Blogging: A Reflection and Lessons Learned

A Blog Catharsis

I guess you could say that I have had a ‘love/hate/love’ relationship with the genre of blogging. While at times tedious, the majority of the time I spent blogging was enjoyable and (dare I say) fun. As I reflect on the experience of participating in this genre, it leads me to a few conclusions I’ve picked up on about myself.

I should have been born later. I should be a digital native. It makes me mad that blogging and social networking are not that interesting to me! I love technology, but because of my age, I feel I was deprived of the practical ‘social’ aspects that technology has offered the digital native generation. I do not feel that online life is any less a society that the non-virtual world; its just that I have more experience in the non virtual world. Sure, there are many aspects of social networking that I like. I am a huge fan of del.icio.us and use wikis on a daily basis. There are other parts that I just cannot seem to completely warm up to.

What I have to say matters. I used to think, “Why would anyone want to read what I have to say when there are so many other opinions out there?” I still ask myself this question occasionally, but that’s when I realize that it is not necessarily the information that you put forth, but also the way you put it across. I have a lot of experience and I know a lot. I think I need to get comfortable with the fact that this is the case. People will care about what I write because I think my voice comes through and you can really sense my passion when I’m enamored by something.

Blogging equals Learning. I think that no matter what kind of blog I was writing, I would have learned something. Writing a blog on technology forced me to push my limits in what I know about the tech world beyond my own backyard. No matter how much I thought I knew about a topic, as I began writing there was so much more I realized that I needed to know, even still. I liked the challenge of putting forth my thoughts about technology in my own voice. I am not very into much of the writing on technology that I read. I find that the author thinks the bigger and more ‘jargony’ their words are, the smarter they appear. I live by the principle of K.I.S.S.—Keep it Simple, Stupid.

Have I grown through the experience of blogging? Yes. I have always loved to write. It makes me feel so good that I’m able to put pen to paper effortlessly and come out with clear and interesting prose. The blogging experience reinvigorated my desire to write and research. It is something of an educational renaissance taking place right now in my life, this desire to write more scholarly work.

Regardless of my age and my “digital alien-status,” I have had much experience that the digital native knows little about. I’ve lived a lot longer and have seen a lot more. I have deeper connections. I’ve used a card catalog and books for all of the research done outside of the past 13 years. Clearly, what I have to say matters. I am being educated by one of the top i-Schools in the country. My word has more weight that I care to think. As far as blogging being equal to learning, I hope that any and all blogs that I write in the future not only are a learning experience to me, but to anyone that happens across the page. I think that from here on out, my ‘love-hate-love’ relationship with blogging will rest on the former and the latter. I have found my online voice. Now that I think about it, I’m more of a digital native than I thought!

VRD is A-OK!

VRD--Research in your pajamas!

A few semesters ago, I took a class called Information Resources: Users and Services. It was an amazing learning experience made even more meaningful through a practical education in Virtual Reference Desk Librarianship. In cooperation with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Syracuse University students are given the chance to field questions from patrons as an expert VRD librarian at the DREI Virtual Reference Desk!

Before I was given the privilege of calling myself an ‘expert,’ I had to answer two training questions as an assignment in the class. Once I successfully answered these training questions, I was ready for the big time.

My first training question was a basic one, “What is the capitol of Pennsylvania?” I did not misspell ‘capitol,’ by the way. My job was to provide Cloe, an elementary student with an answer to her question and provide her with links to the sites that allowed me to answer her question(s). I needed to cover Cloe in case she needed info on the capitol building or the capital, Harrisburg. Lesson #1: VRD requires a keen eye for detail and accuracy on the part of the user. This is a detractor from my positive feelings about VRD.

My second training question dealt with cancer. This was a tough question to field because of its seriousness and delicacy. Her question was Do you have any information about skin cancer? Is it a bad thing? She needed information for a debate. I answered her (strange) ancillary question, ‘Is it a bad thing’ by simply saying that while no cancer is good, not all forms are fatal. Lesson #2: Tact and care must be taken when answering serious questions, especially medical; also that you are not a doctor, a diagnostician, or psychologist. Direct patrons to information. Don’t hang a shingle.

My experience with VRD was definitely a positive one. I might like to act as a VRD librarian in some capacity. Many libraries are offering this service and the market for VRD is going to only get bigger. The NYPL offers a local phone number for homework help. Online help is also an option. The NYC Department of Education will be partnering with NYPL Homework Help to create a more streamlined user experience. The site is still new and some bugs need to be worked out, but with proper leadership, this can be an amazing resource.

Once my novice period ended, I became an expert. As an expert, I am able to choose the categories of questions I will answer. Some of my specializations are art, modern languages, American history, and the Constitution.

Where Would We Be Wthout It?

RSS is the biggest thing since the MP3!

I thought it was only natural that I should include an entry on RSS feeds. Much of what I've been talking about depends on RSS to make content easier to transfer.

I don't know much about RSS, so I had to do some research myself. All I know is that I've seen it on sites, blogs, etc. and usually never click on it because I'm not a subscriber. Even the podcasts I download seem to fall by the wayside, what with all the other reading that I must accomplish. But, here goes...

I originally thought that RSS stood for Really Simple Script. I read this somewhere, and to be honest it makes just as much sense to me as what it really stands for, Rich Site Summary. I needed the ultimate idiot's guide to RSS, and found it at this site.

The site, called simply, What is RSS? is a one page document that tells the normal everyday computer user all they need to know about RSS. This includes me. Just like JPG, GIF, AVI, and PDF, RSS is just another format for transmitting media. RSS feeds (as they're called) deliver regularly changing content. News is a prime example of the benefits of a feed. Do you know anything else about JPG other than it is a picture? And do you really need to know anymore? I doubt it.

I'd personally rather go to the site itself and get what I need rather than getting a whole feed. I'm picky and choosy about what I watch and listen to, so that is my rationale for not taking advantage of RSS. I think I partly hate all the acronyms. Look for the icon at the head of this post on websites to subscribe to the RSS for that particular site.

A Simple name for an Extraordinary Tool

This company's name could get lost in the shuffle of techno-inspired ones, but a site by any other name would not smell as sweet

As a teacher that would prefer to do anything and everything on computers with my students, I am always on the lookout for sites that act as a one-stop-shop for all my needs, and then some. I came across a site that should be getting more notoriety in the educational press, I think, and that site is Learning Objects (http://learningobjects.com).

Inspire Thinking Online is the tag line that is used to identify LO on the Internet and it certainly lives up to its word. According to the website, "Learning Objects develops creative, forward-looking software for education. Our solutions facilitate constructive interactions among students and instructors and enhance the value of an institution's existing IT investments."

Distance learning would not be possible if not for course management platforms for students and teachers to interact. Learning Objects builds on the technology that is already in place; like Blackboard and eChalk; rather than reinventing the wheel. An intuitive plan. Podcasts, wikis, and blogs are fully integrated into the platform providing seamless incorporation into course work. Judging by the number of universities that have signed up with iTunes-U, podcasting is the way to go. Learning Objects has figured this out and ran with it.

Included with yearly subscription purchase is Campus Pack, a suite of tools to make the most of online education. The following are the names and descriptions of the bundled programs from the LO site:

• Teams LX™: Build knowledge by building wikisTeams LX brings wikis into the learning environment. Users can easily work together to organize information into creative multi layered, multimedia websites. And Teams keeps a history of the work, facilitating review and assessment.


• Journal LX™: Experience the power of blogging With Journal LX, instructors can create blogs in which students can reflect on and analyze course-related topics and assignments. Students can review and comment on their peers' postings, and instructors can participate with students in the evolving dialog.


• Podcast LX™: Create podcasts with easePodcast LX integrates podcasting into an institution's online course environment without requiring additional infrastructure. It allows instructors to easily create RSS feeds and post episodes, and it allows students to subscribe to course feeds with one click.


• Expo LX™: Create and share personal spaces and portfolios Expo LX creates space for individuality within your learning system. Both students and instructors can author content in the form of blogs and websites, and share their sites with the campus community.


• Search LX™: Find the right content fastSearch LX is an essential tool for finding course content with speed and accuracy. The top-of-the-page search box and advanced searching options streamline content retrieval.

Social networking for the educational set, Learning Objects has revolutionized the way that students learn and teachers teach. I say revolutionize because Learning Objects is everything that Blackboard and eChalk are not. Where Blackboard is clunky and MS-DOS-esque (say that 5 times fast) Learning Objects is minimal and quite Web 2.0. It's like the Helmut Lang of educational websites. I love HL and I love LO!

An informative PDF about the suite of applications is available by clicking here.

My torrid love affair with my TabletPC

I tend to think of life lately in terms of B.T. and A.T. Before-Tablet and After-Tablet. I got my HP1100 a few months ago at a staff development for NYC Public School Librarians. The NYCSLS is made up of an amazingly smart group of professionals lead by Barbara Stripling--a wonderful person and my respected teacher at Syracuse. We received a Tablet PC and a mobile printer. The two pieces of technology have become so much a part of my life; professional and personal; that I could not imagine life without it.

First of all, it just looks cool. It has this funky convertible design which makes it a great conversation piece. This thing is better than a puppy for a phone number or two at Barnes and Noble, believe me.

Second, it's ease of use, portability and convenience make it a must have for me daily. Not only do I use it to teach with (it hooks up and syncs quickly with my digital projector), but I also use it for administrative purposes as well. I manage all the technology in the building and have to key in tickets for pieces to be repaired to the help desk, files I need to access for speaking to the help desk, etc. I need these things at my fingertips.

Third, it just looks cool.

Clicking around CNet, I found this link that I originally thought was a misdirect to a page of ads, but was pleasantly surprised to find some great reviews and information. I am not a fan of jargon and techno-geek mumbo-jumbo. I read a great interview with Gary Lindenberger, author of Seize The Work Day: Using Your Tablet PC to Take Total Control of Your Work and Meeting Day. The title of the book needs some 'control,' in my opinion; a bit unwieldy.

Lindenberger was so enamoured with his Tablet PC that he wrote a book about it. This interview talks about the book and highlights how the Tablet PC has helped him in his career.

More on the education side of things, a great site I found is a blog titled Teachers Using Technology. It is written by a guy called Ryan (no last name) and I only have three small letters for the quality and breadth of this site: WOW. I rarely use all caps, but had to break the cycle in this case. Amazing tips, tricks, and ideas for using your Tablet PC in an educational setting. Phenomenal and flawless. His trick for using One Note for anecdotal notes was absolutely genius. The use of the stylus, giving the user the ability to write in their own personal shorthand during a running record would have made me want to do them more. Technology is inviting for adults, too!

Pie in the Sky--1:1 Computing

The idea of 1 student to a computer is an act of God, in my opinion. I have been a teacher in both situations and the difference between having 4 faces struggling to see a portion of the screen and a single student being able to fully absorb online content while still collaborating is akin to the apples and oranges comparison. There is no middle line. It either sux or it's great. I have come to the point where I do not want to bother with using the computers in the classrooms because they're more trouble than their worth.

I have been thinking about, researching grants for, and talking to anyone I know about acquiring large sums of money to re-vamp the technology in the school building. All these years, I had been advocating for 1:1 computing and hadn't even known it.

I read an article in a magazine, or on the Internet about One Laptop per Child (OLPC). When I saw this, I did a double-take and quickly clicked the link. Imagine my surprise when I found that they wanted to dole out laptops to third world countries. People in the third world need clean water and food. Isn't digital literacy a bit low on the list of priorities when you have to worry about things like cholera or dying in childbirth? I mean come on, let's get every child in the United States a laptop before we go out to a third world country and give what will amount to a very costly paperweight to kids to use. I doubt the wireless connection is anything to write home about (not that you could because you have no one to email). I'm a bit conservative when it comes to technology allocations, so the whole 'giving laptops to others before we have one for each American' is unconscionable to me.

Gary S. Stager is one person that I respect highly for his purpose in advocating for 1:1 computing. I lingered over his website and found his philosophy refreshing and the voice in his writing to be clear and almost comforting. I have emailed Dr. Stager and am waiting for a reply. I would love to hook up with him to talk about how I go about buying 500+ laptops so that all of my school's kids can have one! He seems like a good guy to have on your side.

I don't know how or when, but I know that before I leave my school, I want every student to have a laptop, every teacher to have a laptop, digi projector and Smartboard. Inhibiting students from using technology because money cannot be allocated sufficiently on the budget is a sad thing but it happens in schools every day. Top-down speaking, this ultimately falls in the lap of the government, but don't even get me started on them...

I Just Really Need this To Be Here!!

Oh S*it!! Remember That!?!

A major attribute of YouTube is its ability to jog ones entertainment memory


I don't know about you, but I was raised in the time before cable. I certainly watched a lot of TV, but channels were limited to 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13. Channel 2 never really came in too good, so the only thing I watched on CBS was the Charlie Brown holiday specials at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. Remember the spiraling "SPECIAL" that would zoom onto the screen before these shows started? I sure do.

There were many things from my childhood television days that I longed to see again. Tunes that came to mind and characters from programs gone-by. In this respect, YouTube has become a sort of old friend that not only remembers what I do, but can spit out video clips as well. Many of my childhood TV memories surround PBS. This was the only channel we were permitted to watch, other than Looney Tunes, so my memories of channel 13 are wide and colorful.

For this post, I am going to present you with my three favorite clips of the past year that I have found again thanks to YouTube.

#1--A clip from Sesame Street of a girl taking her pat llama to the dentist:

#2--The theme to a fave, The Electric Company:

#3--A bit later (maybe freshman year of HS, 1988)--Parody, "Gandhi on Ice"

I am limiting myself to three clips on this blog site or else I could go on for days. For television freaks like me, YouTube is a godsend. It is inevitable that you will be in a store, on the Internet, wherever, and catch a tag line, or a tee shirt with an image that jogs your memory. Googling the phrase will hopefully bring up a hit. This is exactly how I found the me and my llama clip! I like to think of YouTube as my own personal memory box. What TV memories do you have? Bet its on YouTube! Check it out!!

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!!

From humble beginnings to Presidential debates, YouTube hits the big time!



What has happened in the past two years in information technology? Usually when something is originally perceived to be inaccurate or pedestrian, it can do one of two things: Continue to lack accuracy or fold altogether. The "it" I am referring to here are two separate sites that I feel have had a renaissance or a metamorphosis, of sorts, over the past couple of years. YouTube, the subject of this post, and WikiPedia, as well, perhaps to an even greater degree.

Originally formed in 2005 by three former Pay-Pal employees, YouTube began its future enterprise in a makeshift office/garage. In early 2006, YouTube was best known for videos of streetwise punks beating down strangers taken on mobile phones. In the run up to the 2008 Presidential elections, CNN aired a debate in which candidates fielded questions selected from a pool submitted by users of YouTube. Because of the use of technology to aggregate questions from a wide range of constituents, the forum has been referred to as "most democratic Presidential Debate ever." Still, how did this happen?

That can be answered in just one word: Google. It was announced in late 2006 that the company would be purchased by Google for $1.65 billion in stock. To date, this is Gogol's second-largest acquisition. Google is like the Oprah of the Internet. People like her. A huge range of Americans will follow her endorsement. The same can be said for Google. It's funny how one year and a new owner can change everything...Just ask Kevin Federline.

The above clip is clip #1 in a series of 20 clips. In order to access the entire series, please follow this link or point your browser to http://www.youtube.com/user/Hobobob10

The Gonzo Generation: Video+Blogging=Vlogging

Bloggers that want to be seen!!

Most people from my generation will think of the lovably crazy Muppet pictured at left when we think about Gonzo. According to Wikipedia, Gonzo is a style of reportage, film making, or any form of multimedia production in which the reporter, filmmaker or creator is intrinsically enmeshed with the subject action (rather than being a passive observer).

Admittedly, when I first heard about vlogging a year or two ago, I thought it was a new, aggressive form of flogging, meant to really punish someone. I couldn't have been further from what an vlog actually is.

Technology godfather Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media, defines vlogging as is short for video blogging, also known as vodcasting. Who knew that all those YouTube videos I had been watching had a category? Since I am not a particular fan of reading other people's thoughts, I am very interested in seeing what others deem interesting, or newsworthy, or funny. (As stated before in this blog, I am a very visual person. I need to see something to sustain my interest for any substantial amount of time.) I wondered, though, "How might I create a vodcast?" I turned to the godfather himself.

O'Reilly Digital Media is a site that I visit quite often. On a recent perusal of the site, I came across a how-to on vodcasting. Written for the true lay user, anyone can produce a vlog using this link. The manual is broken down into seven steps with screenshots and detailed instructions covering:

• Creating a video
• Posting a video
• Syndicating a video
• Informing iTunes
• Subscribing to a feed
• Feeding to a feed
• Where to go from here

I have tried to create a podcast using freeware, like Audacity. Personally, I didn't like their interface . When I used an Apple however, bing-bang-boom, I had a podcast. Am I saying to go out and buy a Mac just to make podcasts? Well, if you plan on creating podcasts and vodcasts on a regular basis, then yes. It is simply more convenient and less time consuming than Audacity or other pricey software.

Presently, I am a PC user, but very soon will be changing over to a Mac. Blogging is growing on me and I am sure that I will one day get over my issues with seeing and hearing myself on video enough to create a vodcast. Gonzo had Camilla, the chicken. I'll have my Mac Mini with a cinema screen.

Visual vs Aural--How Do You Learn?

iTunes U and iPods are revolutionizing education, but are they addressing all learning styles?

I've had my iPod since 2002 and cannot imagine life without it. I use it for music solely, and subscribe to a few podcasts that I like to listen to in the car. I for one would love to have lectures available for reference during downtime during the day, where ever that may be, so that I can get some work done. I have found that with the podcasts I listen to, that I'm not really listening to them, I am only hearing them.

You know this happens to you--You're driving in the car, and suddenly (and usually at the end of a song), you'll say to yourself, "What the hell am I listening to!?" This happens with podcasts as well. I subscribe to a show from NPR called Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me. If I hear something particularly funny, my ears perk up and I listen. Most of the other time, I'm not hanging on every word of the speaker and tend to lose a lot of what they say. I personally need to see something to create meaning for me.

In order to use a real world situation, I chose a class at random from the iTunes U site that offered a podcast as well as a video podcast. I needed to see for myself how this works.

Okay, I chose biology 100 taught by Dr. Phillip Sokolove from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). I began by listening to the first twenty minutes of the lecture. Dr. Sokolove was repeatedly referring to objects in the room that needed to be seen in order to get the most out of the lecture. In other words, I was completely lost in a matter of five minutes. I was not lost because of subject matter, but because I needed to see what the hell he was talking about to fully understand his intent. Click here to link to the podcast.

After 20 minutes of wanting to stick knives into my ears to stop my misery, I turned to the video podcast version of the very same lecture. Talk about a lightbulb moment! What he was saying made total and complete sense to me when I saw what he was talking about during the audio only podcast. He was going over how to use the new electronic/interactive component and was referring to charts and information on a huge screen above his head. Had I not had the ability to see rather that just hear this lecture, I would remain lost. Click here to link to the video-podcast.

You might be saying to yourself, "Well, if you don't like the audio only podcasts, then don't listen to them. Just watch the video version." That is a problem because not every school listed on iTunes U is currently offering dual versions of the same lecture. Some offer video only, most offer audio only. It's funny that the Ivy League schools; Yale University in specific; had the most limited formats. Is this to cut down on absenteeism?

Until all schools that offer podcasting as a summplement to classroom lecture (or for distance learning students, the only classroom lecture) offer dual modalaties for differentiated learnerspodcasting in education will not completely take off. But, I must say that once video podcasts take over as the major format of course lectures, the educational revolution will really begin.

iPod Ivy League: Technology in Education

The ubiquitous iPod goes to college--iTunes U as an educational tool

As a distance learning student, I am certainly no stranger to the use of technology to support my learning. As compared with the technology that schools like Stanford and Duke posess, my school does not compare. Most learning modules are presented through PowerPoint presentation with a poorly recorded teacher's voice accompaniment on some. Very pedestrian compared to say, Stanford.

iTunes U is accessed through iTunes, naturally. At the time of this post, there are 24 universities that publish podcasts available for free individual download or series subscription. Some of the esteemed universities featured are Yale, MIT, Penn State and Vanderbilt.

Granted, One cannot access all areas that a registered student can access. For instance, Stanford offers 15 courses. Anyone can access the material in these 15 courses for free. Many of the podcasts are video podcasts recorded in the lecture hall, sneezes and all! A student must be enrolled at the school to access specific classes.

Since I'd like to create a podcast in the future I downloaded an iTunes U User Guide. Reading this nice 20 page manual gave me a lot of insight on podcasts and demystified some issues for me to help in writing this post! It can be accessed by clicking here.

Coming back to my status as a distance learning student, iTunes U makes a lot of sense. The interface I use now to access my classes is dated and technologically deficient. iTunes U is sleek and customizable. The use of both podcasts and video podcasts would be a perfect companion to students with a learning disability or differentiated learning styles. I am personally a visual/auditory learner. Seeing someone present information (even via the Internet) would be certainly buoy my ultimate success in a class.

In this I want this done yesterday generation, people want what they want when they want it. School is certainly no exception. iTunes U satiates the educational appetite of just such a user and provides the non-student with an avenue for self-education.

This Internet Phish is an Odd Duck

This a clip that I viewed on YouTube. It is a CNN segment (about 7:30) about how high-tech thieves use a technique called phishing to fraudently gain information like soscial security numbers, passwords, etc. This information is used to apply for credit cards, and so the story goes...Before Joe Average in Anytown, USA knows what's happened, his identity has been stolen. Meanwhile, Bill Abnormal is racking up thousands of dollars in electronics from Bust Buy. It is not easy to find someone that takes part in crimes like phishing, unless you're like the two assholes profiled in this YouTube clip.

Nice to meet you!

Nice to Meet You is a video conferencing tool that leaves nothing to the imagination...Literally!

This post begins my focus on video conferencing. I had been to some staff developments in the recent past that dealt with video conferencing (Breakthrough Collaborative) and I was honestly surprised to see how far the technology had come in such a short time. Being a video-oriented person in my own right, I turned to YouTube for some fresh views and found a video highlighting Nice to Meet You, a video conferencing tool. NTMY is a creation of V-Cube which is based in Japan. It requires no special software and turns virtually any room into a conference room. It is packed with features! I downloaded a PDF of the online help guide because it presents the full range of capabilities in detail with graphics and screen shots. If it was 2017, and I was a distance graduate student, I am sure I would be contributing to my online lectures on video, at least in some capacity (group work, projects). Of course, there is always the chance of technology getting the better of you, as is plainly evident in this YouTube clip called Video Conferencing OOPS! Enjoy!

I think I would have been a cyberbully!

Using technology of the day (a telephone), before Caller ID, before *69, I was a prolific prank Caller

For me, the summer does not begin until I walk out of school on that last day. Thankfully that day has come. Please excuse the tardiness of this post as my need to get away for a few days was greater than my need to post. I’m sure you all understand. This afternoon, I was reading an article in the June/July issue of American Libraries. I grabbed it off the table as I ran out of my house hoping there would be something interesting for me to discuss. As soon as I saw the headline ILA and MySpace Promote Cybersafety, I knew I had found the right piece. Illinois has an advantage in that the vote to block access to school and library computers has not taken place. The ILA teamed up with my space to talk about cybersafety. Bookmarks (actual bookmarks highlighting strategies) were created and are the most recent strategy in ILA’s campaign to oppose legislation that would bag social-networking sites from computers in Illinois libraries and schools. This link brings you to the ILA Website:http://www.ila.org/netsafe/index.htm I'm not one for banning anyhting and am a proponent for education to teach students to be independent users of information.

Can buILder be Made Better?

Amidst the social aspects of the Internet, will the technology of buILder be surpassed prematurely?

What exactly is Web 2.0 and how will buILder technology be affected by what people believe is the "new Internet"? I find it necessary to define Web 2.0 for the purposes of this blog. There seems to be a lot of confusion over where Web 2.0 begins and ends. Wikipedia gives a great explanation of Web 2.0 and can be found by clicking here. There are 10 principles that guide what Web 2.0 is. These principles can be found in the article, but I'd like to mention them right here as well.

• The web as a platform
• Data as the driving force
• Network effects created by an architecture of participation
• Innovation in assembly of systems and sites composed by pulling together features from distributed, independent developers (a kind of "open source" development)
• Lightweight business models enabled by content and service syndication
• The end of the software adoption cycle ("the perpetual beta")
• Software above the level of a single device, leveraging the power of The Long Tail
• Ease of picking-up by early adopters

Various bloggers have commented that buILder is nothing more than a glorified template, and in some ways I must agree. One blogger pointed out that the technology would be more aligned with the social direction the Internet is taking by making it possible to collaborate with teachers in other cities, states or even countries. What do you think about this? How else could buILder be made more social?

It's Not Bob the Builder...

S.O.S. for Information Literacy offers Educators High-Tech Solutions for the Low-Tech User

BuILder is a feature coming soon to all users of the S.O.S. for Information Literacy website, a joint effort of Syracuse University's Center for Digital Literacy and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. BuILder (stands for Information Literacy Builder), will allow users to translate lesson plans into actual online lessons for their students. That is, instructors will be able to actually "build" an online lesson with menus, links, and of course, the research challenge. BuILder is continuing to be tested (S.O.S. for Information Literacy, 2006). Click here for an explanation of S.O.S. and buILder. An example of a high school social studies buILder can be accessed by clicking here.

The Tech Tank--News and Information for Technology in Education

Hello and Welcome to the Tech Tank--News and Information for Technology in Education

Before you finish reading this post, new technologies will have been created for making the Internet a more valuable tool. These tools have an array of uses in our lives, but specifically in the way that they can be manipulated to augment classroom teaching. When you begin to think of how far technology has come in just a few short years in our daily lives, the possibilities for its use in the K-12 classroom are staggering. In this blog, I will post cutting-edge advancements and technologies that impact K-12 education. In the near future, look for information about Syracuse University's S.O.S. for Information Literacy and Video Conferencing. Your comments are most appreciated. I'd like this blog to become an educational techno-hub and I need all your help to make that happen. Let's do this!