Monday 25 July 2011
Thing 8 - Google Calendar
I've had a quick look at Google calendar but decided not to set one up as for my own work appointments etc I am happy using outlook. As far as the College Library goes we don't have events that we publicise and our opening hours stay constant so I don't feel Google calendar would be useful in our setting.
Thing 7 Face-to-face networks and professional organisations
I have just spotted Thing 9 is already showing so once again I am behind. I can't believe how fast the days are flying be. With days off holiday and still doing the stocktake the time is just speeding past me.
Unfortuntaly I couldn't make it to any of the face-to-face events, with having a 14 month old my time on an evening is very limited not to mention the childcare issue!
I am a member of CILIP and I have found it very useful. I have to say that I haven't been as involved as I could have been as I haven't been to any of CILIP's meetings or conferences or any of the career development group informal events. I did achieve my certification ACLIP status and it was great to share experiences and information with my mentor. Being a member of CILIP I also love recieveing emails with current events and news to do with Libraries as well as reading literature that comes in the post. I find it fascinating reading about what others in the profession are doing and the challenges faced.
Unfortuntaly I couldn't make it to any of the face-to-face events, with having a 14 month old my time on an evening is very limited not to mention the childcare issue!
I am a member of CILIP and I have found it very useful. I have to say that I haven't been as involved as I could have been as I haven't been to any of CILIP's meetings or conferences or any of the career development group informal events. I did achieve my certification ACLIP status and it was great to share experiences and information with my mentor. Being a member of CILIP I also love recieveing emails with current events and news to do with Libraries as well as reading literature that comes in the post. I find it fascinating reading about what others in the profession are doing and the challenges faced.
Friday 22 July 2011
Thing 6 - Online Networks
Well I've set up a LinkdIn account, put a photo on and entered some imformation but I haven't had chance to do much with it yet. My work schedule is incredibly hectic at the moment as we are doing our annual stocktake, some room changes, textbook processing as well as the usual preparations for inductions for September's intake of students. I am having chance to have a quick look at each thing and then hopefully if things quieten down in a few weeks I'll be able to revisit them and have a more in depth look.
Facebook I use primarily for friends and family although I am a 'liker' of the CILIP page and now the '23 things' page. I do check Facebook quite regularly so will be good to have updates through Facebook as well.
I have registered for a LISNPN account but I'm having some probelsm setting up my profile. For some reason I can't add a photo or information about me as I keep getting 'error on page'. I'll go back to it hopefully next week and see if I get any more luck then.
I have decided not to look at the LAT network as it is not an area that I am currently involved in. I do inductions which tend to be more informal and I may be doing some user education sessions in the future but I will look into that when I have a little more time.
I am already a member of CILIP and registered online and I do check information on there quite regularly, especially when I was completing my certification of CILIP. I do find that it is full of useful information.
To sum up thing 6 I feel like I haven't had much time to devote to each area as I would have liked. I think a lot of these things do seem to take time to use and get to know to find out what they can do and with my current workload I just don't have time to do that. I will be carrying on with the things though as I am finding it useful to look at things I've not heard about or used before and some things do make life easier. I have found that I am spending so much time creating new accounts for different networks and will never have time to check them all. But it is is good to know what is out there!
Facebook I use primarily for friends and family although I am a 'liker' of the CILIP page and now the '23 things' page. I do check Facebook quite regularly so will be good to have updates through Facebook as well.
I have registered for a LISNPN account but I'm having some probelsm setting up my profile. For some reason I can't add a photo or information about me as I keep getting 'error on page'. I'll go back to it hopefully next week and see if I get any more luck then.
I have decided not to look at the LAT network as it is not an area that I am currently involved in. I do inductions which tend to be more informal and I may be doing some user education sessions in the future but I will look into that when I have a little more time.
I am already a member of CILIP and registered online and I do check information on there quite regularly, especially when I was completing my certification of CILIP. I do find that it is full of useful information.
To sum up thing 6 I feel like I haven't had much time to devote to each area as I would have liked. I think a lot of these things do seem to take time to use and get to know to find out what they can do and with my current workload I just don't have time to do that. I will be carrying on with the things though as I am finding it useful to look at things I've not heard about or used before and some things do make life easier. I have found that I am spending so much time creating new accounts for different networks and will never have time to check them all. But it is is good to know what is out there!
Friday 15 July 2011
Reflective practice part 2
Ok, well I've reflected on the process of being reflective. Now to reflect on the CPD23 so far.
So what have I done so far? I have learnt about blogging, set one up and started posting. I have revisited Twitter, found some people to follow and have been checking it to see updates on developments in the inforation world. I have set up RSS feeds so that I don't have to trawl thorugh lots of sites to see if anything has changed. I have looked at Pushnote and decided not to use it as not practical. Quite a lot to say I only made a start on the CPD23 this week!
So far I have found it extremely valuable. It has been great to read what others have experienced and have a commom goal with so many other like minded people. I have learnt several new skills and feel part of a community.
At the same time not everything is going to go well. I found Pushnote to be not really suitable as I'm never at the same desk for long and I use internet explorer more often than not. So far I have managed to achieve a lot this week yet the next few weeks may be more difficult as we come up to summer with no students which means stocktake, room changes, new shelving and furniture, preparation for inductions and loads more.
So what am I going to do with what I have learnt? I am going to carry on blogging even after completing (hopefully) all 23 things. I'm hoping to do my PGDip from September so I think it will be an excellent way to reflect on what I have done and make sense of it. I'm also going to try and keep up with Twitter and the RSS feeds as I don't always have time to read up on what is going on in the professional world and these are quick ways of recapping rather than trawling through lots of different sources.
So thanks CPD23 and here's to the next 18 things!
So what have I done so far? I have learnt about blogging, set one up and started posting. I have revisited Twitter, found some people to follow and have been checking it to see updates on developments in the inforation world. I have set up RSS feeds so that I don't have to trawl thorugh lots of sites to see if anything has changed. I have looked at Pushnote and decided not to use it as not practical. Quite a lot to say I only made a start on the CPD23 this week!
So far I have found it extremely valuable. It has been great to read what others have experienced and have a commom goal with so many other like minded people. I have learnt several new skills and feel part of a community.
At the same time not everything is going to go well. I found Pushnote to be not really suitable as I'm never at the same desk for long and I use internet explorer more often than not. So far I have managed to achieve a lot this week yet the next few weeks may be more difficult as we come up to summer with no students which means stocktake, room changes, new shelving and furniture, preparation for inductions and loads more.
So what am I going to do with what I have learnt? I am going to carry on blogging even after completing (hopefully) all 23 things. I'm hoping to do my PGDip from September so I think it will be an excellent way to reflect on what I have done and make sense of it. I'm also going to try and keep up with Twitter and the RSS feeds as I don't always have time to read up on what is going on in the professional world and these are quick ways of recapping rather than trawling through lots of different sources.
So thanks CPD23 and here's to the next 18 things!
Thing 5 - Reflective practice
I find reflective practice a difficult one. For some things I find reflection comes easy, then at other times I feel I am just writing a descriptive narrative and not really analysing it properly.
To some extent I feel like I naturally 'reflect' on things that I do as this is how I have always done things. I have recently completed my ACLIP and before that an NVQ and in my previous job in a call centre I did qualifications that constantly needed writing about the whats, hows and whys.
CPD is a major point at the College where I work and we have to keep a continuous log of what CPD we have done, what it entailed, what we thought of it and how we will put what we have learnt into practise. I try to do this as soon as I have completed any training as I think it is important to reflect as soon as it is fresh in your mind. Leaving it for a while means that perceptions are changed and you can't remember if you have been affected or how you did want to put something to good use!
To some extent I feel like I naturally 'reflect' on things that I do as this is how I have always done things. I have recently completed my ACLIP and before that an NVQ and in my previous job in a call centre I did qualifications that constantly needed writing about the whats, hows and whys.
CPD is a major point at the College where I work and we have to keep a continuous log of what CPD we have done, what it entailed, what we thought of it and how we will put what we have learnt into practise. I try to do this as soon as I have completed any training as I think it is important to reflect as soon as it is fresh in your mind. Leaving it for a while means that perceptions are changed and you can't remember if you have been affected or how you did want to put something to good use!
Thursday 14 July 2011
Thing 4 pt 2 - RSS & Pushnote
Well I have set up some RSS feeds through Google Reader and can see that it will actually be quite a vauable tool rather than having to keep checking each individual site for updates! Anything that saves time sounds good to me.
Pushnote on the other hand I can't really see me using. Working in a College with lots of subject specific Learning Resource Centres and no dediacted desk of my own means that I move about a lot and spend time at any of about 15 computers during a week. From what I can see of Pushnote it is something that I would need to set up as a toolbar for each individual computer (unless I have misunderstood how it works). I think I would prefer to use blogs and twitter as a way to see what sites people would recommend and what people think of them. To me this sounds like more of a novelty than something I would use indefinitely.
Pushnote on the other hand I can't really see me using. Working in a College with lots of subject specific Learning Resource Centres and no dediacted desk of my own means that I move about a lot and spend time at any of about 15 computers during a week. From what I can see of Pushnote it is something that I would need to set up as a toolbar for each individual computer (unless I have misunderstood how it works). I think I would prefer to use blogs and twitter as a way to see what sites people would recommend and what people think of them. To me this sounds like more of a novelty than something I would use indefinitely.
Thing 4 - Pt 1 Twitter
I set up a twitter account a couple of years ago after a Phil Bradley talk at the Library Show but after one tweet I didn't do anything else with it as was so busy. It was good to go back and explore Twitter again. I have changed a few things on my profile and added a photo, followed a few Library groups and looked at some @CPD23 tweets. I don't know if it something I will use regularly but I will try and look at it from time to time. I think the problem with all these internet developments is that you end up with so many places to look for information. I do suffer from a bit of Information overload!
The Library I work in did try using Twitter but we didn't find that the students were following or using it that much. Having a Facebook group seemed much more popular with students but then the College took a decision to ban Facebook on the College computers so we had to scrap that idea. I wonder how other FE Colleges have got on with using Twitter to promote information to students?
The Library I work in did try using Twitter but we didn't find that the students were following or using it that much. Having a Facebook group seemed much more popular with students but then the College took a decision to ban Facebook on the College computers so we had to scrap that idea. I wonder how other FE Colleges have got on with using Twitter to promote information to students?
Thing 3 Personal Brand
Thinking about personal brand and how to develop an online prescenece / identity I tried to think about how I would like people to view me, given they will have never spoken to me or know my background, all they will know is what they can see. I don't want my personal and professional life to be completely intermingled as I think it is important to keep professionalism seriously as it can affect future job applicants in the world where a lot of employers do Google applicants. I'm not saying I go crazy in my personal life but I do like to keep some sense of mystery about me! I don't lie everyone to know everything about me.
As I have such an unusual name when I 'Googled' myself it was very interesting to see the results. The first thing that came up was my Facebook page. I have this set to quite high security so only my friends and family I have accepted can see my details. Other than that there isn't that much more about me. There are a couple of sites with my fundraising pages as I do fun runs evey year to raise money for charity. Then there are some news articles promoting staff development within the College when I completed my CILIP Certification. All in all I think these are positive things that I wouldn't mind people knowing abut me.
It would be nice to have a more identifiable personal brand but it's something I need to give more thought to. I think I also need a more exciting username as KAF doesn't really stand out. From seeing everyone's blogs there are so many creative people out there with some fantastic memorable names. I just need to reflect and see what I can come up with.
As I have such an unusual name when I 'Googled' myself it was very interesting to see the results. The first thing that came up was my Facebook page. I have this set to quite high security so only my friends and family I have accepted can see my details. Other than that there isn't that much more about me. There are a couple of sites with my fundraising pages as I do fun runs evey year to raise money for charity. Then there are some news articles promoting staff development within the College when I completed my CILIP Certification. All in all I think these are positive things that I wouldn't mind people knowing abut me.
It would be nice to have a more identifiable personal brand but it's something I need to give more thought to. I think I also need a more exciting username as KAF doesn't really stand out. From seeing everyone's blogs there are so many creative people out there with some fantastic memorable names. I just need to reflect and see what I can come up with.
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Thing 2
Wow - 2 blogs in 1 day. I'm a bit behind with the 23 things as I've been on holiday and had a few things to do with it being the end of term so why I've got a bit of quiet time I thought I'd try and catch up.
Well I've just been having a look at some other blogs and the first thing that springs to mind is how boring my blog looks visually compared to some of the graphics and images on other blogs. I have absolutely no idea about web design or HTML or anything like that although it is something I would like to give a go at some point. Also the name of my blog - KAF's CPD23 Things sounds really boring. I do seem to be looking at the ones with more fun names so maybe I need to think of a new blog name?
Well I've just been having a look at some other blogs and the first thing that springs to mind is how boring my blog looks visually compared to some of the graphics and images on other blogs. I have absolutely no idea about web design or HTML or anything like that although it is something I would like to give a go at some point. Also the name of my blog - KAF's CPD23 Things sounds really boring. I do seem to be looking at the ones with more fun names so maybe I need to think of a new blog name?
KAF's CPD23 Things
I have decided to have a go at Cilip's Professional Development '23 things' to try and learn something new. I have never written a blog before so this is all new to me!
My current role is as a Library and LRC Assistant at a Further Education College 4 days a week. I love my job and I'm always on the lookout for ways to expand my knowledge and learn new things. I am I suppose a lifelong student with a thirst for knowledge. I have only worked in Libraries for almost 6 years but I find the information world fascinating and it amazes me how technology changes how we work and how information is available.
Over the past few years I have completed an NVQ L2 in Information and Library Services and achieved Ceritification (ACLIP) status. The last couple of years I have taken a bit of a developmental break while I had my daughter but I am now ready to take on the next challenge! As well as '23 Things' I am also applying to do a Post Graduate Diploma at Northumbria University in information and Library Management. I sent my application off only a couple of weeks ago so I am waiting to hear if I have a place on the course and if my employer will be a sponsor to help with tuition fees. How I am going to fit in working 30+ hours per week, looking after my daughter, husband, house and studying I don't know; but like I said I like a challenge!
In taking part in the '23 Things' CPD I am hoping to find out a bit more about using different online tools to engage in the world of information outside of the College I work in. I hope it will give me a chance to evaluate and reflect myself as an information professional and help me work out which direction to go in after I complete my next qualification. I am also looking forward to reading everyone else's blogs and being involved in a 'network'. I do class myself as quite shy so I don't know if this will help me overcome that.
My current role is as a Library and LRC Assistant at a Further Education College 4 days a week. I love my job and I'm always on the lookout for ways to expand my knowledge and learn new things. I am I suppose a lifelong student with a thirst for knowledge. I have only worked in Libraries for almost 6 years but I find the information world fascinating and it amazes me how technology changes how we work and how information is available.
Over the past few years I have completed an NVQ L2 in Information and Library Services and achieved Ceritification (ACLIP) status. The last couple of years I have taken a bit of a developmental break while I had my daughter but I am now ready to take on the next challenge! As well as '23 Things' I am also applying to do a Post Graduate Diploma at Northumbria University in information and Library Management. I sent my application off only a couple of weeks ago so I am waiting to hear if I have a place on the course and if my employer will be a sponsor to help with tuition fees. How I am going to fit in working 30+ hours per week, looking after my daughter, husband, house and studying I don't know; but like I said I like a challenge!
In taking part in the '23 Things' CPD I am hoping to find out a bit more about using different online tools to engage in the world of information outside of the College I work in. I hope it will give me a chance to evaluate and reflect myself as an information professional and help me work out which direction to go in after I complete my next qualification. I am also looking forward to reading everyone else's blogs and being involved in a 'network'. I do class myself as quite shy so I don't know if this will help me overcome that.
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