Last night on Twitter, I saw postings from two of my LS grad students. They have completed work for an elective they took this summer that required them to tweet, produce book trailers, listen to audiobooks, and blog about their summer reading. Summer classes are intense since the turn around time for assignments can be days instead of weeks. However, these two postings assured me that the students are making the connections I envisioned. Both postings revealed that, even though the class is over, the students will continue to listen to audio and post to their blogs and stay with Twitter. Here are two newly minted school librarians who know the importance of connecting via various networks. They understand that Facebook and Twitter and other networks are functioning as their PLNs (personal learning networks).’ They can connect not only to one another but to librarians across the country and even across the ponds.
As school opening draws closer, how will you extend your PLN? Are you blogging and tweeting? Is there a listserv for your district or state? Do you monitor lists sposored by YALSA? If you do (and chances are good since you are reading the YALSA blog), why not tell others in your district about the values of social networking? Give them links to blogs; share your “twibe” from Twitter. Help others get and stay connected.
I had so much to say in response to this post that I wound up blogging it, myself: http://www.popgoesthelibrary.com/2009/08/bloggers-block.html
Scroll down through the navel-gazing to read the stuff that’s specifically relevant to this post!