Second Life?

here is a link to a screencast I made of my second life foray:



My experience has been frustrating and bemusing with second life. As I mention in my screencast, I have enough trouble with my first life, i cant see having a second life. All the exploring, taking time to get one's bearings, and it would occassionally run slow on my computer..I get it, I have friends who are really into it, but I can't muster up the enthusiasm myself. I'd rather play on the Wii with my daughter.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I dont know that much needs to be changed to tell you the truth. The layout of the class is quite simple, the camtasia captures are straightforward and easy to follow, the Itunes podcasts are great..ironically, the last two weeks, which I figured would be the fun weeks, were the weeks I found myself saying, "i'm not sure this is necessary"...the immersive worlds are just really not my cup of tea as of yet! But I really enjoyed this class and have learned a lot, and I hope to actually use my final project at work!

It's ALL good for you

OK, if everything bad is good for you, whither libraries and educational organizations? Well, they won't be going anywhere, but they are going to have to change the way they do business by incorporating items and ideas that may have been anthema in the past. Did someone say video games? Why not? Johnson talks about the benefits of many games, benefits that clearly exist. Games that exercise the brain, games the exercise the body...these are things libraries are going to have to consider. Popular culture has long been embraced ib the form of movie collections in libraries, and more and more DVD's of television shows are showing up in collections. Family Guy? The Simpsons? Hey, libraries are not the ultimate arbiters of taste, but if people like those shows, why shouldnt they be available? Libraries should be a reflection of the communities and times they exist in, and that means being all inclusive and being representative of popular culture. In order to do so, we need to embrace technologies, medias and entertainment that come from the community and times.

Yahoo Towers

Not much for playing games online, and this clips will show why!!

Johnson and Popular Culture

I loved this book and agree with a lot of it, mostly because I am most definitely a child of popular culture. I see evidence of the Sleeper Curve in the same places Johnson sees it: video games, television, movies, etc....many people may not like the tv show LOST, but I love it, and you HAVE to pay attention, use your brain, and try to figure things out, or you will never get it. You have to work at it. SO many role playing and strategy games are like that also...it takes immense brainpower to make it thru successfully. I defy anyone to tell me that BRAIN AGE is not a mental workout..that game is fun and CHALLENGING. I defy George Will to try it!

Screencasting Tips

There are two things that clearly come to mind when thinking about screencasting, which I have grown to really enjoy. First of all, as simple as it sounds, having a clear idea of WHAT you want to say is imperative. I dont necessarily mean having a script written down, although that would certainly work. But having a clear idea of what it is you are trying to impart. I actually enjoy the informal nature of screencasting, that people arent giving a lecture per se, and they can make mistakes or verbal flubs and it is ok.

That brings me to my other point: with screencasting, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PERFECTION. One could easily get caught up in trying to do everything exactly right and redoing things a dozen times over, and it is just not worth. As I said above, part of the charm and appeal of screencasting is knowing that I can cough or say UM or lose my place for a second, and its ok as long as I am clearly driving my point home. So don't worry, it doesnt have to be the Gettysburg Address!

Consoles for Libraries

I think I have a fair handle on consoles and gaming in general. Not that I do a lot of it myself, but I know SO many people who do that I have gotten plenty of opinions on many different consoles. If I had to choose one, I would most definitely choose the Wii, because I think its game selection does the best job of covering a large age group, and the motion sensor clearly gives an opportunity for people to move around. There are senior citizen centers that have Wii bowling leagues, which gives seniors active exercise instead of them being passive users. You can adapt the Wii to many different activities and age groups quite easily. Since I feel it is the console which would have the farthest reach among my library users, it would clearly be my choice.