#38: Console Gaming
One advantage for us "oldies" who were young when the early video games came out was that we had a vision of the future. We may not have realized at the time how massive games would be years down the road. They've become a way of life! It gave us a chance early on to learn eye-hand skills that we could use with our children. The drawback of this is we were all telling ourselves that extended time spent at these games were bad for kids. If only we had let ourselves go at it and play them ourselves extensively--that would have been truly visionary.
The skills I learned were more keyboarding and small motor coordination skills that have come in handy with the nearly all-day use of the computer I perform today.
Wii is the perfect game for library use. It can be played on a big screen and allow multiple users to play at the same time. It promotes activity (incidentally, the antithesis of library use) so I'm all for it. Anything that creates exercise and fun at the same time can't be bad. Also, the games are all non-violent. Unless you get too competitive.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Fair Game
#37: Get Your Game On at the Library
I was skeptical at first. I failed to see the correlation between gaming and libraries. But after hearing the enthusiasm in young gamers quoted in the articles, I can see the benefits. Clearly it would bring in kids that have never been to a library before. It would allow contact with lower income kids whose parents cannot afford a home game system. I can even visual the logical attraction to books that gaming may instill. Gamers may try graphic novels, which could lead to chapter books. It does require a whole new mindset by librarians and physical restructuring inside the library. This is probably the biggest hurdle to get over. I would definitely agree that games are a natural progression for libraries. Things can't stay the way they've always been with kids, rather than adults, knowing more about technology. Just as games will progress and morph, libraries as a game-station will also evolve.
What a fantastic concept to use video games to train not only students, but also librarians! This may be just what librarians need to lighten them up and break their "dowdy" image. The Carnegie games were not difficult at all. The hardest part was figuring out how to play, since it didn't seem to be well-explained.
I was skeptical at first. I failed to see the correlation between gaming and libraries. But after hearing the enthusiasm in young gamers quoted in the articles, I can see the benefits. Clearly it would bring in kids that have never been to a library before. It would allow contact with lower income kids whose parents cannot afford a home game system. I can even visual the logical attraction to books that gaming may instill. Gamers may try graphic novels, which could lead to chapter books. It does require a whole new mindset by librarians and physical restructuring inside the library. This is probably the biggest hurdle to get over. I would definitely agree that games are a natural progression for libraries. Things can't stay the way they've always been with kids, rather than adults, knowing more about technology. Just as games will progress and morph, libraries as a game-station will also evolve.
What a fantastic concept to use video games to train not only students, but also librarians! This may be just what librarians need to lighten them up and break their "dowdy" image. The Carnegie games were not difficult at all. The hardest part was figuring out how to play, since it didn't seem to be well-explained.
No Survivors
#36: The Wide World of Online Role-playing Games
I made it so far as to successfully fishing and making my first fire. The guides comments were very encouraging. I kept advancing on to advanced levels of fishing and firemaking. Clearly, I am not cut out for this kind of thing. What a great concept, but it will take a great deal of time for me the learn it proficiently. It may be well worth the while, though, to lessen the generation gap I have with my kids. Won't they be surprised when they ask, "What happened at work today?" and I reply "I played Runescape."
I made it so far as to successfully fishing and making my first fire. The guides comments were very encouraging. I kept advancing on to advanced levels of fishing and firemaking. Clearly, I am not cut out for this kind of thing. What a great concept, but it will take a great deal of time for me the learn it proficiently. It may be well worth the while, though, to lessen the generation gap I have with my kids. Won't they be surprised when they ask, "What happened at work today?" and I reply "I played Runescape."
Right on with word games
#35: Games and Gaming in the Library
I had no idea there were so many benefits to video games. It makes me wonder if the original naysayers based their protests on research, or if they were simply concerned by the sight of a nonresp0nsive teen in front of a tv with a joystick. I enjoyed Donkey Kong when it first came out. Since then I have left the games totally in my kids hands.
I gained more satisfiction from Freerice than Wordsplay, although both are interesting concepts. I love how you launch immediately into the game. It was also more friendly, although Wordsplay is a more difficult game. The idea of donating to a cause as you play is wonderful and an even better use of time. I actually got the majority correct! Wordsplay was a different story--more difficult and harder to reach a score closer to the winners. Not bad for a first try!
There are probably several thoughts on how video games can improve the user. Most obvious is the increased vocabulary. I believe Wordsplay may teach some spatial skills. Perseverance definitely, and keyboard skills.
I had no idea there were so many benefits to video games. It makes me wonder if the original naysayers based their protests on research, or if they were simply concerned by the sight of a nonresp0nsive teen in front of a tv with a joystick. I enjoyed Donkey Kong when it first came out. Since then I have left the games totally in my kids hands.
I gained more satisfiction from Freerice than Wordsplay, although both are interesting concepts. I love how you launch immediately into the game. It was also more friendly, although Wordsplay is a more difficult game. The idea of donating to a cause as you play is wonderful and an even better use of time. I actually got the majority correct! Wordsplay was a different story--more difficult and harder to reach a score closer to the winners. Not bad for a first try!
There are probably several thoughts on how video games can improve the user. Most obvious is the increased vocabulary. I believe Wordsplay may teach some spatial skills. Perseverance definitely, and keyboard skills.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Habla Espanol Un Poco
Potluck #49: La Amore di Lingue - Love of Languages
My title must give a good indication of how rusty and offensive my Spanish is. Two years of high school spanish has been erased from my memory. Livemocha appears to be a very compatible sight for me in terms of learning technique and visual attractiveness. It's nice to be able to go at my own pace. I like how they begin the first unit with nouns. (Mangolanguages begins with phrases, which I find confusing. I like to learn the parts and then assemble them into phrases.) They also tell you the length of time and give opportunities to review, write and speak through each lesson. The human connection might also be a good homework help for any high school students having trouble. ESL classes being somewhat limited in this area, this site could be of use to any library patrons seeking to learn English but perhaps unable to find a class or intimated by a classroom.
My title must give a good indication of how rusty and offensive my Spanish is. Two years of high school spanish has been erased from my memory. Livemocha appears to be a very compatible sight for me in terms of learning technique and visual attractiveness. It's nice to be able to go at my own pace. I like how they begin the first unit with nouns. (Mangolanguages begins with phrases, which I find confusing. I like to learn the parts and then assemble them into phrases.) They also tell you the length of time and give opportunities to review, write and speak through each lesson. The human connection might also be a good homework help for any high school students having trouble. ESL classes being somewhat limited in this area, this site could be of use to any library patrons seeking to learn English but perhaps unable to find a class or intimated by a classroom.
Hit the Road
Potluck#50: Global Nation
Okay, I have 4 kids that automatically ask "So where we going?" each time a school break comes. I would love to take them everywhere before they reach the age of boredom, but money is an issue. After one use Tripbase has provided a bright solution. Nightlife is a low priority (sleep is higher). Meals must be budget, but tasty for the adults and teens. With 2 girls, shopping is high; with 2 boys, nature is up there. And attractions are a hit with everyone. We have always wanted to head east, and Tripbase sent us to Boston with our specified search terms. With this as a destination, I can now use Simpatigo to create the most entertaining way to get us there! (Although, I found it somewhat difficult to use). Two must-sees: Washington D.C. and Williamsburg. Being geographically challenged, I will need to use a good map site (would have been helpful if included in this ihcpl posting). I found a few good tips on IgoUgo; this site provides some good firsthand info, but will take some time to get through.
Okay, I have 4 kids that automatically ask "So where we going?" each time a school break comes. I would love to take them everywhere before they reach the age of boredom, but money is an issue. After one use Tripbase has provided a bright solution. Nightlife is a low priority (sleep is higher). Meals must be budget, but tasty for the adults and teens. With 2 girls, shopping is high; with 2 boys, nature is up there. And attractions are a hit with everyone. We have always wanted to head east, and Tripbase sent us to Boston with our specified search terms. With this as a destination, I can now use Simpatigo to create the most entertaining way to get us there! (Although, I found it somewhat difficult to use). Two must-sees: Washington D.C. and Williamsburg. Being geographically challenged, I will need to use a good map site (would have been helpful if included in this ihcpl posting). I found a few good tips on IgoUgo; this site provides some good firsthand info, but will take some time to get through.
Delicious Websites
Potluck #51: Holidays and Cooking Recipes - Oh My!
I have always thought of Bon Appetit magazine as being too gourmet for my cooking tastes. After looking over this website, I am pleasantly impressed that it provides recipes for dishes my family will enjoy. The Beef and Bacon Meatloaf especially stands out as a guaranteed hit:
1 12-ounce red onion, coarsely diced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 pounds ground beef (10% fat)
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
7 slices thick-cut bacon, 5 coarsely chopped, 2 halved crosswise
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Blend onion and garlic in processor until onion is finely chopped. Transfer to large bowl; add beef, 1/4 cup ketchup, and next 3 ingredients.
Add chopped bacon and bread to processor. Using on/off turns, blend until bread is chopped. Scrape mixture into bowl with beef. Add parsley; stir gently to blend well. Transfer mixture to 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan. Arrange bacon-slice halves crosswise atop meat, spacing apart and tucking edges down sides of loaf. Spoon remaining ketchup between bacon slices. Bake meatloaf until cooked through and meat comes away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Slide spatula under 1 end of meatloaf. Tilt pan; slide loaf out onto platter. Slice and serve.
It also sounds like good fare to serve to family or friends. Although few of our Iowa relatives every seem inclined to come this far south in the winter, in a dreamstate I picture myself with a houseful of company. This leads me to wonder how my ingredients would increase should I need to prepare 20 servings. I tried this recipe on Recipe Ingredient Conversion Calculator (which interestingly links to "Fruit from Washington." I was amazed how easy and fast it was to come up with a conversion for 20 servings.
Recipe Adjustment Factor is 5 Times Original Amounts (Original Amounts in parentheses.)
Beef and Bacon Meatloaf
5 12 ounces red onion
15 larges garlic cloves
6.25 pounds ground beef
2 1/2 cups ketchup
10 larges eggs
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
35 slicess bacon
20 slicess bread 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons parsley
Recipe from Bon Appetit.com
I have always thought of Bon Appetit magazine as being too gourmet for my cooking tastes. After looking over this website, I am pleasantly impressed that it provides recipes for dishes my family will enjoy. The Beef and Bacon Meatloaf especially stands out as a guaranteed hit:
1 12-ounce red onion, coarsely diced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 pounds ground beef (10% fat)
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
7 slices thick-cut bacon, 5 coarsely chopped, 2 halved crosswise
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Blend onion and garlic in processor until onion is finely chopped. Transfer to large bowl; add beef, 1/4 cup ketchup, and next 3 ingredients.
Add chopped bacon and bread to processor. Using on/off turns, blend until bread is chopped. Scrape mixture into bowl with beef. Add parsley; stir gently to blend well. Transfer mixture to 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan. Arrange bacon-slice halves crosswise atop meat, spacing apart and tucking edges down sides of loaf. Spoon remaining ketchup between bacon slices. Bake meatloaf until cooked through and meat comes away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Slide spatula under 1 end of meatloaf. Tilt pan; slide loaf out onto platter. Slice and serve.
It also sounds like good fare to serve to family or friends. Although few of our Iowa relatives every seem inclined to come this far south in the winter, in a dreamstate I picture myself with a houseful of company. This leads me to wonder how my ingredients would increase should I need to prepare 20 servings. I tried this recipe on Recipe Ingredient Conversion Calculator (which interestingly links to "Fruit from Washington." I was amazed how easy and fast it was to come up with a conversion for 20 servings.
Recipe Adjustment Factor is 5 Times Original Amounts (Original Amounts in parentheses.)
Beef and Bacon Meatloaf
5 12 ounces red onion
15 larges garlic cloves
6.25 pounds ground beef
2 1/2 cups ketchup
10 larges eggs
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
35 slicess bacon
20 slicess bread 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons parsley
Recipe from Bon Appetit.com
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The "Only Once" Rule
A very organized friend once told me about her Only Once rule. When you receive a piece of mail, touch it only once and decide where it should go. It may go immediately in the trash (ask yourself if you will even truly need it again) or into a file. GTD seems to be somewhat similar to this. I pledge to try this process: collect, process, organize, review, & do. A problem with this is that there's such an array of tasks that we deal with each day, from creating a grocery list to work projects. I am curious, however, if this process can be applied to these various situations. This means that I will need to be somewhat ruthless by asking myself with each new email if I think I will ever need to deal with this again. In most cases, the answer will be no.
What I love about libraries
Why do I work here? I love the library for it's sense of order. I relish the way the books are arranged in chronological order, and that they are easy to find using a system. I also appreciate the fact that someone cleans the shelves periodically. This all seems to be lacking in my home with 4 kids, a dog, and a husband who was not given proper organizational skills by his mother. I'm happy to say that all of my computer files, email included, are now in ship-shape. This means that there are files for emails and documents sharing the same subjects, and access to these items will be speedy and efficient. What was the oldest file I found? All the way back to when I started in January, 2007.
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