Getting Started on the Montana Library 2.0 Challenge - Round 2 (summer session)
We’re very glad you have elected to join the amazing group of Montana librarians who have participated in this program. The Challenge is a self-directed learning program; you work at your own pace and at your own convenience. Lessons will be revealed on a weekly basis according to the program calendar and they will remain available on the program site for an extra month until the Challenge officially ends September 15. Ten assignments – at least one blog post for each lesson – must be completed by the end date in order to earn CE credit for the Challenge.
If this sounds a bit confusing or you have never done an independent learning program like this before, don’t worry. Once you get started, you’ll get the hang of it. One very cool thing about this program is that everyone gets a chance to learn from one another. More than 70 librarians and staff from Montana public, school, special and academic libraries registered to participate the first time around! As the program proceeds, you are encouraged to check out the blog sites listed on the Participant Blogs and watch what happens during the coming weeks as everyone posts to their blogs.
Now that you are ready to get started, here are a couple of steps to take while you complete the introductory lessons in the program:
Step 1 – set up a free webmail account (or two)
Each participant in the Montana Library 2.0 Challenge will need to use a free email account from a commercial service provider such as Yahoo Mail or Google Gmail. You will use this account to register for the various web services required in this program. We recommend that you set up a new account (or accounts) for this program, although you can use an existing account if you prefer. You will be creating several accounts on different websites during the Challenge and will NOT want to use your library email account for the program. Why is this important? Your free email accounts allow you to complete your explorations without introducing spam or viruses to the library network or your personal email account.
HINT: When you create accounts with web services, be sure to write down the URL, your login and password and the email you used to set up your account so that you can return and use the service at a later date or retrieve login information. You may want to keep a written list of passwords for the services you will use during the program.
Step 2 – create your blog and send us your blog URL (Lesson 2)
Each participant in the Montana Library 2.0 Challenge is required to set up a blog. Your blog will be the way your successful completion of assignments is recorded and verified for CE credit. There are several free blog sites out there, but we recommend using either Blogger or WordPress. (Most of the examples we show use Blogger)
How you identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under your real name, or create a screen name. However, in order to receive recognition for completing the Challenge you will need to register your blog name/URL and your real name with us (send this information to lmcmullen@mtlib.org) When you create your blog it will be added to the list of Participant Blogs.
IMPORTANT HINT: When you set up your blog account, write down your login and password and keep the information in a safe place. Also write down your blog address. Your blog address is the URL you will use to access your blog. For example, if you created your blog in Blogger then your blog address is http://whatIcalledmyself.blogspot.com.
Step 3 – Think PLAY!
Have you ever wondered why teenagers are so good at all this technology stuff? It’s because they spend so much time playing with it. Think about all the things you learned as a child through play; for the young - playing is learning. Unfortunately, as working adults we don’t have quite as much time to explore or experiment - or play - with things. That’s why this program encourages you to set aside a little time each day, or each week, to play with web 2.0 tools. One of the lessons even has play as its topic and you will find many fun things to do there.
Do you have any more questions? If so, contact us or check out the Help! page. So what are you waiting for? It's time to get started on Lesson 1.
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