Week 9 - In Summary

I guess I could sum up my experience with 23 Things in two words "not bad". When I first went into this program I was filled with trepidation. It sounded very intimidating and being of the "technically challenged" generation I imagined all kinds of problems that I was going to have, thus the usage of the word "anxious" in my blog title. But the program was "not bad". Yes, I did have some trouble trying to do some of the activities but I surprised myself with all that I managed to do with very little guidance from anyone else. I learned about a lot of new concepts (new to me) like blogging, blog lines, RSS, and image generators to name a few. My favorite activities were the image generators, YouTube, podcasts, and online productivity tools. I also liked Flicker. Can I use these concepts in the library? I would say yes; it has it's place. I could incorporate some of these concepts into programming and also refer patrons to various sites. At some point in time I would like to explore some of these ideas on my own. If nothing else it has given me an overall education of technological programming.
How could the program be improved? I think some of the directions we had to follow on the different sites were difficult to understand especially for novices. There was really no "expert" we could turn to for help except each other. But in many cases that was the blind leading the blind. Also people were at different places and working on it at different times so it was hard to find someone to help you. I think it would have helped if we had someone who would always be available and patient to lend support. Another idea might be to work in study groups. Those of higher ability could help those who struggle. There was a lot of work involved and the time frame was a little tight (at least for the prizes and CCUs) especially since this fell during the summer with vacations and summer reading.
And my overall feeling of accomplishment? "Not Bad"! I learned I am capable of much more than I had thought. I am open to more opportunities like this.