Managing Professional Information Overload (KASL District I version)

Editor's Notes

• #2: No need to write down all the sites mentioned or links. I've given you a bookmark that highlights the major points we'll be covering, and it includes a resource link to the presentation resources page. \n
• #3: Individuals think about info overload -- how do you currently deal with it? Write down three ways on the provided sticky notes. If you don't deal with it at all right now, you're never overwhelmed, share that. Talk to neighbors if you're stumped. You have two minutes. \n\n
• #4: Video from Xerox about Information Overload Syndrome (IOS -- the other one)\n\n
• #5: Feeling overwhelmed by 2.0? By Technology? By Information? \n
• #6: Does this look like your life as you try to keep up with your day-to-day tasks, family, eat, work at the library, keep up with current issues, read your email, read books, stay on top of listservs, listen to a webinar, pay bills, and sleep? \n
• #7: On the web, getting information is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant. Its too much at once! \n
• #8: You want to be able to sift through and filter all the extra out and only get what you need. \n
• #9: But everything flies by as a blur, too fast, too much, and it all bleeds together. \n
• #10: And it never ever ends or stops. \n
• #11: You hit a brick wall when you try to keep up. \n
• #12: And lose your mind (and hair) instead. \n
• #13: Is it even possible to find direction? \n
• #14: And succeed at managing information overload? \n
• #15: It is possible if you keep 5 tips in mind\n
• #16: access 6 resources.\n
• #17: and use 6 tools. \n
• #18: Are you ready? \n
• #19: Let’s go! \n
• #20: 5 Tips for keeping in mind as you deal with the overload. \n
• #21: "Worries about information overload are as old as information itself, with each generation reimagining the dangerous impacts of technology on mind and brain. From a historical perspective, what strikes home is not the evolution of these social concerns, but their similarity from one century to the next, to the point where they arrive anew with little having changed except the label." --http://www.slate.com/id/2244198/pagenum/all/ Writing. Printing press. Newspapers. Studying. Radio. Gramophone. TV. Computers. Social Media. \n
• #22: Let go. Do it. I dare you. From NPR this summer, "The Sad, Beautiful Fact That We're All Going To Miss Almost Everything", by Linda Holmes"If "well-read" means "making a genuine effort to explore thoughtfully," then yes, we can all be well-read. But what we've seen is always going to be a very small cup dipped out of a very big ocean, and turning your back on the ocean to stare into the cup can't change that."\nhttp://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/04/21/135508305/the-sad-beautiful-fact-that-were-all-going-to-miss-almost-everything?sc=fb&cc=fp:\n
• #23: Wise wisdom from Bobbi. Choose. Be selective. Do what works for you and toss out the rest. \n
• #24: Learn ways to find the gems. And trash the rest. Learn to quickly scan through information and links. "The key is I don't do it the moment it comes up. If I see an interesting tweet with a link and I have time, I will dig deeper but most of the time I only glance, decide if it is something to look at and save it for later." Richard Byrne on Twitter. \n
• #25: Everyone is overwhelmed. Even those who seem to be techie, plugged in. We're actually worse at times. Bonus: your peers are your biggest help. Listservs and ask questions. Ask for help. \n
• #26: 6 go-to library-related resources to help manage information overload -- these are some of the treasures that can be quickly glanced at. \n
• #27: Polly Farrington told me about this one -- its a way to easily scan different tops and top links. This site controls the content, for the topics listed and many others. These pages aren't customizable. But you can create your own account and your own pages of information. \n
• #28: Fantastic resource for educators to quickly come up with ways to use technology in your classroom. This is the best go-to-site on the web for quick ways to learn about a tech tool, site, or resource and how to incorporate it into your classroom.\n
• #29: Neat magazine and blog I just discovered that's conversational, hot topics in school library world, and isn't as overwhelming as school library journal can be. \n
• #30: Great resource for getting media ideas and course materials online. Note: the blog may not always be age-appropriate for kids. Great site for random pieces of culture. \n
• #31: Quick glances at these sites or following their Facebook fan pages -- they're treasures -- and trash. But the gems here are worth it. We learned about Jing and Dropbox through these sites. Great easy-to-understand tech explanations, as well, and other techie/get things done/stay-organized tips, especially on Lifehacker. \n
• #32: Need to know something, ask Google. It's my not so secret resource. “Let’s go consult the manual,” so says Liz Rea. \n
• #33: The following are 6 sets of tools that can help manage information and articles to save for "later", archive, and aggregate. \n
• #34: Oh evernote. Where have you been all my life? I built a good bit of the original version of this presentation and saved its resources using Evernote. Evernote can be used through the web, through your computer, through tablets, and through phones. It's has a free level, and free app. Everything is stored online. \n\nEvernote has endless uses. Save text notes, pictures (through mobile app), web clips, links, make to-do-lists. Share notebooks. Catch all for information. Voice notes. Desktop. Mobile. Web. Email stuff to it. Check it out. Buffy Hamilton (The Unquiet Librarian) and her students swear by this tool. When I discovered the desktop client could do to-do lists, I finally found a solution to my mess of sticky-notes on my desk! \n\nYou can also take notes with Google Docs. \n
• #35: Diigo is an alternative to Delicious. There was a time earlier this year where Delicious's future was uncertain. I looked for an online bookmarking option, and fell in love with Diigo. \n\nDiigo has seriously impressed me. Lots of options and ways to save resources, create lists, share, bring in favorites from twitter, organize. Share full webpages, read it later option. I have barely scratched the surface with my use of this tool. Delicious never blew me over with its features. Diigo has. \n\nPinterest.com. Requires an invite still, but you can save and catalog photos of anything on the web. I've started cataloging photos that can be used on websites and in presentations, that are licensed Creative Commons. :) Craft ideas. Lesson plans. Display boards. Books to read. Recipes for in class. Project ideas. Books from the Library Catalog is something new. \n
• #36: Information Dashboards may be the *next* big thing. They can be a place where you can place all your sites, email, links, and other pieces of information in one place -- a dashboard. \n
• #37: Read Later./Instapaper (alternative readitlaterlist.com). Save articles/links for reading later in an ad-free screen. Has apps available. I'm terrible about remembering to go back and read what I've saved, but I've found stuff I vaguely remember saving here many times. It's been my favorite iPad and iPhone app since day one of usage. Browser bookmarklet available to easily save links. \n
• #38: This next tool has more to do with file management, but even with that we can get quickly overwhelmed. Constantly losing files you need to transfer between home and school because you lost your flash drive, lose track of the correct version, etc? Try Dropbox. You can upload, sync files here. Access from mobile devices. Set up syncing folders on multiple computers. Share folders. It's awesome. \n
• #39: Build your network of people to help you. Like pages on Facebook of sites you want to quickly see from time to time (maybe even some of the resources I mentioned today). Twitter -- check out my lists and see who's there and what's being shared. Make your networks work for you. Some call this a personal learning community or environment. In the resources, I've listed a webinar recently done on personal learning communities. A lot of librarians use Twitter & Facebook to connect and share ideas. \n
• #40: These are some others ideas from other colleagues. I have a love-hate relationship and mark all as read relationship with Google Reader. Livebinders I keep seeing people RAVE about, but haven't checked it out yet, IFTTT will make the web work for you. ScoopIt -- digital curation magazine. You can access what the website has curated or curate your own. Free Tech for Teachers is an educators site, but I think librarians could still find it useful. If you’re an email junkie check out Feed My Inbox. \n
• #41: PBworks is a wiki tool. All top is a portal of blogs on many different topics or you can build your own. Larry Ferlazzo’s site covers many many topics and helpful website lists. There are many professional listservs out there you can belong to. If they are overwhelming, find and use the digest option. Your email system probably has powerful filters that you can make work for you. And the 4 major web browsers (Chrome and Firefox particularly) have powerful add-ons that can put the web to work for you, connecting to many of the tools already mentioned. \n
• #42: Before getting to questions, lets stop for two minutes, and i want you to rebrainstorm 3 ways you’re going to deal with information overload now. If you need to, you can cheat off the bookmark :)\n
• #43: Quick video about what a day can be like on information overload. \n
• #44: Here's some useful articles. They're all linked off the presentation resource page. I've also built a Diigo list for this presentation. On the resource page listed on your bookmarks, there is a link to a printable copy of the resources slides. \n
• #45: Here's some useful articles. They're all linked off the presentation resource page. I've also built a Diigo list for this presentation. On the resource page listed on your bookmarks, there is a link to a printable copy of the resources slides. \n
• #46: Here's some useful articles. They're all linked off the presentation resource page. I've also built a Diigo list for this presentation. On the resource page listed on your bookmarks, there is a link to a printable copy of the resources slides. \n
• #47: Questions? \n
• #48: Let me know if you have any questions! \n