16 Things Recap

I really enjoyed the entire process of 16 Things. I feel like I need to review a couple of the earlier ones, but have gained a large appreciation for several of these Web 2.0 tools and have started using them on a daily basis. This has been the most interesting, most useful, and most enjoyable activity I've done while at Ai that has counted for Faculty Development hours. Thanks to Steve Liska for setting this up - the links and resources were thorough and easy to navigate through and I appreciated the sense of humor. I would gladly take part in another such activity.

Thing 16: Geotagging

This is pretty interesting. I don't use flickr much for my own photographs, but the geotagging seems like a good way to search for images of distinct places. For example, I am planning a trip to Tijuana in a few weeks and went to the map section of flickr, typed "Tijuana" in to the search engine and the map automatically shifted so Tijuana was centered. From there I could zoom in closer and closer to look at photographs from distinct neighborhoods. Geotagging works well for visual research about a place. However, the search also led to tons of photographs of people's cats. I can't believe how many cat pictures are floating around the internet. When I was doing some pre-trip research about Tijuana a few months ago, I came across this photograph on a website I can't even remember now. It was strange to see it on flickr again - the photographer's name is Nathan Gibbs. This geotagging also reminded me of this really interesting Ted Talk about a program called Sea Dragon and Photosynth. Super cool!

15: Podcasts

I was already familiar with podcasts and have several NPR shows set up in my iTunes at home. But what I didn't know was how you can link up the podcasts to Google Reader and access them from every computer you use. I added The Current: Song of the Day podcast to my Google Reader. I hardly ever listen to music on the radio - I'm still stuck with the antiquated format of CDs and much prefer driving, working, and relaxing to music from stereos and car CD players. I hear of new music from friends and family, have a lifetime subscription to Rolling Stone (only $99 til death do us part), and occasionally hear about new music from other new sources. So, this podcast seemed perfect to me - it's another easy way to keep current with new music and it requires a very small time commitment.

I perused some of the directories, but quickly got overloaded with the sheer number of available podcasts. But the Education Podcast Network is something I will spend some more time with. As for creating my own podcast - I really don't like the sound of my own voice so that is highly problematic.

Thing 14: Research Project Calculators

Both of these two sites are really amazing resources. I liked how the Research Project Calculator (RPC) outlined each section both from a student perspective and an instructor perspective. The RPC resource is quite large, so I didn't look through every bit of information on each of the 5 steps, but I was impressed with how complete it was. If used, it could really help an instructor design stronger assignments - more interesting to the students and more fair because of the clearer guidelines, both of which would most likely generate better overall assignments.

Just glancing through each of the 5 steps, I came across several instructor prompts that I did not think of when generating my research assignments. It made me think of the large disconnect between instructor and student concerning the expectations and guidelines of a successful research project. Most of the instructors who teach at the college level have had to create large thesis projects and are familiar with the process. But students coming out of highschool do not have that experience and many need help with basic grammar.

With these project calculators, it is possible for instructors to provide more input during the process. Instead of passing out an assignment sheet with guidelines, expectations, due dates, etc. (a good start), the 5 steps in the RPC force more interaction during the research process. It seems this not only ensures a better finished product, but also creates a more learning centered approach.

I like how the University of MN Assignment Calculator breaks down the process into 12 very manageable steps. When students are presented with what they envision as a daunting task, it would be helpful if they could break down the research process into small increments. That way, even completing one of the simple prelimimary steps would provide a feeling of accomplishment. Sometimes procrastination is a direct result of feeling like a given task is impossible. Research projects are not impossible, but tying your shoes with boxing gloves probably is.

Thing 13: Online Productivity Tools

I chose iGoogle as my main productivity tool for a couple of reasons. Most importantly, I already have Google Reader set up and have started using Google Docs for files that I want to work on at school and at home without worrying about carrying a jump drive. It seemed to make sense to have my productivity tool linked to my Google account also so everything is in one place. Once I read the article "Top Ten Productivity Web Sites" I was pleased to find that the author recommended iGoogle as the best such site - which served to solidify my initial reason for choosing that site over the others.

I explored a few of the list services and calendar sites, but again, it made the most sense to use the calendar and other functions on my new iGoogle page. I've never really kept a calendar - either in physical form as a planner or on the computer. But it is a nice function when needed. The one thing I didn't like about iGoogle was the sheer amount of applications you can have on your page. It might sound strange to complain about having options, but there are so many applications and tools that it's hard to find which ones work the best. I'm the sort of obsessive compulsive person that wants to know all the possibilities so I can make an informed decision about what I want to use - that's impossible because of the potential time involved on iGoogle and that bothers me. It took me 15 minutes just to decide on a theme for the banner across my iGoogle home page and I'm not even convinced that it is the best one! But there is a great trivia game on there that keeps a running score - huge time waster but fun.

Thing 12: Tagging and Del.icio.us

When I think of "delicious" I think of something like this (only much larger and with chocolate chip cookie dough pieces and a couple of extra cherries), not social bookmarking websites. But after some research and time spent with del.icio.us I'm pretty impressed by this Web 2.0 tool. I don't use a lot of bookmarks, mainly because I only frequent about 5-10 different websites on a regular and semi-regular basis - I know I'm boring. However, the Common Craft example made a lot of sense. I think my classes could benefit from more web material - either as direct in-class lessons/examples or for outside preparation/planning and a bookmarking site would really help. Again, these Web 2.0 tools overlap to some extent and I am starting to see obvious trends. For many of the tools, the biggest advantage is being able to access your information, documents, websites, etc. from several different computers - not just your home PC. That makes a lot of sense and seems to be the way things are moving. What I don't understand is where all of this stuff is being kept - as we continue to add more and more information to sites like flickr, Google Docs, Dropbox, etc. won't the Interwebs just explode? I understand how back-up drives work because they are physical objects that I can plug into my computer and it always tells me how much space I have left. But what about the web, is there a certain amount of information it can handle?

Wikipedia info:
In 1993, total internet traffic amounted to approx. 100 TB for the year. As of June 2008^[update], Cisco systems estimated Internet traffic at 160 TB/s (which assuming to be statistically constant comes to 5 Zettabytes for the year). (1 zettabyte = one sextillion bytes - I don't know what that means but it sounds like a lot). It's amazing to think how fast the internet is growing!

Thing 11: Online Creations

I looked through all of the links (some were no longer working like Thumbstacks and Zoho Show) and found several that were interesting. The Picture Trail and Big Huge Lab options to add graphics to your photos don't have practical applications to my artistic production or teaching, but are useful and enjoyable for snapshot style photo albums. I was really excited to set up my eFolio Minnesota portfolio but when I went to sign up from this page I kept getting an error message. I was impressed with some of the sample portfolios on this site and it seemed like a beneficial networking tool and a good repository for all of the job application materials one usually has to scramble to find from a variety of sources when a job opportunity presents itself.

I also liked the Slideshare site - it seemed like a cross between Google Docs and a Wiki. I could foresee using such a site as a storage place for presentations given in class so students could access the day's lesson from home. However, eCompanion has a document sharing capability that already serves that purpose for me. The site reminded of a wiki because of all the open information presented in presentation format. A search for "photography lecture" provided 38 pages of photography presentations - technical lectures, art historical presentations, opinion pieces, etc. Looks like no more prepping for me . . . which means I can do way more of this in the office before class . . .

Thing #10: More Flickering Around

I used Spell with Flickr to create the above graphics by copying the html into my blog post (under the "Edit Html" tab) which I never knew you could do. So that part was cool. It was also fun to play around with the different letters. So, anytime I didn't like what one letter looked like or how it fit within in the word, I just clicked on it and a new version popped up. I didn't spend too much time doing this and I noticed that the same letters kept appearing - I wonder how many photos of each letter there are. The person who created this is mining a group created on flickr called the One Letter Group. I don't reallly understand what it takes to write the code for such an application or how the letters get picked, but it's fun to play around with.






I used Image Chef to make this stunning piece of bling. It takes an oversized gold necklace to say what I really feel about 16 Things. This was also really easy to post to the blog by copying the html into the post. I can see where these sites could get addicting.

Most of the sites that I explored, although enjoyable, were pretty gimicky. Personally, I would have little use for them in my actual artistic production, but think they are great for cards, invites, etc. I could see someone using these sites for actual artistic production in a way that uses the actual process to critique the amount of free imagery floating around the web and it is interesting what can be created (sometimes randomly as in the case of the spelling with flickr). And it would be amazing if I could superimpose my friends or colleagues heads onto any celebrity body - that would never get old.

This is an image by Erik K. Veland. I can not figure out how to add a link to the photograph on flickr. This is how flickr explains the process, but I can't find the url address once I've clicked on the size photo I want to use. But the flickr page I found it on can be accessed here and provides lots of information about koalas - including some Wikipedia information (how's that for 16 things overlap). It would have been even cooler if Mr. Veland had just included a link within his description of the photograph to the Wiki page or to some spectacular Google Doc or Tweet!!

I think flickr has some very useful features for archiving and sharing photographs. My father has been the family photographer for decades and now has thousands of slides of every possible family event. For the past several years he has been scanning the slides as a form of archiving and storing on hard drives and CDRs. He often sends CDs to extended family. It would be easier and less time consuming to set up a flickr account and provide access to family members.

Personally, I don't have much use for flickr for my images. I shoot large format film and don't make all that many exposures. The resulting files from scans of my film are huge (1.4GB) so flickr couldn't really function as an archive. Also, my website holds smaller versions of all of my work for the public to see (and also includes important contact information, resume, publications, etc.).

I wasn't entirely impressed with how flickr was set up. The search function seemed a bit arbitrary - when I type in "Bob" a picture of a sunset appears, when I type in "Sunset" a sunset-less picture of Niagara falls shows up (when I type in "Niagara falls" the same image that appeared for "Sunset" showed up). The advanced search is more useful, but I feel like these options should be part of the standard search function. I would also like to see a slide show function for an individual's photographs. There is the ability to slide through one person's thumbnails, but what if you want to see larger images in a slide show? (I admit I am far from a flickr expert so I may be missing something here).

Finally, who decides what images are considered interesting under the explore function (what flickr calls "interestingness")? Does it have something to do with how many people look at a particular image or is there someone behind the curtain making all of these decisions? I did like the slide show function I found once I clicked on the link for "more interesting bits from the last 7 days."

Thing 8: Hands off my Wiki!!

Wikis can be very useful for certain circumstances. For example, the Common Craft example of creating a camping supply list makes perfect sense. However, this use for a wiki is very similar to Doc sharing through Google Docs or a similar site. The thing I liked about Google Docs is you could invite people to edit the document and it wasn't completely open to the public. I read some mention of limiting access through Wikis, but it seems they are more generally used as completely open sources of information. The other application where Wikis seem pertinent is the wikiHow site where people are able to provide original How'To info about a wide variety of topics. I'm more skeptical of people quoting Wikipedia in their research because aside from Wiki community control, there is nothing stopping someone from posting incorrect information. On topics that are more subjective, I could see Wikis being more useful.

I found this part of Meredith Farkas' article interesting:

The notion of private property is so deeply embedded in our society that it’s difficult to imagine going onto someone else’s website and changing things, even when they want us to. We’re accustomed to websites where someone is the final arbiter on what can or cannot go into it. With a wiki, everyone is the final arbiter. If I don’t like what someone put into the wiki, I can change it. And if someone don’t like what I wrote, they can make their own changes. The wiki will develop organically to reflect the interests and needs of the group who worked on it.

Personally, I'm wary of the open nature of wikis for objective information. For more opinion based discussions, wikis seem like a great idea.

Finally, if I had to choose between Zeppelin II, IV, and Physical Graffiti I would go with Led Zeppelin IV although both Led Zeppelin III and Houses of the Holy are much stronger albums than the three listed.

Thing 7: Online Collaboration Tools

I used Google Docs to make this post that is now published on the web here. Awesome.

Thing 6: Digg, Reddit...(et al)

I found this image on Digg . . . It was one of the more interesting things I found on this website. I can see how one could refine their use of Digg or Reddit or some of the other websites mentioned through preference changing and search options to make it function as a useful research tool. But for general use, I find these sites a little obnoxious. I can't imagine going to Digg to search for the daily news for example - the posts are all over the place. It is interesting to see what posts attract the most attention - and then I got sort of depressed that the most number of people were interested in some young woman that got arrested for swearing on a 9-1-1 call. You can check out all the pertinent details here.

Thing 5: Beyond MyFaceSpaceBooking

I wasn't as impressed with Twitter and Plurk as I have been with the other Web 2.0 tools so far. They seem a little redundant in their use. I like the RSS feeds to get my news/information in one location. It seems with the RSS you get the headline, a brief description of the story (basically a Tweet), but also get the whole article if you choose to read it. Also, as mentioned in my previous post about Facebook, I don't need to know what people are up to every second of the day and I am sure not going to be telling the world every time I have a cup of coffee or something trivial like that.

Of the two sites (Twitter and Plurk) I liked the interface of Plurk more. The timeline function is nice and I like that you can start communications with people and know who responded and when. However, I wonder if a site like Plurk can really take off once Twitter is so firmly established. Unless there is some functionality between the two sites where you can import/export contacts or friends/fans or whatever they are called, who would want to start over with a less well known micro blogging site?

Thing 4: Social Networking

I keep forgetting to title my blog posts . . . see below.

I've had a Facebook account for the past year and find it quite entertaining but also a time wasting distraction. Also, I don't really care if John Smith "is enjoying the view" and Jane Doe is "effin' a right doggie." I don't even know what that last one means (both posts are actual Facebook updates within the last two hours).

It is nice to "re-connect" with people you have completely forgotten about from grade school - along with remembering who these people actually are comes a whole bag of previously forgotten (repressed?) memories from different stages of your life. I do like looking at other "friends" photographs, although I feel some people should be a little more discerning on what images make it onto the site, especially since employers are now looking at such social networking sites before hiring.

I don't see Facebook as a professional networking device even though I'm connected to several colleagues through the site. LinkedIn seems to be a little more professionally orientated and I have a profile on this site also. LinkedIn seems a little more clunky in its functionality but also more formal - less options for sharing photos and taking silly quizzes.

I looked at mySpace and still find it unnecessary to join this network. The Pulse function on Plaxo is interesting, but I don't think I need yet another social network. Is there a way to forward all of these accounts into one - like email accounts? Besides, I'm scared of those faceless people on the Plaxo home page.

Thing 3: Online Communication

Being a faculty member, I don't have a student portal account. Still, reading through the information posted on 16 Things proved how important this resource is for our students. Because our school is located downtown we lack a certain type of campus community that other colleges and universities have. Any type of online communication/networking becomes much more important so that students feel connected to this institution, the people that work here and their fellow students.

Just finished the RSS feed section of 16 things. This is great - previously, I spent lots of time searching the same websites for any information about the Colorado Avalanche. Now, it all just comes directly to me! Joe Sakic (pictured at right) retired yesterday - so sad.

Beyond just checking up on hockey rumors, this is a great resource for instructors. I use blog posts for reading material in classes because of the up-to-date nature of the information. Basically, this makes my job easier and more efficient (good things for me) and helps me disseminate pertinent info to students. First day of class - Avalanche quiz!

Thing 1 - done. I'm excited to start my 16 things. So far, I'm impressed with the AiM 16 Things tutorial - it's very easy to follow and has all the necessary (and some extra) resources to not only create a blog, but also to give information along the way.