Olives Ocean booktalk

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Course review:

Thank you Anselm and Steve for yet another great course. What would I change? I would make the course longer! There is so much to cover it creates an "I want to learn more" outlook. (At least for me!) The technology courses I've taken with SCILS have been the most engaging and useful courses, and I have already put much of it to practice.

Second Life

So here I am, Re Hazelnut in some Darkwood castle. Don't know how I got there, and I can't get out. That about sums up my Second Life experience. I am not fan (don't hold this against me!) but I can see where people can get hooked. Maybe when I am not so preoccupied with getting final projects completed, I might re-visit Second Life just to be fair. I think the Sims is more my speed! Oh yeah, you can't see me because I am behind the foliage in the middle of the screen! Click on the image to make it larger, it will open in a new screen. There I am!

If "everything bad is good for you"....

Part of the frustration I have developed while attending SCILS is the realization that the academia is way ahead of practice. I'll be finishing the program in the fall of 09, and am very anxious to become part of the library world, whether public or education. However, the mentality and resources in place right now, particularly in the educational area, are somewhat prohibitive with respect to advancing with Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. That being said, I do believe libraries know what their role will be in enticing future generations to benefit from their services. Yet the ability to keep pace with the necessary technology is hampered by resources, budgets, and personnel and we must also take in to account the digital divide. Anyone exposed to online gaming, video games and the like can't deny there is an intelligence required to participate, and gives new meaning to becoming social.The complexity of entertainment as a medium has reached new heights and requires a new level of intelligence and engagement on our part. Young audiences are experiencing this from birth, older audiences often don't realize what is happening and retreat to the comfort of simpler methods. The wave of the generations immersed in today's pop culture is at the library now, and is so large it can't be ignored. Not just because it is there, but because "pop culture is getting more mentally challenging as the medium evolves." Libraries will need to quickly evolve to meet this challenge.

Library gaming system

Task: develop a library gaming system for a public library
To begin this task, I would need to do some basic research on gaming since my knowledge in this area is limited. After getting a general sense of the terminology, systems, games and the like, I would go to my target audience - tweens and teens-- for input. Finding out what gaming platforms they prefer and which games they would like to play would be helpful in determining what technology would be needed. Next step, consult with the technology coordinator at the library. He has the expertise to assist with setting up a LAN if needed, or any other issues involved in online or console gaming. With this information in hand, the director --keeper of the budget-- would be consulted next to determine what the budget would be for this project (or wouldn't be). Since we do have game stores in close proximity to the library, they would be approached for advice on what games are selling locally, and possibly donations of games or equipment. Partnering with a neighbor library might also be a possibility.
Depending on the budget, it is likely that I would focus on the more popular systems such as a WII, XBox or Playstation 3. As our library is already equipped with projectors, TV access is not necesary. I am sure there are high schol students who are very savvy with gaming technology and would be happy to fulfill required volunteer hours helping us set up our gaming program.

Screencasting-what makes a good one?

Screencasting is an extremely useful tool, and easily done with user friendly software. After several tries at it, I realize there are techniques and rules that apply that make screencasting effective:

• Have a topic or idea and a plan prepared ahead of time.
  
• Practice - the first cast is usually not the best.
• Keep track of trials by labeling them accurately.
• Play with the sound settings on the microphone and speakers to get optimal results.
  
• Play back the screencast - seeing it and hearing it before posting allows for editing.
• Be aware of the length - too long or too short is not ideal.
• Know who will be watching the screencast.
• Avoid speaking monotone - use enthusiasm in line with the presentation.

Watching grass grow !

This screencast demonstrates the limited ability I have when it comes to online gaming. Although I love Scrabble and play it often on Pogo.com, I realize I need to step up my gaming abilities ! Playing against other people and being able to chat with them during the game is actually fun (don't laugh all of you seasoned gamers !) If anything, it builds up my vocabulary !

Everything Bad is Good for You

I have spent many hours watching my son play games on his PS2 and XBox. That's right, just watching although he has invited me to join him. There is a certain level of humiliation I experience just watching him, let alone playing. The fact that there are many things happening at once and discovery as you play being the rule confounds me. I have an admiration for his ability to be successful at these games. Add in players that are out there somewhere, and I'm totally lost. I grew up in the Pac Man generation-not too many objectives and one dimension, leaving me with an admiration for anyone that is able to think on so many levels at once. As Johnson points out, the many nested levels of these sophisticated games, whether online or console gaming, requires a way of thinking that is far more sophisticated and relevant to life today, and particularly the workplace, than some are willing to acknowledge. In many games the rules change as you go on, and the interfaces of the games are sophisticated and multi-layered. A high degree of engagement and interaction is needed to navigate through them, and the fact that kids can make sense of this complexity is in itself amazing. As Johnson points out, during many games, the player has to constantly adapt to new knowledge and situations. This is stuff we don't teach in schools, yet is more relevant to today's workplace than ever before. Delivering stupidity? If you have ever watched or participated in games such as Halo,Call of Duty, Zelda or any Sims game (these are the only ones I'm familiar with!) you can see the level of intelligence and thinking skills needed to play. Like Johnson points out, we don't test for these skills. Game players are developing them on their own, and will be the interface developers of tomorrow.

Boyd : "Social Network Sites"

Several aspects of social network sites became apparent to me as I read this article. Social networks are really new, with the majority of them becoming prominent as recent as 2003. They have come a long way in six+ years, and when one thinks of the infancy of the technology, it makes you think about where it will be in another six. Libraries need to realize the generation of users coming up will have been a part of this evolution from its infancy, and will need to relate to them using social network technology. The globalization of social networking as mentioned in the article should emphasize the utility of the technology to librarians. Thinking beyond the 'body walking through the door' as comprising the majority of library users, the ability to reach a population of online library users should not be overlooked. The fact that users of social networks typically have a common offline element with one another is a facet librarians can capitalize on in expanding library use.

Ning-advantages?

The vice-principal at the elementary school where I 'play' has started a Ning for staff members. Not initially knowing what a Ning was, I was skeptical, but joined. After using the Ning, I can see advantages over a blog for certain situations. Using a Ning has allowed us to create and participate in a social network exclusive to Cedar Hill staff members. Participation is by invitation only, keeping the Ning private which allows posts between staff members on education related ideas and input. Our Ning does contain advertisements (this can be minimized if a fee is paid, however, we use the free version) yet the advertisments are not too intrusive. Ning is easy to use and offers over 50 design featuresso its appearance can take on the personality you'd like. I did find it a little clunky at times when trying to manipulate photos and such, but I worked through it. Content can be moderated before being posted, and members can set up ther pages to be private or public according to their preference. Ning competes with Facebook and MySpace, yet I found the privacy allowed with Ning to be greater than with either of them.

How to add a playlist to a MySpace profile page

I've tried to show in this screencast how to add a playlist of your favorite songs to a My Space profile page. Follow the dancing cursor...I tend to use it as a pointer (gotta break that habit!) !

Facebook and MySpace--Sticky?

Having had a Facebook account for some time now, I never really thought of it as being sticky. While there are a few gadgets on Facebook such as "pokes" and words automatically linking to other Facebook pages (example, names, titles, fan clubs), most if not all were internal Facebook links. Facebook's emphasis is definately more on communication, friends and sharing than MySpace. After setting up my account in MySpace, I was "stuck" ! Not only did I spend too much time figuring out my profile page and the like, there are more options to play with. (examples: music, videos, applications, my blogs, etc.) I could easily get lost in another world of videos or music by simply clicking the music or video tabs. The advertising on MySpace is more blatant, and once again I could get lost in a game or featured application by simply clicking any of the flashing ads on the right. I could also spend time setting up My Music and My Video on my profile page and change it whenever. While I find myself connecting to Facebook to visit my friends and communicate, as well as to have some fun, I'm not sure I need all of the "stickyness" of MySpace to do that. Perhaps younger users would welcome the distractions.

Our You Tube videos

Wow, if I were to borrow from Dan's title, now that's entertainment ! What creativity and really great subjects. There wasn't one video I didn't like, but my two favorites were Did You Know? by Stephanie Lewis ( animals and shelters) and Funtime in the Park by Mary Davis (little guy having a great day in the park--this video captures the innocence of being a kid). Both are videos of subjects close to my heart- pets and kids. They were put together really well, with the music choice for each one extremely mood setting. I have to say that Laser Bugs Movie Trailer seems to me to be the entertainment stuff the You Tube audience would love. As far as 'how to' videos, Dan's How to Tune up Your Bike is great. Not only do I love his voice, the background music is a nice touch. How to videos are something I would look for on You Tube since I find combining visual with audio instruction to be entertaining and a great way to learn.

Screencast-Novelist K-8 Tutorial

This screencast was produced using Jing--a free software that allows the addition of visual content to audio content. Jing allows immediate capture of content on your screen, and immediate sharing of that content. This tutorial is for Novelist K-8, an online database that allows students in grades K-8 the ability to locate fiction and nonfiction materials. Features of special interest in Novelist K-8 include excerpts, reviews, popularity ratings, Lexile ratings, cover images, various search methods, a user friendly interface, and the capability for the user to find similar items.

Educational videos vs entertainment videos

Do educational videos stand a chance vs entertainment videos? Absolutely. I do believe there is an audience and a purpose for each type of video. Perhaps the recognition for educational videos is more contained at this point to people in the field or pursuing educational purposes, but as the knowledge of the existence of the educational video expands, I do see the audience widening. For example, we now have at our public library a free downloadable video service which offers library card holders access to classic movies, acclaimed independent and foreign films, documentaries, network and cable shows and exclusive original programming.This service is available 24/7, and includes cooking, travel, how-to, literature programs and more. The availability of this service expands the audience for educational materials, while exposing that same audience to a venue they might not have been aware of. I have also seen the use of educational videos expanding in classroom as well as business uses. Just as entertainment videos are widely recognized and sought out, I do see this trend continueing into the market for educational videos.

Flicker and us !

If a picture can tell a thousand words, our Flicker photos show us as a group with amazing interests. We appear to be a very diverse group with great life experiences--family, travel, education, location, professional experience, and hobbies. Stereotypical librarians we are not ! However, as diverse as we are, of course the one common thread running through the group is our experience with SCILS, or as we are now known, SCI. We come together through, and identify with, Rutgers SCI, and although we are "online", we are in fact together.

You Tube embed

I put this video together having some fun with Movie maker Moviemaker. The music lasts a little longer than the video !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcpIZezVd64

Great art

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Demo

Entertainment !

Guitar lesson 101

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Yes, this is supposed to be educational ! I asked my son and his friend to help out with a basic guitar lesson---this is what they came up with !

Podcasting - advantages, detractions

The advantages of podcasting (Link to response in podcast) are many, including the portability, user driven choices, minimal cost, and "ease" of use. However, I say the latter with a little trepidation since I didn't find the technology very easy to follow. Podomatic is a little difficult to navigate and find functions, but in the end it works. The pairing of podcasting with visuals is a dynamic teaching/presentation tool that can bring together audiences in vast locations. I particularly like the ability to allow live commenting when podcasting making the experience interactive and engaging for the audience.Podcasting is a tool that should be used with a purpose, not just aimless rantings or opinionating. When used as the latter, it can be a distraction, as is the case with text blogging.

Text blogging vs podcasting

Podcast : Aesops Fables

The theme of this one minute fable is "don't do too much at once". A boy puts his hand in a jar of filberts, and attempts to extract too many at once. He isn't able to get his full hand out until his mother tells him to empty his hand a little. Somehow, I felt this fable had meaning to me while trying to complete this assignment ! After much trial and error and completing little pieces at a time, my podcast was successful ! And no, it isn't my voice on the recording, although I like British accents !

Google analytics and Blogger account mpscils598s09

Google Analytics results for mpscils598s09 as of 3/24 are : for a total of 47 visits since tracking began, 47 % (22) visits were from the browser Firefox , 38% (18) from Internet Explorer, and 15% (7) from Safari. Average time on the site was 6minutes 40 seconds, with an average of 2.83 pages visited. The most used connection speed by far is cable with representing 36 of the 47 users.

SCILS educational experience

I haven't been back in the classroom for quite a while (as a student) before beginning graduate studies at SCILS. Yet I was witnessing colleague after colleague finish similar programs without much trouble. Why couldn't I ? I knew I could be a good librarian, no, a great librarian, if I had the chance, so why not? And here I am, at 50+, doing what I want to do, being what I want to be, when I grow up ! Better late than never, enjoying every minute of it (well, that may be a slight exaggeration) ! Seeking out the online program for schedule reasons, I never imagined I would be as engaged as I am, or part of an online community of students as diverse and experienced as they are. Hard to explain, but it does feel like a community and you do get to know people online without the voices, and without the faces. So, despite sitting at this lonely desk, it is nice to know all of you are out there, just a key stroke away!

The Long Tail and Libraries

Statistics show 90% of materials that circulate represent 10% of a libraries holdings. If this is accurate, following the 80/20 marketing rule the Long Tail (LT) cites, the LT really should apply to libraries. Yet how does a library or consortium of libraries "market" their holdings? Inter-library loan , displays, a user friendly OPAC, websites, social networking,word of mouth etc. are all tools used to enlighten library users to the holdings available to them. Yet according to the statistics, many items are still not being used. The library is still very much a physical world. Space and budgetary constraints are much like that of a video/DVD retailer or bookstore. Using the Internet to expand exposure of collections beyond the community a library serves, as well as to enlighten the immediate community as to what is available to them is one way libraries can make use of the long tail. Contrary to this, cataloging methods in place today using authority controlled language are often limiting as to what a user is able to discover. Expanding the population to which holdings are available should in turn increase circulation. In turn, libraries will have to make the means by which users discover materials more obvious, and in some cases, more user friendly. For example , it is no secret that searching for periodicals is still a complex exercise--one must first know databases exist for such a search, they must then know which database to use for their topic, and then must work their way through the language of the particular database. The latter is confusing since different interfaces require different elements and terminology, as well as different syntax. The process makes materials less available and more intimidating to find for the average user. Delivery of the periodical is another step in the process that may be equally confusing. In fact, there are many steps between requesting an item and final delivery that each require the user "knowing" the system. If libraries are to capitalize on the "Long Tail", some of these issues need to be ironed out or eliminated so they can get down to the business of making the 90% of unused materials in their collections active. The Internet tools are available, often at no cost to the library, for pursuing the LT. It is up to the institution to not only alot the manpower to do so, but to have on staff people current in technology that will allow this to happen.

Google docs and students...

While Google docs sounds like a really great way for students and teachers to 'go green', collaborate, write, and edit papers and projects, there are issues related to access and ease of use that may be a hindrance. Needing an e-mail address to establish an account may be a problem for younger students being introduced to the new technology for writing, editing, and submitting assignments. There is also the issue of who owns the material on Google docs ? From Google docs-
"“you give Google a worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through the Service." It is also stipulated that children be over the age of 13 to use the service as it must comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act designed to protect the privacy of minors with regard to collection of personal information . So it is imperative that when using Google docs in a classroom setting parental/guardian permission is obtained. That being said, Google docs offers a classroom a truly creative and collaborative way for students to interact in the educational process. Would the technology be welcomed by educators? As with other applications, if the educator is comfortable with technology, they are more apt to see the benefits and rewards that can result, and therefore put the applications into action.

pbwiki vs Wetpaint

And the winner is...either! Although Wetpaint had a few more options for design, both pbwiki and Wetpaint are easy to use, and both get the job done. Neither require coding or html, just wysiwyg editing convenient for anyone wanting to create a wiki. Wetpaint does offer a neat choice of templates for those of us who need more creativity, yet it was hard not to get distracted by choosing just the right look for the wiki. The biggest downside to Wetpaint was the advertisements, and although it is free the upgrades are not. I have the impression that Wetpaint is geared for visual appeal more than developing a professional looking wiki. After reviewing a comparison of the two softwares on http://www.wikimatrix.org/compare/PBwiki+Wetpaint+Wikispaces
It became apparent that the two have more in common that not, and both are very good products.

Delicious bookmarks-what do they say?

Using delicious bookmarks to find out more about people is a clever way to find out about their interests. Do the bookmarks really tell us much about the person? Not really, just some of the facets of the individual. What I really find interesting is discovering the varied interests we all have, although I have to admit I am not a very interesting person at this stage in my life.It took quite a bit of thought to decide on ten sites that 'represent' me. WYSIWYG! Yes, it is fun to share ourselves with other students, particularly since we are online. Somehow, it develops a 'connectedness'. Would I use delicious tagging to acquaint students with one another in the future? Yes.

del.icio.us vs Digg

After playing around on both sites, I see delicious as a bookmarking and sharing site. Easy to use for both, I am not sure I would use Digg for bookmarking. I do like the Tag and Bookmark icon delicious enables on the tool bar, making it really convenient to bookmark sites to an account. The delicious interface is easy to use, networking is easy, and tag rolls are easy to establish. Without the tool bar icon from Digg, the user has to be logged into Digg and use its search engine to find sites. The user does not have to be logged onto delicious to tag sites found while on Google or other search engines. Is Digg hoping its users will switch to their search engine? Overall, I felt more comfortable using delicious as a bookmarking and sharing site. The periods in the name do drive me crazy though ! One other comment on Digg--I found myself using the 'Dugg' numbers to judge popularity, and therefore relevance. This was not so. Many sites with high numbers were truly junk.

SCILS or SCI

A name change to SCI--I haven't read any compelling reason to change. I don't see SCI as broadening the view of the school, in fact I see it as making the mission of the school unclear. Information science is a term we as practitioners endear. However, we are in the field and recognize its elements. Those outside of the field will not see it as a well defined degree program, and in fact will have to dig into the schools offerings to know it includes library science. When looking for library science programs at schools (examples in the ALA link: (http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/accreditedprograms/directory/list/index.cfm
most all have the term library included in the name. To me it doesn't weaken or make the term seem "old fashioned", but when paired with information science it becomes stronger and partnered with the 21st century aspects of technology and information seen as a science. In the scheme of things, I know my opinion won't matter on the final decision, yet as the eternal optimist I hope someone is at least reading our opinions.

Information overload?

RSS might not be perfect, but it sure is a big help in freeing up my time from searching to reading. The option to read or not to read a full article is a plus, as well as the ease with which aggregators work. However, sites that update very frequently are a complication and with these sites it may be hard to distinguish good info from junk, or a topic not of interest. Categorizing feeds helps with topic organization and eliminates random reading. I began using a ning at school, and like the option of defining a 'Twitter Tweet' with keywords that are of interest to me. So does RSS help or contribute to information overload? Information overload is a facet of life today, so I'm of the opinion that it can only help in an inevitable situation.

digg

I discovered "digg" http://www.digg.com/ in an article on the best Web 2.0 software. It is a members only, user moderated, social news site (anyone can join) in which members can post anything they find of interest from the web (news, videos, images etc). Each post is rated by digg's members, with the most popular ones (the most dugg stories!) getting a spot on the front page, and possibly a top ten rank. There are no editors on digg, members rank the information posted and are able to bury information if it is objectionable or simply spam. Users can comment on articles as well as bury comments. Digg also offers RSS feeds for the site or parts of it, and search terms of the users choice. Categories include world news, science, technology, sports, gaming, lifestyle, entertainment, and offbeat (comedy, odd stuff, people, pets and animals). Information overload is becoming a problem, and digg seems to offer one solution in that current news events can be found in one place. One concern with digg--can a group of users conspire to bury a news worthy story?

I am passionate about---

This may seem so cliche, but I am truly passionate about my kids and being the best parent I know how to be. No, I'm not a hovering, overbearing mom. I just like to share life with them, and each day it gets better. Just watching them develop their interests and adult personalities makes me smile every day. Unknown to them is the strength they give me to pursue my own happiness and endure life's ups and downs. Although as young adults they spend less time with me and my husband, it is a great feeling to know they still want to. So when I consider other passions of mine such as travelling or reading, they seem very trivial compared to being a parent. Sappy? I guess!

Text Mesasage Your Librarian

Although the concept of this application isn't rocket science, how its done is a little more complicated. TextALibrarian.com allows students to use the ever popular way of communicating via text messaging to ask reference questions using the current phone capabilities. It connects text messaging with email or some IM systems. Using cell phone based text messaging it is easy for the librarian to learn as well as a student. Downsides would be cost ( yearly basic subscription about $1200 with a a limit on outbound messages of 1000 /month) and I am not sure how a user would access this type of messaging via computer, indicating an additional need for IM reference. How it works : http://www.textalibrarian.com/how.php There seems to be reported mixed success with 24/7 online reference via IM, so it will be interesting to see if texting reference questions will become popular.

Bloglines vs. Google Reader

I am a novice at using both of these RSS aggregators, but certain aspects of each appeal to me:
Google Reader: I like the fact that I can go right in to it from my g-mail account and don't need to set up any other account. Also, since I am a really big Google fan, I like the access to the Google features. Google Reader seems to allow more sharing than Bloglines, but like I said I am a novice.
Bloglines has less eye appeal, but it is straight forward. Both use the left hand navigation menu which to me seems natural. Google reader allows you to "star" an item marking it as special in some way; Bloglines allows you to mark an item as 'keep new', but when I marked items as such, I wasn't sure what this did for me. Conclusion: for my purposes, either one will serve me as an aggregator, but as a big Google fan, I am more apt to use Google Reader.

"Shiny toys, or useful tools?"

This is a great article by Walt Crawford (citesandinsights.info/v9i3a.pdf) . This gist is we are out of the shiny new toys phase for blogs and wikis in libraries. They are now tools and can be powerfully effective. He lists some very successful library blogs, its worth visiting some.

WordPress

After playing around with my WordPress account, I don't see much difference between it and Blogger. Blogger does seem a bit more user friendly, however WordPress offers:

• Links throughout that are helpful if you forget how to do something
• Can import content from other blog sites such as Blogger (but so can Blogger)
• Uses spam blockers
• Saves posts as you write them
• 3 gigabytes of storage-can store lots of photos
• Has a style that tries to appeal to the average person
• Can purchase additional memory, CSS capabilities, No ad option
  

http://cmclibraryteens.blogspot.com/
Getting teens to come into the public library requires savvy marketing and creative approaches to reaching out to them. Blogging is one way to do just that. This age group uses technology to communicate more than any other, and will continue to do so. Blogging is one way to reach out to them in a way they will respond to. Our public library (Bernards Township) is in the process of setting up a teen blog, ut the Cape May County library system has one already set up. It is a great venue for teens to find out what is going on for them at the library, upcoming teen programs, book reviews written by teens, podcasts and more. Not only is the blog visually appealing to teens, it separates their world from the sometimes hum-drum library world of adults.

SCILS

Blogging...this weeks topic for Social Software. The more I learn-the more I want to know.

My first blog !

Blogging...what a concept, one that is becoming a necessary tool professionally and personally.