Week 6 - Play!

Thing 7 - Play with an online image generator
Pretty creative, right?

Thing 8 - LibraryThing (Goodreads)
It's a short read, even if it isn't a Goodread. Speaking of which, did you notice the new widget on the right side of the page? It will take you to my Goodreads account so you can see what I've read and what I'm currently reading.

Prior to this assignment, I didn't really know what a widget was. I had heard the word and I know there are widgets on my phone, but I didn't really understand what it is and how it differed from an external link. I now understand that it is something that updates automatically and doesn't have to be monitored - like the number of visitors who have seen my site or a countdown to a specific date.

As a librarian, I might use it to countdown to a specific upcoming event to keep the students excited about an author visit or the release of a long-awaited book.

Or if my students were regular students who could play around on the internet, I would do a widget just as I have here so that students could see what I'm reading/have read so they could ask me about it.

Thing 9 - Create Your Own Search Engine

This feature I love and I think I would actually use - probably to the point of annoyance. I only included a few sites such as pioneer, pbs, and another blog I have, but I can see the potential as a librarian in a school where students' internet use is highly restricted or where students have a seemingly difficult time finding reputable sources. Plus there are specific links I refer them to all the time and it would be nice if their search results could be confined to those pages.