WLS Learns part 2

The availability and use of online productivity web-based applications (think word processing and spreadsheets) has exploded over the past few years and for good reasons! These powerful applications provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need of installed desktop applications. Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death to Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools, while others think web-based applications have their place, but not in the office. But no matter which side of the office suite platform you side with, on this both sides seem to agree: web-based apps have their place.

One large benefit to web-based applications it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC or Windows to Mac! You can create a document at home, but work on it anywhere that has an Internet connection. Another bonus is that they easily accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file (with versioning) and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and PDF). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other Web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.

For this exploration exercise, participants are asked to take a look at Google’s version of web-based word processing, Google Docs, create a simple document, and then write about your discoveries in your blog.

With Google Docs and other web-based applications, think of all the different possibilities and benefits!

Discovery Resources:

We will be using Google Docs for this Exploration Exercise.  Feel free to use Zoho Writer, if you prefer, but this exercise will focus on Google Docs.

1. Common Craft explains Google Docs as only they can:  
   
2. Take a tour of all the features of Google Docs, including spreadsheets, saving and storing documents, and sharing your work.
   1. Create a free account for yourself in Google Docs. If you already have a Gmail account, you automatically have access to Google Docs! (But you probably knew this, right?)
   2. Explore Google Docs and create a test document or two. Experiment with the word processing features (similar to Word), speadsheets (similar to Excel) and presentations (similar to PowerPoint).
   3. After you’ve created some test documents, select one and then choose “More Actions.” See how you can publish, or save your document as a PDF or other version.
   4. Create a blog post about your discoveries with Google Docs. Try to answer these questions: How could online applications such as Google Docs help you in your day-to-day work? How could libraries incorporate and ultimately benefit from these tools?

Discovery Exercise:

OPTIONAL: If you want, share one of your test documents either on your blog or by linking to it online. (*Note: the important part of this exploration is to play with Google Docs and learn. If you don’t want to put your document in your blog or link to it, you do not have to, just make sure you blog about your experiences.)

Podcasts take many forms, from short 1-10 minutes commentaries, such as the one with this post, to much longer in-person interviews or panel group discussions. There’s a podcast out there for just about every interest area and the best part about this technology is that you don’t have to have an iPod or a MP3 player to access them. Since podcasts use the MP3 file format, a popular compressed format for audio files, you really just need a PC (or portal device) with headphones or a speaker.

iTunes, the free downloadable application created by Apple, is the directory finding service most associated with podcasts, but if you don’t have iTunes installed there are still plenty of options.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your Bloglines account as well, so that when new casts become available you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.

Discovery Resources:

• To find out more about podcasts, let’s start with another awesome Common Craft video:
• There are many, many podcast directories and finding tools out there. Here are three that you can look through:
  • podfeed.net
  • Podcastalley.com (find for Mt. Kisco Library podcasts here).
  • Google Podcast Directory
• What? You want to learn how to be a podcaster too?
  (Optional Resources for those who want to learn create podcasts)
  • How to Create Your Own Podcast: A Step-by-Step Tutorial.
  • Create Podcasts Using Your PC, from O’Reilly Media.
  • How to Podcast.

  Discovery Exercise:

  1. Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed above and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. See if you can find some interesting library-related podcasts here like book review podcasts or library news. Can you find other libraries that podcast on a regular basis?
  2. Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your Bloglines account. (Remember that Learn & Play uses Bloglines, not Google Reader, so if you use Google Reader and have questions, you might need to find someone who is also using it.
  3. Create a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here? Can you see how your library might use such technology to promote programs, events, or other things?
  4. i-tunes is the most frequently used source for podcasts.  Check out their resources page for basic information and their tips page for a better understanding of how it works.  Using i-tunes does not mean you need to have an i-pod or use any apple products.  They host hundreds of free podcasts.  If you do not already have i-tunes, you can download it for free here .