Thing 23, Reflection

So, did this do what I had anticipated?  Yes, it did, introducing me to new tools for working via the web.  It also gave me an opportunity to reflect on other aspects of career development which I hadn't envisaged doing at this stage, so it was useful to have the "space"  and encouragement to do so.  Looking at other's blogs gave me a chance to see how they were interacting with various networks and what could be gained from each one, thus providing a useful guide to see what I might be able to use effectively.

I shall definitely take away with me some new (to me) technologies to use; Evernote, Google Docs and Zotero are among my favourites. I still intend to experiment a little more with Twitter and whether I continue to blog may be a matter of not only having something useful to say, but also the time to maintain a credible presence.

A six word "story" ?
New technologies; better working, reinvigorated thinking.

Thank you for an interesting summer

Thing 17 - Prezi and slideshare

In common with many other people I like Prezi.  It allows you to create a contemporary feel to the visual element of your presentation, emphasising how each individual element is part of the whole and how they relate to each other.  ( I feel very much at home with this concept as I've never been that good at creating linear structures!)  What did impress me was the clarity that it will bring to my presentation planning and the ways that you can draw the audience through the narrative, and by zooming, not lose the overall picture.  I can also see the benefits of visually representing the importance of concepts by size of font - they are there but greater attention can be given to the ideas when needed - not overwhelming all the time.  It may also generate the feeling of a much more "spontaneous delivery" of a talk, as it appears a little less like notes for a written speech and more in line with sharing images and ideas.  That said, the ideas still have to be there in the first place!  I think that many of the points that are made in "steal this presentation!"  still apply to using Prezi though - if I can combine the two people may just stay awake during my talks?

I've only really encountered Slideshare when lecturers have been kind enough to share their presentations to be seen again after the event.  A very valuable opportunity to reflect on any learning points.   
(I really hope virtual cvs don't becoming required - I found that example incredibly superficial, with not enough factual information to back up a serious application.  Marketing glitz irritates me anyway and there does need to be some substance to what is presented.)

Thing 18, screen capture and podcasting

Jing

I was very impressed with how easy Jing was to use, no problems downloading, intuitive and easy to share information.  I can certainly see the value of this type of recording to help with inductions and frequently asked questions such as searching our catalogue.  At the moment this is restricted to exploring it at home for general interest as we can't download software at work.  Having played with the principles I would certainly be interested in following this up.

I have been involved (at the edges) of creating a podcast, watching the technical aspects from the sidelines, and it demands a great deal of work and expertise to create a professional end product.    I know personally, that I'm much more likely to try a visual explanation (hopefully with sound) than just a commentary.  I'm not sure if that is just my learning style, or if it is indicative of modern ways of communicating information, however I can see that for capturing a seminar or talk for wider dissemination over the  net at a later date this could be useful.  It would allow more people to "take part" than those who were physically present at the time useful in when training and travel budgets are limited and time is a very precious commodity.

Thing 15 - Attending, presenting and organising events

On the first point, attending events, I endorse this whole-heartedly as I've never been to anything without coming away with new information, new contacts and bags of enthusiasm.  This is despite not being a natural in social situations, so I'm always nervous of networking.  I've found people are really generous and I was lucky enough to go initially with a small group of more experienced folk.  They gave me advice about how to pace myself between lectures, sessions and exhibitors, all of which gave me confidence at this type of event.  (Oh and some practical hints that I've also read on some other blogs for this "thing".  Wearing something comfortable and taking a bag so you're not juggling all the bits of paper that you pick up - those two definitely chimed with me, especially if you're returning home on a crowded Friday afternoon train balancing yourself between suitcases, the refreshment trolley and other people's elbows.)
I can see the value of presenting at events too.  However, I'm still waiting for the right topic, that I know even just a little about, to jump out and say "this is what you can communicate to the world" - or to the 2 people and a dog who've come to the session to get out of the cold.
I have been meaning to see if there are enough people who would be interested in attending an informal local meeting for anyone in the process of, or considering, Revalidation (CILIP). (Probably in a pub as most coffee places are shut by the time people can reach there after work.)  Maybe I should actually get round to doing it, to kick-start some positive action for this "thing".

Thing 9 - Evernote

This was the first time I've come across Evernote, and I'm really pleased that cpd23 decided to include it.  This will make my life so much easier.  It was easy to install, intuitive to use and I do like the flexibility of including notes, clippings from the web, photos etc.  I'm also enough of a control freak to appreciate the "usage" function without having to perform endless clicks going through account , settings etc.

With the ability to organise the material into folders, I can easily justify using it at work (for work of course!), as I won't become distracted by other areas.  It's also much less clunky than the "emailing to myself system" that I currently do to flag up things for further consideration.

Time will tell if I do actually get around to going back to my reading if it isn't sitting there when I open my in-box.  Does anyone know if you can integrate it into iGoogle?
I'll probably only use it for current awareness, although I can see the potential for keeping notes for courses of study for example.  I'm fairly cautious about backing up data for things that I'd be stuck without, and, as I'm not sure about the robustness, and continued presence of the account I don't think I'll rely on it for something like that.  This is definitely something that I'll use, probably daily, so thank you cpd23.

Thing 6 & 7 Networks, or connect folks, connect!

Putting these two together as it gives me an opportunity to look at the various networks to which I do belong and evaluate these in the light of other suggestions.

Of the online variety I am on Facebook, but have made the decision to keep this for catching up with friends.  Although I have noticed some great library pages. It seems to work really well when there is a project going on (such as a refurbishment) as it creates a fun way for the users to stay in touch with developments, so I'll keep it in mind.

I'm a little wary of putting quite so much information on a profile such as LinkedIn, although I can see the benefits, especially in finding like minded people and possibly jobs, so will maybe save this one to look at in the future.

I will definitely revisit and update my very short profile on CILIP communities though.  I joined it a fair time ago and didn't find much to interest me then, but it seems to have developed, especially the "hot topics" and the blogs so I'll keep it in mind.  (Along with the blogs and Twitter too).

I hadn't heard of LAT Network before and thought the sharing of resources for information sessions and other teaching topics is a brilliant use of collaborative network.  My current post doesn't demand that much intensive tuition but I'll follow them on Twitter to begin with as I'm feeling my way with time commitments for this way of working and need to keep things manageable.  This could be very useful as job roles change all the time.

In considering face to face networks I immediately thought about "networking" as very scary navigating a room full of strangers "pitching your wares".  I hadn't really considered going to courses, although the breaks are always full of chatter and laughter, and belonging to professional bodies.  I do belong to CILIP and find my special interest groups are a mixture of previous and present interests.  I love the cross-pollination of ideas from one type of work to another, so try to skim through articles primarily about different sectors from my current post, probably out of curiosity as much as anything else to see what possibilities are out there. If there is a local cpd 23 meeting I may find enough courage to attend and find out face to face what other folk think about networking.

Thing 5 - reflective practice

Well I suppose the key is in the name "reflective practice" - it has to be pursued actively.  I really liked the "description, interpretation and (especially) outcome" idea.  Currently I keep a free form journal type document (alongside the very structured, almost course orientated, cpd log from CILIP) which, looking back on it, concentrates on the first two stages, but is sadly lacking in stating outcomes. 
I'm also hoping that this blog will provide some documentation for my Revalidation with CILIP.

Having identified that I would benefit from exploring "social media", but always been a little (well quite a lot) overwhelmed by the sheer variety of sites out there, this summer's initiative is very timely and useful.  A slight hiccup in our internet connection served to make me re-examine how much I do use the net and maybe I should participate more professionally online, and take control of my online "brand".  However, this will probably evolve over time, so I'll pick the tools which seem of most use to me at the moment, and concentrate on them, such as Twitter and my RSS feed.  Managing to find time for this new manner of working is going to be quite tricky, so I'm going to need strategies that are easy for me to continue so I don't neglect them.

Thing 4 - So much to be aware of.

Resurrected my abandoned Twitter account to try again.  Maybe I didn’t put enough into it the first time round, but I couldn’t deal with all the “retweets” and life got busy so I stopped using it. This has given me some pointers about how, and who, to follow which is giving me some useful, timely information, especially in the field of children’s literature.  Many thanks for those who mentioned "thewikiman" for the tips and I’ll try to stick with it and put a little more back, so that people may get some idea of the topics in which I’m interested.

I’ve already use RSS feeds, but the handy bundle of cpd23 is brilliant.  (Although it does remind me of how many “things” are out there waiting to be read).  I try to keep my hobbies and work ones in separate folders, otherwise I’ll get way too distracted at work. 

Never having heard of Pushnote before I thought I’d give it a try. Nice and easy to download and intuitive to use.   But,it doesn't really give any clue to why things are rated as they are, you don't seem to have to justify your rating, so it is subjective, more like a friend recommending sites so professionally I'm a little wary.  I also found it quite difficult to find people to follow, does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get started on this?

Thing 3 Do I have a brand?

Finally our internet is sorted out, so I can get back to working my way through these things.  (There's now a great deal of catching up to do.)

Considering branding is something that, if I'm honest, I've not really thought about before. As I've always worked for large organisations, it's either been a quick fix (ie all our publicity material uses these templates) or I've found it marginally constricting; whilst of course understanding the various needs for a corporate look. (My first thoughts include: immediate identification for the organisation, professional style and a unified look for all departments).  My own brand is not something I've spent any time on.


As I'm beginning to understand there is a great deal of professional use that can be made of online resources, so whilst I try to turn up for work looking vaguely smart, engaged and  interested in what I'm doing there, I suppose that any presence online should reflect that too.  Having said that there are some sections where I really want to keep my personal and work life separate.

Therefore I was very pleased that when I googled my name (first time ever!) my Facebook account was locked down as I use that only for friends.  In fact, perhaps due to my slightly unusual name (and spelling) there wasn't much at all.  An old Twitter account (which I suspect I'll have to resurrect in the next "Thing"), some very old newspaper articles from a previous job and contact details for the current one.   The only thing that did disconcert me was the 192 page; our house would be exceptionally crowded if everyone mentioned lived there!

On the blog I know the title is just what you're not supposed to do, but I'll stick with it whilst I'm learning.  I've played around with the template until I found a colour scheme that pleased me rather than just the basic one, and I have thought about the photo quite a lot.  As I don't want to give folks nightmares, (I'm not photogenic in the slightest) and whilst I'm still really experimenting with these tools I'm fairly happy to be sort of visually anonymous.  However, I do understand that visual images do give very quick clues on screen, so I've chosen to use a compromise. Following Joeyanne Librarianne's advice I've settled on a flowery image which I'll use across all platforms and see how I go from there.

Onto the next "thing" where I'll try to put some of the above into practice.

23 things to explore

Hi

I'm new to blogging and it all feels like a big step as I’m very unsure about writing in public.   However, the idea is to learn something new over the summer and this seems like an ideal place to experiment with ideas and with the various technologies.  (I’m also hoping that it will be fun along the way.)

I’m in my second year of working as an Assistant Librarian in the School Resources section of an academic library.  This is primarily a collection which trainee teachers can use when they are on teaching practice in schools, so it’s a little different from the rest of the university library.  My previous background has been mainly in public libraries, both as a Children’s Librarian and doing outreach work, so I’m hoping to use this blog to reflect on how the work in this sector is different from my previous positions and how the rapid changes in technology can have an impact in helping students to find the resources that they need.  I’m also just starting my second year of the revalidation process for CILIP and hopefully this will provide both part of the learning experience and a way of documenting the reflective practice.