Well, it's hard to believe that I've finally made it to the end of CML's Learn and Play. It's been interesting to say the least. I had no idea that there was so much to do on the internet when I started, and there are definitely some that I'll take with me now that it's over.
The exercise that has impacted me the most was the Google Documents one. I have another job where I work partially at the office, partially at home, so having a place where I can save my work and not have to worry about sending it to myself so that I can work it at one place or the other has saved me time and frustration.
I also liked YouTube more than I thought I would. I thought it was mostly a site for people to do crazy things--you can thank the news media for that; it seems like every week there's a story on "you won't believe what I saw on YouTube." But there are really informative and interesting videos on it too. I'll probably check it out a little more once I get the time.
Even the basic act of writing a blog post was something I hadn't done before. I'm wasn't sure if I would like it--I told one of my bosses that I would rather have someone else look at it before I send it out into the world. But then again, this is a forum for my thoughts, so they aren't influenced by what someone else thinks. If nothing else, this has helped me get back into the swing of writing on a semi-regular basis, which is good for a budding writer.
Still, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to continue with this blog. I have high hopes for it, as I do with most of my projects. I tend to think big and usually fail to aspire the greatness I expected. And yet I am usually satisfied with the results. So here it is, the end of an enlightening few weeks and the beginning of real lifelong learning. And with that this is Crafty Katie signing off until next time...
Let no one say I don't have a flair for the dramatic!
Monday, November 10, 2008
MOLDI
The Mid-Ohio Library Digital Initiative is a great resource. If there is a particular title that a customer is looking for that the physical library doesn't have on hand, there is another place to look. I was surprised by how many titles there were. I was a little overwhelmed trying to browse through it all.
After a little while, though, I did think of something to search for and was able to find it. Back in high school, I had purchased a copy of "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux. It didn't really capture my interest once I started reading it, though, so I put it with books that I've already read. Now that I've seen the film (which I absolutely love) I'd like to read it. The only problem is I can't find the book.
There's an audiobook of "The Phantom of the Opera" on MOLDI, so I won't have to purchase another copy or put it on reserve at the library. Plus, even though I love being able to turn the pages of a physical book, I'll be able to listen to the book while doing something else too. Since I don't have a lot of free time and still have a lot of Christmas craft projects to make, this is really appealing.
After a little while, though, I did think of something to search for and was able to find it. Back in high school, I had purchased a copy of "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux. It didn't really capture my interest once I started reading it, though, so I put it with books that I've already read. Now that I've seen the film (which I absolutely love) I'd like to read it. The only problem is I can't find the book.
There's an audiobook of "The Phantom of the Opera" on MOLDI, so I won't have to purchase another copy or put it on reserve at the library. Plus, even though I love being able to turn the pages of a physical book, I'll be able to listen to the book while doing something else too. Since I don't have a lot of free time and still have a lot of Christmas craft projects to make, this is really appealing.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Podcasts
Maybe it's my overachieving nature, or maybe I just really liked this exercise, but I picked two podcasts to write about. The first is a knitting how-to podcast from Cologne, Germany, called "Secret Knitting." I found this podcast interesting because instead of just talking about knitting, the speaker actually gives you instructions on how to knit a particular project. What makes it "secret" is that you don't actually see what you're knitting until you finish it. Not really sure if I like that feature or not. I wouldn't want to waste my time knitting something I wouldn't wear/use or give to someone else...still it's an interesting concept.
The other one I really liked was a quilting one, ironically enough also from Germany, called Driven to Quilt. I like this one for the complete opposite reason than Secret Knitting. When I was in college I studied essays and creative nonfiction and loved it. This podcast reminds me of an audio version of an essay. The speaker kind of rambles on, in the one I listened to she rambles about Christmas, that is very specific to her life, and yet has a universality to it that makes me want to keep listening. I'll have to go back to this one to see if she deals with anything more specifically about quilting in her other posts.
The other one I really liked was a quilting one, ironically enough also from Germany, called Driven to Quilt. I like this one for the complete opposite reason than Secret Knitting. When I was in college I studied essays and creative nonfiction and loved it. This podcast reminds me of an audio version of an essay. The speaker kind of rambles on, in the one I listened to she rambles about Christmas, that is very specific to her life, and yet has a universality to it that makes me want to keep listening. I'll have to go back to this one to see if she deals with anything more specifically about quilting in her other posts.
Monday, November 3, 2008
YouTube
I was looking at my blog the other day and I noticed that I don't have very many of my interests represented in any posts thus far. So when I needed to explore YouTube for Learn and Play, I saw that as an opportunity to show something I love to do.
So I did a search for cross stitching. Granted, cross stitching isn't the most exciting craft for video, but I wanted to see what was out there. After sifting through a whole lot of "how to" videos that just covered the basics, I finally found an interesting one.
This video is from Leisure Arts, a crafting company, and it shows how you can stamp on fabric, then add cross stitching to it. Check out the different leaflets you can buy that use this technique at the end of the video, they're even more interesting than the project they demo.
I keep telling myself that I don't need to pick up any more crafts, but this one just might be worth trying. Who am I kidding, I'll probably try any type of craft at least once...which is why my apartment is filled with supplies and half finished projects!
So I did a search for cross stitching. Granted, cross stitching isn't the most exciting craft for video, but I wanted to see what was out there. After sifting through a whole lot of "how to" videos that just covered the basics, I finally found an interesting one.
This video is from Leisure Arts, a crafting company, and it shows how you can stamp on fabric, then add cross stitching to it. Check out the different leaflets you can buy that use this technique at the end of the video, they're even more interesting than the project they demo.
I keep telling myself that I don't need to pick up any more crafts, but this one just might be worth trying. Who am I kidding, I'll probably try any type of craft at least once...which is why my apartment is filled with supplies and half finished projects!
Monday, October 27, 2008
WorldCat
For the CML toolbox exercise I decided to explore WorldCat. I'd heard of it before, but never spent a large amount of time trying it out. It has some neat features with it, like having a list of libraries that have the item your searching for in order by distance (and even tells you how far that library is). It also links to Amazon.com if you want to purchase the item.
Unfortunately for me, the books I was looking for could only be found at librarys at least 300 miles away, and are out of print, so there aren't even that many options for purchasing them. I also wish there was more information about the books on WorldCat. Then again, these results probably aren't typical since the books I was searching for are very specific and don't have the mass appeal that others might have. I should search for something I know should have more detail to see how it compares.
Unfortunately for me, the books I was looking for could only be found at librarys at least 300 miles away, and are out of print, so there aren't even that many options for purchasing them. I also wish there was more information about the books on WorldCat. Then again, these results probably aren't typical since the books I was searching for are very specific and don't have the mass appeal that others might have. I should search for something I know should have more detail to see how it compares.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Web 2.0 Award site
I've been wanting to create my family tree for awhile now. Mostly, I want to see how far back I can go, but there's always that hope that I'm related to someone famous. So I decided to play on the geni.com site.
It's really easy to use--just click on the arrows to select people you want to add. You can add pictures, video, and all sorts of information to each person's profile. You can even have the site give you birthday reminders. And there's a map where you can show the different areas of the world where your family lives. Most of mine live in the same area, but I can appreciate a tool like this.
It took me awhile to figure out how to add exes into the mix. For a little while I had some relatives that appeared to be married to two people! The site also assumed that my great-grandparents were deceased, which isn't the case (my great-grandmother is still alive). The only other gripe I have about the site is that there isn't a selection for adopted children. Sure, adopted children aren't technically part of my family, but it would be nice to have them in there so they aren't left out.
Another good feature of this site is the share feature. Only you, or members of your family, can view the tree, but you can e-mail relatives the link so they can make changes. That way the tree can grow without a lot of work from one person. Then again, my grandmothers, who would know the most about the family, don't really use the computer much, so I'd probably still have to do it the old fashioned way and just ask.
It's really easy to use--just click on the arrows to select people you want to add. You can add pictures, video, and all sorts of information to each person's profile. You can even have the site give you birthday reminders. And there's a map where you can show the different areas of the world where your family lives. Most of mine live in the same area, but I can appreciate a tool like this.
It took me awhile to figure out how to add exes into the mix. For a little while I had some relatives that appeared to be married to two people! The site also assumed that my great-grandparents were deceased, which isn't the case (my great-grandmother is still alive). The only other gripe I have about the site is that there isn't a selection for adopted children. Sure, adopted children aren't technically part of my family, but it would be nice to have them in there so they aren't left out.
Another good feature of this site is the share feature. Only you, or members of your family, can view the tree, but you can e-mail relatives the link so they can make changes. That way the tree can grow without a lot of work from one person. Then again, my grandmothers, who would know the most about the family, don't really use the computer much, so I'd probably still have to do it the old fashioned way and just ask.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wikis, part 2
Making changes to an actual wiki was easier than I thought. I did have a little trouble with creating a link to my blog, but other than that it was very straightforward and didn't require any html or code that I had to provide.
I edit webpages occasionally for one of my jobs, and there was definitely a learning curve when I opened up Dreamweaver for the first time. I didn't find that with wikis.
I doubt I'll use this info in the future, though. It kind of makes me nervous that someone could get on the wiki and change what I've written, especially when it's my personal opinion. I'm not afraid of that happening on the learn and play wiki, but it's definitely a concern for all the other ones out there.
I edit webpages occasionally for one of my jobs, and there was definitely a learning curve when I opened up Dreamweaver for the first time. I didn't find that with wikis.
I doubt I'll use this info in the future, though. It kind of makes me nervous that someone could get on the wiki and change what I've written, especially when it's my personal opinion. I'm not afraid of that happening on the learn and play wiki, but it's definitely a concern for all the other ones out there.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Google docs
Yet another application that will make my life easier...well, at least for the most part. I have another job (for those of you keeping track, I have three) which is an office-type job where I can work from home about half the time. I'm a little behind the times and don't own a flash drive, so I'm forced to send e-mail attachments every time I want to make changes.
Only yesterday, when I was supposed to go into work, I forgot to e-mail myself the newest attachment. So I couldn't do any work on that particular project unless I wanted to start over.
Luckily, I can now upload my documents to the internet and not e-mail them to myself or print them out. The documents are easy to upload and functions are similar to their Office counterparts.
I only have one gripe about it so far. I uploaded a fairly complex spreadsheet (complex in that some of the words in my headers run vertically, not horizontally) so they don't display properly online. If I can't read the headers, having the document online is kind of pointless. Nevertheless, any application that can make my frantic lifestyle a little less so is okay with me.
Only yesterday, when I was supposed to go into work, I forgot to e-mail myself the newest attachment. So I couldn't do any work on that particular project unless I wanted to start over.
Luckily, I can now upload my documents to the internet and not e-mail them to myself or print them out. The documents are easy to upload and functions are similar to their Office counterparts.
I only have one gripe about it so far. I uploaded a fairly complex spreadsheet (complex in that some of the words in my headers run vertically, not horizontally) so they don't display properly online. If I can't read the headers, having the document online is kind of pointless. Nevertheless, any application that can make my frantic lifestyle a little less so is okay with me.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Playing with wikis
Wikis are another piece of technology I knew nothing about until I started Learn & Play. I have looked on Wikipedia before, but haven't really done much with it, since I didn't like that anyone could edit an entry, whether or not they were "in the know" about a subject. It was good to see there were some wikis that are a little more selective in the people who can make changes.
Seeing different book reviews and synopses were probably the most interesting part of this exercise for me. I generally look at Amazon.com to see if an book is worth checking out or buying. (Even though I do what I want regardless of a few bad reviews). But I've found that some of the reviews aren't very helpful, or relevant for that matter.
Seeing different book reviews and synopses were probably the most interesting part of this exercise for me. I generally look at Amazon.com to see if an book is worth checking out or buying. (Even though I do what I want regardless of a few bad reviews). But I've found that some of the reviews aren't very helpful, or relevant for that matter.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Library 2.0
What does Library 2.0 mean to me? I'm still trying to figure that out. I guess the main purpose is to make librarians aware that technology is ever-changing, and even though some of those changes are fads, we need to be aware of them to better serve our patrons.
It's true what they say, the only thing we can control is ourselves. By being flexible and learning what is out there only helps our credibility as sources for people with questions. If someone walks up to us and asks about Flickr, for instance, and we give them a confused look and ask 'what?' then that person would be less likely to go to us in the future.
That's why I think Learn and Play is so beneficial. A couple of months ago, I had no idea about the different applications and tools that were out there that would make my every day life just a little better, or at least a little more interesting.
It's true what they say, the only thing we can control is ourselves. By being flexible and learning what is out there only helps our credibility as sources for people with questions. If someone walks up to us and asks about Flickr, for instance, and we give them a confused look and ask 'what?' then that person would be less likely to go to us in the future.
That's why I think Learn and Play is so beneficial. A couple of months ago, I had no idea about the different applications and tools that were out there that would make my every day life just a little better, or at least a little more interesting.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Del.icio.us
Where has this internet feature been all my life! I am constantly on the computer for one of my jobs and I occasionally find a site I want to find later. It was a pain to do it before, because I wasn't working on my home computer. Now when I do research for one of my jobs (where I occasionally work from home) I can find all the sites I need no matter where I am.
My bookmark list on my home computer was getting pretty massive when my computer crashed early this year and guess what, I lost all of them because they were just connected with that computer. Before the crash, I tried to organize the bookmarks using folders, but that just made things more complicated in the long run. Tags are soooo much easier.
I'm also writing a novel, at least I was until I got bogged down with life, and there is quite a bit of research involved. Del.icio.us would make that research a lot easier because I could weed out the less than helpful sites without much effort. The research is something I really need the internet to do since there aren't many current books on the subject, but I was afraid to use the internet before (except for online journals) because I've been taught to be weary of internet sources.
I can't wait to play around with del.icio.us at home (and get rid of that pesky bookmarked list)!
My bookmark list on my home computer was getting pretty massive when my computer crashed early this year and guess what, I lost all of them because they were just connected with that computer. Before the crash, I tried to organize the bookmarks using folders, but that just made things more complicated in the long run. Tags are soooo much easier.
I'm also writing a novel, at least I was until I got bogged down with life, and there is quite a bit of research involved. Del.icio.us would make that research a lot easier because I could weed out the less than helpful sites without much effort. The research is something I really need the internet to do since there aren't many current books on the subject, but I was afraid to use the internet before (except for online journals) because I've been taught to be weary of internet sources.
I can't wait to play around with del.icio.us at home (and get rid of that pesky bookmarked list)!
Friday, October 3, 2008
I'm a little conflicted about Twitter. On the one hand, I like the idea of posting a short amount of information at a time. I'm pretty busy, so even though I want to post more on my blog, I just don't seem to have the time. Twitter would give me a chance to say what I want to say without having to come up with something more substantial than a sentence.
Although, I tend to be pretty wordy, so keeping posts to under 140 characters might be hard for me. Plus, I don't really think my life is that interesting that someone would want to read about it. For instance, one of my tweets was about getting double my discount at the retail store where I work. I'm not sure anyone would really care about that.
I did find a couple of accounts that interest me. I started following the TwitterLit one because I like the concept. I'm always looking for interesting books and this is a way for me to get an idea of what I might like without having to physically pick up a book and read the synopsis on the back. You can tell a lot about a book by its first sentence.
The other one I found was a crafting magazine. If there's one thing I look for more than new books to read it's new crafts to try. The tweets for this one have links for instructions on craft projects that seem really cool.
Bottom line: jury's still out on this one. I need to fiddle around a little more to decide if I like it or not. If you want to follow my Twitter page, it's under craftykatie32.
Although, I tend to be pretty wordy, so keeping posts to under 140 characters might be hard for me. Plus, I don't really think my life is that interesting that someone would want to read about it. For instance, one of my tweets was about getting double my discount at the retail store where I work. I'm not sure anyone would really care about that.
I did find a couple of accounts that interest me. I started following the TwitterLit one because I like the concept. I'm always looking for interesting books and this is a way for me to get an idea of what I might like without having to physically pick up a book and read the synopsis on the back. You can tell a lot about a book by its first sentence.
The other one I found was a crafting magazine. If there's one thing I look for more than new books to read it's new crafts to try. The tweets for this one have links for instructions on craft projects that seem really cool.
Bottom line: jury's still out on this one. I need to fiddle around a little more to decide if I like it or not. If you want to follow my Twitter page, it's under craftykatie32.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ode to LibraryThing
This is by far my favorite part of learn and play so far. I love to organize, so being able to catalog my books, as well as my thoughts about them, online is great.
It's also been the easiest "thing" for me. I can't wait to add the rest of my library and see what other people think about the books I'm reading.
My friends are talking about starting a book club but we're a little too busy right now to do it the traditional way. This would be a good forum to do that without having to connect everyone's schedules.
This is definitely something I'll continue with after Learn and Play is over.
It's also been the easiest "thing" for me. I can't wait to add the rest of my library and see what other people think about the books I'm reading.
My friends are talking about starting a book club but we're a little too busy right now to do it the traditional way. This would be a good forum to do that without having to connect everyone's schedules.
This is definitely something I'll continue with after Learn and Play is over.
Image generators
This task was a little harder for me than the other ones. Did I have trouble finding the right picture? No. There were lots of them that I wanted to play with. I had trouble thinking of what to change in the picture.
When I was in school, I had no trouble coming up with clever things to say. But now the words fail me when I need them.
Complaining about the price of gas isn't really something I wanted to do, and not to pick on Disneyland at all, it just seemed to fit. I live in the eastern U.S., so if I drove to Disneyland, regardless of what the price of gas is, it would amount to a lot of money.
Anyways, I enjoyed this part of Learn and Play. I think I'll play with image generators more when I'm feeling a little more witty.
If you'd like to make changes to the Disneyland sign, here's where I found it.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Finding RSS feeds
Again, the hardest part of this exercise was thinking of something to search for. As with any type of search, I found that the more specific I was, the better results I got. Since they were mainly keyword searches, I got all results where the term was used at least once, and they may or may not have had anything to do with the posts.
I did like the feature on topix.net that lets you search by zip code. I live in a small town with a weekly newspaper, and we only make the television news if something shocking or catastrophic happens, so it was nice to be able to get information as it happened. That said, the most recent post I found about my town was from the end of August, so I guess my town isn't even interesting enough for the Web.
I did like the feature on topix.net that lets you search by zip code. I live in a small town with a weekly newspaper, and we only make the television news if something shocking or catastrophic happens, so it was nice to be able to get information as it happened. That said, the most recent post I found about my town was from the end of August, so I guess my town isn't even interesting enough for the Web.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
RSS Feeds
Okay, so the RSS feeds part of CML's Learn and Play was a little tough for me. But not necessarily because it was confusing--more so because I didn't have very many blogs to get feeds for. I don't usually read blogs in my spare time, so other than a few news-related blogs I had no idea where to look. Luckily Bloglines has some to choose from when you sign up.
I do like the idea of having all your news/information sites in one place and automatically tell you when they are updated. It's really frustrating when you go to a page expecting something to have been changed and it hasn't.
I do like the idea of having all your news/information sites in one place and automatically tell you when they are updated. It's really frustrating when you go to a page expecting something to have been changed and it hasn't.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Technology: Love it or hate it
For the most part, I'm a big fan of technology. Sure there are learning curves, and sometimes a few bugs to work out, but overall I think it can make life easier. That being said, I've been having a love-hate relationship with technology lately.
I work at a retail store in addition to the library, and we just upgraded our computers which were supposed to make our lives easier, and for the most part it does. But it tends to fail at the most inopportune times. For example, I have a little handheld computer that tells me where items go, how much they cost, and how many we are supposed to have. However, if I leave it idle for too long it knocks me off the system and I have to start over. Awhile ago I was trying to make a lot of shelf labels (18 pages worth) and I got called up to the register, which left the computer idle for too long, knocking me off the system, which made me have to start over!
Luckily, CML's Learn and Play program hasn't given me such headaches. The only problem I've had so far is coming up with the time to do it, especially after the Labor Day holiday.
I work at a retail store in addition to the library, and we just upgraded our computers which were supposed to make our lives easier, and for the most part it does. But it tends to fail at the most inopportune times. For example, I have a little handheld computer that tells me where items go, how much they cost, and how many we are supposed to have. However, if I leave it idle for too long it knocks me off the system and I have to start over. Awhile ago I was trying to make a lot of shelf labels (18 pages worth) and I got called up to the register, which left the computer idle for too long, knocking me off the system, which made me have to start over!
Luckily, CML's Learn and Play program hasn't given me such headaches. The only problem I've had so far is coming up with the time to do it, especially after the Labor Day holiday.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Flickr Exploration part 2
Today I started looking at the third party sites that use Flickr images and found one that really caught my attention. I love to travel, so when I saw Trip Planner by Yahoo I had to check it out. There's lots of cool features like plotting out your next trip and opening up your plans so others can comment on them. You can also view what other people have done when they travelled. There's lots of pictures and even a virtual map where you can mark places you've been and places you hope to go. It's a really cool site and worth checking out when you need to plan your next trip.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Flickr Exploration
I had no idea there were so many different pictures out there. I was a little overwhelmed at what picture to blog about while I was exploring Flickr, so I just kept clicking on the random button for posts in the last seven days. Then I found this one. I love the beach, but I've never seen a picture like this one. It makes me think of the saying about seeing the world through rose colored glasses. There are times when I'm wearing my sunglasses that I almost forget I have them on and think the world around me is darker than it actually is. It's a great perspective photograph.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
What in the world is a commonplace book?
If memory of my English Literature from 1660-1900 class is correct, a commonplace book was created back at the time when coffee houses were first starting to become popular. The books were a place for people to write down their favorite quotes and observations so they can share them with others. I had to keep one for several of my college courses and have continued the practice since.
While thinking about what I want to accomplish with this blog I thought this would be a perfect forum for a commonplace book. To that end, I will most likely be posting about my observations of the world around me, as well as my favorite quotes and information about what I'm currently reading.
While thinking about what I want to accomplish with this blog I thought this would be a perfect forum for a commonplace book. To that end, I will most likely be posting about my observations of the world around me, as well as my favorite quotes and information about what I'm currently reading.
Monday, August 18, 2008
7 and 1/2 lifelong learning habits
This is my first attempt at blogging, although I've had to look up blogs in the past for a previous job. Now that I'm trying to write a blog myself, I'm finding that it's hard to come up with things to say. Nevertheless, I'm glad CML is giving employees like me a structured way of learning this new technology.
I've always considered myself to be a lifelong learner, especially when it comes to computers. There have been many times in my life where I've had to learn a new computer program with little or no outside guidance. I suppose accepting responsibility for my own learning is my strong suit, but with one minor exception--I have trouble asking for help when I need it. But then again, it's a fundamental part of my learning to try to figure things out on my own, so maybe it's not really an issue.
That being said, I think the hardest part of the learning process will be teaching or mentoring others. In the past I've tried helping people with computer software and I find that I can get frustrated if s/he isn't catching on to what I'm saying. This is especially a problem when I find something particularly easy to figure out. I understand that people learn at their own pace and computer skills don't come easy to everyone.
I've always considered myself to be a lifelong learner, especially when it comes to computers. There have been many times in my life where I've had to learn a new computer program with little or no outside guidance. I suppose accepting responsibility for my own learning is my strong suit, but with one minor exception--I have trouble asking for help when I need it. But then again, it's a fundamental part of my learning to try to figure things out on my own, so maybe it's not really an issue.
That being said, I think the hardest part of the learning process will be teaching or mentoring others. In the past I've tried helping people with computer software and I find that I can get frustrated if s/he isn't catching on to what I'm saying. This is especially a problem when I find something particularly easy to figure out. I understand that people learn at their own pace and computer skills don't come easy to everyone.
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