Thing 39

This was another fun assignment. I really liked Animoto. It was very easy to use.

I made a video of the library and tried 3 times to post it. Maybe someday it will show up on Blogger--who knows. I've sent an email to Animoto's techs to see if they can figure out why Blogger can't find the widget. I've also contacted Blogger Help to let them know that Animoto is not working properly with Blogger.

****Update: All 3 started working about 24hrs after posting.*****
Either Blogger, Animoto, Internet Explorer, or our server fixed itself or ... I just have no idea. But I deleted 2 of the extra Animoto postings of my video. Also just wanted to say Major Big Thank You to the Animoto Techs--they replied to my email and kept trying to discover the problem and solution.

I do think Animoto could be very useful for creating mini videos of our libraries and programs and posting them to our website. They would make exciting & fun library advertisements!

Here's a link to my video that also works in case the bug acts up again making the original video post not work.

Austintown Library Animoto Video

My ToonDoo Comic

Thing 38

This was an assignment for the creative people. I did visit these comic strip generator sites:

ToonDoo
Stripgenerator
Strip Creator

I searched for some fun library themed comics and have posted one. I'll post one I created next. It is easy to use them. Could be a fun feature to add to our website--maybe have a more creative humorist make a monthly comic strip to add to our online happenings? Also, could use them to create fun instructions for use of the library.

funny comic strip

Thing 37

This was a fun assignment for those of us who are music lovers.

I like how both web radio sites pull up music similar to what you want to hear. It's too bad that you can't just listen to the specific song or artist you want, though, on Pandora. LastFM does let you listen to the artist, but you are limited to albums currently on sale. In any case, I consider these to be the 'Novelist' sites for music--if you like this artist/song, maybe you'll like these others as well!

Tennessee Vacation

fancygens.com

Thing 36

A great lesson for fixing up photos. Obvious use--fix up photos taken during library programs for your online scrapbook!

I tried Picnik. I really like the AutoFix function. It corrects everything that it automatically deems needing fixed--sharpness, exposure, etc.--all at one click.

Here's an untouched photo:








Here's my photo fixed from Picnik:


I did try the other online image editers mentioned:

Fauxto

Pixenate

Snapfish

But I like Picnik the best.

Thing 35

This is another interesting lesson. I signed up for a Twitter account.
You can see my Twitter Badge and mini-blog over on the left of my blog page.

I think a library use would be on an official library blog or web site, use Twitter to highlight a website for the public/staff to use each day. Or run a month-long contest where you post a new question to be answered each day.

Thing 34

A healthy lesson for us all.



FitDay and Nutridiary are two of the many healthy nutrition/lifestyle sites out there. Both allow you to keep track of your weight and nutrition and try to improve your fitness. Both seem equally good. I like the pie chart that FitDay uses, and bar chart that Nutridiary uses.

Thing 33

This was a fun, relaxing lesson. I enjoyed trying all the sites:

Mr. Picassohead

Falling Sand

Snowflake Maker

String Spin

I could see using the string spin for a children's program--have one playing on the big screen while others wait in line to play with Spin Art machines. Too bad you can't print the art or save and post it to a web site. The only one you can save is Mr. Picassohead--here's my art.

Thing 32 Mystery Program Omnidrive Zoho doc

Mystery Program

Madlibfrom Scooby Doo

 

Mystery Picture Observation game

        Click here for great websiteto test your ability as an Eyewitness

 

Brain Teasers and Short Mysteries to Solve

 

Decode the secret message

    Good web sites for Codes & Ciphers:

             CIA's Break the Code Kids Page

         NSA's Cryptokids Page

             Secret Language Page

 

Mystery bag

have them guess what’s in various paper bags

then leave items out on cardboard tray to test their memory later on

 

Play Winking Murder Game

 

5:15pm—staff member comes in, steals item from mystery bag tray

 

Craft— Paper Hat Tricks 1

Detective/Sherlock Holmes Hat and Magnifying Glass

 

Take Home game---Create your own coded messages

 

 

 

Thing 32

Fun, interesting, and useful lesson. I found Omnidrive very easy to use. I really like how it works with other programs so you don't store a file there and then have to go to another website and logon into it in order to work with the file. It recognizes the file types, so when you click on it to edit, it automatically opens the correct program for editing: ZohoWriter, ZohoSheet, or SnipShot. The only logon you do is logging on to Omnidrive. Omnidive, along with editing, has easy features for sharing your file with others, publishing it, or just deleting it when you don't need it anymore.

Here's a picture enhanced with SnipShot:



And here is the original picture, unenhanced:



This is a great site to work with files to share with co-workers spread out among many library branches across a county, where everyone can work together adding their bits to the file--as long as you Share it as Read & Write (not Read Only). Makes it so if you are working on a committee where everyone can't meet face to face, they can work on a project through email this way.

I did have one problem--could not post my Zoho edited document to my blog--received a failed message when I tried. This may have been a Blogger problem though, as Blogger kept having problems--took me two tries to get each of my pictures to upload. Here is a link to my published Omnidrive text document: Mystery Program. Because I'm not really thrilled that it links to the ZohoWriter Editer Page of the document, I've saved the document as HTML, opened regular ZohoWriter, imported the HTML Document, and posted to my blog. Really wish the Post to Blog worked from Zoho on Omnidrive!

Thing 31

This lesson definitely has some work related uses. Signing up for Plaxo was very easy. Adding events was also easy. Once I figured out that creating separate categories actually meant adding new calendars with the Share & Manage link, that was also easy. Every event from all calendars are overlayed on the 'Master Calendar', you can select/de-select calendars to view events from one calendar type at a time. Creating a task list was also simple. The hardest thing for me was subscribing to a band, TV show, or sport using icalshare.com. I just did not notice the tab for icalshare when you open the Share & Manage link for calendars. Then, when I did find it, subscribing was somewhat difficult--the calendars I found interesting must have been obsolete--nothing was added. Finally, I just had to link to a recent calendar for the Pittsburgh Steelers--even though I couldn't care less about football.

On to the relevant uses of Plaxo: My co-workers & I could use Plaxo or Remember the Milk or Jotlet to create work calendars for ourselves, and lists of tasks needing to be completed. As a children's librarian, I created a work calendar doing just that.