Friday, August 17, 2007

Week 7 Things 16 & 17

Thing #16
Wikis, wikis everywhere !! I never knew there were so many types of wikis, from instuctional to recreational, there's even a wiki for wikis. I also discovered an "outreach" wiki, this might be something that the girls and I could implement into our resources. This particular wiki shares "best practices" for outreach programs, including childrens activities and instruction. In addition, I thought it would be cool to have a community wiki, where local businesses and organizations can add events such as fund raisers, concerts, and activites. Even restaurants could get on board by posting lunch/ dinner specials , bands etc. If a cancellation comes up all they would have to do is edit the page. Wikis are definitely the future "hot spots" offering a world of information. * Just one more thought to add- Wikipedias should be used cautiously as reference sources since they are a collaboration of scholarly as well as personal insights.

Thing # 17
I had fun "playing in the sandbox", what a way to get to know people and also get ideas for things to do, books to read, sights to see etc. It's amazing how simple it is to create your very own personal wiki- that people can add to of course :) I will have to go back another time and add "my favorite things".

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Week 6 Things 13, 14 &15

Thing # 13
Del.ici.ous is not only a great personal bookmarking tool but it allows connection to others. Research, results and reading lists are shared on a variety of topics. I especially like that there's an RSS feeder link to transport your bookmarks to your bloglines account. There's nothing like going to one page to access all of my favorite resources ! In addition, the site reveals the most popular articles per tag including number of saved "bookmarks". This feature alerts users to possible value of content and serves to filter less popular resources. This would definitely be a useful site for avid researchers and readers.

Thing #14
Technorati the "blog" search engine gave multiple results when searching "Learning 2.0 " via keywords, tags and the directory. Searching the blog directory resulted in the fewest hits, a whopping 197 blogs. The next runner up was searching by keyword (exact phrase), this resulted in 4, 031 posts. The winner of the challenge was the tag search, producing over 22,000 blogs including visual media. Although the results increased there was alot more to weed through, it was similar to a google search without the quotes. As for the top favorite blogs it wasn't a surprise that technology and money were involved. I liked the Boing Boing Directory of Wonderful things. The comet picture was awesome :) As for the top searches, google and you tube were not surprising but Britney Spears and Paris Hilton ????? Ok, moving on...

Thing # 15
After reading several perspectives on Web 2.0 and the library's future, I decided to respond to the article, "To A Temporary Place in time..." . I agree with the author in that it is inevitable that libraries and librarian's roles will evolve but some things should not be left behind. I also see the future as perfect blend of technology, unlimited resources , humanity and last but not least community. As technology excels so should the library's data, including access to resources and updated formats/ vessels of information. Librarians will still be stewards of knowledge but this knowledge will continually grow and may be delivered and perceived entirely different then it is today, i.e. virtual graphics. Librarians must be educated and trained sufficiently to serve and guide our patrons in the age of information. Not everyone these days is computer savvy and I believe there will still be a need for human intervention and guidance. I acknowlede that the Library's infrastructure and role in society may change, but I hope that our servitude and connection to eachother remains. The author spoke of a future retreat, a place one goes to think, learn, rest and reconnect. Who's to say that one can't keep up with the fast- paced world of information while reclining on a leather sofa and sipping Starbucks at their local library:)

Friday, July 27, 2007

Week 5 cont'd - Thing 11&12

#11 The LibraryThing site proved to be both useful and interesting. I was able to catalog and rate several books very easily. In addition, I quickly found recommended reads and reviews by fellow subscribers via the social data feature. It was interesting to see the number of people that held the same books in their personal library. I think this is a very innovative site which I'm sure will continue to grow. Looking forward to adding to my collection & sharing more reads! www.librarything.com/catalog/nmiller75

#12 Choosing the subject was the hardest part about setting up a Rollyo search tool. I opted for photography (no surprise there!) and put together a limited list of websites. I plan on adding to that list as I find appropriate sites. I have to admit that I never thought I'd be able to create my own search tool, pretty cool :). http://www.rollyo.com/nmiller75/

Week 5 - 10th Thing

Wow, I had a tough time choosing which generator to present. After making myself a virtual ice cream cone and adding my name to a chocolate bar, I decided to check out the "sketch generator". Basically it turns photographs into sketches. This caught my eye because I love photography and and have an appreciation for art but have never been able to draw, paint etc. All you have to do is upload a photograph from your hard drive, flickr or my space account and you're ready to go! This handsome critter is J.J. (husband's dog). I definitely enjoyed this exercise :) .

Monday, July 9, 2007

Week 4 Things 8 & 9

Things 8 &9

I thoroughly enjoyed using my bloglines account. It's very convenient to have my favorites listed on one site and it does save alot of precious time! The bloglines website made it very easy to add a variety of feeds, all I had to do was check, check and check again. I can see how this becomes addictive, I'm curious as to how much space I have for my listings. Merlin also proves to be a useful site. I found it very easy to add feeds from the homepage. After clicking on the info island link, I was able to access the RSS icon. I was surprised that I'll I had to do was select my web- based reader and then the subscribe button. Technology just gets better and better!
Well- logging off for now :)

Monday, July 2, 2007

Week 3 Things 5, 6 & 7

Thing 5
Being a bird lover, I searched flickr's site for cockatiels. I found a picture of a cockatiel that looks just like my "Papaya". You can view him at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyndawalldez/364367024/

Thing 6
I checked out third party tools and discovered Mapps. This is a very cool site where one can map their flickr photos with geographic tags. Whether you want to see a sunset in California or look at flowers in Washington, Mapps is the place to go. Talk about connecting people across the country! What next ? Globally?

Thing 7
Speaking of digital cameras, I love mine! The only problem is that I tend to use the camera as a photo album. Instead of downloading them on my PC or taking the memory stick to a photo shop, I keep them in my camera. On the plus side, it's a great sized photo album that's easy to travel with. On the other hand ,I can't take anymore photos (without deleting). I think it's time to use Flickr and maybe invest in a new memory stick!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Week 2 Thing # 3

Thing 3-
I would love to acquire all 7 1/2 lifelong learning habits. The most difficult one for me would be the habit concerning self- confidence. I tend to second- guess myself or feel inadequate when taking on tasks that I consider out of my league. I completely agree that you have to be careful of what you think or say. So as a man thinketh he becomes.... or something like that. :) Instead of having the "I don't think I can do that " attitude, I need to say " I can do that or anything is possible"! On the flip side of the coin, I do have a natural desire to help others. It would be easy for me to teach others what I know, even if it's not much, oops there I go again (just kidding). I can remember a time when I took a college math course, it was not easy to say the least and I studied to the greatest of my ability. One of my friends and fellow student was struggling with the material so we studied together after every class. Since the class was empty, I took advantage of the chalk board and "taught" lessons from the textbook. After many meetings, I found my test scores increasing and I developed a true understanding of the concepts. I believe that teaching can increase your knowledge and enhance existing skills.