thing #19
At first, I didn't think I would like Library Thing as much as I like Good Reads. However, after having some time to play around with it, I do think it is a great tool. I entered 4 of my all time favorites and then the book that I had just finished reading. I tagged the books and then read reviews of them from other folks out there.
Here's the thing, I am still all about simplicity. For my own personal use, I think I might still use (besides, I already have all of my books listed there). I would recommend Good Reads for folks like my mom or mother-in-law who are avid readers but not so techy. I would also recommend Good Reads for students interested in something like this as the layout is simple, there are not a lot of extra links and the site is user-friendly. As a matter of fact, I did use it with my after school reading club. We even named our group the GoodReads Club! We kept track of what we had read on there. The girls really enjoyed being able to do this. One of the options on Good Reads that we really enjoyed using was the different book shelves that we created....Books We Are Currently Reading, Books We Have Already Read, and Books We Want to Read. I also created shelves for YA books, BOB books, etc. Similar to tagging.
Library Thing is a great option to use as a link on our library web pages. I am sure that I will add it to mine. One of the things that I will be sure to do is to customize my page to be as simple as possible so that when people link to it for the first time, they won't be overwhelmed and close it right up.
Both sites have recommendations, reviews, talks/forums, friends, etc.
Here's the thing, I am still all about simplicity. For my own personal use, I think I might still use (besides, I already have all of my books listed there). I would recommend Good Reads for folks like my mom or mother-in-law who are avid readers but not so techy. I would also recommend Good Reads for students interested in something like this as the layout is simple, there are not a lot of extra links and the site is user-friendly. As a matter of fact, I did use it with my after school reading club. We even named our group the GoodReads Club! We kept track of what we had read on there. The girls really enjoyed being able to do this. One of the options on Good Reads that we really enjoyed using was the different book shelves that we created....Books We Are Currently Reading, Books We Have Already Read, and Books We Want to Read. I also created shelves for YA books, BOB books, etc. Similar to tagging.
Library Thing is a great option to use as a link on our library web pages. I am sure that I will add it to mine. One of the things that I will be sure to do is to customize my page to be as simple as possible so that when people link to it for the first time, they won't be overwhelmed and close it right up.
Both sites have recommendations, reviews, talks/forums, friends, etc.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Week 8: Thing #18
Disregard! You can see my corrected and working version above! Thanks Elaine! Firefox seems to have done the trick.
http://export.writer.zoho.com/ZExport.do?tstamp=26,7,2008
Well, I thought it was a great idea. I haven't been able to get my zoho to post to my blog. I am obviously doing something wrong. Here's what I wrote (using the cut & paste technology)... I am asking for help here. Hopefully, I will overcome this challenge soon. Stay tuned.
Zoho Writer
Wow! What a concept. This reminds a lot of the del.icio.us capabilities. I am no longer chained to just MY computer. I can access my bookmarks, my work, my photos (thru Shutterfly) via the Interenet on any computer! Very exciting.
This makes working with others so much easier. I don't know how many times I have tried to share a document with a colleague only to hear back that he/she cannot open it because of the version or some other trouble. This would be a simple way to utilize some of the wiki ideas. Rather than have a wiki, you could have the documents to share out there and available for others to add to or to add their own comments.
This is definitely something that I will use. I have already added it to my del.icio.us site.
http://export.writer.zoho.com/ZExport.do?tstamp=26,7,2008
Well, I thought it was a great idea. I haven't been able to get my zoho to post to my blog. I am obviously doing something wrong. Here's what I wrote (using the cut & paste technology)... I am asking for help here. Hopefully, I will overcome this challenge soon. Stay tuned.
Zoho Writer
Wow! What a concept. This reminds a lot of the del.icio.us capabilities. I am no longer chained to just MY computer. I can access my bookmarks, my work, my photos (thru Shutterfly) via the Interenet on any computer! Very exciting.
This makes working with others so much easier. I don't know how many times I have tried to share a document with a colleague only to hear back that he/she cannot open it because of the version or some other trouble. This would be a simple way to utilize some of the wiki ideas. Rather than have a wiki, you could have the documents to share out there and available for others to add to or to add their own comments.
This is definitely something that I will use. I have already added it to my del.icio.us site.
Week 7: Thing #17
I love our wiki! I love having the ability to share ideas and thoughts with other librarians. I saw some great ideas in the different sections of the wikis that I am excited to use. I will be posting my ideas there as well. I think one of the first ones that I will really be testing out is the library trading card idea. I was thinking of using them as the students' library card & pass. I see that another librarian has that same idea. It's good to know that I am not totally out in left field on that idea.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Week 7: Thing #16
Wiki, Wiki, Wiki! I feel like I am in Hawaii waving down that little bus!
I spent some time browsing several of the wikis suggested. I really enjoyed the Book Lovers Wiki. When I got onto the teacherlibrarianwiki site, I found some great links that I tagged for my del.icio.us account. These wikis all seemed to be well organized and appropriate. I was worried that I would see a lot of nonsense.
As I read through the Discovery Resources, I made a list of pros and cons for the wiki idea. Here is what I have come up with so far...
Pros
*I love using the wiki instead of email for ongoing conversations (thanks for starting that up Ann!)
*Great place for story writing & editing
*Collaborative projects (way too many ideas to write here) would be awesome on a wiki
*Note taking and sharing with classmates, conference peers, etc.
*Book purchase suggestions (for a specific library, limited invitation list if possible)
*Book reviews among students, staff & parents (again, limited audience)
*Grant writing projects
*Long term projects among a group of people
*Best for older students and adults
Cons
*People messing it up, not taking it seriously
*Not a reliable source for students to use for their research. It would be very important for students to be taught how to tell the difference between a wiki and a reliable source
I think that a Ning might work well for many situations instead of the wiki. I think that is the controlling side of my brain speaking up. I do like the idea of having one person in control of the site. With a Ning, the members can email information to be posted directly to the Master of the Ning. I think that this method would keep the site true to its original goal.
The wiki has a place for some. I would really like to see students educated about the differences between the different types of sites.
I spent some time browsing several of the wikis suggested. I really enjoyed the Book Lovers Wiki. When I got onto the teacherlibrarianwiki site, I found some great links that I tagged for my del.icio.us account. These wikis all seemed to be well organized and appropriate. I was worried that I would see a lot of nonsense.
As I read through the Discovery Resources, I made a list of pros and cons for the wiki idea. Here is what I have come up with so far...
Pros
*I love using the wiki instead of email for ongoing conversations (thanks for starting that up Ann!)
*Great place for story writing & editing
*Collaborative projects (way too many ideas to write here) would be awesome on a wiki
*Note taking and sharing with classmates, conference peers, etc.
*Book purchase suggestions (for a specific library, limited invitation list if possible)
*Book reviews among students, staff & parents (again, limited audience)
*Grant writing projects
*Long term projects among a group of people
*Best for older students and adults
Cons
*People messing it up, not taking it seriously
*Not a reliable source for students to use for their research. It would be very important for students to be taught how to tell the difference between a wiki and a reliable source
I think that a Ning might work well for many situations instead of the wiki. I think that is the controlling side of my brain speaking up. I do like the idea of having one person in control of the site. With a Ning, the members can email information to be posted directly to the Master of the Ning. I think that this method would keep the site true to its original goal.
The wiki has a place for some. I would really like to see students educated about the differences between the different types of sites.
Week 6: Thing 15
I have read several of the perspectives on Library 2.0. I must admit, a few of them were way over my head. However, I really liked and agreed with what Michael Stephens had to say. http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/3.htm I believe that Dr. Wendy Shultz was also traipsing along the same path, just in a wordier way.
Ultimately, I believe that librarians and libraries will always be needed. Our society needs to have a place to go physically. People enjoy the physicalness (can that be a word for today?) of the library: the aesthetics of the building, the smell, the kindred spirits wandering within, the books, the buzz of other folks on missions or just rustling about, magazines & newspapers for free, puzzles for kids, copiers to borrow, and so much more. And, yes, computers. There will be people who access libraries and all that they have to offer via their home computer. Some of these people will be saavy enough to do it all on their own. However, there will always be some people who need librarians in the physical walls of the library to help them find their shelf, their book, their website, their audio book. Librarians are guides. They reach out and draw folks and information in together. Librarians are smart and forward thinking.
The technology aspect of libraries is going to change and change and change. We can name it different names and give it different definitions. However, those are going to be changing just as fast as the technology does. The important thing is that librarians keep their goal in mind and use what is best for the library users and their particular needs.
As for my thoughts regarding 2.0 for an elementary school librarian.... the elementary school librarian is still there to teach the students how to access and use the library, to aid them in their search for books, both nonfiction & fiction, and hopefully to build a love (or at least an appreciation) of the library, books & learning. If there is time beyond that, then I do hope that the librarian has the space, equipment and knowledge to introduce this great tool we have available.
Ultimately, I believe that librarians and libraries will always be needed. Our society needs to have a place to go physically. People enjoy the physicalness (can that be a word for today?) of the library: the aesthetics of the building, the smell, the kindred spirits wandering within, the books, the buzz of other folks on missions or just rustling about, magazines & newspapers for free, puzzles for kids, copiers to borrow, and so much more. And, yes, computers. There will be people who access libraries and all that they have to offer via their home computer. Some of these people will be saavy enough to do it all on their own. However, there will always be some people who need librarians in the physical walls of the library to help them find their shelf, their book, their website, their audio book. Librarians are guides. They reach out and draw folks and information in together. Librarians are smart and forward thinking.
The technology aspect of libraries is going to change and change and change. We can name it different names and give it different definitions. However, those are going to be changing just as fast as the technology does. The important thing is that librarians keep their goal in mind and use what is best for the library users and their particular needs.
As for my thoughts regarding 2.0 for an elementary school librarian.... the elementary school librarian is still there to teach the students how to access and use the library, to aid them in their search for books, both nonfiction & fiction, and hopefully to build a love (or at least an appreciation) of the library, books & learning. If there is time beyond that, then I do hope that the librarian has the space, equipment and knowledge to introduce this great tool we have available.
Week 6: Thing #14
Ick. I really don't find Technorati helpful at all. It is too much. I can search, but I feel like what I get back is sooooo much gobblety gook. It is similar to entering a very vague topic in Google. You will get thousands of hits and who wants to sort through that? Many of the blogs, posts, etc. that I followed led to a bunch of junk. I even tried my favorite subject (library lesson plans) and ended up wading through so many sites just to end up giving up. I would not waste my time with this or recommend it to anyone.
Ok- so the one cool thing that I did find, and I almost hate to admit this, is a gal in Houston taking this same class. Her blog looks so much like mine that I almost thought I had "found myself" when I opened her page. She is an elementary school librarian with many of the same hobbies. AND, her avatar is almost the same as mine as is her blog layout! Funny coincidence.
I just realized that my avatar is gone!! Help, I feel lost ; ) I just changed my blog around a bit so mine is different now (again). Now, I have my avatar back. I feel like a new person : )
Ok, back to my post...with my search, I did find different results when I clicked on posts, tags & directory. It was interesting to see how many other librarians are out there doing the same thing as us. We are soooo cutting edge! Otherwise, a waste of my time.
Ok- so the one cool thing that I did find, and I almost hate to admit this, is a gal in Houston taking this same class. Her blog looks so much like mine that I almost thought I had "found myself" when I opened her page. She is an elementary school librarian with many of the same hobbies. AND, her avatar is almost the same as mine as is her blog layout! Funny coincidence.
I just realized that my avatar is gone!! Help, I feel lost ; ) I just changed my blog around a bit so mine is different now (again). Now, I have my avatar back. I feel like a new person : )
Ok, back to my post...with my search, I did find different results when I clicked on posts, tags & directory. It was interesting to see how many other librarians are out there doing the same thing as us. We are soooo cutting edge! Otherwise, a waste of my time.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Week 6: Thing #13
Technorati is NOT for me. It is too flashy and I cannot concentrate! I searched using several tags and I used the "most popular" tags to see what was going on in the world.
I also toured around Library Thing. Again, it is just way too much for me! I know I'm not that old, but I really like things simple and self-explanatory. I have been using GoodReads for a while now. It is similar to Library Thing, but probably not nearly as advanced. For my needs though, GoodReads is just right. Here is the link... http://www.goodreads.com/ .
I have set up my own del.icio.us account (http://del.icio.us/aksunshine). I LOVE this! Since I have several different computers that I work on, I am constantly wishing I had access to the bookmarks on a different computer. Or, I find that I am explaining a website to a friend/colleague but can't remember the address. Then I have to remember that when I get to my particular computer, I have to copy the bookmark and send it to that person. This makes things way easier.
Here's my only concern...some of my bookmarks go directly into my account, automatic sign in. For a few of them, I was able to back up to the main page for that website and save it to del.icio.us from there. However, there were a few that never really took me to the main page without my info being posted there. Any tips? If I knew that my del.icio.us account were going to stay private or just among invited friends, I wouldn't mind so much. But, since they are open to the public, I found I was a little more limiting in what I added.
I found the tags and searching very easy to use. The tags are similar to what I use in Photoshop, so that was simple to grasp. I think this site would be great for a librarian/teacher to use when working with students and the use of a variety of websites. Of course, there is that danger of students clicking away into various other sights by following some random click trail.
I also think this site would be handy for searching for specific topics/websites that you might not find on a regular Google (or other search engine) search. It certainly broadens the horizons!
I was able to set up my account and add the buttons to my tool bar without a problem. My del.icio.us "network badge" is over there to the right in the sidebar. It is easy to use!
I also toured around Library Thing. Again, it is just way too much for me! I know I'm not that old, but I really like things simple and self-explanatory. I have been using GoodReads for a while now. It is similar to Library Thing, but probably not nearly as advanced. For my needs though, GoodReads is just right. Here is the link... http://www.goodreads.com/ .
I have set up my own del.icio.us account (http://del.icio.us/aksunshine). I LOVE this! Since I have several different computers that I work on, I am constantly wishing I had access to the bookmarks on a different computer. Or, I find that I am explaining a website to a friend/colleague but can't remember the address. Then I have to remember that when I get to my particular computer, I have to copy the bookmark and send it to that person. This makes things way easier.
Here's my only concern...some of my bookmarks go directly into my account, automatic sign in. For a few of them, I was able to back up to the main page for that website and save it to del.icio.us from there. However, there were a few that never really took me to the main page without my info being posted there. Any tips? If I knew that my del.icio.us account were going to stay private or just among invited friends, I wouldn't mind so much. But, since they are open to the public, I found I was a little more limiting in what I added.
I found the tags and searching very easy to use. The tags are similar to what I use in Photoshop, so that was simple to grasp. I think this site would be great for a librarian/teacher to use when working with students and the use of a variety of websites. Of course, there is that danger of students clicking away into various other sights by following some random click trail.
I also think this site would be handy for searching for specific topics/websites that you might not find on a regular Google (or other search engine) search. It certainly broadens the horizons!
I was able to set up my account and add the buttons to my tool bar without a problem. My del.icio.us "network badge" is over there to the right in the sidebar. It is easy to use!
Week 5: Thing #12
VoiceThread: I went through the tutorials, sampled a variety of demonstrations and Googled Darth Tater and his works. I would love to use this option, however, I do not have a microphone on my computer. I could see how this would be a great tool for students and teachers. Story writing, sharing, editing, and commenting. The 6 Traits could be really investigated in this format. This would give teachers and students a chance to connect a little more privately than in a class full of kids wanting attention.
I could see doing some digital storytelling with VoiceThread, explanation of instructions, all kinds of great uses. IF you have a microphone.
I could see doing some digital storytelling with VoiceThread, explanation of instructions, all kinds of great uses. IF you have a microphone.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Week 5: Thing #11 ... Travel IQ
I did better than I thought that I would! Of course, my husband did very well. But, he has an atlas by his bed, in his office and most of the time in the kitchen. Go figure.
I will definitely share this link with our teachers to use with upper grade students. I have several other geography quiz links in my bookmarks at school. I will share those once I have access to my school computer again.
I will definitely share this link with our teachers to use with upper grade students. I have several other geography quiz links in my bookmarks at school. I will share those once I have access to my school computer again.
Week 5: Thing #11 ... Ning
I just created my own Ning for the Palmer Family Reunion coming up in November. I'm not sure how many of my family members actually have a computer, but I will find out soon enough.
Here's the link... http://gilabendpalmers.ning.com/ . Actually, I guess I made it private, so nobody else can see it. If you are interested, let me know. I am also planning on setting one up for our school library this year. That one will be public.
Here's the link... http://gilabendpalmers.ning.com/ . Actually, I guess I made it private, so nobody else can see it. If you are interested, let me know. I am also planning on setting one up for our school library this year. That one will be public.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Week 5: Thing #11
Snow Hands in Prayer
Originally uploaded by sunshineinak
I created this image in picnik. This is an image generator that was listed on the Web 2.0 Award Winners. This site is very easy to use. It only took me minutes to figure this one out. I took this photo in Thailand, downloaded it to Flickr, used Picnik to add the snow (it was about 100 degrees!), then Picnik let me save it back to my photostream in Flickr and then Flickr let me download this directly to my blog!! Pretty amazing. I LOVE the way some of these websites are interconnected to make blogging, photo sharing, listing, etc. so easy for me. Especially now that I am getting the hang of it. As I have said before though, I have my list of usernames, passwords and various other codes right here in front of me and on my bookmark list so I don't get "lost."
Here's the web link... http://www.picnik.com/
I chose several avenues for my tour of sites/tools from the Web 2.0 Awards list. I dinked around with travel, but had already used those in the past. I looked at the photography, but that's what I always look at and I did it anyway (see above). Then I did what I always do when I am in a quandry....spin and point! I ended up on Swivel (http://www.swivel.com/ ) which has left my head swimming!!! But, I think I know of 3 people who will totally appreciate this site (Dave, Jim, Patrick ...yes, I am talking about you!). Here's what Swivel is...
"Swivel's mission is to make data useful.
Explore and compare data, graphs and maps.
Share insights via email, blog or data downloads.
Upload the data you care about.
If you're curious about data, Swivel is the place for you."
As you can imagine, the site is very well organized and easy to use. I'm thinking I won't be visiting their site a lot, but it is sooooo good to know it is there if the need ever arises!
Off Topic Thing
Ok, this is totally off topic, but appropriate. A friend of mine sent this to me and maybe you have already seen it. It is called All My Faves. http://www.allmyfaves.com/
Friday, July 18, 2008
Week 5: Thing #10 More Image Generating
Finally!!! I was just finally able to get my Trailside Library sign posted : )
Here's a mosaic that I created with Big Huge Labs http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php ... I really wanted to make something using my own photos. It is also in my sidebar. I was trying to mess around with the size, but I soon tired of that!
Here's a mosaic that I created with Big Huge Labs http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php ... I really wanted to make something using my own photos. It is also in my sidebar. I was trying to mess around with the size, but I soon tired of that!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Week 5: Thing #10
I started out playing around with ImageChef. Here's my first test...
ImageChef.com Flower Text
Here's another...
ImageChef.com Flower Text
Here's another...
Week 4: Thing #9
After hours of perusing search tools, I finally found some that caught my eye. They were right there in the sidebar, just under my nose! On the blogger dashboard in the sidebar, there is an item called Blogs of Note. I noticed several that involved travel, once I followed a string of those, I struck gold! I guess it was just a matter of time...of which I have soooo much (sorry, being sarcastic there!).
I did not like Technorati because I was too distracted by the ads and flashing things. I had chosen to look at that one first since I kept seeing the name on a variety of blogs and websites.
I did like and use Topix.net as it posts your local news right at the top. I added that.
As for adding other people's blogs to my blogs....I'm not so sure I really want to go there too much. Who knows when their blog may turn sour and I would have this link to them?! Plus, many of the blogs that I looked at were so dry, over the top, slow to load, etc. I think I will just stick with (what would they be called??) non-private sites. This reminds me of the lessons that I teach to my students about really examining a website...who put it out there, are they credible, is the info accurate & timely?? As I say to my students....Be Careful!
I did not like Technorati because I was too distracted by the ads and flashing things. I had chosen to look at that one first since I kept seeing the name on a variety of blogs and websites.
I did like and use Topix.net as it posts your local news right at the top. I added that.
As for adding other people's blogs to my blogs....I'm not so sure I really want to go there too much. Who knows when their blog may turn sour and I would have this link to them?! Plus, many of the blogs that I looked at were so dry, over the top, slow to load, etc. I think I will just stick with (what would they be called??) non-private sites. This reminds me of the lessons that I teach to my students about really examining a website...who put it out there, are they credible, is the info accurate & timely?? As I say to my students....Be Careful!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Week 4: Thing #8
Whew! Creating my RSS was harder and more time-consuming than I thought it would be. It is now done and listed on the right in the sidebar of my blog.
I like the idea of having one central location where your news/info comes to you rather than clicking on all of your bookmarks. I had lots of ideas of what I wanted, but when I went to some of my favorite websites, they did not have the RSS option. However, they do have the "email me" options where they will send updated info directly to my email. Hmmmm....6 of one, half dozen of the other??
When I did decide on a few websites to use for my RSS section, they sure had a lot of info. I may have to fine tune this.
I can see how some folks might really enjoy and put this tool to good use. I have a friend who reads several newspapers and looks at several tv stations on-line everyday. Perhaps he would benefit from this?
A way that I might use this at school is to set up some of the websites that I use for educational ideas on a regular basis. I could offer to get teachers started on it as well. I would need to play around with it and our district firewall to see how it would fare before I used it with students.
I like the idea of having one central location where your news/info comes to you rather than clicking on all of your bookmarks. I had lots of ideas of what I wanted, but when I went to some of my favorite websites, they did not have the RSS option. However, they do have the "email me" options where they will send updated info directly to my email. Hmmmm....6 of one, half dozen of the other??
When I did decide on a few websites to use for my RSS section, they sure had a lot of info. I may have to fine tune this.
I can see how some folks might really enjoy and put this tool to good use. I have a friend who reads several newspapers and looks at several tv stations on-line everyday. Perhaps he would benefit from this?
A way that I might use this at school is to set up some of the websites that I use for educational ideas on a regular basis. I could offer to get teachers started on it as well. I would need to play around with it and our district firewall to see how it would fare before I used it with students.
Week 3: Thing #7
As I get deeper and deeper into the sites and tools that we have been exploring, I have noticed ONE BIG THING!!! I have had to start a spreadsheet just to keep all of my usernames, passwords, etc. I think Ann mentioned doing something like this at one point. It is something I wish I would have done right from the get-go as I spent quite a lot of time one day just trying to remember who and where I was!
I am truly loving this class! I have always enjoyed technology but have not always had the time to explore it. This class is giving me that opportunity. I have especially loved exploring the photo sites that are new to me.
I do realize that it is important to pick and choose the tools that you will use as time is such a factor.
Something else that I have done that has not been a part of this class is to FINALLY download music to my i-pod! I think that since I have had so much time in front of the computer lately, I decided to make the leap and figure out the i-pod phase! I'm just a little behind the times, but I am sure listening to some good music while I catch up! ; )
I am truly loving this class! I have always enjoyed technology but have not always had the time to explore it. This class is giving me that opportunity. I have especially loved exploring the photo sites that are new to me.
I do realize that it is important to pick and choose the tools that you will use as time is such a factor.
Something else that I have done that has not been a part of this class is to FINALLY download music to my i-pod! I think that since I have had so much time in front of the computer lately, I decided to make the leap and figure out the i-pod phase! I'm just a little behind the times, but I am sure listening to some good music while I catch up! ; )
Monday, July 14, 2008
Week 3: Thing #6
I just tried out Bubblr. It was kind of cool, but I'm not really into comic strips and I would much rather use my own photos. I didn't have the desire to research it much further. I did do one quick comic photo with captions to try it out. I have it bookmarked to go back and look at again later.
Here's the trading card that I made. I made this for my son. He loves doing little journals of things he has done and places he has visited. I thought we could do travel trading cards.
Valerie and I use plastic "credit cards" for our library cards. These trading cards would be another fun option for library cards. We could easily print the bar codes onto stickers to add to the bottom. Of course, cost would be another issue : )
Here's the trading card that I made. I made this for my son. He loves doing little journals of things he has done and places he has visited. I thought we could do travel trading cards.
Valerie and I use plastic "credit cards" for our library cards. These trading cards would be another fun option for library cards. We could easily print the bar codes onto stickers to add to the bottom. Of course, cost would be another issue : )
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Week 3: Thing #5 - SmugMug
All right, I have spent amazing amounts of time today comparing some of the different photo sharing sights. I just set up a page with SmugMug. It is the free 14 day trial, so you can look at it for 2 weeks. I doubt if I will sign up once they start asking me to pay for it. Although, it does have the option to make a button on your Picasa Album to the SmugMug, but I couldn't get it to work. I am also not sure why they would want to do that as they seem like they would be competitors. Here it is http://aksunshine.smugmug.com/
Ever since I went digital, I have been using Shutterfly and I LOVE it. It is free, it is easy and they are always giving me discounts and free things since I am a frequent user of their site and products. They have a new section where I have set up my own Shutterfly website that I can share with friends. I think for my purposes, I need only one site, otherwise I might drive myself batty.
Ever since I went digital, I have been using Shutterfly and I LOVE it. It is free, it is easy and they are always giving me discounts and free things since I am a frequent user of their site and products. They have a new section where I have set up my own Shutterfly website that I can share with friends. I think for my purposes, I need only one site, otherwise I might drive myself batty.
Week 3: Thing #5 - Picasa Web Albums
Ok, if you look over there to the right on my blog page, you will see the slideshow that I set through Picasa. If you click on the photo, it will open a new window so you can see the photos a little better and see the titles that I have given to each. Pretty cool, eh??
Week 3: Thing #5 again
So Proud!
Originally uploaded by sunshineinak
Here's a photo from our school library. Battle of the Books medal...very hard working group of girls!
Week 3: Thing #5 again Railay Bay / Thailand, Krabi
Railay Bay / Thailand, Krabi
Originally uploaded by flydime
My husband and I have gone rock climbing here several times. We have also taken our boys sailing around these islands. Seeing this photo made me get all nostalgic and ready to pack my backpack again!! Railay, Thailand is one of the most amazing places on this earth. If you ever get the chance, GO!
Week 3: Thing #5
Flickr: This is a site that I started using a number of years ago. As I started to get into it tho, I realized that it wasn't really giving anything back to me other than satisfying that voyeuristic side of me, which is not very strong. I was pretty certain other folks really didn't want to see what I was posting and I was a little disconcerted about posting photos of my favorite subjects, my boys. Needless to say, I quit going there.
Now, a few years later, I see that Flickr has really changed. Again, it is hugely overwhelming. These people must have soooo much time on their hands!! Are they not busy with kids, school, work, PLAY??
My other comment would have something to do with the fact that some of these people are certainly not very modest!! I followed a stream that plopped me right in the middle of a group of photos of lots of women in a variety of poses and outfits - 'nuf said.
I think I will update my FLICKR account and see where it goes.
I also looked at the 365 Days in the Library project. I had a little brainstorm for my library. I am thinking I will do a 188 Days in the Trailside Library. Each day (even Inservice days), I will take a photo, number it and post it somewhere, perhaps on my page of our school website. I will add this to our wiki of ideas.
Now, a few years later, I see that Flickr has really changed. Again, it is hugely overwhelming. These people must have soooo much time on their hands!! Are they not busy with kids, school, work, PLAY??
My other comment would have something to do with the fact that some of these people are certainly not very modest!! I followed a stream that plopped me right in the middle of a group of photos of lots of women in a variety of poses and outfits - 'nuf said.
I think I will update my FLICKR account and see where it goes.
I also looked at the 365 Days in the Library project. I had a little brainstorm for my library. I am thinking I will do a 188 Days in the Trailside Library. Each day (even Inservice days), I will take a photo, number it and post it somewhere, perhaps on my page of our school website. I will add this to our wiki of ideas.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Week 2: Things #3 & #4
Ta-da!! I have set up my blog. This is one of those things about computers that drives me crazy...the number of choices we are given for what we are trying to accomplish. I don't know how many different templates I tried out (actually, I think I tried all of them) before I finally was able to settle for the one I have now. Of course, do not be surprised if I change it again a few times.
I tried to use some of my own photos as a background, however, they were too large. I think I know how to fix it, but I gave up being the perfectionist and went with a standard template.
I did enjoy setting this up and think it is a great way to do this class. Otherwise, I am not sure this would be something I would do on a regular basis. It's kind of like keeping a diary. It always seems like a great idea...you get that brand new little diary with just the right design on the cover, the crispy new binding, lines just the right width apart, and that magical little key to keep everyone else out. I was always good at it for about a week and then I went back to living my life rather than spending my time writing about it.
As for the avatar, I had fun making it, but she sure is pretty!! Maybe they should give some options to make her look a little more real! Not something I would use on a regular basis. I just realized that my avatar is standing in the kitchen and I should have put her in the library. I will get that fixed.
I am officially registered! Success : )
I tried to use some of my own photos as a background, however, they were too large. I think I know how to fix it, but I gave up being the perfectionist and went with a standard template.
I did enjoy setting this up and think it is a great way to do this class. Otherwise, I am not sure this would be something I would do on a regular basis. It's kind of like keeping a diary. It always seems like a great idea...you get that brand new little diary with just the right design on the cover, the crispy new binding, lines just the right width apart, and that magical little key to keep everyone else out. I was always good at it for about a week and then I went back to living my life rather than spending my time writing about it.
As for the avatar, I had fun making it, but she sure is pretty!! Maybe they should give some options to make her look a little more real! Not something I would use on a regular basis. I just realized that my avatar is standing in the kitchen and I should have put her in the library. I will get that fixed.
I am officially registered! Success : )
Week 1: Thing #1
Oooops, I put these in the wrong order, but later I might be able to set them in the correct order. Being the list maker that I am, this is going to bother me until I can get Thing #1 to come first.
I am very excited about this class! I have been peeking at it while we have had family here. I am just beginning to really get my brain into it now that they have gone. Ever since I had the boys (my 2 sons), I felt that I have had a slippery grip on technology where I used to feel like I was right up on top of it. I am hoping that this class will help me work my way closer to the top of the heap again!
I am very excited about this class! I have been peeking at it while we have had family here. I am just beginning to really get my brain into it now that they have gone. Ever since I had the boys (my 2 sons), I felt that I have had a slippery grip on technology where I used to feel like I was right up on top of it. I am hoping that this class will help me work my way closer to the top of the heap again!
Week 1: Thing #2
Aaaaaahhhh!! I adore lists! So, this list for lifelong learning is right up my alley. What's more, they mention reading a number of times, so it must be good, right??
The Easiest Habit: Habit #2 - Accept Responsibility. Oddly enough, this is very easy for me. I have always understood and believed that you will only get out of something what you have put in. I am always telling students (and parents) that one cannot just sit there and have information poured into your brain, one must get up and chase it, grab it and get it in there by whatever means it takes. Not only does this apply to learning, but to most things in life. I guess I am a firm believer in living my life, not letting my life just happen.
The Hardest Habit: Habit #1 - Goals. Setting goals for myself is very difficult. I tend to have a hard time accepting the fact that I can set a bunch of baby step goals for myself to reach a larger end goal. I look at that end goal, which is usually too lofty, and get way overwhelmed right from the get-go. Hmmmm....maybe just writing this down will help me!! I will work on that in the near future!
The Easiest Habit: Habit #2 - Accept Responsibility. Oddly enough, this is very easy for me. I have always understood and believed that you will only get out of something what you have put in. I am always telling students (and parents) that one cannot just sit there and have information poured into your brain, one must get up and chase it, grab it and get it in there by whatever means it takes. Not only does this apply to learning, but to most things in life. I guess I am a firm believer in living my life, not letting my life just happen.
The Hardest Habit: Habit #1 - Goals. Setting goals for myself is very difficult. I tend to have a hard time accepting the fact that I can set a bunch of baby step goals for myself to reach a larger end goal. I look at that end goal, which is usually too lofty, and get way overwhelmed right from the get-go. Hmmmm....maybe just writing this down will help me!! I will work on that in the near future!
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