Conference Cacophony Prioritized

NC Ties 2013 was a tool-heavy, idea-sparking, gamification event. Via my iPad noting, Evernoting, Edmodo linking, Smackdowning, etc. I think I jotted down well over 100 tools, gadgets, etc. PHEW! Via Prensky, Warlick, LaGarde and others the conference also dealt with the why of all this - I agreed with some, disagreed with others but was reminded to make it about kids driving the learning. Now I just have to figure out what vehicles I want them to drive. Which of course means needing lots of time to play; so it's time to prioritize the cacophony.

I decided to start with Google Chrome/Extensions/Apps to make my own techie life more efficient. Numerous featured presenters mentioned the extensions that are making their lives easier. Since I've begun playing around and exploring, I have yet to open Explorer - guess that speaks to the effectiveness of some of these tools.... The ones I've liked the best/prioritized:

• Pocket - saving documents for offline reading - great webtool and extension. Easy to use and I've found it particularly helpful in Twitter. Although I started with this as a Chrome add-on, I've quickly adapted and started using it on the iPad as well.
• EasyBib Extension - citation/bibliography creator AND website evaluation tool. I still like NoodleTools for citations but I'm working my way towards EasyBib and I really like the website evaluation piece of the extension that lets a user know whether EasyBib evaluates the website as credible/not credible/may be credible and provides users with a helpful guide if evaluation is still needed. Want to use this with students in a future information literacy session.
• Diigo - a good reminder to use the social bookmarking/annotation tool and the extension makes it easier and more efficient. I think the extension may also get some schools around the problems with downloading that I had previously with Diigo.

So this post has a prioritization focus and I'm trying to do the same, so I'm stopping here for now with extensions. I want to use these three and use them well with a plan to revisit new tools again in a couple of weeks. Chrome is also my friend in adding apps and links to the "homepage" - love the customizability of the browser and honestly the "experience" - as cheesy as that sounds. 

NC Ties and other conferences are always good reminders to try new things, revisit tools that I haven't tried in a while and keep looking for the tool that will best fit tech needs, kids' needs, etc. I have always loved the scribing videos where the audience watches the creator draw and write out ideas to go along with music or narration. The tool VideoScribe makes this possible and has been my tool of choice this week. I've also been working on a Digital Storytelling activity for pre-service teachers and had great fun creating with VideoScribe - here's how I'm starting our conversation -- http://youtu.be/Xxq1qEh3_7c

So, there's an overwhelming amount of things to explore and play with and I'm excited to keep finding the tools that best fit my need for efficiency and student needs for learning!

The Digiliterate Librarian

I've been blogging at http://blogs.wcpss.net/mhsmediacenter/ through my former high school library media center. I am now a librarian for the Media and Educational Technology Resource Center in the College of Education at NC State University. I'm sad to lose the blogging I was building at my high school and decided to think through what's really important in my work as a librarian so I could blog separately from any specific position/job.

21st Century school librarians care about and teach literacies in all areas - we are passionate about books in multiple formats and helping our patrons/students read and use information. We help them research, become information literate, become responsible digital citizens and publish their work using various forms of technology. As a new librarian in a university curriculum materials center I am excited to collaborate with current and pre-service teachers as well as faculty to make all students literate in the growing areas of the 21st century. Whether it be a graphic novel in print form or online form like Inanimate Alice whether students are analyzing an infographic or using an academic database to research and process information, I am a digiliterate librarian ready to lead!