#4 - Keeping track & more about blogging

If you’ve made it this far, you already have 3 items or “things” completed of the 27 that are required to earn a USB MP3 player.

But how do you qualify? You'll need to register your blog and, each week, record your progress on each of the 27 things.

Where? How?

A Learning 2.0 Progress Log is on the KCLS intranet - you'll submit your information to the Learning 2.0 Team and will receive confirmation emails.

Many many thanks to Lisa at Web Services for setting this up.

The log is extremely easy to use - go the the main log page (this is a staff-only link - it's also been added to the right as part of the Learning 2.0 Link Box), enter your information, check off the 'things' that you've completed, add the URL for your weekly blog posting, and click submit.

Weekly blog posting?

That's right - starting next week you also need to include the URL for the permanent link to your weekly blog posts. Your blog postings should capture your thoughts about what you're learning and responses to any specific questions we ask about the 'things' we'll be looking at.

Permanent link?

Each blog posting has a distinct URL that displays that posting alone (without the rest of your blog postings). Depending upon the Blogger template that you selected, the permanent link for each individual post can be found either through the post’s title or through a link in the post's footer area the contains the date.

For example: The image below shows where you would find the permanent link for this earlier Learning 2.0 blog post - click on the time of posting (but in a real-life blog post, not in the image):

This is the link that you want to use when recording your progress in the Learning 2.0 Progress Log.

You can also, in most blog interfaces, click on the posting title for the permanent URL.

Here's how you would record your blog URLs in the Learning 2.0 Progress Log:


The Learning 2.0 Team will be reading your blog postings and, on occasion, giving you feedback via your blog entry's comments field.

Yes, comments. That's the beauty of blogging - your readers get to respond to what you've written. The Learning 2.0 Team will be commenting for sure, though you never know what your co-workers will have to say - everyone's blog will be posted to the Learning 2.0 KCLS Staff Participants page (but don't worry - we'll be listing these by your anonymous blog name). And don't forget - you can respond to a comment with a comment of your own. Me, I'm not yet sure how to respond to this one...


Comments are all about interacting and collaborating. Leave us a comment today or, better yet, start reading your co-worker's blogs next week and leave comments for them.

But first things first - it's time to take care of today's Discovery Exercise.

Discovery Exercise - record your first 4 completed things.

1. Head over to the Learning 2.0 Progress Log
   
2. Record your first 4 completed things (including filling out the log for the first time).
   
3. Click submit.
   

And with that you have just 23 more things to go...

Next up: Flickr...

#3 - Hey you (yes YOU), start a Blog

Now that you’ve done some exploring around this website and learned some more about our emphasis on Lifelong Learning, it’s time to start messing around with these web 2.0 technologies. Today you'll set up your very own personal blog - this is where you'll record your thoughts on Learning 2.0 discoveries and the exercises you take part in.

Your Learning 2.0 Blog should be set up using Blogger, a popular free online blog hosting service that is extremely easy to use. How easy? It's so easy that the Learning 2.0 Team figured it out - this blog you're looking at is also on Blogger (look at the blog URL - it starts with http://kcls27things.blogspot.com).

Now to the big question - what possible use could a blog be in the KCLS work environment? Listen to this week's podcast for one great idea - David talks to Zina Stockinger about her blogging experience at the Woodinville Library.

Click the Play button above
to hear this week's Podcast (2:49)
Now get to it...

Discovery Exercise: Get yourself a blog and start blogging

1. Go to the Blogger website: www.blogger.com
   (this will open in a separate window).
   
   
2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on
   'Create Your Blog Now'
   
   
3. This is what you'll see:
   
   
   

   
   You'll need to set up a Google Account to use Blogger - follow the instructions and click 'continue.'
   
   Some notes:
   - Feel free to use your KCLS email address for this sign-up.
   - Your display name does not have to be your real name - yes, you can go anonymous. The Learning 2.0 Team are the only staff members who need to know your true identity (and we'll ask for it later this week).
   
   

4. Name your blog.
   
   This is what you'll see:
   
   
   
   Your blog title? Be as creative as you like - remember, noone but the Learning 2.0 Team will know who you are.
   
   Your blog URL? The easier to remember, the better. And WRITE THIS DOWN...
   
   
5. Select a Template.
   
   This is what you'll see:
   
   
   
   There are plenty of options - go for the look that's right (yes, I'm quoting an 80's Jordache Jeans slogan). The blog you're reading now is using the Thisaway template.
   
   
6. Author and publish your first blog posting. This is the fun part - just click on the 'start posting' link and go...
   
   
   
   What do you write about? Try something on the theme of Learning 2.0. What do you hope to learn from the program? What do you think about Lifelong Learning? What's more likely - you completing all 27 Things to earn an MP3 player or the Mariners making the playoffs?
   
   The Learning 2.0 Team will be reading your blogs regularly and we'll ask you to send us your blog URL in tomorrow's lesson.
   

That, everyone, is the end of the Discovery Exercise.

But how do you get back to your blog, to add future postings?

1. Go to your blog
   (we, for example, go to http://kcls27things.blogspot.com)
   
2. Look to the top right corner of the screen and click on the 'Sign In' link
   (If you've forgotten your blog URL, head to www.blogger.com and continue with the next step)
   
3. Look to the top right corner of the screen and click on the 'New Blogger' link
   
4. Log in with your Username and Password (these will be tied to the Google account you set up a few minutes ago)
   
5. Find your blog on the 'Dashboard' and click on it's 'New Post' link
   
6. Blog away...
   

Once you've logged in you'll also be able to change your blog settings - there's a series of 'Manage' links in your 'Dashboard.'

Should you run into problems and/or would like more information about blogs and using Blogger , take a look at Blogger’s Quick Tutorial - just keep clicking on the 'continue' buttons at the end of next screen to keep going...

Next up: Tracking your progress, permanent blog URLs and comments

#2 - Discover 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners

Today we focus on the driving force behind Learning 2.0 - Lifelong Learning. The 27 things work only when you nurture your own to become a LIFELONG LEARNER.

KCLS strives to be “An Intellectual Adventure for all” and this includes you! The library system values and supports lifelong learning for our patrons and staff. So it makes sense that before we embark on this new online learning and discovery journey that we should take a few minutes to review a few habits that can assist in creating lifelong learners.

The Seven and 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners provides you with a refresher on what it means to be a lifelong learner.

Habit 1 – Begin with the end in mind
Habit 2 – Accept responsibility for your own learning
Habit 3 – View problems as challenges
Habit 4 – Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
Habit 5 – Create your own learning toolbox
Habit 6 – Use technology to your advantage
Habit 7 – Teach and mentor others
Habit 7 ½ – PLAY!

Have fun! It's never too late to become a lifelong learner.

Discovery Exercise:
Follow this link for a Wikipedia definition of Lifelong Learning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifelong_learning

Next Up: Creating your blog so you can begin tracking your journey.

#1 - Let's Get Started...

Welcome to the KCLS Learning 2.0 – 27 Things blog!

Learning 2.0 is an online learning program to learn more about emerging technologies on the web that are changing the way people, society and libraries access information and communicate with each other.

Over the course of the next twelve weeks, this website will highlight “27 Things” with Discovery Exercises to help you become familiar with blogging, RSS news feeds, tagging, wikis, podcasting, online applications, and video and image hosting sites.

To familiarize yourself with this project, be sure to read the About This Program (FAQ) page. These FAQs should answer most of your questions about this program. And if you don't see your question answered just add it to the FAQ page as a blog comment.

We’ll also be including a short Podcast introduction with the first lesson of each week. These podcasts are conducted by the Learning 2.0 Team and will often include a few words from another KCLS colleague. We'll keep them short, 2 to 3 minutes typically, and we'll be curious to know if you find them helpful – feel free to comment about them on the blog you’ll be setting up next week.

The first podcast is below - David and Bruce Schauer welcome you to Learning 2.0. You'll need speakers or a headset on your computer to listen - just click on the play button to get started.

Click the Play button above
to hear this week's Podcast (1:50)
So fasten your seat belts, grab your mouse and get ready for a discovery adventure… and remember it's OK to play in the library and have fun!

Be sure to tune in every Monday, for the next "thing" or discovery item ... or better yet, subscribe to the RSS feed.