It’s been a good ride, but it seems I need to hop off of this bus to put my efforts into other areas. Due to my workload and priorities right now, I will no longer be able to remain as a contributing author to this blog. I feel very honored to have been asked to be a part of this wonderful effort, and I look forward to following the blog as a part of my personal learning experience. I truly admire my fellow authors and can’t wait to see what they have to say next!
This is for those of you in libraries that offer OverDrive digital media for checkout to your patrons. Here at MPOW, I am offering people the ability to come to the main System office to watch the Webinars together in a conference room on a large screen TV. This is helpful for those who don’t have a dedicated computer they can use to join the Webinars. It will also generate some useful discussion before and after the Webinars. These will also count towards continuing education credit hours for anyone who attends. I attended these last year and found them to be very good. This is just another way to make less work for a single trainer and to utilize e-learning.
Free online courses for library staff, beginner to advanced
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OverDrive’s Training Month is an educational and fun program to increase staff knowledge and help maximize circulation of your OverDrive ‘Virtual Branch’.
Registration is now open. To guarantee the best selection of available dates and times, sign up now.
Sessions will be offered online throughout September with open enrollment for individuals and groups. Contests and prizes are included.
NEW for 2010: In response to participant feedback, audio for Training Month sessions will be provided via speakers/headphones on your computer. A phone connection is NOT required.
The curriculum includes courses covering each aspect of your OverDrive service:
More than 7,500 librarians participated in Training Month 2009 and four libraries were the lucky winners of OverDrive’s Training Month award packages. Don’t miss out in 2010!
Sometimes, when I sit down to begin work on a project, it feels like there is a tornado whirling through my brain. So many ideas begin to pour in that I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to remember them all! I would have to say that ever since I became a mother a little over three years ago, this condition has definitely become more severe.
In the past, I have used the method of brain dumping to just get it all down on paper. However, I found that when I wanted to bring all of the ideas together in some kind of logical order, it was difficult to do using a static list. I can remember actually grabbing a pair of scissors and cutting each little line of thought from my notebook into a strip of paper and then spreading them out all over my office floor to create a flow for a user manual.
That lead me to my next endeavor – index cards. I believe I was big into David Allen’s Getting Things Done philosophy at the time. This was definitely better than small, hard to pick up slips of paper. Still, I felt like I was left with a monumental stack of cards that just didn’t want to get into any kind of order for me. And the environmentalist in me could not stand all of that waste of trees.
Enter the spreadsheet. I would type each idea into a line in a spreadsheet and then cut / paste / click / drag my way into some kind of flow. Again, a little too cumbersome for me.
A little buzz word was ringing in my ear periodically. It would flit in and out saying “mind map… mind map… mind map…”. I had seen mind maps here and there. I actually attempted one on the whiteboard in my training room trying to mimic the way our Network Administrator would just let things flow through his marker. Instead my whiteboard became a mass of erased and rewritten words. By the time I was done with it, I felt like I had lost half of my ideas. Plus, I then had to copy the whole thing to a piece of paper before my next class.
It’s truly amazing to see the works of art that others have put together.
You see, I’m not a very creative person. It’s true; I admit it. I am very mathematical and linear. I always start my Basic Circulation classes with that fact when I hand out my test patron cards to the librarians to use during the training. There are no funny, themed names like Sally Latefee (which in itself is no good, but I TOLD you, I’m NOT creative). No, instead students will meet Test One, Test Two, all the way to the very exciting Test Fortyfive. I always tell them that’s why THEY are the ones doing creative programming at their libraries and I’M the one teaching them how to use the computer!
Then, a glimmer of hope arose on the horizon this past week. The name of this shiny gem…Mindmeister. I actually looked at this a few years ago, but did not bother playing with it because remember, I’m not a creative-type. I figured my brain just would not mesh with what I called in my head Mindmonster. See where negative self-talk will get you? I missed out on a few years of actually using this!
What was so painful to do on a whiteboard actually feels comfortable using this online interface. It’s very easy to use. The best part is that I can manipulate the information in any way I like. I can add colors, change text size, bold items, even add icons to let my thoughts actually take shape. Here’s their quick and simple tutorial:
A Tour of MindMeister from MindMeister on Vimeo.
Just for practice and to get familiar with how to use the software, I took my Circulation Manual and put it into mind map form. The red signifies the topics taught in Advanced Circ. Remember, I’m very new to this…
I’ve set up a new map where I’m brain dumping some ideas for a PC Troubleshooting class I’m developing. Each time I have a thought, I add it to the map. I’m currently sitting in on calls with our technicians to help me assess what needs to be covered in this class.
Then there’s this huge monster I’m creating for a Training Needs Assessment I’m working on. It’s just a place to gather all of the resources I’m pulling from as I work on my methodology for the assessment. It may look insane, but it is actually bringing me so much comfort to have all of the tornado down in software form. It makes sense to me and that’s all that really matters…
I’m hoping I get better at this over time. You can see a whole list of mind mapping software on Wikipedia. The Wild Apricot Blog also has a great post describing mind mapping and giving some how to instructions.
Here are some of my favorites that I’ve bookmarked over the years:
Non Profit Social Media ROI Mindmap
Robin Good’s Collaborative Map
Overdrive Interactive’s Social Media Map for Social Media Marketing
Overdrive Interactive’s Search Marketing Map
John Haydon’s The Shelf Life Of A Facebook Like Map
So what do YOU do to get ideas out of your head? What process do you use? If you use mind maps, would you be willing to share some with a newbie?
ALA’s Library Instruction Round Table issued a call for presenters this month to participate in their conference program, “Capitalizing on Technology: A Teaching Technology Fair” during the 2010 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. June 24-29.
Here is their Program Description:
Using technology in teaching is an ever changing process and keeping aware of new technologies can be daunting. Come discover how using free or open source software can enhance instruction. Presenters will discuss and demonstrate using various technologies in their instruction. Attendees will then be able to talk with librarians who use free or open source technology. Even if you just want to learn more about how free or open source software is being used, this session will help you capitalize on technology.
First of all, if you’re going to the conference and attend this program, please share with us what you learn. I will not be there and can’t wait to see what comes out of this program.
Next, this made me think of all of the free and open source software I use to actually do my job and would like to share my list with all of you. The easiest way to do this is to go through the sequence of what I open when I get to work in the morning and then other applications I use throughout a typical day.
After I turn my computer on and log in, I open our Spark Instant Messaging client. This is used internally in the IT Department (of which I am a member). Throughout the day, we communicate to each other using this open source IM client. We let each other know where we are or where we are going or when we are back (no clunky in/out board for us!). We ask questions of the group for clarification, or we can just chat individually with someone. We send important links, and a myriad of other communications throughout the day. The techs can even jump in with questions when they are out in a library troubleshooting or installing new equipment/software. This has cut down on departmental emails and has strengthened our teamwork approach.
Next I open Outlook, which we all know is NOT free. After that, I launch my Firefox Browser. This is my browser of choice, and I have it customized with many
Greasemonkey scripts (allows for customization of the way a Web page displays using small bits of JaveScript) and other Add-Ons; all of which are free. Here’s a screen shot of a few of them…
Meebo is a Web based IM that lets me log into my IM networks from any computer with a browser and internet connection. So my Google Talk, AOL IM, Messenger and a host of other IM/Chat clients can be accessed all at once in a single buddylist from anywhere. Because I use the meebo firefox extension, this loads automatically when I launch my browser. I have also placed the meebo me widget on all of my blogs and on other sites I’ve used for workshops as well as within our Intranet so that anyone can reach me anytime instantaneously when they need assistance. Another great way to avoid email.
The first site I open in my browser is Basecamp. (Actually, using the Morning Coffee Add-On, these sites open automatically into separate tabs when I click the icon on my browser). This is the open source project management software my department uses. We started with a free version, and now we do use a paid version. I love this. It keeps me on task for all of my projects and trainings. The templates are the best. If I teach a class on a rotating basis, I can just pull in a template of each task and step I need to do to prepare for, conduct and follow up for a class. When working on projects with others, I can clearly see the scope of the project, what my tasks are and when they need to be completed, and everyone else’s tasks. Again, this has added better communication and teamwork within our department.
Gmail, is what I open next. What can I say except that I absolutely could not live without it. The labels, filters, and ability to add in so many other features makes this the email client of choice for me. Many times, I have contemplated forwarding my work emails into Gmail for better organization, but I have not taken that leap to date. Instead, what I have done, is signed up using my Gmail account for all of the listserves, Google groups, Yahoo groups and others. This way I can filter all of those out into labels (think folders on steroids) to read when I have time. Also, if I want to use a vacation message in my professional Outlook email, all of those groups will not have to read that because I did not sign up for them using my Outlook account. Truly, there is nothing more annoying than seeing someone’s vacation message all over the place…
SurveyMonkey is my next stop. It is great for creating surveys, but it can do a lot more than that! We do not have a Web programmer at MPOW. I needed a free and easy way to handle registrations for my training classes. The ideal would be an online form that would feed into a database. I was tired of people just sending me an email to sign up for a class and then placing that information into a spreadsheet. So, a few years ago, I began using SurveyMonkey in a creative way. We do have the paid version here, which allows me to use logic and export results directly into Excel. Staff click a link on our Intranet to register for training. It takes them to a survey I created that contains almost 30 pages with logic built in. They only see on average about 5 of those pages as they register. Each class option leads them down a different logical path of pages. Each class has pre-requisites and I didn’t want to have to keep checking with people when I used to use email to see if they had the skills necessary for a class. They would fail to include that information in their email even when asked. The registration survey forces them on a logical path for each separate class. So, to take Microsoft Word Level 2, it asks them if they have Basic Windows skills or have already taken the Basic Windows class. If they aren’t sure, it links them to another survey where I have built a Basic Windows Pre-Test. After that, it asks them if they have Word Level 1 skills or have already taken that class. Again, they are linked to a pre-test if they aren’t sure. This has made registrations a snap now and I rarely have to follow-up with anyone. Feel free to take a look at this and test it out if you like here (Don’t worry, I created a copy of my true registration, so you can fill in whatever you like and it won’t get mixed up with the real data).
I check my account daily to see who has registered for classes or who has completed a Pre-Test that I need to process and send results.
The last site I open is our Intranet. We use an open source wiki from MindTouch as our Intranet. We do pay for support. Before we moved to this a few years ago, we had one person who could post to our Intranet which was a static Web site he maintained using Dreamweaver. Everything had to go through him and it sometimes took a few days before information was posted due to his workload. Now, ANYONE can post to the Intranet with a few clicks. The user interface is super easy to use. Plus, there is the opportunity to build community with a comment box on every page. We are currently working on a redesign to put some procedures into place and to make it easier to find stuff. We pretty much just slapped it together in the beginning. We may be doing things backwards, but at least people can get information out quickly and cut down on the tremendous amounts of email that used to fly around here.
Now for the random array of many other free and open source sites that help me in my work…
I love Doodle for helping me to coordinate dates for training classes or meetings. This is a free, Web-based scheduling tool. I used to schedule classes randomly and sometimes only get 1 or 2 students sign up. I changed this model to one where you have to sign up to be put on a waiting list for a class. Once I have 4 people signed up, I use Doodle to coordinate the best date for those 4 people. Once that date is determined, I then broadcast the selected date to everyone and usually more people then register. My training room accommodates 12 people. This method has been very effective. I’ve been doing this a little over 2 years now and I teach classes less often but pull in more people. This wastes less of my time and students’ time and allows me to do more one-on-one trainings. See how beneficial a free little Web ap can be?
Oh how I sing the praises of Jing! I can use Jing to capture anything I see on my computer screen and share it instantly. This can be as an image or a short movie. As much as I wanted to be able to use Captivate years ago, I never had the time to really learn and use it effectively. I even went to a 2-day course and didn’t get the hang of it. That was before all of these free and easy screen casting and screen capture tools started popping up everywhere. I began using Jing about 2 years ago and may have to get a pro license soon. For now, everything I’ve done has been for free. My first use was when we pushed out Outlook Exchange to all of the member libraries. I created an entire library of how-to videos and posted them to our Intranet. Then, I started just sending out little videos of how-tos when questions would come up. I can literally throw on my headset, hit a button, have the video uploaded online and a link or embed code ready to go in 10 minutes. It’s that simple. Plus, they have great video tutorials in their help area to get started. However, if you’re someone who likes to do a lot of editing, forget it. This is about quick and one take. For professional tutorials, guess I’m going to have to eventually learn one of the others…
You gotta love Dimdim‘s slogan… “Why meet when you can Dimdim?” I’ve only used this a few times so far, but it’s free and pretty easy. It lets anyone host and attend live meetings, demos and webinars using just a Web browser. The free version only allows for a small meeting. So far that’s all I’ve needed it for. I’ve also used it to share a screen to show someone how to do something. Looks like we’re going to be using GoToMeeting now as we just purchased an account. Something new to learn but at least I can begin doing large scale webinars.
Have I mentioned that I’m a Google junkie? Google is also my home page for any browser I use. This past year I made the switch from Bloglines to Google reader as my RSS Feed Reader. There really is no going back. I love being able to put multiple labels on a feed and easily share items. I’ll never be able to actually read everything I have in there, but somehow what’s really important floats to the top and I get the information I need.
Told you, Google junkie… I use Google calendar for many things. We use it right here on ALA Learning to figure out who posts when. I like to keep everyone informed about all of the great (and many of them free) library-related training opportunities that abound outside of our System. I cull information from many feeds and listserves into one big Library-Related Training Opportunities Google Calendar. It’s easy to just paste information into the calendar and insert a little HTML where needed. I use a widget on our Intranet and the full calendar embed code at the bottom of my blog.
The theme continues… Google docs helps me to collaborate with people here at MPOW and all over the globe. This is another tool that we use here on ALA Learning to keep some sense of order to this team blog. I also like to use the docs or spreadsheets when I’m sharing data gathered from questions I’ve raised in groups or listserves where people want to see the results of my query. One usually cannot attach documents or pdfs to listserve posts, so giving a published Google doc link is helpful. See an example here.
Remember I mentioned that we do not have a Web programmer? Well Google Forms, which are a part of Google docs, are a wonderful way to create forms for placement on Web pages. I use this on our Intranet as a way for people to report any continuing education/training they have received throughout the year. Our supply request form was created by our Collection Development/Technical Services department and has again cut down an tons of emails. You can also set up simple surveys using a form.
I haven’t had time yet to really learn how to do a podcast using Audacity, getting a good mic, mixer etc etc. I occasionally fill in as host of the T is for Training show and have gotten very familiar with Talkshoe. This is a service that lets anyone easily create, join, or listen to live interactive discussions, conversations, podcasts and audioblogs. I think a great use of this would be if I recorded a weekly training tip that I could then share with everyone via my blog and the Intranet and of course iTunes. Talkshoe does all of this quite easily. If you want to know more about it, ask the pro, Maurice.
Honestly, I could keep going and going. There’s Skype and Slideshare and Scribd There’s the Blogger and WordPress blogging platforms I use. I won’t even get into the free social networking stuff (think twitter, facebook, flickr…) These are much more familiar than the items I’ve discussed.
So tell me, what free and open source software do you use to make you more effective and efficient in your job? Please comment and let us know. I can’t wait to learn about new gems out there!
Join us for our 45th episode which will most likely include the following subjects:
Computers In Libraries 2010 - Reports from those who went in person or attended virtually. What did you learn, how did your presentations go, favorite and least favorite moments…
Thoughts on the use of the backchannel when presenting. Are you for or against?
Competencies and Training Needs Assessments – how do you do it, have you done it, what works and what doesn’t work… We’ll be discussing WebJunction’s wonderful resources.
The full post, including participating instructions is here.
Hope to see you then. Especially those of you who attended CIL2010. We’d love to hear your reports! Everyone is welcome and it’s YOUR input that makes for a great show. If you cannot join us, catch all of the episodes in the handy sidebar on the right hand side of the ALA Learning Blog.
Are you one of the lucky ones tasked with training Microsoft Office products? Does the thought of doing so overwhelm you? Relax, there are a ton of resources available to help you put together a suite of training that will knock anyone’s socks off!
Original photo from cheezburger.com
First, I know this is a bit late, but at MPOW a few of us are just now moving to Office2007. We are planning on moving the whole system to Office2010 eventually. For now, my challenge was helping the few of us moving to 2007 without launching an entire training program since everyone else is still using 2003. I was so happy to find the Guides to the Ribbon on Microsoft’s site.
The most challenging part of moving from Office2003 to Office2007 is the Ribbon. I’m still not thrilled with the thing, but I can see that if I were a brand new user who hasn’t been a slave to the Office Suite for more years than I care to count, it is probably a bit easier to learn. My brain to hand movements for making Office work are automatic after years of using and training on the software. I love the Interactive Guides that you can run right from the page or, even better, download to have with you at any time. I have the guides on my computer’s desktop so I can get to them quickly and I also carry them around on my thumb drive to use when helping people on location.
Here is a quick screencast of what the guides look like in action:
Now let’s look at all of the various resources out there that can help you put together that awesome training program for your staff or patrons.
The obvious place to start is Microsoft Office’s site itself. They have many free, self-paced online training courses. They’ve just launched an awesome tool called the Enterprise Learning Framework. This helps you to develop a training and communication plan during deployments of upgrades. You choose the topics you want people to learn and it will create a customized email with links to all of the online training available. Very cool! There are also free training presentations, and the Unlimited Potential Curriculum which is free for non commercial use in nonprofits. I still have more to explore in Microsoft’s resources. Check them out and please let us know in comments other tools you may have used from this rich collection.
Next stop is WebJunction’s Technology area. There are a wealth of resources there. When focusing on Office, be sure to see the Office Applications area. Don’t reinvent the wheel, there are many others who have already done this.
I also like the stuff put out by GCF Learn Free a part of the Goodwill Community Foundation, Inc. They have a YouTube channel that I subscribe to that puts out quick and easy tutorials on a variety of topics including Office.
Don’t forget a Google search on free microsoft office training!
If you’re willing to spend some money, there are many companies that have already done the hard work of creating the curriculums needed for Office training. Again, a Google search on microsoft office training curriculum will get you started.
Personally, I had to go the route of putting out some cash to save me the hours of time it would take to build my own curriculum. It would have been more expensive for my system to pay me to do that than it is for me to renew my license with CustomGuide every year. The price is very minimal for a non profit. Their courseware is totally customizable and includes online learning as well. They have pre-assessments and post assessments to help as well.
I hope you have fun building your own Office Training Program. It’s amazing how you can make someone’s day by showing them an easier and more efficient way to get the job done using Office.
Please let us know what you’ve done and share your links with us!
Tomorrow marks the 41st episode taping of the Library Training Podcast, T is for Training which is sponsored by the ALA Learning blog.
Detailed notes about the podcast are visible here: Gearing Up for Tomorrow’s T is for Training
You can listen to past episodes of the podcast by clicking on the widget on the top right side of this page.
Thanks for listening!
I will use the ORIGINAL 27 questions proposed for the T is for Training gang. Here goes (answers in bold)…
1) Your One Sentence Bio
A surrendering to something greater than myself mother and wife who likes to sing and is a training coordinator for a public library system.
2) Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes. I always warn the library-types I train that I am NOT a creative-type; I’m more of a math/science-type, and I don’t come up with very original stuff; hence, the name of this blog…
3) What is your professional background?
I have a BA in Social Work with a minor in Spanish and I almost finished a tech degree in Computer Information Systems. See question 21 for more details.
4) What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
Strictly staff/volunteers. Millennium ILS, Microsoft Office, Social Media, and anything else staff/volunteers need to use a computer for in our libraries.
5) What training do you think is most important to libraries right now
How to do advocacy well – something I know nothing about but can see is desperately needed.
6) Where do you get your training?
I LOVE webinars, especially the free variety as that works well with my current budget.
7) How do you keep up?
If only I could! I do my best through RSS (just made the switch from Bloglines to Google Reader last week and LOVE it), tweets, Facebook, Friendfeed, podcasts, video, flickr, etc.
(that’s supposed to be an 8, but the coding keeps putting a cool face with shades here, whatever!) What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
Funding, funding, oh, and funding!
9) What are biggest challenges for trainers?
For underfunded and understaffed libraries to see the value of time/cost needed for training.
10) What exciting things are you doing training wise?
Currently working on being able to offer some e-learning Microsoft tutorials through CustomGuide.
11) What do you wish were you doing?
Wish I were home with my 2 beautiful girls. For a more work-related answer, I wish I could be training the public; the patrons, on all things technology with a focus on social media.
12) What would you do with a badger?
Stand at least twenty feet away from it. Wait, make that thirty feet.
13) What’s your favorite food?
Teff, an amazing Ethiopian grain. I gave up all forms of sugar, wheat and flour over 9 years ago and have discovered so many amazing foods.
14) If you were stranded on an island, what one thing would you want to have with you?
My family.
15) Do you know what happens when a grasshopper kicks all the seeds out of a pickle?
It’s left with a seedless pickle.
16) Post it notes or the back of your hand?
Post it notes – everywhere…
17) Windows or Mac?
Windows, but wish I weren’t.
18) Talk about one training moment you’d like to forget?
I had a training while working in private industry where we were shoved in a room big enough to hold a small round table and I had to train the president, vp and 2 other high ranking people (usually the hardest types to train as they usually have other people do everything for them) for 2 straight days; agony!
19) What’s your take on handshakes?
They are a necessary evil.
20) Global warming: yes or no
I’m afraid the answer is… yes.
21) How did you get into this line of work?
Feel free to read the twisted tale here.
22) What is the best part of your job?
Watching someones eyes grow big and hear them let out an “oooh” or an “ahhh” when they learn how to do something really cool or something that will save them TONS of time on a computer.
23) Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
I have to agree with Peter here and suggest people find their own pair of shoes.
24) Sushi or hamburger?
Neither thank you. Refer to question 13.
25) LSW or ALA?
LSW, it’s hip, it’s what I can afford, and it allows me to wear a cape when I’m in the mood.
26) What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
Mary, the mother of God, to ask her how she survived motherhood and how to cultivate unconditional love and acceptance.
27) What cell phone do you have and why?
A Motorola E815 I got over 5 years ago because it still works, I only use it for telephone calls, and I’m too broke to afford a data plan.
Here’s another great webinar from Infopeople:
Date and time: Thursday, January 21, 2010, 12 pm – 1:00 pm Pacific Standard Time
This webinar will last approximately one hour. There is no charge for this webinar. Pre-registration is not required.
For more information and to participate in the January 21 webinar, go here.
Times are tough. Your programming budget (if you still have one) has probably been slashed. Yet customers are relying on the library more than ever for free, quality programs that entertain, challenge and educate them. What’s a busy librarian to do?
TEDx events give libraries a great way to provide top-notch programming to their communities, for free! Using free content from A-list TED conference speakers and a proven program model, you can tailor an event to your community’s needs, whether you’re planning for 15 or 100 people.
By the end of this webinar, attendees will:
-Understand what a TEDx event is
-Be familiar with the application process and basic requirements for hosting a TEDx event
-Know where to go to get started planning a TEDx event
Join presenter Genesis Hansen as she introduces a fantastic programming resource for time- and cash-strapped libraries.
Speaker: Genesis Hansen. Genesis got her MLIS from San Jose State in 2003, and since 2004 has worked at the Newport Beach Public Library. She has been a Reference Librarian, Young Adult Librarian, Web Services Librarian and is currently the Reference and Web Services Coordinator. Genesis is interested in providing customers with the best experience at every point of contact with the library, including designing the website for better usability, improving wayfinding in brick and mortar locations, enhancing collections and developing creative and dynamic programs.
If you are unable to attend the live event, you can access the archived version the day following the webinar. Check the archive listing here.
Webinar: TEDx for Libraries: Dynamic programming for FREE!
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time: 12pm – 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time
Speaker: Genesis Hansen
The original title of this post was going to be “Using FREE Online Resources for Continuing Education”. However, I was reading my Training Doctor Newsletter for November 2009 (yes, I’m a little behind and you should subscribe too) and came across a term that is new to me, feral learning. The newsletter states:
The term “feral learning” was coined in the 1990s by Ted Nunan, perhaps, or by Dr. Roy Lundin. It is in reference to employees taking control of their own training needs and education by utilizing resources they find themselves (such as Google).
Beautiful description of how I go about meeting my training needs with a very small budget. In these trying times, I currently have no CE budget, so I’m grateful that I have developed the skill of furthering my knowledge through online connections.
The newsletter suggests a wonderful blog post to check out by ZOE Training & Consulting. Please read through it for some excellent information. I love the 3 1/2 tips they state at the end of the post. Here are the beginnings of those tips as a teaser to send you over to the whole post…
I first heard another term for this, personal learning environment/experience (PLE), from fellow ALA Learning Blog author, Marianne Lenox, during her WebJunction Webinar titled “Start You Up! The Personal Learning Experience”. She presented this on 12/7/07. Be sure to check out the archive of it. Here’s a description of the webinar:
The new term “Personal Learning Environment” refers to a concept of highly individualized, non-structured e-learning built by the user to meet his or her own needs. Also known as a “PLE,” it can be a mix of educational computer software or applications, Internet pages, Web 2.0 tools and creativity. During this webinar, we will look at the most popular start pages like iGoogle, Netvibes and Pageflakes, and show you how to create your own private, educational website about almost any topic you choose!
I started following Marianne’s blog after the webinar. I began emailing her here and there. Then she was added to my IM list (Instant Messaging). Next thing you know we’re on a podcast together and the rest is history. You see, Marianne became part of my own PLE!! This is how it works!
Over the years I have found many avenues to bring me a constant stream of learning possibilities. By subscribing to blogs and online newsletters, joining lists and communities, and listening to podcasts, I have to pick and choose what I have time for. I mentioned in my previous post some top blogs I follow (and of course the blogs of the authors right here and the usual suspects found on the left side of this page) and lists that I am a member of. I love these newsletters:
I love the OPAL and LearningTimes communities too.
For podcasts/vodcasts there is a wide variety (note my main training focus is tech training):
What makes up your PLE? Please comment and share the blogs, communities, newletters, podcasts, etc. that you would recommend.
My manager has made it a requirement within our department to attend one webinar or listen to one podcast per month and share what we learned on a page of our intranet. This is a great way to foster feral learning!
In an effort to move from push learning to pull learning with the staff and volunteers I train, I created a Google Calendar chuck full of possibilities. I created a page on our Intranet that shows them the calendar and gives them links to many resources. I would like to share that information with you here:
Link to the calendar: Library-Related Training Opportunities – This calendar shows regional, national and worldwide trainings and conferences as well as online webinars to help you in your profession. Click on the name of any event for more information. You may also change the view from Agenda (which it displays by default) to Week or Month by using the tabs on the top right of the calendar.
If you really like to travel, here is a huge list of Library Related Conferences around the world.
Here’s the list of resources I have recommended:
ABLE – The free, online Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) Program provides basic library knowledge and skills for staff members who have no formal education in library science.
Adobe Luminary eSeries – In this eSeminar series, you will engage with industry luminaries to learn techniques that will give you insight and techniques that you can use everyday.
ALA – American Libraries Assn. This will link you to their calendar of events and trainings.
BCR – BCR (Bibliographical Center for Research) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit headquartered in Aurora, Colorado. They offer a broad range of solutions and Their hands-on, personal attention to each customer enables them to deliver effective and timely solutions that help libraries keep pace with new developments in technology and services. BCR is the nation’s oldest and most established multistate library cooperative. Since 1935, the BCR team has helped libraries learn new skills, reach new customers, increase productivity and save money.
Charity How To – Offers free step-by-step videos for non-profits, including tutorials on online fundraising.
DIOSA – DIOSA | Communications specializes in Web 2.0 Marketing, Web 2.0 Trainings, Webinars, and MySpace Design for nonprofit organizations, and small businesses.
Discovery Education – Offers free webinars and archives.
Education Week – Offers Free webinars and archives.
Elluminate – Elluminate goes beyond web conferencing with best-in-class web, audio, video, and social networking solutions that help you create a 21st century teaching, learning, and collaboration environment. They offer great webinars.
Foundation Center – Offers free webinars on grant seeking, proposal budgeting, boards and fundrasing. They also offer fee based webinars.
Higher Logic – Higher Logic’s mission is to provide the constituents of not-for-profits innovative ways to think together and build trusted communities where interactive communication and information exchange can occur. By offering software products that allow people to contribute, share, and collaborate, Higher Logic delivers solutions to not-for-profits looking to preserve their organizational value and attract a new generation of global members. Check out their online Q3 Learning Series Webinars for 2009.
Idealware – Idealware seminars are designed to give you the tactical advice you need to make software decisions. They include all the candid advice and product comparisons of the reports and articles on which they are based, but offer plenty of extra guidance and insights straight from the author – and each is capped at 22 participants, so you’ll have lots of opportunity to ask questions and get just the information you need.
InSync Training – InSync Training offers a variety of consulting, development and delivery services to support synchronous training initiatives. We combine specialized instructional design, facilitation techniques, and content development to deliver the most effective training for the live online environment.
Library Journal Webcasts – List of Webinars suggested by Library Journal.
Lyrasis – A regional membership organization for libraries and information professionals, Lyrasis works to ensure their success today and tomorrow by providing access to more of the shared knowledge and expertise, innovative products and services, and customized solutions they need. Created in 2009 by the merger of PALINET and SOLINET, two well-established regional library networks, Lyrasis members now include over 4,000 member libraries and cultural heritage institutions across the US and beyond. Lyrasis serves as a critical collective voice in the national arena.
NEFLIN’s Library Webinars Blog: This site has been created by NEFLIN to provide Florida library staff with one location for information about webinars.
Network for Good Learning Center – Nonprofit 911 is a free training series on nonprofit marketing and online fundraising, supported by Network for Good and guest speakers.
New Horizons – Since 1998, New Horizons of Harrisburg has been delivering expert-led computer training to local Pennsylvania businesses and individuals. Through an integrated learning approach that ensures that new knowledge can be applied to real life situations, New Horizons Harrisburg delivers a full range of technology and business skills training from basic application and desktop productivity tools to complex and integrated business systems.
Nonprofit Resource Network – The Nonprofit Resource Network enhances the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, providing professional development, networking opportunities and access to critical information resources.
NTEN – NTEN aspires to a world where all nonprofit organizations skillfully and confidently use technology to meet community needs and fulfill their missions.
OCLC Training Portal – The Training Portal is your gateway to making the most of your OCLC products and services. This site provides you with access to in-person and Web-based instruction from OCLC and OCLC-certified Training Partners.
OPAL – OPAL is an international collaborative effort by libraries and other organizations of all types to provide web-based programs and training for library users and library staff members.
O’Reilly Webcasts - Meet experts online.
PANO – Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations – PANO is the statewide membership organization serving and advancing the charitable nonprofit sector through leadership, advocacy, education and services in order to improve the quality of life in Pennsylvania.
PBS Teachers – Free media and education technology webinars.
SABLE – The free, online Supplemental Alternative Basic Library Education (SABLE) program provides additional resources in library knowledge and skills for staff members who have no formal education in library science. This program is a supplement to the ABLE courses; however, they are not tied to the completion of the ABLE courses.
SirsiDynix Institute – Providing you FREE access to industry-leading speakers and events, our mission is to support librarianship and advance the work of librarians around the world. Attend online as the SirsiDynix Institute presents compelling speakers selected from among leaders in librarianship and information technology. In each biweekly Web conference, presenters will share their expertise and enhance your understanding of current topics important to librarians.
Techsoup – TechSoup is a trusted technology resource that offers a variety of information and services for the benefit of the nonprofit sector. TechSoup provides instructional articles and worksheets for nonprofit staff members who utilize information technologies, as well as technology planning information for executives and other decision makers. Our introductory articles and message board support are aimed at those who do not have much experience using technology, but we also provide more advanced information.
The TLT Group – The TLT Group is a not-for-profit that helps college and university educators take advantage of changing technology so they can improve teaching and learning.
Thinkfinity – The goal of Verizon Thinkfinity’s professional development is to help educators, parents and afterschool practitioners engage students and enhance learning using our online resources. Check out their free training courses and register for the one that best meets your needs.
WebJunction – WebJunction bridges the barriers to learning by providing open, affordable, online learning communities like the one you are visiting right now. Our members take courses, attend events, share knowledge, and network with others – all in an environment that fosters collaboration and mutual support. Our vision is to be the place where the worldwide library profession gathers to build the knowledge, skills and support we need to power vibrant, relevant libraries.
WebEx Presents – Free webinars hosted by industry experts.
Again, please add in comments other resources that contribute to your own PLE and contribute to your own feral learning. Feral really is the perfect word to describe this movement in training. We are escaping the domestication of regimented classroom training and becoming wild in our efforts to learn as rapidly as we can to keep up with the lightning fast speed of change present in technology today. With the economy the way it is today, we HAVE to move in this direction.
I promise, I won’t bite you…
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