Wen's Woffle

Schools vs Libraries

2009-04-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Really great comparisons between libraries and schools. I don't necessarily agree with all the comments, but great observations anyway.

recording sync settings on Youtube

2009-03-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

This appears to work better for some reason when I make a link to Youtube, than directly uploading the video from my computer onto the blog. At some point I'm sure I'll find out why!

Solving sync problems in Camstudio

2009-03-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

This takes a long time to load, so click play and leave it until it's played through once, do something else, then replay. I'm uploading the video to Youtube and then embed it here to see if it plays better.

More Piccies

2009-03-15T14:51:00.001-07:00

Here's Tom waiting for his first customers for 'Flick' the fire engine. He ended up really busy driving the kids around the park. Kids love the little truck. Found the other photo of Claire and Ella trying to get infront of themselves with packs of floss. None of us managed it though. I've never seen a floss stall so busy. We were stuffed and sticky afterwards!!

Candy Floss Stall

2009-03-15T14:40:00.001-07:00

It took a while getting the hang of getting the floss on the stick, but hey look at Ella go! Claire and Ella couldn't keep up with the demand. As fast as they were making it, it was sold. We all took turns making, bagging and selling. We went home sticky and sweet and needing a shower.

Produce Stall Arthur St. School Fair

2009-03-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hey! Lorna and Christine selling their wares on the produce stall. What a great day. The apples were tasty too and were completely sold out.

Hey Arthur Street School Fair Went OFF!

2009-03-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous day we had. Mother nature sent us a day out of the bag. Fantastic day had by everyone. Hopefully we raised a heap of money. The event was opened by Mosgiel Brass Band. They were super and gave the event a wonderful carnival atmosphere.

How I Made my Podcast Using Opensource Software

2009-03-15T14:01:00.001-07:00

Just so I wouldn't forget how I did it! The recording also goes out of sync a bit and is something I'm working on. I'm using the Camstudio Codec Compressor and I need to fine tune the settings a bit.

A little bit o' Lancashire

2009-03-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

I used Audacity to make this recording then saved it as an MP3 file. Then saved the file on a free storage site http://www.mediafire.com. After that it was a case of adding the link from the storage site to here. Click below and this takes you to the site where you just click on the download button and let it play. Just ignore all the ads. It plays on my computer on itunes. I'm looking into another way of presenting the podcast in this Blog, but so far haven't been able to make the links work.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mmm1inmhyjz

toilet training

2009-03-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd try this crating method. It's new to me but we'll give it a go.

Paddy the Piddler!

2009-03-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Paddy the new member of our family. He's just 9 weeks old here and loads of energy and fun. He's a Jack Russell and he walks like a colonel in the army! Staunch and stocky...like he owns the place.

Blogging in class

2008-07-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today in class we looked at creating blogs and wikis and also how to use webquests. I haven't used my blog really, and would perhaps use it in school. I would have to bear in mind students' access to computers etc, as setting tasks online might leave out students who don't have access to computers at home.

Kite Flying in Malaysia

2008-04-19T18:14:00.001-07:00

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

Guatemala, Day of the Dead-Giant kites in graveyard.

2008-04-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Another good video to introduce cultural aspects of kite flying. Shame it didn't have local music instead of the Enigma sound track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdpSELDxt8&feature=related

Festival Valencia 2008

2008-04-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Great video of the kite flying at Valencia 2008 Festival. Will use it as an introduction to my kite flying class...cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQJIRlOl7A8&feature=related

First day at teacher's college

2008-02-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

Had a really informative orientation day, lots to get my head around, not to mention wondering what on earth have I taken on! Looking forward to getting course approval and getting the next week or so underway. Can't wait to find out which schools I'll be doing my practicums. Quite like the idea of have them completely out of town. Met a very diverse range of people from all sorts of backgrounds...cool.

Long time no blog!

2007-12-08T02:01:00.000-08:00

It's been several months since I've made an entry and it all seems a world away. Since my last entry I have handed in my notice and am now overseas. Since leaving leaving my job I have not felt the need to use my blog and I'm wondering if I'll find a new use for it next year? Hopefully next year I shall start my new career as a teacher of art and technology. I intend to post anything I find of interest. We'll just see how often I use this blog. I may decide to delete it if I feel there it is no longer useful. It will be interesting to see how I use it in the future...

Buildquiz.com

2007-07-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

This looks like another useful programme from Jimmy Ruska. It looks like it is free to use. Could be useful for online courses. Instant feedback

Cam Studio on You tube

2007-07-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

This link was sent by Leigh and looks like a really useful tutorial on how to download Cam Studio. I'll give Jimmyrcom's way a go later today.

Doing research tutorial

2007-07-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

This tutorial was created by library staff at University of Illinois at Chicago. Kate from medical forwarded the link to us. Again it's a really useful tool for classes. I would ask permission to use it in classes
before actually doing so, as I'm unsure of usage/permissions. It pays to ask!
http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/reference/services/tutorials/DoingResearch.shtml

basic searching module

2007-07-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

This module is nearly completed http://oil.otago.ac.nz/oil/Wendy.html Take a look and see what you think. We've created this basic module to help students search for information. We're trialling it tomorrow in an OT class and also with students in a foundation course. It will be interesting to get the feedback from these sessions. For anyone interested in creating their own modules follow this link and take a look at the modules that have been created by the Information Literacy e-Learning Modules project team. You can find more resources available for download here http://oil.otago.ac.nz/oil/index/Resources-and-materials.html

converting subtitles to another language

2007-06-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

Blimey, can't believe it's so long since I last posted! Here's a useful site for converting subtitles into other languages for your vids Wiki Video in Multiple Languages via DotSub It's from a feed I have to http://www.commoncraft.com/

What do I do with all this stuff I'm learning about?

2007-05-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

This is my question to myself today. How can I use the technology I'm learning about an effective teaching tool for me, and even more importantly, how to I use it to make learning effective? I've been looking at several videos (see past posts) that basically say if you don't engage your students they don't learn. How am I to present I/L stuff and make it interesting? After attending yesterday's wikieducator meeting at the Polytechnic, I don't think forming a library wiki for students is necessarily the best way to go. It seems I and the students would have more flexibility if I used a blog as a learning space. I'm not sure I fully understand why...confusion here. I could start another blog specifically aimed at sharing I/L skills. This could include work sheets/quizzes/FAQ/how to's/videos/example searches etc. I'm presently trying to develop a module on how to searcheffectively, and aiming it at foundation students. I'm (actually Susan and I) are using Magnolia and I'm wondering if I would be better using a blog.... mmmmmm. A big thanks to Michael Bretherton who gave me permission to add his photo to my blog. I found his image on http://www.sxc.hu/

Introducing singingsally

2007-05-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hey, I just managed to create my newMeez character. You can too at http://www.meez.com/home.dm

Jumping for joy

2007-05-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

Yes I managed to get my Meez character working and found this great Web 2.0 video. It has an anthropological perspective
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Collaborative research

2007-05-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

I went to a very exciting class yesterday. A group of travel and tourism students were being introduced to the idea of collaborative research using a wiki. See how the class progressed and then click on this link to read, "Digital Learners Indeed', which is the tutors observations of the session.

Several useful finds this week

2007-04-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple explanation of RSS (video).
http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

And here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw is a very thought provoking video on technology in teaching...making the learning/teaching experience engaging... sent to me by Leigh Blackall, he asked for considerations. Here's my response to it-
This is like a well designed advertisement by Saatchi and Saatchi. Great musical score! Very inspirational. Is this an advertising stunt from the apple imac/ipod people? Technology is a wonderful way to engage students and help them learn. There is so much potential. Unfortunately the video comes from one view point, and judging by some of the comments this annoyed some people. I can see their point to some degree. Coming from a non-teaching background, I can only comment about my own experiences as a learner, and it did come across as the bee all, and I don’t necessarily think technology is the bee all and end all of good learning experiences-
a) you need to know how to use it,
b) the content needs to be engaging , and
c) I think good teaching practices and course design is still at the heart of effective learning, with or without technology. One size doesn’t necessarily fit all.
For me there needs to be variety and balance. jsdt4 is right when he/she says podcasting is a great way to connect with students, but you still need to make the casts interesting. I believe you need to use the technology effectively. For example I’ve recently read several wiki’s, that for me, were a real let down and quite frankly boring. They contained screeds and screeds of writing, and were not much fun to read! I just switched off, literally. So I don’t think the author’s of the wiki’s (in my case) gained anything by using their wiki as a learning platform. They needed to engage me and they didn’t. So I suppose what I’m trying to say is, the new technology is great! Use it, but use it wisely.

P.S. still a great video

Blogs and learning (eFest 2006)

2007-04-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

I like this quote "We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down"
Kurt Vonnegut

This site was forwarded to me by Leigh Blackall
http://seeking.wikispaces.com/Blogs+and+learning

What do you think about my blog?

2007-04-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

Please post any comments regarding my blog and how you might see blogs working in libraries. Is there a place for them in our library? Is web2.0 technology useful for librarys and librarians to have? Have you a blog? Have you used a wiki? How can I encourage my work mates to give blogs and web2.0 stuff a go? Are you interested at all? If not why not? All answers are valid, and I make no judgements.

"First free, grassroots, completely online course devoted to teaching librarians about social software and how to use it in their libraries."

2007-04-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

I just found out about this and unfortunately missed it. However, the course content can be viewed from the site. http://www.sociallibraries.com/course/about

About Five Weeks to a Social Library

In this blog was a ink to this blog http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/ will look at later.

Web 2.0: Social Software Applications for Libraries

2007-04-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Just found out I can attend this course (2 weeks time). I'll let you know how I go. http://training.caval.edu.au/pdt/show_course.php?CID=247

Personal histories recorded- StoryCorps

2007-04-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

StoryCorps http://www.storycorps.net/ is a national [US] project to instruct and inspire people to record one another's stories in sound. StoryCorps is made possible with the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Corporation for Pubic Broadcasting and the Carnegie Corporation. WNYC Radio is the public radio sponsor of StoryCorps-Grand Central.” Examples of the recordings are:

“When I was nine, I weighed 250 pounds.”Johnnie Tyson tells her niece Sandra Fleming about growing up obese.
“She was determined to keep us together as a family.” Joyce Butler remembers her mother, who worked in a shipyard during World War II, in an interview with her daughter, Stephanie.
“What’s your life like now, Dad?”Priya Morganstern and Bhavani Jaroff interview their father, Ken Morganstern, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

I’ve tried to find a NZ equivalent and found something similar at Te Ara : The Encyclopedia of New Zealand http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/en However most were written entries and not recordings. It would have been wonderful to hear the accents etc of the New Zealand settlers, which is the extra dimension you get with StoryCorps. Check out the copyright agreements to reproduce/copy/ etc from either of the sites.

recording of the Wikipedia debate

2007-04-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.languagelabunleashed.com/2007/04/01/llu-19-the-great-wikipedia-debate/

This is a discussion/debate about the advantages and disadvantages of Wikipedia. One professor discusses why his history department banned their students citing information from Wikipedia. Another explains why she asks her students to use it for their research assignments. Debate follows about the value of using Wikipedia as an educational tool. They discuss its strengths and weakneses etc. There were interesting points brought up about misinformation both malicious and non malicious. How do you trust a source? Who is editing the entries and why? What is Wikipedia about?-what's its philosophy etc? Listening to this I kept thinking that people need to develop their critical thinking skills, so it simply becomes a habit, or a way of questioning the information. You apply this to any information you find anywhere. See Standard 3 of the ANZIIL standards- ("The information literate person critically evaluates information and the information seeking process"). http://www.anziil.org/resources/Info%20lit%202nd%20edition.pdf
Aha! but how do you evaluate stuff? Well here's Alastair Smith's (of VUW Department of Library and Information Studies, New Zealand) list to help you. http://www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/alastair_smith/evaln/evaln.htm

On the subject of authority he tells you to ask questions like:

"Does the resource have some reputable organisation or expert behind it? "
"Does the author have standing in the field?"
"Are sources of information stated? "
"Is the information verifiable? "
"Can the author be contacted for clarification or to be informed of new information? "

You can apply these questions to Wikipedia. If the writer is worth his/her salt, he/she should be stating where they from and what their qualifications are. Always check these out.

On the subject of accuracy he tells you to ask questions like this:

"Is the information in the resource accurate? You may wish to check this against other resources, or by checking some information about which you have special knowledge. "
"Are there political or ideological biases? The Internet has become a prime marketing and advertising tool"
"What motivation does the author have for placing this information on the Net. Frequently the answer is that the information is placed to advertise, or support a particular point of view."

The how-to-stuff is out there-folks just need to think critically about their sources. Who's role is it to teach this-the students themselves? teaching staff? library staff?...mmmm... another debate!

Library Music Video Made in Dunedin

2007-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

A Message from Rainy and Geva who made the movie:
"Thanks for your message and glad you like the video. Please feel free to embed it. We'll be performing for New Zealand Music Month at the Dunedin Public Library on May 11th at 12.30 lunchtime - would love to see you there, we like to befriend as many librarians as possible!

Thanks again!

Haunted Love (Rainy and Geva)"

Inside the Brain an Interactive Tour

2007-04-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.alz.org/brain/overview.asp
"What happens in the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease? This tour explains how the brain works and how Alzheimer's affects it. Taking the tour: There are 16 interactive slides. Move forward or back one slide at a time by clicking on the arrows. You can also jump to any slide by clicking on its number at the top of each page. As you view each slide, roll your mouse over any colored text that appears on each page to highlight special features of each image."Excellent tour with wonderful anatomical graphics. Also has some good links to other Alzheimer sites.

commonly confused words explained

2007-04-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

Very handy website for essay writing tips
http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/classicerrors/confused/?view=get

Open University learning units (Nursing)

2007-04-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
For those of you who are in the Nursing School, you might want to take a look at these learning units from the Open University (UK). They come under a Creative Commons License. I think they're worth a look.

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1494
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1625
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1586
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1527

Interesting article on PowerPoint

2007-04-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

This link was sent to me by Merrolee. Makes interesting reading
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html

some meanderings about blogging so far...

2007-04-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

It's been several months since I started my blog, and it does appear to be developing into a sharing of information for library staff and other interested individuals. I recently found out about widgets and managed to create a poll widget, uploaded a couple of vids from You Tube, and added pictures and links. There's so much that can be done it's amazing. When I get the time, I'd like to explore widgets a bit more. I can see these being used for quick question and answer quizzes. These could be used in a number of ways on the library website, staff blogs, class blogs etc. They could provide instant feedback for students. In the eCDRF project research report, one finding was students liked the instant feedback on some the activities. I see this as a way to make info lit more interesting and less dry. I could set I/L or APA citation exercises. Students could attempt them and find out how they were doing instantly...cool.
Time...this is something I'm having difficulty coming to grips with. I seem to be spending lots of time reading blogs, connecting through to various feeds/links and writing my own. Blogging does seem to take up a lot of time. After saying that, I know I'm faster now, as I know what I'm doing (more or less). May be it takes time getting to know the good sites you can rely on, or that are useful, and set up feeds to them. The amount of information out there is another problem. Filtering what is relevant and what I need is the biggest challenge. There again once I have picked up some good blogs, I've added a feed and can easily keep up with what's happening, sift or delete stuff.
Connecting and networking with other folk is easy with blogging. It doesn't matter if you're in the same town or half a world away. The sharing of information is the most valuable tool there is to learning. The trick is to be able to have the skills to evaluate/filter/examine/critically think about that shared information- be selective. Passing these skills on to folk is very important. Good decisions can be made by following some simple rules. Here are a few sites I've found useful
http://www.big6.com/ http://www.virtualchase.com/quality/checklist.html http://www.studygs.net/evaluate.htm
http://www.slu.edu/departments/english/research/index.html

Ooops gotta go, more later...

Why Johnny Can't Search (Intelligently)

2007-04-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael on Library 2.0 forums listing, from the Chronicle of Higher Education (Wednesday, March 7th, 2007)

There's a lot to read and I haven't read it all yet. Would also like to look at some of the links.
Very good transcript of a live discussion. Has some interesting comments and discusses issues from: citing the web, respecting others ideas, skills and ethical aspects, critical thinking, web2.0 complicates the evaluation process, [does it really? don't we apply the same skills?], possible devaluation of expertise and authority, concept of being information literate as a way of thinking or a habit. Who teaches I/L, teachers or librarians?
Worth a closer look

Another great library video

2007-04-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Merrin for finding this one!

Information lit video from Youtube

2007-03-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hey I added a poll widget!!

2007-03-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Just for fun I thought I'd add this poll. Please vote so I can see if it works. You could use this gadget for all sorts of things. OOOHHHhhhh...me brains working overtime now!!!

widgets wot are they?

2007-03-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

This screen cast of how to install widgets is really easy to follow. Beth explains what they are, their differences, how you might use them and how to install them. They are easy to use and let you add different types of content to your blog or website. I'm going to put it Beth's claim to the test and see if I can install a widget that will let me run a poll!

http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2007/03/screncast_using.html

downloadable google search tips

2007-03-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

From Google-"Looking for tools to help teach your students and patrons how to use Google more effectively? Feel free to download and distribute these materials as widely as you'd like."
http://www.google.com/librariancenter/librarian_tools.html
Sheets include Quiz, Quiz answers, Custom Search Engine Starter Guide, Google Book Search Handout, Search Tips poster, and Search Tips bookmark

Library Web 2.0 blog

2007-03-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

I'm so thrilled to have found this blog. It's wonderful. The video page in particular is really funny. Apart from the list of videos there are several very valuable looking forums and discussions taking place. I'm really impressed.
http://library20.ning.com/video

"Mr.Bean: The Library" is a favourite http://library20.ning.com/video/video/show?id=515108%3AVideo%3A9241 and so is "March of the Librarians" a spoof of March of the Penguins http://library20.ning.com/video/video/show?id=515108%3AVideo%3A8872

Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine

2007-03-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

I had a quick look at this tutorial on MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, U.S.) and thought it had some very good content. This would be useful for all health science staff and students to take a look at.

"This tutorial teaches you how to evaluate the health information that you find on the Web. It is about 16 minutes long.You need a Flash plug-in, version 6 or above, to view it. If you do not have Flash, you will be prompted to obtain a free download of the software before you start.
The tutorial runs automatically, but you can also use the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen to go forward, backward, pause, or start over." (MedlinePlus, NLM)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/webeval/webeval.html

RSS feeds

2007-03-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Here's two good explanations/examples of what RSS feeds are and how to use them. I've managed to add feeds for myself too!
http://weblogg-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/RSSFAQ4.pdf (this has a creative commons license) and Leigh's "Using RSS" http://learnonline.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/using-rss/

Librarian Avengers

2007-03-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

A very funny librarian blog (tongue in cheek almost black humour) The FAQ page really tickled me. We're not all like that honest!
http://librarianavengers.org/worship/

and the "Are you geeky enough to be a librarian?" page is funny too http://librarianavengers.org/2006/03/

Libraries on notice!

2007-03-19T21:39:00.001-07:00

Thought this was great, had a good laugh at this one!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsphotos/211452956/

Changing Spaces in Libraries

2007-03-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
My Library Manager is interested in the impact that new ways of learning and teaching have on our physical spaces. She wants to know what academics and students are doing this year, that might mean a different use for our library space, and how can we (the library), help to accomodate the changing learning environment?
I'm aware that our library is on the waiting list to have Wireless, and I have a few more suggestions such as having a central learning commons, group study rooms, virtual space environments-blogs etc. How do you use your library spaces? Are there teaching staff out there that have any new needs or noticed the changing environment? If so please let me know. What would you like to see happening in tertiary libraries? What's happening in your library? What about you librarians out there... are you experiencing changing spaces? What's happening for you in your library. What's changing?
I'd be really interested to know. Any feedback would be really helpful.

William's Class Blog

2007-03-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Great to see William's class blogging. Left an encouraging comment.

Podcast of speaker Kevin Harris at TAFE NSW Libraries Conference 2007

2007-03-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

Leigh sent me this podcast to listen to. The speaker is Kevin Harris, Director, TAFE NSW, NSI
who was addressing the 20:20 Vision, TAFE NSW Libraries Conference 2007 in Sydney. Kevin is Chair, Library Strategies group & Director, TAFE NSW, Northern Sydney Institute
Download the MP3 file (8:53 Min 2.3 Mb)
Here's a summary for those who just want a quick read or can't for some reason download the file...
In a nut shell he is basically saying libraries and librarians are critical partners in teaching and learning (and of course I agree). He doesn't go into much detail but says he is constantly being asked to be flexible. In his experience, he says it has been librarians who have been the examples of people who are flexible…mmmmm …I'm glad that's so, as I can think of a few that aren't !! He explains his world is about social technologies and how important they are, and he obviously supports the technologies and the move for libraries to be involved. He thinks it's important to take any opportunity to network and get together and meet. I presume he was meaning that libraries and staff need to get involved and network with the staff and students of their institution. Which is just what we tried to do last year. The Polytech is not behind the 8 ball there! I'd like to hear more from him, he certainly seems to be a progressive thinker.
It would be good to hear what others think...have a listen

Thought of the day

2007-03-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

"Some people strengthen the society just by being the kind of people they are."John W. Gardner.

See his bio- http://www.experiencecorps.org/about_us/gardner_bio.html
Permission to publish photo kindly given by Amberle Van Den Broeke from(stock.xchng)

Library Involvement in Education projects.

2007-03-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

I'm really keen on developing Library involvement in education projects. Leigh Blackall's blog article on "New Librarian skills and capabilities needed " promted me to reply. I posted the following comments to networked learning group.

"For myself working in the tertiary environment I believe it is very important to be part of what is going on in my institution. It is so easy to feel out of touch and adrift from what is going on in the teaching environment. Being involved in some of the flexible learning projects (albeit in a small way) has introduced me to all sorts of new stuff-wikipedia, wikiverstiy, blogs, podcasting, creative commons licensing, social bookmarking, online delivery, the pro's and con's of finding suitable content to use online, copyright restrictions, online delivery environments etc etc.
It also gave me the opportunity to use some of my traditional librarian skills. For instance- I've known where and how to find certain information, put into action searching techniques, wrestled with copyright issues, and most importantly evaluated what I've found, to see if it was useful.
I'm also in touch with the learning needs of the staff and students that come into the library. These can vary from being highly proficient with new technology (and me learning from them), to having never used a computer before. I'm also aware that some students who feel confident using computers are not as skilled at finding information and haven't developed their skills to their full potential. Being aware that there are these differences is really important.
There have been many great spin-offs from being involved with the projects.These include getting to know staff, networking with them, learning about the new technology, seeing the technology being applied in their teaching, seeing how the new technologies could work for us in the library, seeing the potential for students to access a diverse range of information I could go on*but the one thing that has hit me square in the face, like a wet blanket, is that as a professional librarian I need to keep abreast of new developments, and *it's hard!* At times I have felt completely daunted by all the new technologies, it's happening so fast, and there's a whole new language connected to all this stuff. However, everyday I worked on the projects I learned a bit more, and now feel a bit less like a flailing fish.The actual getting stuck in and using the technology, has for me, has been the one way of getting to understand it. I consider myself lucky that I've been given this opportunity. I've also come to realise that I need to be pro-active in asking for professional development opportunities.
We probably only have a few librarians who are comfortable with the new technology (and actually use it). I've chatted to several colleagues and most feel daunted with the new technology. We agree that we need much more professional development in this area, otherwise how can we keep up with the students? How can we support staff and students if we don't have the skills ourselves?
I would like to see more opportunities for librarians and lecturing staff to collaborate and learn together. There's a lot we can offer each other, and at the end of the day I think the institution and the students are the winners."

I also recieved the following reply...

"Hi Wendy,
It's great to read about your interest in whats happening into the tertiary environment, and really being involved in the educational environment.Several years ago I spent time in Alberta and Vancouver and talked with educational development teams there - they're on a much bigger scale than us, and much better funded... but what struck me is that Library stuff were integral to any distance based programmes. They were included in the planning teams, they even handled the copy and distribution of readings for distance based courses. I would love to see something like that happen at OP - and have this year joined the Library Committee (OP and BRL)... perhaps this is the place to bring this up???Merrolee"

Does anyone else have any comments or experiences to discuss? It would be great to hear your comments.

info for travel and tourism and medical videos

2007-03-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
I’ve come across a few sites that might be useful for travel and tourism, plus an interesting set of videos for patients (see last on list). I haven’t checked for copyright permissions etc, you will need to contact the various bodies involved if you wish to re-use any of them. I did find a couple of the medical videos on YouTube though.

Cheers

Wendy (Library)

Ecotourism.org
http://www.ecotourism.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/eco_template_news.aspx?articleid=12&zoneid=25
“Promoting responsible travel that unites conservation and communities since 1990”

This site has links to TIES research publications, library resources. Can subscribe to site ($150 US, institution charge) which may give access to further publications etc. Worth a look I’d say.

What would you have loved to learn about in a high school travel and tourism class?-BLOG
http://ask.metafilter.com/53613/What-would-you-have-loved-to-learn-about-in-a-high-school-travel-and-tourism-class

If interested, this might be a useful blog to keep tabs on. Some of the comments that have been left have given some potentially good resources for tourism and travel.

The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute,

http://csrs2.aut.ac.nz/NZTRI/nztrinew/index/index.asp
“The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, based at the Auckland University of Technology, brings together experts in the tourism and hospitality arena. Our goal is to develop timely and innovative research solutions for the tourism industry and those who depend on it. Our focus is on helping to develop a profitable and sustainable industry which provides tangible benefits for business, residents and visitors.”
Learn2Book Interactive Viewdata Training-(advertisement for product)
http://www.mondrago.co.uk/template.asp
“Learn2Book is a truly unique, interactive training course built around a Viewdata simulator. It immerses your learners in the Viewdata environment, giving them the skills and confidence to use a range of tour operators' reservation systems.”
Flash player is needed to see the Learn2book in action
SAGE Journals Online-
http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/searchresults?fulltext=travel+and+tourism+history&src=hw
I did a search for travel and tourism history and found several useful looking abstracts
Only abstracts are available. However, articles can be purchased (see subscription details), OR you may be able to interloan an article from another library in NZ. Interloan and Document Delivery information can be found at http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/searchresults?fulltext=travel+and+tourism+history&src=hw

Medical videos

http://www.builthsurgery.co.uk/pages/gallery/video.htm

This site has several information videos for patients developed by Builth & Llanwrtyd Medical Practice, which is a Doctors Surgery in rural Mid Wales, UK. They produce information videos for patients. Subjects covered include Chlamydia, spacer devices, cervical screening…

Article- Internet searching for OT students/staff

2007-02-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

Blimey it's a long time no blog for me! After having many weeks in the other world of deepest darkest Lancashire I'm back! I came across an interesting article for OT staff and students today inOTPractice (Jan 22, 2007), pg 16-19, "Surfing or Searching the Internet?" by Mary S. Binderman and Mindy A. Hecker. I t has many tips for searching and has some simple explanations of what different search engines do and tips on searching. It also goes into copyright issues, evaluating sources and has a list of sources for open-Access fulltext articles that would be useful for OT staff/students to know about if they didn't already know. The call no. for OTPractice is Per615.8515 OT

Second Life Language lab

2006-12-20T17:20:00.001-08:00

Hey Swan,
This one's for you to check out-could help your Italian

http://languagelab.com/

Second Life Language lab

2006-12-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hey Swan,
This one's for you to check out-could help your Italian

http://languagelab.com/

conversation internet archiving

2006-12-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,
this interview makes interesting listening
http://www.archive.org/details/StewartCheifet-the-InternetArchive

Its betweenLeigh Blackall (EDC, Otago Polytech) and Stewart Cheifet from Internet Archive

I'm sure Leigh would love some feedback

Second Life

2006-12-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

Managed to create my own SL account today. My avatar is Agnes Mollar. Hopefully I will be able to play around with her image once I manage to get the software downloaded. With a bit of luck this should happen tomorrow. I'd love to revisit the SL library Leigh and I visited yesterday. It was quite a bizarre and exciting experience! Talking to the librarian (Dana) was excellent and I'd like to do the same again once I've found my way around the library and it's contents. It would be interesting to find out how/why the library chose to use SL. Could we develop something here? It would be such fun and possibly a great way of getting students into the library, both virtual and physically! What a hoot.
I can imagine lessons/lectures/labs all sorts of stuff could be taught using SL. Unsure whether the medium would suit all students, but a great way of delivering information AND making it fun and engaging. Would love to get involved in some project just to find out how it all works, and staff and student reactions to it. I must admit to being apprehensive (still am really) in the initial introduction, but the potential at this stage seem fantastic...

Experiencing SL (second life)

2006-12-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

Leigh and I used a SL library today. Very interesting, had a live chat with Dana(avatar) the librarian. Very strange and interesting experience. Can't wait to get it up and running for myself. I'd like to revisit the library and have a good look at the resources and perhaps have another conversation wirth the library staff as to why they decided to use SL, how it is being used by students and what to they think are the advantages/disadvantages of SL.

Here's some of our conversation-

You: librayr blog?[15:47]
Danu Dahlstrom: i do a viratual reference shift a week[15:47]
Danu Dahlstrom: library blogs - do you read any?[15:47]
You: no... do you have any links :)[15:48]
Danu Dahlstrom: info island has a blog - http://www.infoisland.org/ - tells what's happening here[15:48] Danu Dahlstrom: classes, events,e tc[15:48]
You: ok[15:48]
You: getting that one now[15:48]
Danu Dahlstrom: some good blogs to google that i read - tame the web (michael stevens), stephen's lighthouse [15:48]
Danu Dahlstrom: librarian in black[15:48]
Danu Dahlstrom: those are soem good one s that link to lots of others

stuff for polytech

2006-12-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

Just had a chat with Leigh about uses for my blog and i like the idea of being able to log my work activities, as so much of it isn't tangible. So for people who are reading this and find stuff that is slightly meaningless-it is because I'm jotting down stuff I've found or done.
I've done heaps of searching for tekotagotourism and have put several blog, websites that i think might be useful for people to use
these are the ones so far PLEASE NOTE - NOT ALL SITES HAVE A CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCE-therefore some permissions will need to be sought. i don't see this as a problem though, as it is just another step to take when course building/developing.

'Just World News' by Helena Cobban: Xian, history, mass tourism
edit / delete
Xian, history, mass tourism. This could be an interesting blog to follow up and 'chat' to Helena about the impact of tourism on China/what it means to China/experiences etc
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismblog ... 6 mins ago
http://usmayors.org/uscm/news/press_releases/documents/atlanta_report_101702.pdf
edit / delete
"the role of travel and tourism in America's top 100 metropolitan areas" Interesting article-need to write to get permission to copy or re-use
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism ... 9 mins ago
Avenue Vine: INTERVITIS 2007, Theme is “Wine-Tourism-Architecture"
edit / delete
interesting article check out permissions-looks promising further investigating needed
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism ... 12 mins ago
http://www.zirma.com/blog/
edit / delete
Zirma - Travel, communication and mobilities This looks like a very interesting blog-see what you think
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismblog ... saved by 3 other people ... 16 mins ago
Hotel Marketing Newsletter - Internet Marketing News For Hotels
edit / delete
Updated daily, HOTELMARKETING.COM features breaking news and business information in the categories "Internet Marketing", "Online Travel" and "Hospitality Industry". All content is free-of-charge and available as an Online Magazine, weekly E-mail Newslett
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismplanning tourismanalysis tourismmarketing ... 23 mins ago
Tourism and Leisure Weblog: EIBTM 2006 - Instituto de Empresa Business School
edit / delete
Business Travel and Tourism is an important niche in tourism industry and the most profitable. Maybe that is why it is considered as a horizontal niche in the economic development of the cities. Can be viewed in English language. Check copyright/useage re
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismblog ... 31 mins ago
TripAdvisor Forums
edit / delete
have a look at these personal recommendations before you go anywhere. Interesting concept for anyone in the travel business. May need permissions if wanting to copy blogs/comments etc. Check out before you use.
to tekotagotourism tekotagotravelandtourism travelforums travel ... saved by 5 other people ... 34 mins ago
Tourism Leading Indicators Monitor
edit / delete
Tourism Leading Indicators Monitor tracks trends in the New Zealand tourism industry. The Monitor is updated monthly with key indicators for inbound tourism, outbound tourism, domestic tourism, commercial accommodation and visitor expenditure. CHECK USEA
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismanalysis tourismtrends tourismforecasts ... 1 day ago
http://www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/8FD42E7C-A1BF-48FB-877C-B800352C7AC7/19449/UnderstandingDynamicsofTourism.pdf
edit / delete
"An understanding of tourism is derived from measurements of a number of different aspects of the tourism industry. This booklet sets out some highlights from the core tourism data set and guides. CHECK USEAGE/COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismanalysis tourismresearch ... 1 day ago
Forecasts and Trends
edit / delete
Forecasts & Trends Several reports are available on tourism forecasts & trends. CHECK COPYRIGHT USEAGE/RESTRICTIONS
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismanalysis tourismtrends tourismforecasts ... 1 day ago
Tourism Flows Model
edit / delete
The Tourism Flows Model (TFM) is a unique GIS software tool that allows users to study the movements of international and domestic travellers in New Zealand. Users can identify trends and potential capacity constraints before they occur by accessing power
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourismresearch tourismanalysis ... 1 day ago
Economic Contribution
edit / delete
The following reports are available on tourism's contribution to the New Zealand economy:
to tekotagotravelandtourism tekotagotourism tourism economy ... 1 day ago
Backpacker visitors to New Zealand
edit / delete
Report PDF-"Backpacking visitors tend to be a particularly visible component of the New Zealand international visitor market." CHECK COPYRIGHT/USEAGE RESTRICTIONS
to tekotagtourism tekotagotravelandtourism backpackers ... 1 day ago
Ministry of Tourism - Research
edit / delete
This site replaces the Tourism Research Council New Zealand website. The information on this website aims to inform tourism industry stakeholders about the sector to support effective planning and decision-making.
to tekotagotourism tekotagotravelandtourism tourismresearch tourism ... 1 day ago
Tourism Planning Toolkit - Introduction
edit / delete
Government website with tourism planning toolkit Contents-Tourism – A Major New Zealand Industry, Local Government’s Role in Tourism, Why Local Government Should Invest in Tourism The Link Between the Tourism Toolkit and Local Government, Potential
to tekotagotourism tekotagotravelandtourism planning tourism newzealandtourism ... 1 day ago

Mashups

2006-12-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, I've discovered this really fun mashup from Flickr. Type in your text (I used my name) and it searches Flickr for images that match. AND you can change the letters by clicking on them. Can't see what use it is but it's fun!!!

http://metaatem.net/words/

site for teachers

2006-11-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

This could be a good resource for some of our teaching students

http://www.sitesforteachers.com/index.html

Info lit tutorial

2006-11-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
This site has some interesting info lit tutorials. Could we do something similar to suit our students? Even if we don't, it would be good to make some of our students aware this site. Wot dya think?

http://www.library.cqu.edu.au/finding/websearch/tutorials.htm

Places I've visited

2006-11-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands
Just to show you chaps where in the world I've been!

15 minutes a day

2006-11-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

Well who's started it? It'll take some effort to get through the listed tasks-wots the prizes anyone know?

blip.tv

2006-11-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Blip tv has some interesting vids. If you're interested take a look at http://www.blip.tv/
I had a look at this one, but not being a wine lover, I didn't go the distance and it was very slow.
http://www.blip.tv/posts/?search=sauterne
"Today Gary tastes three wonderful Sauternes and in the mix is the classic Chateau Dâ€™Yquem. Gary also points out a great thing going on in the forums and asks you a pretty cool question. Hope you enjoy this classic Episode. "
I did find an interesting clip on someone copperfoiling stained glass.

2006-10-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Just confirming that I am finally "blogged" on, and am now going to take off to eat my sandwiches!

Web 2

2006-10-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Or is it web 1? I am testing sending a new post.

2006-10-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well here goes - my first blog - what to say - to quote my almost 100 year old Nana - 'Every day the thing to do is learn a little something new' - Well thats one new thing for today and its only 8.45am!

2006-10-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, I've just searched flickr and found some lovely photos. Did you know you can have flickr account and post your own photo's? You can make the account as public or private as you wish-e.g just invite certain people, like family to view your snap shots or have thenm for full public view. I have flicker on my google home page and I set it up from the "classic home" page link on the google page. I also set up my google page to show local weather, time etc. WOW it's amazing what you can do when you play around! I was going to upload the images I found, but having problems. I'l try again later.

2006-10-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

I've just tried to see if I can make this blog unsearchable from a search engine. Hopefully what I've done is -told the search engine not to follow up (in HTML thingy stuff) and searches with our keywords. In other words if someone does a "wotsitabout" search in google our blog should be hidden from general public view. I'm going to try a search next to see if it has worked. I think this is the nearest way to making a blog as private as possible, as yet you can't make a blog entirely private. As we're all new and don't want to make fools of our selves I thought this might be useful!

2006-10-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
Seeing Wallace can make gromit some techno trousers, may be we can get with it and try out a blog! As you know I'm a 'techno phobic', but I'm willing to give it a go if you are. I thought i'd create a Blog and invite you, just so you can look and see what it's about. Not sure if this has any relevance for work, but at least we know what they're about.

What do you think?
Shall we discuss new stuff here?
Are you willing to give it a go?

You can post your comments, and even if we decide this is not a good forum, at least we know what they're about.