Today, I looked at eBookee and Tangler, completing the final episode in this stage of my adventure. I didn't have much success with eBookee. Being a crime fiction junkie, I had a look for books written by some of my favourite authors like Robert Crais. I found that the pages couldn't be found for most of my searches which was a little disappointing. I tried Stephen King as an author but again, there were a lot of broken links on eBookee. I read some summaries of books and looked at popular titles in general. The magazines available from eBookee were interesting. I checked out the computing titles as we don't subscribe to many IT publications here in the Tax Office Library. However, most of the titles were about gaming. In the end, I decided that browsing the shelves in the local public library and the bookshops would be more satisfying than using this site. I must confess that I haven't, as yet, got into the electronic book scene. Friends (who exercise) like to listen to audio books while jogging etc and others read their electronic books on public transport but I'm still a fan of the physical book. I looked for information on Amazon's Kindle and was pleased that at least I now know the name of an electronic book reader! The page may look like paper but you don't get to turn or dog-ear the pages!!
Tangler seems like a easy to use site for setting up a social networking chatroom and its application to libraries is very apparent. I followed some links to the LibarianInBlack blog and pondered over the fact that it's all very well to start such initiatives but it's very important to keep them current after the initial excitement may have waned. Otherwise, it wouldn't reflect well on the Library. Still, if the content was interesting, there's no reason to anticipate a lack of participation.
This week I also stumbled upon StumbledUpon.com, owned by eBay. At first, I thought that this was a site that would help me to keep a finger on the pulse of what was new and interesting on the Internet but its use seems to more for marketing sites which are StumbledUpon by those with StumbledUpon accounts who can give sites their thumbs up or thumbs down recommendations. There seems to be plenty of scope for biasing recommendations in order to promote a particular site.
So, that's it from me for this round of 23 things. Once again, I've enjoyed the experience and am feeling far more confident about signing up for and using different applications. Thank you to the Learning 2.1 facilitators for provoding me with this vehicle for discovering different technologies.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Beyond #46: Wufoo
Wufoo at http://wufoo.com is an easy to use form builder that has several applications for use in the library and information setting. You can create surveys, invitations, job applications, registration forms, etc. Once your form has been created, you can receive email notifications, create reports that list and graph submissions, view statistics, customise (theme) your form, and even mail your form to groups of people. Wufoo automatically builds the database, backend and scripts for the forms that you create. I could think of several ways in which the tool could be useful for work: surveys, event registration, invitations to skilling/training sessions and RSVPs etc. I had a play and developed this quick and dirty client satisfaction survey: http://bibliogirl.wufoo.com/forms/client-satisfaction-survey/
Exercise
Go to Wufoo and have a look at the Examples on the site and the Features. There is a video tour but this only works on a standalone computer. Sign up for the Free account with Wufoo. This entitles you to create 3 free reports and 3 free forms. Use the application to create and save your own form (a survey or event registration etc).
Blame me if you don't cry out WUFOO when you see your amazing form!
Exercise
Go to Wufoo and have a look at the Examples on the site and the Features. There is a video tour but this only works on a standalone computer. Sign up for the Free account with Wufoo. This entitles you to create 3 free reports and 3 free forms. Use the application to create and save your own form (a survey or event registration etc).
Blame me if you don't cry out WUFOO when you see your amazing form!
Thing #46: Updates
Since starting the original 23 things, I have become quite familiar with using Wiki tools and RSS feeds so for the update exercise, I focussed on other Web 2.0 tools that I have not used since my initial exposure to them.
Firstly, I looked at Flickr which has changed its layout in the last year. The ads are not so much in the way of the options on the home page, making it easier to navigate through the options. Another improvement is that you can now view the slideshow on Flickr in full screen. I discovered a new Flickr Group called Free Use Photos: http://flickr.com/groups/freeuse/. The photos in this group can be used with no fear of copyright restrictions. There are now 3000 photos in the group so it's worth checking out this collection when you need an image. I also found out that museums (e.g., Powerhouse Museum in Sydney) are adding their historical images to Flickr Commons.
LibraryThing has grown in popularity throughout the last year. The service is still free for up to 200 books. Like many of the Web 2.0 technologies, the social networking application of LibraryThing has expanded so it's now possible to import book lists directly into a Facebook profile and you can add New Tags so that you can find friends on LibraryThing. I was interested in finding out about the use of LibraryThing by actual libraries. On the Association of College and Research Libraries blog at http://acrlog.org, I found out that the Claremont Colleges Libraries are adding LibraryThing tags to their catalogue records. I had a look at their catalogue online and couldn't see any of the LT tags so maybe the tags are not available for all items or maybe they are only accessible by the students and faculty members. A librarian from the Colleges said that the tags were very easy to use but she did not think that the users made much use of them (likewise she commented that LCSH do not get much use either!). There is a Legacy Libraries collection on LibraryThing: the libraries of famous people such as Lawrence of Arabia and General George S Patton, Jnr have been catalogued using LT!
I was pleased to see that del.icio.us.com has become delicious.com! I was clearly one of the majority who had trouble remembering where to put the dots in the name! This tool has also improved the design of its layout.
I'm still using Blogger for my second lot of 23 things but discovered that you can add Geotags to posts - these Geotags act as a link to GoogleMaps! The interconnectedness of the Web 2.0 technologies is what has impressed me most about the direction taken by the 23 things in the year since I started to use them.
Firstly, I looked at Flickr which has changed its layout in the last year. The ads are not so much in the way of the options on the home page, making it easier to navigate through the options. Another improvement is that you can now view the slideshow on Flickr in full screen. I discovered a new Flickr Group called Free Use Photos: http://flickr.com/groups/freeuse/. The photos in this group can be used with no fear of copyright restrictions. There are now 3000 photos in the group so it's worth checking out this collection when you need an image. I also found out that museums (e.g., Powerhouse Museum in Sydney) are adding their historical images to Flickr Commons.
LibraryThing has grown in popularity throughout the last year. The service is still free for up to 200 books. Like many of the Web 2.0 technologies, the social networking application of LibraryThing has expanded so it's now possible to import book lists directly into a Facebook profile and you can add New Tags so that you can find friends on LibraryThing. I was interested in finding out about the use of LibraryThing by actual libraries. On the Association of College and Research Libraries blog at http://acrlog.org, I found out that the Claremont Colleges Libraries are adding LibraryThing tags to their catalogue records. I had a look at their catalogue online and couldn't see any of the LT tags so maybe the tags are not available for all items or maybe they are only accessible by the students and faculty members. A librarian from the Colleges said that the tags were very easy to use but she did not think that the users made much use of them (likewise she commented that LCSH do not get much use either!). There is a Legacy Libraries collection on LibraryThing: the libraries of famous people such as Lawrence of Arabia and General George S Patton, Jnr have been catalogued using LT!
I was pleased to see that del.icio.us.com has become delicious.com! I was clearly one of the majority who had trouble remembering where to put the dots in the name! This tool has also improved the design of its layout.
I'm still using Blogger for my second lot of 23 things but discovered that you can add Geotags to posts - these Geotags act as a link to GoogleMaps! The interconnectedness of the Web 2.0 technologies is what has impressed me most about the direction taken by the 23 things in the year since I started to use them.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Thing #45: Gliffy and Mindmeister
Taking advantage of a quiet start to the year, I spent this afternoon getting to know Gliffy and Mindmeister. I found Mindmeister very easy to use and with Xmas still on my mind, mocked up a mindmap for tackling that dreaded of tasks: Christmas shopping! If you'd like to take a look at my map, here's the address: http://www.mindmeister.com/maps/show/13958745#
I didn't find Gliffy as easy to use as Mindmeister but maybe this is because I looked at the screencast for using Mindmeister before creating my own map. Gliffy, I got to know through trial and error. I used Gliffy to create a flowchart for checking out an item on the library catalogue. It could do with a little more tinkering but here it is:
http://www.gliffy.com/gliffy/#d=1572583&t=Library_Circulation_flow_chart_-_Amanda
Just a little note, before I go, about the Google Groups NexGenLib. I was wrong about the group being defunct. They are very active as my Outlook Inbox will testify! It's interesting to read the posts. The participants are from a cross-section of the library and information sphere, mostly located in the States, but the issues that they face are very similar to those that we face in the Tax Office Library. It's a small world after all...
I didn't find Gliffy as easy to use as Mindmeister but maybe this is because I looked at the screencast for using Mindmeister before creating my own map. Gliffy, I got to know through trial and error. I used Gliffy to create a flowchart for checking out an item on the library catalogue. It could do with a little more tinkering but here it is:
http://www.gliffy.com/gliffy/#d=1572583&t=Library_Circulation_flow_chart_-_Amanda
Just a little note, before I go, about the Google Groups NexGenLib. I was wrong about the group being defunct. They are very active as my Outlook Inbox will testify! It's interesting to read the posts. The participants are from a cross-section of the library and information sphere, mostly located in the States, but the issues that they face are very similar to those that we face in the Tax Office Library. It's a small world after all...
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Thing #44: Jott.com
Jott.com must be for those of us who live on our mobile phones. I must admit that I'm more likely to have forgotten my mobile than paper and a pen! Still, I can see that this service has its merits.
For no fee (there are more benefits if you pay a fee) Jott allows you to phone them, tell them where you want the meesge to go (e.g., email) and leave a voicemail message to capture notes, set reminders and calendar appointments, stay in touch with friends and family, and interact with your favorite web sites and services. Jott captures the voice, turns it into text, and sends it to the destination you chose.
I expect that it won't be long before a similar service starts up in Australia.
For no fee (there are more benefits if you pay a fee) Jott allows you to phone them, tell them where you want the meesge to go (e.g., email) and leave a voicemail message to capture notes, set reminders and calendar appointments, stay in touch with friends and family, and interact with your favorite web sites and services. Jott captures the voice, turns it into text, and sends it to the destination you chose.
I expect that it won't be long before a similar service starts up in Australia.
Thing #42: Google Groups
Google Groups was very slow to use over the desktop but I did find out some interesting info on the Society.libraries.talk user group. Browsing the postings, I found out that this month, the 2nd edition of Library World Records will be published. Something to keep in mind for a retirement/leaving gift!
I used the search facility to search for mention of Web 2.0 technologies but only got one hit! This I found quite surprising.
I joined the NEXGENLIB user group just so that I could check out the postings of this forward thinking user group but nothing had been added since January so figured that this user group ran out of momentum.
In the end, the poor response from the Internet over the desktop convinced me to abandon mission. I'll have to return another day.
I used the search facility to search for mention of Web 2.0 technologies but only got one hit! This I found quite surprising.
I joined the NEXGENLIB user group just so that I could check out the postings of this forward thinking user group but nothing had been added since January so figured that this user group ran out of momentum.
In the end, the poor response from the Internet over the desktop convinced me to abandon mission. I'll have to return another day.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Animoto
It's been a while since I did any of the 2.1 Things. I was busy at work and then got out of the habit of doing them but now I'm back on the wagon with Animoto!
This is an easy tool to use and I am sure that it could become very addictive! It would be very useful for social events and workwise, could be used for promotional activities.
Using Christmas and cats as my theme (because it's Christmas and my cat is rather unwell so in my thoughts at the moment), I selected some photos from Photobucket and then used Animoto to make a video. Here's the link to Moggy Cheer: http://animoto.com/play/z3lXdSYxMu3fFtzt8P6wLw. As yet, I haven't heard the music (I chose it blind so hope that it's appropriate).
Enjoy.
This is an easy tool to use and I am sure that it could become very addictive! It would be very useful for social events and workwise, could be used for promotional activities.
Using Christmas and cats as my theme (because it's Christmas and my cat is rather unwell so in my thoughts at the moment), I selected some photos from Photobucket and then used Animoto to make a video. Here's the link to Moggy Cheer: http://animoto.com/play/z3lXdSYxMu3fFtzt8P6wLw. As yet, I haven't heard the music (I chose it blind so hope that it's appropriate).
Enjoy.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Thing #35: Twitter
Hi
My introduction to microblogging was through Twitter. I can see the value in joining Twitter if you have a group of friends who all have Twitter accounts but I could think of no people among my acquaintance that would twitter so didn't go down the "find a friend to follow" path. Alternatively, if all library staff had accounts, we could use Twitter as a means of communication - unlike email, you could access Twitter with your mobile phone.
While I was looking at Twitter, I did read Christina Laun's Twitter for librarians: the ultimate guide. She gives the following reasons in favour of libraries setting up a Twitter account:
• Keeping in touch with librarian friends and colleagues. Twitter makes it easier to keep up with what others are up to and to share and collaborate on projects.
• Stay on top of the latest technologies. Even if you don’t think Twitter has any applications that will work for you at the moment that doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. Staying on top of the latest technologies will give you a leg up and may make it easier in the long run to adapt them to your own purposes.
• Read the latest news. Many major news sites, like CNN and the BBC, have Twitter feeds. This makes it easy to just quickly check to keep up with news and find the latest information, a particularly relevant application for libraries.
• Get information on conferences. Some geekier conferences of interest to librarians have Twitter feeds that will allow you to keep up with registration deadlines, speakers and accommodations without having to visit the site itself all the time.
• Have Q and A sessions. Thinking of making some changes to your library website or changing policies? You can get suggestions and opinions from patrons quickly and easily through Twitter. This can work with any kind of question and answer type situation and the possible uses are quite broad.
• Learn more about colleagues. Not sure about the new guy? See if he has a Twitter feed and read more about his life. Who knows, maybe you have more in common than you think. You could also do the same thing for authors, artists and writers you like as well if they have Twitter accounts.
• Use it as a notepad. Jot down great ideas anywhere through your Twitter account. If you’re on your computer you can use it there, but Twitter is also accessible via a mobile device, making it easy to transfer the name of a book you saw on TV and to-dos for work to yourself.
• Share references. Library patrons can get online help from librarians through a Twitter account. Patrons can send messages asking about specific materials and staff can get back to them when they have information. You could also use if for your own personal information sharing with friends and colleagues.
• Announce library programs. Launching a new children’s reading program or having a book sale? Let the community know about it through your Twitter feed. It’s a simple and easy way to get information out about any library.
• Update patrons on new materials. Got exciting new resources? Let those in your area know about them through a Twitter feed. Some libraries already using Twitter send out updates when they get in new books, though for larger libraries this might be impractical.
• Send alerts about requested materials. Patrons who have a Twitter account could opt to receive notices that their materials have arrived at the library via Twitter rather than on the phone or in the mail. Some people may prefer this method and it’s one simple way Twitter can be used in place of existing technologies.
I'm not convinced by all her arguments and Twitter would not be the only means of achieving these aims but Christina's blog article does provide some food for thought. See http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/27/twitter-for-librarians-the-ultimate-guide/ for Christina's blog.
My introduction to microblogging was through Twitter. I can see the value in joining Twitter if you have a group of friends who all have Twitter accounts but I could think of no people among my acquaintance that would twitter so didn't go down the "find a friend to follow" path. Alternatively, if all library staff had accounts, we could use Twitter as a means of communication - unlike email, you could access Twitter with your mobile phone.
While I was looking at Twitter, I did read Christina Laun's Twitter for librarians: the ultimate guide. She gives the following reasons in favour of libraries setting up a Twitter account:
• Keeping in touch with librarian friends and colleagues. Twitter makes it easier to keep up with what others are up to and to share and collaborate on projects.
• Stay on top of the latest technologies. Even if you don’t think Twitter has any applications that will work for you at the moment that doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. Staying on top of the latest technologies will give you a leg up and may make it easier in the long run to adapt them to your own purposes.
• Read the latest news. Many major news sites, like CNN and the BBC, have Twitter feeds. This makes it easy to just quickly check to keep up with news and find the latest information, a particularly relevant application for libraries.
• Get information on conferences. Some geekier conferences of interest to librarians have Twitter feeds that will allow you to keep up with registration deadlines, speakers and accommodations without having to visit the site itself all the time.
• Have Q and A sessions. Thinking of making some changes to your library website or changing policies? You can get suggestions and opinions from patrons quickly and easily through Twitter. This can work with any kind of question and answer type situation and the possible uses are quite broad.
• Learn more about colleagues. Not sure about the new guy? See if he has a Twitter feed and read more about his life. Who knows, maybe you have more in common than you think. You could also do the same thing for authors, artists and writers you like as well if they have Twitter accounts.
• Use it as a notepad. Jot down great ideas anywhere through your Twitter account. If you’re on your computer you can use it there, but Twitter is also accessible via a mobile device, making it easy to transfer the name of a book you saw on TV and to-dos for work to yourself.
• Share references. Library patrons can get online help from librarians through a Twitter account. Patrons can send messages asking about specific materials and staff can get back to them when they have information. You could also use if for your own personal information sharing with friends and colleagues.
• Announce library programs. Launching a new children’s reading program or having a book sale? Let the community know about it through your Twitter feed. It’s a simple and easy way to get information out about any library.
• Update patrons on new materials. Got exciting new resources? Let those in your area know about them through a Twitter feed. Some libraries already using Twitter send out updates when they get in new books, though for larger libraries this might be impractical.
• Send alerts about requested materials. Patrons who have a Twitter account could opt to receive notices that their materials have arrived at the library via Twitter rather than on the phone or in the mail. Some people may prefer this method and it’s one simple way Twitter can be used in place of existing technologies.
I'm not convinced by all her arguments and Twitter would not be the only means of achieving these aims but Christina's blog article does provide some food for thought. See http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/27/twitter-for-librarians-the-ultimate-guide/ for Christina's blog.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thing #32: Box.net
Hi
Mindful of the pwc report on security, I made sure to upload an innocuous review of a conference on this offsite storage site. It was fun to use Zoho again and I had to smile at the evocative picnic imagery displayed while the picnik editor was loading - I was in the moment with the warm breeze, blossoming flora, chardonnay and pate(I added this one!)...
While, for security reasons, we should avoid using this service, it was easy to use and it could come in handy some time down the track.
Here's the image that I uploaded to Box.net: http://www.box.net/shared/zooi3jx4ck
Looking forward to the next Learning 2.1 activity.
Mindful of the pwc report on security, I made sure to upload an innocuous review of a conference on this offsite storage site. It was fun to use Zoho again and I had to smile at the evocative picnic imagery displayed while the picnik editor was loading - I was in the moment with the warm breeze, blossoming flora, chardonnay and pate(I added this one!)...
While, for security reasons, we should avoid using this service, it was easy to use and it could come in handy some time down the track.
Here's the image that I uploaded to Box.net: http://www.box.net/shared/zooi3jx4ck
Looking forward to the next Learning 2.1 activity.
Thing 31: Plaxo
Hi
I set up a calendar on Plaxo and played around with the entries. I tried setting up a schedule for Australian soccer and the tv program, Lost (although the last episode will be screening next week and I am so looking forward to having all the gaps in the story filled but I suspect that that this won't happen!); unfortunately, Plaxo kept reporting errors with finding the calendars on ical.com. I wondered whether the fact that they were created on a mac had anything to do with this. The calendar on Outlook is sufficient for my work needs so, most likely, I won't be using Plaxo for this purpose. Even so, it's a neat tool - very easy to use.
I also set up a list of tasks - I made them all work-related. I'm a big fan of To Do lists - I get a lot of satisfaction out of crossing tasks off the lists as I complete them. Plaxo would enable our library team to set up group/individual lists that we could share. We could have short term (weekly) and longer term (monthly) lists. However, with such a small team, we rely more on verbal communication and email and paper and pen work well for us.
Off to tackle the next thing...
I set up a calendar on Plaxo and played around with the entries. I tried setting up a schedule for Australian soccer and the tv program, Lost (although the last episode will be screening next week and I am so looking forward to having all the gaps in the story filled but I suspect that that this won't happen!); unfortunately, Plaxo kept reporting errors with finding the calendars on ical.com. I wondered whether the fact that they were created on a mac had anything to do with this. The calendar on Outlook is sufficient for my work needs so, most likely, I won't be using Plaxo for this purpose. Even so, it's a neat tool - very easy to use.
I also set up a list of tasks - I made them all work-related. I'm a big fan of To Do lists - I get a lot of satisfaction out of crossing tasks off the lists as I complete them. Plaxo would enable our library team to set up group/individual lists that we could share. We could have short term (weekly) and longer term (monthly) lists. However, with such a small team, we rely more on verbal communication and email and paper and pen work well for us.
Off to tackle the next thing...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Thing 29: Scrapblogging
Hi
I had a fair bit of fun with this thing. However, I spent some time trying to upload the Photobucket album into my scrapblog and couldn't get this to happen over the desktop or using the standalone. I was able to authorise the use of Photobucket but didn't get to the point where I could upload the actual photos that I'd saved. In the end, I saved the Photobucket photos to My Pictures and then uploaded them to Scrapblog.
I created a scrapblog for Stephen King's Duma Key, his latest release. It's more of a blurb than anything else. I enjoyed creating the page, finding stickers, adding text, playing around with the positioning of the photos, adding tags etc. You can view the Scrapblog at http://www.scrapblog.com/f4df922600/5F799237-381B
That brings me up to date with my Learning 2.1. Whoo hoo!
I had a fair bit of fun with this thing. However, I spent some time trying to upload the Photobucket album into my scrapblog and couldn't get this to happen over the desktop or using the standalone. I was able to authorise the use of Photobucket but didn't get to the point where I could upload the actual photos that I'd saved. In the end, I saved the Photobucket photos to My Pictures and then uploaded them to Scrapblog.
I created a scrapblog for Stephen King's Duma Key, his latest release. It's more of a blurb than anything else. I enjoyed creating the page, finding stickers, adding text, playing around with the positioning of the photos, adding tags etc. You can view the Scrapblog at http://www.scrapblog.com/f4df922600/5F799237-381B
That brings me up to date with my Learning 2.1. Whoo hoo!
Thing 27 - Photobucket
Photobucket was very straight forward. There are clearly millions of images on this site as I searched for some very obscure photos to add to my album! After pondering for some time over the matter of my favourite book, I decided to collect images relating to the book that I am reading at the moment - Stephen King's Duma Key (yes, I have a weakness for horror/thriller). I found images for sunsets on the Florida Keys which is where the book is set, green rowing boats, twin girls (actually, I uploaded the twin girls from the Shining movie - it's not the first time that Stephen King has used ghostly twin girls), roses on water, etc. It was all entirely painless but I must make a mental note to be circumspect about the keywords that I use to search for images as the terms, "China dolls" and "twin girls" brought up some risque photos that I wasn't expecting!
Still having fun.
Still having fun.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Thing #26 Widgets
Hi
This afternoon, I played with some widgets - I liked the To Do list one as I'm forever writing to do lists on scraps of paper! Some of the widgets had definite work application while others were more fun than anything - couldn't resist adding my favourite Dixie Chicks album cover to my testpad tab. To see my widgets at Yourminis follow this link (I'll type it in as my links often go astray!)
http://www.yourminis.com/yourminis/AmandaKaczmarek/testpad
As the Countdown Widget indicates, it's time for me to go home so it's good night from me...
This afternoon, I played with some widgets - I liked the To Do list one as I'm forever writing to do lists on scraps of paper! Some of the widgets had definite work application while others were more fun than anything - couldn't resist adding my favourite Dixie Chicks album cover to my testpad tab. To see my widgets at Yourminis follow this link (I'll type it in as my links often go astray!)
http://www.yourminis.com/yourminis/AmandaKaczmarek/testpad
As the Countdown Widget indicates, it's time for me to go home so it's good night from me...
Monday, April 21, 2008
#25 Pop goes the letter
I started to create my mock up invitation before I'd signed up for Letterpop and discovered that there was a limit to how much I could do without signing up. Once I'd registered, I could upload images, preview etc.
In the end, I wasn't too happy with my creation because I couldn't seem to edit as much as I wanted to - you're confined to the allocated space - any extra text does not appear in the space provided. And I completely lost a column of text (the option to add text completely disappeared). Next time, I would choose a more fancy template as the one I chose was very basic. Anyhow, here it is warts and all: http://letterpop.com/newsletters/?id=86083-e0ecd3
Once I get better at using Letterpop, it will actually be quite a useful tool for publishing invitations for work and otherwise. I'm actually glad that I persevered with it and got as far as I did.
Now, back to the desk...
In the end, I wasn't too happy with my creation because I couldn't seem to edit as much as I wanted to - you're confined to the allocated space - any extra text does not appear in the space provided. And I completely lost a column of text (the option to add text completely disappeared). Next time, I would choose a more fancy template as the one I chose was very basic. Anyhow, here it is warts and all: http://letterpop.com/newsletters/?id=86083-e0ecd3
Once I get better at using Letterpop, it will actually be quite a useful tool for publishing invitations for work and otherwise. I'm actually glad that I persevered with it and got as far as I did.
Now, back to the desk...
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Zamzar - Shazam!
I've added this tool to my Favourites as it has the potential to be very useful: clients have asked us how to convert files in the past. As long as the files are unclassified, I can see no problem with using Zamzar.
Zamzar was very easy to use (in fact, the hardest part about this session was finding my Blogger password). I requested a file to be converted from Word to pdf. It took some time for it to be emailed to me - the email was waiting for me when I came into work the next day. It worked - yay Zamzar!
For some reason, when I hear Zamzar, I think of Shazam - a 1970s cartoon about two kids, a camel and a Genie who appeared whenever two halves of a ring were united and the word, Shazam, was yelled victoriously!
Zamzar was very easy to use (in fact, the hardest part about this session was finding my Blogger password
For some reason, when I hear Zamzar, I think of Shazam - a 1970s cartoon about two kids, a camel and a Genie who appeared whenever two halves of a ring were united and the word, Shazam, was yelled victoriously!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
#23 Reflections on Learning 2.0
To my surprise, I have enjoyed learning the 23 things. I visited sites and used tools that I would have probably never discovered left to my own devices. I don't think that I am alone in putting off such things until tomorrow...
I feel better about myself, knowing that I completed the journey (in spite of finding it hard to fit in the professional development during work time) and persevered with the technologies even when obstacles appeared in my way. When I hear the words blogs, wikis and tagging, I no longer have to berate myself for not exploring the new technologies.
Of the things that I discovered along the way, I think that I had the most fun with YouTube, Flickr and the image generators even those these tools are probably the least applicable to work in a government library.
As for suggestions for improving the Learning 2.0 course, I have little to contribute. Recording my thoughts in the blog helped me to consolidate what I had learnt and achieved in these sessions. Adding the layer of instructions for ATO staff did get confusing sometimes but I figured that this added to the fun. At times, I realised that I hadn't followed the exercises to the letter because I had been distracted along the way but this added to the randomness of learning and I got to play a bit more with the different technologies.
Thanks for the learning experience.
Novice no more.
I feel better about myself, knowing that I completed the journey (in spite of finding it hard to fit in the professional development during work time) and persevered with the technologies even when obstacles appeared in my way. When I hear the words blogs, wikis and tagging, I no longer have to berate myself for not exploring the new technologies.
Of the things that I discovered along the way, I think that I had the most fun with YouTube, Flickr and the image generators even those these tools are probably the least applicable to work in a government library.
As for suggestions for improving the Learning 2.0 course, I have little to contribute. Recording my thoughts in the blog helped me to consolidate what I had learnt and achieved in these sessions. Adding the layer of instructions for ATO staff did get confusing sometimes but I figured that this added to the fun. At times, I realised that I hadn't followed the exercises to the letter because I had been distracted along the way but this added to the randomness of learning and I got to play a bit more with the different technologies.
Thanks for the learning experience.
Novice no more.
#22 WorldeBookFair
I've just got back from the fair and would have liked to listen to some old favourites like Rumpelstiltskin and The Emperor's New Clothes but time ticks on and I'm on a mission to complete the 23 things before I leave work for the week.
It's great that these books are available for free. I liked listening to stories when I was a kid but over the years have preferred to read them for myself.
I had a quick look at NetLibrary and observed that libraries can supplement their corporate library collections - the opportunities are endless. The more I see, the more I realise how pervasive the collaborative 2.0 technologies are.
One thing to go,
Novice
It's great that these books are available for free. I liked listening to stories when I was a kid but over the years have preferred to read them for myself.
I had a quick look at NetLibrary and observed that libraries can supplement their corporate library collections - the opportunities are endless. The more I see, the more I realise how pervasive the collaborative 2.0 technologies are.
One thing to go,
Novice
#21 Podcasts
I'd used Podcasts before (to listen to Helene Blowers for one) but hadn't actively sought out podcasts. The directories are great for finding podcasts on different topics. Unfortunately, Podcast.net required me to download software so I abandoned mission and used the Yahoo directory instead. I found the Econlib and Law Channel (ABC) podcasts and added the RSS URLs to my Bloglines account. At this stage, I don't have a need to create my own podcast but appreciate that I now know where to go in order to find out how to do this.
Almost at the finishing line,
Novice
Almost at the finishing line,
Novice
#20 YouTube
I can see the attraction of YouTube - there are so many clips on there. I went in search of a British tv commercial for Shredded Wheat from the 1970s but didn't find the one that I was looking for (I still sing the jingle - well part of it - and wanted to know the next verse!). I did find two from the 80s that I hadn't seen because we'd immigrated to Australia by then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rMl53u1J70
My son is interested in space at the moment so I was pleased to find footage of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4t . I'll show it to him when I get home.
I also looked at tv shows from the 70s and clips of East London where I grew up. By then, I'd whiled away 30 mins in the blink of an eye so it was time to press on with my 23 things...
YouTube 4 me
Novice
My son is interested in space at the moment so I was pleased to find footage of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4t . I'll show it to him when I get home.
I also looked at tv shows from the 70s and clips of East London where I grew up. By then, I'd whiled away 30 mins in the blink of an eye so it was time to press on with my 23 things...
YouTube 4 me
Novice
#17 Wikis - sandpit
Well, I've added my blog to the Favourite Blogs of the PLCMC Learning 2.0 Wiki and I added a blurb to the Favourite Books page. It was all amazingly easy and totally painless. I'm starting to feel good about the Web 2.0 technologies - I've experienced a couple of problems along the way but I've used workarounds to surmount them.
Just a few more things to go...
Novice
Just a few more things to go...
Novice
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