Blog Directory

Technorati was fun. It had more to it than I expected and if I wasn't already subsribed to a hunk of blogs (many which I found through bloglines) that I already have a hard time staying diligently on top of, I would've explored it more seriously.
I do like the idea that you can find the more "authoratitve" blogs - so I might go through and clean out my collection based on how helpful they have actually been, as well as their "authority."
On Tags...It's a great idea. I like using them, for myself. I find it interesting to see what/how other people use them, but most of the time I don't bother with browsing through others'. It's too much and often too cluttered, and not usually the way I woulld organize it so oftentimes it is irrelevent to me. Maybe I'm being too harsh and not patient enough.. but I'd rather read the blog itself or even a summary of the blog, as opposed to scattered one-word descriptions. *shrugs*
Now tags as a tool for searching.. great idea!
I understand the attractiveness of this kind of organizing (as opposed to LC or Dewey, anyway.) But a significant part of me is resistant to it.. and I can't quite put my finger on why.Part of it could be sentimental. My second home, when growing up, was the library. I loved the library. I spent hours each week there. I loved the rows and rows of books and using the computers to look up where a book could be found. It's hard for me to imagine a library not being like that. I understand computers/the interenet work differently and I am very glad for that. I love the combination of the two systems - having keyword searches, but giving each book a significant place of belonging, in relation to a system.
Which leads to the next poiint..Part of my resistance to it could be philosophical/religious. I think in terms of a definite - as opposed to an individual - truth. I am creative and love creativity, but sitll don't believe that definitions lie in the hands of the individual, that everything is and becomes what we feel it shouldI have a high view of authority and as much as I am American and individualistic, I can't override the idea that somewhere there is an authority on something and if there is an authority it should be listened to and followed.I submit to the system even if it isn't perfect, but because it works, and more importantly because things were designed to work in systems. It's innate to being. Following the idea of the system - we all have a place in the system (and let me clarify that it's not a static place or I might start sounding much unlike I intend.)It goes even further and deeper, I am sure, but those are a few highlights that came to mind. At least the small part of my mind that is still present - my husband and I just moved today and it exhausted not just the body, but the mind.
All of that said... It works to a point (tagging, that is). I like the concept of it although I do see a danger in embracing it toocompletely. Tagging can be a great way for students to work together and to share together and to gain and distribute resources. But there's a lot to learn and a lot of assumed common sense that needs to be there first in order for it to work.. and that can be a heavy foundation to lay in some situations.
I think I just went in a full circle without actually saying anything new. Whoopie!

Social Bookmarking

Having mentioned a few of my frustrations with Bloglines..
One of the posts I tried to "save" and hence lost was my thoughts on organizing and/or creating a method for tags on my del.icio.us account. I have been using that extensively for the last couple months, along with Bloglines and building up quite a collection. It was important to me to have a stable method of tagging, so that I could actually find and know how to find the sites again.
I worked out some general terms that I would use, and from that also a theoretical hierchy of terms. So that one term, say "InformationLiteracyResources" would indeed have all of the information literacy resources I find, but each resource I found would also be broken down into a smaller category defined by terms such as "Evaluating Information" or "SearchingTools" which could even further be specified as things like "videos" or "tutorials".
That way I can keep track of EVERYTHING Information Literacy related, but also those things I might have a specific and immediate need for (a tutorial on evaluating information, for example.)
As needs for new categories and subcategories have arisen, I try to take a moment to think through what the best, overarching term would be for me to remember and return to. So somewhere deep in my mind it all does make sense.. now it's just a matter of remembering it all. Which is proving to be more difficult than I think it should be. hmm...

Blogging 2.0

I started this blog a couple months ago when I began using the feed reader, as a way to keep track of my interesting finds and to prompt active response to them. Instead of doing that as much, I've taken advantage (possibly too much advantage) of the Clipping tool. It has allowed me to continue in the typical habit of "internet reading". I scan something, find it potentially interesting/useful, and "clip" it to read "later". That undefinable "later"...
Clipping hasn't served entirely as a deteriment though. I have found it to be a big help. First of all, in providing an ease of keeping track of sites that I have visited (see May 29th's post.)
But I am struggling with the bloglines blogging tool.. It's best quality is the quick/easy alignment with the feed-reader, allowing me to imbed the material I want to comment on, within my blog, and with one click! But that's where the "good" qualities end.
Unless I just haven't figured anything out (after browsing the FAQ, forum and google searches for about an hour), it's capabalities are minimal at best. When I finally figured out how to "edit" a post, I found that it redated a post to whenever I edited it. There goes my sneaky way of pretending like I don't ever make spelling errors.When I tried to retrieve a post I had "saved" to my clippings folder (the only way I could find to "hide" or "make something "private") all I could find was a blank entry. And while layout maynot be the most important thing - is there not even a background color option?
I could possibly be revealing my ignorance with these comments.. but if so, someone please help me??
And I really don't mean to complain. I love the feed-reader service they provide and that they add a blog to the mix. But the blog could do with a dosage of "user-friendliness".
That said, I'll make a new post as I change subjects to focus on social bookmarking. Yippee!

Engaging

I read this article on 10 Easy Ways to Engage Students. It was helpful, in that it provided an accurate, and yet academic way to engage students. Often when I hear statements like that or terms like "edutainment" encouraged over and over again I get discouraged because it seems like people want to turn the educational world into entertainment, as if that was the only way to reach students. But it's not, so I want to figure out how to reach them without missing the point, without giving away time that needs to be spent educating. And yet I don't want to lose students in the process.
Here are a few ideas I have:- Introduce the class by having students break up and find definitions to "Information" "Literacy" and "Information Literacy"- Have class introduce themselves on the board, along with their major and a topic.- On plagiarism lesson, have students take sides and debate the issue. - ???