Diigo here, diigo there

3D Dig Diigo Diagram

 

It seems the blogging community is going head over heels for diigo.   Miguel Guhlin is bringing some interesting comments to the diigo conversation.  There is so much here to learn. 

I'm finding that features work differently on different computers which is confusing.  I am also noting some glitches: yesterday I could blog post from diigo with no problem. Today, with this post, the URL for Miguel's page did transfer over and I had to enter it as an edit on this page.

The 'turning a list into a slideshow with an audio track' feature has some wonderful possibilities.  The rest of my job may just have to be on hold while I play!

2¢ Worth take on diigo

I’m Getting Diigo | 2¢ Worth

tags: Warlick, diigo, socialbookmarking

More on diigo from Dave Warlick. Look at the link at the bottom of his post which shows you how to set up an RSS feed for blog posts on diigo. I set mine up as a box on iGoogle so I can see how other educators are using this resource.

Posting from Diigo

Bctlabookmarks - B.C. History on Diigo Groups

tags: BCHistory, history, socials

Just trying to post directly from diigo to my blog here.  This is exciting stuff!  Diigo offers a variety of formatting options which are easy to use.  You can insert additional links or even graphics. 

Great Connections

Thanks to Judy and Sue for their comments. Sue found my inspiration from the previous post. It was Jenny Luca in her blog Lucacept
who had the idea of using Google Notebook to collect blog ideas. Thanks Jenny! Have a look at Sue's comment and check out the two links she included. The second one talks about diigo.

Today I am exploring diigo further. My first attempt to post directly to my blog from diigo failed but they helpfully sent a message advising me to report it in the diigo forum where they will help me out.

This stuff is magical to me. I have many things to do in my day but I know that the first hour at least will find me playing with diigo and exploring the possibilities.

Progress Check

This past week has brought many useful tips and tricks to my desktop. The number one WOW of the week comes from someone who blogged about how they use Google Notebook to flag things of interest in other blogs. I have searched back through my feed to see if I can find that post but no luck. If I had been using Google Notebook to mark the post I would have it at my finger tips. Who ever you are, thank you!
And thanks to the following, who also helped me learn a little more about the wonderful world of web2.0:

Kristin Hokanson in her Connected Classroom blog wrote about DIG-ing diigo the social bookmarking tool. I have had diigo sitting on my toolbar for a while but haven't used it until today. I have been an enthusiastic user of del.icio.us and until now was loathe to switch to something new. I refer people attending the workshops I give to my del.icio.us account. Diigo offers a great solution. It lets you bookmark sites simultaneously in del.icio.us. Now I can try out diigo and still keep up my del.icio.us account with no extra trouble.

Sue Waters in The Edublogger for expanding my knowledge of how to use RSS feeds effectively.

Judy O'Connell on her blog Hey Jude for eloquently reminding me that in order to teach others to use the tools, teacher librarians need to be using them in their own daily practice.

Marching On

No doubt the students have been spending their two-week spring break resting up and plotting fabulous April Fools' Day pranks. My best have included announcing on the PA that starting the following day, students with overdues would be charged a $1/per book/per day fine on overdues. Normally we don't have fines. The books poured in! Here is some inspiration for you:
* Snopes on the origins of April Fools' Day
* Museum of Hoaxes Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of all time.

April 7 is World Health Day and the World Health Organization is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Follow the links to a retrospective on public health and activities taking place throughout the year. What health issues confront your students? Thinking of comparing them with the issues facing students in other countries? A sidebar link on Countries provides statistics and health issues such as risk factors, outbreaks and crisis, and mortality and burden of disease for countries around the world. The sidebar also has links to worldwide data and statistics, WHO publications and information on a wide variety of health topics.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/communityfriend/2366254026/sizes/s/

Thoughts on Creating Summer Reading Lists

Thoughts are turning to summer reading lists. Here are some samples available online:
- for Gr. 11 Socials from Reynold's Secondary
- LadLit from Dr. Charles Best Secondary Library

- YALSA'S 2008 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults and Best Books for Young Adults 2008

The Alex Awards lists from YALSA as well as their wiki on recommended summer reading which includes Librarians' Choice: 100 Super Summer Reads for Teens.

I'm mulling over a plan to hold an online summer reading club using a wiki. My to do list includes:
- compiling reading lists
- deciding on cool prizes
- plan for holding an organizational meeting for students before the end of June.


This blog on youth literature from Australia caught my eye: Read Alert
And this interesting column on the state of reading from the New York Times.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nabeel/43015325/

Moose!

I had the pleasure of presenting at the North Central Zone Conference in Prince George this past week. Somehow they managed to hide most of the two feet of snow that had fallen on Monday and we had two lovely sunny days. My big thrill for the trip was seeing a moose on my early morning walk. I've not seen one quite so close before. They are huge! Luckily she was more interested in her breakfast than in me.

I'm always impressed at how teachers in remote communities are bringing the world to their classrooms and vise versa. Some were using blogs, wikis and VoiceThread. I encouraged them to be mentors for their peers. Our workshop was on digital photography and using Comic Life or a draw program for storytelling and a brief introduction to some web2.0 apps.

How do you use digital storytelling? Do you or your students:
- present problems and ask for solutions in the feedback?
- present an issue or cause to increase awareness or elicit support?
- showcase events?
- compile a scrapbook of ideas?
- encourage brainstorming around a theme?

Please add a comment and share you ideas!



Photo Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagefutures/2106174676/sizes/s/

Information Technology Implementation Plan

Dragging teachers into the 21st Century:

STEP 1 Read RSS feeds, listen to streamed presentations from master educators. Make sample projects using neat new web2.0 apps. Get all fired up!

STEP 2 Visit the staffroom at lunch hour and present ideas. Wax prosaic on benefits of various web2.0 applications. Promise great lashings of help all round.

STEP 3 Return to library and email enticing links that showcase applications and working examples to interested staff.

STEP 4 Follow up with staff who show even a nansecond of interest. Beg, cajole, and plead with them to do a project with their students.

STEP 5 (Sound of needle scratching across record surface. Time for a reality check.) Go back to working with students in the library. Show them the neat things I have learned in the hopes that they will love and use them. This has worked for things like Google Docs and del.icio.us. Hope students will cross-pollinate these ideas back their teachers.

Bringing staff into the 21st Century can at times be a disheartening experience. When I pause and look back to where we were five years ago I can see that progress has been made. I know, I'll show them "A Vision of K-12 Students Today".

Image Credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/storm_gal/353753314/sizes/s/

WomenOfWeb2.0

I listened in on my first WOW2.0 event this evening and was indeed wowed as Joyce Valenza and Doug Johnson talked about libraries in the 21st century. I am glad they will be posting both the audio session and the accompanying chat here or in the archives on the EdTechTalk site. This was the 65th program. Links mentioned in the broadcast are available on the WOW2.0 del.icio.us page

There was so much to listen to, read and respond to from the speakers and over 70 attendees. It's an art taking part in a session like this but each time it gets a little easier. You can visit the Women of Web 2.0 wiki for more resources and information.

I typed over a page of notes as I was listening. I loved Joyce's idea of having students set up personal home pages using iGoogle or Pageflakes. I tried this in a limited way this year using del.icio.us but now I can see many more possibilities using iGoogle or Pageflakes. I will make time to visit the career planning classes next September and have all the kids set up personal pages.

I loved the idea of using voicethread to discuss books. My English department teachers are always the most open to trying new things so that will be a good place to start.

On another note, the March list of Top 100 alternative search engines is now available.


Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkobold/180798834/sizes/s/