Things: On the Isle of Introspection

So here I am on the 'Isle of Introspection' half way between 'In the Dark' and 'In the Know'. The journey across 'the Fen of Knowledge' thus far has had its share firm paths and boggy spots. Let me elucidate...

FIRM PATHS:

- My Google Start page has revolutionised my experience of keeping up with news and announcements from other organisations. I have found it so useful I have unsubscribed from some mailing lists I was previously part of - mailing lists are so old hat darling!

- The course can't help but to improve ones knowledge - it is its very reason for existence. Each week has proved an opportunity to investigate things that I was only dimly aware of or had no knowledge of at all. The step by step instructions, might I say dear Leaders, have been a truly excellent guide.

- At the risk of sounding arrogant I did already feel quite competent and confident with web 2.0 so it is really breadth of knowledge that is the big gain here. And, of course, being able to look good at the tea table when discussing the Library of Congress’s project to allow users to free tag online photo galleries is quite a bonus.

- On the subject of application: I am currently using the Google calendar to email reminders for things such as lunch duties. I am certain that I will be able to use Doodle and Flickr for future work use although in my present post I can not see exactly how that will come about. Twitter, Slideshare, Tagging and Commenting I think are unlikely to feature much in my work life. That said I found the first hit ina Google search yesterday was to Slideshare. i probably woudl not have followed the link if 23 Things had not already introduced it to me.

- I have already recommended Doodle and Start pages to other people. What great tools they are.

BOGGY SPOTS:

- How is it possible to know if ''the 'Things' [have] covered everything that you need to know, or think it relevant to know?''. It is only by knowing them that you realise you need to know them, and in some cases, such as Doodle it makes me wish I had known them long ago!

- I think I will try to identify a specific time in the week to set aside for the next half of the course. I find the work being pushed towards the end of the week and I consequently feel under pressure and perhaps do not enjoy it as much as I should. I will make a little time each day for reading the blog aggregator as other peoples views have been so enlightening, especially when I have viewed a 'Thing' a pointless myself.

- VARK tells me that I have multimodal learning style so I suspect I might have learnt a few different things from the odd lecture/presentation or question and answer session. However the big advantage of the activities as presented is the ability to stop at a moments notice and pick up again where you left off.


STEADYING THE BOAT:
The 'the Fen of Knowledge' has been a great place to be and I just wish I could visit it at more leisure! My fellow travellers have proved a great boon and I thank them all for their companionship, their help and their encouragement so freely given both verbally and online.