A New 23 Things...for Your Professional Development

UPDATE 9/19: Deadline for Nebraska library staff to complete all Things and earn 15 C.E. Credits extended to October 31. 
UPDATE 6/22: The recording of the NCompass Live session about this new program is now available.

This ongoing Nebraska Learns 2.0 program is now 2 years old! Yup, our very first Thing was in May 2009. Every month since then, we've offered you a new resource to learn about. But this isn't the Nebraska Library Commission's first foray into a 23 Things program. We debuted our first Nebraska Learns 2.0 program in October 2008. That original program ran for 16 weeks, through the end of January 2009.

Why are we giving you this 23 Things in Nebraska history lesson?

Many library staff have participated in both our original, 16 week program and in our ongoing program. But, we've heard from some of you that you'd like to do another 16 week learning program. Well, you're in luck! We've discovered a new 23 Things program that we think would be very useful, engaging, and fun. It's called 23 Things for Professional Development.

From its own website, "CPD23 is a free online programme open to information professionals at all stages of their career, in all types of roles, and anywhere across the world. Inspired by the 23 Things programmes for social media, this new programme will consist of a mixture of social media 'Things' and 'Things' to do with professional development. The programme starts on 20 June and will run until early October 2011."

Sounds great, doesn't it? We thought so, too. So, we have decided to change things up here at Nebraska Learns 2.0. For the next 5 months, we're going back to our roots. Instead of 5 new Things from June through October, Nebraska Learns 2.0 is going to follow along with 23 Things for Professional Development.

You will have the opportunity to learn 23 new Things to help you with your professional development. And we at Nebraska Learns 2.0 will be here to assist you in participating in this new, 16 week 23 Things program.

How will this work exactly?

If you participated in our first 16 week Nebraska Learns 2.0 program, it will work the same way. A new Thing will be offered each week and you will write a blog post reflecting on that Thing. The list of 23 Things that you will be exploring is on the 23 Things for Professional Development website, so you can see what you will be learning.

If you already have a blog of your own, or one you have used for our Nebraska Learns 2.0 programs, you can use that blog for this new program. You don't have to start a whole new blog for the new program, unless you want to.

With whatever blog you choose to use, you will need to sign up to participate in Nebraska Learns 2.0. If you're an existing Nebraska Learns 2.0 participant, you don't have to sign up again, but we'd appreciate it if you would leave a comment on this post to let us know you're planning on participating in this new 23 Things for Professional Development program.

You must register as a participant in Nebraska Learns 2.0 so that we can track your progress, assist you with your Things, and give you your CE Credits.

CE Credits! Update: DEADLINE EXTENDED!

Nebraska library staff who complete all 23 Things for Professional Development by October 14 October 31 will earn 15 CE Credits. You do not have to complete the Things during the week they are first posted, you just have to have them all completed by the October 14 October 31 deadline.

In order to earn Nebraska CE Credits, you must post a comment to this Nebraska Learns 2.0 blog with a link your own blog post about the Thing (instructions). We will have a blog post for each of the 23 Things for Professional Development here on Nebraska Learns 2.0 for this purpose - so you can tell us that you've done that Thing, and so that we can track your progress and give you your CE Credits.

If you also wish to register, comment and participate on the CPD23 website, that's perfectly fine. But, in order to earn your Nebraska CE Credits, you must tell us about the Things you've done on this Nebraska Learns 2.0 blog.

We realize that many of you will be very busy with Summer Reading Programs when this new 23 Things program first starts, but that's OK. You can catch up with the Things after that's over.

The last Thing is for the week of October 3 October 10, but because that is the same week as the NLA/NEMA Annual Conference, we are giving you until October 14 October 31 to complete all 23 Things and earn your 15 CE Credits.

You must complete all 23 Things to earn the 15 CE Credits - there is no partial credit.

NCompass Live - June 22

To kick off Nebraska Learns 2.0 joining the 23 Things for Professional Development program, the NCompass Live on June 22 will introduce you to the new program, and to some of the contributors. You can register for this session on the NCompass Live website. As usual, the session will be recorded, so if you can't make it on June 22, you will be able to watch the recording when it is convenient for you.

The first Thing will go live on Monday, June 20. We hope you'll join your library colleagues on this international learning adventure!