let's ning this thing!

Once in a while--more than, actually--I wake up and recognize that I'm the luckiest librarian out there. I'll not deny that the thought has crossed my mind an abnormally high percentage of the time on generous school system vacation days, but work days definitely have me thinking it, too.

[A student just now returned an SAT review book and checked another out, and that's the kind of thing that gets me all choked up. Ahhh.]

Last week, in the midst of Science Fair Preparation Madness*, our 11th grade Chemistry teacher approached me (presumably in response to a memo I'd sent out recently advertising our newly purchased databases, asking for book requests--hooray REACH grant money!--and offering to collaborate on lessons) and asked if I was interested in collaborating on a lesson using Ning. Um, yes! The teacher had just returned from a conference featuring a session that apparently stressed the potential benefits of utilizing technology in the classroom, and she was clearly inspired. Her interest has me giddy.

We'll meet today to plan the lesson, and I've just signed up for Ning in preparation. I also joined the Library 2.0 social network. This involved providing additional (and repeat) general information, plus a statement about why I am interested in joining the network. I wrote, "I'm very interested in user-centered change and participation in the creation of content and community!" Who, I wonder, was reading my 'application'?! I received an email that said, "Welcome to Ning, where you can create and discover new social networks for the most important people and interests in your life." Wow now! Said that way, I almost feel as though I've won some sort of gift.

The gift is apparently conditional, though. My current status? "Your membership to Library 2.0 is pending approval. Hello, Ms. Daehler, Your profile details must be approved by the Administrator before you can become a member of Library 2.0. You will receive an email once your profile is approved."

Well, then!

Oooh, update [22 minutes or so later]! This just in: "Congratulations! Your Library 2.0 membership has been approved."

I'm basking in the approval (could there have been a wrong answer? Might someone actually be rejected?), and I'm excited to see what my colleague and I are able to set up for the students this afternoon. SNS use in the classroom, here we come.

*In order to prepare students for their Science Fair project presentations, Joe, our ESL teacher, and I made mock presentations to every section of the 11th grade. We demonstrated, very effectively (if student feedback is any indication), all the things NOT to do: awful posture, over-generalizations, lack of focus, no eye contact, reading off of the slide (while blocking it, back to the audience) in monotone, slang ("These molecules are O.D. running into each other, yo!"), poor team work, etc. etc. We caused a lot of giggles, and students were wonderful about pointing out exactly what we'd done wrong. Following the presentations and feedback sharing, when everyone was calm and attentive, I also "got" to make a big speech about how to take care of the library (they'd left the place a MESS the night before, and I was flustered and insulted). I'll spare you the speech, but judging by the current state of the library, it was effective. Timing and mood has so much to do with it, I think!