Frequently Asked Questions 

** Yes, you CAN get continuing education credit for doing this, read on...

Who put this together?  This concept originated in 2006 when Helene Blowers, then a technology director at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County created the first "23 Things" .  The program was inspired and is loosely based upon library futurist Stephen Abram's article entitled "43 Things" written in 2006..  Since then, there have been hundreds of variations of the first 23 Things program.  This specific 23 Things was created by Rob Darrow (robdarrow at cusd.com) for online and laptop teachers.  Many of the ideas were pulled from School Library Learning 2.0 which Rob helped to develop, and other ideas  came from Rob's personal learning network of people.  

How does this online learning program work? This is a self-discovery program which encourages participants to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and play. Participants are encouraged to work together and share with each other their discoveries, techniques, and "how to's" both in person and through their blogs. This course / program is web-based and not tied to any particular computer. In fact, you may want to work at home or at a public library if your school Internet filtering software blocks too many blog or multimedia sites.

How can I get help along the way?

First, we would encourage you to team up with someone else to go through the program together – this way, you can help one another and encourage one another along the way.   The help group is at http://clovis23things.wordpress.com. Post a help message there and someone will respond.  (or you can email robdarrow74 [at] gmail.com).

Is this program open to everyone or just some? This program is open to all who want to learn and grow. 

How long do I have to complete the program?  It is designed as a 12 week program.  The idea is that you work on two new “things” or activities each week.  However, you may work ahead or take a week off here and there. It is up to you how fast you decide to work! 

How do I track my progress for the 23 Things? Create a blog post for each thing, so you should have at least 23 blog posts by the time you finish.  Please use your blog to write your reflections about the activities, ideas of how you may use the tool, and any other ideas you have for yourself, other teachers or your school. This is YOUR time to experiment, have fun, and learn at you own pace. Web 2.0 is here....and now, so are you!

We recommend you to label your blog posts this way: Include THING # and topic in the heading of each post (e.g. Thing #4 Searching the Web). It will help you track your progress. It is also real helpful when you want to refer back or add something new on a specific topic or tool.

Can we get Continuing Education credits for the course?   Yes. Fresno Pacific University offers two (2) continuing education credits for this program. If you register for C.E. units, you will need to complete The 23 Things, reflect on your blog, complete the discovery activities and several online assignments.

Course # is IND 1149.  Cost is $220 for two (2) units of continuing education/professional development credit.  Registration can occur any time and is completed online.  Transcripts can be issued within a month of the completion of the course.    

Tips for signing up for these units:

• A) Have your credit card handy and go to:  Fresno Pacific's website.

 -- Under the heading “Professional Development Workshops,” click on the link that says “Register online” (this will open another window.)

 -- Fill in your information and at the bottom, use the pull down menu and select “Classroom Learning 2.0”

• B) Once registered, please send an email to Robdarrow74 [at] gmail.com  with “FPU Classroom Learning 2.0 Program - Clovis” in the subject line.  (Rob will be your primary “online instructor” to verify work completed.)
• C) You will receive an email from Fresno Pacific regarding log-in instructions for the course via Moodle, an online course management system, where there are a few additional assignments to complete.
• D) Fresno Pacific will mail you a letter verifying that you have completed these (2) units. If you need an official transcript, you may request one by mailing in the form (with a fee) found at: www.fresno.edu/registrar/transcripts/.
• Further questions about these units should be directed to Rob Darrow, robdarrow74 [at] gmail.com, or 559-327-4400. Questions about the online registration should be directed to Fresno Pacific Center for Professional Development at 559-453-2043 or 800-372-5505 or via email to Peggi Kriegbaum at  pllee [at] fresno.edu.  

Curriculum Connections

As part of other 23 Thing programs, participants have shared ideas through a wiki about how to use many of the Web 2.0 tools in the classroom.  The Conference Connection wiki is here:  http://calcurriculum.pbwiki.com/ .

Why Do This?   Web 2.0 is a phrase that was coined in 2004. It refers to the fact that the Internet is now an interactive medium rather than a ‘place’ to go to get information. Since it is the young who are flocking to these Web 2.0 sites, it is important that those of us who work in schools should be up-to-date with the latest trends in education and technology and learn how they can be utilized in or with our classrooms and school libraries.