Baker's Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona - Recently Updated Pages

Baker's Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona Home

Mutabilis — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:04:25 CST

The Baker's Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona program officially ended on December 8, 2008 However, you can still use this site to discover more about web 2.0 technologies! Feel free to read the 13 Things, do the exercises, experiment and play! Tech support is no longer available and we won't be monitoring the discussion anymore, but this site will remain active until further notice. Have fun!

The Baker's Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona program officially ended on December 8, 2008
However, you can still use this site to discover more about web 2.0 technologies! Feel free to read the 13 Things, do the exercises, experiment and play! Tech support is no longer available and we won't be monitoring the discussion anymore, but this site will remain active until further notice. Have fun!

September 2, 2008 - December 8, 2008

About the Program
Baker’s Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona is a statewide learning program brought to you by the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records and Pima County Public Library.

This program is designed to encourage library staff in Arizona to experiment and learn about the new and emerging technologies and how information is used and created on the Internet today. Baker’s Dozen is designed to be fun, interactive and to stimulate learning. We hope you will share your ideas on how these Web 2.0 tools can be used in your libraries and media centers.

This is a fully online self-discovery learning program. We have used many Web 2.0 tools to design this program, including WetPaint, YouTube, Flickr, & Blogger - which we learned as we went. You can learn them, too.

The program will encourage you to take control of your own learning and to utilize your lifelong learning skills through exploration and play.

The Goals of this Program are to:

Encourage exploration of Web 2.0 and new technologies by library staff in Arizona.
Provide staff with new tools (that are freely available on the Internet) to better support the role of libraries as places of discovery in our communities.

Desired Outcomes:
Library staff members who participate in this self-discovery learning program will:

become familiar with a variety of web 2.0 tools and websites and how they are used
feel more prepared to help library customers who ask about web 2.0 tools and websites
have a better understanding of how libraries might use web 2.0 tools and websites to reach out to library users and non-users

Getting Started

Please read the Frequently Asked Questions before you start. The FAQs include Instructions!
Then get started on The 13 Things.

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

Baker’s Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona is based on the Learning 2.0 program designed by Helene Blowers, Technology Director, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County that was loosely based upon Stephen Abram's article 43 Things I (or You) Might Want To Do This Year (Information Outlook - February 2006) and the Web site 43 Things. We also used ideas from 23 Things on a Stick, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, and other Library Learning 2.0 programs.

We’d like to thank Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records for providing staffing for this program. What would we do without people, after all?

This project was supported with funds granted by the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records Agency under the Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

#10 - Online Gaming

Danforth — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:49:07 CDT

What's Online Gaming?

If the Baker's Dozen is about learning through playful experimentation, then you will have even more fun in this section. You get to play games online!

Now, when some people hear the words "online gaming" they think casinos and offshore gambling. That's not what this is about!

Neither are we looking at tabletop games played face-to-face in real life. Many libraries have video games, boardgames or role-playing games in their programs for teens and adults, but you need the equipment and the space to play these.

For the Baker's Dozen we're going to concentrate on the equipment you have in front of you this minute: a computer and a little time.

Online games come in many flavors!

They can be simple games typically played alone, like solitaire or jigsaw puzzles.
They can be competitive games, with all ranges of complexity, but with a beginning and an end. These could be Scrabble, chess, or a game of Hearts.
They can be interactive activities with no embedded goals or endgame, but which has content that builds and grows. Many Facebook applications fit this description.
They can be highly complex persistent virtual worlds with an essential social component, which may or may not have embedded goals or any real "end." You've seen patrons play Runescape, and you've probably heard news reports about World of Warcraft and Second Life.

Discovery Exercise

Play at least two (2) of the varieties of games described above: simple games, competitive games, interactive activities or virtual worlds. The games often start with tutorials to teach you the basics. Don't be afraid to play around and experiment -- the consequences of not being perfect the first time are negligible, and you learn by making mistakes. That's what being game-savvy is all about.
You don't have to use these particular links -- they are just here to give you a place to start if you're unfamiliar with online games.
To complete this exercise, go to the bottom of this page, where it says Threads.
Click Post a new thread.
Share your favorite game. It may be one listed here or one you discovered on your own. Tell us about your experience playing games online in a short paragraph.

Simple games
Solitaire -- there are many varieties offered here.
Jigsaw puzzles -- the pieces are oriented correctly but you have to position them.
Bejeweled -- there are lots of other games available on this site, too. Try out Bookworm Adventures!

(Download required. Play trial games for free.)

Try the AllGirlArcade -- no boys allowed! Gamergrrlz are more numerous than you might think.
Library Arcade -- This would be a busman's holiday: you probably play this every day in real life.

Competitive games
Chess -- teams, clubs, tournaments, and a forum to talk about the games!
Scrabulous -- not officially Scrabble.

Want official Scrabble? Use your MySpace account to play -- you can even challenge PCPL!

Hearts -- The site also offers Spades, Backgammon, and an updated version of the ever-popular Minesweeper.

Interactive activities
Use your Facebook account to play ... Challenge your friends and co-workers!

In Facebook, try one of these applications: MindJolt Games, H20pia, Vampires, or Visual Bookshelf

Free Rice -- improve your vocabulary and donate rice to the hungry. What's the downside?

Virtual worlds
Runescape -- one of the most popular browser-based games out there. You've seen kids, teens, and adults playing it on your computers, haven't you? Find out for yourself why it's so popular.
Toontown Runescape is not as popular as it once was, and Disney's Toontown may be taking over, especially among the young tweens.
Nation States -- think you know how to run a nation? See how you fare on the world stage.
GaiaOnline -- popular among the manga and anime teens. Playing games together lets them chat with their online friends!
Puzzle Pirates -- sail, fight, and explore by playing puzzle games. Join a pirate crew with other players.

Why should you know about games and gaming?

Games enhance literacy, learning, practical and cognitive processing skills.
- Games teach these skills "under the radar" -- you may learn math and statistics, scientific methodology, logical deduction, and complex economics while playing games but not even realize it. (The academic researchers know!)
Games self-motivate a person (of any age) to learn the "21st Century skills" that are highly desirable in today's -- and tomorrow's -- workplace and schools.

Games help a library build community.
- All ages and all ethnic groups play games, online and off.
- Games are highly social -- you must have opponents and fellow aficionados to play most games, and good challengers are always in short supply.
Games today outsell movies, TV, and music as the preferred mode of entertainment nationwide. Nintendo alone took in $16.85 billion-with-a-B in 2007. World of Warcraft has over 10... 11 million players.

Games bring people into the library who otherwise believe we have nothing relevant to offer them.

Geek cred vs street cred:

One hundred percent (100%!) of MIT freshman played video games (2006).
First-time entrants into the penal system often are not video game players.

Games fit the library mission: they fulfill the recreational needs of our customers in the same way that reading a casual novel does. Only the medium has changed.
- Libraries that embrace this principle make gaming a core service just as Storytimes are a core service to children.
Verizon Foundation just funded a $1M grant to ALA in support of gaming in libraries.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, just released a major new study shattering stereotypes about teens and video games.

Possible Uses in the Library

You'll have great answers to "What games can I play on the computer?" Think of it as a special kind of reader's advisory!
Make a display of game-related novels, graphic novels, strategy guides, cheat code books (you know you have them!), and maybe the World of Warcraft Atlas. Try a display of "If you like this game, try this book."
Some libraries have begun adding video games to their circulating collection, to great success.
Start a Runescape guild in the library. Encourage that group of role-playing gamers to use your meeting room every week. Consider GaiaOnline for your manga/anime club members.
Start a seniors bowling league to compete against other branches in your system, or other libraries! Get out the Wii and practice, practice, practice.
Unique programming idea: bring game designers, developers, artists, game-music composers, and other creative thinkers from the professional game industry to talk about what they do and how they do it. Offer workshops in game design.

More information for the curious

The average age of gamers is 35 and rising.
More women over 40 play games online than boys under 18. In fact, slightly more females play Web-based games, today, than males of any age.
In 2006, 77% of libraries nationwide supported gaming activities of some kind, so maybe your library is one of those. If not, think about raising the subject for reconsideration. Click here for ideas.
Want a more direct connection between games and literature? Try this on for size.
Attend the ALA Techsource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium this November.
NYT Article - The Future of Reading: Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers
Christian Science Monitory Article - Video games start to shape classroom curriculum

Books to Read

Gamers.... in the Library?! Eli Neiburger
Grand Theft Childhood: the Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games Kutner and Olson
Gaming and Libraries: Intersection of Services Jenny Levine
Gaming and Libraries Update: Broadening the Intersections Jenny Levine
Got Game: How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever Beck and Wade
Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Media Consumers in a Digital Age Henry Jenkins
Everything Bad is Good for You Steven Johnson
What Videogames Have to Teach Us About Literacy and Learning James Paul Gee
Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-believe Violence Gerard Jones
Don't Bother Me, Mom, I'm Learning Marc Prensky
A Whole New Mind Daniel Pink

Don't forget!

Threads
Feel free to post questions and concerns and respond to others comments in the threads at the bottom of this page as well. Remember, learning and collaboration are the reason we're here.

Play Pages
If you find interesting links, photos or videos you want to share, head on over to Play Pages to find out how to post them to this wiki.

Back to The 13 Things.

New Things since Baker's Dozen Ended

virtuallibrary — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:57:50 CDT

We keep coming across cool things we think you should know about that relate to the 13 Things here in Baker's Dozen.

Games in Libraries: The Course - Learn more about gaming in libraries.
http://www.gamesinlibraries.org/course/

Digital Books for iPods and Macs
Both NetLibrary and OverDrive now offer iPod- and Mac-compatible titles. Look for "MP3" downloads.

Final Statistics

shoseph — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:53:31 CST

Final User Numbers:

(As of December 8, 2008)

# of Users: 467
# Completed: 63
Completion Percentage: 13.5%

Completion of Things:

Thing least completed:

#12 Instant Messaging and #13 Video Sharing (66 users each)

Median thing completed:

#7 Bookmark Storage (86 users)

Thing most completed:
#1 Wikis (303 users)

Other than #1 or #2:
#4 Digital Downloads (123 users)

Baker's Dozen Users by County:

Below are results from the Baker's Dozen user survey:

Evaluation

virtuallibrary — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:17:36 CST

We asked participants to fill out an evaluation survey, whether or not they finished the program. Some results are below.

Before they took the program, this is how participants felt;

After they took the program, this is how participants felt:

Douglas High School Library

virtuallibrary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:50:12 CST

	Add photo caption or credit here.
Add photo caption or credit here.	Add photo caption or credit here.
Add photo caption or credit here.	Add photo caption or credit here.
Add photo caption or credit here.	Add photo caption or credit here.

My travels to Belgium

virtuallibrary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:49:55 CST

Belgium FactsComic strip art in Brussels

An uncredited mural on a wall in Brussels.	The second half of the mural.	A quirky comic strip on a wall in Brussels.
Veronique, her granddaughter and me.	More boating fun for kids.	More colors.
Books ROCK!	Even across the Atlantic Ocean great libraries can be found.	Paris, Texas has a good library too!

2008

virtuallibrary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:49:37 CST

[Month] [Year]

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
1

January 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
		1 New Year's Day	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21 Martin Luther King Jr. Day	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

February 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14 Valentine's Day	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29

March 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15 St. Patrick's Day
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

April 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

May 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26 Memorial Day	27	28	29	30	31

June 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

July 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
		1	2	3	4 Independence Day	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

August 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31

September 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
	1 Labor Day	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30

October 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13 Columbus Day	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31 Halloween

November 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11 Veteran's Day	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27 Thanksgiving Day	28	29
30

December 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25 Christmas Day	26	27
28	29	30	31

New Libraries

virtuallibrary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:49:25 CST

Yuma Library District website This

The new Main Library in Yuma, Arizona is scheduled for completion in May of 2009.

The construction phase is going smoothly, and the first walk through was held October 21, 2008.

To Do Page

virtuallibrary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:48:46 CST

This is a to do page. And I don't know what to do with it.
I'm trying to finish this part of the lesson, and this is where it took me.
Now it says it's easy. Edit a page. Find out how.
I followed directions. Now maybe it will work.

Things to do are piling up!
Here are the great works at the library for all to see and visit.

Dottie's Kittens

virtuallibrary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:48:33 CST

KITTENS
Photo of 2 kittens I gave to a friend in Benson,

play

virtuallibrary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:48:18 CST

October 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13 Columbus Day	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31 Work party Share something to eat!Halloween

November 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11 Veteran's Day	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27 Thanksgiving Day	28	29
30

December 2008

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25 Christmas Day	26	27
28	29	30	31

#4 - Digital Downloads

virtuallibrary — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:49:36 CST

What's a Digital Download?

Digital downloads come in different formats, but they're all basically online versions of the same kinds of things you would check out in a library -- books, audiobooks, videos, and/or music.

The difference is, the materials are online so you don't have to go into the library to get them; you just download them onto your computer. Built-in software automatically checks the files back in when the checkout period ends, so you never have to worry about overdue fines, or lost items, or anything like that.

Since you get the books from the Internet, digital downloads are a way to use the library 24/7, from pretty much anywhere.

Discovery Exercise

You have two choices. You can use either OverDrive or NetLibrary. If you have one or the other of these services at your library, then use the one you have. If you have both, use whichever one you want.

The first step is to get to the OverDrive or NetLibrary homepage. In most cases there is a link right on your library's website; your first task is to find that link.
Once you get in, you'll see some of the titles that are available. You can browse around, or use the search box if you're looking for something particular. Depending on your library's subscription, you might see videos, audiobooks and/or ebooks available to check out. Take a look around and see what's available.
Now download an audiobook (see notes below). The process is different depending on whether you're using OverDrive or NetLibrary. You may need to create an account with a username and password, or you may have to enter your library card number and PIN.
Open the book on your computer and play it for a while.
BONUS step: If you have access to a compatible MP3 player, try transferring your book to it.
To complete this exercise, go to the bottom of this page, where it says Threads.
Click Post a new thread (underneath and over to the right).
Tell us which digital download service you used and which book you downloaded. Please write at least one paragraph about your experience. Was it easy or hard? What did you think of the interface?

List of AZ Digital Download sites:

Notes:

In OverDrive, you have to download the OverDrive Media Console before you can get any of the downloads to work. If you don't already have it on your computer, you'll need to download it from OverDrive's website. You'll get plenty of chances, but make sure you do so before you download a book.
In NetLibrary, you need to create an account in order to download anything. This involves making up a username and password that you will log in with. Create an account using the link in the top right corner of the page.

Why Should You Know About Digital Downloads?

Online books might be the most obvious application of Web technology to libraries. Services like iTunes and others allow you to purchase and download digital books and music to your computer, and it was just a matter of time before libraries got in on the act by providing these services for free to our customers.

Digital downloads meet people's demand for instant access, and they're available any time. With more and more people online, downloading entertainment is becoming increasingly popular. Big-name companies like Amazon are releasing portable eBook readers to display digital book content, and their sales are brisk. People can use these readers to download books directly from Amazon. Downloadable music and audiobooks make sites like iTunes very popular. Downloadable video is also a growing trend.

Another important reason to know about these is that many libraries in Arizona already offer them, so it's very likely that someone may ask you about downloading a digital book or video. If it's a service your library offers, you definitely need to know how it works.

More information for the curious

DRM -- the "iPod issue"
For the most part, digital downloads won't work with Macs or iPods. -- Why? Because of copyright concerns. Since OverDrive and NetLibrary give you access to digital books without making you pay for the content first, publishers insist on having software to protects the material against unauthorized copying. This is called DRM (for digital rights management), and it's Windows-based. Because of this, it doesn't work on Apple products.

OverDrive has announced that they will make "DRM-free" audiobooks available for libraries, but this has been slow in coming.
Note: OverDrive has made Mac- and iPod-friendly titles available now!

eBooks:
There are thousands of eBooks available for free viewing online. For the most part, these are classic titles in the public domain, so copyright is no longer an issue. You can find eBook versions of Greek and Roman mythology, plus classics by authors like Nathaniel Hawthorn, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Henry James and William Shakespeare.
Find free ebooks online:

Audiobooks:
Titles in this format are more closely guarded, and are mostly available for purchase or through a subscription. iTunes, which originally focused on music, is one of the biggest such sites. However, there are some free sites as well.

If you're interested in a public domain title, you might want to check out Audiobooksforfree.com. Free registration is required to use the site. Because there's no copyright to protect on a public domain work, these audiobooks don't need DRM and can be loaded in MP3 format (which will work on Macs and iPods, too).

Music:
Again, iTunes is a big source for downloadable music, but Amazon and many others offer music downloads for sale as well.
While a series of lawsuits on the part of the music industry shut down many free peer-to-peer music download services, there are still many sites that offer free music. Most work in partnership with the recording companies, and have some kind of limitation -- such as required registration, download limits, etc.

For some idea what's out there, check out MP3.com, music.download.com, or Spiralfrog.

Video:
Downloadable video is a fairly recent addition in the library market, and so far the major studios have been reluctant to make a lot of the most current content available. That's changing, however, as downloading movies becomes more and more popular. Meanwhile, there are lots of subscription services providing downloadable movies, TV & other video. Perhaps the best known among these is Netflix, though there are several others.

There's even a site that helps you find movie download sites that offer free trials.
And don't forget about YouTube. You'll learn more about that in #13 - Video Sharing.

Toddler Activities

DebHoldaway — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:37:38 CST

Here are some fun things to do with your toddler.
Get one of those big bouncy balls and just have your toddler toss it around and let it bounce off the walls. It is so much fun trying to catch it and such great exercise. Running around outside is also such great fun. Do things with your toddler in which he/she can learn new tasks. Take them to Story Time at the Library.

Also Try these fun things

health at work

brandonk13 — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:53:03 CST

Get healthy!

We have tried a few things at work to promote resolutions and healthy life styles, but nothing has stuck. First we tried sharing goals. Later, to make us more accountable, we kept a chart and included a prize that we would all chip in on. We soon fell off the track with both. IDEAS?

Play Page for Virtual Library

libraryladylhc — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:45:32 CST

Puppet Lady
Our newest youtube:

Here we are!

Tiger22

djmoody — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:54:11 CST

Tigers and more action like this are for the visitors at this fable place.

Even the domestic cat is cute.

hkuperberg

djmoody — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:50:11 CST

Wafty is a fun-loving, easy-going dude	Future American League Dynasty
colorful place is welcoming	More Fun!	Go to the Library NOW
Come and visit!	Visit at night too!	Or visit all day long on weekdays.

avatars.yahoo.com

djmoody — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:41:44 CST

This is my avatar. More will read and relate with visual encouragement.

lgriffi1

djmoody — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:39:14 CST

Try yearbookyourself.com. This is such an entertaining, web page that is sure to bring you loads of laughter.

Baker's Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona - Recently Updated Pages

Baker's Dozen: Learning 2.0 Arizona Home

The Goals of this Program are to:

#10 - Online Gaming

What's Online Gaming?

Discovery Exercise

Why should you know about games and gaming?

More information for the curious

Books to Read

New Things since Baker's Dozen Ended

Final Statistics

Final User Numbers:

Completion of Things:

Baker's Dozen Users by County:

Evaluation

Douglas High School Library

My travels to Belgium

2008

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