Del.icio.us

First off, you know it is a bad day when you can't remember your login for your blog. Now after getting that off my chest, I went to Del.icio.us and searched for different bookmarks. I found some wonderful sites that I had not found before. I can see just from the little time that I spent perusing Del.icio.us, that it is a wonderful site. I set up my own account and started adding bookmarks and also tagging them. I have to admit that there are some bookmarks that I haven't tagged yet, but I will get around to it.

I am looking at ways that I can share this with the students so that they have access to these sites that could be helpful to them. I am really wondering if it is any different from posting the links on our library homepage. But after thinking about it, I realize that students are probably more likely to access the links from Del.icio.us, than going to the library website and trying to navigate around locating the page that has the nursing links on it. From the main page you have to click 6 times before getting to the links, and that is if you know where to look. I feel that this is always the question, how do you get the information to the students?

Playing Catch-Up

Well I already feel that I am way behind and we are only on the second week. Things at work are crazy and hectic, and while I was doing really good keeping on top of things, I am now to the point where I am just trying to put out fires. At home my two little ones have been sick which means that I have not had much sleep this week at all. I feel like a zombie at work and my productivity is suffering.

I had started a blog for my job almost two years ago and I was going to be good and keep it up to date, but that has fallen by the wayside once again. I think that I am going to have to take out the "Do Not Disturb" sign and dust it off and put it on my office door. I am hoping that some of the technologies that I learn in this class will actually help me with the work that I am doing and will allow me more time to do other things. What I am specifically thinking is that if I can create podcasts to help students learn how to do basic searching in the library then they can use those instead of me. I can help with the more in depth research needs. At least this is what I am hoping.

Thoughts about Lifelong Learning

This is not my first time blogging. I started a blog a couple of years ago to try and keep students informed of what was going on in our library. It wasn't that successful due to my inability to keep up with it. Which brings me to the 7 1/2 habits of lifelong learners. I think that the easiest habit for me is #7 - Teach/Mentor Others. I have experienced in my own life that when I teach something to others, my own skills and knowledge improve. I also seem to learn something new every time I am teaching someone else. It just makes me realize that there is always something to learn.

The hardest habit for me would have to be #4 - Have Confidence in Yourself as a Competent, Effective Learner. I have to say that in the past I have been really hard on myself. I also question my ability to accomplish tasks. I am always second guessing myself and it seems that other people have more confidence in me than I do. I am working on this and learning how to be confident. I have found out that you can't get very far in life without confidence.

My big obstacle for this course and for anything that I do job related is going to be time. However I have already made myself a promise to carve out some time during the day. I may just have to shut my office door - like I have done now. Ah, the quiet.