I'm both relieved and saddened that this project has ended. But first a lot of congratulations need to go out. First I congratulate the 2.0 team that put it together, DD, KM, and DG. Congratulations to the approximately 40 blog participants. I also congratulate those that won during the biweekly drawings, CV, TD, BL, CYL. And finally, I want to congratulate the big winner of the final prize. Congrats Library Challenger!
Anyway, I really did enjoy participating in this project. I wish I had a little bit more time to participate, but I did what I could do in the time that I had. I am going to miss the opportunity to learn in this manner by exploring and playing. But in short, I'm glad it's over so that I have more time to attend to more pressing matters.
I do have one more piece of congratulations... Congratulations to APL Admin for allowing such a project to take place and be such a huge success in the library. That was a great idea!
I do hope to continue the blog for my original purposes of keeping an online account of how my kids are ever-changing. For that, I'm wishing myself luck in continuing one more thing to do. :)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Week 12 - Final reflection
• What was the most important thing that you learned? Why?
The most important thing I learned is how there is yet so much to learn. I don’t want to profess to be a perpetual student, forever learning something new. At some point, I just want to stop learning stuff and just enjoy what I know. The problem is, if you slow down too long, technology and the present will pass you by. So I just need to resign myself to learning otherwise I’ll end up like those people that still have the flashing 12:00 on their hi-tech VCR’s.
• What was the most challenging exercise? Why?
I don’t know if I have a most challenging exercise. I think the challenges progressively got more and more challenging. As I progressed into the challenge, I feel like I had more and more to learn and I just had to be more and more open to the fact that there is a lot of personal information floating on the Internet. Some of them real, some of them not, and some are anonymous… much like the owners of some of the blogs in this challenge. I guess you just have to pick your poison. But if I have to pick, it was the podcast. The challenge was not hard, but I think making time to incorporate podcasts would be difficult for me. Then again, if I learn to use it more, I’m sure I’ll be grateful.
• What were your favorite discoveries or exercises?
I think my favorite discovery is that these 2.0 tools are not created to make it hard for those that are behind the times, they have been created to make life easier. My favorite is Google Reader. I regularly check on certain websites, including the SGV Tribune. But now I don’t have to go there, it just comes to me, like I subscribed to the paper which I haven’t done in many many years.
• How can the Arcadia Public Library use these technologies to deliver or improve library services?
I think the gist of these tools has something to do with communicating words, images, information, thoughts, feelings, or a mix of any and all of those. I think APL is in the business of information. And whatever tools that are available to get the patron the information they need is a tool that should be used by the library.
• How successful was the “self-directed” learning model? Is this a useful way of encouraging staff development?
I believe allowing the staff to explore rather than pushing the staff to learn the tools is most beneficial for those that participated. There’s no sense in pushing or requiring people to learn tools that they don’t want to learn. If they don’t want to learn it, they probably won’t ever use it. So why waste the effort of pushing? I liked this model.
• What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I don’t think the 2.0 organizers need to do anything to change the program. I think you all did a great job is prodding participants. But I do have to say the biggest challenge was time. I appreciate the opportunity to explore 2.0 tools while on the job. But sometimes making the time was hardest part of each task. Although it was difficult to add one more thing to my plate, I have to say that I honestly enjoyed participating in this program.
• If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again choose to participate?
I don’t know who I’m quoting when I say this, but HELL YEAH!!! And again, thank you to Danielle, David, and Kathy for putting it together. And thanks to the library for allowing this program to be put on at APL.
The most important thing I learned is how there is yet so much to learn. I don’t want to profess to be a perpetual student, forever learning something new. At some point, I just want to stop learning stuff and just enjoy what I know. The problem is, if you slow down too long, technology and the present will pass you by. So I just need to resign myself to learning otherwise I’ll end up like those people that still have the flashing 12:00 on their hi-tech VCR’s.
• What was the most challenging exercise? Why?
I don’t know if I have a most challenging exercise. I think the challenges progressively got more and more challenging. As I progressed into the challenge, I feel like I had more and more to learn and I just had to be more and more open to the fact that there is a lot of personal information floating on the Internet. Some of them real, some of them not, and some are anonymous… much like the owners of some of the blogs in this challenge. I guess you just have to pick your poison. But if I have to pick, it was the podcast. The challenge was not hard, but I think making time to incorporate podcasts would be difficult for me. Then again, if I learn to use it more, I’m sure I’ll be grateful.
• What were your favorite discoveries or exercises?
I think my favorite discovery is that these 2.0 tools are not created to make it hard for those that are behind the times, they have been created to make life easier. My favorite is Google Reader. I regularly check on certain websites, including the SGV Tribune. But now I don’t have to go there, it just comes to me, like I subscribed to the paper which I haven’t done in many many years.
• How can the Arcadia Public Library use these technologies to deliver or improve library services?
I think the gist of these tools has something to do with communicating words, images, information, thoughts, feelings, or a mix of any and all of those. I think APL is in the business of information. And whatever tools that are available to get the patron the information they need is a tool that should be used by the library.
• How successful was the “self-directed” learning model? Is this a useful way of encouraging staff development?
I believe allowing the staff to explore rather than pushing the staff to learn the tools is most beneficial for those that participated. There’s no sense in pushing or requiring people to learn tools that they don’t want to learn. If they don’t want to learn it, they probably won’t ever use it. So why waste the effort of pushing? I liked this model.
• What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I don’t think the 2.0 organizers need to do anything to change the program. I think you all did a great job is prodding participants. But I do have to say the biggest challenge was time. I appreciate the opportunity to explore 2.0 tools while on the job. But sometimes making the time was hardest part of each task. Although it was difficult to add one more thing to my plate, I have to say that I honestly enjoyed participating in this program.
• If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again choose to participate?
I don’t know who I’m quoting when I say this, but HELL YEAH!!! And again, thank you to Danielle, David, and Kathy for putting it together. And thanks to the library for allowing this program to be put on at APL.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Week 11 - Yelp.com
For this second-to-last challenge I wanted to try something out other than Library Thing or Rollyo. I followed the Web 2.0 Awards link and tried out several of the different links.
First I tried the mashup Coverpop.com The site was billed as a montage which allows you to view different images from one main collage. After playing with the different montages and being absolutely intrigued mostly because I tried to do a similar collage effect with the pictures of the kids on the front of my blog. I decided against using it. Unfortunately I didn’t think this was going to help with this assignment.
Then I tried OneSentence.org, “true stories, told in one sentence.” I tend to ramble and repeat myself so I thought this would be helpful. It was interesting and entertaining, unfortunately not something that would be helpful to me.
I was hit and miss with a few others like CocktailBuilder.com, Guess-the-Google, Boxxet, Yahoo Answers (which was very promising), and Findory (which is now defunct). I finally settled on Yelp.com. Yelp.com is a city guide to help you decide on where to go, what to do, and most importantly, WHERE TO EAT! On a personal level, I was excited to stumble upon it to add as one of the tools I can use to try new things. I have had some success with Yahoo Local in finding new places to go so Yelp.com was an added bonus. I think if somebody were to take a trip, this can be a good tool in helping decide where to go and what to try. On the flip-side, if you are one to take pictures of everything you eat and everywhere you go (you know who you are), this is a great way to share your experiences. Next week, my family plans on taking a little vacation and I already have a small list of places to eat that I have all intentions of dragging my family to. Who knows, I might be one of those shutterbugs that’ll take pictures of the food and post on the internet.
From a library point of view, I can see using this tool to help patrons find places to go, see, and eat. I know this tool will come in handy if I want to share the local eateries with some workshop attendees. I don’t even have to give them a review of the food, they can go look it up themselves. So be adventurous, try one of the hole-in-the-wall places that Yelp.com might send you to. You just might be pleasantly surprised. Bon Appetit!
First I tried the mashup Coverpop.com The site was billed as a montage which allows you to view different images from one main collage. After playing with the different montages and being absolutely intrigued mostly because I tried to do a similar collage effect with the pictures of the kids on the front of my blog. I decided against using it. Unfortunately I didn’t think this was going to help with this assignment.
Then I tried OneSentence.org, “true stories, told in one sentence.” I tend to ramble and repeat myself so I thought this would be helpful. It was interesting and entertaining, unfortunately not something that would be helpful to me.
I was hit and miss with a few others like CocktailBuilder.com, Guess-the-Google, Boxxet, Yahoo Answers (which was very promising), and Findory (which is now defunct). I finally settled on Yelp.com. Yelp.com is a city guide to help you decide on where to go, what to do, and most importantly, WHERE TO EAT! On a personal level, I was excited to stumble upon it to add as one of the tools I can use to try new things. I have had some success with Yahoo Local in finding new places to go so Yelp.com was an added bonus. I think if somebody were to take a trip, this can be a good tool in helping decide where to go and what to try. On the flip-side, if you are one to take pictures of everything you eat and everywhere you go (you know who you are), this is a great way to share your experiences. Next week, my family plans on taking a little vacation and I already have a small list of places to eat that I have all intentions of dragging my family to. Who knows, I might be one of those shutterbugs that’ll take pictures of the food and post on the internet.
From a library point of view, I can see using this tool to help patrons find places to go, see, and eat. I know this tool will come in handy if I want to share the local eateries with some workshop attendees. I don’t even have to give them a review of the food, they can go look it up themselves. So be adventurous, try one of the hole-in-the-wall places that Yelp.com might send you to. You just might be pleasantly surprised. Bon Appetit!
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