Social Networks in the time of disaster

Like the rest of the word, I am feeling saddened by the horrible devastation in Japan. This tragedy feels personal to me, as through my son's visits there (he's spent 4 summers in or around Tokyo) the host families that have been so kind to him, his close friends, and the families of his college roommates I can put faces on the afflicted.

It is hard to imagine enduring the uncertainty of not knowing if loved ones are alive or not. Facebook, Twitter, email---these tools have been a Godsend for helping folks stay in touch.

Last month's events in Egypt were fueled in part by social media. It is astonishing how far we have come and so fast.

The number of home videos of the earthquake and tsunami on youTube allow the world to share in Japan's suffering, and hopefully move people to help. The world is small. We are all connected.

My PLN

I am really looking forward to Friday's curriculum day and meeting our guest speaker Richard Byrne. I've been reading his blog for a couple of years and he is an important part of my personal learning network (PLN)--to us geeky librarian types he is a rock star! How can you possibly keep up with new technology? Follow Richard's blog.

This week was extremely busy for me with Books in Action- our big union-wide party. I wasn't able to attend to many things on my plate--and one was my PLN. My RSS feeds runeth over. I'm feeling disconnected. My PLN consists of reading lots of books (books first--always), subscribing to an incredible listserv (LM_NET) for school librarians, following the movers and shakers on Twitter, staying connected to local librarian friends on Facebook, using Google Reader to follow a couple of dozen blogs. I also use Goodreads which is invaluable as a reader's advisory and book selection tool. I also learn a great deal and benefit from collaboration with my colleagues in my school. Some teachers feel isolated in their buildings, but with a PLN I think you can feel connected, supported and have contacts all over the world to turn to for advice. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I like this video as an introduction to PLNs. Ooohhh...I'm feeling a tech time session coming on!

March 2 Job-alike

Debbie and I had the chance to create a workshop on iMovie for the third job-alike of the year. We had hoped to offer this as a hands-on workshop, since we believe that is the best way for learners to experience technology. Since that wasn't an option, I was a bit nervous on how the session would run.

No worries. The group was wonderful! They really stuck with it. Great questions and an openness to giving this great app a try. Once the learning curve is accounted for, iMovie is so easy to use that is really takes no time to compile a clip. I've used it several times this week, preparing for Books in Action.

The dilemma I have is that I have version 8 at home, 9 at school and would love to get my hands on 11, the new version! The rapidness in which new versions are released is daunting. I feel this way about technology in general. The speed in which obsolescence occurs is blinding! Could we please just have 6 months in which nothing new is issued, nothing revised? I need to catch up.

Winter of our Disconnect

I just finished Susan Maushart's fascinating book The Winter of our Disconnect: How three totally wired teenagers (and a mother who slept with her iPhone) Pulled the plug on their technology and lived to tell the tale.

Six months with no computers, iPods, television or video games. Screenless.

It was interesting to watch the psychological impact of her "study" on her family. She provides plenty of research along the way, such as the ability to "multi-task" and even the screen time's impact on children's diets.

As educators (and parents), I think we constantly battle with how much is too much. Were things really better in the "black and white days" as Maushart calls them. I loved one insight she provided which is while many older folks view reading as a more virtious activity than crawling the web, there is truly no more solitary, passive activity than reading. Sitting in a chair absorbing someone else's ideas and thoughts--ha!

Maushart pairs her experiment with a fascination of Henry David Thoreau, and calls on his wisdom to living a simpler life. So in my own little mini-experiment, I went 60 hours off line (full disclosure- I did watch one movie on DVD.) No checking my email or Facebook, no iPod. I'm not a cell phone user, so that wasn't a problem. But after the first full day of not checking my email--I was anxious. I might miss something important! At the same time, I felt more relaxed. Checking email always creeps into what Maushart calls WILF (What was I looking for?) following links, in a slow-mindless web search. Time away from the screen is good.

There is a lot to think about here. I highly recommend this book.

My love letter to Goodreads

Today is Valentine's Day. Not my favorite day of the year, since it feels so contrived, and if you are single, the media makes you out to be a loser. HA! to that I say. But I am a hopeless romantic when it comes to homemade cards. Especially when they are from children. That lifts my heart.

My true love today is Goodreads. I can't spend enough time with G. When I read, G is anxious to hear what I thought of the book. It makes perfect recommendations of other books I'll like. It shares what my friends are reading--which is my lifeline to great books. Goodreads never belittles me for reading a trashy novel once in a while, or for abandoning a book midstream if I hate it. G gently nudges me along when I'm stalled on a book, asking what page I'm on and if I'd like to update my status. It's also helping me reach my reading goal for the year, by tracking my progress. It's supportive and understanding. It's there when I need it. It's cute and fun. I've introduced it to my friends. It makes me feel good about myself. It is love.

Voicethread

I was happy to play around with Voicethread in preparation for this week's challenge. I think it is one of the most valuable and flexible web 2.0 tools. We've used it very successfully for digital storytelling and for presenting student research. When embedded in a blog, it offers parents and extended families a nice look into the student's work. Easy to use, reliable, privacy--vociethread has it all.

e-readers

One area where technology seems to have just turned the corner is with e-readers. The holiday season seems to have really put them into the mainstream. Kindles, Nooks and iPads - most everyone knows someone now that uses one.

The reports on reading behaviors and technology are interesting. I've read one study that shows boys are more interested in reading when it involves technology. Surely a strategy for reluctant readers. I'm currently working on a grant application to purchase e-readers and other alternate reading devices like Playaways for the library. The success of the iPods in providing access to audiobooks has been huge.

It is a great time to be a librarian. (Ok, anytime is a great time to be a librarian, but we have really cool toys now.)