Are we smarter than a fifth grader?

I once read that the particular way animals play when they are young helps them develop the skills they’ll need to survive and function as adults. (For example, lion cubs like to wrestle and drag things around which helps them develop the skills they’ll need to be effective hunters, and much of human children’s play involves emulating things adults as they develop cognitive, socio-emotive, motor and other necessary skills.) Steven Johnson’s book reminded me again about the importance of play, not just for children, but for us all. As our world becomes more complex, all types of entertainment seem to follow suit. I think Johnson’s book (at least from what I’ve read so far-Part I) shows that he clearly disagrees with George Will’s statement about pop culture being a “more sophisticated delivery of stupidity.”

While I personally feel that reading a book is “better” than watching a movie or playing a video game, media definitely plays an ever-increasingly important role in our society. We’ve all seen how the definition of “literacy” has evolved recently. I’m reminded of the Wesch videos we watched earlier this semester and the idea of how scanning hundreds of web pages for information is essentially a form of “reading” today. (And I’m sure teens who play fast-paced, hi-tech video games are much more skilled at this than I!) I think Johnson’s explanation of how media has evolved and the cognitive effects this has had on us all was very interesting and pretty convincing.

Ning's place in the online world

I think Nings have an important place in the "long tail" section of the online social networking arena. It's easy for someone to either find or create an online social network for any particular niche. (Here are just some examples.)

Personally, as one who is still a bit uncomfortable using sites like myspace and facebook, I feel that the option of creating a private networking site is one of the greatest advantages of Ning. The privacy and control features might be especially useful in a school setting where the use of any kind of social software tools is generally looked down upon. Even in a public library setting, I think many customers might feel more comfortable participating in a smaller, private online community, and they can be a great thing to use for book clubs, discussion groups and teen advisory boards.

But not all Nings are "small" and "private". Joyce Valenza's TeacherLibrarian Ning has over 2,000 members and anyone can register to join. Joining (or even just visiting) a ning such as this allows one to quickly connect with people who share common interests more efficiently, I think, than they could on the more "social" social networking sites.

boyd on board

I really enjoyed reading Danah Boyd's account of the history of social networking sites. Reading about the rise (and, in some cases, fall) of different sites reminds us that, as with most social software applications, social networking sites are just a means to an end (and not an end in and of themselves.) A library can't set up a myspace or facebook account and then pat him/herself on the back and think, "There. I am now on the cutting edge of technology and am where my users are so we can connect online." Boyd's articles clearly show that all these applications will continue to evolve and that we need to keep abreast of the changes.

I also found her explanation about how the different sites appeal to different "class divisions" a bit troubling, but can clearly see the points she makes. (I also respect how she repeatedly admitted to being uncomfortable even broaching the topic.) Just as libraries have different collections and items that appeal to different users, it's essential that we are aware of the differences in social networking sites and can understand how each may appeal to different groups of people for different reasons.

"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name..."

I was never really a diehard Cheers fan, but I think the whole concept behind its theme song, the fact that we all need a "place" to go "hang out" and connect with others, is the reason why social networking sites like Facebook and myspace are so "sticky".

Running into people we know and getting a chance to catch up with them is a very fulfilling experience. Sadly, our hectic, modern day lives don't usually allow this to happen enough in the "real" world on a regular basis (unless, of course, we're lucky enough to live by a corner pub or coffeehouse!) Social networking sites, though, allow us the opportunity to do this very easily and conveniently in the virtual, online world. I think this is why they have become immensely appealing and addictive to so many people over the past few years.

How to make a profile badge in Facebook

Click here to learn how to make a profile badge in Facebook and insert it into your blog.

Favorite Class Videos

Oh, this is so hard to pick "favorites" because I really enjoyed viewing everyone's videos the past couple of weeks!

To mention only a few,

I thought Jenna's "Do you want a treat?" was particularly hysterical.

Heather's "Strong Female Characters for Girls" was both informative and enjoyable to watch. (The Paper Bag Princess is one of my favorite picture books and I'm looking forward to checking out the other books too now!)

Renee's "How to make crabby patty cookies" was fun, and demonstrates how "seeing" something being made is much more effective and appealing than merely reading a recipe.

And Gabrielle's "Entertainment Video" was such a clever idea and shows how using the various effects in Windows Movie Maker can be utilized to easily (well, somewhat "easily") create interesting and professional looking videos.

But, again, I think everyone did such a great job. I also think using video can be a very effective and enjoyable educational tool for students in a school setting. (Though I doubt schools would condone the use of YouTube and blip.tv for hosting them.)

Can you recommend a good book?

When I first decided to become a librarian I used to envision myself skillfully helping people find the "perfect" next book to read. But I was shocked to discover how difficult providing readers' advisory services actually is, since the concept of what makes a "good book" is such an abstract, individual and personal thing. I've come to rely on resources such as Novelist to help with the task and feel that anyone who loves to read would enjoy using it too to explore the universe of books.

Because of this, my screencast is an introductory look on how to use the Novelist database:
http://www.screencast.com/t/36kqkOm5kj

I need to add that making a screencast was much harder than I ever imagined it could be. (Once again, Steve makes things look so easy and looks can be deceiving!) I apologize in advance for the quality/length of mine. My mouse is dying, I think, and kept "sticking" when I wanted to click and scroll on different parts of the screen. Can't tell you how many recordings I ditched prior to finally settling on this less-than-perfect final project. I can see how useful screencasts can be in the library world, but I also understand now that it takes a lot of time and effort to produce quality results.