I’ve been enjoying Engadget podcasts on their website from time to time, but I finally took the Web 2.0 plunge and added them to my Bloglines RSS feeder.  Engadget is a blog about technology news, and it also includes product reviews and commentary.  I have iTunes installed at home, so I searched a bit through their VAST catalog, and I must say I’m impressed.  Now, the only problem is finding the time to listen to them.

The update to this video was in AL Direct today, but I had been searching for this video for a few days.  I found it yesterday, ironically, and I actually like this version better, despite some outdated stats.  I like that it mentions the One Laptop Per Child initiative and the quote by Albert Einstein.

We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

I think that’s so wise, because our mind should always be open to other ways of thinking.  I also like the simplicity of this video over the commercialized look of the 2008 update.  Busy graphics aren’t always more effective at getting your point across.

After trying and not liking Shelfari very much (except for it’s wish list feature, which prevents family members from giving me really boring fiction for Christmas), I find LibraryThing to be tremendously useful.  Granted, I think it’s more useful to me personally than professionally, but I can definitely see some professional advantages.

For one, I’m a newer librarian, and I’m not as well-read in the “classics” of children’s literature as I feel I should be.  Half the time, I don’t even know what else to read and just browse the shelves of my local library for something that catches my eye.  LibraryThing has those great recommendations in the social information section…which leads to more and more books that I find interesting and want to read.

I can also appreciate the member reviews…because let’s face it, sometimes the professional journals can’t tell us if the kids are going to like it or not.  So finding what “real people,” our potential patrons, think is valuable information.

Another feature I really like over Shelfari is that all of the different editions and covers are in ONE LibraryThing “record” for the most part.  It makes adding books so much easier!

Finally, the only downside I can find…I still can’t get the widget to work on WordPress…something to work on for later.

I’m loving Zoho!  Though I’d known about it, I had never ventured into the world of web productivity tools, and I have to say I like it.

I’m thrilled that I have FINALLY found a tech solution for one of my biggest annoyances with open source software…specifically Open Office.  The thing that holds me back from converting to Open Office completely (at work and at home) is the slide designs and templates for PowerPoint.  Yes, I know that’s a very bad reason to keep using a costly proprietary software, but Zoho Show has a solution…the “themes” in Zoho are BEAUTIFUL!!!  Nothing over the top, but enough to make my PowerPoints look a little bit more interesting.  As an added bonus, they even have a half-decent clipart collection all in one place instead of having to search the web for individual clips.  Lovely!  Yes, I’m a bit too excited by this.

Now of course, I have to write about the downside too.  I know they have a great privacy policy and all, but by storing my files on the web, I see a rather LARGE privacy issue here.  I don’t think Zoho or Google Docs will ever completely replace file storage on hard drives, but it is extremely useful for collaborating on documents.  Overall, I think I’ll be very likely to actually use this Web 2.0 technology in my work.

I added some elementary school ideas to the wikis section and an idea of how I use avatars on my blogs and Facebook.

Sidenote – I think WebTools4U2Use.wikispaces.com is my new favorite website!  Glogster seems particularly effective with 21st century learners who are digital natives and visual learners.