Bad is Good

Johnson argues that everything bad for us, especially TV, video games and pop culture, is actually good for us and essentially making us smarter. Johnson believes that the video game form, rather than content actually stimulates the brain, and in the end will make the player smarter. Further, Johnson believes that today's television shows and movies have gotten so complex that viewer stimulation and involvement has drastically increased in the past 20 years. TV shows and movies are asking our emotional intelligence to work harder and process the information we see on screen. So what does this mean for today's libraries?

I agree with Johnson somewhat. I believe that TV, movies, video games and pop culture can make us think more as a society. Further, these formats connect users to each other in a way that books can't. I think libraries have had to adapt to include these formats in their collections. DVD, VHS, Cd's and now video game systems are all a part of most library's collections. I see no problem with libraries changing to better meet user needs by accepting that some "bad" things may indeed be good. Libraries are there to provide information, without choosing or providing any bias to the information. However, libraries can always connect users back to books. For instance, you can create a display that says "You like this TV show, then you should try these books". I think adapting rather than completely ruling out anything "bad" will help libraries survive in this ever-changing climate.

Class Review

During a previous summer class my professor suggested that everyone in the library program should take the social software class before they graduate; boy was she right! Being as I am not a technology person, and have been slightly hesitant towards social software/networking sites I almost dropped this course. I am so happy I decided to stay. I feel like this class has opened me up to a whole new world. Even the most simple sites, such as blogger and twitter, I was afraid to try. Now, I couldn't be happier to have this experience under my belt. Also, learning to create wikis, podcast, screencast and vodcast has definitely improved my skills. It's amazing how these tools are out there, but people are so hesitant to use them. I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and recommend it highly to other SCILS students. There were a few minor drawbacks:

• information overload: I think signing up for 3 email accounts in the beginning of class is unnecessary. After the first two weeks I stopped checking the yahoo and AOL accounts. I think students should sign up for just a GMail account, since GMail is linked to other sites such as blogger.
• information overload, part 2: I had a hard time keeping up with updates. Between twitter, facebook, myspace and the class wiki, I felt like I missed several updates or comments from classmates. I found the best method for communicating was twitter.

I feel I have taken away so much valuable information from this course and there isn't much I would change. I will say that this course has totally converted me into a twitter user! Before this class I could not and would not understand the appeal of twitter; I found it to be the downfall of society. Now that class is almost over, I love twitter. It's an absolutely wonderful method to share information with classmates and the professor, especially when you need your questions answered. I don't know that I would use twitter to update my everyday activities, but I think it's a great tool for coursework.

My Second Life Experience

I find that this picture sums up my second life experience pretty well. It's usually just me standing in a totally empty area trying to figure out what's going on. This was taken in the Art Library (Museum?) on Info Island. It took me about 10 minutes just to navigate into the building. Although I can see how Second Life may be fun for some people, I haven't really enjoyed my experience. So far I've had no contact with other users, probably because I don't usually know where I am or how to go somewhere else. I don't find Second Life to be very user intuitive, although I'm also horrible at moving/navigating in most video games. Additionally, my computer is pretty old so Second Life slows everything down and certainly makes the experience less enjoyable. I think with a LOT more practice, I could get used to Second Life but since it's not really my cup of tea, I don't think I'll be spending much time there.

Everything Bad Is Good for You

We've been hearing for quite a while now that video games, TV, and pop culture in general offer no educational value. Steve Johnson, however, would argue that TV and video games are actually making us smarter. Johnson thinks it's not the content but the format that asks users to think. He says that video games stimulate the reward center of the brain. Players are not necessarily interested in the story of the video game but succeeding at a completing the challenge.

I tend to agree that video games can make us smarter. Video games ask players to use skills that aren't required from other, more passive activities. For instance you can improve hand eye coordination, develop problem solving skills, and learning to think outside the box. Also, several educational and interactive video games have been developed. Although, I think there are a number of games that don't provide players with any education, such as Grand Theft Auto.

Because video games are so popular today and reach a huge audience, they have the ability to really impact how the players think and learn. As long as form and content continue to provide players with some education, I think video games have the ability to make us smarter.

Gaming

If I were a teen librarian and in charge of buying a new gaming system for the public library, I would definitely need to do research beforehand because I know nothing about gaming systems. I would begin by doing some research on the Internet, peruse a few Internet forums to see what other people like. Then I would look for video game magazines to read a few reviews. Third, I would ask the library patrons, probably using comment cards, which system they would like to see in the library and why. Finally, I would compare prices and see what the library could afford. Overall, I would try and match the system that the patrons most wanted, if it could fit with the budget.

The gaming system I would choose, and the I've played the most, is the Wii. The Wii system is great because it's so interactive and you can have multiple players. The library could have Wii nights every so often and let a bunch of patrons participate at once.

screencasting best practices

Now that I've completed a few screencasts I think there are a few important to things to remember:

• It's ok to use the mouse as a pointer, but try to move it around the screen too much; I found myself often partially covering words or links b/c I was involving the mouse too much
• Pausing the screencast recording while waiting for pages to load; that way you don't have to fill too much space with talking
• Have an idea of what you want to say but also try and be natural (definitely not easy!)
• Have your computer all set for the screencast; don't have unnecessary windows or tabs open and have links or files easily accessible
  

Game Screencast

My gaming screencast. I don't usually play games online, so I found this one randomly. It's a famous faces trivia game-you match the picture to the person. I only played at the "very easy" level which in fact was very easy. I imagine the game is more fun at the harder level.

Facebook Screencast

My Facebook screencast: How to Create an Event

boyd Reading

Examining how class affects social networking is quite interesting. Boyd's reading says that teenagers are more likely to use Facebook or more likely to use Myspace based on their social class; since Facebook is more geared towards college students. I remember when I first join Facebook and it was strictly limited to college students, kind of felt like some special club. The main lesson I took away from Boyd's reading was, libraries should be aware of their user population and how they would use social networking sites. If a library is trying to attract new users or seeking more involvement from exiting users, it would be pointless to use a site that is unfamiliar and rarely used by their target population. Similar to other library services, the social networking sites used by the library should be enticing and accessible to the user population.

Ning

Ning is a social networking site that allows user to create their own online social networks. Ning reminded me of other social networking sites, such as Facebook.

Ning advantages:
-members can create their own profile, friend and interact with other users
-members can add photos, videos and audio
-members can join groups, have blogs, contribute to forums
-can share news and links with other users

Overall Ning allows users in the same community, such as RU SCILS, to connect and socialize outside the classroom.

Ning disadvantages:
-must be a registered user to access news, forums, blogs, etc.
-can replace face-to-face interaction
-social networking sites can be "sticky"

I could easily see Ning being used in a work environment. Employees could share news and events and also have their questions answered in the forum. Additionally it could be a shared workspace where several employees could contribute to one project. Ning could replace company emails, newsletters and chat devices.

"sticky"

As someone who started using Facebook (though never MySpace)four years ago I can personally attest to just how much time can be wasted on this type of social networking site. These sites are "sticky" or keep users returning because of the service they offer. Social networking sites allow you to connect and interact with friends, family, co-workers and even strangers anytime of day right from your own computer. Additionally, you can reconnect with old friends and receive up to date news on friends you don't see very often. Also, it's quite amazing just how much information people are willing to freely include on these sites. Want to know where you old college roommate is working or if someone from high school got married? Social networking sites can often provide this information in just a few clicks. Finally, the sheer amount of content and services offered by these sites can keep users busy for hours. Perhaps you log on just to check for updates...but then you see so-and-so uploaded new pictures, so-and-so sent you a happy hour drink, so-and-so challenged you to a trivia game...and before you know hours have passed. These sites are highly entertaining and offer amazing social networking capabilities that can keep users occupied for hours.

Youtube Videos

I thought everyone did a great job on their videos; very creative. My favorite would have to be SL's "Meet the Lewis Family". I thought the music, the font, everything just went really well together and it looked great! You can view it here.

screencast

I decided to give a brief introduction to livejournal for my screencast. Livejournal is pretty easy to use but I figured it would be a good introduction to screencasting. Trying to fit the page in the recommended window size was a bit of a struggle.




screencast

Educational Videos

When I think of educational videos, the first thing that pops into my mind are the cheesy videos we used to watch in health class. With that being said I think education videos can still be relevant today. Successful education videos should have the same elements as entertainment videos: a good presentation (editing, filming, acting, etc) and interesting subject matter. Video format has the ability to grab the user's attention and almost provide hands-on instruction by showing, rather than through text. I love watching the food network, which is entertainment but also provides lots of instruction.

Educational videos can also provide the audience information in a fun and exciting format. I remember when "Planet Earth" first aired on Discovery Channel. Several of my friends, who would NEVER read a nature documentary book, loved the series. Educational videos can survive by providing information but also mixing in a little quality entertainment.

Flickr

In the SCILS-edexperience group I notice lots of similarities. For instance, many of us seem to include our computer and desk area in our education experience, certainly a huge part of this class. It's interesting to see the different libraries where people work. Although most of us are attending the same university, we each have unique view on the SCILS educational experience.

In the SCILS group I see lots of pets, places, art and events.

Youtube Video

For my entertainment video I decided to make a movie trailer. The footage is taken from the Prelinger Archive, which has a bunch of old commercials and educational videos. All the footage in the Archive is public domain and people are encouraged to use the it for their own projects. The music/sound was already in iMovie.




Youtube Link

Education Video-blip.tv

I work in an academic library and tons of undergraduates come in with no idea how to read a call number; I made a video with them in mind.

Click To Play

Blip.tv Link

story

I couldn't think of a story to tell, so I read the story of Little Red Riding Hood, with a slight change on the ending. I never imagined making a podcast could be so difficult! I had to keep re-recording to get the volume settings correct. Little Red Riding Hood

podcasts vs. text blogging

Podcasting has both advantages and disadvantages to text blogging.

Advantages:
-easier access for commuters; I know tons of people who download podcasts to listen to while driving or taking the train. It's a great way to reach people and share information while people are on the go and can't read text.
-podcasts can be wonderful for expressing emotion and feeling, hearing some one's voice, rather than reading connects you more
-they're great for adding sound effects and music to stories, news, etc.
-spontaneity, people just saying what they feel
-you can listen to podcast while completing other tasks

Disadvantages:
-can require special media players, like itunes
-fail to hold sometimes attention the same way reading text does

I love listening to podcasts at work or when I'm driving. Its a great way to discover new music, films, etc or just hearing some one's opinion.

Long Tail

Libraries/librarians have the ability to bring new materials, markets and tastes to their readers. Libraries bring new books and materials into their library as budget allows, usually these materials are highlighted in a "new releases" section. Additionally, libraries can highlight old materials and make them new again by creating displays, programs and book displays. While reading The Long Tail, I thought about how libraries can work in the same way as Amazon. Suggesting books to readers based on material they've already read. While doing readers advisory, librarians also have the opportunity to share something new readers, they have the ability to create whole new markets. Libraries have the ability to open readers to tons of new materials, markets and tastes simply with the services and collections they provide.