Bonus 2.0 Tools

2.0 tools are literally emerging by the minute across the web. In the previous lessons we took a look at only ten -- specifically those that are used frequently in educational settings.

How can you keep up? Well, that's pretty much impossible. However, there are some excellent sites out there that try to do just that. Take a look at:

• eHub


• Mashable!


• ReadWriteWeb

Time to continue your exploration. Here are additional tools that may or may not have an educational component. Of course, what you define as "educational" is up to you. Give these a try!

43 Things

List your goals. Share your progress. Cheer each other on.

Last.fm

Last.fm connects you with your favorite music, and uses your unique taste to find new music, people, and concerts you'll like.

LibraryThing

Enter what you're reading or your whole library—it's an easy, library-quality catalog.

Upcoming

Find things to do This Weekend with Upcoming.

Any others you particularly like? Share them in the Comments...

Week 10: Podcasting

Read

7 Things You Should Know About Podcasting (PDF), by Educause Learning Initiative

Watch

Podcasting in Plain English, by Common Craft


Do

1. Use your browser to go to odeo.com. Either Internet Explorer or Firefox will work.


2. Create your own Odeo account by clicking the 'Create Account' link.


3. Browse Categories or do a keyword search to identify and subscribe to at least 3 podcasts.


4. Listen!


5. Post your Odeo account information on your blog.

Explore

Odeo is an example of a web-based podcatcher. If you have the ability to download software on your work or home computer, you may want to try:

• iTunes, Apple's free media player is the most popular podcatcher. You can use it to listen to your podcasts even if you don't have an iPod.


• Juice Receiver (formerly iPodder)

As with many of our other social software tools, podcasts have special search engines and directories. Find new podcasts for your listening pleasure at:

• PodcastAlley.com


• NPR's podcast directory


• LearnOutLoud, a source for educational podcasts

Want to make your own? It's cheap and easy to do it. Here are some tips:

• Making a Podcast, an in-depth tutorial from Apple


• Audacity is free, open-source software for recording and editing your podcast

Week 9: Online Video Sharing

The remaining two lessons feature tools that involve video and audio clips. Rather than teaching you how to create and upload your own content, the lessons will just introduce you to sites that host content for your viewing/listening pleasure. I'd encourage you to learn more about creating media if you're interested, but not everyone has access to the technology required to do so. Of course, there's always the MLRC...

Read

7 Things You Should Know About YouTube (PDF)

View

Part of a series of library tours from the University of Florida



Do

1. Use your browser to go to youtube.com. Either Internet Explorer or Firefox will work.


2. Create your own YouTube account by clicking the 'Sign Up' link.


3. Watch Sock Monkey Visits the NEIU Library created by our very own Nancy Murillo!


4. Subscribe to the neiulibrary channel.


5. Search for 3 additional library-related videos and add them to your favorites.


6. Post your YouTube username to your blog.

Explore

Other online video sharing sites include:

• blip.tv


• Google Videos


• Vimeo

Week 8: Microblogs

Read
7 Things You Should Know About Twitter (PDF), by Educause Learning Initiative

View
Twitter in Plain English, by Common Craft



Do

1. Use your browser to go to twitter.com. Either Internet Explorer or Firefox will work.


2. Create an account by clicking the green 'Get Started -- Join!' button.


3. If you want to you can then find people you know on Twitter by searching your email contacts.


4. Tell Twitter what you're doing


5. Find the NEIU Library and start following our updates.


6. Add a Twitter badge to the sidebar of your Blogger.com blog.

Explore
Want to find other people or organizations to follow?

• Try Summize to find Twitter posts (i.e. "tweets") by keyword. Then follow the author.


• Sign up for TweetBeep to be notified when someone tweets on a topic.


• Read your news through Twitter. These news services post tweets when breaking news stories happen.

Find more cool Twitter applications on the Twitter Fan Wiki.

As with all of the tools we've examined so far, Twitter is not the only microblogging service out there. Take a look at:

• Tumblr


• Pownce


• Plurk

Also, many social networks have incorporated microblogging (or status updates) into their sites. You can update on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo...What a hassle to update all of these! Do it all in one place with Ping.fm.