Brownie Points

Jorie's Song of the Week - what christmas means to me - STEVIE WONDER

2010-12-22T13:48:00.000-06:00

Potluck #56: To Tweet or Not To Tweet...Twitter

2009-11-12T12:27:00.003-06:00

I opened a Twitter account a year and a half ago. I hadn't done much with it until this spring, though.

For this exercise, I checked out some of the other folks on Twitter. I even signed up for the Go USA Bid for World Cup. I found this by using the search feature. I've enjoyed keeping up with my friends this way but I think I still have much to learn. Also, thanks to this exercise, I found Product (RED) on Twitter and began following them. This reminds me much of Bloglines.

Crafts & Hobbies #63: Digital Scrapbooking

2009-08-31T14:50:00.000-05:00

When I saw there was the opportunity for digital scrapbooking, I couldn't wait to try my hand at it. I noticed the other sites seemed to charge so I immediately went for experimenting with Scrapblog.

I found the choices limited. However, I was able to synchronize Flickr with Scrapblog and go from there. I liked the green background I used - it was free. I didn't care for some of the items costing me "coins." My picture is from my trip to San Diego earlier this summer.

Crafts & Hobbies #62: Decoupage

2009-08-31T11:46:00.000-05:00

Last year, one of the Girl Scout Interest Project: Exploration! workshops was for the "Paper Works" Interest Project Award (IPA). The Girl Scouts and I worked did a decoupage project in order to complete one of the steps towards this IPA. We used boxes, photos clipped from magazines, and a mixture of glue and water. It was a lot of fun.

All summer long, I've intended to decoupage a box with old road maps to hold my watch and ring. I haven't done it yet and the kids are back in school. I do think I will make this decoupage box . . . someday.

On Etsy, I saw some charming decoupage candle holders. Maybe I will have a chance to attempt making such. . . after I finish that box.

Crafts & Hobbies #61: Craftspiration

2009-08-31T09:46:00.000-05:00

Browsing the sites such as Instructibles and Craftzine, my hands itched to do some of these projects. Just the other day, I saw a papier maché bowl I just had to make. Nonetheless, I haven't made time to enjoy this hobby in years. One of the projects on Craftzine uses an apple as a vase. My first thought was, "Well, I could do that." However, my second thought was, "When would I do it, though?"

I prefer written instructions with pictures for crafts. Of course, I might try watching a video again. Back in my day, we didn't have YouTube or streaming video on our computers.

When I was a Girl Scout, I enjoyed the times we did craft projects the most. I made Gods' eyes, decorated t-shirts, and Christmas ornaments. Since my Girl Scout days, I haven't made the time for crafts. In seeing this iHCPL module and working on the Crafts-to-Go program at Freeman, I've returned to one of my favorite pasttimes.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2009-08-17T09:25:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

TXT U L8R - Texting

2009-05-12T11:24:00.002-05:00

Yes, I have sent a text message. On average, I think I send about 20 a week. I guess I'm a semi-regular texter.
My family can't stand texting and asked it to be removed from their phones. So, there's no contacting them by text in case of emergency. However, some of my friends are best contacted by text. They do not check email or pick up phone calls.
If it had not been for my cell phone, I would not have been able to receive info during the Hurricane Ike aftermath. Text messages allowed me to know how many people were without electricity.
I use text lingo. Basically, I want to express my thoughts quickly and in less than 140 characters. Also, saying "txt u l8r" takes less time for the recipient to read.
I think it's very dangerous to text while driving. In fact, it's insane. Yet, I see people doing that and all kinds of other things when they should have their hands on the steering wheel. Thanks to this sort of behavior, cell phone usage in vehicles may be made illegal.

Pot Luck #55: Getting the Most Out of Facebook

2009-03-11T18:46:00.004-05:00

I have had a Facebook account for years. Mostly, I have preferred it to the competition. At this time, I use it stay connected with friends that live all around the world. I can easily say the majority of people I know use Facebook.

I am in a few networks, including Harris County Public Library. This links me to coworkers past and present. Also, I'm in a couple of alumni networks and I can easily connect to others.

Several of my friends on Facebook are people I knew from childhood. If not for such social networking, I would have no clue about some of these folks. Also, the "People you may know" tool shows me friends of friends and people I might remember from college.

I try to be careful with the applications. I certainly like the "Flair Board" as it allows me to put virtual buttons representing favorite TV shows, art, schools, etc. The genealogist in me loves the MyHeritage Application. I can proudly show my roots here. . . lol.

PS: If you're on Facebook, look me up!

Sound: #26: Making (or listening to) Music Together

2008-08-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

I looked at the music networking sites. Since all I could play very well was the radio, I was impressed with the melodious sounds I could make with JamStudio. I truly enjoyed all the instrumentations I could put into a piece. Lately, I've liked guitar music best. So, I played with the sounds of the acoustic guitar. I even recommended this to my friend's much more music savvy son. Bottom line, JamStudio was free and fun!

Sound: #25: Am I a music pirate? It's hard to know...

2008-07-07T09:34:00.006-05:00

Now, I have burned a song onto a CD. Actually, it was a whole CD. One of my friends wanted a CD with a "Fire" theme. So, I went online and found numerous songs such as "Light my fire," "Fire," "Ring of Fire," etc. I downloaded the music to my computer from Yahoo and then I put the music onto the CD. Other than the amount of time it took and the fact you can only burn 7 Yahoo Music songs to a CD, I found the process quite simple. I like the ability to download songs which I picked instead of having to take everything on an expensive CD. After all, it's quite unusual for me to like everything on one CD.

I love music. While I can't play much more than the radio, I spend a lot of time listening and trying to find songs I like. I still use CDs and I enjoy the ones I make more often than those that are done by one artist. In that sense, iPods or MP3s are more cost effective. Maybe I'll get something more than a CD player. I do believe musicians deserve some money, I think the prices of CDs are ridiculous. I believe a $1/song is reasonable but I can sympathize with musicians trying to sell a whole album. In the end, it's a tough decision.

Sound: #24: The sound of music!

2008-07-03T11:19:00.002-05:00

I have used Yahoo Music to download songs. Between my home computer and this program, I felt it took an extraordinary length of time to do anything with it. Still, it did save me a trip to the store and the price wasn't too bad ($0.79 a song). Still, since it takes so long for me, at least, to work with it, I don't really enjoy downloading music from this site. Many of my friends love iTunes, though. Songs cost $0.99 with iTunes.

Using Download.com, I went about finding a song I would enjoy. I borrowed one of my branch's MP3 players. I wouldn't say I found the downloading especially fun but it was good to learn how to do it. I would've appreciated more musical variety yet I liked the price. After all, being able to carry your music with you is very nice.

I am quite fond of online radio. One of my classmates from grad school first told me about Pandora. It's a free "radio" in which the user creates. Say, if I'm a big fan of Stevie Wonder (which I am), then I can go to Pandora and type in Stevie Wonder. Pandora will retrieve and play a Stevie Wonder song. Next, Pandora finds artists who sound similar to Stevie Wonder. This introduces me to artists which I might like. When my classmate mentioned it, he said it was a "music genome" project. Pretty awesome, huh?

A friend and former coworker told me about Project Playlist. Free of charge, a user can create an account and build a list of songs he/she likes. Now, a user can put up to 100 songs on one list. Then, the user can post a working music player to a blog or profile easily. I truly like Project Playlist because I can go to a place where I've posted my play list and listen to my music. In fact, I have the beginnings of a play list at the bottom of the Brownie Points blog. Look for the green player.

Of local stations, I really do like 103.7 Jack FM. This station "Plays What We Want." So, one minute, they play 1960s surfer music, next it's 1980s rock, then it's blues. It is not repetitive, either. Jack has a free online station. At this moment, they're following up Stevie Ray Vaughan with Steve Miller Band. Before Jack, I listened to 107.5 K-Hits a lot. Their station has free online access, too.

Games and Gaming #38: Console Gaming

2008-06-10T11:23:00.007-05:00

I visited the "nostalgic" game site and signed up for a free account. Then, I played Pacman. It amused me because my dad was awesome at playing this game. As a child, I had the old-school Nintendo (gray box, red letters saying "NES"). Mom and I bought the Nintendo version of Pacman. Dad said it wasn't the same without the joystick. Then, we bought a joystick for him. So, the online version of Pacman left me wondering, "How much would my dad enjoy this without the joystick?" Yet, I found it simple. It was like riding the proverbial bike. I already knew to avoid the ghosts and to eat the crums and fruit to stay alive. While I drew on my memory to play, I think it would still take very little for a player new to game to have fun with it.

Talking with one of my coworkers, I think the Wii system is awesome. Many of us at our library branch have been talking about the Wii aerobics. While I haven't tried it . . . yet, I find it fascinating. However, the Wii would be a great draw to the library. It is not sedentary and I think that is very important. I have done some stuff with the DDR and I have liked it. I do believe, though, a Wii would address more than physical coordination. Thus, the Wii receives my vote.

Games and Gaming #37: Get Your Game On @ The Library

2008-06-09T14:15:00.003-05:00

I read the New York Times article: "Taking Play Seriously at the Public Library With Young Video Gamers." When I was in school, teachers would often set up review sessions in the form of "Jeopardy." Games can help players develop strategies and reinforce knowledge and memory.

Having worked in libraries for a few years during the twenty-first century, I've seen that game playing in libraries is inevitable. Also, many libraries have in-house use board games. Online gaming isn't much of a leap from this. If offering games systems such as Wii and DDR will better orient the public with its very own libraries, then I'm all for it. However, some things still must be determined. Otherwise, why not?

I tried my hand at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries' library-related games. I tested both the "Within Range" and "I'll Get It." I found both of these games to be realistic and easy. While I understand why "Within Range" (the place the books in collection code order) used Library of Congress, a version implementing Dewey would have been great. The "I'll Get It" game where a library worker pulls books to fill customers' requests was very realistic.

Library professionals can really do a lot with games. Already teachers understand how much students benefit from review games. Imagine how much this can assist library users in life? Games will grow along with their users.

Games and Gaming #36: The Wide World of Online Role Playing Games

2008-06-04T18:25:00.005-05:00

As requested, I gave Runescape a try. After I created the character BrowniePts, I learned how to move around, chop wood, build fires, and cook. This was pretty simple for me. The screen shot here shows me asking Master Chef, Lev (as in levened?) how to bake bread. At the bottom is a close up of BrowniePts' face. The figure in green talking to the guy sporting the chef's hat is a full shot of BrowniePts. She's wearing a skirt and blouse and sensible shoes. BrowniePts wears green, my favorite color. Like me, she asks questions until she understands what she needs to do. Eventually, BrowniePts learns not to burn the shrimp. It's a good thing BrowniePts likes shrimp!

Games and Gaming #35: Games? In the Library?

2008-05-21T14:07:00.003-05:00

I have always leaned towards what has been called "edutainment." Games are great learning tools. Some games develop hand-eye coordination (DDR, Game Cube, etc) while others help players brush up on facts.

A little while back, I tried out FreeRice.com and I truly enjoyed it. FreeRice tests players on vocabulary. The reward for selecting the correct synonym is a donation of 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program. Another one I've found is FreeFlour.com. FreeFlour works similarly to FreeRice, but gives flour for knowing geographical information. I really enjoyed playing both of these games. I consider both of these games win-win situations.

iStar Tip: Email

2008-04-21T11:51:00.003-05:00

When I began iHCPL training last fall, I created this blog. For this blog and many of the applications of Web 2.0, I needed to have an email address. Since my work email was already overburdened, I created a Gmail account. Blogger and Gmail work together. So, as the iHCPL training progressed, I used the Gmail account for various applications requiring an email address.

Reading about 10MinuteMail pleased me. Shortly after reading about it, I gave 10MinuteMail a try. It was awesome. Now, I a temporary source for email addresses. I can't stand SPAM. In the past, I've even changed addresses in order to avoid the most disgusting junk email. This has spared me a lot.

Spring Cleaning #30: Take a Load Off Our Drives

2008-04-14T17:42:00.000-05:00

Lone Star College has similar drives. However, I had yet to save anything the S or P drives before this assignment. So, I saved a copy of the HCPL Map of Locations to the S drive. Then, I deleted it. In the past, I have appreciated it when people saved items to shared computer drives. As I have previously stated, I really don't like having space taken up by big emails. I created a folder under my initials in order to contain my things on the P drive. Here, I have saved my database training worksheet. This allows Freeman staff members to view my progress.

Being new and all, I do not have much on my personal drive - drive Z. I have organized these folders into relevant, work-related groups. I keep one for timesheets, another for training, etc. When I no longer need a document, I delete it from my Z drive. Otherwise, I want to be absolutely positive before I remove something from the other two drives.

Spring Cleaning #29: Email

2008-04-10T09:33:00.000-05:00

When I worked at Cy-Fair, I was the worst email pack rat. I feared the minute I deleted an email, I would need said email. Often, I would receive this message telling me that my "mailbox was full." Thus, the ritual of deleting and/or saving emails to my personal drive would take place. While I possessed various email accounts for "friends & family," "iHCPL," and "school/organizational" items, I still struggled with lots of emails. Being subscribed to numerous work associated list-servs automatically and through no fault of my own, I received crazy amounts of email which had little relevance to my work. I had to make time during my work day for email maintenance.

Becoming a Harris County employee provided me with a new email account. I use it only for work related issues. I have color coded my messages and delete anything that is unnecessary to me or is outdated. Thankfully, hardly anyone emails me attachments.

Here is my planned course of action:

When I must share large files, I will email links to the Web or the P drive when possible.
I will comb through my email weekly and discard anything that I don't need.
I will not share my email with "forward happy" friends.
Anything which takes up a lot email space will be saved elsewhere, most likely, my Z drive or a USB drive.

Spring Cleaning #28: Don’t Clutter Up Expensive Cyberspace

2008-04-07T21:26:00.001-05:00

Growing up, I saw my mom make all sorts of lists. There were "shopping lists," "to do lists," and "goal lists" among others. One of the first things I found myself doing when I left home for college was making "to-do" lists of my own. Yet, I haven't done that as much since my college days. Well, not much beyond making New Year's Resolutions, I guess. I do recall the satisfaction it gave me to cross things off my list. One of Mom's friends was notorious for adding things she actually did to her to do list to achieve that warm sense of accomplishment. Maybe I have done that a few times myself. (I'm looking sheepish right now.)

After reading the "GTD" article, I saw why I haven't done them as often. My lists were too detailed and ambitious. I see a need to differentiate in my lists. Of course, I don't want to go so crazy that making lists is all that I manage in a day. Yet, visiting the Eiffel Tower does not need to be on my daily list, either, if I live in Texas.

Per the suggestion of iHCPL Next Gen, I added a To Do list to my iGoogle desktop. I've already added that I must: 1) Work, 2) Send E-cards, and 3) Make phone calls.

I have physical calendars as well at home and at work. I even carry a small planner that I should use more. Another thing I added to my iGoogle desktop is a calendar. Already, I have posted birthdays and other things on my Google Calendar. Annually, it will remind me of birthdays, anniversaries. I can set it up to remind me to pay bills, too. In iHCPL, I was introduced to Library Elf which notifies me of due dates and holds. This provides much assistance for someone like me who enjoys requesting books, movies, and audio.

Ultimately, my goal is to set in place all reminders online. Planners haven't worked well for me at all. Yet, something as interactive as the Internet should alleviate this issue.

Time will tell, huh?

iHCPL: The Next Generation

2008-04-01T09:42:00.002-05:00

In 2008, HCPL has been hosting "iHCPL: the Next Generation." At first, I thought this was a chance for people who hadn't done iHCPL in 2007 to do it. However, I was not completely correct. Rather, it's an opportunity to learn more about emergent and Web 2.0 technologies. Since I have moved from Cy-Fair to Freeman, I have been preoccupied.

I decided to participate in "iHCPL: the Next Generation." I will start with the "Spring Cleaning" Modules and pick up the ones from prior months afterwards.

New Position

2008-03-15T09:52:00.005-05:00

Dear Brownie Parents,

I have just accepted a job as a Reference Librarian at Harris County Public Library - Freeman Branch. I will certainly miss spending time with you and your Brownies. It has been a pleasure to meet all of you and work with your Brownies on earning try-its.

Patsy Brautigam will be coordinating the Brownies Just Try-It program. She will be handling the registration via email. In order to register your Brownie for try-it workshops, please email Patsy at patsy.r.brautigam@lonestar.edu . Also, check out Ms. Patsy's blog - http://brownietips.blogspot.com/. I will continue to post on the Brownie Points blog in my new position. Working with Patsy has been a complete privilege for me and I know your Brownies are in good hands with her. Librarians such as Patsy inspired me to become a librarian myself.

Regards,
Jorie

When I have my new email address, I will send it on to Patsy and she will share it with you. If you happen to be on your way to the beach or NASA, feel free to stop by Freeman and say hello. You can check out books there, too. :)

Animoto - October 2006 - Brownies Just Try-It "Dancersize" Workshop

2008-03-13T22:20:00.001-05:00

Photos by Patsy Brautigam

Brownies Just Try-It 2008

2008-03-12T21:46:00.001-05:00

These are photos from 2008 Brownies Just Try-It workshops at Lone Star College - Cy-Fair Library.

Registration is Full - Wave the Flag

2008-02-04T13:45:00.000-06:00

There are no openings for the "Wave the Flag" workshop at this time. If you would like to put your Brownie's name on the waiting list, please contact Jorie at marjorie.d.nissen@lonestar.edu.

"Wave the Flag" Registration

2008-02-01T12:11:00.000-06:00

"Wave the Flag" Registration is now open. Please email Jorie at marjorie.d.nissen@lonestar.edu in order to register.

Animoto - Oct/Nov 2007

2008-01-26T23:07:00.000-06:00

Photos by Patsy Brautigam and Jorie Nissen. . .

"Wave the Flag" Brownies Just Try-It Workshop

2008-01-26T15:21:00.002-06:00

On February 16^th, we will be having the “Wave the Flag” Brownies Just Try-It workshop. Registration opens on Friday, February 1^st. Registration will be done by emailing Jorie Nissen at Marjorie.d.nissen@lonestar.edu . Send the following information:

1) Your Brownie’s name (Jane Smith)
2) Her Troop Number or Name (i.e. Troop #1 or Juliette)
3) Her Grade level (i.e. 2^nd)
4) Your Phone number

If you have any questions, please email Jorie.

The "Friends Are Fun" Workshop is full.

2008-01-24T11:49:00.000-06:00

The "Friends Are Fun" Workshop has no more openings.

Registration - Friends Are Fun

2008-01-11T14:16:00.000-06:00

*****We Still Have Openings*****

Registration for the“Friends are Fun” Try-It workshop offered on Saturday, January 26^th opened this morning (January 11^th). When registering, please email me the following:

1) Your Brownie’s name (Jane Smith)

2) Her Troop Number or Name (i.e. Troop #1 or Juliette)

3) Her Grade level (i.e. 2^nd)

4) Your Phone number

I hope your Brownie can make it. If you have any questions, please email Jorie at marjorie.d.nissen@lonestar.edu or call Jorie at (281)290-3217. If you cannot reach me, please contact Patsy Brautigam at patsy.r.brautigam@lonestar.edu.

~ Jorie

“Friends are Fun”

2008-01-07T10:11:00.000-06:00

Registration for the “Friends are Fun” Try-It workshop offered on Saturday, January 26^th will open this Friday morning (January 11^th). When registering, please email me the following:

1) Your Brownie’s name (Jane Smith)

2) Her Troop Number or Name (i.e. Troop #1 or Juliette)

3) Her Grade level (i.e. 2^nd)

4) Your Phone number

I hope your Brownie can make it. If you have any questions, please email me or call me at (281)290-3217. If you cannot reach me, please contact Patsy Brautigam at patsy.r.brautigam@nhmccd.edu .

Brownies Just Try-It Workshops - Spring 2007

2007-12-18T14:48:00.000-06:00

The Spring schedule should be out in the next day or so. When it is available in flyer form in the Kids' Corner, I will email the schedule to parents. Please look at the listing below of Spring workshops.

Some changes made in Spring 2007:
- Registration will be done via email- Marjorie.d.nissen@nhmccd.edu. Registration will open two weeks prior to workshop.
- Workshops will last an hour and a half in order to complete the try-its (10:00 am to 11:30 am).
- Workshops will take place in Rm 215 in the Library/LRNC.

_____________________________________________________________________
"Whatever the reason, enjoy the season." - Jackie

Brownies Just Try-It "Animals" Animoto

2007-12-12T22:03:00.000-06:00

This is a 30 second slide show of the "Animals" Try-It workshop which took place on Saturday, September 15, 2007.

Week 10: #23 Is this really the end? Or just the beginning...

2007-12-07T17:13:00.000-06:00

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
- I liked using the RSS feeds and the Animoto site. Also, it was cool making the various widgets.
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
- It has opened my eyes to how much we humans depend on information technology. When HCPLs systems were down, it felt as though we were in the Stone Ages.
Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
- I really thought the Animoto was awesome. I hope to use it a whole lot.
What ideas do you have for using these technologies at Harris County Public Library?
- I want to encourage patrons to get in on the act. There is much potential in Web 2.0.
What else do you want to learn about? What other web 2.0 applications are you interested in?
- I'd like to learn more about folksonomies, html, and wikis. I really need to learn html in order to make sites the way I want them.

Week 9: #22 Downloadable Media

2007-12-07T16:43:00.000-06:00

I love the idea of downloadable media. Being able to access something so quickly and easily is ideal. However, I did not have much success with finding and downloading things from OverDrive. I was very disappointed. Also, I wish there more of a variety of music on there. I like things that a rather different but this collection seemed extremely esoteric.

I did like LibriVox. I was able to find some fine literature there!

Week 9: #21 Podcasts. . .

2007-12-07T14:51:00.000-06:00

A podcast is a non musical audio or video which can be found online. Skimming through the listings of Podcast.net, I found some online lit. readings. I listened a little bit to of Dracula. While it downloaded quickly, I was not crazy about the narrator's voice. Then, I subscribed to the RSS feed for Dracula. I was impressed by the pictures in that blog. This was nice but I'm not much for non-musical stuff. When I listen to radio, I look for music and I was disappointed that I could not even find someone like Paul Harvey on there. Oh, well.

Week 9: #20 Discover YouTube and other video sharing sites

2007-12-05T17:54:00.001-06:00

YouTube is one of my favorite places to visit. I especially like the music videos. I haven't had MTV nor VH1 in several years and I have gone into withdrawal. My only complaint about YouTube is some of the mature content that seems unavoidable. This will appear in the margins.

Speaking of VH1, I found this "Behind the Music" Special on the The Muppet Band's drummer, Animal. I have embedded it into my blog entry.

Enjoy!

Become a Video Producer

2007-12-05T16:22:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm neither Spike Jonze nor Ron Howard . . .

Week 8: #19 Web-based Apps: They're not just for desktops

2007-11-07T16:31:00.000-06:00

I have an infinite number of email accounts. I have one for work, one for school, some for friends and family, yet another for having DSL at home. The list never ends, seemingly. However, it was not until I found gmail that I became a very satisfied customer. Gmail allows me to upload my homework assignments. I have a word processor, a spreadsheet area, and a desktop. This follows me to any computer I use.

The concept of a wiki and zoho makes me really happy. With friends living all over the world, I can communicate with them through the free wiki service offered by Zoho. I can put in documents, take notes, and even chat there.

I tried out the Zoho writer. It was just like typing up something in MS Word. I really liked that. I also enjoyed being able to change the fonts and the colors of my text. I wish that Zoho writer offered more fonts. Nonetheless, I was happy to have signed up for Zoho.

Week 8: #18 Armchair Social Butterfly

2007-11-01T17:36:00.000-05:00

In theory, I appreciate networks such as MySpace and Facebook. However, I want to be careful of what I put on the Worldwide Web. I really like that both of these social networks do take some measures to in order to secure the sites from nasty SPAM and parties with bad intentions.

I took the Facebook tour and I like the neatness and organization of it. The fact that it lists networks is great, too. I liked being able to find some of my friends from college and I liked finding that I could not access profiles unless that person approved the action.

Week 7: #17 Blog About Technology

2007-11-01T17:09:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago, one of the librarians at Cy-Fair and I were talking about cataloging. Thanks to Internet technology, cataloging takes much less time. As with the Wikis, the text is mutable.

Another wonderful thing about the Internet is being able to pay bills online. This enables me to make payments without worrying about standard mail. I really like being able to do this.

Week 7: #16 So what's in a wiki?

2007-11-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

I consider a wiki to be a dry erase board on the Internet. A great example of this is Wikipedia. I can look up something like the music group Green Day and read the information. I might find some spelling and grammar errors. The cool thing about Wikipedia is that I can actually correct such mistakes. For someone with spelling/grammar correcting quark, this is pretty awesome.

Well, Wikipedia isn't the only wiki in town. I was able to log into iHCPL's wiki and add the Brownie Points blog to its list of Favorite blogs. This is really cool!

Week 6: #15 Version 2.0

2007-10-31T15:57:00.000-05:00

After reading Michael Stephens's article on Library 2.0, I think Stephens and I pretty much agree on how library staff should handle the "Web 2.0 Phenomenon." As Information Specialists, I think it's crucial for us to be able to assist our patrons with implementing things such as blogs and Internet social networking.

Mostly, I think Library 2.0 is great. I see it as the library embracing what the public is already doing with Internet technology. It's my hope that it brings together patrons and library staff in order to use this great tool called the Internet.

Week 6: #14 Getting not-so-technical with Technorati

2007-10-17T10:06:00.000-05:00

Internet users create blogs and post to them every second. Well, how can I find a blog about Brownie Scout troop activities? With the help of the exhaustive Technorati, I can do searches of strictly blogs. Also, with Technorati, I can find popular blogs and topics. Using the advanced search feature, I have numerous ways to discover all sorts of blogs.

Using the exact phrase search option on the term "Learning 2.0," nearly 500 results were returned. Over 300 of these postings were on blogs! Looking at popular blogs, I found some talking about earning money. Of course, I was not very surprised by that! I liked looking through the popular videos as well. It was cool when I found the Bon Jovi one.

Week 6: #13 Tag, You're It!

2007-10-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

According to Wikipedia, a tag is "a (relevant) keyword or term associated with or assigned to a piece of information (e.g. a picture, a geographic map, a blog entry, or video clip), thus describing the item and enabling keyword-based classification and search of information." Tags created by Internet users form a folksonomy.

Tagging is used on Flickr, Blogs such as mine, and Del.icio.us. The latter is a social bookmarking site that allows users to tag web sites in ways they will remember. For example, if I visit the HCPL site for book reviews, then I can label it with the tag of "book reviews." Also, I can see the most popular ways other users have tagged HCPL such as Library, Catalog, etc. iHCPL has numerous sites tagged using its Del.icio.us account. I opened my own Del.icio.us account and have been able to bookmark sites on one computer and be able to open my bookmarks on another computer. This is helps a lot with my library school homework as well as reference desk duty.

Week 5: #12 The "Library" Elf will remind you!

2007-10-15T10:26:00.000-05:00

I must say that not only am I a library employee, I am also a patron. Like many patrons, I enjoy checking out books, music, movies, etc for FREE! It is nice to be able to borrow a movie rather than rent one, if you ask me. In order to keep it completely free, I must turn material in on time. Otherwise, I am keeping others from borrowing certain materials and I am fined.

Well, the Library Elf is here to help. Of course, I like elves, especially ones that offer free assistance. The Elf can tell me via email and cell phone when something I have requested has arrived or when an item I have is due. This will help me be punctual in turning in materials I am borrowing and

To register, click on Library Elf.

Week 5: #11 A Thing about Library Thing

2007-10-12T16:04:00.000-05:00

Library Thing can be an avatar for books I've selected. With Library Thing, a user can freely create a catalog of their own books. The user can tag items. I have tagged some books as Favorites and others as Recent Read. I could even write my own reviews!

I went into the site and not only found my favorite books, I also discovered their covers. I was happy that I could list my favorite and provide eye candy at the same time. I have the Library Thing widget in the right margin. Since I am always reading and finding things I like, I'm sure my "library collection" will grow.

Week 5: #10 Play around with Image Generators

2007-10-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

An avatar, derived from Sanskrit, is an Internet user's online self-representation. I have two avatars. One of them is from my Yahoo account and is posted to the left.

The other one is my WeeMee (in the right margin). The WeeMee looks like a roly poly doll to me! Avatars can be altered by the user to look a variety of ways. I can change my avatars' clothing, setting, expressions, objects, etc. The WeeMee shown here will even reflect the changes I have made. Sometimes, my WeeMee has bottled water. Other times, she has a cup of coffee. Lately, she's been holding onto some rather appetizing candy corn. It has been a lot of fun playing around with these free avatar makers. Also, WeeWorld lets users make friends. The CFC staff has had a great time making new WeeFriends. I've enjoyed making cards for my friends to encourage them to join the fun. Slowly but surely, this will catch on with more of my non-library staff friends!

Brownies Just Try-It

2007-10-04T15:45:00.001-05:00

The "Building Art" Try-It workshop will be on Saturday, October 20th at 10:30am. Registration for the workshop opens Saturday, October 6th in the Kids' Corner at Cy-Fair College Branch Library. To register, please contact the Kids' Corner at (281)290-3211. If you have any questions, please direct those to Jorie Nissen or Patsy Brautigam.

Week 4 #9 Finding Feeds

2007-10-04T15:30:00.000-05:00

Bloglines is not the only RSS feed collector. Various sites offer a myriad of services. On Feedster, I was able to not only search for feeds from blogs, news, etc, I was also able to create and install a widget. This widget brings up any feed that mentions a term the user picks. I selected "Putumayo" because Putumayo produces a lot of kid friendly world music that I like to play at my programs. In order to know what is out there, my widget searches for the term Putumayo. My widget is in the left margin.

I must warn anyone wanting to make a Feedster widget must be using Internet Explorer 7 or my favorite Mozilla Firefox.

Happy Searching!

Week 4: #8 Keep it Really Simple - RSS Feeds

2007-10-04T12:07:00.000-05:00

So much to read and so little time. . . this may be the life of the library professional. However, no one should feel put upon to go to many addresses in cyberspace to access the latest posting on their friend's blog or the most current draft pick. There are Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. An RSS feed is an address that grows and changes with the web content of its page. Even better, all these RSS feeds can be saved to one spot. Bloglines is an aggregate or collector of RSS feeds. Users can subscribe to RSS feeds and view the most recent blog postings in one spot. This is like shopping at Super Walmart instead of visiting various stores in that it's one stop shopping. While users must open an account with Bloglines, it is a free service.

I signed up for a Bloglines account and have subscribed to over 50 feeds. This is an attempt for me to keep up with what is going on in the news to my friends and other people participating in iHCPL. I have provided the Bloglines link as well as links to the blogs of other iHCPL participants.

Warhol anyone!

2007-10-03T15:56:00.001-05:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by rhymeswithlisten

This pic was taken of my friends' cat Foxy and me. Then, I played with the Warholizer on Flickr. Isn't it awesome?

Week 3 #7 Photo Editing Tools

2007-10-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

Pixer is an online photo editing tool. Users like me can upload photographs and adjust the appearance. I uploaded a profile shot taken in 2006. I looked at the picture in "oil painting" and "1850" styles among others. I rotated the picture around and resized it, too. After playing around some, I saved a sepia image with low saturation.

There are ways to seriously improve images but I decided to mostly goof off, instead. It's a shame I couldn't find the Andy Warhol or Seurat effects. Nevertheless, this was a whole lot of fun . . . and free! I also appreciated that I did not have to create an account in order to use the tools of Pixer.

Week 3 #6 More Flickr Fun

2007-10-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

With my Flickr account, I designed a badge which can be seen on the right. I was able to select a picture, place onto something with my profile picture. Making the badge also created an html code which I was able to place onto my Blogger layout.

Week 3 #5 Discover Flickr

2007-10-03T12:58:00.001-05:00

Tour of duty 02.19.2007
Originally uploaded by rhymeswithlisten

Flickr is a free online service that allows users to upload and share pictures. Not only are pictures given titles by their owner, they can also be tagged in Flickr. Tagging happens when a person looks at an online item and gives the item descriptive words or labels. Tagging is a folksonomy.

Here is a photo of when I was leading a Scout group on a tour. The picture was taken by Cy-Fair College's Kelly N. After taking the shot, she sent me the photograph. Please look at my tags and decide whether I've used ones you would've used.

Week 2 #4 Online Safety & Sharing

2007-09-29T13:47:00.001-05:00

Writing in cyberspace is like speaking in that once a statement is made, it cannot be taken back. Even if I delete this post, I understand that the deleted post can still be found on Google. Of course, I want to choose my words wisely.

If I do not want to whole world to see something, then I shouldn't put it in my blog. This goes for words, pictures, personal information, etc.

As a Children's Specialist, I understand the need for Kid Friendly computers. Parents should be somewhat comfortable in what their children are viewing. However, one mom might think something is okay for her son or daughter to see while another mom believes the exact same thing is objectionable. Parents should decide for their children what is appropriate.

Being that as it may, I do not want to put anything that may be challenged into web content I've created. It's a thin line. Ultimately, I choose to ere on the side of caution.

Flickr

2007-09-29T13:43:00.001-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Week 2: #3 My blog

2007-09-27T09:43:00.000-05:00

Using Blogger, I grabbed myself a blog. As I understand it, a blog is like a web notebook. I can fill the pages of the notebook with anything I please. For Brownie Points, I anticipate making entries about my progress in iHCPL and Brownie events that I have planned for Fall 2007.

Shameless Plug

2007-09-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

This Friday, the Kids' Corner is having a Brownies Just Try-It! session on Computer Smarts. The workshop starts at 4:45pm. If your Brownie would like to register, please contact the Kids' Corner at (281) 290-3211.

Week 1 #2 Learning Habits

2007-09-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

The last time I was tested on my learning habits, I was not only a "Visual" learner but the kind that does best with "reading/writing." I continue to take this to mean that I do best with some text handed to me rather than hearing or feeling something. Since the iHCPL comes to me in the form of the written word, I think I will do well.

Greetings & Salutations

2007-09-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my iHCPL blog. My name is Jorie Nissen (as my email says, my last name rhymes with "Listen." The last name is Danish and it refers to a group of small elves such as the ones seen in the picture on the left. I work as a Children's Specialist at Cy-Fair Library. One thing I do is lead a weekly Preschool Story Time. Another thing I work on is Brownie Girl Scout programming at Cy-Fair. Coincidentally, Brownies are also named after tiny, helpful elves. In the end, I chose the name Brownie Points.