runawayreader

Week9Thing23-Reflections

For the most part, I liked this exercise. I enjoyed YouTube, Online Productivity, LibraryThing and Avatars the most. I was least satisfied with RSS feeds, Bloglines, and Rollyo. I don't think that I liked these because I am less likely to use these in the future. I am glad that I now have at least a basic understanding of these 23 things. I think that has been beneficial and I would encourage and participate in future projects like this.

Week9Thing20-YouTube

I like YouTube. Not all of the videos have the greatest quality, but where else would this Fleetwood Mac-aholic find old videos and concert footage from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond. Boy have the band members changed. I love it. I also found some funny videos where the original footage had been altered to create humorous footage. This would be a fun site to play around with when no one else is using the internet.

Week9Thing21-Podcasting

I tried the different podcasting directories and hated them. They were difficult to use. I would try searching by subject and I was having a hard time finding recordings that I wanted. So I just picked the first category, first by alphabet, and added it to my bloglines. I could have used iTunes. I'm a little (not much) more comfortable with them. This will take work. Thumbs down.

Week9Thing22-E-books

I played with Project Gutenburg. Frankly, I didn't want to register for more things that I might not use or forget about. It was easy to find books if the authors were not current (deceased) so that copyright was not an issue. I found Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I don't care much for reading a book online, but it was easy. It would be nice for someone with a large monitor who doesn't want (poo poo) to make the run to the library or whose library doesn't carry a copy. I liked that foreign language titles might be available.

Week8Thing19 Web 2.0 Awards

I looked at an amazing site/idea. I found http://www.donorschoose.org/ . This is a site where teachers can submit proposals for ideas that they would like to implement in their classrooms, but they need additional funding. Donors can browse by state, topic, and so many other things to find what they would like to donate to. They choose the amount of donation. They get to see where the school is located, how much of the area is below the poverty line, what the cost is broken down, and more. This idea is very interesting. It makes me want to put out a commercial. Attention all teachers!!! While this site is teacher specific, why couldn't it be tweeked to be for needy teachers and needy librarians. There are teachers asking for funds for books. Small town librarians and poverty areas could really use this help.

Week8Thing18-Online Productivity

I played around with Google Docs in the word processing mode. The tool tabs were very similar to the Microsoft Word templates that I'm used to using. This made is very comfortable to use, familar. I could see this as a tempting tool to use for someone traveling, working on a paper. They could have it saved and could access it where ever there was internet. You wouldn't have to lug around a disk. But if internet went down, you'd be stuck.

I appreciate that there are other options out there besides the software based applications. More people can access things.

week6thing15-Library2.0feedback

There is so much out there on Library 2.0, it's very overwhelming. I was exposed to the ideas in school, but as I've stated before, I'm not all that into technology. At least not this type. I am glad that all the information is out there. At least I can find some info for others who are starting out. I feel very fortunate that there are so many people in this system who regularly use these and feel comfortable with them. We all have to start somewhere. I don't think Library2.0 will take the place of the printed materials. It will help some in searching and hinder it as well. The large amount of places to look for info. sometimes makes my head spin.

Week7Thing17-SandBoxWiki

This was fun and it is a good practice tool. I found out how easy it was to add a post and a page. I took the directions for adding something fun and silly very seriously. A sandbox is a good place to blow off harmless steam. My post was titled My Cat Named Jack.

Week7Thing16-Wikis

I looked at several different wikis from the list and was pleasantly surprised by all the differences in them. Some look very professional and some look as if they are used more for the fun of it. Some look just like wikipedia articles in their layout. I was just surprised at all the differences.

I found a couple of wikis from this list that I might have to go back to in the future.

http://instructionwiki.org/Library_2.0_in_15_minutes_a_day
http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

I could use these as personal professional development tools and references.

I've come to notice that many of the web 2.0 applications could be used for the same purposes. A wiki or a del.icio.us account could be used for favorite reference websites.

Week6Thing14-Technorati

Oh boy, could I have used this website during library school. I took a class where we looked at Web 2.0 and even though I wasn't in the blog group, this would have been a useful tool. Or maybe my classmates would have found it useful. This is a wonderful tool for finding out what others are saying, thinking, interested in. This would be a good tool to use if students start soming in with an assignment where they have to look at blogs or start one. We could have them look at others on the same topic.

I noticed that a lot of the results for the top favorited and top blogs were the same, but the top searches were different. I suppose when you're doing searches you don't know the name of the blog beforehand.

Anyway, Technorati has a place.

Week6Thing13-Del.icio.us

So far I'm not a fan of del.icio.us. I'm not writing it off. I just need to work with it more. The tabs don't show up in all of my windows. I have to get to the right window to add anything. I did like how it gave me recommended / other tags used. The others had tags that I didn't think of right away and I was able to go back in and edit my picks. I found the application clunky.

Week5Thing12-Rollyo

I took a little break from 23 things, but now I'm back with Rollyo. I made a search roll for Fleetwood Mac websites. Why? They're my favorite band. I was discussing rollyo with one of my co-workers and how it is similar to a favorites list on your computer. I think rollyo would be a good tool to use as a mobile favorites list. Create an account and you can get to your favorites via the internet even if you're not at home. You can put a lot more sites in one spot without as much clutter by just assigning them to different lists. Will I continue to use rollyo? The verdict is still out.

Week5Thing11-LibraryThing

I like LibraryThing. I had previously used it to find read-alikes for reader's advisory work. It's a lot of fun to mess around with. I hadn't used the personal list/catalog feature before. It was interesting. I realize that all the info I love finding comes from the people who have time or make time to post and update. I would like to thank them for that. They make life just a little bit easier. How does the book suggester and un-suggester work? Does it go by tags? I'm going to read more and see if I can figure it out.
My list is at http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php .

Week5Thing10-Avatars

I loved this Thing. I had seen all of the other wonderful librarian pics on the blogs during staff day and I had been curious as to how they were made. I had to stop myself from going too far and creating way too many images. It's a blast. I think kids would really like to play around with this type of thing. I'll try it out with my cousins. It's like having a makeover done without the risk. This feature is very appealing.

Week4Thing9 Merlin and search tools

I spent the most time playing around with Topix.net. The page seemed neat and orderly. A plus in my book. The search box was easy to find. One search went well. The second search I did involved more words and then the search results became less and less relevant. I accept that, it happens. Feedster looked easy enough to use. Syndic8.com looked less friendly. The search box was sort of hidden among all sorts of other stuff. Ehh.

I subscribed to the Merlin page and who did I see. Maurice. He's famous.

Week4Thing8-RSS feeds

All this new technology. AAHHH! Okay. I'm not upset, really. I think it's very interesting. I'm just glad I didn't have to invent these new options. I like the idea of RSS. The news I want, coming to me. I don't think I'm lazy. I'm just conserving myself for the more important tasks.

Back on track.

RSS and Bloglines newsreader can really cut down on wasted time. If you wasted a lot of time hunting before. For some, it may just be one more thing to check everyday, like my many e-mail accounts. Yes, I know there is a way for all my mail to be sent to one service, but ehhh. Laziness.

23 things is making me feel more knowledgeable now. I worry less about what a patron might ask me now. I might not be able to help them, but I won't look like a deer in headlights.

Week3Thing7TechnologyChat

I'd like to share my feelings about Google Maps. I love playing around with the satelite images that are available. I learned about this application about two years ago in one of my MLS courses. What fun. I looked up my old neighborhood and I got to share the image with a friend who hasn't been there. I also got to see where her parents live.

This tool was handy when I was planning my move to my current home. I wasn't able to visit the area, but I got to see the area using the computer. It also gives me the opportunity to ?visit? someplace without making a trip that I can't afford. Look out Ireland, here I come.

week3thing6Flickrmashups

I have been playing around with the Flickr Color Fields Colr Pickr http://www.krazydad.com/colrpickr/. I like it, but that doesn't surprise me. I like to play around with the boxes of different font colors and the choices for colors when i'm creating a web page. I've never been artistic, but I like to color and I loved my big box of crayons. This tool also reminds me of that television home makeover show where the home owners are given a palette of colors to chose from that are made up of different items not paint swatches.

I'm not sure what this tool would come in handy for. It searches photos in Flickr, but why would it be useful? To find that green photo you saw that belonged to someone else? It's just a toy for me so far.

week3thing5Flickr

I have been exploring Flickr today. I feel that the searching capabilities are a little clunky, but I think that I'll feel more comfortable with time. I decided to search for images from back home in Grand Forks, ND. It's been more than a year since I've been home and I don't know when I'll make it back. I am excited to find that by viewing images of GF I can still feel connected.
I came across an image posted by Crystal Ann of Pinkdream Photography. The web address is http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkdream/1282261400/ .The photo is of a thunderhead cloud. It's a breath taking photograph. The colors are just amazing.

Week 1 Thing 2: 7 1/2 habits of lifelong learners

After my lifelong learning tutorial, I have realized that most of the 7 1/2 habits are difficult for me. I have decided that the hardest habit for me to develop is "Viewing problems as challenges".

The easiest habit is "play", but "Using technology to my advantage" comes in 2nd place.

I found that I have some things to work towards.


P.S. I had difficulties opening the Learning Contract Attachment. I was unsuccessful.

Hello 23 Things

I've just started my 23 things. A little behind the pack, but I'll catch up.