WINK - ZAMZAR - FILEXT what's it all about Alfie?

FREE FREE FREE

I like finding and trying new things and when I heard about WINK from a colleague, I had to have a go. For anyone who has to present training class but does not have the expensive software to develop a Flash tutorial or presentation then this program may be for you.
Wink is a software program for creating tutorials and presentations, using Wink you can capture screenshots and add callouts with notes. The way it works is that it captures your mouse movements as you work through the explanation of how a certain programme works.
Therefore, what you would do if you have to explain to a class how to use for example Microsoft Word, you would capture your movements as you work through the lesson and later add callouts with notes or record your explanations. Wink has many features to help you make a quality tutorial. You can save your tutorial in different formats Macromedia Flash, standalone exe, pdf, postscript or an html file. Wink also works in others languages
To try WINK got http://www.debugmode.com/wink/ you will be surprised at your results, I was and my creation was very basic. Best of all it is FREE

File conversations - Zamzar covers conversation for documents, image, music and video formats. I tried the conversion of a PDF (portable document format) to a word document the formatting was the same then I did the opposite with great results. If you want to share documents with others who may not have the same version of the programme you used you can change your document into a PDF or another type of file for sharing. Public Libraries may find Zamzar useful when patrons who want to print a document and the library does not have the correct program. FREE

FILEXT-a file extension source website, when you are not sure what a file extension stands for check it out here. FREE

Playtime again, I believe playing is good for the soul or at least a distraction from thinking too much. Eventual George had be part of my blog.

Images created by:-

Dumper – a place to have fun with your pictures
http://www.dumpr.net/net/

GlassGiant – lots of opportunities for play - my own keyboard
http://www.glassgiant.com/

Word puzzle maker (wheel of fortune)
http://atom.smasher.org/wof/

Week 6 - Getting not-so-technical with Technorati

Technorati tracks over 100 million blogs and more in tags, the website is place where you can add your favourite blogs and keep track of them.
Technorati offers Warchlist – keeping track of searches at a glance, WTFs – where’s the fire – what’s hot and why –you can vote on what you like, there is also Popular and Topics all these add entertainment if you are into reading many different blogs. I will go back occasionally just to see what going on. Check it out you might like it.

Week 6: Tagging, Folksonomies. Del.icio.us & Technorati

Tagging, folksomonies & social bookmarking in Del.icio.us

Del.icio.us - social bookmarking
Tags - one-word descriptors
I like this tool; I have looked at it before but never really checkout what you can do with it. I thought it was just and another way to bookmark your favourite’s websites, which I suppose it is, but you don’t tag your favourites, here you can, what I liked about this after joining was the ease in adding bookmarks and tags. You will have to add the Del.icio.us buttons to your toolbar, making the adding of websites stream less.

The advantage of using Del.icio.us is that you can add bookmarks wherever you are using the internet. If you are studying/researching Del.icio.us would be an excellent assest, being able to put tags to the site you have bookmarked makes it easier to look back at what you have saved.
While I was typing this post I asked myself is there potential for this to be used in libraries I searched the net for information on libraries and Del.icio.us and I looked at two site which I bookmarked and tagged before going back to my posting see how easy it is. If you would like to check out what I bookmarked go to my bookmarks on Del.icio.us the tags are LibraryJournal and Delany College. Click on newblog next the the Del.icio.us badge on the left

Gone on holidays (only from blogging) be back soon- having a good time

Holiday over back to blogging

An observation

Nothing new but it just dawned on me; sometimes I am a bit slow on the uptake. While creating posts I have learnent that you can learn about HTML codes, this may not be new to some. During the last posting I had changed over to 'edit Html' why I can't remember and when I change some words into Italic I noticed the codes before and after these words, as I said I am a bit slow on the uptake sometimes and from now on I will be looking at the Html codes just to see if I can understand what is going on. I know that you can get this information on the internet but why search the net when its right here, its only basic I'm sure but it will do for now.

Week 5 - Rollyo

Rollyo is a nifty way to share your favourite web sites. Could it be used on a Library web site, its possible. The creation of the Rollyo was easy and the searches can be changed often. Click on the Rollyo icon to chech it out

Week 5 - LibraryThing

After looking around LibraryThing and seeing how it works I think it would be great for anyone who likes to keep a record of all the books they have read and like joining in on discussion about books.
LibraryThing offers an online service where one can catalogue or for non-library people keep a record of the books they have read. To join is free and you can add up to 200 books before you need to pay.
Being an internet site you can update your records anytime and anywhere there is internet access.
I would not use LibraryThing because I am not record keeper of what I read but for this exercise, I did add books from my authors you can see what I have added by clicking on the LibraryThing Widget on the left.

Week 5 - play - online image generator

Image generators are a lot fun and I had a lot of fun creating these three images.
The first one I tried was from FAMOUSDEFACES, I followed the online instruction but for some reason the generator was not working but I really like the image I picked I decided to recreated it myself, so I guess you could say I am an image generator.
The second is from WARNING LABEL CREATOR this one worked just fine and the third is from WINDOWSEAT where you create your own crazy artwork.
For anyone looking for image generators a good site to look at is IMAGEGENERATOR

Week 5 - play

Week 5 is a good week you get to play, play as in trying different things my first attempt is below and then I will try and find something that could be used by Libraries later


I got my name in lights with notcelebrity.co.uk

Learning 2.0 is working, learning to overcome problems through discussion

Learning 2.0 is working, staff are working together to overcome problems, one of my colleagues told me how she was having problems with her blog and how she got another colleague to help and with them both working together they over came the problem isn’t that what Learning 2.0 is all about.
It’s good to hear that people don’t wait to be told how to do something but rather they are willing to give it a go.
Well done girls a gold star for you both

Week 4 - RSS feeds- Bloglines

RSS feeds, do we really need them, maybe not, but could they be an advantage to us, yes they can be. Do you, like me, surf the net find interesting web sites and forget to write the address for future reference. RSS feeds is way to overcome this.
Most web sites have a RSS feed and subscribing to the feeds from your favourite site gives you continues information without you going back the web site.
Libraries could send out feeds about new addition to the collection, events that will be happening and I’m sure there are many more ways that RSS feeds would useful for Libraries.
For my own personal use I use Google reader and have four folders with feeds coming in, from these feeds I gain a lot of knowledge on a lot of different subjects.
For the benefit of this exercise I have subscribed to Bloglines and added 10 feeds. It was not difficult to set up a Blogline account or to add the feeds; the hardest part was working out how get a URL address for my public bloglines account but persistent works and here are my RSS feeds through Bloglines here click on the RSS feed icon

Week 3 - Technology

Technology is all around us, in our home, at work, in school, all of us in some way use technology.

Seeking information has gone beyond walking into a library and looking for and through a book.

Libraries and technology have come together to give their patrons the best possible service. Searching for a book has gone from using the card system to computer assisted searching, either in the library or from home and access to databases through the library has widen information source for library patrons also communicating information to patrons via emails and text messages.

Some of the ways the library has incorporated technology

Computers for patrons to access the internet

Use of emails and text messages to inform patrons their request are available

Access to databases on all sort of information

Computer for children with inter active software

Use of a plasma screen show casing new arrival to the collection, events happening within the library and local community

A computer with adaptive technology for patrons with disabilities

With these introduction staff had to learn (yes that word again) how to use the technology, some adapted quickly others took longer but with training everyone feels confident in using the new technology.

As there are changes in technology we also need to keep up to date and look for ways are can enhance our service.

My favourite technology is the computer and the internet, my computer and the internet enabled me to take part in flexible learning working full time makes it hard to take on study. I also use my computer to create PowerPoint shows that are used on the plasma screen at work.

Week 3 - Flickr - Possibilities - Mashups - Fun

CLICK ON PICTURE TO GO TO FLICKR

I came across a Library (in America) who uses Flickr to promote their collection and the LibraryI was very impressed with this and I thought I would have a go at doing the same thing.

My objective was to recreate what this Library had accomplished.

The first thing I had to do was to create a picture of some new books we have in our library then upload this picture to Flickr. This done I then had to work out a way to place a note as well as a link back to the catalogue for each book within the picture.

I am happy to say that with a little patience and learning (there is that word again) I have completed my objective. If you click on the picture it will take you to Flickr where you will find the picture with notes, if you click on the note it will take you to the catalogue, where, if you were a member of the library you could place the book on hold.

Some will say why bother going through this process, well its one way to promote new additions to the collection, there is no cost (good for Libraries with limited resources) involved all that is required is a link on the Library website and a Flickr account.

Not sure, about copyright issues I will leave that for another day.You could also use you Flickr account to promote activities within the Library by just creating a link on the Library website to your picture on Flickr.

Mushup = books - Flickr - Library Catalogue

At time of posting all links worked

Week 2 - blog creation

BLOG CREATED AND REGISTERED

Week 1 - Learning 2.0 and 23 things 71/2 habits

Through the course of completing the 23 things my GOAL will be to finish and to keep learning, make it MY RESPONSIBILITY to learn, turn PROBLEMS into CHALLENGES, have CONFIDENCE in myself that I can do it, it being anything, use my LEARNING TOOLBOX which will consist of books, computers and the web, use TECHNOLOGY to my advantage, TEACH/MENTOR others if I can, and PLAY

Week 1 - Learning 2.0 and 23 things – pointers from lifelong learners

As I was listening to the podcast I began to realize that I have been learning for the last 50 odd years, and without realizing it I have been doing the 7 ½ habits all along. This may be a strange thing to say but when we learn something new we don’t really think about it being part of lifelong learning but just something we have learnt, I think it all comes down to the way we think about learning, it’s not just knowing it’s what you do with it.

The first was through structured learning i.e. school, the next was through the working environment, you learn to interact with all types of people, work through grown up issues, taking responsibility for your actions.

The next for me and probably for most is moving into the partnership phase again new learning skills are taken on, i.e. give and take, patience, motherhood, learning to be a diplomat. Sometimes, not always, one can become too complacent with life and not think beyond what one has.

My learning took on a new direction, which was coping with independence again, perhaps not so much as independence but coping with everything solo.

It was time to move into a new learning experience, learning to re-enter the world, as in the workforce world. After years of not working it can make you feel slightly ignorant, things change, terminology changed, the way to get back into the work force changed when I got my first job all I had to do was sit for a test pass and I got the job.

For me my greatest learning was discovering computers, my goal became learn, learn, learn and never stop.

This goal has taken me into a job, given me confidence to try anything, not be afraid of new technology but seek it out, not give up, share my new knowledge with others who have yet to learn, use learning to my advantage and most of all have fun with what I learn.