Thing 18 Reflection Week

This week it is all about reflection. I know it is hard to believe but I have stuck with the 23 things blog and I am really glad that I did. At first I was a tad hesitant to commit myself to such a program, for me and I know others this time of the year can be super busy with the run up to the start of semester 1.

But now that I have been asked to take some time out to reflect I can say without a doubt how glad I am that I stuck with the 23 things. If it wasn’t for Kate and her program (big kudos to Kate) I wouldn’t have an understanding of a lot of the social media and other applications that are out there in the cyber world.

Since being on this 23 things journey I have been actively involved in a process where I am gaining firsthand experience, in looking at a different “thing” each week. I have been able to direct my attention to a certain application and to explore it in greater depth. I was able to do this in the midst of all my other day to day work tasks. I was able to give a small amount of time each week to examine and explore.

I now have a better understanding that what I have embarked on is a way of opening up possibilities for myself. To gain knowledge and understanding in such things as collaboration tools, social bookmarking and using apps to enhance and support library work.  What I really found useful thus far is the way we were able to look deeper into Google and all of its services that it has to offer someone like me. I now have a Gmail account, I have explored Google drive and Google reader.

If it were not for the 23 things blog I would most likely still be in the “dark” when it comes to social media content.

Thing 17 – Create content and content curation

If it wasn’t for thing 17 this week I would have had no idea about create content and content curation. This is extremely new to me.

First thing I did was find some meanings when it came to the terminology “content curation”

Thanks to Beth Kanter (www.bethkanter.org) I was able to understand what it all meant in a way I was comfortable with. Beth mentioned in her blog the following statement

 “Content curation is the process of sorting through the vast amounts of content on the web and presenting it in a meaningful and organized way around a specific theme. The work involves sifting, sorting, arranging, and publishing information. A content curator cherry picks the best content that is important and relevant to share with their community”

I also took the time out to look at the examples given on our 23 things blog. I managed to watch the YouTube clip for scoop.it. It was clear and easy to understand giving me a clearer picture as to what thing 17 is all about. A content curation tool I went and looked at in more detail was called “Flipboard”

Having an Ipad I decided to look at the Flipboard app. What I did love was that your personalized account gives you the same experience wherever you go, whether I am on an Ipad or an iPhone.  You can also connect with any social networks you may have like twitter or Facebook. What I like about Flipboard is that you can use the content guide to find anything that interests you say from a favourite blog to world news. I especially liked the terminology used on this app, that any content I find I can add these and then I can start “flipping”.  Flipboard is a great app when it comes to sharing photos, videos and even favourite sounds.

While I had the time I also had a closer look at “Scoop.it” I went to the home page for Scoop.it and took myself on their guided tour.

I could see Library staff using apps such as Flipboard and Scoop.it on library related topics. Maybe this could be used for library staff to place favourite book/s on a certain theme or topic. This could show our clients what books the ACU library staff enjoy. I think anyway we can engage our clients using apps or other social media is a plus in my mind.

I love the way how it looks like a magazine. The format is funky and easy to follow.

When it comes to online creation tools I took the opportunity to look at “Storybird” I decided to go straight to the webpage to delve deeper into this creation tool. What I did find really useful was the browse by topic function. It gave me a better understanding of what Storybird is all about. It was interesting to read all about things such as storyspotting and teachers and students using Storybird within a classroom environment.

http://storybird.com/books/about-us-a-peek-inside-storybird/ I found the following link to be quite useful when further understanding the Storybird format J

I can agree affirmatively with the Storybird mission of being an “advocate of imagination”

I can see Storybird being used as an app for creativity and the forming of new ideas.

Not only could content curation be used in the workplace it would also be a great way for individuals to express themselves in a creative format. If we are passionate about a certain “thing” then we could easily use apps such as scoop.it and Flipboard to our advantage in allowing others to read and to understand our personal “likes” away from the work environment.

Thing 16 – YouTube

 

From the outset I have always been a long time YouTube fan and user. I have used it for both personal and professional means. I find you can get lost within the program. You look up something in particular and then it shows you things of similar interest that you can go onto browse and view.

I am a huge fan of music so often will look up YouTube for old 80’s and 90’s music clips. It is what I like to call nostalgia J

I do love that YouTube is a video sharing website that allows its users to upload and share videos for others to access and view. It is a great forum for others to access from around the world. To inspire others and to allow creators to upload original content for people like me to view. Most people I know have at some stage or another accessed YouTube.

Like any site there will always be positives and negatives. I can see how YouTube could be a great educational tool. The library where I work have a YouTube channel.  “ACU Library Channel”

I personally think it’s a great platform to promote library services and programs. With the ability to use video formats it is an easy avenue for libraries to “showcase” how to use items such as borrowing a book, placing an ILL to library search tips.

I know there can be negatives to using a video sharing website, such as videos containing false or misleading information, or there may be offensive content, but personally I do think the positives easily outweigh the negatives. YouTube is easy to watch and to upload content, you kind find videos on almost any topic and the one I really love is the innovations involved when it comes to the music and entertainment industries. (See I do love my music)

Another aspect to YouTube that I like is that it can be a source of information regarding world events and or information regarding organisations or companies.

I also took the time to browse YouTube looking up videos from other libraries. There are many library related videos out there. I have included a few on my blog. The first two are work related whilst the 3^rd is a humorous library related clip I found from a University in the states.




 

http://www.youtube.com/user/ACULib?feature=watch

 

 

 

Thing 15 Presentations – Slideshare and Prezi

This week it is all about Presentations. Those type of presentations that are done through wiz bang websites like Slideshare. I will admit to you all that I have never done a presentation before so software like Slideshare and Prezi were very new to me.

So first up I went and started my explorations on everything to do with Slideshare. What I found was an interesting online slide hosting service where anyone who wants to can upload a file of a presentation using various file formats like PowerPoint, open office and pdf. As my fellow library colleague, Kate said “A lot of people use Slideshare as a source of ideas and information”. With that statement in mind I can easily see where Slideshare could come into action with regards to working in libraries. Just by using the website you can view and stay in touch with other likeminded library professionals. I did take full advantage of the Search box. I typed in a few key words regarding library content and took some time in reading some of the library based presentations that had been uploaded to the Slideshare site.

I do personally think it’s a great to keep up to date with what other library peers are discussing worldwide.

With Prezi I had some understanding of what this application was. A number of our Liaison Librarians have used Prezi for their own presentations. One thing I thought was great when delving into further examinations of Prezi was that it was a web based presentation tool which had added features of an Ipad viewer along with the zoom able canvas. Prezi takes on a new meaning when it comes to how things are done with presentations. I can remember the old traditional slides or the OHT’s that we had when I was in school.

I took the time to watch the introduction to Prezi clip that I found on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxhqD0hNx4Q

I like that Prezi is an alternate application to PowerPoint. When I was on the Prezi site I managed to go and do some exploring. I decided to go and watch some Prezi presentations that were done by fellow ACU library staff.

I also took the time to view Ned Potter’s - ‘The how to make a great Prezi, Prezi’. Thanks to Kate for suggesting this.

A Prezi that I found interesting and wasn’t library related was the following

http://prezi.com/oopubqldmd6i/syria-the-basics/?utm_source=em0nl0idmatter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=gro

Another Prezi which is library related I found interesting was

http://prezi.com/bhahoanus1b7/gsa-induction-talk/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=prezi_landing_related&utm_campaign=prezi_landing_related_author

After looking at both applications and at Ned Potter’s “prezitation” (this word seems somehow fitting)

 I can honestly say that if I were working on a presentation I would turn to something like Prezi. I found the information given on the site to be informative and easy to follow. It gives me hope that someone like me could make a Prezi document J

Thing 11 Productivity Tools

Another week and another blog.

This week I have been diving deep into productivity tools. What is that may you ask?

How I see it productivity tools can be things such as software (web apps) that can help us the individual with our day to day tasks. A good example of this was a productivity tool that I looked at –

“Remember the Milk”

From the list of tools given, I just had to go here and investigate further. What a catchy name. J
From my comprehensive investigations (LOL) I have since discovered that “Remember the Milk” was formed in 2004 in Sydney, but has since gone on to bigger and better things and it is now based in San Francisco…….

Gotta love Bob the Monkey the official mascot

 

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1920&bih=954&tbm=isch&tbnid=Qr6D58GXrpivVM:&imgrefurl=http://blog.rememberthemilk.com/2012/09/goodbye-sydney-gday-san-francisco/&docid=R1bL-xBcROTZFM&imgurl=http://blog.rememberthemilk.com/wp-content/uploads/bob_goldengate.jpg&w=400&h=300&ei=Son4UK2jOcfzlAWl_oDQBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1422&vpy=427&dur=2073&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=100&ty=126&sig=111835698159258869869&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=186&start=0&ndsp=68&ved=1t:429,r:44,s:0,i:220

Care of blog.rememberthemilk.com

 

Remember The Milk is trying to be the to-do list that's everywhere you are.

Signing up with this web app is completely free. I love that they have a comprehensive blog and a Tips and Tricks Tuesday posting every week which I found to be quite helpful.  The vibe that I get from the team is a bunch of people who seem to be passionate about the product and are very interactive with their clientele who use this app, which for me on a personal note is something that would seriously make me want to start using.

Remember The Milk is also available for...

 

 

 

I love the fact that this app can be added to my Google calendar account giving me easy access to tasks, alongside the main calendar. Options to review upcoming tasks for the week, add new tasks and to edit existing ones are added features. It’s also good that you can also customise the display through Google calendars.  (Please Note: I do try and use Google Calendars) I love the fact that I can be anywhere in the world and when I log onto my Google account I can access my email and calendar.

I also found the videos for this web app to be quite simple and straightforward to use.

I see Productivity Tools as being a group of tools (hardware or software) that the individual person or companies can use to enhance themselves in areas of increased productivity, enhancing collaboration methods as well as promoting creativity and improving communication amongst staff and/or friends.

I do feel that there is a place for organisations to use one or more productivity tools to meet their working needs.

Microsoft office to me is one such “productivity tool” We use programs such as MS Word for documents, Outlook for email, Excel for graphs and tables and PowerPoint for presentations.

Now with the added additions of web apps such as –

Remember the Milk

Google calendars

Dropbox

Evernote

And many more

We can only go on to bigger and better things in regards to productivity. I think with the addition of web based apps we can be anywhere and still keep up to date with work.

Does this mean the days of sitting in the one office at the one desk from 9-5 are changing????

Thing 11 Productivity Tools

Another week and another blog.

This week I have been diving deep into productivity tools. What is that may you ask?

How I see it productivity tools can be things such as software (web apps) that can help us the individual with our day to day tasks. A good example of this was a productivity tool that I looked at –

“Remember the Milk”

From the list of tools given, I just had to go here and investigate further. What a catchy name. J
From my comprehensive investigations (LOL) I have since discovered that “Remember the Milk” was formed in 2004 in Sydney, but has since gone on to bigger and better things and it is now based in San Francisco…….

Gotta love Bob the Monkey the official mascot

 

Thing 11 Productivity Tools

Another week and another blog.

This week I have been diving deep into productivity tools. What is that may you ask?

How I see it productivity tools can be things such as software (web apps) that can help us the individual with our day to day tasks. A good example of this was a productivity tool that I looked at –

“Remember the Milk”

From the list of tools given, I just had to go here and investigate further. What a catchy name. J
From my comprehensive investigations (LOL) I have since discovered that “Remember the Milk” was formed in 2004 in Sydney, but has since gone on to bigger and better things and it is now based in San Francisco…….

Gotta love Bob the Monkey the official mascot

 

Care of

blog.rememberthemilk.com

 

Remember The Milk is trying to be the to-do list that's everywhere you are.

Signing up with this web app is completely free. I love that they have a comprehensive blog and a Tips and Tricks Tuesday posting every week which I found to be quite helpful.  The vibe that I get from the team is a bunch of people who seem to be passionate about the product and are very interactive with their clientele who use this app, which for me on a personal note is something that would seriously make me want to start using.

Remember The Milk is also available for...

 

 

 

I love the fact that this app can be added to my Google calendar account giving me easy access to tasks, alongside the main calendar. Options to review upcoming tasks for the week, add new tasks and to edit existing ones are added features. It’s also good that you can also customise the display through Google calendars.  (Please Note: I do try and use Google Calendars) I love the fact that I can be anywhere in the world and when I log onto my Google account I can access my email and calendar.

I also found the videos for this web app to be quite simple and straightforward to use.

I see Productivity Tools as being a group of tools (hardware or software) that the individual person or companies can use to enhance themselves in areas of increased productivity, enhancing collaboration methods as well as promoting creativity and improving communication amongst staff and/or friends.

I do feel that there is a place for organisations to use one or more productivity tools to meet their working needs.

Microsoft office to me is one such “productivity tool” We use programs such as MS Word for documents, Outlook for email, Excel for graphs and tables and PowerPoint for presentations.

Now with the added additions of web apps such as –

Remember the Milk

Google calendars

Dropbox

Evernote

And many more

We can only go on to bigger and better things in regards to productivity. I think with the addition of web based apps we can be anywhere and still keep up to date with work.

Does this mean the days of sitting in the one office at the one desk from 9-5 are changing????

Care of blog.rememberthemilk.com

 

Remember The Milk is trying to be the to-do list that's everywhere you are.

Signing up with this web app is completely free. I love that they have a comprehensive blog and a Tips and Tricks Tuesday posting every week which I found to be quite helpful.  The vibe that I get from the team is a bunch of people who seem to be passionate about the product and are very interactive with their clientele who use this app, which for me on a personal note is something that would seriously make me want to start using.

Remember The Milk is also available for...

 

 

 

I love the fact that this app can be added to my Google calendar account giving me easy access to tasks, alongside the main calendar. Options to review upcoming tasks for the week, add new tasks and to edit existing ones are added features. It’s also good that you can also customise the display through Google calendars.  (Please Note: I do try and use Google Calendars) I love the fact that I can be anywhere in the world and when I log onto my Google account I can access my email and calendar.

I also found the videos for this web app to be quite simple and straightforward to use.

I see Productivity Tools as being a group of tools (hardware or software) that the individual person or companies can use to enhance themselves in areas of increased productivity, enhancing collaboration methods as well as promoting creativity and improving communication amongst staff and/or friends.

I do feel that there is a place for organisations to use one or more productivity tools to meet their working needs.

Microsoft office to me is one such “productivity tool” We use programs such as MS Word for documents, Outlook for email, Excel for graphs and tables and PowerPoint for presentations.

Now with the added additions of web apps such as –

Remember the Milk

Google calendars

Dropbox

Evernote

And many more

We can only go on to bigger and better things in regards to productivity. I think with the addition of web based apps we can be anywhere and still keep up to date with work.

Does this mean the days of sitting in the one office at the one desk from 9-5 are changing????

 

 

 

 

Thing 14:

Collaboration tools

As part of our 23 things this week we look at collaboration tools. A collaboration tool is something that helps people to collaborate. Anything that can help to solve tasks in a group more easily can be seen as a collaborative tool.

I can see that collaboration tools can be used in 2 ways. Tools that can help you connect with other people as well as a tool that helps you work with other people.

There seems to be a number of such tools out there. We have been asked to take a look at 2 such collaboration tools that are out there in the cyber world.

One such tool that I have used briefly once before was Skype…..

Skype is a great way of connecting with others as well as staying in touch with friends and/or family who live interstate or overseas. One big positive with Skype is that a lot of the content is “Free” Now who doesn’t love things that are free in life J  Skype is a software application that allows us the user to make voice calls over the internet. Skype is very simple to use. It is free to download and it’s also free to use with anyone else that has Skype on their computer. An added feature with Skype is the ability to make regular business and house phone numbers as well as mobile phones too. The prices Skype charges for these calls are very comparable.

For the United States and the United Kingdom it is a$1.49/month. There are other added options such as Skype subscriptions which allow for added extras as well as purchasing Skype credit. With Skype credit you can SMS as well as using Wi-Fi areas

From my limited experience with Skype I found it easy to follow and simple to use. There is a fantastic Help page when browsing on the Skype page itself. It lists things such as

·         Top FAQ’s

·         FAQ’s by topic

·         Simple to understand user guides on such things as  calling someone who is already on Skype, calling landlines and mobile numbers as well as help with adding contact details.

I think Skype could be another great tool for collaborating in a group scenario. For staff that are interstate or work on other campuses the use of Skype could be a tool that could be incorporated into our day to day tasks. Skype allows group video calls for up to 25 people. If staff were all to add Skype to their computers then making group calls would be absolutely free.

The other collaboration tool I examined was called “anymeeting”. This tool was completely new to me. I had never used such a tool like this before. But after reading up on it I can say it is a great site and I could see the possibilities of using such a program in our working environment. There no longer has to be issues when it comes to staff having to be in the same room to do group work. You can be based anywhere and still have the same access as to someone in another country. The ability to be virtual is a wonderful thing.

One site ed.hub.com gave this application tool 9 out of 10.

http://theedhub.com/Software-detail/anymeeting

So what is “anymeeting”?  This is a collaboration tool that allows users to host webinars, online meetings and web conferences. The good thing about this particular tool is that it is free. Anymeeting can offer its services at no cost to users and makes this for an ideal product for small businesses that could benefit from hosting webinars, but may not have the large budget for a paid for tool.

The positives of anymeeting are large.

Below is what services this tool can offer their users –

·         Ability to hold large or small meetings with up to 200 people attending

·         Share your screen.

·         6 way video conferencing – the ability to use your own webcam as well as having up to 6 people at a time video conferencing simultaneously

·         To show your videos live and have full control over the playback.

·         With an account you will receive your own conference call number and Pin codes that will help enhance the meeting.

·         The ability to present power slides as well as to record the meetings itself. Just by clicking on the record button it allows you to record the meeting for playback later.

·         This tool allows you to enter the emails of your participants and they in turn will be sent a link to join your meeting. Added information given is the time, date and instructions on how to join.

 

Another positive extra for anymeeting is having the added option of Facebook and twitter integration. This while allow you to use social media when promoting your meetings.

A big plus for this tool I have discovered is that it can be a great resource for any work team that needs a convenient way to host meetings or webinars. The option of having free access is especially appealing for people that need to meet regularly with clients and/or co-workers. The application seems easy to use and can handle different types of communication. What I love especially is that the user of “anymeeting” can control all aspects of the meeting from inviting participants to recording the event and even sharing content with absent members. I could see this being easily adapted in my own workplace.