Children's Book Week 2007

I was searching on the internet for some information on some of the cbc shortlisted books. I was trying to get some ideas for older children coming to the library, I wanted to engage them rather than have them thinking "how uncool it is to be dragged to the library".
On this site , http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/fiction/bookweek/
I stumbled across this fun puzzle, so thought I would put it here on my blog...enjoy!!

#23 Is this really the end? Or just the beginning (and yes I have finished the quilt!!!!)

I have done it, reached #23. I can remember when we were first told about the 23 things and library 2.0 I was quite excited, nothing like a new challenge but also thinking where will I find the time. But as I got into the program I made time as I wanted to explore all the new things. So many of the exercises I want to revisit, and delve into further. For instance LibraryThing and the online image generators were such fun and I barely scraped the surface.

I was lucky enough to go to a training day in Melbourne where the developer of this program Helene Blower's spoke, what an inspiring lady. She is so passionate about Learning 2.0 and libraries that you can't help being excited too. I guess what she had to say made the whole experience relevant to the libraries and how exciting if not different libraries can and will be.

THE QUILT

See picture, it is finished. The quilt is even down the sides just the little helper holding one side is not holding it up as well as they should (Aaron is that you?)It is 6 rings by 6 rings. Obviously setting myself a deadline worked! I will contact a professional quilter early next week and arrange for the quilting to be done. So what a day finish a quilt and Learning 2.0. I feel quite pleased with myself.

Tomorrow another chapter begins.....

This wont be my last post even though I have finished the exercise, I will post a picture of the quilted quilt and from time to time add posts that I feel might be of some interest. I have thoroughly enjoyed "blogging" and believe it is just the beginning of a long journey!

#22 Audiobooks (or "The end is in sight ")

Well you get this far and then a major trip! Why can't I open an account and download a book with NetLibrary? I would have thought with all this gained knowledge that a simple matter of opening account would not be a problem, but apparently it is. I don't know the answer but I am not too sad really.
As I said in my last post I have a MP3 player and use it everyday when I go walking. I walk for at least 1/2 an hour everyday, except Mondays when I work a long day, this gives me the opportunity to listen to books that I haven't had the chance to read. For instance not long ago I listened to Kate Grenville's, "The secret river'. I must look funny sometimes because I can be walking along and start to laugh or make an audible groan when something happens in a book. My children would argue here that the odd laugh or groan is preferable to me listening to music and walking along singing.
I also listen to audio books in the car and recently a borrower in the library mentioned she listens to audio books while she sews. Great idea, an idea I put into practice just the other day. I really love audio books they let you "read with your ears" so you can do other things as well. Fantastic!!!!

#21 podcasts, smodcasts, anycasts??

This exercise is looking at various sites where you can download and listen to podcasts. I have all ready found sites that allow you to do this prior to starting this exercise- I searched the net when I got a MP3 player. One of my favorit eplaces to download podcasts from is the ABC radio site, you can download selected parts of radio shows - do you know how much good stuff gets played on radio in the middle of the night? Or during the day when we are at work?

Of the three sites suggested in the exercise I found http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ to be the most user friendly. It was quite clear how to find podcasts, topics etc and there is quite a variety of topics to chose from. However if you browse around the Internet there are so many sites that offer podcasts, it almost is a case of do a search for something you like and lo and behold a podcast is on offer.

#20 You Tube....

You tube seems to be in the news so often these days that it is almost a household name. One of my friends sons has uploaded various videos he has taken. I think it is a thing that the younger people do, that makes me sound old doesn't it? Some of the news items about it are negative but I think with proper care and when needed parental guidance You Tube can be a great tool and even give a person a sense of self achievement by seeing their videos on a public forum.
Anyway I have included a link to a particular video clip that was brought to my attention through a patchwork group I belong to. It is rather special, almost goose bump stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA By the way it has nothing to do with patchwork........


There are other video clips of the same fellow on you tube I haven't actually looked at them, always thinking of download limit! But I believe they are equally as good.

Now it is off to my sewing machine!!!!! The relevance of the sea gulls ..none whatsoever!

#19 web 2.0 awards list

I thought the best way to show that I have had a look at the web 2.0 awards list was to show something that I have made with the help of a site on the list. The site I explored and had fun with was http://swicki.eurekster.com/. I created a unique search engine (I think!) and will add the link here.

check out the quilter swicki at eurekster.com

As you can see I am nearing the end of the 23 things. I am also nearing the end of my Double Wedding Ring Quilt. Yes you did read that, I am making a concerted effort to finish both the quilt and the 23 things by next Monday...today is Tuesday. Why? Well on Monday I am starting a correspondence university course and think all my extra time and brain power may be struggling in coming to terms being a student again!!! Wish me luck. I am really looking forward to it, but when I received my first subject text books toady I did wonder what I have got myself into.

# 18 Zoho writer & Google Docs...hmmmmm

Wow! When I read that online application tools such as this could be the end of the Microsoft Office packages my immediate response was No Way! But hey they could be, why spend hundreds of $ on something when it is here to access free? You even get cute little emotion thingies.... So what is Zoho Writer, it simply is an online word processor, letting you do all the things a word processing package would but free. Who says nothing in the world is free?

Google Docs, seem to be spread sheet applications....hey there is so much on the net, just there waiting to be discovered! Get through all the junk and there are pretty cool things. Imagine not needing to load software to be able to use your computer to do the basics we do so regularly now. The sky is the limit.

MY SEWING still progresses, and yes progress is the word. I have completely finished half the quilt. I have also been making things such as a Christmas Stocking ( how prepared is that?) and toady I sewed 24 1/2 square triangles using a method I found on line. Half square triangles are a square made up of two different triangles of fabric. They can be fiddly to make but at http://www.blockcentral.com/ I found a brilliant method using paper and sewing a long dotted lines. It made 24 perfect ones, very exciting for a quilter who likes to find the easy methods!

*see photo above , 1 of the 24 half square triangles

http://www.blockcentral.com/hst/hst-1inch.pdf is the instructions,m habve aread and see how super easy!