THe End of Vermont's 23 Things

Well, this has been some journey! It feels as if it started years ago and here I am sitting in the same chair, at the same computer, feeling the same amount of frustration that I felt at the beginning.

I know and understand so much more than I did. And I guess I'm pleased that this is so. I loved the Moxy Fruvous video, but then they've long been one of my favourite bands with the song being one our family had fun singing together (yes, this is true - but then we're Canadians) on car trips. I also liked the instructions on the use of a book. Sometimes I feel we need to do this for some of the kids that come in to use our computers. I'm not sure they know what all those things are on the shelves gathering dust. The library dominoes - now, wouldn't that be fun? All but the re-shelving of the books!

YouTube - now there's something I needed to be exposed to. But spend time with it...?. "Exploring" it reminded me of going into a video rental outlet with no clear idea of what I actually wanted. Lots of time spent in aimless meandering.... I did find one video I really liked. It was at www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPd2EI3_crc and involved the Mexico/US border issue. At least, I think it did. It was in Spanish and I don't speak Spanish... But it was moving. As was the MLK "I Have a Dream/March on Washington" video. The famous movie scenes were fun but lost quite a bit being seen as snippets rather than parts of a whole.
Good for settling bets, though.

I added the NPR Books podcast to my reader. I find I learn much about books from NPR, but in a very hit or miss fashion. This will make it more focused and on my schedule rather than theirs.

That we might ever have the time to use any of these things at our Library seems unlikely. Because they do take time, and lots of it, if they're to be done in such a way that they have any value. But it's good to know a bit about many of the things we've learned through this course.

The one thing we really missed out on was intelligent and real interaction with each other in relation to each week's explorations and exercises. Because I share my job with another librarian who was also doing the course, we did get a chance for some of this exchange. But I feel, as a group, we lost out by having this strictly online with no opportunity for discussion.

All that said, I'm glad I persevered. I'm glad I've learned what I've learned. And I'm glad, for the moment, that we can all move outdoors and rake our lawns, clean out our flower beds, or just take a long walk with a friend - and, thus, interact with the world rather stay glued to a computer screen.

Cheers everyone! It's been, well, almost real!