SLJ Launches 2.0 Program

My magazine, School Library Journal (SLJ), has launched a self-guided tutorial to Web 2.0 tools and everyone is invited to join us. Called "All Together Now: A 2.0 Learning Experience," (tag: SLJ20) it is based on a program launched in 2006 by Helene Blowers at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to encourage exploration of Web 2.0 and new technologies among staff. The "23 Things" program has become "a surprise grassroots hit,"according to Wired magazine, having been adopted by libraries, schools, and other organizations worldwide.

It consists of a number of "things," or small exercises, that you do online to learn first hand the tools of the Web, from blogs and wikis to Twitter. For SLJ20, we will cover the following:

Blogs; Podcasts; RSS; Wikis; Flickr; Web Toys; Web 2.0 & Library 2.0; Social Networking Sites; Video Sites; Twitter; Tagging; and Google Apps (Okay, that's 12 Things.)

Our guide is Michael Stephens, Dominican University professor and 2.0 guru, who blogs at Tame the Web. Starting Monday, July 21, Michael will lead us through an exercise a week, providing guidance and hand-holding along the way in a blog on SLJ.com.
SLJ staff and our readers are participating and we hope you will, too. Over a meal during NECC in San Antonio, I shared our upcoming plans with Anna Adam and Helen Mowers, aka the Tech Chicks. They plan on having their entire district join in.
The beauty of this program, to me, is its inclusiveness. Helene's original program involved one and all, custodial, clerical, as well as professional staff. No pressure or prerequisites--just fun, learning cool stuff together with colleagues. And it's all online and self-paced. The following description of the original Learning 2.0, I think, says it all:

"For many participants, the trepidation that comes with doing anything for the first time is evident in their blog posts, but so is the triumph of conquering one’s own fear. “This is my first blogging experience so please bear with me!” Marlo wrote on her newly created Blah Blah Blog. “No, I don’t really know what I’m doing. But I intend to find out.” Meanwhile, another first-time blogger, Beth, wrote, “I can’t believe I’ve gotten this far! I encountered challenges in trying to create this blog—after four tries and asking a coworker for assistance, I did it.”

Links:
"Come Blog With Me," our story on Helene Blowers.
And her followup "Summer of 2.0."