Task 23: 23 Things - On Relection

 So as we conclude this lifelong learning adventure by answering the following questions, I would just like to say thanks for the memories - I have learnt a lot. :)

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

- Loved learning about LibraryThing and GoogleBooks and LibriVox. Learning about RSS feeds was interesting and I think I appreciate the concept more since learning about Podcasting then when I was learning about RSS feed themselves.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
- I believe it has probably enhanced my lifelong learning. I have always been a champion of lifelong learning and I believe some of the tools we were exposed to through this 23 things will definitely enhance any future learning experiences

3. Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to set up a blog. Once set up it was very easy to maintain. I loved in particular the tasks involving online libraries i.e. LibraryThing and GoogleBooks. I was very surprised about Librivox as i had never heard of it before - I intend to use it from now on. I was also unaware that there were free Podcast sites. These will require further investigation on my behalf. Never thought i would actually join Twitter!

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I think the format itself is fine though the blog could do with updating as some of the links went nowhere.

And last but not least…

5. How did you find the self-directed learning concept? Were you happy to progress through tasks on your own and were you able to motivate yourself to complete the tasks?

Self-directed learning is always difficult as you are guided only by your own motivation levels. Starting is the hardest part but I think once I got over that initial hurdle the rest seemed so easy. all it took was an hour here and and hour there. Some weeks i was able to complete 2-3 task very quickly because each task built on the next other weeks it was only 1 task because the discovery exercises required opening accounts, searching sites etc.

Task 21 and 22 - Twitter and Social Networking

I swore I would never tweet and yet I have just gone and joined twitter. Another information forum which I see as being useful for news updates but otherwise a bit of a waste of time for the average Joe. I decided to following a number of tweeters mostly relating to areas of interest such as archaeology and antiquarian books. I personally can't see myself using or following any tweets on a regular basis anytime soon.

As for social networking I already have an account with Facebook, another tool I vowed never to use but was invited to join. Great was to catch up and rediscover people you have lost contact with. Great tool for keeping in touch with family and friends who live a long way away. Applications are irritating to say the least.

Joined MySpace a couple of years ago to search for someone i haven't really been back. A very frustrating site to use. I can see why most people prefer Facebook.

I also recently joined Linked In again to look for someone i wanted to reconnect with.  From a professional standpoint I can see the benefits of LinkedIn as it is a far more sleek operation designed for professional networking rather than socialising.

All in all social networking has its place in the world and i thin it is here to stay.

Task 20: Podcast

Task 20 involved looking at Postcasting, another piece of technology i had heard about but never really explored. I even have an iPod but am yet to upload anything to it. I visited the Podcast directory "Podcast Alley" and was amazed at the variety of subjects areas. I found over well over 20 Podcast on libraries and subscribed to one called "Library Geeks" I then had a look at other area of interest in particular Medieval archaeology and Steampunk. Again quite a variety of Postcasts. I even discovered a Postcast called Hogworts Radio which is completed devoted to all thing Harry Potter. Amazing, now I just have to upload some.

I love this clip. I found whilst I was study the history of the book as part of my library degree. I think it is a  very appropriate subject for the learning 2.0.

As for the rest of Youtube - i am not an avid viewer of the site but I am amazed at what it uploaded everday. There are some truely clever and talented people out there as well a lot of idiots (Jackass Videos etc. - need I say more).

I think YouTube, because of its popularity is a great and realtively cheap promotional tool. Many large corporation use it to promote their products as a means of attracting a younger audience e.g. Heiniken etc.

I see it  being used in libraries to promote facilites, and events but also as a way of advertising the value of libraries in the community. I have also seen libraries use YouTube for instructional purposes - as a how to ... both for staff and the public.

Task 18 - iGoogle

iGoogle again very easy to locate on the Google home page. Great to have everything on one page. Took a bit to find the Gadgets link but once I found it it was very easy to search for gadget to upload to the dashboard. I upload the Google Maps Search Google Books Search, Facebook, Google Docs, Some sort of spreadsheet gadget (not so sure about this one),. In addition I added a hamster on a wheel gadget just for fun as well as a dictionary gadget.  The danger of all this is that my home page is now starting to look cluttered.

Task 17 - Google Maps and Google Docs

Task 17 required exploring Google maps. I typed in the Uni of Qld, St. Lucia into the search field and a map of the campus came up immediately. Very easy just a shame there is no street view  I think the students would love it and it would be great for orientation. Next i used the direction function and asked for direction from the Toowong Shopping Village to the University's St. Lucia Campus. Once again very easy, the streets were clearly indicated and highlight in blue. Google Maps is great especially street view though it is a little scary to think that a picture of your house is on the web for the world to see and know one asked your permission to take photos.

Google Docs

Again very easy to use. Its great that it automatically saves it to your google account if you are of course logged in. Some of the terminology has been updated though as one does not export as word but rather downloads.

Task 15 and 16 - What's in a Wiki and Wiki Collaboration

This week was all about the world of Wiki. Though I didn't contribute to any of the suggested wikis I have in the past contributed to Libnet and its predecessor through publishing meeting minutes and localised procedures. As far as libraries are concerned I think wikis are one of the best tools both for interacting with the public e.g. Book review wikis, and as an type of intranet for staff as they are easy to use, quick to update and anyone can contribute.

Wikis do have their downside however as evident by some of the unchecked Wikipedia entries which seem to more fiction than fact.

Adding to the Libnet wiki is incredibly easy far easier than its predecessor. Every time we complete one of these tasks and have to tick the progress chart we make a contribution to a Wiki page.

Have a look at my inspirational quote. :)

Tasks 13 and 14 - Del.icio.us Tagging and Technorati

So I tackled the world of Del.icio.us and Technorati this week. On Del.icio.us I decides to search for information on the London Olympics and found a blog regarding tickets. I subsequently used the tags of London, Olympics, 2012 and Tickets to see what else would come up. Not as much as I thought. Perhaps I didn't do it correctly or perhaps I just chose to follow something that is not that interesting  to other people. Either way I quite like Del.icio.us.

As for Technorati I type in "Learning 2.0" in the Blog directory and Blog Pasts and got nothing. When I went into the popular/Top 100 section and the Tags section it was very clear that the site is very American in content from both gossip blogs and politics. Lots of articles on Bin Laden and on the latest gadgets. Not really my type of site.

Tasks 10, 11, 12 - LibraryThing, Google Books and LibriVox

This week I tackled with great fervor the world of online libraries specifically. LibrayThing and Google Books. both were very easy to use. Task 12 - exploring LibriVox was quite a revelation as I had never heard of it. Again it is very easy to use and definitely a site i am to return to time and time again.

Tasks 7/8/9 - Blog comments and RSS feeds

Continuing the life-long learning journey I tackled tasks 7, 8, 9 this week. With task 7 I commented on a couple of blogs by my fellow journeymen. With task 8 and 9 I was introduced to RSS feeds and subscribed to 10 news feeds on Bloglines as well as a number of my colleagues blogs. Quite easy really.

I can see a number of benefits of subscribing to RSS feeds as one can target specific areas of interest and get the latest information. I can also see its professional usefulness for libraries with respect to notifying librarians and collections teams of new releases and forth coming publications.

On a personal level I don't think I would use RSS feeds as I already suffer from information overload with emails, internet and social networking.

Tasks 5/6/7

The life-long learning journey continues. I completed tasks 5-7 this week by creating accounts with both Flickr and Picasa and uploading a couple of pictures to my blog I thought I would avoid putting up pictures of libraries as I figured other 23 taskers would already be doing this. It was really easy thought I found upload from Flickr straight to my Blogger blog far more user friendly then from Picasa. There are so many weird and wonderful pictures to view. I am not sure if I would ever be that public with pictures I have taken but I can definitely see the benefits. Task 7 involved commenting on other blogs which I did but to a very limited extent but I do intend to leave more comments as we progress through the tasks.

Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund........ Foto: Verena

Now this is an interesting picture! Check out the tongue. I wonder what made the cat react like this? Poor pussy, poor pussy cat.

 

Grenadier.jpg

Grenadier.jpg, a photo by jmdustin on Flickr.

I love this photo as it reminds me of when I visited London and the Grenadier Pub in 2006. It is a very hard pub to find as it located in a tiny street off Belgravia Square. A local London Cabbie suggested it. Its really tiny and was used as the barracks for Wellington's guards. Legend says that Wellington left for Waterloo from outside this pub. It also has a resident ghost. Guy Ritchie and Madonna used to be regulars as did the US embassy staff when the Embassy was in Grosvenor Square. It also has the best pub grub.

My web 2.0 journey anfd the 7 1/2 habits of life long learning

This is my first real adventure into the world of web 2.0. I know about it and I work in an environment which uses it on a daily basis. I even use aspects of web 2.0 such as social networking. This doesn't mean that I understand it. The journey which I am about to undertake I hope will aid in my understanding. I have always enjoyed learning new things but am always afraid to take the first step. This blog is a perfect example we are in week 7 of a 10 week program on web 2.0 and I have only just now plucked up the couraged to start.

71/2 habits - my experience
Habit 1 states "Begin with the end in mind" i.e. set a goal - my goal  - finish to 23 things - easy, once i get started.
Habit 2 "Accept responsibility for your own learning" - Only I can complete the tasks. No one will do it for me
Habit 3 "View problems as challenges" - my problem as stated is getting started. I like the challenge of learning something new but it still makes me very nervous yet here I am writing my first ever blog. I have read many blogs in the past but I don't think that I have ever contributed to one let alone start one.
Habit 4 " Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner" -  having taken the first "giant leap", writing my first ever blog I am now more confident in myself and my ability to be an effective learner.
Habit 5 "Create your own learning toolbox" - I like to think of my work environment as one giant toolkit. I am surrounded by people who are familiar with web 2.0 and who have done the 23 things. I have participated in coursework which used and discussed web 2.0. I work in a library surrounded by books which I can refer to and I have the Internet both at work and home which I can search to find guidelines to web 2.0 and life long learning.
Habit 6 "Use technology to your advantage" - technology is supposed to make our lives easier yet I find it challenging. It makes me nervous but I still use it. I have an i-pod but I have never downloaded any music to it. I have a smart phone yet I am unsure how to access the Internet on it.  I have bought technology for the sole purpose of making it work for me and not the other way around. This I feel is my biggest challenge.
Habit 7 " Teach/mentor others" - there is know sense in reinventing the wheel. Knowledge is a powerful thing and if you have that knowledge pass it on.
Habit 71/2 "Play" - I love to play but as my mother always said "no play until your homework is done". The 23 things is my homework. I have started it now I must finish. :)