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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Week 15: One Last Thing

Thing 20 - Overview

I know this is the brown-noser response, but I actually enjoyed this part of the class. I didn't love all of the pieces of technology we explored, but it is so refreshing to be in a class where I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something other than learning yet another way to write a research paper.

As I showed the webpage I made to my students so they could begin using it, my coworkers were impressed. I would like to say my students were, but they could probably do everything I did in a 70 minute class period. Even so, I feel like I know something potentially useful.

Some of the aspects didn't come easily. I still don't feel like I have a great grasp on Wiki's, but neither do I have the desire. Ditto for Twitter.

The most useful information for me was learning how to create a webpage and to add all the functions that make it look less "homemade". The skills transfer fairly easily to other applications.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Week 13: Tag Clouds

Thing 18 - Tag Clouds




The one feature I wold like is to be able to edit which words are in the biggest fonts.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Week 12: Podcasting

Thing 17 - Podcasting

I listened to the podcast "Episode 31 - Living on the Phone" which is a podcast by a gentleman who calls himself the Cyberpunk Librarian. Something that drew me to his podcast was his great name for himself, but also the subtitle, which is "High Tech, Low Budget".

In this episode, he talks about how most of us have smart phones these days - or in other words, we walk around with a computer in our pockets - yet we don't fully use the phone to its capacity. In his dialogue, he talks about different ways to use the device to maximize its ability and - as librarians - to have the technology at our fingertips at any time.

He recommends getting a keyboard to attach to it, but cautions that it will not work like a desktop PC or full-sized tablet because it simply isn't. However, most the functions available on these devices are also available in one form or another using a cell phone.

The frustration I have with all this downloading is that the computer belongs to my work. How am I going to explain iTunes ... or the virus I seem to have acquired.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Week 11 - Online Video

Thing 16 - Online Video




Apparently there is an American adaptation of Japanese game show  Quiet Library.  Essentially, the objective is to complete a ridiculous challenge in the library and be able to do it without making too much noise - as measured by a noise meter.

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots participated in a celebrity edition of the game and above is their video. It's about 20 minutes long.

Week 10 - Spring Break

It would be really cool to post amazing pictures of things I did over spring break, but spring break for my work and USU are not at the same time. Plus spring break stopped being cool about the time that I took on adult roles.