Summary-23 things

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

I am writing and posting blogs,viewing YouTube videos, receiving RSS feeds daily, downloading audio files and inserting photographs into my blog.
I don't have a favorite but I find myself spending time searching YouTube lately.(Maybe too much time).

How has the program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

It has been a dynamic,stretching experience,and a beneficial preparation in attaining new technological knowledge and skills and in keeping up with the changing times.

Were there any take aways or unexpected outcomes from the program that surprised you?

I was happy to learn these new skills and this program was a gadfly enabling me to do so.

What could we do differently to improve upon this program's format or concept?

Perhaps it would be a little easier to do if the program was stretched over an 11 week period instead of 9 weeks, allocating two learning sessions per week instead of the sometimes, three exercises that had been assigned.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future would you again chose to participate?

Yes, it has been an enlightening, interesting program. I never knew what to expect to learn and I looked forward to each week's exercise. At times, I did "struggle" through and felt a little overwhelmed. However, I would like to have more of these discovery programs in the near future and would be willing to continue the effort to learn more and participate in them. It was well worth all the work and very much appreciated!
Thank you 23 Things Team. You did a great job.

Audio books and the Digital Collection

I am now listening to an audio of "The Magic Years", a biography of Steve Martin's youthful years that I just downloaded from the audio collection.
I can't listen to this audio book while I walk, which I prefer to do because I don't have an MP3 player. So, instead, I am tied down to my computer. sitting here wishing I could get away from being pinned to this spot.
This biography is told through the memory and eyes of his best friend. Steve Martin is a funny guy and must have been wonderful to have as a comrade. Think of all those laughs they must have had.
When his teacher asked the question " Class, what happened 434 years ago? I shall leave the room now. When I return I would like to have the answer to my question".Steve, in her absence, organized the whole class to sing "Happy Birthday" when she opened the classroom door.
I still like to listen to audio tapes best and miss them,
(very few of them in the library these days and I like them better than compact discs) but that's me...However, since I am forced through technological innovation and planned obsolescence... I will finally have to purchase an MP3 player to download an audio book (Unfortunately, I can't use my IPod to download) .
Makes me wonder what new invention is coming next? My new mantra: "Gotta Keep Up!"

Podcasts

http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/podcasts/mp3/arraras.mp3

The above link is a podcast from the Library of Congress Book Festival. This is only one of many podcast choices that can be found on the internet.
There are a variety of topics and many podcasts to choose from.
Google is a good searching tool for podcasts.
I used NPR podcast Directory and searched for book reviews. I then subscribed to a book podcast that interested me:
Alan Farley talks with authors about their work and their lives, with their latest book as the starting point.
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510047

YouTube

I selected videos by entering my term in the search box. Among many homemade and amateurish videos (they were fun to see too), there were were some "gems" that I liked:
Home movies that were converted to the YouTube format. Some of those films were at least forty years old. I viewed videos of Brooklyn and my old neighborhood. It was a delightful and nostalgic experience.
When I searched for poets, I discovered a wide variety of poetry readings. For example: A cowboy poet, who read his poem to grazing horses while music played harmoniously in the background.
I didn't finish viewing the dreary, garbled poetry readings though, (too painful) however, I did find a few Poet Laureates reading their poetry and that was wonderful to listen to and see.

"Can you see any features or components of YouTube that might be useful if placed on the PBCLS web site?"

Yes, I think it could work well for employee training, patron instruction, general communication, etc., if the quality of these broadcasts do not take the "Big Brother is Watching You," direction and be properly and tastefully used for our employees as well as our patrons.
I selected this video as an example to illustrate a training film that is used in libraries: Not especially selecting or rating it one way or the other..
(this film is over 20 minutes long).

Google Docs, & StumbleUpon,Pandora (Web 2.0)

Today I wrote a poem in Google Docs; then sent it to other poets to add their poetry:

Something
This is something
Isn't it?
What is something?
well, it's this.
Some thing(s) cannot
be put into words.

Lorrainebow 6/08

Words are something too.
They should not be ignored.
If you use a word like something,
it might be confused as something else,
but it's not.
Being something is sure better than
not being anything.

Mitchell Liebowitz 6/08

Something
Something is not "nothing"
It is an "I don't know what"
An I don't know what it is
It is a "je ne sais quoi"
It is a what, a which and a who
Or even a why
But it is there and you believe in it
because it is a something that is ultra special.

Amusetta 6/2008

I sent the poem that I wrote to other poets who collaborated with me by adding their poem to mine.
I was able to accomplish this by using Google Docs and inviting others to edit my poem..

How can Google Docs be used in a library setting?
Students can possibly collaborate with their research assignments.
Any document that needs comment or multiple input can utilize this tool.
Bookmarking:
StumbleUpon won second place in the bookmarking awards category.
It is a "surfer!" With this tool, it is possible to serendipitiously
stumble upon all sorts wonderful, interesting things according to your own preference. There are great photographs, essays, politics, etc. that appear on your screen.
When you click on "I like it" (thumbs up) or the other "I don't like it" (thumbs down) Stumble generates more or less. By clicking thumbs up,you can increase the information flow in that particular subject.
It is neat and cool and fun. You can bookmark what you need or want to see again. Another feature is that you can email these sites to friends and share..
Pandora- Won second place in the music awards category: I love Pandora Music. Romantic Piano music is my peaceful,pleasant, background music when I explore StumbleUpon. Try it!
F.Y.I. &
P.S.
(I made some minor corrections, but didn't go back to Google Docs after I sent this poem et al. to this blog. to correct). They are still in this post. If you see them, and it is bothersome, please let me know through comments & I will change.. Thank you.

First time ZoHo writer Web 2.0

I am writing this paragraph on ZoHo writer for the first time. I have just switched to the 10 point from 14 point Verdana. I would like to switch to Courier new. I am now typing in Courier new 10 pt.I wil create a heading, but first will switch to arial black:

Heading 1

I was automatically switched back to Verdana -10 point. The screen is moving up and down.
I would like to underline the Heading 1: I will do so:
The next sentence will be italicized. This is an italized sentence.

I just saved -oops, i'm still italized and the screen is (and I don't know where this bold lettering came from) moving ,moving and not steady. (could be the thunderstorm that is happening now)
I'm getting dizzy..I guess I should switch to offline but since this is a brief paragraph, I will stay.
But switched to Courier 12 pt... Yay! The screen stopped moving up and down. My comment about ZoHo writer is
it is a good tool. One would have to master it and feel free to write with it and be comfortable to know that hackers cannot get at it, read your writings or alter them. I think it could be very useful to a student who needs to write papers and actually anyone else. It is a good tool.Thumbs up!

PBCLS Wikis

I tried to post onto the pbcls wiki, I think I did, but instead, I know that I botched someone's posting."My favorite TV show,"The Honeymooners". I'll apologize here.Sorry.
I thought that I was being creative by adding an image. A large purple flower splashed itself on the page. Then my experimental quotation marks that I thought too was necessary, landed itself haphazzardly onto the accidental,irrelevant flower image and appeared onto the petal of the accidental flower. I attempted to take the flower off that page but couldn't.(no mentor around) Then, while searching for some way to write or send a message or create a tab I think I again botched another page.
I long since stopped bursting into tears of frustration, so instead, went to the refrigerator, found some grapes and wondered if there was a refrigerator wiki community and if would be interesting to read.
I can now truly appreciate the work, effort and cooperation involved in producing a Wikipedia.