Never stop learning

So here we are, our final week. Hard to believe we are finished with this project, it feels like we just started! I have to admit, at first I was not very excited to learn about all these online tools. I am not very computer savy (quite frankly they intimidate me a bit). As long as I can access my email and browse through Facebook, I don't have much of a desire for technology in my day-to-day life. However, once I started exploring some of the sites, I have to admit, I enjoyed it. And it wasn't nearly as scary as I had first imagined it would be. I'm not one to spend countless hours trolling the internet; I tend to get overwhelmed by all that is available online. Being able to traipse along, with no real destination, quite literally stumbling on different websites based on my interests, is exactly what I need! That's why this week's site, Stumbleupon, is quite possibly my favorite website of them all. I think it is probably the one I will end up using the most in my personal life. Pinterest will remain my go-to site for work related ideas. It always has some great ideas for crafts for childrens programs as well as unique ideas for book displays that we can adapt to our space. The only task that I really didn't enjoy is this one, blogging. No real reason, just not something I enjoy doing. Now that the 23NB program is over, I am very glad to have had the opportunity to take part in it. As I mentioned, spending time exploring the internet and all it's offerings is not something I do in my spare time (probably has something to do with the antiquated computer I have at home) so I am glad to have had the chance to explore some websites that I never would have found on my own. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

Apps

Our Things of the Week are Apps for mobile devices - fairly easy since I already had both apps installed on my phone :) OverDrive is not one I use often (I still prefer having a "real" book in my hands) but I can see the appeal of electronic books for people who travel or have vision difficulties and like the option of enlarging the font size - large print book without the extra weight. BiblioNB is one that I will use more frequently now that I have my account saved on my phone. I bring in quite a few holds and the ease of placing them from home using this app is great!

On the Teen Book side of life, our book club met today to discuss The Giver by Lois Lowry. A few had read it to the end, some were only a couple chapters into it. The ones who hadn't finished it were quite shocked to find out that part of the book was about euthanasia. We had a good discussion about that topic, was it ethical for it to be performed on humans as well as animals, what circumstances it would be acceptable for it to be performed on humans, who could make the decision, etc. Most of them felt that it should be an option for humans if they wish. This led quite nicely into the next book, which is The Fault in our Stars by John Green. I wonder if they will change their opinions regarding euthanasia after reading that book?

Sharing and Scoop.it

Our Thing of the Week is sharing information via a website called Scoop.it. From what I can see, it's like Pinterest for articles. I found a couple interesting topics to follow, mainly having to do with YA literature and libraries, plus one on e-learning and incorporating technology into teaching. Quite interesting material and hopefully I'll find some new books to use for our book club :) Yet another website that I can see myself getting lost in...