Wikis
I love Wikipedia
It usually gives a nice overview of a subject in understandable language. For a long time, however, I did not realize that it was something I could contribute to. (This means a wiki is only as reliable as its editors)
FYI : nearly always Wikipedia has a list of an author's books, in order and by series. Although this information is available other places, this one is easily accessible.
I liked the Library Success Wiki as a way to obtain vetted ideas.
Wikis are an excellent medium for brainstorming/collecting & building ideas/gathering information from a group of people....and as a one-stop information source for an event with many participants, vendors, etc.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thing 15
Library 2.0
Traditionally, information flows one way; for example, from teacher to student. The concept of 2.0 is basically to let any individual give input.
One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it; so discussing, or collaborating, with others helps the participant fix information better in mind. This is social learning. (Hmmmm, come to think of it, my sister 'collaborates' with her classmates on schoolwork.....)
It also seems that the collaborative concept extends to letting individuals build there own online applications; in other words, to take the data available on a website and manipulate it in a new way.
One of the most useful 2.0 things a library could implement is the use of patron generated tags as subject headers. Sears and LOC subjects are at times too formal; allowing individuals to tag books would enable others to more easily locate their heart's desire. LibraryThing allows individuals to create a catalog of their own books, affix tags, and search other's tags/ratings/recommendations (if you like that, try this.)
Drawbacks: For 2.0 programs to work, enough people must be involved. And I think this is what would stall any 2.0 program implemented by my library: not enough patrons are likely to participate.
Also there are privacy issues: allowing patrons to make apps with the library's data could compromise an individual's privacy.
One cool application of this concept is when a newspaper posted (newly) opened records and hundreds of people looked through the data to find newsworthy information buried the in sheer volume. Click here to read the article. (This particular use of 2.0 is called crowdsourcing)
Traditionally, information flows one way; for example, from teacher to student. The concept of 2.0 is basically to let any individual give input.
One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it; so discussing, or collaborating, with others helps the participant fix information better in mind. This is social learning. (Hmmmm, come to think of it, my sister 'collaborates' with her classmates on schoolwork.....)
It also seems that the collaborative concept extends to letting individuals build there own online applications; in other words, to take the data available on a website and manipulate it in a new way.
One of the most useful 2.0 things a library could implement is the use of patron generated tags as subject headers. Sears and LOC subjects are at times too formal; allowing individuals to tag books would enable others to more easily locate their heart's desire. LibraryThing allows individuals to create a catalog of their own books, affix tags, and search other's tags/ratings/recommendations (if you like that, try this.)
Drawbacks: For 2.0 programs to work, enough people must be involved. And I think this is what would stall any 2.0 program implemented by my library: not enough patrons are likely to participate.
Also there are privacy issues: allowing patrons to make apps with the library's data could compromise an individual's privacy.
One cool application of this concept is when a newspaper posted (newly) opened records and hundreds of people looked through the data to find newsworthy information buried the in sheer volume. Click here to read the article. (This particular use of 2.0 is called crowdsourcing)
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thing 14.2
Technorati
....is a search engine for blogs. It is also supposed to help you make your own better. (Note the link for claiming in 23 Things is broken because Technorati revamped its whole system and now does it differently)
Hmmm.....there is a problem with this lesson.
Searching Technorati Blogs, I found one blog only under Learning 2.0. And it was from 2006.
Searching Technorati Posts, I found 718 posts with references to Learning 2.0, however, not all were relevant.
Looking at tags (I could not find a way to search them) yielded a list of the most popular tags used over the past month, and Learning 2.0 was NOT listed.
The What's Popular link was not available, check back later.
....is a search engine for blogs. It is also supposed to help you make your own better. (Note the link for claiming in 23 Things is broken because Technorati revamped its whole system and now does it differently)
Hmmm.....there is a problem with this lesson.
Searching Technorati Blogs, I found one blog only under Learning 2.0. And it was from 2006.
Searching Technorati Posts, I found 718 posts with references to Learning 2.0, however, not all were relevant.
Looking at tags (I could not find a way to search them) yielded a list of the most popular tags used over the past month, and Learning 2.0 was NOT listed.
The What's Popular link was not available, check back later.
Thing 14.1
Tagging & Del.icio.us
This was interesting. I can see it being especially useful for collaborative efforts. Also if you want to use your bookmarks away from your own computer in general, or specifically if you come across something, say, at home, and you want to use it while at work.
I particularly like the ability to use other people's tags. How many times a site has a particular tag, and all the tags given it, better enable me to identify what I probably want. (I did not, however, find the comments for any bookmark)
I can see myself using del.icio.us as a sort of user recommended website reference. For example, in looking for sites that have free fonts. In fact, I think I will.
Thank you, 23 Things.
This was interesting. I can see it being especially useful for collaborative efforts. Also if you want to use your bookmarks away from your own computer in general, or specifically if you come across something, say, at home, and you want to use it while at work.
I particularly like the ability to use other people's tags. How many times a site has a particular tag, and all the tags given it, better enable me to identify what I probably want. (I did not, however, find the comments for any bookmark)
I can see myself using del.icio.us as a sort of user recommended website reference. For example, in looking for sites that have free fonts. In fact, I think I will.
Thank you, 23 Things.
Thing 13
Online Games
Simple games: Bejeweled - I liked this one; I think there must be a strategy I have not discovered. But it was fun.
Interactive games: Free Rice - this was nice also, it seemed more blatantly useful than most-
1) Learn new words (I'm about level 40, of 60)
2) Feed people rice (600 grains from me- what is that? One serving, maybe?)
The statistics were very interesting.
Simple games: Bejeweled - I liked this one; I think there must be a strategy I have not discovered. But it was fun.
Interactive games: Free Rice - this was nice also, it seemed more blatantly useful than most-
1) Learn new words (I'm about level 40, of 60)
2) Feed people rice (600 grains from me- what is that? One serving, maybe?)
The statistics were very interesting.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thing 10
Chatting
This is how my Mom stays in contact with my brother, a 'Millennial' who is forever on the internet. And if he is offline, she just chats anyway instead of sending an email and he'll get it later. Actually, I do the same thing in Google Talk, but really the only people I chat with are my 2 brothers.
And my Mom! Guess what? As I was posting this, she 'chatted', "where are you available at?" Hmm.... not Big Brother, but Big Mother (it's a joke, Mom)
The information on Meebo is useful; esp for libraries wanting to offer chat reference. I don't remember this specifically being mentioned in last month's Georgetown workshop, but it would have fit right in. Any way to text to MeeboMe?
My friend's son & daughter-in-law volunteered on a construction site in Georgia (country of former of USSR, not state) and they kept in contact via Skype. No horrible phone bills! How cool is that?
This is how my Mom stays in contact with my brother, a 'Millennial' who is forever on the internet. And if he is offline, she just chats anyway instead of sending an email and he'll get it later. Actually, I do the same thing in Google Talk, but really the only people I chat with are my 2 brothers.
And my Mom! Guess what? As I was posting this, she 'chatted', "where are you available at?" Hmm.... not Big Brother, but Big Mother (it's a joke, Mom)
The information on Meebo is useful; esp for libraries wanting to offer chat reference. I don't remember this specifically being mentioned in last month's Georgetown workshop, but it would have fit right in. Any way to text to MeeboMe?
My friend's son & daughter-in-law volunteered on a construction site in Georgia (country of former of USSR, not state) and they kept in contact via Skype. No horrible phone bills! How cool is that?
Thing 9
This was difficult. There is so much information out there, it's like saying 'go find something to add to your daily to-read list. And - I don't particularly care to keep up with the news, because:
1. Its depressing.
2. So much of it is political and it nearly always sounds like propaganda and bickering.
So this was useful because I now know how to do this.
And I did add one RSS feed from Nok-Out, which comes highly recommended by Mary Hunt of Everyday Cheapskate. Hopefully I will get a coupon code.
I looked a Topix and was surprised to see little bitty podunk Mexia has a listing.
1. Its depressing.
2. So much of it is political and it nearly always sounds like propaganda and bickering.
So this was useful because I now know how to do this.
And I did add one RSS feed from Nok-Out, which comes highly recommended by Mary Hunt of Everyday Cheapskate. Hopefully I will get a coupon code.
I looked a Topix and was surprised to see little bitty podunk Mexia has a listing.
Thing 8
RSS Feeds
I have looked at 101 Cookbooks several times before, and have made frozen yogurt from one of her recipes (highly recommended- definitely not like ice- cream- type frozen yogurt - pleasantly tangy), so I think I will really enjoy this *feed*
My sister is more internet savvy than I am, and she's shown me pictures from the Epic Fail site several times in the past. I foresee being vastly entertained.
On a more somber note, I have also subscribed to JW Media. Unfortunately, most of the news reported here is about the loss of freedom of worship and religion in Russia and the former USSR.
**However - per instructions 3 & 4, I could not find the Discover link.
I have looked at 101 Cookbooks several times before, and have made frozen yogurt from one of her recipes (highly recommended- definitely not like ice- cream- type frozen yogurt - pleasantly tangy), so I think I will really enjoy this *feed*
My sister is more internet savvy than I am, and she's shown me pictures from the Epic Fail site several times in the past. I foresee being vastly entertained.
On a more somber note, I have also subscribed to JW Media. Unfortunately, most of the news reported here is about the loss of freedom of worship and religion in Russia and the former USSR.
**However - per instructions 3 & 4, I could not find the Discover link.
Thing 7 - a MiniMe
To make your own Lego person, gotoMiniMizer (and when I had trouble blogging the picture, I used Gyazo! (from the last lesson))
I liked BigHugeLabs and ImageGenerator also. They would be good to make a mock up of a book or magazine cover or to add a post-it note to a webpage/blog/etc.
Also, there are endless possibilities for creating advertisements that look like movie posters.
Thing 6
Hmmm... I found where the "23 things" title was created.
Thanks to Erik Kastner, & to make your very own, go to metaatem.net/words/
And - I really like this one : http://www.coverpop.com/pop/flickr_stickfigures/
This one http://gyazo.com/en seems like it would be really useful. It could be used to include screenshots in how-to instructions for the library's website/catalog.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Extra Credit
Comparing Flickr & Picasa
Well, I did not open yet another account (Flickr) as I already use Picasa (and like it very much) but I did take a look at linking my photos to their location, which I think is a cool tool. This is my photo, from Italy
Thing 5 - Flickr
So, my friend sent me the link to his pictures. It was pretty neat to look at the map and see some taken in Waco, some in Japan. So - here is a picture he took in Japan while visiting his wife's family.
Picture credit: Jason Kaechler
Thing 4
Thing 4 (of 23) was making an avatar.
Check.
However, the one I made in Yahoo, I couldn't figure out how to upload to my blog. Grrr!
And the "how to" link said 404.
Check.
However, the one I made in Yahoo, I couldn't figure out how to upload to my blog. Grrr!
And the "how to" link said 404.
Thing 2 & 3
What I learned about Google:
1. The clock on my computer at home is actually part of Google Desktop.
2. And I can add things to it – like the weather forecast.
3. Calendars are very handy, I filled in my travel itinerary and left it for my family *
4. Google Maps – Awesome! *
5. Magazines are on …..someplace – I lost them
6. Google reader is cool - I liked “Recommended Items”
7. Love Picasa*
*these things I’d already used
1. The clock on my computer at home is actually part of Google Desktop.
2. And I can add things to it – like the weather forecast.
3. Calendars are very handy, I filled in my travel itinerary and left it for my family *
4. Google Maps – Awesome! *
5. Magazines are on …..someplace – I lost them
6. Google reader is cool - I liked “Recommended Items”
7. Love Picasa*
*these things I’d already used
Thing 1
7 & 1/2 Lifelong Learning Habits
The 7 habits are as follows:
Habit 1: Begin with the end in mind
Habit 2: Accept responsibility for your own learning
Habit 3: View problems as challenges
Habit 4: Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
Habit 5: Create your own learning toolbox
Habit 6: Use technology to your advantage
Habit 7: Teach/mentor others
Habit 7 ½: Play
I think the hardest one for me is maybe #1 - setting goals. Unless I have a specific reason for wanting to learn something and maybe a deadline I need to meet.
The one I have the least problem with is #4...conceited? maybe. But there it is.
The 7 habits are as follows:
Habit 1: Begin with the end in mind
Habit 2: Accept responsibility for your own learning
Habit 3: View problems as challenges
Habit 4: Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
Habit 5: Create your own learning toolbox
Habit 6: Use technology to your advantage
Habit 7: Teach/mentor others
Habit 7 ½: Play
I think the hardest one for me is maybe #1 - setting goals. Unless I have a specific reason for wanting to learn something and maybe a deadline I need to meet.
The one I have the least problem with is #4...conceited? maybe. But there it is.
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