Thing 28: More on Virtual Reality

I recently watched a video conference offered by Minitex entitled "Library Trends, Fads, or Folly." While it didn't actually discuss anything that one could define as folly, it did get extensively into Second Life and how libraries could play a role in their patrons' use of virtual reality.

What about kids? Is there virtual reality for kids? It turns out there is. One such example is called Whyville. While it's a bit primitive in appearance, it could be an introduction to a virtual world that kids will probably be using as commonly as we use the Internet today. The kids of today will--if not forgo brick and mortar education--undoubtedly supplement it with classes in virtual reality. Will it happen in twenty years? Ten? Five? Well, universities today are already offering courses via virtual reality. Have you signed up for one yet?

Thing 27: Another Look at Information Literacy

Thing 26: Shared Resources with a Catch

Quia is a site that offers several free samples of lesson activities from a wide variety of curricula. After that it charges. Is it worth the cost? Explore it to come to your own conclusions.

Thing 25: Web 2.0-Like Resources

I've been accumulating resources in my quest to enrich the available activities for others. Whether they all constitute Web 2.0 applications may be up for debate. Still I've included them for general reference. My list includes examples of simulations, interactive sites, video sites, games, and virtual reality. A few items overlap from my previous entries.

My list also includes several essays about the issues surrounding using these relatively new kinds of applications and about how to best use them for educational purposes.

It's messy. It's disorganized. But it's also full of useful stuff. Check out my list.

Thing 24: Smarty Pig

Not to be confused with Smartypig.org, Smarty Pig is another Web 2.0 social networking site that has a financial purpose: You can set up a savings account and invite others to contribute to it. They can then check up on your progress to determine how well you're achieving your financial goals. A question: Wasn't the Me-Generation back in the '70s?

Another question: Can you say tech-narcissism?

Setting up an account is not as easy as what is required by other sites. Check this link to find the detailed personal information this site requires. Related to the question of setting up such an account is an increasing number of stories about the inherent risks of social networking sites, including identity theft. Check out this site for a discussion of social networking sites and identity theft.

Others: Can Social Networking Cause Identity Theft?
Defenses Lacking at Social Network Sites

Thing 23: Some Thoughts before Moving On

At this point, it appears as though discovering Web 2.0--and whatever follows it--is going to be a life-long process. Just as high school graduation is a commencement--a beginning--my experience is my introduction to the rapidly growing and increasingly important online world of collaboration, sharing, and creating, a world characterized by a bottom-up flow of information, a decentralized dissemination of information, and information as interaction. It's complex and messy and chaotic and fundamentally different from the traditional Dewey approach to clear, orderly taxonomies for finding, storing, and even determining what qualifies as information. We're not in Kansas any more.

Thing 22: What Did I Learn Today?

How do I plan to keep up to date on the ever-changing world of Web 2.0? And what would I recommend?

I've attempted to archive my personal favorites on my own blog for reference.

Web 2.0 is the subject of much discussion on YouTube, in T.H.E. Journal, EdTech, and other sources, and I plan to attempt to keep up with trends as they apply to libraries and schools. (See my links.)

I hope this isn't too obvious, I plan to use and to teach many of the online applications, especially those relevant to classroom collaboration and the sharing of ideas, presentations, and information.

Both MEMO and TIES conferences will undoubtedly have workshops on the latest trends in Web 2.0. I hope to get in on those as well.

I would simply recommend all of these options, depending upon available resources. I would also recommend using the Web 2.0 tools for keeping up with Web 2.0, such as the readers, the personalized homepages, the blogs, the alerts and tags, and the social networking tools. And I would strongly recommend that there be a next time--perhaps a Web 3.0--in the not-too-distant future.

I would also recommend taking a break from Web 2.0 to go outside and dig in the garden, to go for a jog or a bike ride, and to rest your eyes from the omnipresent blue glare of the computer screen. Take a break and reflect. Take a break to digest. Do your laundry. Catch up on your children's literature. Then get back to it. Technology waits for no one. . . .

Reference:

1. Webinars


2. Web Junction


3. Life Hacker


4. 43 Folders


5. LibraryBytes

Thing 21: Other Social Networks

Reference:

• Gather


• Minnesota Life


• Web Junction


• Ning


• 23 Things on a Stick Ning

When I read the article entitled "Building a Social Networking Environment at the Library," (after failing to access MySpace for Books) I began to wonder whether a little moderation might be in order. True, libraries are seen as stodgy institutions slow to change. But maybe there's value in taking it slow. Will, for example, the emphasis on technology to build "community" distract the library from its traditional mission? Given limited resources, will any other priorities receive short shrift? Will such activities leave out a segment of patrons who are not crazy about going online, creating profiles, and making friends, but who just want to read books? There's a certain "keeping up with the Jones" in thrusting libraries into the MySpace world--a world dominated by self to the point of narcissism, by the trivialization of community and communication, and by--via unnaturally created friendships--the distortion of reality and its associated risks. That libraries want to seem hip and relevant is understandable, yes. But has anyone stood back and reflected on this trend? Any critics? Playing Devil's Advocate, if nothing else, demands at least a temporary shift in thinking and perspective.

Gather is a huge departure from the MySpace mentality and could be an interesting place to visit from time to time. It's serious and informative. I'm not so sure about Ning; it could easily become another MySpace--given enough time and exposure to a larger audience.

Classroom 2.0 could be a good resource for keeping up with Web 2.0 applications.

The Teacher Librarian Ning might be worth visiting for getting ideas and support from fellow colleagues.

43 Things strikes me as an exercise in self-involvement. I would be embarrassed to expect others to share in my goals or to even care about them. This sort of activity is too self-indulgent from my perspective.

Nings and other social networks that provide information and thoughtful commentary appeal to me. Most of the resources I have listed above have tremendous potential as alternative means for gaining new insights and perspectives. On top of all the other ways to access and share information, the burden of information overload is a distinct possibility, however. Perhaps setting aside an hour a week to review these sites would be sufficient.

Thing 20: Libraries & Social Networks

Reference:

• Common Craft


• 12 Ways to Use Facebook Professionally


• 7 Things You Should Know about Facebook

Tutorial

Before I started this "Thing," I was not a big fan of creating online friendships through MySpace or Facebook. Given their bad publicity and potential as "time stealers," I can understand parents' anxiety over having their kids use this kind of application. After the experience, my attitude remains in limbo: MyDistrict blocks MySpace and Facebook. I will return after trying this "Thing" free from the bonds of filter-ship. I have returned. After creating an account with Facebook, I found the entire process to be easy and straightforward, and I could envision relying on the networks for connecting with people with common interests, especially those who could also serve as resources. I also noticed that some people use it as a means for distributing surveys or studies, which raises interesting possibilities for research. But given the choice, I doubt that I will be returning to this application. Blame it on being born too early.

As for MySpace, it's a bit rougher around the edges and has something of a "dangerous" feel. Some postings are obscene and disturbing. Now I understand the desire to block it. I did visit the Denver Library on MySpace and would be curious to know whether its attempts to appeal to teens are successful. My guess is that visiting a library would be one of the last things teens would want to do on MySpace. While the Hennepin County Library example looks less professional, it also creates a friendly impression--perhaps worth revisiting. I also noticed that Meg Cabot had a page of her own, which is an interesting, personalized way to get to know an author, although the blatant self-promotion was either obnoxious or informative--depending upon your perspective. (Is it free advertising?) From this and other examples, though, it strikes me that there's a connection between the number of friends one has and the nature of the photographs posted. I'm still not a big fan, but at least now I can speak to these online applications without complete ignorance.

Thing 19: Podcasts

Before exploring this "Thing," in the interest of full-disclosure, I have played with podcasts to some extent, including downloading Audacity and creating a couple brief examples to promote books. Although podcasts are easy to make (with lots of free support materials on the Web) my impression of them is that they are a transitional online tool. Given the heavy saturation of graphics on the Web--and even in these "Things"--I think today's students will become bored with the audio-only character of most podcasts, preferring to rely on video or animation instead. Podcasts can still serve a powerful role in learning, however. Information or lectures can be downloaded and listened to while a person is out for a walk or doing something else that doesn't require concentration; podcasts can also be a resource for the visually impaired and others, such as students who are unable to attend a presentation or discussion.

Reference:

• Gcast


• School Media Podcast


• Minnesota Podcast Directory


• Podcast


• Podcastalley


• Educational Podcast Network
  

* * *

Visit my podcast.

See my list of podcast resources.

To explore podcasts, I visited the Education Podcast Network and was impressed by the sheer volume of podcasts, categorized by grade level and subject. I began by going to the elementary grades, then to the subject specific podcasts involving computer/tech skills. The Digital Media Dude Daily Tip podcast was my first selection: It required downloading an 18.5 MB file, which took a bit of time. Then when I tried to open it with the Windows Media player, I found out the M4V file was not playable. Response: Aaaaaaaauuuuuugggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! What are these M4V files? What happened to MP3? How are people playing them? I tried my Yahoo! media player, with the same result. Now, I can hear everyone shouting, "Use iTunes, dummy!" Well, I don't have it on this computer, at least not for another 40 minutes until it's done downloading. One thing about these "Things": They require downloads, sometimes a lot of downloads. Time-consuming downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (indicating a long wait) . . . . . . . . . . . . . (I go do laundry) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Now with iTunes on my desktop, I continued perusing through podcast titles, only to find that many of them simply don't have podcasts, or they're unavailable. Finally, I found one from Poem Present: Finally, it worked--and without iTunes. It played through the player on Mozilla Foxfire. So the waiting was for not. At least now I have iTunes, Windows Media Player, and Yahoo! Music Jukebox.

Bottom line: Podcasts offer a means for accessing insights, ideas, perspectives that can serve to enrich a person's life. Librarians have a responsibility to share information about the opportunities of this format with their patrons.

Beneath the bottom line: Podcasts offer students a chance to collaborate, organize, and present their ideas in this nontraditional format. Here's a quote from the directory: "RADIO ON THE EDGE - Edgewood's Podcasting Station: Students at Edgewood are learning how to create podcasts in order to share information about exciting things students are learning at Edgewood. Stay tuned for new episodes each month." An experience such as this could help improve student motivation and attitude toward learning. Of the many claims made by technologists, this one I tend to believe.