Library 2.0

This week I decided to view NECC conference on the web. They had a panel of experts in the school media center. I decided to watch this conference because one of my goals is to get more familiar with library 2.0. It seems like there is a new tool everyday. This makes it difficult to keep up with all the tools. Sometimes I feel really guilty about not knowing all of the tools that might be useful for my students. On the other hand, I know that it is impossible to be an expert on all of the new technology. That is why I really enjoyed this conference. As I listened to the conference I kept thinking about teaching overall. Library 2.0 can seem scary to teachers that are not comfortable with technology, but this conference confirmed that all it really is, is good teaching strategies.

The panel kept talking about having the students help create the space on the web. Through conversation with others they will get so much more than only speaking to the teacher. I agree that it is the process that is much more valuable than the end product. From my experience, I learned so much more from students when I talked to them. I also fear things that seem to go perfect for others. I appreciated that during the conference the panel also shared things that might go wrong. It just made things seem more real. One of the best things I walked away with is that we do not have to be an expert at everything, but we should learn the tool before we teach it.

I have been talking about library 2.0 as if it only consisted of tools, but it is so much more. I leave you with the final thoughts from this conference, "Is technology building deeper understanding rather that just tools?"