Reflections on the 23 Things Experience

Here I am in August, summarising what I've done (that's a short one!) and what I've learnt (that's quite a bit bigger), and what I'm feeling about the experience (bigger again...)

How have you managed to complete the tasks, and what were some of the challenges you faced?
 I have been hopeless at doing the tasks, and did very few, although I read what I should do! Just a time thing I guess.

How have you enjoyed (or not enjoyed) the ‘sharing’ experience?
 Oh yes, this has been good. Very good. Excellent...  The strong feeling I had of support, and not asking a silly question was really valuable

Is there someone you have met or learned about through this learning experience that you feel will continue to follow, or who has inspired you?
No, you've all been great, writers and participants all.

Did you learn something completely new? 
Nothing was completely new, but almost every tool has features and functionality that I'd never known about , or hadn't used, or hadn't tried to set up myself. I'm still learning but at least I know where or how to start! 

What concept or idea has been introduced to you that was a surprise?

What is one thing you have learned that you will utilise into the future, and why?
I've become a tweeter! ie I can do it now (though still in a fairly basic way) without having to think about it. I have the confidence to tweet in meetings that aren't full of other 23 things participants... Thank you thank you.

Which was your favourite blog post, and why? 
Ummm, do have to nominate one? I just loved the relatively informal nature of almost all of the posts, and the almost confidential - written-just-for-me nature of a couple of them.
But if I have to nominate only a couple, then:

 Ron's post on LinkedIn was full of ah-hah moments for me.

Bec's post on Video was the one that will be most useful for me, once I start doing what she told me to do re embedding; and

since I've already nominated Twitter as my user-takeaway, then Carmel's post on Twitter must have had the most impact!!!

Would I recommend this to others?
You bet! Even if you don't have time, or don't think you do, it's worth it! Thanks so much to Tegan for her initial drive, to Carmel for backing that up with her organisational abilities, to Ken for great continuing support, and finally, to ALL the post authors for your time, your commitment, your imagination and creativity in writing. Wow!

Now to go  back and actually DO more of the tasks.....
Alison :-)

Twitter reflections

Well, I've finished the Twitter week, and I suppose I'm learning about it, and done some things I'd not known how to before.

But I'm still not sure that it's a technology for me. It's too short, too cryptic often, and doesn't give me much that I can't do elsewhere. The exception is following conferences, where it is a tool that nothing else replicates. 

But I'll stay with it....

Onwards and upwards!!!!

What I don't know I don't know

I've been reflecting today about how absurdly easy it is to think you've set up enough ways to ensure that you know what you are supposed to know -only to be blindsided by something else that you didn't know existed.
Yes, it's a real example, but I don't need to say more about it. I'm really thinking that I need to select my listening channels with both care and abandon. Ie get out there and listen in as many channels as possible. That way the expected but also the unexpected will occur! And the opportunity to learn widely. So I do need to create links to as many blogs as I think I can comfortably read. Not that I know HOW to do this - yet.

Introducing Alison

Hi all, I'm sort of participating in this program, but am really excited to be doing so....
I'm Alison Hunter, blogger and Acting Executive Director, Library Services at USQ.

I love blogs and have used them for private thinking, holiday diaries and family communication tools.  I read heaps of work blog posts too, but don't have an open work blog - till now!!!
See you next time :-)

Barney