Thing #23, Summary

My favorite discoveries in the 23 things program are blogs and photosharing sites. I have already created a personal Flickr account to share with family and friends. I'm hoping to use de.lic.ous, wikis, and Zoho to facilitate service at the Reference desk.

This program has had a major impact on my lifelong learning goals. The virtual world cannot be ignored as it increasingly becomes a integral part of daily living. I undertand now that because of the rapid nature of change in the online environment, constant awareness is required. Surprising for me was the sheer amount of social networking available and the relative ease of use of most of these tools.

Like most of my other experiences with learning and computers this program required too much time and could be very frustrating. Though the 'Things' are easy to use with practice, if you don't know exactly what is required, the initial use can be a struggle. With this thought in mind, I suggest reviewing some of the instructions. Additionally, concentrating on perhaps five or six things that would have optimal use in a smaller learning community, eg. a department or branch, would be a more effective way to ensure implementation into practice.

Overall, I am happy with the outcome of this program. I have learned an enormous amount applicable to both my personal and professional life. Of note, the nature of library work with its requirements for meetings, desk hours and accomplishment of other duties is not conducive to this type of study. The learner requires a substantial block of time to open and access the necessary websites and then read and digest the material and finally accomplish the required excercise. We tend to have only small amounts of free time to devote to this type of activity.

I would definately participate if this type of Learning Activity was offered again.