Wow. Browsing through the awesomeness that is this thing led me to a note of college longing. If only I were still in college I could REALLY use these awesome tools! I was a total procrastinator in college, or at least, I never felt 'on schedule.' These assignment 'calculators' not only would keep me on track, but would help me not freak out and worry that I was behind or that I was forgetting something important. Many individuals that I know would jump at a chance to use these tools, but they are just as unaware as I was!
It would be such a great tool for both students and teachers, I can't see myself NOT recommending it to someone in need of assistance. Not only does it provide an outline, it has numerous links that go into detail on each step! With this tool I can help those who are unfamiliar with basic parts that go into a project/paper/etc... More importantly, these tools allow people to help themselves! As a person that used to tutor, it was really frustrating to help people that didn't even know where to start. They would look at me as if I knew all the answers, and it was hard to tell them that I couldn't 'make everything all better.' With these tools, I don't catch fish for them, I really teach them how to haul in the fish by the armload. And the smell of fish has never been so sweet.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
1/3 Life- Thing 15
There are tons and tons of online virtual games. I'd heard of Second Life in passing, but didn't really know all that much about it. There are soooo many online games that they all tend to jumble in my head. And to be honest, the more I found out about Second Life the more scared I got. It seems to me that these sorts of sites can slowly take over a person's life and render them socially awkward. (Or, in many of their cases, MORE socially awkward) I'm not saying that it looks terrible, it doesn't. However, it does pretty much sound like a simulation of the real world (with flying). In that case, doesn't it make more sense to simply LIVE your own life? I'm trying to look at it objectively, but at least in most online games there is a point/storyline/something. Second Life not only seems like a waste of time, it seems to be encouraging the exact opposite of what people should be doing. LIVING. A poor replacement isn't in my opinion 'fun,' its freaky weird.
Booking it up! -Thing 14
Well, setting up an account was incredibly easy and it was tons of fun browsing through all the books. Some of the books I chose were very popular. (Who doesn't love Harry Potter?) Others were a bit more obscure (Caught Stealing, an awesome book full of intrigue and broken kneecaps), but it was way interesting to see how many other people were interested in what I was. I enjoyed paging through the reviews, but I don't know how applicable this is for the library. It may be fun to encourage patrons to join up and explore, perhaps even have a class on it, but I'm not certain that it is easily applicable. Perhaps librarians could use it to help answer patrons questions. How popular is the book? Where else can I find reviews on it? Hmmm... this may require more consideration.
But, while I'm considering- Feel free to glance at my 'shelves.'
Miss Sticky's Library
But, while I'm considering- Feel free to glance at my 'shelves.'
Miss Sticky's Library
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The Homepage Makeover- Thing 13
My roommate is an individual that LOVES her homepage. She has it set perfectly to her preferences, and spends at least some time on it everyday. There she manages a calendar, creates lists, checks whats going to be on television that night, and sends herself reminders for all sorts of things.
My own homepage (MyYahoo!) has never gotten much time from me. I'd occasionally set it for this or that, but in the end it usually ended up neglected and ridiculously outdated. So, for this Thing I went ahead and tried to really get to know my page. I don't think I'll ever be good at the whole 'calendar' thing. My life tends to be unorganized to a certain point, and now that I'm out of school- I see no reason to force myself to write down the few appointments I have or the work schedule that rarely changes. It was actually a lot of fun to set a background, and go through all the different modules that I could add. In fact, I think I'll actually set it as my 'homepage' on my personal computer. Once I really took the time to spiffy it up, it had a lot of things on it that I'd like to see daily. Sort of like that room you have in your basement that is old, grungy, and no one wants to use. Once it gets a good cleaning, a new coat of paint, and some decoration- it's the hippest place in the house!
So too has MyYahoo! page become something that makes me grin! At home or even at the workplace I could see myself using it to get a quick look at something important (the weather or what movies are showing at the local theater). Do I think that it will become the most indispensable thing I use online, probably not. However, will I use it more often now that I know more about it? Heck yes!
My own homepage (MyYahoo!) has never gotten much time from me. I'd occasionally set it for this or that, but in the end it usually ended up neglected and ridiculously outdated. So, for this Thing I went ahead and tried to really get to know my page. I don't think I'll ever be good at the whole 'calendar' thing. My life tends to be unorganized to a certain point, and now that I'm out of school- I see no reason to force myself to write down the few appointments I have or the work schedule that rarely changes. It was actually a lot of fun to set a background, and go through all the different modules that I could add. In fact, I think I'll actually set it as my 'homepage' on my personal computer. Once I really took the time to spiffy it up, it had a lot of things on it that I'd like to see daily. Sort of like that room you have in your basement that is old, grungy, and no one wants to use. Once it gets a good cleaning, a new coat of paint, and some decoration- it's the hippest place in the house!
So too has MyYahoo! page become something that makes me grin! At home or even at the workplace I could see myself using it to get a quick look at something important (the weather or what movies are showing at the local theater). Do I think that it will become the most indispensable thing I use online, probably not. However, will I use it more often now that I know more about it? Heck yes!
Digging my way into a hole- (Thing 12)
Hmmmm... I would never call myself a 'news' person. Do I watch it if it's on? Well, until they give the weather forecast. Or if they're making something delicious or talking about spring fashions I'll tune in. To be honest, news tends to be a bit repetitive and dull to me. You can only watch them report on the same things OVER and OVER again for so long.
However, what I really like about Digg and other social media sites is that they have a HUGE variety of articles, and a lot of them are ones that aren't seen on other sites. They're the most popular, the oddest, the ones that more reputable sites may simply 'pass' over. When looking at them, I was struck by the massive variety of subjects that were covered. Everything from the humorous to the serious was a click away. Because of the variety, I could see myself glancing at it from time to time for a look at what is going on in the world. Not only that, but because a person can recommend/share/etc an article, the reader has an idea of how many other people have read it and found it helpful. I also LOVE the idea that if I read an article and love it, I can post it to Facebook for my friends to see.
I'm not sure how helpful a site like this would be for a library. While they are entertaining, I for one ran across a few articles that seemed a bit 'R' rated. While for me, I simply blushed and clicked back (Miss Sticky, what are you looking at!), the adult nature makes it less than friendly for a library environment. We cannot police what goes onto these sorts of sites, and if we endorse them openly, there is a chance that children could run across inappropriate articles. So, while I personally think these sites are a fun and fascinating look at internet/news/pop culture, I am less than eager to recommend its use in a professional environment.
However, what I really like about Digg and other social media sites is that they have a HUGE variety of articles, and a lot of them are ones that aren't seen on other sites. They're the most popular, the oddest, the ones that more reputable sites may simply 'pass' over. When looking at them, I was struck by the massive variety of subjects that were covered. Everything from the humorous to the serious was a click away. Because of the variety, I could see myself glancing at it from time to time for a look at what is going on in the world. Not only that, but because a person can recommend/share/etc an article, the reader has an idea of how many other people have read it and found it helpful. I also LOVE the idea that if I read an article and love it, I can post it to Facebook for my friends to see.
I'm not sure how helpful a site like this would be for a library. While they are entertaining, I for one ran across a few articles that seemed a bit 'R' rated. While for me, I simply blushed and clicked back (Miss Sticky, what are you looking at!), the adult nature makes it less than friendly for a library environment. We cannot police what goes onto these sorts of sites, and if we endorse them openly, there is a chance that children could run across inappropriate articles. So, while I personally think these sites are a fun and fascinating look at internet/news/pop culture, I am less than eager to recommend its use in a professional environment.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tagalicious- Thing 11
Tag, YOUR IT!!! Naw, I'm just joking. I wont be discussing the most awesome game that many of us indulged in while still children. (And some of us even later...cause honestly, who can resist?) Instead, I'll be delving into the deep dark world of Tagging and Del.icio.us.
Tagging. It's something that you (or in this case, I) see everywhere. Miss Sticky reads a blog, and there are many small highlighted words at the bottom. Some make sense, some do not. If she clicks on one, it'll take her to a new and exciting world...or something. Before this I never really understood tagging to be quite honest. It was something that was done and I'd be all like, "Well, that's cool....what's the point?" So, I can say now that I feel much more 'aware' of the benefits that can be had through tagging. In fact, I have started to tag on my own blog. If anything, it will help me be more aware of what is going on.
Del.icio.us is like a way to 'super awesome book mark.' I can see a lot of positives from using the service. I have (multiple times) been up late at night found an amazing website! I'll bookmark it on my computer, but who knows- the next time I want to look at it ...I may be somewhere else! This would give me the opportunity to really track down and organize my favorite internet sites. But for research, I can honestly say that I can see how this would be extremely helpful for students who are doing TONS of research. Through this site they can organize and do more research. Not only that, but when I was still a student, I sometimes had to print out an article or try and jot down tons of info because I wasn't certain if I could find the site again. Through Del.icio.us, a student can save paper and still have their research materials close at hand!
Bravo!
Tagging. It's something that you (or in this case, I) see everywhere. Miss Sticky reads a blog, and there are many small highlighted words at the bottom. Some make sense, some do not. If she clicks on one, it'll take her to a new and exciting world...or something. Before this I never really understood tagging to be quite honest. It was something that was done and I'd be all like, "Well, that's cool....what's the point?" So, I can say now that I feel much more 'aware' of the benefits that can be had through tagging. In fact, I have started to tag on my own blog. If anything, it will help me be more aware of what is going on.
Del.icio.us is like a way to 'super awesome book mark.' I can see a lot of positives from using the service. I have (multiple times) been up late at night found an amazing website! I'll bookmark it on my computer, but who knows- the next time I want to look at it ...I may be somewhere else! This would give me the opportunity to really track down and organize my favorite internet sites. But for research, I can honestly say that I can see how this would be extremely helpful for students who are doing TONS of research. Through this site they can organize and do more research. Not only that, but when I was still a student, I sometimes had to print out an article or try and jot down tons of info because I wasn't certain if I could find the site again. Through Del.icio.us, a student can save paper and still have their research materials close at hand!
Bravo!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Wikis (AKA- Can I use this as a source in my paper?) Thing 10
Wikis started to become really big when I was just starting college. (I'll let you guess which year....) At first, I didn't really pay attention to them or give them much credit. Most people (at least my age) have heard of Wikipedia. I heard this site get both a lot of respect and a lot of criticism while in school. Teachers' lips would curl at the mention of the site, and students would pop over to it for a quick look at a subject for a quick study. I for one was a bit unsure of how to feel, but soon enough jumped onto the 'love it' wagon. I love Wikis, because they allow a free flow of information that is continually going to be the newest and most updated. It's bookmarked on my computer and I stop over there at least once a week.
One of my professors (or one of my professors told me about another professor, I can't remember) that HATED all things Wiki tried to disprove their credibility. He purposefully went on a Wiki website that tried to have factual info, and listed incorrect things. Unfortunately for him, within 24 hours all of his 'mistakes' had been removed and he'd received a warning email. Although I'm not sure if Wikis should be allowed as sources, I will say that dismissing them as total rubbish is incredibly foolish.
One of my professors (or one of my professors told me about another professor, I can't remember) that HATED all things Wiki tried to disprove their credibility. He purposefully went on a Wiki website that tried to have factual info, and listed incorrect things. Unfortunately for him, within 24 hours all of his 'mistakes' had been removed and he'd received a warning email. Although I'm not sure if Wikis should be allowed as sources, I will say that dismissing them as total rubbish is incredibly foolish.
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