BOK 4 - Information Transfer Process.
Thing 1: In this Thing you will create your own blog (if you don't have one already) and will think and write about why you're taking part in 23 Things for Professional Development and what you're hoping to get out of it.
Create your own blog - done (you're looking at it). Of course I will eventually need to let other people know of its existence, but that is for another day in the not-to-distant future (once I am happy to share).
Think and write about why I am taking part in 23 Things for Professional Development and what I am hoping to get out of it
I am taking part in the 23 TfPD blog course for two reasons. The first is as part of the requirements for my Professional Training Plan I am working through over the course of the year in order to gain my professional registration as a librarian in New Zealand. The second reason is to keep myself up-to-date with the various topics, tools and technologies concerning libraries, including Web 2.0. It will be good to become aware of what other librarians are thinking about and working on, outside of the library I myself work in.
I am hoping to get to experience the topics, tools and technologies that I know are out there in the library world but I do not get to cover within the confines of my own job requirements. I am hoping that even though the 23 Things blog ceased to be live in November 2011, the range of topics will still be relevant enough to spur me onto the most up-to-date aspects of them. There will also not be the same interaction with other members but there are plenty of other forums where I can seek this kind of interaction.
Thing 2: Now you've set off with your own blogging, it's time to meet the neighbours: see who else is taking part and what they're saying. First of all, you need to let other people know that you're taking part. Do that by completing the 23 Things for Professional Development registration form.
After registering this time last week, the first thing I did this morning was check for confirmation on the blog. Nothing. Although after reading previous registration comments I should not be surprised at this since the course has in fact stopped. The fact I can access other members blogs suggests I am underway anyway.
Took a few goes to find a blog with anything on it besides a basic profile. 'A delve in the shelves' was the first to give me an idea of what a completed 23 TfPD blog course looks like - what I am letting myself in for - and it was the first blog I have elected to follow on my own. 'Charlie's 23 Things for professional development' gave me a few clues as to how they went about his task, particularly looking for blogs with '23Things' in the title - set up specifically for the course. The comments on 'The Neon Librarian' about being a lurker rather than a contributor to blogs were especially relevant.
Thing 3: Consider your personal brand
Search for your name in Google and check out the first page or so of results.
Typed 'Alan Gray' into Bing and looked through the first three pages for no results. Restricted search to NZ only, still no results. No results for "Alan Gray librarian" or "Alan Gray library" either. In Google my Facebook page (with my picture) is number three on the results list for 'Alan Gray'. Nothing else within first three pages. No results, on first three pages for "Alan Gray librarian" or "Alan Gray library". Nothing for 'Grazer' but 'Grazer library' brought up this blog on second page. 'Grazer librarian' brings up this blog as the second link on the first page.
Working through this process has made me consider whether I want to people to think of me primarily as 'Grazer' (a nickname I've been called over the years) or 'Alan Gray'. Right at the moment, until I know any better, Grazer suits me fine, even though anybody likely to know me in the library field will know me by my name rather than my nickname. I'm thinking that this will change when I share this blog with collagues.
In terms of the information that is 'out there' for people to see, I have always been aware of the desire to maintain a professional presence and not reveal or post anything that I would not want fellow professionals to read about me. This is still the case.
Reflect on what you discovered and think about some of the ways you could improve your personal brand.
I have discovered that I am quite chuffed at finding my Facebook and blog pages so easily on Google. I am aware of the limitations of choosing 'Grazer' as my moniker. I could improve my brand by using my name but I will hang off doing that just yet - I like Grazer - 'grazing the bookshelves' is the suggestion I am going for by using it.
Being still unsure of what my 'brand' actually entailed besides the look of my blog I investigated some of the links on the cpd23 Things page. One blog link reminded me I needed an 'About' page, detailing my position and employer. Also I need to remember that current and future employers will also be reading what I write. Another blog posited that personal branding is about finding people you want to know and work with, and cultivating conversations - the brand is the network. I like this idea as I want to find out what other people, with similar interests to mine, and who work in libraries, are looking at and involved in. I suppose I should go back now and fill in the rest of my profile, adding interest and hobbies as well as who I work for and what I do...done.
I have discovered that I am quite chuffed at finding my Facebook and blog pages so easily on Google. I am aware of the limitations of choosing 'Grazer' as my moniker. I could improve my brand by using my name but I will hang off doing that just yet - I like Grazer - 'grazing the bookshelves' is the suggestion I am going for by using it.
Being still unsure of what my 'brand' actually entailed besides the look of my blog I investigated some of the links on the cpd23 Things page. One blog link reminded me I needed an 'About' page, detailing my position and employer. Also I need to remember that current and future employers will also be reading what I write. Another blog posited that personal branding is about finding people you want to know and work with, and cultivating conversations - the brand is the network. I like this idea as I want to find out what other people, with similar interests to mine, and who work in libraries, are looking at and involved in. I suppose I should go back now and fill in the rest of my profile, adding interest and hobbies as well as who I work for and what I do...done.
Optional extra activity
Ask someone else (such as one of the other programme participants) what they think your blog says about your personal brand. Are the words they suggest ones that you feel describe you? If not, consider why that might be and how you could change that perception.
As the 23 Things programme has finished I am unable to ask other participants I used this activity as a spur to my thinking as to what it might suggest/say about me as a person and say about the kind of people I am looking to attact to my blog. Always looking for the brighter side of life I'm thinking that I am aiming for a certain quirkiness in my blog, looking to attact quiky-minded people.
I did however ask my mentor for her impression of my blog.
To quote: "I can hear you when I read the blog and I enjoyed, nearly felt motivated, reading the pages about why you were doing this etc. I think you have hit the nail on the head".
A good start.
Thing 4: RSS feeds, Twitter, Pushnote
My first purposeful tweet:
As the 23 Things programme has finished I am unable to ask other participants I used this activity as a spur to my thinking as to what it might suggest/say about me as a person and say about the kind of people I am looking to attact to my blog. Always looking for the brighter side of life I'm thinking that I am aiming for a certain quirkiness in my blog, looking to attact quiky-minded people.
I did however ask my mentor for her impression of my blog.
To quote: "I can hear you when I read the blog and I enjoyed, nearly felt motivated, reading the pages about why you were doing this etc. I think you have hit the nail on the head".
A good start.
Thing 4: RSS feeds, Twitter, Pushnote
My first purposeful tweet:
'At last a real reason to use Twitter - as part of the requirements of the 23 Things programme. Until now I have not seen any personal benefit in using it #cpd23'
Before now I have understood how to go about leading and following tweetees and tweeters and now, through the instructions I understand how to be followed by the cpd 23 group by adding #cpd23 to the tweet (whoever's left anyway), and how to follow by searching for @CPD23. Exciting. This excitement was tempered by the fact that the website had a problem sending my tweet and then searching for @CPD23. Hmm.
It was good though to get started and the list provided of LIS-related tweeters to follow was appreciated as other places to start. I am now following the one (out of six) worth following and look forward to seeing what it means to do so. Will have to search for more relating to librarians.
Thankfully, over the next two weeks before I could return and finish this off, an email arrived from Twitter suggesting library-type people to follow. I have duely gone through the substantial list and focussed on the major libraries in the UK, US and NZ.
I notice/reflect now that I have not received any Twitter alerts from the people I was following. Perhaps now I have added more there might be more chance? Bingo! Have just refreshed the Home page on Twitter and there are all the tweets. Now if the PC can only load Thing 4. Have saved link to Favourites so will hopefully get into the habit of regularly opening Twitter in a tab and checking them.
Having the page open I can see how it all works - duh! Every time someone tweets it is noted in the tab. So by keeping an eye on the tab you can see when they arrive. Have had a look at some of the links on each tweet and began to see how addictive they could get if you can find something interesting enough - tweeted the same as I thought I'd better try and tweet something.
RSS
RSS (commonly known as Really Simple Syndication) allows you to view new content from web sites, blog entries, etc in one place, without having to visit the individual sites. All the news comes to you!
RSS (commonly known as Really Simple Syndication) allows you to view new content from web sites, blog entries, etc in one place, without having to visit the individual sites. All the news comes to you!
Had a look through some of the suggested sites to link RSS feeds to but only found one to my liking. Made me try and work out/organise my Favourites bar to fit everything on that I need visual reminders for. Will return again with comments regarding the PIMS (Plus Minus Interesting Solution) of RSS.
A side-bonus to this activity was to remind me of the library blogs I have bookmarked on my Google page. I'd forgotten all about them. I've gone though them all and notice how none of them are grabbing my attention. I wonder what I saw in them when I first chose them?
Pushnote
Pushnote is a tool that allows you to rate and comment on any website. I have decided, due to time constraints and a lack of interest in commenting on other people's websites, that I will not bother with this section.
Pushnote is a tool that allows you to rate and comment on any website. I have decided, due to time constraints and a lack of interest in commenting on other people's websites, that I will not bother with this section.
Thing 5: Reflective practice
An opportunity to review the experiences we have, learning from them and applying what we have learnt (taken from the CPD23 site).
1. Recall it: this could be an event you’ve participated in, a project group you’ve been part of, a workshop you’ve delivered, an enquiry you’ve responded to…
2. Evaluate it: Take some time to consider these questions
What did you learn?
What did you enjoy?
What worked well?
What, if anything, went wrong?
What would you change?
What (potential) impact could this have in your workplace?
3. Apply it: Take some action. What can you practically apply from the experience you’ve had?
Creating my own blog
This is an ongoing practice. Although I have already created it I am continually finding new ways to use and improve it i.e., creating. I must admit I found it very useful that after the first couple of weeks of working with the 'Blogger' blog the people who own it decided to renovate and in doing so provided a much easier format to navigate and use. In terms of evaluating it I like where it is at the moment but I know it needs more. More colour, more pictures, more publicity, more interaction by other people. I am now thinking seriously that the time is near for me to share it with the rest of my workplace here at the library.
Twitter
When I first started using Twitter I could not see how it could work for me. Then after playing around with it and relating it to my Professional Training Plan requirements I found I had a purpose for using it. By searching for tweeter's with interests similar to mine and on topics I was interested in I have begun to settle on who I want and need to follow and who I need to unfollow as they bombard me with irrelevant tweets. On the outgoing side of Twitter I am realising how I can use it to advertise this blog by sending out tweets highlighting what I have been working on - start sharing my ideas and thoughts with the thoughts and ideas of a wider audience.
1. Recall it: this could be an event you’ve participated in, a project group you’ve been part of, a workshop you’ve delivered, an enquiry you’ve responded to…
2. Evaluate it: Take some time to consider these questions
What did you learn?
What did you enjoy?
What worked well?
What, if anything, went wrong?
What would you change?
What (potential) impact could this have in your workplace?
3. Apply it: Take some action. What can you practically apply from the experience you’ve had?
Creating my own blog
This is an ongoing practice. Although I have already created it I am continually finding new ways to use and improve it i.e., creating. I must admit I found it very useful that after the first couple of weeks of working with the 'Blogger' blog the people who own it decided to renovate and in doing so provided a much easier format to navigate and use. In terms of evaluating it I like where it is at the moment but I know it needs more. More colour, more pictures, more publicity, more interaction by other people. I am now thinking seriously that the time is near for me to share it with the rest of my workplace here at the library.
When I first started using Twitter I could not see how it could work for me. Then after playing around with it and relating it to my Professional Training Plan requirements I found I had a purpose for using it. By searching for tweeter's with interests similar to mine and on topics I was interested in I have begun to settle on who I want and need to follow and who I need to unfollow as they bombard me with irrelevant tweets. On the outgoing side of Twitter I am realising how I can use it to advertise this blog by sending out tweets highlighting what I have been working on - start sharing my ideas and thoughts with the thoughts and ideas of a wider audience.
