Get on the stick, Minnesota librarians!

Check this out, Minnesota librarians:

23 Things On a Stick Officially Begins January 20, 2008.
You will find all the details and be able to register your blog that day.

In the meantime, here is the Intro!

Have you ever thought, ”Gosh, I wish I had time to learn more about Flickr , wikis , or (enter your Web 2.0 tool here)?” Well, this is your chance to take the time to focus on your personal and professional development around Web 2.0 tools. It’s fun to explore these tools and figure out ways to use them in the library, with your personal Web sites, or in other ways.

23 Things On a Stick is the Minnesota twist on the Library Learning 2.0 program developed by Helene Blowers at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenberg County and adopted or adapted by many other libraries and organizations since then. 23 Things On a Stick was developed by the seven multitype multicounty library systems as part of the staff development the multitypes offer in their regions.

Who Can Participate
This program is open to all staff in any Minnesota library—public, academic, school, or special—as well as members of their Governing Boards, their Friends groups, or Advisory Groups. 23 Things on a Stick is approved for Minnesota Voluntary Certification for Library Employees and CEUs . Experienced Web 2.0 users as well as novices and everyone in between are invited to join. This is self-paced and self-directed.

Registration begins January 20, 2008. You must register your blog by February 15 and then complete all 23 Things by April 16, during National Library Week.

23 Things on a Stick will be a breakout session on January 28 at the MEMO Midwinter Conference. School librarians and everyone else are invited to attend the Monday sessions to learn more and begin completing the 23 Things on a Stick. You do not need to attend MEMO Midwinter to participate.

Thanks to the Multitype Directors and Minitex for helping get this going. It'll be great fun. I'll gettin' my prize come National Library Week! I can only hope it is a new Jaguar or round the world cruise!

Great name by the way. For non-Minneostans, state fair goer can find nearly anything they care to eat "on a stick."  

Comments

[Liz Philippi]

We started a program like this in Spring Branch ISD before the Christmas holidays and it is going like gangbusters! It is so much fun to see both our librarians and other teachers in the district and outside the district playing with all of the neat tools out there on the web. I think you are going to have a blast with it, and I love the "23 things on a stick" name and reference! Here is the link to our site, we did it as a playground format and it really is fun. I think the folks in Charlotte have done all of us a great service by getting this started! Have fun "playing"!!!

http://library2play.blogspot.com/

Liz Philippi
Spring Branch ISD

[Doug Johnson]

Thanks for the encouragement, Liz. I know the California librarians have also been successful with this approach. I'm glad it's started here in MN, too. I feel pretty comfortable with most of these tools, but I am still going to complete the program.

All the very best,

Doug

[JB]

Doug,
Thanks for the link and plug for the California SLL2.0. We had a great time creating it, and have continued to tweak it as new tools are discovered. We are now on our second round (Winter 2.0 Fun) of training and still are enrolling enthusiastic learners. We also have a Classroom 2.0 version out for teachers. (http://classroomlearning2.blogspot.com/) We encourage librarians who have completed the SLL2.0 tutorial to offer the Classroom 2.0 as an inservice for their teachers. In addition to both of the tutorials, we also created a curriculum wiki on which participants could post ideas on how to use 2.0 tools to enhance the curriculum. (http://calcurriculum.pbwiki.com/)
Those of you in the frozen north cannot edit the wiki, but you are more than welcome to read it. :-)

[Doug Johnson]

Hi JB,

Thanks for sharing both these resources. The teacher tutorial seems like a natural next step.

I'll see that MN's organizers hear of these ideas!

Thanks again,

Doug

[Ann Walker Smalley]

Thanks for the plug, Doug. The multitype directors plan a "what did we learn/how can you do this in your building/district" program at the fall conferences. We will make all our text available in an easy to use format and help people get started. In the meantime--we hope everyone has fun with @3 Things On a Stick. And your blog was the first one registered:-)

Ann

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Ann,

You are very welcome. I hope we get a good participation rate. Thanks so much for the multitypes for spearheading this.

Take a look a the other stuff those Californians are doing too. Very cool.

I going right back to do my next lesson!

Doug