To blog or not to blog...

I found this link EXTREMELY interesting. To sum it up. Blog your passion. If you aren't into what you're blogging about, nobody else will be either. I would have to agree. There is a little more than I would add however. I realize this is an assignment and will need to be done. So I will be blogging a little more than I have been in the past weeks. I also feel that you have to have something that pushes you to blog. I think probably the best bloggers are those that are formerly (or continue to be ) journal-keepers. I've seen people that keep daily journals, and write in them several times a day. LOL! I don't get it. It's just not me and I don't think it probably ever will be.

It reminds me of when I was young and my parents bought my sister and I diaries. My sister would write a page or two talking about her innermost secrets. (I guess? I was a good brother and never read it.) Mine had stuff like, "I watched Three's Company tonight." Woo hoo!!! God knows I'd hate to lose stuff like that to the world of the forgotten. "I saw Becca at school." Oh yeah...I did. I also saw her almost every day we had school until we graduated. So?...And?... And yes, I do catch the irony that this is probably my longest entry in my blog and it is sorta anti-blog. But it's really not. I suppose what I'm trying to say here is that if anyone is reading this blog and finds themselves having trouble writing--you're not alone. Hang in there. Finish the assignment and get the lesson that this is such a valuable way to communicate for some. You need to try. If you don't, you'll never know. For me, I'm not a blogger. I can comment on someone else's, add to a wiki, or try different, innovative material out there. I just don't feel I'm a blogger.

P.S. If you are doing a portfolio option...please disregard this post. You need to force yourself. Thank you.

Finally figured it out!

My biggest problem with the small maps that I was putting in my project was that they wouldn't give directions from a certain destination. I had gone through a number of different map programs to find something that would work. The only thing I had found was Google maps, however it only seemed to work on a web page and not a wiki. I'm happy to report I finally figure it out.

When you have a destination, click on "Link to this page" above the map. If the map is the size you want, you can simply use the "Paste HTML to embed in website" line. Otherwise, click the link below which will allow you to "Customize and preview embedded map". You can customize the size or just use their small, medium, or large settings. Make sure your destination is in the middle of the map. If there is a bubble open with the destination information, you may want to close the bubble if the map you want to use is small. Now copy the information in the text box to your webpage html or wiki. Here's the trick for the wiki: The wiki doesn't understand ALL the html code apparently. Delete all the information after the /iframe tag. I can't honestly say that this works the same in all wikis, but it does work for wikidot.

Blogging on Thanksgiving???

So, here I am. There is no more room in the kitchen. I thought I would do somethings on the Internet before I started working a little more on my digitization/location project. Last night I was working on the project and I couldn't come up with very much to put on the front page. I wanted some information that would give readers a little background on the OIMC. As I asked a few questions, my dad brought me a book written about Methodism in Oklahoma. WOW!! There was so much information, I had to set the book aside just to get back to my project. Later as I was going to sleep, I started thinking about how much history could be added to the wiki. I used to think of history of old books, reading, research... Now I'm thinking of the potential history lesson from surfing the internet. History meets the future.

maps, maps, maps.......

I remember when I was young, my dad pulled out some USGS topographical maps that he bought of areas where he owned land. Being a curious little boy, I asked about the maps. I can't even tell you how long we sat there and he showed me how to read the map. We looked at the different types of roads, markings for houses, churches, cemeteries, etc. Now, I'm almost tired at looking at maps. Maybe I can transfer this love of maps to my sons...

Anyway, I have been working on my final project and having a tough time finding the type of map I want to include on my wiki. I started out with Google Earth, but couldn't find a way to export a small version of the map to embed in the wiki. I reverted back to Google Maps, but the links they gave me would not embed. Then I found wikimapia.org. This is a cool site. "Let's describe the whole world." Wow! OK! I figured I would add a few churches and then figure out how to link or embed a map from there to my wiki. However, I added two churches and it told me that I couldn't add anymore. Try later. It didn't let me later either. I ended up using quikmaps.com to access maps that would work. However, I have had a breakthrough in using Google Maps. Here is the key:

If you are using Google Maps, click on "Link to this page" at the top right side of the map. Copy the link under "Paste HTML to embed in website." This works great in a website. However, for a wiki, you have to delete anything past the < /iframe> designation.

ACRL-Oklahoma Conference

Let me start off by saying I went to the ACRL-Oklahoma Conference on Monday. WONDERFUL conference!!! Thank you ACRL-Oklahoma. Both keynote speakers were fantastic.

David Silver is a professor of media studies at University of San Francisco. He blogs as well as uses other tools such as Flickr and Feevy. He is a dynamic speaker and the best part is, HE'S FACULTY THAT WANTS TO WORK WITH THE LIBRARY!!!!!! How wonderful is that? He also understood Web 2.0. Basically he saw 2.0 as a conversation between two entities rather than a presentation or a lecture from one to the other. How appropriate then that the 2.0 could mean that 2.0 people are actually expressing their feelings and 2.0 people are being heard.

Another thing I got out of this presentation that empowers me...blog often - and use pictures with your blogs to give your readers another aspect of understanding. Also, not to be afraid to blog your thoughts or feelings, even if it's a somewhat short statement. There's no reason a blog entry has to be eight philosophical paragraphs on the thoughts of a Jesuit priest. (Guess you'd have to hear his presentation to understand that one.)

Advice for portfolio defenders...

If I were to give any advice to someone that is going to defend a portfolio, or any starting master's student that has a portfolio option, I would say to become a packrat. Stash away every email and paper that was returned to you. However, the biggest piece of advice is to blog. It would seem blogging does two things. The first is that it moves your thoughts out into an area that you can read and correct. It puts them into a coherent (usually) format that lets you contemplate and evaluate your responses to different areas in your school work. This is valuable later when you are attempting to put together your portfolio to show your growth in the program. The second thing it does is force you to put those ideas into a manner better consumed by the public. Personal journalling may express the thoughts and emotions, but a blog makes you think about how to phrase what you are thinking and feeling differently since the person you are talking about may have access to your blog. (Maybe the second half just applies to me. I've read many blogs that go ripping into someone else, come to think of it.) The point is to have a coherent reflection of your experiences in the program. They will really show their value at the end of your program when you are trying to remember how you felt that first semester as opposed to now. If you chose not to do the portfolio at a later time, you still would not have wasted your time putting your thoughts and feelings into words as you work toward your degree.

Portfolio...finished...defended...passed...whew!

My life can now get back to normal...well, as normal as it has been since January 2006 anyway. The defense was somewhat stressful, but mostly in anticipation. I took off a few days to rehearse my presentation and to refamiliarize myself with every piece of evidence included in the portfolio. As it turns out, it was overkill. However, I'm sure if I didn't prepare, I would have been a lot more nervous. My biggest problem was dealing with the lousy setup in the room they gave us. I suppose that was a hint of things to come too though. But the main point is...IT'S DONE! I PASSED!