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I am very excited about the upcoming Internet Librarian 2010 in Monterey CA next month. This post looks at the first events of the conference — Saturday morning’s free Library Camp Monterey, Saturday afternoon and Sunday workshops, Sunday evening networking and welcome party — Games & Gadgets Petting Zoo, and Monday’s main conference kick off! There will be more posts more posts here and at the conference blog about specific session themes and speakers, our Tuesday night session, Rip Van Winkles’s Libraries in 2510 (and if you haven’t entered the video/podcast contest, please do), and our first virtual conference, Mobile Monday Online.
Continue reading Adding Value @ Internet Librarian 2010, Oct 25-7
Rebecca Jones posted this in Learning on August 31st, 2010 University of Florida has followed University of California at Berkeley in offering a course using a web game to teach problem-solving and strategizing. But whereas Berkeley’s course was a pass/fail-not-part-of-student-grades course, this course is a 2-credit honors course. YES!
“21st Century Skills in Starcraft” is an eight-week class that “does not teach about Starcraft,” but combines weekly gameplay, analysis of recorded matches and “synthesis of real/game-world concepts,” to develop workplace skills.Part of the course description for the interdisciplinary honors course reads:
“With society becoming increasingly technology-based and fast-paced, it is important for professionals to be highly proficient in skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, resource management, and adaptive decision making. These skills are fundamental in Starcraft and therefore make the game a highly effective environment for students to analyze and take action in complex situations.”The course is open to twenty students that have access to a Mac or PC, Internet access outside the school labs and experience playing the popular game.”
Public libraries — the next the Board expresses their discomfort with “games” in the library, that highlighted phrase is worth citing.
Rebecca Jones posted this in Learning on August 23rd, 2010 A stunningly beautiful photo essay by Steve McCurry of people reading in places, spaces and with faces that stir our senses. Steve’s website profiles his photography — fabulous. I’ve taken to viewing photography sites and images as part of my early morning scan to gain new perspectives. And this is just one of them.
Steve McCurry's photography – insightful, magical
Rebecca Jones posted this in Conferences, Learning on August 13th, 2010 Frank Cervone and Jane Dysart are talking about Global Online Learning Resources today at IFLA 2010 in Sweden, and Cindy Hill is presenting E-system for delivering San Jose Distance Learning Programme. Both presentations are here:
Frank Cervone & Jane Dysart Global Learning Resources @ IFLA2010 and Cindy Hill Elearning System for Delivering San Jose Distance Learning Program
Jane Dysart posted this in Conferences, Learning, Lib, IM, KM on August 12th, 2010 At IFLA‘s opening ceremonies, Jan Eliasson, former President of the United Nations General Assembly and Minister for Foreign Affairs for Sweden, talked about communication and access to information in a globalized world. He began by noting that the room here in his native city, was a reminder of the UN with the world in Gothenburg. [There are 3,334 registrants at the IFLA 2010 conference from 128 countries.] The city and his family gave him roots – stability & a sense of direction, and wings – a sense of adventure, discovery and search for knowledge. He has a respect for knowledge, a motivation to learn, and a fascination with the word. He used words in his job at the UN to mediate conflict resolutions and peaceful settlements. He described words as rich assets in problem solving, as tools; and if you have a big toolbox you can solve problems. Some quotes from Jan Eliasson: “words are action”; “knowledge is the strongest engine for development”; “Information is power and the key to direction for individuals and society”; “access to knowledge is unfairly distributed”; “No peace without development and vice versa, no development without peace, and no lasting peace or sustainable development without respect of human life”; “knowledge is a crucial part of human rights pillar and peace” He quoted the first paragraph of Bertand Russell’s 3 volume autobiography emphasizing the three passions the ruled his life: longing for love, search for knowledge, pity for suffering of mankind. His most tweeted comment
Continue reading The Power of the Word: Solving Problems
Rebecca Jones posted this in Learning, Lib, IM, KM on August 6th, 2010 We all know the economy has devastated many people and organizations but to crush one of the basic learning, literacy, and community services — yes libraries — is really unimaginable. So many colleagues and friends have felt the effects, but there will be more. Check out this article about the budget crunch for libraries in the US.
So many of our leaders, authors, speakers have known community libraries as a safe haven and education hub that you would think they would step up to the plate to find creative solutions to funding community libraries, the cornerstone of an informed democracy. Author, David Baldacci (I’ve written about him before) is very impressive with his Wish You Well Foundation which has funded many family literacy programs. But we need many, many more foundations and other funding sources for libraries.
Many information professionals have serious music backgrounds, so I’ve been thinking that we need a rock concert to raise funds for libraries — it’s been done for famine, natural disasters, so why not human disasters? What do you think? Could we get it going?
Wish I’d been able to attend this event, but here are the 15 ideas, spanning 5 streams: creating, learning, empowering, changing, revolutionizing, that recommend ways to improve Canada’s digital economy based on the issues raised during the two-day discussions. Here’s the summary from Jennifer Kavur, Computer World Canada,
The creating stream, presented by Tim Jackson, founder and partner of Tech Capital Partners Inc., and Kevin Newman, anchor and executive editor at Global National:
1) An online “concierge” that would bring provincial and federal government together with one portal to make it easier for people to access and discover what government programs are available.
2) A provision of copyright laws that would allow people to choose what they want to charge and what they want to charge for to help them monetize content.
3) A “risk fund” for projects that recognizes the emerging market and allows for artistic experimentation. The fund would specifically acknowledge that the only way Canada will innovate and change is by acknowledging and accepting the risk of failure.
The learning stream, presented by Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) president Sara Diamond and Ken Coates, dean of the Faculty of Arts at OCAD:
4) A national provincial plan across curriculum – from K-12 to post-secondary education – that would bring literacy, numeracy, writing and digital skills to the Canadian population. This strategy coordinates literacy on both the federal and provincial scale. One component includes an open source repository for resources.
5) A national repository of co-op programs and
Continue reading Canada 3.0: Canada’s Digital Economy
iSchool Institute: Web & Classroom Courses — new Certificate on Intelligence Analysis; new courses on Human Factors, Wirearchy, etc.
The iSchool Institute at the Faculty is Information (was Professional Learning Centre) is ready for another busy semester ahead. We are now on Twitter – follow us @ischoolinst.We also have a Facebook page – join us there. Watch and listen to our instructors on YouTube or on our new website: institute.ischool.utoronto.ca..
Our fall 2010 courses are now available and registration is open. The following listing includes iSchool Institute courses offered in Toronto in September. For our full offering, online courses and face-to-face courses offered in Ottawa visit our website: institute.ischool.utoronto.ca.
We are pleased to announce that in the fall we will be offering 9 new courses: one new online course (Rebecca Jones will be teaching a 6-weeks online course Engaging Adult Learners: Strategies for Information Professionals and 8 new face-to-face courses in Toronto – we will circulate a separate listing of all new courses.
In April 2010 the iSchool Institute started its monthly series of free public lectures and specialized workshops with the same invited speaker. We have a full fall schedule available on our website (check our events calendar). The series starts on September 22.
September 2010 courses – Toronto
Information Management Fundamentals
Fri. 10 Sep 2010 OR Fri. 24 Sep 2010 1 Day (6 hours) – 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Instructor: Deirdre Grimes Fee: $250.00 Cert: IM or stand-alone
Information Management (IM) is the discipline of applying best practices, standards, and technology to
Continue reading iSchool Institute: Fall Course Lineup
Rebecca Jones posted this in Learning on February 10th, 2010 I often turn to Henry Mintzberg’s writings for his sage advice on management and leadership, yet tonight I found his advice on teaching. Here’s his “Ten Rules for Professors Who Want to Educate Real Managers”; they apply to anyone who is leading any kind of workshop, class, course, podcast or any other learning event:
1, 2, 3. Don’t pack it. Don’t pack it. Don’t pack it.
4. Schedule an extra hour for each session, but don’t tell the instructors until they arrive so they will have more time to turn the discussion over to the managers.
5. Profess less. Participants have at least as much to learn from each other as from the professors. (This is about what they learn, not about what we teach.)
6. Let participants run with the material on their agendas.
7. Be flexible. Let good discussion go on. If necessary, cut
what has to be “covered.”
8, 9, 10. Listen. Listen. Listen.
If you get nothing else out of that list, go back to #5; learning isn’t about what we trainers have to teach — it’s ALL about what the learners have to learn.
Third Generation Management Development
Jane Dysart posted this in Conferences, Learning on December 22nd, 2009 It’s amazing how fast a year goes by and how much we cram into 365 days. Hope everyone has a great holiday season and a terrific year in 2010! At this time of year, I always look ahead to what’s to come, and 2010 looks like it’s shaping up to be exciting. Here’s a peek –
Ontario Library Association SuperConference, Feb 24-27
Rebecca and I are facilitating a pre-conference workshop on Wed Feb 24 — Leadership Renewal: Conversations, Insights & Revitalization (P004) which includes segments with Cindy Ross Pedersen, Strategic Volunteer & Entrepreneur, Ken Haycock, Director, San Jose State University School of Libary & information Science & Senior Partner, Ken Haycock & Associates Inc. and Gordon Vala-Webb, PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada PLC. This interactive workshop should provide lots of wonderful conversations and insights. Rebecca is speaking about Resolving Conflict – Reaching Consensus (317) on Thurs Feb 25 and Service Lifecycle Management: Pruning Gives Other Services Room to Grow (1228) on Friday Feb 26. We have also put together a session on Thurs Feb 25 called Digital Strategies: Practices & Services (1021) which features Aaron Schmidt, District of Columbia Public Library, Amanda Etches Johnson, McMaster University and Daniel Lee, Navigator Ltd. We hope to see lots of our friends and colleagues in Toronto at SuperConference!
Computers in Libraries, DC, April 12-14
This vibrant conference is filled sessions on topics of interest to all those in the information business. Check out the program and join us for stimulating discussions, lots of learning and networking,
Continue reading Happy Holidays & All the Best in 2010!
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