Tuesday, October 2, 2007
#22 Audiobooks (or "The end is in sight ")
With your new MP3 player right around the corner, it’s time to take a look around the Greater Phoenix Digital Library and downloadable Overdrive audiobooks.
The Scottsdale Public Library is part of the Greater Phoenix Digital Library, a consortium with Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler and Apache Junction Public Libraries. This provides eBooks, eAudiobooks, music, and video available for downloading into a PC, PDA or MP3 player, through a company called Overdrive.
For this exercise, you will need:
* Home computer
* Internet connection
* Scottsdale Public Library card and PIN
* Compatible MP3 player (optional)
Then, get an idea of the types of titles you can find here. Take a look around and locate a few titles of interest. That MP3 player is right around the corner and once you have it, you’ll definitely have a reason to try out this popular library service.
Discovery Resources:
For this discovery exercise, you need to familiarize yourself a bit with the structure of Overdrive's Downloadable audiobooks site.
Discovery Exercise:
Create a blog post about your findings. Did you locate a title that you might want to try out and download once you have your player? OPTIONAL: Try downloading a title from the Greater Phoenix Digital Library. You don’t have to have a portable player to listen to audiobooks, you can also listen to it from a home computer.
#19 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools
Throughout the course of this Learning 2.0 program we’ve explored just a small sampling of these new internet technologies and websites that are empowering users with the ability to create and share content. But given time there are so many more we could explore. Current estimates place the number of web 2.0 tools at somewhere between 300 & 500 with only a handful emerging as market dominators. And although time will only tell which of these new collaborative, social networking and information tools will remain on top, one thing is for sure, they're not going to go away (at least at any time soon).
For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select any site from this list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees and explore it. With so many to choose from, it might be handy to first select a category that interests you (like Books or Personal Organization) and then simply select a tool/site to explore. Be careful to select a tool that is Free and that doesn't require a plug-in or download. The majority of these are free so this shouldn’t be a problem.
Discovery Exercise:
1) Select any site/tool from the list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees. (If you prefer to select from just the winners, here’s a link to the short list.)
2) Explore the site you selected.
3) Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a library setting?
Web 2.0 – with so much to explore, just start with ONE. :)
#18 Web-based Apps: They're not just for desktops
One large benefit to web-based applications it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC. Another bonus is that they easily accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file (with versioning) and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.
For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at a web-based word processing tool called Google Docs, create a simple document and then document your discoveries in your blog. If you're up to the challenge, you might even export your document as an HTML file or publish it through Google Docs to your blog.
With Google Docs and web-based applications, the possibilities are endless.
Discovery Resources:
A short list of web-based productivity applications.
Discovery Exercise:
Create a free account for yourself in Google Docs.
Explore the site and create a few test documents or two.
Try out Google Docs features and create a blog post about your discoveries.
#17 Playing Around with PBWiki
For this “explore-and-play-with-wikis” exercise, you are asked to add an entry or two to the PBwiki Learning 2.0 wiki. The theme of this wiki is simply “Favorites” : Favorite books, favorite vacation spots, favorite restaurants, favorite anything …all you need to do is play and add your thoughts. To mark your adventure on this site, you should add your blog to the Favorite Blogs page.
Discovery Resources:
*PBWiki Video Gallery - Short videos of PBwiki features
*PB Wiki Tips
Discovery Exercise:
1) Access the SPLS Learning 2.0 Wiki and create a login account for yourself.
2) Add your input on one or more of the existing pages. That's how we'll know that you've been there.
First, click on the page you wish to edit. Then click "edit page." (you may be prompted to log in to the wiki if you haven't already. Use the password above.
It’s easy to add a link if you follow this simple syntax:
Example:
[URL Title of blog]
[http://plcmclearning.blogspot.com Learning 2.0]
With brackets [ ] and just a little typing, you’ve added a link - yup, it’s as easy as that!
You can also add a link to anything you type by highlighting the words you wish to link to and clicking on the link icon in your editing tool bar. Once there, you choose "URL" from the top pop-up box's drop-down box and type in the address to the website.
OPTIONAL: Add a favorite or two to a few other pages (Favorite books, favorite vacation spot, etc). And, if you feel up to the challenge, you might even want to create a separate page for book review or short travel essay and link up to that.
3) Create a post in your blog about the experience.
* NOTE: The SPLS Learning 2.0 Wiki was created using the free version of PBWiki, a tool that lets you create webpages that anyone can edit.
#12 Getting to Know You - MySpace & Facebook
You probably know of MySpace as the site most kids and teens are glued to after school. But what's the attraction? At MySpace, you can rediscover old friends, meet new people who share your interests, discover new music, watch videos, keep a blog, inform your friends of upcoming events, share photographs, send messages to others, join groups based on anything under the sun, fall in love, play games, search the classifieds, watch a film trailer, and be a groupie. It is a world within itself, with all the trials and treasure of real life. It's even being used by the police and fbi to solve crime.
Facebook is very similar to MySpace in concept. It originally was marketed to the college crowd and continues to draw in this older age group. Here's an article with a nice graphic that breaks down how Facebook users spent their time in August 2007. Facebook has a cleaner look to it overall than MySpace and seems a bit more private as well. With Facebook, you are often asked to confirm facts that someone posts about you, such as when and how you met someone. This certainly makes you feel a bit more connected to someone instead of just clicking a button that marks a person as a friend.
You receive a lot less junk mail through Facebook than Myspace, particularly from artists looking to expand their listening base. However, Myspace has just recently added some new options to make it easier to avoid unwanted friend requests and other spam. Which of these two sites is better? That depends completely on the user. Some use both to cover all their networking needs - MySpace for friends and family and Facebook for professional contacts.
Discovery Exercise
1. Explore MySpace or Facebook. (Optional: Make an account for yourself at MySpace and/or Facebook. Feel free to put in fake information if you're concerned about your privacy. You will need to give them a real email address, however, in order to verify the account(s).)
2. Search for someone - in Facebook, someone you know; in MySpace, a friend, author, library, band, etc. Even books and movies sometimes have their own pages.
4. If you are in MySpace, use the search engine to look for libraries that have their own pages.
5. Post in your blog about your experience using a social networking site. What did you like or not like about the site? How do you think these sites might be useful to libraries?
#7 Blog about Technology
Also, be sure to add at least one comment to another participant's blog. That's what online communities are all about - connecting and communication. :)
#6 More Flickr Fun
Like many web 2.0 sites, Flickr has encouraged other people to build their own online applications using images found on the site. Through the use of APIs (application programming interfaces), many people have created third party tools and mashups* that use Flickr images. Here is a sampling of just a few…
* Flickr Color Pickr - lets you find public photos in Flickr that match a specific color.
* Montagr – create a photo mosaic from photos found on Flickr.
Discovery Exercise:
1. Explore some of the fun Flickr mashups and 3rd party tools that are out there.
2. Create a blog post about one that intrigues you.
Personally one of my very favorite tools is FD Toys’ Trading Card Maker. And there’s a ton of librarians out there that have created their own Librarian Trading Card.
So have some fun discovering and exploring some neat little apps. And if you're up to the challenge, why not create a trading card of your own. :)
* Mashup Note: Wikipedia offers some great articles that explain mashups. Basically, they are hybrid web applications that take features from one application (like Flickr) and mash it up with another.
#4 Register your blog and join the party ...
But how do you qualify? Good question! By registering your blog and recording your progress on each of the 23 things. For the sake of simplifying this process for SPLS staff involved, you will just need to send an email to splslearning2.0@gmail.com with your name, blog address and "thing" number completed.
Starting with Thing #5, you also need to include the URL for the permanent link to each of your blog posts that capture your thoughts, comments or findings about your discovery process. And depending upon the Blogger template that you selected, the permanent link for each individual posts can be found either through the post’s title or through a link in the post's footer area that contains the date.
Click on this link to see an actual post.
#3 Grab yourself a blog in 3 steps
Creating a blog using Blogger takes just three steps:
1. Create an account (view screenshot)
2. Name your blog (view screenshot)
3. Select your template. (view screenshot)
Once you’ve created your blog here are two important things to know:
- *To add posts: The maintenance interface that you will use to add posts, edit or change the step-up your blog is accessed online at http://www.blogger.com/ Be sure to write down your login and password.
- *To view your blog: Your blog address is http://(xxxx).blogspot.com, (xxxx)=the unique identifier you entered in Step 2. Be sure to also write down your blog address.
If you run into problems or would like more information about blogs and using Blogger here are some discovery resources you can use:
- Freevlog’s Quicktime Tutorial: Setup a Free Blogger Blog Note: Ignore the opening comments about downloading Firefox if your PC doesn’t have it. This will work in Explorer just fine.
- Blogger’s Quick Tutorial
OK -- Now, it’s your turn...
Discovery Exercise:
- Setup a blog for yourself through Blogger.
- Add a test post or two. Note: Use one of your test posts to create an entry about the habits among the 7 and 1/2 lifelong learning habits that is easiest and hardest for you & why.
- Have fun!!!!
IMPORTANT NOTE: How you choose to identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under a screen name, anonymously, or as yourself. However, in order to qualify for the staff incentives , you will need to register by sending an email with your name and blog address to splslearning2.0@gmail.com.
Use of Blogger is only a recommendation. If there is another blog hosting site that you are more comfortable with, please feel free to use it.
#1 Discovery has never been so much fun ...
Welcome to the SPLS Learning 2.0 program & blog. Our Learning 2.0 programming is modeled after PLCMC's Learning 2.0 program & blog. You'll notice that many of our exercises are based off of PLCMC, so we have to give credit where credit is due!
Chances are if you've found your way here you're:
1) A member of SPLS's staff who is participating in the Learning 2.0 Program.
2) Interested in learning about and playing around (yes, playing is allowed in libraries) with some new Web 2.0 tools that will help you expand your information literacy toolbox.
- and/or -
3) Just interested in earning a cool USB MP3 player!
Either way… we're glad you're here!!
Learning 2.0 is an online learning program that encourages staff to learn more about emerging technologies on the web that are changing the way people, society and libraries access information and communicate with each other.
This website highlights “23 Things” and discovery exercises to help staff become familiar with blogging, RSS news feeds, tagging, wikis, podcasting, online applications, social networking and video and image hosting sites.
So fasten your seat belts, grab your mouse and get ready for a discovery adventure… and remember, it's OK to play in the library and have fun!
23 Learning 2.0 Things
1) Read this blog & find out about the program.
2) Discover a few pointers from lifelong learners and learn how to nurture your own learning process.
Week 2: Blogging
3) Set up your own blog & add your first post.
4) Register your blog and begin your Learning 2.0 journey.
Week 3: Photos & Images
5) Explore Flickr and learn about this popular image hosting site.
6) Have some Flickr fun and discover some Flickr mashups & 3rd party sites.
7) Create a blog post about anything technology related that interests you this week.
Week 4: RSS & Newsreaders
8) Learn about RSS feeds and setup your own Bloglines newsreader account.
9) Locate a few useful library related blogs and/or news feeds.
Week 5: Play Week
10) Play around with an online image generator.
11) Take a look at LibraryThing and catalog some of your favorite books.
12) Get to know your fellow libraries, librarians and customers with MySpace and Facebook.
Week 6: Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati
13) Learn about tagging and discover Del.icio.us (a social bookmarking site)
14) Explore Technorati and learn how tags work with blog posts.
15) Read a few perspectives on Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the future of libraries and blog your thoughts.
Week 7: Wikis
16) Learn about wikis and discover some innovative ways that libraries are using them.
17) Add an entry to the Learning 2.0 SandBox wiki.
Week 8: Online Applications & Tools
18) Take a look at some online productivity (word processing, spreadsheet) tools.
19) Explore any site from the Web 2.0 awards list, play with it and write a blog post about your findings.
Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable audio
20) Discover YouTube and a few sites that allow users to upload and share videos.
21) Discover some useful search tools for locating podcasts.
22) Take a look at the titles available through Greater Phoenix Digital Library and learn how to download audiobooks.
23) Summarize your thoughts about this program on your blog.