Amelia - Lounge

Amelia - Lounge by booksdontgrowontrees featuring a v neck sweatshirt

Moving!

Same thing, new place: http://booksdontgrowontrees.wordpress.com

The Death of You're and It's

To really understand me, you may have to realize that my husband and I talk grammar in our spare time.
Not that it's always the topic of choice (maybe because it tends to become argumentative), but neither does it come up infrequently.

Our most recent conversation stemmed from seeing Australia in theaters because we had a free movie ticket that expired before next weekend, when the movies that we really want to see came out.
Conversation after that movie went several different directions: filming style, dialogue, sensationalism, etc. ("Watching a movie," for us, is not just an activity that ends when the credit rolls.)
One of which came from my husband's observation. He is usually the one to notice (and correct) grammatical errors. Although, I believe it falls into the category of "pet peeves" for both of us; namely the use of "your" when "you're" is intended and "it's" when "its" is intended (and I sadly admit that Sam has had to correct me on the latter more than once...)

It's one thing to make a mistake, but it's another to not realize that a mistake was ever made, or to not care one way or another. OR, to publish something with a blatant mistake.
Now, we understand that it's a losing battle to try and correct that on online communities (although that doesn't always keep us from fighting.) Even in the classroom, it's a tough and constant battle. But when you see it in magazines and newspaper headlines... it really makes us wonder.

Anyway, this observation Sam made, it shows one of the reasons I love him so. In the movie they show a newspaper. Like normal people, I read the headline, got the gist of it, and figured out the message it was conveying. Sam did all the above, as well as recognize a blatant grammatical error in the headline of the newspaper shown in the movie. Who does that? Who notices that? But then, seriously, who would make that mistake? Or rather, who would let that mistake slip by?

Now, since I didn't notice the mistake myself I can't pinpoint where it was. But apparently, in one of the headlines they use "it's" when they should've used "its" (or maybe vice versa? Now I can't even remember..)

So this started a discussion of the nature of language. My first argument (since I've been know to make this mistake and have tried to rationalize where it comes from) is that "its" is an exception to a rule. We are taught to use an apostrophe to show possession. In the case of "its" since "it's" can also, and more appropriately, represent the conjuction of "it" and "is", "it's" became the representation of the conjuction and "it" showing possession was simplified to "its".

Sam, so smartly, countered that that didn't necessarily apply as pronouns in general don't use apostrophes to show possession. E.g. "hers". So if we were really looking at rules, that rule wouldn't apply to begin with, in order for "its" to be an exception to the rule.

This rabbit-trailed into a conversation about the correct way to identify possession of proper names that are either plural, end in "S", or both. Basically, whether or not a word ending in "s" and showing possession should have simply an apostrophe at the end, or an apostrophe followed by the typical "s".
That discussion never met a solid conclusion as the rules for that are abundantly varied. Although my favorite rule, and personal conclusion, has to do with the sound of language as opposed to the use and/or type of language (rules such as "if it's plural than you add the "s" after the apostrophe" OR "if the name is biblical, it should always have an apostrophe "s"" other than that never use the extra "s".)
The much more logical and natural way to do it, is if the show of possesion would add an additional syllable, then an apostrophe AND the additional "s" should be added. For example: "Chris's dog."
If the show of possession would NOT add an additional syllable, the "s" should be left off and the word should end with an apostrophe. Example: The Moores' house. I think that covers most situations.

But back on track with "its" and "you're". More commonly than "it's", "your" is the mistake that slips by general readers copy-editors alike. This can't even be rationalized with a "rule" that people may think they are following. "You're" is just going extinct. In that case, why even bother with an apostrophe? Why add an extra letter? It sounds the same - is there really any difference?
"Your...what?" is the common response Sam and I give to statements like "your funnee!1!" In that case.. "your funny... what?"
When we see that in online and texting messages, again, it's almost not worth the effort to correct. When we see it and mark it wrong on student papers... we have to fight despondancy and the fear that students won't even realize what or why we marked it wrong. When we see it in newspapers... we weep.

Is this the decline of language along with the decline of civiliation, that no amount of fight will prevail?
Is it not even a decline, just a natural change in language that we shouldn't even bother shrugging over, because it's going to happen anyway and it's not "bad" or even "good"?
Is correcting these mistakes something we should continue to strive for, either way?
Sam and I both have a desire for excellence. We both want to pursue the drive for excellence. But at the same time, we want to be worthwhile.
It's one thing to maintain a standard yourself. It's another thing to teach and uphold others to it, especially when they are changing in spite of you (or to spite you..heh.)


On a completely different note. When Sam and I walked into the theater we quickly noticed that we were by far the youngest couple in there. Everyone else looked atleast 30+, and as far as we could tell, part of a couple. It's nice to know though that even old people go on movie dates.
;P

Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio

I almost forgot I had already written a post about Week 9 of 23Things. Since it didn't address all of the aspects of the lesson, I'll go ahead and summarize them here.

I like VideoJug and have found some very helpful videos there in times past. So I was glad 23Things reminded me of its existence. Now, many times, when I am looking for how-tos, recipes, etc. I prefer something I can read so I can intake the information at a pace that works for me and easily/quickly refer back to specific points when necessary. By nature, videos aren't quite that way. But at the same time, sometimes there's nothing quite like being able to see something in action to help you understand it or how to do it. So I do see a lot of value in how-to videos, atleast as one supplement. (I enjoyed videos on giving massages as well as grilling steak!)

I also enjoyed Metacafe's "Production School." I can't imagine that I will be filming much, but the tips were interesting to know and helpful for the rare (or future!) occasion in which I might need them.


As for Podcasts... I like the idea. But I never got into them. Probably because I'm not a big "auditory learner." I'd rather read or even watch. I feel like listening demands more attention that it's worth - although that statement probably has unintentional implacations. The most I've got into downloadable audio (other than music :P) is listening to a great series of sermons while I was dating/engaged to Sam and driving three hours roundtrip almost every weekend. I was sitting, forced to focus, unable to deter my visual attention, but able to devote enough attention with my ears that something a little more productive than music was a nice change of pace. I should think about doing that more - even if my long drives aren't quite as frequent. (I doubt it would be worth it on short drives with frequent interruptions.)

About the Podcast services: Odeo is self-proclaimed "easy to find, play, and enjoy."
Mevio seems to have more of a focus on video.
Sometimes I forget that iPods even have video as I'm still toting my 3rd Generation - it doesn't even have color, ha!
PodOmatic had more of a focus on contribution: creating, uploading, etc. even just from the front page. Without looking too deeply I would guess they would be the ones offering stats on viewing, as they had "ranking" displayed on the front page.

I don't think I could ever get into something like NetLibrary myself. Although it could be a good source to recommend. If I AM going to listen to something I would want it to be something inherently audio - a sermon or seminar or something. I don't like listening to audiobooks. Never gotten it to it. I suppose if I ever really had the time and gave them a chance I might be able to get something out of them. But I enjoy the reading process. Part of the joy of reading comes from that process - taking in the information and piecing it together yourself. I don't want someone else taking away from my imagination by imposing flow or tone or even tone of voice upon my experience of a book. Reading is a personal process and I want to keep it that way. :)

That said - I know many people who ARE readers who still enjoy Audiobooks. More power to them.

A Vocabulary Lesson

The Collins English Dictionary is attempting to bring an olid malison upon our language by discarding 24 words to make room for new entries. Their caducity is apparently to blame for this abstergent action. But the caliginosity of this action would be niddering. Should we sit by and watch them exuviate these components of our language in the name of an abstergent effect on our dictionaries? Are these words not compossible? Even worse - is this fatidical of the direction our society is headed? We must recrement the disposal of these roborant members of our dictionary! Even to the extent of vilipending those who would vaticinate this endeavor of embrangling our future learners.



I don't know if that made the point I intended, or even what the point was that I was intending..
But it's true! To find out more about it read this: www.libgig.com/endangered
I found it intriguing.

Podcasts, Video & Downloadable Audio

This part of the 23 Things really brought it to a head for me - atleast in terms of how I can apply these skills in the workplace.

I discovered that tools like this - unless I am using them for myself and to aid my own productivity - can really only be used with students in the classroom setting.
I don't have the freedom or the availability to do much on the LRC computers. IT would have a fit. In the classroom atleast I have the ability to show videos. Most of my time in the classroom is limited to the curriculum I have to adhere closely to. But... if I got adventerous enough, I could find (or MAKE!) videos to teach for me. Or to help me teach, anyway. ;)
I actually just arrived at the brilliant (yet still far-fetched) idea of filming LIRN tutorials. I don't know how well they would practically work - it would be slightly more captivating than B/W screenshots on paper. And yet not quite as accesible. They would be limited in accessing these videos unless they knew how and dared to adventure into the Virtual Library
I know we teach the students how to get into the Virtual Library; multiple times; but that never guaruantees that they will be able to return there on their own.
A video would also demand the screen - so they couldn't really "follow along" unless they used more than one computer at a time. HARDLY something I would encourage.

I must admit, one of my greatest struggles working here is maintaining patience with so many students who are immensely limited in their computer skills, and beyond that slow or entirely unwilling to learn and improve those skills.
That is probably the biggest barrier to practically implementing Library 2.0.

And yet I hate that not being able to use these tools productively, only continues to stunt the advancement of these students and limits what could and should be a great improvement to their hirability.

Delicious IS a monster

So maybe DeliciousLibrary only works with Macs, hmph. :/
I thought I had seen otherwise.
I guess I should do my research before talking..

Online Applications & Tools

I was quite impressed with this week's set of "things." I mean, I knew there was a lot of stuff out there.. but seeing it all together in one place like that, was almost like Christmas. That is, Christmas 2.0 (uh oh, I hope we don't ever get that far...)

I'm kinda peeved at myself... a few months ago I was trying to find an online planner/organizer/to-do list. I signed up for a few to try them out. I found one that worked pretty well, had a nice feel, and great functionality. I used it a couple times and then it got put on the back burner - it's not that it wasn't helpful, it was just going to take time (that I didn't have then) to set up so it would be helpful. Anyway, a couple weeks passed and it slipped my mind entirely. Now I want to go back. Except - I can't remember what the site was. *Bangs head*
I mean, it wouldn't take thaat much work to search and click around until I find it again (I'm pretty sure I could recognize the page layout) I just don't want to hassle with it right now.
I guess that shows just how dedicated I was to the planner idea... or maybe how much I truly need one.

That said, I've taken my shot at online planners.
That, that said... somewhere in my web browsing for this week's "things" I found a wonderful site. Except... I can't remember the address (again?) No seriously, I think I might have a significant short-term memory deficit.
It had Delicious in the name, making me wonder if it was a part of the social bookmarking world (which possibly could've made it even MORE wonderful.) But the layout is entirely different.. so I don't think it is.

*2 minute hiatus*
It actually only took me about 20 seconds to click on the delicious sites tagged "gdt" and search "delicious" bringing up on the first page: Delicious Library! Found at: http://www.delicious-monster.com/
How easy was that to remember?

(If I seem a little more energetic than usual it's probable a combination of being two hours away from a holiday weekend and the cup of coffee that I finished off with my lunch.)

So. This Delicious Library isn't quite a planner, but it certainly would aid in organization, particularly of my mind.
It is a way to collect and tag everything (by photo, screenshot or partial screenshot, the works) the way del.icio.us lets you collect and tag links. It can be accessed from your desktop, the web, or -get this- your cell phone.
The cell phone part sold me. I currently have a number of photos on my cell phone that might raise a couple eyebrows. Things like book covers, the backs of peoples' heads (she had cute hair), you get the idea.. things I want to keep record of, remember without having (or being able to) write down. But most of the time they stay hidden in my phone and I never really do anything about them. Dangit.
Another thing it can do - and I just read this briefly and don't understand it fully - is when used with a mac (including their fancy shmancy camera) it can take pictures of barcodes and the like and turn them into actual letters and numbers. Heck yes. So you can scan a CD and have all the information including the album art (copyright schoppyright) automatically saved to your computer.
Maybe macs could do this all along and I have kept myself in the dark.
Or maybe there is something magical in this software? I need to find that out. My husband's PC has a built in camera so I'm wondering if somehow that technology could work from there, or if again it's mac's superiority.

All that hype - and I haven't actually signed up yet.
My concerns: it might turn into del.icio.us or my clippings folder on Bloglines: a wealth of fantastic information and at the tip of my fingertips until it daily gets buried deeper and deeper by more fantastic information. Leaving such a mass of wealth that I can't become too overwhelmed to even dig a spoonful out. Pathetic, I know.

So concludes the first inspirational find from this week's 23 Things. Thank you SLA.

Other splendid finds:
Mindomo is like the snow that starts falling in Christmas Eve 2.0 - to follow my analogy. But again, I haven't actually used it, only fiddled. It could be a good recommendation to Intro to Writing instructors. Atleast those who teach brainstorming.

iGoogle has been my homepage on my home computer since my husband discovered it.
It's great, but never caught on entirely for me. I mean, I still have it there everytime I open Firefox. But the truth is, I rarely open Firefox. Maybe twice a week. I just always leave it open and on the pages that I actually use.

Docstoc (from the Web 2.0 awards): A lot of fun to browse and a brilliant idea. But there's almost so much there that unless you are looking for something in particular - you may not find anything (either that or stumble upon a masterpiece.)

Is anyone else noticing this trend? First of all, so many brilliant ideas taking birth on the web, but yet, that don't actually get used because as good of ideas as they were it just becomes too much or too impractical.
Which really comes down to the issue of information overload, I do think. There are just sooo many options out there. You are probably better off just picking the first thing you find to do a given job then to try to find the "best" - or you'll spend your whole life searching ("...for all the things we think we want" - the Ataris.)

I was very happy to find Etsy on the list of best Web.20. I love it and would spend much more time there if I made twice as much money as I do now (oooor, if I had the time to open my own shop..hmm..)

StyleHive looked interesting too, but I couldn't quite figure it out in the 10 minutes I was there (=poor web design?) Besides.. I don't see how that (or Etsy, for that matter :() can become industrious in the library/academic setting.

I think that covers enough for now... this week was quite enjoyable. Now on to other, more laborious, tasks.

Books Don't Grow on Trees

I'm not sure if I should attribute the name of this blog to wit or to the corny sense of humor that I inherited from my dad... but I thought, either way, I should share a few thoughts on it and why I chose it.

There's no grand story of how it came to my mind, it just did. Aside from it's catchiness I liked that it mentioned books, and hence referenced library/literature/academia/etc. but also that it wasn't specific enough to limit me to only one of those arenas (library vs. library and literature.) I also liked that it can be interpreted in a few ways.

First of all, I find the title fitting in view of the original purpose of this blog: commentary on Library 2.0. While books did originate from trees for centuries, quite literally, now we are finding more and more deviation from that with the rise of the internet age.

Second, and even more significant, is the allusion to the statement "money doesn't grow on trees." A statement we tend to apply to people who think they can reep without sowing; gain without giving. Unfortunately I find that attitude all too pervasive in today's education. Students want to get ahead, want to succeed, and yet so many will evade study, treat research like the plague, and neglect something as basic as homework. Sure, they'll do what it takes to learn practical workforce skills but it saddens me that the mind is so often neglected in that process.

To take that even a step further, it's a principle I need to apply to my own mindset, my own lifestyle. There is no easy gain. Especially not in disciplining the mind. Since I was young, I wanted to write. As much as I enjoyed writing though, I had a lazy approach to it, even from a the beginning. In college a great man hounded into my being the dire necessity of a disciplined life - in all areas: physical, spiritual, and not the least mental. One of his famous quotes was, "How can you call yourself a writer, if you don't write?" Writing begins with reading. And reading begins a very long process of constant writing which cannot end before a work is not just written, but edited and reedited until the page is worn through and it can finally arrive as a polished work. I finished the majority of my training with this man last year, and already those principles of discipline are slipping from my habits and even my memory.
I want to write. At the end of my life I want to have something to show for my writing. But that won't grow on trees. Any finished product I arrive at will be the result of grueling discipline, if I will submit myself to it. There is no easy way to acheive success. There is no easy way to write a book worth reading. And hopefully this blog can be a constant reminder and even a motivator towards that.

Wikis

I enjoyed the section on wikis, particularly exploring the recommended wikis listed on the 23-Things page. I found some interesting library information, including but not limited to, free webinars on many different aspects of libraries. I bookmarked a few and will check them out more when I have time.

I am very excited that SBBC just switched our Virtual Library into a wiki format. Granted editing access is limited - I don't even have access, as far as I know. But it looks great, has a very clean feel to it, and has a search option! All very nice improvements.

As I was reading about all of the wonders of Wikis, I was also in the process of helping proofread, compile, and format our campus's IEP. Which sparked a splendid idea - wikify the IEP! As we have our different departments contributing their own parts, and continually editing those, it can become quite a mess to keep track of it, especially bringing it all together into the single, unified document it needs to be. I worked overtime to make that happen, manually. SO a wiki was the obvious answers. Ideally.

I browsed around a little bit though and it may not be that simple, practically. I need to play around with some wikis until I actually find something that would work well; including, preferably, a way to upload a template if not an entire document to work off of, a way for multiple people to be able to edit it and yet have it password-protected, and.. I think there were a few other options which I am not remember right now. But having all of those helpful little additions, which would be what makes the wiki worthwhile, either brings in a dollar amount or complicates the process.

And then there's proposing the idea and getting everybody on board with it...
So we'll see. The immediate need has subsided for now but it will arise again soon. If by then I find a wiki that would work, I'll propose it.

But still, I'm pretty impressed myself at the prospect. ;)