Welcome to the 20 2.0 Program. This site was created to support technology learning at the Daviess County Public Library, Kentucky. We hope you enjoy learning with each other and have a good experience.
What is this week all about?? This week is a little bit deeper. So I have broken it down a little more. This week we will explore together. I don't feel comfortable with my knowledge of these things. We are getting close to the end. Only 3 more weeks after this. Be sure and visit the links to find your Discovery Resources and Discovery Exercises.
The availability and use of online productivity web-based applications (think word processing and spreadsheets) has exploded over the past two years and for good reasons!
These powerful applications provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need of installed desktop applications. Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death to Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools, while others think web-based applications have their place, but not in the office. But no matter which side of the office suite platform you side with, on this both sides seem to agree; web-based apps have their place.
One large benefit to web-based applications it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC. Another bonus is that they easy accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file (with versioning) and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs* (formerly known as Writely) to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.
A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content. Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest and perhaps the most well known of these knowledge sharing tools. With the benefits that wikis provide the use and popularity of these tools is exploding.
Some of the benefits that make wikis so attractive are:
Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what been changed and by whom.
Earlier versions of a page can be viewed and reinstated when needed.
And users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used.
Among their applications are pathfinder or subject guide wikis, book review wikis, ALA conference wikis and even library best practices wikis.
This week is all about pictures. This can be addicting. And because of that I have created a Flickr account. Explore the photos I have uploaded, add tags and descriptions, explore what you love. but BEWARE this can consume your time quickly. DON'T LET THIS PROJECT CONSUME YOU!
First watch the Common Craft video "Online Photosharing in Plain English." Click arrow to start the video.
There are lots of places to store photos online. Walgreen's, Walmart, Picassa (associated with your gmail account), and Flickr.
Investigate the photo sharing and image generators this week.
Explore Flickr and learn about this popular image hosting site.
1. Take a good look around Flickr and find an interesting image that you want to blog about. You can explore Flickr photos, search the tags, view various groups, and more without a Flickr account.
2. Use any keyword(s) (baseball, cats, library cats, library signs, Minnesota library, whatever…) to find photos with those tags.When you find an interesting image or group, comment on your experience finding images, using Flickr, and anything else related to the exercise. Upload the image to your blog (be sure to credit the photographer). Don't forget to include a link to the image in the post.
In this Thing, you are asked to take a good look at Flickr and discover what this site has to offer. Find out how tags work, what groups are, and all the neat things that people and other libraries (a list here, too) are creating thanks to Flickr. The Library of Congress has a Flickr account--with more than 3,000 photos that you are invited to tag.
I have started an account for you to view and play with. This will save you time. There are photos of my kids and animals, mostly building pictures. Are you feeling adventurous? Upload your favorite building photo from the Staff Doc Grand Opening folder.
Username: harringtondcpl
Password: threekids2
Flickr Color Pickr - lets you find public photos in Flickr that match a specific color
splashr lets you present your Flickr photos in different view.
Most of us don’t have the time or the artistic talent to create specialized graphics or logos for projects. Enter the Online Image Generator! These handy-dandy tools let you create many types of images – framed pictures, slide shows, comic-style captions, trading cards, calendars, and much more.
Why use this tool? Create trading cards of authors, scientists, historical figures, or even concepts you’re trying to teach or promote. Media specialists can support teachers by helping students create images around astronomy, algebraic equations, historical figures (“I’ll trade you two Ben Franklins for an Eleanor Roosevelt!”). Students and staff can create trading cards of themselves to help them get to know each other. Other possibilities include creating a calendar with an image related to what you’re promoting that month, or a mosaic with multiple images related to your books, videos, or other resources.
Use the images generators in summer reading programs, book clubs, training, and more. Librarians at Carleton College are using trading cards as a way to reach their students.
The possibilities are endless! As is the time you can spend playing around with these sites—beware! Don't spend too much time on this. We are learning.
1. Go to Big Huge Labs. 2. Choose Trading Card from drop down list. 3. Create a trading card and save it to your computer. 4. Use the photos from the Grand Opening 5. Upload the your trading card and images to your blog to share with others.
Be sure and blog about your favorite thing you did this week. Let me know if you will use one of the sites again to store photos. Remember to Smile you never know when you are on camera.
This week is all about social networking sites for books. You knew we would get there. We are a library. Did you really think I would leave out the books? We love to talk about what we have read, what we are reading, and what we plan on reading. It is time to take that discussion online.
And, I know I hear a groan coming, you will blog about 2 different things.
5. Blog about your shelf and the site you explored. Try to link to your shelf from your blog.
Don't forget someone will be in Reference next Wednesday for a questions and answer session and to help you.
Blog Suggestions How do you think a library would use a social site for books? Which site did you explore? Did you have popular books? Did you write a review?
WOW! We are 1/3 of the way through the program. I am beat. I have read more blogs in the last 3 weeks than I have ever read. Keep them coming. I am learning so much. Today, I spent the afternoon preparing for the next exercises. I hope you find them fun.
We have several newcomers to the program and I am estatic. The staff is going to make this such a success. I know this is really different for most of you. I applaud your willingness to take the challenge. Some of you are out discovering have already discovered some of things we will be investigating and sharing them. This is wonderful.
Keep up the hard work. I look forward to reading your blogs in the coming weeks.
