LIBR 246-04/13 Web 2.0 (Spring 2010)

Wow! I can't even believe that the class is nearly over! I just finished grading your group projects (let me know if you didn't get an email from me with your grade and comments) and now all that's left are the final course reflections. Your enthusiasm in the class was truly inspiring to me and your reflections helped me to see many of these tools and ideas in new ways. I love how in this class we all get to be teachers and learners, so you're not just learning from one person, but from 23 other people (plus all the authors and bloggers we read!). I have gotten so many ideas for resources to use in future iterations of this class and a quick look at some of your suggestions for improving the class have really made me think of ways to make the class better. I take your feedback very seriously and really appreciate it. There's always room for improvement.

I'm a big believer in experiential and reflective learning. To be able to read about something, use it, and reflect on the experience creates knowledge that is far more "sticky" than if you just read about these things. When I first started blogging, I was constantly amazed by how it helped me to process my thoughts. Sometimes my own views about something weren't clear to me until I wrote about it. Blogs are a tremendous learning tool, especially in distance education. And, as you saw in this class, blogs can really bring people together around ideas. I think it takes classroom discussions to a new level and I hope you got a lot out of the discussions we've had this semester. I know I'll miss them.

I've heard people say that offering a class on 2.0 technologies is silly because so many of these technologies are ephemeral and will be gone before you know it. While this course is about social software, this teaches more than just a collection of technologies. It teaches how to critically evaluate technologies for use in libraries, how to incorporate technologies into reference and instruction, how technologies impact the learning process, how to plan for technology implementation, how to evaluate the imapct of technologies, how to be fearless about learning new technologies, how to keep up with technology in the profession beyond this course and more. When Facebook and Twitter are long gone, you will still know how to propose new technologies to your colleagues in a way that will increase the likelihood of buy-in. You will still be able to look critically at technologies and figure out whether or not they're right for your library. You'll still know how to plan for the implementation and ongoing maintenance of technologies. These skills are so easily transferrable. I hope you find that to be the case as well.

I feel strongly that knowledge of these tools and how to apply emerging technologies in libraries will help you in your career. I see more and more job ads asking for experience with Web 2.0 technologies and there has been a big increase in the number of Emerging Technology Librarian positions. Employers are looking for people who understand how technologies can be applied in libraries, how to critically evaluate technologies and how to keep up with future trends in libraries. Remember the experiences you had using these tools and capitalize on them when you have job interviews where the employers are looking for someone with tech-savvy. If a job calls for knowledge of Web 2.0 tools or emerging technologies, tech trends, etc., don't hesitate to mention your experiences in this class in your cover letter or resume.

The thing that has been on my mind all semester has been the question of why so many of your classes aren't engaging you and creating a sense of community the way this class did. So many of you have commented on the fact that you have not felt so engaged by other classes you've taken in grad school. I don't feel like what I did here as an instructor was particularly extraordinary, and while I did probably do more work on the front-end to create the Drupal classroom than most instructors do, I feel like this is something most people could replicate. I've been mulling over writing a blog post (on Information Wants to be Free) on this topic, because I'm so frustrated that the tools and techniques exist to make distance learning more engaging and so many instructors still aren't taking advantage. I want people to recognize that distance learning can be a great learning experience.