Mango Language - Language Learning Center

Jing_Video_for_Pirate_Language Jing is a great tool! I loved using it and found it easy. Before creating my Jing video, I first needed to download Jing application to my laptop. The next step was to begin exploring how to operate Jing. I did this by opening the links posted in Module 7. After exploring Jing for a while, I began practicing, over and over until I got the feel of it. Similar to creating podcasts, getting it perfect is difficult. I have a couple of ooops in mine. Then I did several test runs on creating my screen cast video. I think Jing screen casts are a great way to instruct patrons on a variety of library services including how to use the online catalog by visually walking them around the website. Having the pause button while creating the video is important and I utilized it often. The first couple of attempts I found that I was narrating too slowly, but at least hearing my voice wasn’t as much of a shock for me as when I created my podcast. I selected a library program available at Sarasota Public library called Mango Online Language available from the Sarasota County Public Library’s electronic resources. Mango Languages online are a great free resource that include over a dozen different languages to explore. For this screencast I chose the “Pirate” language for fun. Ahoy Mattie!!

DOING IS LEARNING

Doing Is Learning – The Fine Art of Online Wiki Collaboration

“Unlike blogs, Wikis are thought to be more permanent and serious than blogs and may serve as repositories of knowledge.” Beldarrain, 2006

Online learning is becoming the norm for Library and Information programs not the exception. Online learning is a good precursor to online information. Speaking for myself, as one who aspires to enter into the professional realm of Librarianship I can see a trend for scholars’ skill sets to include a variety of utilizing new emerging online technologies, including Wikis.

Group Charlie, as I suspect most of the groups, got a taste of online group collaboration, which if I may say, can be a bit bittersweet. Working on any group project provides ample opportunity for challenges; however, I would have to rate effective and reciprocal communication as the most important factor.  Beyond the learning curve skills of finding one’s way around a new technology, which should not be underestimated; in this case learning how to create a Wiki, online collaboration is no easy feat. Group collaboration takes some getting used to. Getting the ball going can be a bit tricky and having someone volunteer to take the lead is best done in the spirit of humility. Decisions need to be made regarding what persons will do what work on the Wiki. 

A Wiki is a collection of Web pages that are linked to each other and reflect the collaborative works of many. Wiki pages allow for embedded Internet links. Wikis are great vehicles or holding tanks for posting information and often have links available for additional resources.  A bit of caution should be heeded as one can click themselves into an oblivion trail of links and end up on a wild goose chase. What I will call information overload.

Wiki Spaces on the Internet offers a good free resource for one to learn about and create Wikis.  I liked the fact that two members are allowed to be on the wiki at the same time and add content, or make edits. The speed at which posts or edits are made on wikis is very fast; there is no time delay for posts or content to appear online, that is a nice feature. 

All members in Group Charlie had access to edits and creating new pages.  However, as the organizer and creator of Group Charlie, it took me a close to a week from its inception to realize that it is helpful if all members have the same authority of use on the Wiki and not just the creator. This is simply a matter of providing the creator’s user name and password to other group members. Collaboration takes each person’s best strengths and adds them to the final product, brilliant idea! Each of our members pooled their strengths to enhance its impact.  Thanks Group Charlie!
 http://groupcharlie.wikispaces.com/

References:

Beldarrain, Yoany. (Aug.2006) Distance Education, V.27 N2, p.139-153 (EJ740275)

Database: ERIC

QR Code

Here is my QR code to my Google Sites Page. This page will be completed in later modules.

Technology has come a long way and QR Codes are part of that advanced technology. QR codes are in some respects, the modern day version of obtaining the secret message that Ralphy tried to decode with his Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring in movie, The Christmas Story. But one does not need to turn and decode each letter to receive the secret message using QR codes. One only need to scan the QR code and the “message” or information linked to the code will be delivered to the user via the QR codes’ Reader software and at a much swifter pace. QR Readers are the needed software to decode QR codes. They can be downloaded to a smart phone that will enables the user to scan the QR code and have it “decoded” and connected to the website or information that is linked to the code.

I think I first became aware of the two-dimensional bar codes about a year ago in magazines. By now more people have probably spotted QR codes and they are popping up more and more. Since working on this Module, I have developed a much greater QR code awareness. I saw a QR code downtown the other day, but to my surprise instead of the usual black and white pixels the QR Code was Red and White! Does that still work? 

Vendors often place QR Codes into magazines ads to enable consumers to connect with the product or the company’s website, a clever use of marketing strategies with the intent to illicit a sale. As I did not have a smart phone, I never was able to see if QR codes worked.

Saving time is a benefit of using a QR code as it can eliminate the need to type in a websites URL perhaps, not a lot of time, but time none the less.  Unfortunately, not everyone has a smart phone or is aware that QR codes exist and if they have seen them displayed, they may not know what they represent or how to use them. 

According to an article in the Educause Learning Initiative, QR codes are quite popular in Japan and are being used for commercial tracking, logistics and inventory control; but gaining popularity in other countries such as England, the United States and Canada. Educause stated that in England, a grant-funded venture led by Andy Ramsden at Bath University proposed placing QR Codes into library books for book renewal. Good idea. Some other ideas included posting QR Codes next to displays in museums next to displays that would give patrons or visitors additional information about display with the expense of having to hire a docent. 

It is also noteworthy to mention that QR codes are FREE to produce. After one has a URL they want to create a QR code for, it is not terribly difficult to create the QR code. I created my code using Bitly.com.  It is important to mention that not all QR codes work with all QR code readers (TechTrend, 2012). 

One library currently using QR codes is The Florida State University Law Library. They are utilizing QR codes for contact information for reference librarians in the stacks to assist library users trying to locate electronic format of a print resource (Law Library Journal, 2011).

Social Bookmarking:
Delicious and Diigo are both social bookmarking tools available on the internet. They both allow for storing, sharing and discovering web bookmarks. Diigo however, differs in that offers other additional features that Delicious does not. Diigo lets one highlight text and pictures by installing the Diigo toolbar. Diigo allows one to  add sticky notes in the event you want to add additional information and it allows one to annotate web pages that can be shared with others along with ones notes.  Both Delicious and Diigo bookmarks can be accessed at any time from any computer.

Pinterest is a basically an electronic bulletin board but with the added feature that it too like Delicious and Diigo can be accessed online from any computer at any time. The posts or “pins” that one places on their bulletin boards can also be shared with others. It is very “alive” because it lets the user click on the “pin” and obtain additional information, such as connecting to other websites or listening to audio recordings or watching videos. Pinterest main selling points are that it is extremely visual and fun to add pins to. It is possible to add a “Pin” button to one’s toolbar which allows one to pin at any time to one of the electronic bulletin boards. It is fun to follow one’s interests or topics by following others boards. Interesting information found on others boards can be “re-pinned” onto ones own boards. Using the toolbar “Pin It” icon makes it so easy and fast and fun to engage in Pinterest.
Here are my posts:

Delicious - Gianni

Diigo - Gianni

Pinterest-Gianni

References:

Educause Learning Initiative, (2009). “7 Things you should know about QR codes.” www.educause.edu/eli

Jackson, D. W. (2011). Standard Bar Codes Beware—Smartphone Users May Prefer QR Codes. Law Library Journal, 103(1), 153-158.

Robertson, C., & Green, T. (2012). Scanning the Potential for Using QR Codes in the Classroom. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 56(2), 11-12. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-0558-4