CSM Learning 2.0

Welcome to CSM Learning 2.0.

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Learn the tools of the new Internet including social networking, wikis, video, podcasting, and more. The CSM Learning 2.0 Team encourages you to take time to explore and enjoy. Read on!

There are 23 "Things" for you to complete. Each new web 2.0 topic includes several Discovery Exercises and an activity to complete. After each "Thing" you write about the experience on the blog you will create. In other words, you will comment or "post" to your online log (Blog). You will learn how to set up a blog. A blog is a tool to communicate your thoughts, new found skills, ideas, questions, and favorite websites. You'll receive feedback and encouragement from other participants.

The links below will take you to each lesson.

Getting Started:
1. Please begin by reading this blog & find out about the program.
2. Discover a few pointers from lifelong learners and learn how to nurture your own learning process.

Blogging
3. Set up your own blog , add your first post, add an avatar.
4. Register your blog and begin your CSM Learning 2.0 journey.

Photos & Images
5. Explore Flickr and learn about this popular image hosting site.
6. Have some Flickr fun and discover some Flickr mashups & 3rd party sites.
7. Create a blog post about anything technology related that interests you this week.

RSS & Newsreaders
8. Learn about RSS feeds and set up your own Bloglines newsreader account.
9. Locate a few useful library related blogs and/or news feeds.

Play Week
10. Play around with with an online image generator.
11. Explore any site from the Web 2.0 awards list, play with it and write a blog post about your findings.
12. Roll your own search tool with Rollyo.

Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati
13. Learn about tagging and discover Del.icio.us (a social bookmarking site)
14. Explore Technorati and learn how tags work with blog posts.
15. Read a few perspectives on Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the future of libraries and blog your thoughts.

Wikis
16. Learn about wikis and discover some innovative ways that libraries are using them.
17. Add an entry to the CSM Learning 2.0 Wiki.

Online Applications & Tools
18. Take a look at some online productivity (word processing, spreadsheet) tools.
19. Take a look at LibraryThing and catalog some of your favorite books.

Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio
20. Discover YouTube and a few sites that allow users to upload and share videos.
21. Podcasts (You don’t need an iPod!)
22. eBooks and Audio eBooks
23. Summarize your thoughts about this program on your blog.

Ready to go? Start here: #1 About CSM Learning 2.0

CSM Library

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About

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The College of San Mateo Library has set up the CSM Learning 2.0 blog to encourage all of us to experiment and learn about the new and emerging technologies that are reshaping the context of information on the Internet today.

The CSM Library 2.0 Team modified The Learning 2.0 program designed by Helene Blowers, Technology Director, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. The tutorial contains links and offers suggestions for ways to incorporate these tools into your campus and online courses and professional collaborations. The design of this online program was completely built on Web 2.0 technologies that are freely available on the Internet. For example, sites include: Blogger, Flickr, Odeo, YouTube, PBWiki & Bloglines.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How does this online learning program work? This is a self-discovery program which encourages participants to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and play. Participants are encouraged to work together and share with each other their discoveries, techniques, and "how to's" both in person and through their blogs. This course is web-based and not tied to any particular computer.
Is this program open to everyone or just some? This program is open to all who want to learn and grow. Participate individually or as a group. The benefit to participating as a part of a group is that you cheer one another along. Participants tell us this is incredibly rewarding and also a way to learn from one another. Don’t we all like positive reinforcement?
How long do I have to complete the program? This is a 9 week program. The idea is that you work on a new “thing” or activity each week. However, you may work ahead or take a week off here and there. It is up to you how fast you decide to work!
How do I track my progress for the 23 Things? You will be asked to make a blog of your own to track your progress. Please use your blog to write your reactions to the lessons and add any ideas you may have on how to use web 2.0 tools for yourself and the CSM campus. This is YOUR time to experiment, have fun, and learn at your own pace. Web 2.0 is here....and now, so are we! We recommend you to label your blog posts this way: Include THING # [1-23] in the heading of each post. It will help you track your progress. It is also helpful when you want to refer back or add something new on a specific topic or tool.
WEEK 7 is Wiki Week. We have created a CSM Learning 2.0 wiki especially for you, so when you learn a new 2.0 application and use it in a special way, you can add and share that "2.0 Best Practice." Participants are welcome to contribute to the wiki as they move through the 9-week course, or can wait until WEEK 7. It is your choice. Just "copy and paste" your applications into the wiki.
Will there be any training classes? No, this is a self-directed learning program. We will provide helpful hints, encouraging words, and post comments from time to time. You are also encouraged to be resourceful and to find a co-worker or another staff member who can help. Be sure to share your knowledge and expertise too! The CSM 2.0 Team will be available by e-mail to answer your questions. If you would like a workshop to “kick-off” your experience, let us know and we can add some face-to-face (f2f) learning. The more ways to learn, the merrier.
Is there any tech support? What tech support do you have now? At work? On campus? At home? At your local coffee shop or library? If you run into difficulties, and have done some serious problem solving and still have a question, ask the CSM 2.0 Team. We can assist you with the course, but not your computer or Internet connection. Also, check out our “Weekly Tips” page.
Why Do This? Web 2.0 is a phrase that was coined in 2004. It refers to the fact that the Internet is now an interactive medium rather than a ‘place’ to go to get information. Since it is the young who are flocking to these Web 2.0 sites, it is important that those of us who work in education should be up-to-date with the latest trends in education and technology and learn how they can be utilized in or with our classrooms and school libraries. In April 2007, at the Computers in Libraries Conference the keynote speaker was Lee Rainie, Founding Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project The title of his keynote was: “Web 2.0 and What it Means to Libraries.” In this presentation, he spoke about six “hallmarks” of the Web 2.0 world that matter to libraries. These hallmarks outline the important fact that more and more Internet users are using the Internet to make connections, contributing their ‘know-how’ and customizing their experiences on the web.
Hallmark #1: The Internet has become the computer;
Hallmark #2: Tens of millions of Americans, especially the young, are creating and sharing content online;
Hallmark #3: Even more Internet users are accessing the content created by others;
Hallmark #4: Many are sharing what they know and what they feel online and that is building conversations and communities;
Hallmark #5: Tens of thousands are contributing their know-how and/or their processing power to the online commons;
Hallmark #6: Online Americans are customizing their online experiences thanks to Web 2.0 tools.
It is because of these “hallmarks” that the CSM 2.0 Team offers this fun professional development tutorial for you!
Who are members of the CSM 2.0 Team? CSM 2.0 Team leaders are Lorrita Ford, Teresa Morris, Jackie Siminitus, and a number of other CSM faculty. All participants who successfully complete CMS Learning 2.0 become members of the CSM 2.0 Team. Let’s grow our campus 2.0 team.

NEXT UP: #2 Lifelong Learning

#2 Lifelong Learning Habits

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It makes sense that before we embark on this online learning and discovery journey that we review a few habits that can assist in creating lifelong learners. These habits, called the Seven and 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners, will provide you with a refresher on what it means to be a lifelong learner. The Seven and ½ Habits tutorial is a great introduction to Helene Blowers, the person who put together the very first “23 Things.” [Please note that at the end, where she invited her staff to submit their comments and questions to the We Value Your Opinion! link, DO NOT use that link. Instead, send your comments to the CSM 2.0 Team.

Discovery Exercise:1. Make sure you have headphones or speakers attached to your computer.2. Open up the 7 & 1/2 Habits online tutorial and view the online tutorial. The tutorial was developed by the training specialists at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.3. As you watch and listen, write down which habit among the 7 & 1/2 that is easiest for you and which is hardest. You will use your personal blog (which you will set up next) to post your thoughts about lifelong learning. Have fun!

If you haven't jumped on board yet, it's never too late to become a lifelong learner. This is a great time to create a “learning contract” for yourself.

NEXT UP: #3 Create your own blog

#3 Create your own blog & avatar, then post about it

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Now that you’ve done some exploring around this website and understand how this program will work, it’s time to set up your very own personal blog to begin recording your thoughts, discoveries, and exercises. For this program, you may use any one of several free online blog hosting services including Blogger, Wordpress, Edublog, or Typepad. Grab yourself a blog in 3 steps:

1. Create an account Google asks you for an email address - this becomes your username. Note:->You do not need a Gmail account.->Remember to write down your Username and Password.

2. Name your blog. Remember that the whole web world can see your blog title and blog address. You probably don’t want to use your real name. Consider creating a blog name that’s anonymous, yet uniquely you. The URL for your blog will look like these examples - http://2CoolTools.blogspot.com/ or http://preilly.wordpress.com/ or http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/ (these are real blogs so of course you need to give your own blog its own unique name.) The format is name.blogspot.com when you use blogger.com software. Note: There are no www in the address when using Blogger.com software. Please remember your URL address, bookmark it, or keep a notebook with your URLs, passwords, and special notes. The CSM 2.0 Team recommends: Participants are urged to use a name or "handle" as follows: [FIRST NAME or NICKNAME]CSM2 -- for example, http://LibrarianCSM2.blogspot.com/ or just have fun like http://2coolcsm.blogspot.com/

3. Select your template. Blogger (and other blog services) have several templates - have fun choosing one for you! If you run into problems, check out Blogger's Help file and Tutorial or ask your CSM 2.0 Team. Remember that this is “discovery learning” and that you will have a series of mini problem solving exercises along the way – depending on your level of web 2.0 experience to date. Each time you find a solution, you will rejoice and be that much more tech savvy! Enjoy.

Discovery Exercise:

Set up a blog for yourself through Blogger. (or Wordpress, Edublog, or Typepad.)
Play around and add a test post or two.
You will create a discovery post for each of the ’23 Things.’
Please clearly label each entry in your blog in the following way: WEEK 1, Exercise or Thing #1, subject. Each of your posts should provide insights into what you’ve discovered and learned. Feel free to share what worked for you … and what didn’t … what surprised you … what frustrated you … what amazed you. For example: Your ‘Thing 2’ post will talk about which habit among the 7 and 1/2 lifelong learning habits is easiest and which is hardest for you & why. TIP: This is a good time to "bookmark" your blog for easy access throughout the course.
Create an avatar -- a representation of yourself. Go to http://avatars.yahoo.com/, design an avatar [representing you or a younger version of yourself] with a campus, library, or classroom background. (You will have to set up an account if you don't use Yahoo!) Save your avatar and export to your blog.[HINT: Here's how to export your avatar to your blog. When you are on your Avatars.Yahoo.com page, go to "home" tab and look to the right column. One of the options is: "EXPORT: Use your avatar in web pages and blogs and more." Click there. Then, in the Center of the page, 0ne option is your avatar's HTML code. Copy the code, go to your blog (Sign in. When you first sign in, there is an option to add a post OR manage posts, settings, or layout; Go to "LAYOUT." You will see various page elements.) Paste (Control V) the HTML code in the PAGE ELEMENT marked "HTML/Java Script." Then move that PAGE ELEMENT to wherever you want your avatar to appear on your blog.] Each blog application: blogger, wordpress, edublog, typepad, and so on has a unique method of exporting avatars and other images onto your pages. Be sure to use the ‘help’ menu within your application to work your way through any problems you run into. You can also call on your 2.o friends to help – just ask!These exercises are all about discovery! Have fun … and happy blogging!!IMPORTANT NOTE: How you choose to identity yourself on your blog is up to you. You can blog under a screen name, anonymously, or with your real name.
Register your blog with the CSM 2.0 Team so they can cheer you on and give you special recognition upon successful completion of this course.

Technorati tags: blogging, Blogger

[Note: Please remember to include Thing# in your heading posts.]

NEXT UP: #4 Register your blog

#4 Register your blog

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If you’ve made it this far, you already have three items or “things” completed of the ’23 Things.’ We hope you are enjoying the adventure so far and having fun. Remember to share with colleagues knowledge or experience that may help them out if they get stuck or vice versa! But how do you qualify for the special recognition? Good question! You need to do two things. You register your blog with the CSM 2.0 Team, plus you record your progress on each of the ‘23 things’ on your blog.

Reminder: Clearly identify exercise (THING) in your entries. The CSM 2.0 Team will track and verify your progress in a log that they will maintain. So, here’s Thing #4 -- Register your blog by e-mailing the CSM Learning 2.0 Team. Remember … your blog address is in the format http://insertname.blogspot.com/ It’s really that easy and just think, now there’s only 19 more things to go. :)

Examples of educational blogs:

Idea #1: A device for faculty-student communications. Assignments/homework/special campus or course announcements can be posted on your blog and then your students can “subscribe” to your blog.
Idea #2: A forum for discussion of issues. Create one for the election and discuss the issues of the day.
Idea #3: A book discussion. Start one today and then branch out into other topics such as pro/con topics of interest, student opinion surveys, or campus activity discussions.

Take a look at some of these librarian/faculty/administrator blogs:
Arranged Delirium - http://www.thefee.net/delirium/
California State Library Blog - http://blog.library.ca.gov/
The Cranky Professor - http://crankyprofessor.com/
Evolution of Security (even the TSA admin has a blog) - http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/blog
Librarian in Black - http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/
Resource Shelf - http://www.resourceshelf.com/

Blog used for class discussions:
LIBR105 Blog - http://libr105.wordpress.com/

Blog used for a chemistry class:
CEM 141 Blog - http://docott.com/141/

Take a look at a few college student blogs:
The Olinsider: http://studentblog.olin.edu/
Kelly's Blog (Santa Clara University) - http://www.scu.edu/blogSCU/KellyHee.cfm

NEXT UP: #5 Explore Flickr

#5 Explore Flickr and learn about this popular image hosting site

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Photo sharing websites have been around since the 90s, but it took a small startup site called Flickr (now owned by Yahoo) to catapult the idea of “sharing” into a full blown online community. Flickr uses "tags" or what we would call keywords to help identify and search for photos.For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a good look at Flickr and discover what this site has to offer. Find out how tags work, what groups are, and all the neat things that people and other libraries are creating thanks to Flickr.

[Photo is the CSM Fountains, posted to Flickr and made "public" by Peter Kaminski.]

Discovery Exercise:
In this discovery exercise, you have two options.

Take a good look around Flickr and discover an interesting image that you want to blog about. For example, there are lots of CSM photos covering sports, the Farmers Market, Jazz events, science & astronomy, and the magnificent views when you search under "College of San Mateo". Be sure to include either a link to the image or if you create a Flickr account, you can use Flickr's blogging tool to add the image in your post. OR
If you are up to an easy challenge ... create a Free account in Flickr and use your location's digital camera to capture a few pictures of something in your classroom, lab, or view of the campus. Upload these to your Flickr account and tag at least one of the images "CSM Learning 2.0" (make sure to include the quotation marks) and mark it public. Then create a post in your blog about your photo and experience. Be sure to include the image in your post. Once you have a Flickr account, you have two options for doing this; through Flickr's blogging tool or using Blogger's photo upload feature. So go ahead, explore the site and have some Flickr photo fun and if you're interested in looking at some photo hosting sites, then check out Picasa Web Albums from Google and another service called Smugmug.

PS: A quick word about photo posting etiquette and cybersafety - When posting identifiable photos of other people (especially minors) get the person's permission before posting their photo in a publicly accessible place like Flickr. Never upload pictures that weren't taken by you (unless you have the photographer's consent) and always give credit when you include photos taken by someone else in your blog.

Discovery Resources:

Flickr Learn More tour (6 steps)
Mediamazine Flickr Tutorials
Flickr: Popular tags and Interesting- Last 7 days
Flickr Services (3rd party applications & mashups) and here's another Flickr site that lets you create movie posters, CD covers, magazine covers and so on.
365 Days of Library Pictures in Flickr.
Newbie's Guide to Flickr

[Note: Please remember to include THING# in your heading posts.]

NEXT UP: #6 Flickr Fun and Mashups

#6 Flickr fun, mashups, and 3rd party sites

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Like many web 2.0 sites, Flickr has encouraged other people to build their own online applications using images found on the site. Through the use of APIs (application programming interfaces), many people have created third party tools and mashups* that use Flickr images.

Here is just a sampling of a few …

Mappr - takes Flickr images and allows you to paste them on a map
Flickr Color Pickr - lets you find public photos in Flickr that match a specific color.
Montagr – create a photo mosaics from photos found on Flickr
Discover more mashups, web apps, and Flickr tools.
Poster Maker with inspiration sayings (add in any picture and saying) http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php

Discovery Exercise:

Your discovery exercise for this “thing” is to explore some of the fun Flickr mashups and 3rd party tools that are out there.
Create a blog post about one that intrigues you. You might want to check out BigHugeLabs’ Trading Card Maker. And there’s a ton of librarians out there that have created their own Librarian Trading Card. So have some fun discovering and exploring some neat little apps. If you are up to the challenge while you’re at it, create a trading card of your own. :) or a movie poster or magazine cover from this Flickr site.* Mashup Note: Wikipedia offers some great articles that explain mashups. Basically they are hybrid web applications that take features from one application (like Flickr) and mash it up with another (like a map) In this example, you get Mappr (http://mappr.com)

NEXT UP: #7 Blog About Technology

#7 Create a blog post about anything technology-related that interests you this week

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Simply blog about anything technology related. Yes, it can be anything that relates to technology! You just need to share a few thoughts. For example:

I like digital cameras because it's much easier to share photos with family and friends now that I have a Flickr account. Skype lets me talk with friends through computers. Webcams are fun to watch, especially when you know the locations like the construction activities at the College of San Mateo. Technology advancements for music and medical equipment are amazing! Video Games, iTunes, iPods, iPhones and "hands-free" phones, flat screen televisions, wii, etc.

PS: Also be sure to add at least one comment to another participant's blog. That's what online communities are all about - connecting and communication. CHEER and otherwise encourage your CSM Learning 2.0 colleagues :)

NEXT UP: #8 RSS Feeds

#8 Learn about RSS feeds

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Make Life “really simple” with RSS & a news reader powered by ODEO.

You’ve heard of RSS? You’ve seen those small funny tags on websites? You’ve heard co-workers and acquaintances swear by it, but still have no idea what RSS is? Well don’t worry, according to a this survey you’re still in the majority, but this is changing rapidly. In the information world, RSS is not only revolutionalizing the way news, media and content creators share information, but it also is swiftly changing the way everyday users are consuming information.

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is a file format for delivering regularly updated information over the web. Just think about the websites and news information sources you visit everyday. It takes time to visit those sites and scour the ad-filled and image-heavy pages for just the text you want to read, doesn’t it? Read more about RSS here or see this video at BlipTV. Now imagine if you could visit all those information sources and web pages in just one place and all at the same time … without being bombarded with advertising… without having to search for new information on the page you’d already seen or read before… and without having to consume a lot of time visiting each site individually. Would that be valuable to you? Well, it’s available now through a newsreader and RSS. This week’s discovery exercises focus on learning about RSS news feeds and what free tools you can use to do this.

Discovery Exercise:

Follow these discovery exercises to set up your own, personalized RSS feed reader. See this blog posting that discusses the difference between RSS feed readers, Bloglines, and Google Reader. RSS news feeds keep improving and competing with one another.
Create a free "RSS aggregator" account from either Bloglines or Google Reader and subscribe to at least 5 newsfeeds to your reader. [BLOGLINES. Here are the steps for creating an account in BLOGLINES. See Bloglines Tutorial and also a short video on YouTube on how to add feeds ; GOOGLE READER. You may prefer to set up an RSS aggregator in Google Reader. Tutorials include: Google Reader Tour, video tutorial #1 or #2 .]
Create a post in your blog about this exercise. Don’t know what to blog about? Think about these questions: What do you like about RSS and newsreaders? How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your college or personal life? How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?
Optional: If you're up to the challenge, you can provide the URL address to your public bloglines account (find where to find this below)
Newsfeeds to add to your reader:

San Jose Mercury News Feeds (pick at least one)
Reader’s Club new review feeds
Unshelved - Library cartoon feed

Discovery Resources:

CNET Video: RSS – Feel the Need for Feeds (3:32) – a good over view of what RSS is and the benefits to users.

Feed Me: A gentle introduction to Internet feeds - a good tutorial from Palinet, a library cooperative
What is RSS?

How to Make your RSS Feeds Pop! Check your local newspaper and discover if they have an RSS feed you can subscribe to.

Additional Bloglines news feed subcription information

How to find your public Bloglines URL:

Click on the Share tab within your Bloglines account
Scroll down the right screen pane and locate the public URL. Why have a public account? To share blog rolls with others, of course. That's how we keep track of CSM Learning 2.0 participants.

NEXT UP: #9 Education Feeds

#9 Locate a few useful education “feeds” …

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Now that you have an RSS Reader (your Bloglines or Google Reader account), you can begin adding other feeds that interest you. There are several ways you can locate RSS feeds:
When visiting your favorite websites -- look for RSS feed icons that indicate the website provides it. Often a feed icon will be displayed somewhere in the navigation of the site.
Use Blogline's Search tool - Bloglines recently expanded search tool lets you search for news feeds in addition to posts, citations and the web. Use the Search for Feeds option to locate RSS feeds you might be interested in.

Check out the top "Edublog" award-winning blogs.
Other Search tools that can help you find feeds:Feedster - One of the largest collections of RSS feeds, Feedster lets you search for feeds in three categories: news, blogs & podcasts

Topix.net - This search tool allows you to locate recent newsfeed items based upon keyword or phrase searching. The tool focuses specifically on news and media outlets RSS feeds for information, not weblogs.
Syndic8.com - Syndic8 is an open directory of RSS feeds that contains thousands of RSS feeds that users have submitted.
Technorati - Technorati is a popular blog finding tool that lets you search for blogs. Since RSS feeds are inherent to all blogging tools, Technorati Blog Search can help you find RSS feeds for topic specific blogs you may be interested in.
Google Blog Search - See what appears when you search "CSM Learning 2.0" and “Classroom Learning 2.0”
Blog Pulse - Tracks conversations (try putting "college of san mateo library" to see who is talking about us)
Chronicle of Higher Education RSS news feeds.

Additonal Resource: Technorati Tutorial on finding and adding your blog

Discovery Exercise:

Explore some of the search tools noted above that can help you locate some news feeds.
Create a blog post about your experience. Don't know what to blog about? Here some questions to think about ...Which method of finding feeds did you find easiest to use? Which Search tool was the easiest for you? Which was more confusing? Did you find any feeds that were not useful? Did you find any unusual ones? What other tools or ways did you find to locate newsfeeds?

NEXT UP: #10 Image Generators

#10 Play around with online image generators

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Generators? No, I’m not talking about those gas powered back-up things. The generators I’m talking about are websites that allow you to easily manipulate images.

For this discovery exercise, we want you to have even more fun than you're already having! Find a few fun image or text generators to play around with and write a post in your blog about one of your favorites and the display the result. Often adding the image you mocked up to your blog is as simple as copying and pasting code that the page provides. If not, you may just need to right click on the image and then save it to your hard drive before using Blogger’s image button to add it to your post. If you’re having difficulty getting your image added to a post in your blog, ask a colleague for help or your 2.0 Team.

Discovery Exercise:

Play around with some image generators and find one that you like.
Post the result of your discovery process in your blog. Note: Be sure to include a link to the image generator itself, so other participants can discover it too. Take some time and have fun with this exercise. And remember to be tasteful too!* Images created with BigHugeLabs, Comic Strip Generator, Image Chef.

Discovery Resources:

The Generator Blog
BigHugeLabs
Also try searching for online generators, text generators or image generators such as Comic Strip Generator, Image Chef.

[Note: Please remember to include THING# in your heading posts.]

NEXT UP: #11 Web 2.0 Winners

#11 Explore Web 2.0 award-winning applications and Ning

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Throughout the course of the CSM Learning 2.0 program we’ve explored just a small sampling of the new Internet technologies and websites that are empowering users with the ability to create and share content. But given time there are so many more we could explore! A recent estimate placed the number of Web 2.0 tools at somewhere between 300 & 500 with only a handful emerging as market dominators. And although time will only tell which of these new collaborative, social networking and information tools will remain on top, one thing is for sure, they're not going to go away anytime soon.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select any site from this list of Web 2.0 Award Winners and explore it. With so many to choose from, it might be handy to first select a category that interests you (like Books or Professional Networking) and then select a tool/site to explore. Be careful to select a tool that is Free and that doesn't require a plug-in or download. The majority of these are free, so this shouldn’t be a problem. Another site that is gaining in popularity is the social networking site called Ning. With Ning, you can set up your own social network such as for a campus organization, study group or a class. To learn more about Ning, join one of the Ning Social Networking groups or search for an area of interest:

Classroom 2. 0 - http://classroom20.ning.com/
The social network for those interested in Web 2.0 and collaborative or transformative technologies in education
School 2.0 - http://school20.ning.com/
Social network for discussion of collaborative Web technologies in the classroom.
Library 2.0 - http://library20.ning.com/
This network is for librarians and others interested in Library 2.0.

Discovery Exercise: Two Options

Option 1: Select any site/tool from the list of Web 2.0 Awards winners (If you prefer to select from just the winners, here’s a link to the short list.) Explore the site you selected. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a class or department?

Option 2: Join a Ning network. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about Ning? What were the site's useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a class or department?

Web 2.0 – with so much to explore, just start with ONE. :)

We hope you're having fun with the exercises.

NEXT UP: #12 Roll Your Own Search Tool

#12 Roll your own search tool with Rollyo

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Do you have a group of websites that are your favorites? Or a set of online resources that are similar that you frequently use to answer homework or reference questions? Well Rollyo may be the tool for you. Rollyo allows you to create your own search tool for the just the websites you know and trust. Take a look at some of these search rolls that have already been created:

Public Domain e-Books Search Searches several free sites to help you find full-text books you can read online
Rare Book Library Search
Free Photos Searches over 24 websites for images (not all images are copyright-free)
Quick Quotes Searching for a quote to add to a speech or paper? This Rollyo searches 13 sites to help you find the right one.
Explore other rolls here.

Here’s searchroll created to search ten of the Reference sites listed in SJLibrary's WIReD.

Try a search for broad term like "homework” or “history” to see results listed from multiple sites.

Discovery Exercise:

Explore Rollyo and create an account for yourself.

Create a search roll for any subject you like.

Create a post in your blog about your experience and link to your search roll. Can you see a potential use for tools like this?

OPTIONAL: Add your searchroll to your blog using the "Create a Searchbox" tool. Select...Reference. Search The Web

Rollyo - You just never know when this little tool might come in handy.

NEXT UP: #13 Tagging and Del.icio.us

#13 Learn about tagging and discover del.icio.us (social bookmarking)

2008-07-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Tagging is an open and informal method of categorizing that allows users to associate keywords with online content (webpages, pictures, & posts). Unlike traditional library subject cataloging, which follows a strict set of guidelines (e.g., Library of Congress subject headings), tagging is completely unstructured and freeform, allowing users to create connections between data in any way they want.In the past few weeks, we’ve already explored one site – Flickr - that allows users to take advantage of tagging and many of you even used a common tag to create an association between photos that we individually uploaded. This time, in addition to exploring Technorati and LibraryThing tagging, we also want to take a look at the popular social bookmarking site Del.icio.us (typed in as http://del.icio.us or http://delicious.com/).

Why social bookmarking? Well, have you checked your list of favorites or bookmarks on your Internet browser lately? If you’re like me, your favorites list may need some pruning or organization. Or, if you don’t happen to be on your regular computer, how do you even remember all the sites you’ve bookmarked? Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking manager which allows you to bookmark a web page and add tags to categorize your bookmarks. Many users find that real power of Del.icio.us is in the social networking aspect, which allows you to see how other users have tagged similar links and also discover other websites that may be of interest to you. You can think of it as peering into another users’ filing cabinet, but with this powerful bookmarking tool each user's filing cabinet helps to build an expansive knowledge network. For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a look at Del.icio.us and learn about this popular bookmarking tool.

Discovery Exercise:

View the 3 minute Delicious tutorial that explains more about social bookmarking.
Take a look around Del.icio.us using the CSM Library delicious account. You can keep up to date with what's added by subscribing to the RSS feed.
Explore the site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Can you see the comments they added about this bookmark or the tags they used to categorize this reference?
Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool. Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
OPTIONAL: If you’re up to the challenge, create a Del.icio.us account for yourself and discover how this useful bookmarking tool can replace your traditional browser bookmark list. Note: If you do setup a Del.icio.us account, here’s a quick word about the Del.icio.us Buttons. On PCs that have the toolbars locked down, these will install as options in your browser bookmarks. Use the “Post to my Del.icio.us” link to add the current webpage to your account (you may need to log in). Use the “My Del.icio.us” link to view your online account. Both Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 or 3 have add-on extensions for Delicious which can make using Delicious very seamless.

Discovery Resources:

Otter Group Del.icio.us tutorial (12 min video)
Us.ef.ul: A beginners guide to Del.icio.us
7 Things You Should Know about Social Bookmarking
EdTech Talk Network - http://del.icio.us/edtechtalk
Web 2.0 Library Website Recommendations Site.

[Note: Please remember to include the THING# in your post headings.]

NEXT UP: #14 Technorati and Tags

#14 Explore Technorati and learn how tags work with blog posts

2008-07-04T12:41:00.001-07:00

So now that you’ve been blogging for awhile, you might be wondering just how big is the blogosphere? Well according to San Francisco based Technorati, the leading search tool and authority for blogs, there are “over 175,000 new blogs (that’s just blogs) every day. Bloggers update their blogs regularly to the tune of over 1.6 million posts per day, or over 18 updates a second.” For five years running Technorati has attempted to track and describe the expansion of the blogging universe in their State of the Blogosphere report - it's fascinating reading for 2008 - think about this number: 33 million blog posts since 2002. Yes, these numbers are astounding, but as you’ve already seen for yourselves, blogging is so easy that these publishing tools are being taken advantage of by almost every industry, including education. So how do you get your blog listed as part of the blogosphere and how can you tag your posts with keywords to make them more findable through a Technorati search? The answer to the first question is that your blog is probably already being captured by Technorati due to the fact that you’re already using Blogger, the most popular blogging tool. But if you want to join the party and have your blog officially listed on Technorati and also take advantage of the watchlist and other features, you’ll need to create your blog yourself. As for tagging posts with Technorati tags? This is easy too. All you need to do is add a little bit of HTML code to the bottom of your post (see example below) and Technorati will pick up these tags when it spiders (or web crawls) your site.There are a lot of features in Technorati including the capability to search for keywords in blog posts, search for entire blog posts that have been tagged with a certain keyword, limit a search by language, or search for blogs that have been registered and tagged as whole blogs about a certain subject (like photography or libraries).

Recently, Google added a blog search. This is another place to search blogs or blog postings - http://blogsearch.google.com/

Discovery Exercise:

Take a look at Technorati and try doing a keyword search for “CSM Learning 2.0” or "College of San Mateo” in Blog posts, in tags, and in the Blog Directory. Are the results different?
Explore popular blog, searches and tags. Is anything interesting or surprising in your results?
Create a blog post about your discoveries on this site.
Now that we’ve worked with tags in Flickr, Del.icio.us, and Technorati, what are your thoughts about tagging? What are its advantages? What are its disadvantages?
OPTIONAL: If you're up for a challenge, learn how to tag your posts with Technorati tags so they can become part of Technorati tag searches. Create a post about something. It can be anything you want and add the HTML code to the bottom to tag it as “CSMLearning2.0.” You may also want to consider creating your blog and creating a watchlist.
NOTE: When adding HTML code, you'll want to make sure you're in Blogger's Edit HTML window. There's a lot to explore.

Discovery Resources:

Technorati Tour – videocast of new features & new look
Technorati Discover & Popular features

NEXT UP: #15 Copyright, Creative Commons, and What's Coming

#15 Copyright, Creative Commons, and What’s Coming Down the Road with Web 2.0

2008-07-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Putting the ‘social’ into social networks allows us to freely exchange information. But with the free exchange of information comes the responsibility of how we share it, and how we give credit to the author of that information.

In the library and classroom, we are often faced with the copyright challenges of when it is acceptable to copy something and how much of an item [book, website, music, etc] we can copy. Faced with declining budgets and little time, we are tempted to go ahead and make the copies. But with the advent of file sharing, downloading and RSS, we must acknowledge and teach the ethics of information gathering and sharing.

Creative Commons is a copyright license that allows us to choose to share our intellectual property. This course is designed under a Creative Commons license and is an example of how one can take a piece of information or a product and re-work it to make it fit your needs. By acknowledging the original authors, they have given permission for you to share.
Library 2.0 is a term used to describe a new set of concepts for developing and delivering library services. The name is an extension of Web 2.0 and shares many of its same philosophies and concepts including harnessing the user in both design and implementation of services, embracing constant change as a development cycle over the traditional notion of upgrades, and reworking library services to meet the users in their space. Many have argued that the notion of Library 2.0 is more than just a term used to describe concepts that merely revolve around the use of technology; it also a term that can be used to describe both physical and mindset changes that are occurring within libraries to make library spaces and services more user-centric and inviting. Others have asserted that libraries have always been 2.0: collaborative, customer friendly and welcoming. But no matter which side of the debate proponents fall, both sides agree that libraries of tomorrow, even five or ten years from now, will look substantially different from libraries today.

Discovery Exercise:

Find where on the CSM Learning 2.0 blog where the authors have modified the original Learning2.0 course with permission and creative commons license from Helene Blowers.
Read two or three of the perspectives on Library 2.0 from the list below. Create a blog post about your thoughts on any one of these.
Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you? What does it mean for schools and libraries?

Discovery Resources:

Creative Commons website
Online copyright comic book developed by students at Duke University Law School
“Wanna Work Together?” video about Creative Commons
California Technology Assistance Project, Region IV cybersafety website. See Piracy.
OCLC Next Space Newsletter – Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web it take libraries?
The Horizon Report: educational technology trends in higher education. "Must" reading!

We hope you're enjoying all the exercises you've done so far. Keep having fun exploring and thinking about Web 2.0/CSMLearning 2.0

NEXT UP: #16 Wikis

#16 Learn about wikis and discover some innovative ways that libraries are using them

2008-07-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content. Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest and perhaps the most well known of these knowledge sharing tools. The popularity of these tools is exploding. Some of the benefits that make the use of wikis so attractive are:

Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit, or delete content.
Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what has been changed and by whom.
Earlier versions of a page can be rolled back and viewed when needed.
Users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used.

As the use of wikis has grown over the last few years, educators and librarians all over the country have begun to use them to collaborate and share knowledge. Among their applications are pathfinder or subject guide wikis, book review wikis, conference wikis and best practices wikis.

Discovery Exercise:

For this discovery exercise, take a look at some education wikis and blog about your findings. Here are a few examples to get you started:

Book Lovers Wiki - developed by the Princeton Public Library.
Blogging Libraries Wiki
iTunesU wiki for colleges and universities
Library Success: A best practices wiki
NCAA Wiki (featuring UC Berkeley)
SJCPL Subject Guides – a pathfinder wiki developed by the St. Joseph County Public Library system.
Create a blog post about your findings. What did you find interesting? What types of applications within libraries and colleges might work well with a wiki?

Discovery Resources:
Use these resources to learn more about wikis:

Wiki, wiki, wiki - from the Core Competency blog of the Public Library of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County.
Wikis: A Beginner’s Look – an excellent short slide presentation that offers a short introduction and examples.
What is a Wiki? – Library Success wiki presentation.
Using Wikis to Create Online Communities – a good overview of what a wiki is and how it can be used in libraries.

So what's in a wiki? Find out by doing some exploring on your own.

[Note: Please remember to include THING# in your heading posts.]

NEXT UP: #17 CSM Learning 2.0 Wiki

#17 Add an entry to "Sandbox" Wiki

2008-07-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

A sandbox is a term that wikis often use to describe the area of the website that should be used for pure play. For this discovery and exploration exercise, go to the sandbox portion of the CSM 2.0 Library wiki -- go ahead and play! Log in using our dummy login and password (login: wikis_are_fun@yahoo.com ; password: library) in order to edit the page.

Discovery Exercise:

Visit the CSM Learning 2.0 wiki and go to the section devoted to one or more of the topics covered in the CSM Learning 2.0 course.
Create a post in your blog about the experience. How might you use wikis?
Do you recommend a wiki that we can add to our examples? Let us know by posting about it or contacting the CSM 2.0 Team.

Discovery Resources:

PB Wiki Tour - Find out how this collaborative tool can be used
PBWiki Video Gallery - Short videos of PBwiki features
PB Wiki Tips

Here’s a sampler of wikis by and for educators:

Computers in Management class (Boston College) - http://www.socialtext.net/cim/index.cgi?wiki_contributions
Flat Classroom Project - http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com/
GoApes Wiki for Environmental Science educators - http://goapes.wikispaces.com/
International Collaborative Literature Project - http://jerusalem.wikispaces.com/
Language Links - http://languagelinks2006.wikispaces.com/
Math 12 V Outcomes Portfolio - http://acrospire.pbwiki.com/
Second Life Education Wiki - http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki
Wikispaces for Educators - http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers

*NOTE: The CSM 2.0 Library wiki was created using the free education version of the San Mateo-based PBWiki, a tool that lets you create webpages that anyone can edit.

NEXT UP: #18 Online Productivity Tools

#18 Take a look at online productivity tools (word processing, spreadsheets, and more)

2008-07-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

One major benefit to web-based applications is that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC. Another bonus is that they easily accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file (with versioning) and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other Web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing. For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a look at a web-based word processing tool called Zoho Writer, create a simple document and then document your discoveries in your blog. If you are up to the challenge, you might even export your document as an HTML file or publish it through Zoho to your blog. With Zoho and web-based applications, the possibilities are endless.

Discovery Exercise:

Create a free account for yourself in Zoho Writer
Explore the site and create a test document or two.
Try out Zoho Writer’s features and create a blog post about your discoveries.
Optional: If you’re up for the challenge, try using Zoho’s publish options to post to your blog.* Note: You can also explore Google Docs, Google's online word processing, as an option for this exercise.
BTW: Here’s a Zoho-created document (viewable as a webpage) about some of the beneficial features of Zoho.

Discovery Resources:

A short list of web-based productivity applications – Note: This list was authored in ZohoWriter and exported as HTML.

[Note: Remember to include WEEK# and THING# in your heading posts.]

NEXT UP: #19 LibraryThing

#19 Check out LibraryThing

2008-07-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

Are you a booklover or cataloger at heart? Do you enjoy finding lost and forgotten gems on the shelf to read? Then LibraryThing may be just the tool for you. Developed for booklovers, this online tool not only allows you to easily create an online catalog of your own, it also connects you to other people who have similar libraries and reading tastes. Add a book to your catalog by just entering the title or connect with other users through your similar reading tastes.

There are lots of ways to use LibraryThing. You can even view your books on a virtual shelf, add a widget to display titles that are in your catalog, or install a LT Search box on your blog.Not just for personal collections, classrooms and libraries have started using LibraryThing as well. So why not join the ranks and create your own library online. With over 95,000 registered users and 6.7 million books cataloged, you’re bound to discover something new.

Discovery Exercise:

Take a look around LibraryThing and create an account.
Add a least 5 books to your library.
Blog about your findings and be sure to link to your LibraryThing catalog. How popular were your books? Did you find any discussions about your favorites?

Discovery Resources:

About LibraryThing
Library Thing tour
LibraryThing blog (updates & news)
Thingology blog (“LibraryThing's ideas blog, on the philosophy and methods of tags, libraries and suchnot.”)

NEXT UP: #20 YouTube and Video

20 Discover YouTube and sites that allow users to upload and share videos

2008-07-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Within the past few years, online video hosting sites have exploded allowing users to easily upload and share videos on the web. Among all the web 2.0 players in this area, YouTube is the top dog serving up over 1 million video views a day and allowing users not only to upload their own video content easily, but also embed clips into their own sites easily.

YouTube makes it easy to use video clips to enhance a class project, Power Point presentation, or class lesson. While copyright issues are on-going for a video sharing site such as YouTube, as long as you’re just showing the clips to your class and not airing it for a wide audience, it most likely falls within Fair Use and can be used as long as you give credit where credit is due.

Once you create a free account you can upload your own videos, create a favorites page, or make your own channel. There are websites, like AuthorStream, that let you convert Power Point presentations into videos for uploading. YouTube limits the length and size of a clip: it can’t be longer than 10 minutes or larger than 1024 MB.

Do some searching around YouTube yourself and see what the site has to offer. You'll find everything from 1970s TV commercials to library dominos and a video made by library school students for National Library Week. There's also the cult classic Conan the Librarian. First, let's check out the first episode of CSM Bay Vision.

#21 Podcasts -- No iPod Needed

2008-07-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

The word podcast is used to refer to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet. What differentiates a podcast from regular streaming audio or video is that the delivery method for podcasts is often done automatically through RSS. In 2005, "podcast" was named the "word of the year" by New Oxford American Dictionary and with the growth of podcasting over the last year and a half; it’s easy to see why. Podcasts take many forms, from short 1-10 minutes commentaries (like the ones used in this Learning 2.0 program) to much longer in person interviews or panel group discussions.
There’s a podcast out there for just about every interest area and the best part about this technology is that you don’t have to have an iPod or a MP3 player to access them. Since podcasts use the MP3 file format, a popular compressed format for audio files, you really just need a PC (or portal device) with headphones or a speaker. iTunes, the free downloadable application created by Apple is the directory finding service most associated with podcasts, but if you don’t have iTunes installed there are still plenty of options. For this discovery exercise participants are asked to take a look at some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your blog reader (i.e., Bloglines or Google Reader) account as well, so that when new casts become available you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.

Discovery Exercise:

Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed and see if you can find a podcast that interests you.
See if you can find some interesting educational podcasts here like book reviews or educational podcasts.
Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your blog reader account.
Create a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here?

Discovery Resources:

To find out more about podcasts start with Podcasting in Plain English video by Common Craft.
There are many, many podcast directory and finding tools out there. Here are just three of the more popular ones that don’t, like iTunes, require a software download:
o Podcast.com
o Podcastalley.com
Check out CSM Podcasts at The Centers for Teaching and Learning
See also Educational Podcast Directory

Do you want to learn how to be a podcaster? (Here are optional Resources for those who want to learn to create podcasts)

Odeo’s Studio – online recording studio.
Beginners guide to Podcasts & Creating Podcasts
How to podcast tutorial

NEXT UP: #22 eBooks and Audiobooks

#22 Explore eBooks and Audio eBooks

2008-07-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

For this Thing, you will explore where you can get free ebooks and get an idea of the types of titles you can find here. Take a look around and locate a few titles of interest. Many libraries -- including the CSM Library -- have audiobook and ebook collections, so check what they have in their collections. Start first at the CSM Library! Audiobooks are popular for ELL and Special Education students, as well as commuters who enjoy a good story during a long ride. There are a number of commercial audiobook and ebook sources.

Discovery Exercise:

Explore World EBook Fair' site for FREE downloads from the Gutenberg Project. Also just explore the site - there's much to check out.

Create a blog post about your findings.

Discovery Resources:

LibriVox, audiobook versions of copyright-free books from the Gutenberg Project. Read by volunteers. Started in August 2005 by Hugh McGuire. Check it out!

Check out "Best Places to Get Free Books".

NEXT UP: You made it! #23 Summarize Your Thoughts

#23 Summarize your thoughts about this program on your blog

2008-07-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!! You’ve reached the 23rd thing. Give yourself a pat on the back for completing the program.

Please give us your feedback on your experience by reflecting on your learning journey and posting a few thoughts. Here are some questions to prompt you:

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this discovery learning journey?
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote CSM Learning 2.0 learning activities?

We hope this is not the end of our learning journey together, but the start of something amazing …such as:

Maintain your blog as your educational journal
Add your blog URL to your e-mail signature line
Re-purpose it as your technology and learning blog
Share it with your colleagues

Missed the kickoff party?

2008-07-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

If you missed the kickoff party, it's not too late to get involved. You can start by reviewing Things 1 through 4. You can also take a look at the slides from Teresa's presentation.

If you still have questions about moving forward, contact the CSM Learning 2.0 team by phone or email. We can also set up some face to face time to walk you through the process.