My Personal Diigo Library

Here's a snapshot of my desk drawer.  I *heart* all things Post-its.

By this point, you should already know that more often than not I find myself in an organizing frenzy  (that is, tweaking previously organized systems) and I absolutely love school supplies, particularly Post-its of any shape, color, or size :)  Given my obsession with these handy notes, it should come as no surprise that Diigo continues to be one of my closest companions.  The highlighting and notes feature is just so darn useful!

The beauty of Diigo, which I mentioned previously in this post, is the simplicity of its organizational scheme and its universal accessibility from any computer.  No matter where I go or if my current computer comes to a crashing halt, my favorite articles/websites/cooking projects/lesson plans/ Google Docs will always have a library to call home.  In addition to some of the other features I've mentioned, Diigo allows you to take a screenshot of the webpage, or share the page  via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or just plain old email.  Talk about convenience.

It's most ideal feature (as if there could possibly be one that outshines the rest :) may very well be "tagging," or organizing your library schematic by topic.  For example, say you find an especially helpful link re: classroom design.  If I were you, I'd create a tag for "classroom design" - simply type it into the "tag" box and you're on your way to establishing a Dewey Decimal-esque classification for your links.  Next time you want to retrieve this link, just type "Classroom Organization" into your search browser, located  in your Diigo library, and only those links with that particular tag will pop up.  Ingenious, right?

For now, I'm going to share this link to my Diigo account.  I can't guarantee that you'll find everything there applicable.  After all, it is my own personal, customized library!  Nevertheless, you'll certainly find some worthwhile resources, organized by tags, on digital etiquette, Wikis, transitional kindergarten, and classroom organization, among other educationally related topics.  So, if you're still interested, go take a peak!  How have you found Diigo to be useful or, perhaps, not so useful in your personal/ professional lives?  We're all entitled to our own opinion, so make sure to share 'em!

Organization 101: Tweet, Tweet!

I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm a little bit (or a lot a bit!) of an organizing fiend. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I get such satisfaction after tackling an unweildy organizing project. Yep, I do like to admire my handiwork, so I look for boxes/containers/dividers that combine functionality with visual appeal. The pictures I've shared above are a glimpse at my newly minted "teacher supply station," located in the dungeon of my basement.

So, you can imagine how excited I was when I learned about these handy RSS Feeds and my quick, super easy-to-use Google Reader. The truth is, I stumbled upon RSS while reading Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time, but I didn't quite "get" the purpose. I do think the text assumed a certain level of digital expertise that I'm still in the process of developing...Anyways, Richardson (2009) gave me the push I needed to activate my Google Reader (if you have a Google account, you've already got this neat application!). I unsubscribed from all of those Blogger email updates that were the bane of my existence [I despise clutter, even in my inbox], and watched as the new posts came to me! Talk about productivity!

If I'm lucky enough to get my kiddos blogging individually, you better believe I'll use Google Reader to keep track of their posts. Not only that, but this is a tool our budding student researchers can try their hand at as well. Students need to learn how to be productive (and wise...) consumers of information, and I think creating RSS search feeds are the way to go. Diigo and I have been longtime buddies, particularly when I was knee deep in research articles and in dire need of a hub to store it all. I'm still learning all the ins and outs of this incredible tool, namely the "label" function that enables seamless retrieval, and I can't get enough of those handy post-it notes and digital highlighters. I love any kind of school supply, albeit digital! While I've yet to capitalize on Diigo's collaborative features, I see great potential in using this platform to collect/share resources among team teachers.

Last but not least, I have to end with some remarks on Twitter. Initially, I was a Twitter-skeptic and, perhaps, I partially still am. I'm slowly learning the rules for appropriate hashtag usage, and I recently participated in an #elemsci chat where I scored a whole slew of valuable resources. Teaching is synonymous with sharing, isn't it? I still can't seem to get myself into a habit of using this platform on a regular basis. Pinterest, on the other hand, is an addiction for this visually inclined girl who loves to see lesson strategies/organizational schemes/materials in action, yet I do acknowledge the unique benefit of real-time feedback offered through Twitter. I highly recommend Cybraryman's website, where he organizes teacher chats by subject/grades and supplies a list of helpful hashtags to reference.

One way I can realistically see myself capitalizing on Twitter is by using it as a means of keeping families up-to-date on classroom happenings. PLEASE, make sure you look at this educator's Twitter page, where she provides parents with hour-by-hour pictures, comments, and questions. I love how parents can jump aboard Twitter for just a minute or two, to read a quick post (140 characters or less!) and know exactly what their child is doing. This eliminates the dreaded, "What did you learn in school today, dear?" and the inevitable "I don't remember" response. Parents can now ask targeted questions, courtesy of this teacher's Twitter page. Could you see yourself implementing Twitter in this fashion? If so, do you think your administration and/or parents would be supportive?