A major social
networking experience during this unit for me was the chance to become literate
in the skills needed to explore Second Life. The challenge of learning to “move about with
grace and aplomb” (Bell, Peters & Pope, 2007, p. 123) was real, and
orientation and navigation skills took time to acquire. As educators must sometimes find, leading a
tour can be a little like “herding cats that can fly and teleport at will”
(Bell et al, 2007, p. 125). After some occasional issues with sound and vision,
I was able to concentrate on being “in-world”.
The
opportunity for “networking”, and “collaboration” in SL became evident
(Greenhill, K., 2007, slide 31).
Real-time conversation with the educator and classmates was invaluable
and added to the experience of distance learning a “connectedness” that
complimented other social networking applications used by the class, such as
Facebook, delicious and Pinterest.
The kind of
learning that took place during the approximately nine hours I spent in Second
Life engaged me cognitively unlike learning in other online applications, and ‘learning
by doing’ was highlighted. Observing how the educator conducted this new (to
me) form of information literacy (IL) training also highlighted some of the
general and specific (to SL) skills required.
By taking part
in this series of sessions, I developed an interest in SL and intend to explore
it further, and develop skills in navigation, avatar presentation, and to stay
informed about virtual library services, developments and new possibilities. The skills I have begun to develop in SL are
related to problem-solving, transferring IT skills to a new environment, and
communicating with others in a virtual setting.
With regard to
the development and improvement of a personal learning network (PLN), some
aspects were improved upon, while there is still a need to manage the organisation
of my PLN more effectively. Keeping up
with class content and conversation in Facebook was made easy by its
familiarity, smartphone access, and the logical way the group itself was
organised and moderated. Adding the
sharing of content via delicious amongst the class added a new range of
resources to my reading. My use of
Google Reader has not improved greatly –consequently the opportunity to comment
and respond to blogs by classmates was not taken up. Setting up and exploring
the possibilities for library networking in Pinterest with classmates presented
a new facet to my PLN which was informative and rewarding, and which I will
continue. Blogging for the subject, using a more formal approach, language and
labelling system gave insights into writing for the Web in a professional
context, and I was able to consider and develop skills in this area.
The assignment
on writing a social networking proposal for a real business setting provided an
opportunity to apply concepts and theory in a practical context. I learned how to conduct an environmental
scan, set realistic goals, select resources, propose measureable outcomes,
address potential concerns, factor in human and financial costs, and plot a timeline
for rollout.
My learning on
social networking strategy was supported by the reading and this enhanced my ‘big
picture’ thinking about planning, scope, staffing, practices, and content in a
professional setting. I learned that
effective strategy provides a framework within which to set goals and select
projects which are more likely to be in line with the organisation’s overall
goals and vision.
With regard to
gaining knowledge of social media and networking policies for libraries, the set
reading informed my thinking a great deal, while the tasks I undertook resulted
in deeper understanding of the issues, considerations and responsibilities
around creating content for the Social Web in a professional setting. Having a range of resources now at my disposal
to refer back to, I have a much better understanding of professional approaches
to policy-making, including responsibilities and legal requirements. I am
encouraged by the concept of social media policy which enables rather than
restricts (Lauby, 2009, para. 5) in the context of professional communication
for connecting with library users.
While I have
found managing the workflow a particular challenge this semester, I have been
encouraged by the input from and interaction with the class, the guidance offered
by the educators, and the practical skills I have gained in using social
networking for professional applications in a library and information context. The subject has informed me of areas I need
to develop and equipped me to further my learning about the social web.
References
Bell, L., Peters, T. & Pope,
K. (2007). Library 2.0 and virtual worlds: =innovation + exploration. In N. Courtney. (Ed.), Library 2.0 and beyond. (pp. 119-128).
Westport, Connecticut: Libraries
Unlimited
Greenhill, K. (2007). Flying librarians of OZ:
What’s all the fuss about Second Life and what’s it got to do with libraries?
Retrieved from Slideshare
Lauby, S. (2009a) 10 Must-Haves for Your Social
Media Policy, Mashable, 6 February [blog] Retrieved from Mashable
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