Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Week 9, Things # 20-23

Thing 20-
I could have have spent hours perusing Youtube! I started with "most viewed" videos within
this year, although there were some worth mentioning I changed my search to "Top favorites" of all time. This brought me to a video clip called " Evolution of Dance". Since I've always had an interest in dance, this seemed like an appropriate selection. The 6 minute clip featured a comedian engaging his audience with his interpretation of the evolution of dance. From Elvis hip gyrations to the classic running man, I couldn't stop laughing. Not only was this funny, it was cleverly choreographed. Youtube proves to be a great cultural insight into today and years gone before.

Thing 21-
I chose podcastalley.com for my podcast search tool. Categories ranged from entertainment to science and health. I have a great interest in health and fitness so I chose to add "Fitness Rocks" to my bloglines account via RSS. I also took a look at Merlin's site to find out how libraries are incorporating podcasts. I was surprised to see the number of podcasts available, including stories for kids, library news and book talks. I also found out that subscriptions are not always necessary to listen and one doesn't need an iPod to download, a PC will do the trick!

Thing 22-
I decided to look into Project Gutenberg's selection of audio ebooks, I couldn't locate some of my favorite authors but I was able to find a few who have published well known works including Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. Instead of downloading Christie's "Secret Adversary", I used the read online feature. Unfortunately the computer being used for this exercise lacked sound. No matter, I enjoyed reading from the PC all the same. I will definitely be downloading in the future, what a convenient way for patrons to find and read/listen to their favorite titles.

Thing 23-
Wow, I can't believe I made it to the end! My only regret is that I did not have enough time to fully explore each exercise/site. Some exercises required more time than others and I wish I had more time to devote to them. In addition, my learning style requires repetition, so in order for some of the new applications to be ingrained I will have to revisit them. Overall, I think 23 things gave me well-needed exposure to pertinent internet tools and features. Even if I'm not an "expert on the web" I do have more knowledge and can speak the language more proficiently if you will. Some of my favorite exercises included the more creative and fun sites such as flickr, online image generators and Youtube. I did appreciate the more practical applications such as wikis, google docs. and podcasts. I also have a better understanding of how libraries can implement these various tools. Hopefully this newly acquired knowledge will benefit not only me but my family, friends and of course fellow patrons. Until the next discovery sequence.....:)