Tagging Reflection Exercise Instructions
From Extension Collaborative Wiki
Register for a free del.icio.us account and add bookmarklet to your browser
Follow the instructions for registering for a del.icio.us account: here
Instructions for adding the bookmarklet to your browser are here
If you need a little encouragement before you begin, here's YouTube Video called "Del.icio.us Try It!"
If you are a visual learner and would like a good overview, watch this screencast I found on YouTube that describes how to use Del.icio.us in the classroom from Liz Davis here
Add A Link To Your Del.icio.us Account
Your account url will be the http://del.icio.us followed by your username. For example, my account url is:
We'll be creating a list of our accounts with links so we can browse each other tags.
MediaWiki Notes: If you don't have an extension ID, you'll need to set up one up before you can start editing pages on the wiki. You can set up an Extension ID here
If you are new to MediaWiki, you can take this quick tutorial to learn the basics of how to edit. here
Identify ten web resources that you find most valuable to your work
These can be any resource on the web, including a web site, a specific article on a web site, a blog, blog post, photo, video, or whatever. The resource should be related to a topic area of your work as an extension professional. It should be resource that you would highly recommend to a colleague. Feel free to bookmark more than ten resources if you identify more than ten resources.
Bookmark them into del.icio.us using the unique tag “extag”
Instructions and how-to steps are here Watch a video by Leigh Blackall here
Annotate your bookmark
Add or edit the description or title, add your own notes, and include additional tags that will help you find the resource later.
Instructions and how-to steps are here
Use "Pivot browsing"
Pivot Browsing is the ability to reorient the view by clicking on tags or user names. When everything (tag, username, number of people who have bookmarked an item) is a link, you can use any of those links to look around you. You can change direction at any moment. Its a lightweight browsing mechanism, less structured and more freeform than browsing traditional hierarchies. The metaphor that comes to mind for pivot browsing is walking in the forests or some other open space, stopping to smell the pine, taking a break. You get the lay of the land as you walk around. The point is not just the destination, the point is the journey itself.
Start by checking if any other users in del.icio.us have also bookmarked the same resources as you. Click on their user name and browse their bookmarks. Notice what tags they use to describe their bookmarks. Are there tags that you might be interested in? If you find something that you'd like to add to your collection, bookmark. Be sure to add your own description and any additional tags that you might need to find the resource.
Next, starting with your bookmarks, browse by tag. Look at all items tagged as well as popular items. Browse both users' collections and by other tags.
Browse the collections of the other participants
Instructions and how-to steps are here
Read more about pivot browsing
Jon Udell's Screencast on Pivot Browsing in Del.icio.us
Find and Bookmark at least 25 items that you think might be valuable to you
It is okay if you can't find 25 or if you discover many many more.
Write up Your Reflections
After you complete the exercise,write up your reflections answering the questions below. Please complete this before May 23rd. If you have questions, leave them on my user page: Beth Kanter
* Did you find tagging exercise useful? Why or why not? * What surprised you? * How will you integrate the use of tagging into your practice?
