Top ten links week 45: dealing with a bad day, national ed tech plan, technology training, visualization, and more

My personally selected top ten from the links I shared on Twitter 11/5/2010 through 11/11/2010. For the record I had a very hard time choosing only 10 this week.  In no particular order:

1. Love this idea! RT @BaranCLE: How to Destroy Your Past Lives by @evbogue This post centers around the idea – “We evolve into new and better individuals every single day. ” As someone who works hard to evolve into better versions of me I also struggle with letting go of the old me too.

The choice though is this: will you continue to build up your energy in order to focus on the person you were back then? Or can you let it go, to concentrate on the faces around you now? Here are a few actions that I’ve taken to clear the past, maybe they can help you.

Destroy your old unpublished work.Don’t collect souvenirsI lose touch with (most) old friends.

Why we need to destroy our past lives.

The world is speeding up. 100 years ago, you’d probably have the same small group of friends who supported each other for your entire life. You never left the town you were born in. In order to get in touch you had to send a postcard via the, uhm, snail mail? Whatever that is.

In today’s world, it’s not uncommon to live many different lives over the course of your own. You’ll morph, change, your life will transition. You’ll move dozens or hundreds of times as the ever-growing cloud of connected information cares for your survival.

You have a choice, you can either let the pain and joys of the past build up until they’re too heavy a burden. Or, you can let everything go. Burn your notebooks, let the friends go, leave the souvenirs at the shop.

2. great post! RT @ValentineLuLu: Would love your thoughts! blogged: 4 tips for bridging the enthusiasm gap#transliteracy – Another thoughtful post by Jamie Hollier on transliteracy.

Focus on outcomesUse people within your communityWork with local businessTalk about successes

3. The Happiness Project: 13 Tips for Dealing with a Really Lousy Day - Love the Happiness Project. Many of you know I have been focusing on happiness and positivity a lot lately, this is one of my favorite sites.

Resist the urge to “treat” yourself.Do something nice for someone else.Distract yourselfSeek inner peace through outer order.Tell yourself, “Well, at least IExercise is an extremely effective mood booster –Stay in contact.It’s a cliché, but things really will look brighter in the morning.Remind yourself of your other identities.Keep perspective.Write it down.Be grateful.Use the emergency mood tool-kit

4. very cool visualization RT @andypowe11: nice “what mobile really means” mindmap by @m1ke_ellis for #cetis10

5. RT @wsstephens Librarians & media specialists mentioned twice, libraries not at all RT @sigms National Ed Tech Plan released today – In case you missed is the U.S. Department of Education released the finalized National Education Technology Plan last week.  As pointed out by Wendy Stephens – Librarians & media specialists mentioned twice, libraries not at all, not good, we definitely have a role to play.

The plan, titled “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology,” presents a model with key goals in five areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure and productivity. Each core section outlines concepts for using technology to holistically transform education, with the aim to achieve each goal by 2015.

Learning: Change the learning process so it’s more engaging and tailored to students’ needs and interests.Assessment: Measure student progress on the full range of college and career ready standards and use real time data for continuous improvement.Teaching: Connect teachers to the tools, resources, experts and peers they need to be highly effective and supported.Infrastructure: Provide broadband connectivity for all students, everywhere—in schools, throughout communities and in students’ homes.Productivity: Use technology to help schools become more productive and accelerate student achievement while managing costs.

“Our nation’s schools have yet to unleash technology’s full potential to transform learning,” Duncan said. “We’re at an important transition point. We need to leverage technology’s promise to improve learning.”

Overall, the plan addresses technology trends that could transform education, such as mobility and accessibility, the rise of digital content, and the rise of online social networks for information, collaboration and learning. Importantly, it stresses that technology in the classroom only works when paired with effective teaching.

6. very cool really. check it out. RT @dmlcentral: “How the Internet works.” Creative visual perspectives – really very cool, go look through them.

“Draw how the Internet works” That was the assignment John Britton gave his School of Webcraft class, “Web 200: Anatomy of a Request.” The course is about everything that happens from when you press ‘go’ in your browser to seeing a page rendered on your screen. The results of the class’s first assignment are pretty awesome, as you can see from the Flickr set John’s posted.

7. Introducing Transliteracy: What does it Mean to Academic Librarians –  One of my fellow bloggers at Libraries and Transliteracy and Co-Chair for the Transliteracy IG published an article in College & Research Libraries News

8. Seven qualities of highly effective technology trainers via @temperedradical @nancyrubin Great list! Knowledge and smarts do not make you a tech trainer, I’ve been thinking about this a lot since hearing a techie make fun of people who don’t know what https signifies.

WIIFM – What’s In It For MeThe problem is on the desk, not in the chair.No mouse touching.Great analogies.Clear support materials and advanced planning.Knowing what is essential and what is only confusing.Perspective.

9. 6 ways iPhone and Android users differ

10. The Eloquent Woman: Taking charge of your conversations and speaking: The language of power – Dennis Graveline links to an article How To Become Fluent In the Language of Power that is an excerpt from No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think about Power.  Loved the article and put the book on my to-read list.

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Top ten links week 44: echo chamber, enthusiasm gap, broadband, learn, being famous and more

1. Great post! RT @ValentineLuLu: Blogged: The enthusiasm gap and transliteracy #intlib10 I met Jamie at Internet Librarian, I really wish we’d had more time to talk, I’m impressed with her work. Jamie has some good suggestions for bridging the enthusiasm gap  and I love her approach – focus on the people, the need, not the tools

When discussing and marketing tech training stop talking about the tools and start talking about the benefits. Don’t say “Learn to use Facebook” try “Tips and tools for keeping in touch with distant loved ones” and show them facebook, skype, IM, etc. Teach to the needs of our community members by letting tech play the role in was intended for: a tool”

2. The Social Physical Library: fostering connections & giving patrons a reason to come inside When Emily Lloyd isn’t drawing witty cartoon’s she’s writing thoughtful blog posts like this one. Seriously awesome idea, wish I had a prize to offer the first library that implements it,and shares how with the rest of us

One way libraries strive to build community is by offering programs–lectures, YouTube viewing nights, open mic poetry readings. Folks come together and hang out with their neighbors with similar interests (if only passively, while  listening to a lecture in the same room together). The thing with events, though, is that people have to a)hear about them, usually in advance b)remember to come to them (if they’re still in the mood), etc. They also c)usually require a significant amount of planning on the part of library staff, and perhaps even some money.

What if (in addition to these events) there were neat, social, community-building opportunities for patrons to engage in whenever they happened to step foot in the library? That didn’t require planning on the library’s part, or remembering on the patrons’ part? That were targeted to their own individual interests? That fostered connections between them and their neighbors? That made stopping by the library just to see what’s up in the building worthwhile, as opposed to only using the digital branch? That helped people to learn and to better use our resources and our spaces?

Here’s what I’m thinking: a living, updated-in-real-time site (somewhat like Twitter or Foursquare in the way it works–and it would need IM capabilities built-in), ideally displayed prominently on a large screen in the lobby/entrance, but workable even if it was just on the web via a link on the library’s home page (that automatically loads when you use the library computers, and that wireless users can choose to load).

3. Thoughtful piece looking at future and emergent technologies and their implications for learning and teaching

Rather than focus on technology alone, it is more useful to examine the possible social effects of technologies – the socio-technical trends.

4. great guide to understanding #broadband What is Broadband? A brief and informative breakdown of broadband and the benefits.

5. If you only read one blog post today make it this one RT @theREALwikiman: The Echo Chamber Live #echolib I have been following Ned’s thoughts on the Echo Chamber since he first began blogging and tweeting about it (#echolib) and I’ve really taken it to heart. I have made a concerted effort to connect with non-library related folk on Twitter and read blogs by people outside of libraryland. Lately I’ve noticed more and more librarians discussing the echo chamber and looking to get outside of their bubble.  You should also check out this post Escaping the Echo Chamber – presentation

6. HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn I think this is more for me than everyone else. I’m on Linkedin, my profile is complete, I have connections, heck I even have recommendations, but I still feel like I’m not using it to its full potential.

7. AWESOME! RT @theREALwikiman: Sweet LORD, I shouldn’t be as excited by this icon-finder site as I am via @PhilBradley I have to agree with Ned, the site is awesome and my excitement might be a little over the top. Really check it out.

8. Staff Development on a Budget My post over at ALA Learning, I share some great, FREE resources for staff development.

9. Writer, technologist, futurist (and father) Cory Doctorow shares his own concerns about child safety and the Internet - Doctorow shares how he incorporates a computer screen into time with his daughter, a must read.

10. read it. then read it again. even if you aren’t “famous” How to be “famous” (wink wink, nudge nudge) I came across this old post by Karen Schneider through the magic of Twitter and the Internet last week. There is some really good advice in there.  Everyone should read this, thanks to the Internet everyone will be famous to 15 people.

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Top ten links week 40 - broadband, time management and productivity

My personal select top ten from the links I shared on Twitter 10/1/2010 through 10/7/2010. The best of the best and/or the most important stuff I tweeted last week

1. broadband is the great infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century #broadband – a broadband.gov post from Phoebe Yang – Senior Advisor to the Chairman on Broadband. It’s no great secret how I feel about broadband and the digital divide.

2. Three more folks on the Bloggers@IL2010 list and now WordPress.com and WordPress Self Hosted are tied again.- Going to be at Internet Librarian and blogging your sessions? Let ITI know so you will be on the resource list for those who can’t attend

3. 8 Bad Habits that Crush Your Creativity And Stifle Your Success via @copyblogger @DanielPink

Creating and evaluating at the same timeThe Expert SyndromeFear of failureFear of ambiguityLack of confidenceDiscouragement from other peopleBeing overwhelmed by informationBeing trapped by false limits

4. E-rate in a Broadband World - This week, the Commission released the text of an order that modernizes and upgrades the E-rate program to bring fast, affordable Internet access to schools and libraries across the country.

… the Commission conducted a survey which found that almost 80 percent of E-rate recipients believe their current Internet connections are not sufficient to meet their current needs.

To begin to address this gap, the Commission’s order will make it easier for schools and libraries to get the highest speeds for the lowest prices by increasing their options for broadband providers. The key provisions in the order include:

Allowing participants to use E-rate funds to connect to the Internet in the most cost-effective way possible, including via unused fiber optic lines already in place across the country and through existing state, regional and local networks;Making permanent a waiver that allows schools to create “School Spots” by opening up their doors to greater community use of E-rate supported services and facilities. Schools are already taking advantage of the existing waiver allowing them the option to provide Internet access to the local community after regular school hours. We’d love to hear your community use “success story” so please let us know if you are opening your doors as well.Launching a pilot program to support off-campus wireless Internet connectivity for portable learning devices;Indexing the cap on E-rate funding to inflation so that the program can more fully meet the needs of students and communities;Allowing the program to support connections to the dormitories of schools that serve students facing unique challenges, such as Tribal schools or schools for children with physical, cognitive, or behavioral disabilities;Bolstering protections against waste, fraud, and abuse by codifying competitive bidding requirements and clarifying restrictions on gifts from potential service providers; andStreamlining the E-rate application process.

5. I’m working on this and I’m so busy RT @gretchenrubin: No More Complaining, “I Feel So Tired.” – I’ve learned that saying how busy I am only makes me feel more busy and hurried and doesn’t accomplish anything.  Luckily I don’t often complain that I’m tired but I can apply these same principals to complaining about how busy I am.

6. The real cost of free -  well-written, calm take-down by @doctorow

7. “If you want everyone to have the same mental model of a problem, the fastest way to do it is with a picture.” Great article on why sometimes the best, most clear form of communication is not words.

8. Schedule Your Work to Avoid Choking Your Calendar with Interruptions via @TheLiB @Lifehacker#timemanagement – a must read post on time management and productivity.

In my experience, most people don’t schedule their work. They schedule the interruptions that prevent their work from happening.

9. great tool for those like me who are super sad Google Reader discontinued page change tracking Page2RSS

10. Scientific American: Why Broadband Service in the U.S. is So Awful#KnightComm #broadband

The average U.S. household has to pay an exorbitant amount of money for an Internetconnection that the rest of the industrial world would find mediocre. According to a recent report by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, broadband Internet service in the U.S. is not just slower and more expensive than it is in tech-savvy nations such as South Korea and Japan; the U.S. has fallen behind infrastructure-challenged countries such as Portugal and Italy as well.

11. Gmail Priority Inbox: 5 Tips for Better Productivity #timemanagement – Just when I thought Gmail couldn’t get any better they rolled out Priority InBox. I love it! I get a lot of email and I’m a busy lady. These 5 tips from Mashable will help you conquer your email

Prioritize FiltersCustomize SectionsStart With a Clean SlateUse Your “Inbox” for FoldersTest Priority with Multiple Inboxes

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Top ten links week 29 logo contest, speaker tips, finding time, the value of privacy and more

07.24.2010 · Posted in links, read you this my personal select top ten links of Twitter 7/16/2010 through 7/22/2010. The best of the best or the most important things I tweeted last week! 1. Logo contest entry

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Top Ten Links Week 23

June 12, 2010 · Posted in Links, Read This 

My personally selected top 10 from the links I shared on Twitter from 6/4/2010 thru 6/10/2010

1. great list of people to follow! – My Personal Learning Network of Librarians & Library Trainers By

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Top Ten Links Week 24

June 19, 2010 · Posted in Links, Read This 

My personally selected top 10 links that I posted on Twitter from 6/11/2010 to 6/17/2010

1. me too! RT

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Top Ten Links Week 22

June 6, 2010 · Posted in Links, Read This 

My personally selected top 10 from the links I shared on Twitter from 5/28/2010 thru 6/3/2010

1. Managing the Productivity Paradox – HBR IdeaCast – I love these podcast from Harvard Business Review. I’m also very interested in what work and doesn’t work in the workplace. Tony Schwartz talks about what is needed to renew and re-energize yourself at work.

Featured Guest: Tony Schwartz, president and CEO of The Energy Project and author of The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance

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