More on Everything Bad is Good

If I'm interpreting this correctly, all those "bad" things can actually be a plus (or something good) for libraries and educational organizations.  We need to use these "bad" things to move our patrons and students in a desirable direction.  Specifically, we can use "bad" gaming sessions to bring in more young patrons, and once they start seeing the library as a cool place to hang then we will hopefully have increased circulation (of not just games, but audio visual and books as well).  Facebook and social networking is another "bad" tool that can help public libraries connect with patrons.  The more innovative PL's consider facebook as an outreach tool; they go to where their patrons might be.

With educational environments, we must use these "bad" tools to our advantage as well.  With all the technological stimulation our young learners receive outside of the classroom, we actually shut down their ability to learn if we use teaching techniques from the 20th century.  Innovative and forward-thinking educators understand that they must make use of web 2.0 technologies to entice their students.  An example would be the use of a blog to discuss a class novel instead of a journal notebook.  What young student will turn away the opportunity to use a keyboard over a piece of paper?  

While this may seem like a big disconnect, I will take the risk of mentioning that tonight's World News Tonight segment reported that the 50 year-old Barbie doll now comes with a set of removable tattoos.  Initially, we may think this is an absurd idea - Barbie with tattoos!  However, upon further analysis, Barbie's maker is using something society generally considers "bad" (tattoos) and making it for good.  Of course, they are looking for "good" profits.  We can further analyze the inclusion of this "bad" element and turn it around to make for teachable moments and discussions with our youngsters - dangers of dirty needles in less than reputable tattoo shops, the permanent nature of tatoos and the painful treatments which individuals endure when they change their minds, etc.  

Second Life Experience

Frustrating and weird are two of the adjectives that come to mind when I think about the Virtual Environments. While I read the tutorials, I still don't feel proficient in navigating in this environment. I can see why more kids might be attracted to this type of activity. While I know there are plenty of "addicted" adults, generally, adults who are juggling many things don't have the hours to invest in figuring out virtual environments. Sorry, but I can already tell this topic/area is not for me!

Above is a snapshot of Lord Brently in the Royal Museum of Art.

Social Software Thoughts

While I do not consider myself an expert on web 2.0 technologies, I feel this class has given me a good foundation (and the confidence) to continue my quest for knowledge in these areas.  Each week's topic and assignments throughout the course were at first daunting, but in the end, were manageable.

Some really big pluses from this class include:

• Steve and Anselm's screencasts.  There were times, I watched the same one a few times, but in the end, I "got it."  I really admire the fact that Anslem kept Steve's screencasts and were confident in using them.  My feeling is why "fix something if it still works."  Less confident instructors may have rerecorded them just so they would feel the course was "theirs."  I know this might seem like a minor point, but I've taken enough online courses to see instructors do crazy things that didn't make sense.  Anselm's approach made perfect sense and worked extremely well - gave credit to Steve for designing the course, created an overlay when necessary, but used the original screencasts, which took much time to create and worked perfectly well.  Bravo!
• This was a perfect class to take online, and I might even venture that it was more effective presented in this way.  Connecting with classmates all over the US and Canada (which I thought was really cool and less common in my other online classes) was great.  I loved that Dan was on a different time zone, and he'd sometimes give me a suggestion when everyone else was in bed!  The online nature of this class forced us to utilize the instant messaging and tweets.
• We had a really nice, small class with just 11 students.  As in a face-to-face setting, the smaller number really enabled and forced  me to like a feel part of our learning community and not someone sitting in the back of the room.
• I really appreciated Anselm's responses to tweets.  While it is unreasonable to expect an instructor to be online all the time, it's important that instructors "check in" on a regular basis since it is sometimes hard for onliners to move forward when stuck with technical difficulties.  While I've been fortunate to have online instructors like Anselm, Steve Garwood and Ross Todd, who are quick to respond, I have had an equal number of instructors who have been less responsive.  This comment is meant as a compliment and with the hope that others who might instruct this course in the future realize the importance of timely and regular "check-ins."

Things that might warrant a little thought:

• There were so many ways for us to connect with each other (facebook, twitter, blog, wiki page, etc.), that it was a little difficult to know where to look for others.  I tended to use twitter to connect with others (in the same way I've had to use ecollege in the past), but I'm not sure we were all going to the same place so perhaps in another class, the main "meeting spot" could be more clearly defined.
• There was a lot of great information presented, but in a very quick time frame.   I know I will want to go back and revisit some of the screencasts via google reader and the rusocial wiki when I have a little more time.  Is it possible to allow us access for at least a certain period of time?  I know I don't know everything I could about some of the topics and I'd like to go back, rewatch and review.  It's the only way I will be able to implement some of these web 2.0 tools into my library.  

Thanks, Anslem for your guidance and for a great introduction to social software!

Is Bad Good?

According to Johnson popular culture has grown more complex and challenging over the years.  Is this true?  Generally, I would agree.  The situations presented through the new games, television, and other medias are presented for the same basic reasons.  Johnson mentions "dopamine" and "brain chemistry," and yes, it can be reasoned that the basic premise individuals participate in these activities are still to feed those needs.  

However, the level of sophistication (and that's not necessarily used in a good sense) of these medias is higher and increasingly complex.  Certainly comparing the storylines of tv shows of the past and present show an elevated height of entanglement, but if you boil it down to the basic level, the morals and lessons are similar.  The difference is that our medical and legal shows bury themselves in technical terms in order give themselves credibility which translates into ratings.

Social networking is another area in which we can ask the question,  "is bad good?"  It depends on who you ask and their ability to see this in it's entirety.  Without a doubt, a teenager will tell you the many advantages.  You might even have 30 year old's telling you it is a great way to save on phone bills - it's the ability to stay in touch and connect with people all over for the cost of basic internet service (which is now fairly common).  However, ask the parent of a teenager who has been engaged in an online chat room by a stranger, and you may get a totally different response.

There is some truth that "popular culture is just a method to sophisticatedly deliver stupidity."  Isn't it stupid to display all of your personal information on a site where it can be accessed by people you don't know?  Isn't it stupid to watch a "sophisticated" sitcom about housewives when you could be reading a book?  Isn't it stupid to be playing a video game when you could be outside throwing a ball and teaching your child how to catch, run and live a healthy lifestyle?

Alas, there's no right answer to any of this.  It's all a matter of opinion and perspective. 

Gaming System

Scenario:  The scenario is that I'm in charge of installing a gaming system for my school library. This would be a game for students to "play" during their recess time. 

Criteria for Console:  The console of choice will have to be one that meets the needs of the entire student population. It would have to be something first through fifth graders could enjoy and use proficiently.  Therefore, this would eliminate anything that would not be developmentally appropriate for younger students.  Being that this is a school setting, games that contain violence will also need to be eliminated.  The last criteria would have to be cost.

Research:  In order to gather data on the types of consoles appropriate and preferred, it makes sense to go straight to the source.  I would design a questionnaire/survey to be completed by an equal number of students in each grade level.  I would also conduct focus groups to generate discussion and ideas.  The focus groups would be comprised of both students and parents.  I think getting parent approval is a major part of this proposal.  Based on the preferences expressed, the console of choice would be narrowed.

Choice:  A significant factor in choice would have to come from the research and feedback obtained from students and parents.  However, keeping in mind that this console would be primarily used during student recess time, I will lean toward a console game that allows students to be physically active and one that allows them to interact with each other.

I am leaning towards the Dance Dance Revolution or Wii Fit consoles, because of the physical factors.  Any opportunity to combat childhood obesity and keep a child active is a step in a positive direction.      

Addicting Games

The following is a screencast of me playing the whizz wordz game, which is linked to my page on the wiki.  Time is of the essence in creating the maximum number of words!

Screencasting - best practices

While I certainly do not consider myself an expert on screencasting, there are a few suggestions I would make to individuals with no prior experience.  These include:

• Make sure the house is completely quiet or you've locked yourself in a quiet room!  
• Relax ... pretend you are speaking to someone and don't expect to get rid of all the "um's"
• Minimize or close any excess windows.
• Make sure the mouse is working properly so you can point out the fields on the screen.
• Try and remember to rename the screencast so you can keep track of which one is which.  If you are like me and find yourself recasting, you could forget which is the best of the group.
• Generally, using a microphone will help your audio presentation, but the one I used did not so try to have a microphone available.

Boyd Readings

It appears the popularity of social networking sites is not just a passing fad.  Boyd recounts the origin of these networks from the very beginning in her first article.  I found it extremely interesting to learn that many of these sites started as a way for individuals of the same culture and language to connect with others within the same culture and language.  As a nation who has just elected its first African American president, are we fooling ourselves?  Why did small groups of individuals with similar backgrounds feel the need to develop a way to stay connected when we are all supposed to be inclusive and all-encompassing?  Perhaps there are more stereotypical images smoldering in the aftermath of the civil rights movement than we know.

The second Boyd article, further supports the segregation theory.  Boyd contends that there is a separation of class between myspace and facebook users by ethnicity and socioeconomic status.  Before reading the article, I was aware of the age delineation, but I never suspected that data could support a college versus non-college profile, especially since there are so many ways for underprivileged students to afford higher education.

Clearly, Boyd's work in this area leaves us with much to reflect upon and much to build upon.  Public libraries are beginning to come into the 21st century and are using web 2.0 technologies to reach out to their young patrons.   The theory is libraries must go to where the population resides and must perform outreach services.  What this means is that public libraries are beginning to set up and maintain facebook and other social network accounts.   In many respects, this type of outreach is a great strategy.  Student patrons who are less apt to enter the public library doors may just do that if they begin to develop a good relationship and feel their needs are being met by the public library.

In some ways, the library facebook account may duplicate information already posted on the public library site, however, young patrons will be more familiar and comfortable with the facebook account navigation and are more likely to explore the programs designed for their age group.

One last lesson, libraries can take from Boyd is that all librarians must be current on the web 2.0 technologies in order to effectively market their programs and perform the proper outreach services.  In our current economical climate, public and no-cost facilities such as public libraries must transform themsevles into "must have" institutions and not "nice to have" facilities, which will fall victim to the budget ax.

Ning Advantages/Limitations

My experience with nings are limited to using the RU SCILS ning (http://scilslounge.ning.com).   I encourage you to join!  However, based on my experience, I've observed a few advantages and limitations.  

Advantages:

• Comfort level/security - If you are like me, while you don't know everyone on the ning, you know they are in some way connected with the same organization (in this case RU).  That makes me feel a lot better, and as you can see on my screencast, I use my real name on the ning.  
• Networking/Communication - The ning provides users with a way to connect with others who probably have similar interests and concerns.  In the case of the RU SCILS ning, there are discussion forums for topics most user will find interesting or helpful.  Anyone can start a discussion group.  There are also "groups" that users may join which connect them even further by job, grade level or area.
• Announcements - The ning is a great way to get information out quickly.  For example, when the proposal for the SCILS name change first surfaced, all ning users were able to keep current.
• Real Campus - As an online student, we often don't feel as connected to the RU organization since we don't have the opportunity to meet face to face.  Using the ning, we are able to socialize in almost the same way as students meeting on campus.

Limitations:

• Restrictiveness - Because members of the ning are generally part of the same organization, it is restrictive in the sense that users can only connect and share with individuals in that organization.  For example, a school can establish a ning, and teachers of all grade levels can connect,  but it would be helpful for members of that school to share ideas with teachers in the same grade level, but at a different school.  This can't be done with a ning.
• Responsiveness - Just like email, the ning allows a user to reach out with questions to other users, but there is no way of ensuring that question will be answered.  The responsiveness on a ning is at the mercy of the users.
• Time consuming - As with other social networking sites, the ning may consume much of an individual's time.  Users may spend hours adding photos or responding to others.

Ning in a Work Environment:

A ning can be used in any work environment where individuals need to work individually, but closely together as well.  Examples that comes to mind are public libraries, school librarians, and college students at the same university, but possibly at different campuses.  However, almost any group that has some underlying connection may find using a ning useful.  

School librarians could use a ning to ask and answer questions connected to policies and collection development.  They might share ideas for research projects or ways to schedule classes.  Ideas for special programs such as Read Across America or reading incentive programs can easily be shared using a ning.

Ning screencast

Check out my screencast on the RU SCILS Ning!  Click here.

Sticky Issues

Yikes ...  just the names "MySpace" and "Facebook" make my skin stand on edge!  Therefore I tend to think of "sticky" as a synonym to "icky"!  I suppose it makes sense to shed some background on my personal bias against these social networking sites.  I have two children who grew up during the evolution of this phenomena, and as young teens, they knew much more about these sites than I do now.  While teens and pre-teens have the technical savvy to navigate these sites, they don't always have the wisdom needed to navigate safely.  Hence, the blitz of negative media attention that followed was not unwarranted.  While I have come to terms that social network sites are here to stay, I take a little comfort in the fact that my 19 and 20 year old college students now possess a little more wisdom in managing their Facebook accounts.  However, remnants of those negative accounts still weigh on me today as I try out these sites.

It's my feeling that the "stickiness" associated with these services lies in putting one's personal life on display.  Certainly, users can maintain a certain amount of control, however there seem to be some "loopholes."  In fact, the Boyd and Ellison article mentions that friends of friends can gain access to a person's account.  I think this is referred to as the "transitive property" in math.  

Some will argue that the connectivity networks like this brings, outweigh any possible negatives.   However, I do know for a fact that employers search MySpace and Facebook sites to gain additional information on prospective candidates.  This step is considered as routine as a reference check.

Use of these social network sites have become addictive and allow users to escape the realities of their regular lives and take on created personas.  As seen in the FrontLine video segments, these personas and connections have led to users dealing with issues in a destructive way.  Use of these sites allowed users to disconnect with the family and friends who would have helped and supported the user.

Despite this negativity, more and more people are spending increased time on these sites.  I believe a big reason for this is peer pressure.  You aren't someone unless you have an account on one of these sites, and often you will be left out since this has become the new mode of communication.

Another reason for the increased addiction to these social networking sites is the technology and many ways the user may customize their account with colors, skins, etc.  Just as we can lose ourselves creating our avatars and trying on new outfits and hairdos, the user of these sites can customize and customize without end!

While I know conceptually, there are many positives to social networking sites, I am afraid my strong sense of privacy will always be a hindrance in openly accepting these sites. 

Screencast on Culturegrams Database

The students in my school are introduced to databases in third grade.  These students will be using the Culturegrams database for an upcoming project so this screencast is designed to give them an introductory lesson on navigating within one section of this database.

Click below to see screencast.

Culturegrams_States_EdFinal

Favorite Video(s)

I think everyone did an amazing job with the videos! It was interesting to see the different ideas and creativity in action. While I have several "favorites" I really enjoyed Stephanie's "Meet the Lewis Family" video. It was a combination of the upbeat music, picture/video footage and her entertaining way of showing all the "species" that made me smile.

Take another look at it here



The original video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeLyMXI3Qt8











Flickr Groups

Based on a recent review of our groups I'd say we all have some distinct commonalities and differences.

scils598s09-education

• All of us us have some connection to a learning institution
• All of us are connected to a library setting (school, public, academic)
• All of us are life-long learners with the hope of helping others to do the same
• Some of us are RU students
• Some of us attend other universities
• Some of us live in NJ
• Some of us live outside of NJ

scils598s09

• All of us have another dimension to our lives (aside from being a student)
• All of us are juggling many other demands in our lives (full-time, part-time, domestic work)
• All of us have great pictures!
• Some of us enjoy travel
• Some of us like animals/pets
• Some of us have children
• Some of us are art lovers

Entertainment vs. Instruction Videos

Contrary to what many may think, instructional videos DO stand a chance if they are created in an interesting and interactive way.  In today's society, it is difficult to keep up with the standards of our learners if we continue to teach using dated materials.

Educators who are open to learning the new ways of podcasting, vodcasting and video presentation are more likely to capture the attention of their students.   Puppeter, Jim Henderson, perhaps unknown to him, was a leader in this direction.  Using muppets and puppets to teach children in an interesting way led to the success of television shows like Sesame Street.  In this same way, educators who are able to make use of new technology through computers, smart boards,  web-based learning, and instructional videos are more likely to compete with entertainment videos.

There are many instructional videos available through youtube and teachertube, which are appropriate and interesting for learners.  However, teachers must take the initiative to seek them out and apply them to curriculum.

Bottom line, instructional videos can compete if they are created in interesting ways!

Calligraphy 101

If you have ever wanted to know how to get started with writing in calligraphy, view this instructional video. You'll learn some basic first steps and the supplies you will need to begin.



Original video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KGbUpVqSCE

Disney Entertainment Video

It's as American as apple pie and baseball ... almost every family living in the US aspires to make the journey to Florida at least once to experience the magic of the Walt Disney World. Glimpse a bit of the magic by viewing this video!

Click to Play

Original video at http://blip.tv/file/1957379

When Sun and Moon Ruled the Land Audio Story

http://www.switchpod.com/users/ltscils598s09/sunandmoon.mp3

Benefits/Detractions of Podcasts

It seems "podcasting" has become the new form of story telling for elementary school students.  This is true (or partially true) in my school anyway.  The reason I added the word "partial" is because through our class I have learned that a podcast is not truly a podcast unless it is a mp3 file attached to an rss feed.  The students in my school seem to be making an audio that is stored on the web, but not necessarily attached to a rss feed.

The benefits of "podcasting" as my students know it lies in inspiration.  The kids just cannot wait to use any type of technology.  The promise of using the laptop to produce a "podcast" inspires the students to research the topic and use writing skills to create the script.  Even the aspect of recording their own voices has some positive affects.  Students strive for better enunciation and grammar so they can sound their very best.

The main detraction from podcasting is in it's pure audio nature.  It seems there is a greater percentage of visual over audio learners.  Visual learners are disadvantaged and at times may lose their train of thought or understanding.  This can be very detrimental if audio is the only source of learning for a particular topic. 

Comment on Audio Story - When Sun Ruled the Land

I posted an audio version of the Cuban legend When Sun Ruled the Land. This story is retold by Janet Palazzo-Craig, and seeks to explain something that happens in nature. This story explains how day and night came to be and how the first eclipse took place. It also has shades of a biblical beginning with a parallel to how man and woman were first made.

I came across this story when putting together a unit for folktales, fairytales and legends for my elementary students. However, adults may find that a story such as this runs deeper and allows for more discussion and/or debate in an older population!

Educational Experience

My MLIS experience at Rutgers has been an eventful one!  It's been a bit unusual (at least to me) since never expected to return to a university program after completing an undergrad and grad program, working and raising a family.  It's just something I didn't think a lot of people did, but surprisingly, through this program I have met all kinds of people from all walks of life.  It's been a fabulous experience!

This week's work with flickr has been extremely practical.  Part of the reason I was drawn to the world of library was because of organization.  Use of flickr allows for organization of a person's life through their photos without those old burdensome negatives and photo albums (of which I have many and running out of storage room!).

Click on this link for photos from ltscils598-eduexperience

Click on this link for photos from scils58s09-edexperience

RU Spirit

From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ltscils598s09/3353744323/

Browser and Connection Speed

Viewing google analytics is a little "tricky," but I think once a person gets comfortable with all the data, there's some great info to be found.

I was able to find that the most common browser used to access the blog was Safari with 62.5%.  This was followed by Internet Explorer at 20%, and lastly, 17.5% using Firefox.  I actually thought this was interesting since I incorrectly assumed most users were accessing via Firefox and Internet Explorer.  When I use my school laptop (a Mac), I tend to use Safari, although I can use Firefox as well.  When using my home laptop (a Dell), I use Internet Explorer.

With regard to connection speed, cable was at 65%.  This far surpassed "unknown" connections with 17.5%, DSL at 15% and T1 at 2.5%.  This data did not surprise me since I think most users these days favor the cable connection.

Libraries and the Long Tail

Based on Chris Anderson's long tail concept, it seems to me that it is difficult for the average public library to take advantage of this area.  More so than ever, in today's economic time, libraries are working with reduced funding.  Reduced funding means a lessened ability to offer patrons titles that are "off the beaten path."  There are still ways public libraries can attempt to meet patron needs (ILL is an example), but even with these systems in place it's not always possible.  Reduced funding makes little possible.

Companies like Amazon, eBay, and other online sources, are better positioned to reap the benefits of the long tail effect since there is essentially no physical location to speak of.  The library will always be a physical space despite the added ability to access ebooks on utilize online databases and resources.

The best that public libraries can hope for in term of meeting patron needs (and trying to ride that long tail) is a strong member consortium where resources can be shared.  

PB Wiki vs. Wetpaint

Because of our course wiki, many of us have developed a certain comfort level with PB Wiki. Having very limited prior experience with wikis and none with PB Wiki at all, my learning was predominately a result of trial and error.  The sidebar served as a nice "table of contents" for the user, and it easy to navigate between the pre-made pages.  Setting up our individual pages was a little challenging due to inexperience, but in the end, I managed to set it up with relative ease.

When exploring Wetpaint, I was pleasantly surprised with the vodcast explaining how a wiki can be effectively used.  Wetpaint had great "screen bubbles" giving helpful hints and explanations of the various tabs.  The "top 10 tips" gave helpful hints, and the left hand side sidebar displayed options such as add a page, recent site activity, and top contributors.

The option to select the wiki template allowed for personalization.  It does not appear this option is available to PB Wiki users.  However, a downside to Wetpaint were the ads; PB Wiki has a cleaner look since there are no ads.

The Long Tail in the Library

It's a hard call  ... will the library world benefit from Chris Anderson's Long Tail theory?  In some ways, one can argue "yes."  With more and more ebooks becoming available at the public libraries, patrons can download audio formats of their favorite books.  Databases and other online sources absolutely make researching subject matter efficient while saving space.  Library web pages touting reader's advisory service ("if you like this, you should try this ...") and book blogs help to introduce patrons to material they might not have considered.  Physical space is less of an issue than it used to be.  Free or minimal cost to read, view and use materials is at an all time high.  All of this should translate into benefits to the library world.

On the other hand, every public library in town has visions of emulating the local Barnes & Noble with the coffee bar and all!  This takes us back to the old method of browsing and physically handling the merchandise that we may or may not consume (although it sure appears there's massive consumption of those lattes!).  The inventory takes space, and best sellers that are not marketed appropriately may be found on the clearance displays so the company can break even.  After all, why buy a book when you are invited to sit and read it while enjoying a cup of coffee?

While it looks like the library world COULD benefit from Anderson's ideaology, our economy and budgetary constraints of municipalities may weaken the possibilities.  Underfunded libraries will be unable to purchase the materials patrons want, and the domino effect will begin.

Working Google Docs & Spresent

Amazing ... google docs and spresent certainly have some strong implications for online or on-campus learning!  From the beginning, educators have valued collaborative work amongst students.  It's a great strategy for all age levels as long as each individual does his or her part.

Google docs allows group members to contribute and work on one document without having to coordinate physical location.  While this connects online students across the nation, it also helps on-campus students who are running to work and other classes to reap the benefits of teamwork.  Project creation and the ability to work around individual time frames would be much easier.

From an individual standpoint, creating a document on google docs allows someone to maximize their efforts anywhere they can gain internet access.  No longer does one have to worry about carrying around a file, flashdrive or laptop in order to remain productive.  The document saved on the web may be accessed and updated anywhere.  Another great feature is that there is only one copy, which eliminates any confusion as to which copy is most current.  

Online students who are aware of the benefits will be most accepting of this new method of project creation.   Since online students need to have a certain level of comfort using technology, the ability and acceptance to branch into this new arena is likely.  On-campus students are able to reap the same benefits, but depending on their level of comfort with new technology and individual time constraints to physically meet, acceptance may be less likely.  

Acceptance of a collaborative method as google docs would be more likely accepted by online faculty over on-campus faculty for the same reasons named for online versus on-campus students.

One major downside of google docs may be the inability or limited ability to track participation of group members (as compared to a wiki).  However, this is no different than a group project prepared "the old fashioned way" with group members meeting and one person inputing all the data into a collaborative paper.

Ramifications for the use of spresent would be similar.  Group members using this would be able to create one presentation while working from their own computer.  Group members are able to find and attach web based videos to different parts of the presentation. 

Virtual Introduction via Delicious

Delicious is one of the few accounts that I actually had before taking this course so luckily I was familiar with it's general purpose and how to navigate within it.  Just taking a "peek" at our scils598s09 collection of bookmarks, made me feel overwhelmed!  We have created and linked some great things, and when looking closely at the individual links, the viewer definitely sees a bit of commonality and some individualism in terms of our interests and personalities.

While we have collected some great "stuff," I have to wonder if it is wise to shock a novice social software student with this collection.  Through the last weeks, we have taken one step at a time and have learned how to connect all the pieces of our journey thus far.  We can appreciate this massive collection of bookmarks, because we participated in building it.

Bottom line, the idea of using Delicious as an introduction/meet and greet for new students is a good one depending on the knowledge level of the students.  I think a course like this, where we come with varied levels of experience may not be the right forum for this type of virtual introduction.  However, it would be great for an intermediate or advanced social software course.

Delicious vs. Furl

To Delicious or Furl ... that is the question!  Both Delicious and Furl appeared to offer similar services in regard to social bookmarking, tagging, descriptions, and ability to install a button onto the browser bar.  The "look" of the Furl page was visually appealing, but I was still more comfortable with Delicious primarily due to often usage.   

Upon further investigation, I found that the Furl site allows users to rate a bookmarked website using a star system.  Another great feature is that Furl saves the cache copy of a website even if a site is taken off the web.  

Despite these nice features, I still prefer Delicious.  I like the way "my bookmarks" is prominently displayed and simple to access, but beyond that, I have developed a comfort level with Delicious that I don't think I would develop with Furl even after repeated usage.  I don't have any data to support this, but my guess is that Delicious is preferred amongst the general population of social bookmarkers.  If that is the case, I would expect Delicious to be a better source to find bookmarked websites.

 

Digg

The Digg website reminded me of American Idol where viewers can vote candidates on or off the show! I say this because based on my exploration, Digg appears to be a site for the people and by the people. Viewers post and share sites they find interesting, and viewers can either "vote" to "share" or "bury" the site depending on what their opinion. Therefore, the better sites which get the better votes will be pushed to the top of the list. Whereas, the sites that are not favored can be buried and put at the bottom of the list.

The website is divided ino various sections which will list viewer posted sites on technology, world and business, science, gaming, lifestyle, entertainment, sports and an area known as "offbeat." While viewers may access websites, viewers may also access videos, images, and news.

Digg appears to be a reflection of popular culture and is one example of how the internet has connected people from all over.

SCILS vs. SCI

The recent proposal to take the "library" out of SCILS has set off a battery of opinions both in favor and against the change.  It is not only students and faculty within the school who have been vocal, but it appears the whole library world has an opinion to share.

While I don't have a strong bias toward either side of the equation, my general feeling is that deleting the word "library" is not going to reap any additional benefits in terms of funding or any of the other stated points by the change advocates.  In our current economy, little will be obtained by a name change. 

According to an email on the LISSA list-serve, library science students factor for a majority of the SCILS population.  If this is the case, why overlook or delete the name of the major to whom so many belong?  Those opposed to the change feel this change would validate or acknowledge society's impression of the library profession in our technological age (""why pay a librarian when we can google everything ourselves?).   Shouldn't we stand up and show pride in our profession and strive to prove to the general amateur population that professional librarian skills are always going to be needed?

The other element to be considered is that the Rutger's School of Communication, Information, and Library Sciences School has earned it's reputation among library institutions.  While degree requirements remain the same, others looking from the outside may perceive a difference in terms of the quality of the degree.

There's an element of truth in the old, grammatically incorrect saying, "If it ain't broke; don't fix it."

RSS and Information Overload

There's no clean cut answer as to whether or not RSS/RSS aggregators cause information overload.  It's all a matter of perspective.  Put in simple terms, those who initiate RSS feeds want the information, and therefore will not feel overwhelmed.  Chances are those same individuals are the ones dabbling in a variety of social softwares and electronic information tools and sources.  

It can be argued that RSS actually makes information more manageable since several different sources do not have be checked all the time.  The feeds bring the information directly to one place, and the feeds come in throughout the day.  Therefore, the information is fed to the individual in small bite size pieces.  

Individuals in the camp claiming overload are probably not looking for the depth of information RSS can provide.  It is likely these individuals do not appreciate the  full capabilities of RSS.    

Animoto

While searching on delicious, I stumbled upon a site that listed several web 2.0 applications and software appropriate for elementary schools.  There was one site that stood out, Amimoto (http://animoto.com), for which I saw a lot of potential!  

Animoto is a site which allows and individual (in my case, students) to submit pictures, lyrics, songs, or a combination of these, and a music video will be custom made by TV and film producers!  Imagine the potential for music teachers who are teaching students to write music.  The draw of having their own unique music video would be inspiring to the most reluctant learner.

In my elementary school, I work with students to conduct the research component of a project.  However, I'm a firm believer in trying to extend the learning by having students use the uncovered data in a fun and productive way.  One year, my fourth graders conducted research on notable African Americans to celebrate African American History Month.  After conducting the research process with me, these students worked with the music teacher to write lyrics to a jazz song since jazz happened to be their genre of study.  The lyrics told what they had learned through the research.  Just imagine if we were able to use Animoto to make this jazz song into a music video!  It would be a great way to get the art teacher connected with the picture-taking and uploading.

I definitely see the potential Animoto has in encouraging students to reach their potential - whether it's writing (as in lyrics),  writing music, photography, or anything else!

Passionate about Healthy Cooking/Foods

How appropriate that I am blogging about a passionate topic on Valentine's Day.  Since many are probably enjoying lavish dinners with a significant other or sitting amongst a box of chocolate bon bons, I thought I'd bring up something we all need to care about ... healthy cooking and healthy foods.

I admit that I enjoy a lavish dinner rich with creme sauces and chocolate desserts along with the rest of the human population, but those dinners are far and few!  For as long as I can remember I have been conscious of healthy eating.  Sadly this means I allow myself few restaurant meals, where I cannot control the ingredients.  In general, this means lots of home cooked meals, which isn't so easy for a working mother (about 3 different jobs - school, public libraries and tutor!) and part-time library student.  I will confess that a crock pot is a must!  However, a big part of being successful is planning.

Lately, I have been exploring "low carb" meals.  Fortunately, I have never had to go on a serious diet, but with changing metabolism in these middle-aged years, I am becoming increasingly aware of the power of gravity!  Our nation as a whole seems to overdo it on carbohydrates.  Our favorite foods are the ones that top the charts for carbs - pizza, hamburger buns, bagels, french fries, etc.).  Carbs are known to cause a rise in a person's blood sugar.  As a result, the pancreas overreacts and secretes more insulin than we really need to lower the blood sugar.  Leftover insulin causes the body to store more fat and makes the person hungry soon afterward.

I have never been a fan of severe eating deficiencies (a.k.a. Atkins), but I believe there's an element of truth to cutting some carbohydrates out of our diet.  All the experts say we need some carbs to stay healthy, but the exact number isn't clear.  Even if there was a magic number, I'm sure it would depend on one's body structure and genetics.  In general, moderate low-carb plans suggest a daily intake of 90 to 100 grams per day.  

Alas, the challenge now is to make low carb meals that are simple enough to prepare on a busy work day!

Library 2.0

In reflecting about social software and it's many uses, I have concluded it is a shame that it is not incorporated in many more educational purposes.  I am sure the reason these tools are not maximized is because educators don't know about them or if they know, they are not comfortable with usage.   According to our very own RU professor, Dr. Todd, we must meet students at their level - meaning, we cannot ask them to leave their exciting, interactive world of ipods, video games and computers at the classroom door.

With this in mind, the solution to the problem appears to be teacher education.  Of course, there's the issue of getting the educator to buy in to this, but assuming we have open and willing participants, The School Library Learning 2.0 Website (http://schoollibrarylearning2.blogspot.com) appears to be a good place to start.

The site is a 9 week self-tutorial designed to get educators acquainted with some of the new web 2.0 softwares and capabilities.  In some ways it reminds me of our class where each week adds a different layer to our knowledge base.  Of course, the tutorial is not enough to make experts, but it is a start.  Hopefully the simple awareness will help educators to be more open minded about their approach to teaching going forward.

Google Reader vs. Bloglines

While both aggregators have a similar look with the sidebar on the left side of the screen, I have to admit I am a bit partial to google reader because it is a little more "clean cut." Bloglines offers a host of features (top 100 or 1000, image walls, recommendations, etc.), but it did not individually list my blogs, which were saved in a folder.  The only way I am able to see a blog post is to specify by post date (within xx hours).  If there was no recent posting, the right side is blank.

With google reader, even though I put all the blogs in a SCILS folder, I was still able to see the individual blog address in the left column.  The blog content was on the right - as it should be.  I also really liked the "manage subscriptions" tab on the bottom of the sidebar.  It allowed me to easily put the blogs in the folder.  The "trend" function was also interesting!  

An added benefit of google reader is that it links directly to my google email account.  

In general, bloglines and google reader appear to have similar features, but from a novice's standpoint, google reader was a bit more intuitive to navigate.

Cold Springs School Library Blog

I linked to the Cold Springs School Library Blog, because I thought this was a great model for an elementary school library.  The image is very clear and clean, and it appears easy to navigate.  I really liked the way younger students are involved in the blogging process.  In elementary schools, it is often difficult to to manage a technology like this since students are often too young to help.  

The right side book shelf  shows covers of various books and these links to a site named "Shelfari."   When clicking on the book cover more information related to the showcased book is shown.  It may be a book review or it may be someone's opinion.

Blogger vs. Live Journal

I do not consider myself an expert blogger by any means.  However here's my try at a very novice comparison of the two:

• Both were straightforward with prompts during set up.
• Both allow a certain degree of customizing with colors and/or themes.
• Live Journal has a nice "menu bar" across the top in a very visible location.  However, Blogger's menu is up in the far right corner, which is not as easy to see.
• The Live Journal main page is very busy and the advertisements are very distracting.  Blogger, on the other hand, is simple, streamlined and focus.  Even on the page where posting may occur, Live Journal has a big bar with an advertisement,
• Live Journal has options for making post public, private, or amongst friends.  Blogger does have something similar, but it is harder to find the tab to designate proper setting.
• Both seem to have a means to report violations or set restrictions (on Live Journal called "privacy," or "adult content").  Blogger has an option to report terms of service violations.
• Video tutorials are available on Blogger.
• Live Journal seems to have the option to use as private journal that can be web accessed.

In my novice opinion, I find Blogger to be more user-friendly and I prefer using it over Live Journal.

LT's Blog on Books/Authors

I don't know about you, but I've been noticing a lot or children's books have been made into movies. The movie "Inkheart" based on the book by Cornelia Funke was recently released in theaters. I always make a point of reading the book before seeing the movie.

I read Inkheart a couple of years back, and I'm not surprised to see it in movie form. The character, Meggie and her dad go through numerous adventures. After all, a man with a magical voice who can read characters in and out of books needs a little excitement in his life. I haven't seen the movie, but I have a feeling that like other books that have been made into movies, a lot of the "good stuff" will be minimized.