EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EDUCATION

The Terrible 2.0's?? Web 2.0 and Its Impact on Agriculture

and Information Professionals

Contact information

Jerold R. ThomasDirector, OSU Extension Center at Lima 2120 Fyffe RoadColumbus, OH 43210Ph: 419.306.9400Email: thomas.69@osu.eduBlog:

http://extensiontrends.ag.ohio-state.edu

Confession

• I am not a techie

• I am an Extension professional that likes to use tools to improve my effectiveness and efficiency

• But it really does not start with the technology

Li & Bernoff’s POST planning method

• People – who will use your product

• Objectives – what is your purpose for engagement

• Strategy – what is the relationship with your customer

• Technology – what tools fit your needs?

Learner objectives

• Learn key trends & issues that help you decide what tools are needed

• Understand the philosophy or concept of Web 2.0 in the context of your role

• Explore various Web 2.0 tools

• Leave with an idea of what might work & a lot more questions

Philosophical/Pedagogical mumbo-jumbo

• My goal is to focus on what your interested in learning or seeing

• Breadth versus depth

• Experiential learning and dialogue are strongly encouraged

• Focus is on cheap or low cost tools.

• Parking lot is available

Questions or comments?

Generational brainstorming

• Go to each piece of easel paper

• Write down at least one thing, event, news item, etc. that happened – Examples: disco, Walkman

• Try to include some that impacted information or library systems

What looks interesting?

• Common themes

• Neat stuff

• Anything missing?

• Key future trends that will affect your work?

A quote to get us started

• “Our Age of Anxiety is, in part, the result of trying to do today’s jobs with yesterday’s tools”– Marshall McLuhan

Major technology trends

• Connectivity

• Collaborative environments

• Ease/Convenience

• Economics

• Increased clientele access

• Personal Development

Web 2.0 & Library 2.0

• Move to more dynamic platforms instead of top-down portals

• User directed

• Ease of use

• Library 2.0 refers to restructuring library functions around user needs based on Web 2.0

Technological change can lead to…

• Disintermediation

• Commoditization

Internet usage in the U.S.

• 1995-96: ~ 15% of adults

• Jan. 2005: 66% of adults

• April 2006: 73% of adults

• From Jan. 2005 to April 2006 the percent of Americans with broadband increased from 29% to 42%

Tools we can discuss

• Instant messaging Skype

• Blogs• Podcasts• Social networks

• Collaborative Writing • Collaborative Project

Management• Aggregators• Other?

Quiz time!!

• What is ….

1.A wiki?

2.A blog?

3.Instant Messaging?

4.An aggregator (or News Reader)?

Alternative quiz

Would you use tools that let you….

• Create documents with geographically dispersed peers?

• Develop a way to post info to the web and receive feedback?

• Communicate online asynchronously?

• Have information organized for your retrieval?

Tool requirements

1. Easy to use

2. Cheap or free

3. Impact the way we work and live

Blogs

• Let’s take a peak and then try to define or describe

A blog (Weblog) is…

• Dynamic website with chronological layout

• Often collaborative– Wright’s idea of transmission vs.

engagement

• Community relationships (blogosphere) – linkages & comments!

• Examples

What Can A Blog do for Me?

• Empowered conversation

• Link resources

• Introduce topics, information, opportunities

• Provide opinion or commentary

• Explain things (ie, policy, articles, etc.)

• Must add value in some way

Why is a blog important?

• Branding– Niche – think clientele, peers and future

opportunities– Power rule – long tail concept (Anderson)

• Ease of use• Knowledge Management (Wright)• Information (Wright)• Relationships (Wright)

– Consider academic analogy of small network of peers

Some numbers…

• From July 2006– 8% of adult internet users kept a blog– 19% of 12-17 year olds– 39% read blogs – 95% of blog users get news from internet

vs. 73% of all internet users– Even division between men & women;

mostly urban/suburban– Less likely than internet users to be white

More numbers, with an international flare

• 25% of US, 10% UK, 52% Japanese read blogs

• 14% of US, 4% UK, 20% Japanese comment on blogs

• 11% of US, 3% UK, 12% Japanese write a blog

• Watch user-generated video: 29,17,20

• Listen to podcasts: 11, 7, 4

Blog examples

• External blog - http://www.aces.edu/department/extcomm/npa/daily//

• As program update– http://ohioforages.blogspot.com/– Economic Development

http://edpro.blogspot.com/

Blog examples

• Coordinate volunteers– http://azmasternaturalist.arizona.edu/

• Personal and organizational knowledge management– http://

www.extension.iastate.edu/technews/

Blogs about ‘braries

• Librarian in black: http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/

• Shifted librarian: http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/

University ‘brary blog examples

• Temple U: http://blog.library.temple.edu/liblog/

• OSU Ag: http://library.osu.edu/blogs/agriculture

Other blogs

• NAL: http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/infofarm/archives/education/index.shtml

• CABI: http://cabiblog.typepad.com/hand_picked/

• Eileen’s blog: http://eileenslibrarystuff.wordpress.com/

How do I create a blog?

• Several vendors

• Popular web-based option is Blogger

• Go to www.blogger.com

• Requires google account

• Follow Directions to create a blog in about 5 minutes

Collaborative writing tools

• Collaborative tools

• Web sites that can be edited by those with access

• Used to accumulate knowledge & information

• Think of them as repositories of knowledge

Tool examples

• Wikis

• Google Docs

• Other write boards

Wikis

• Collaborative tools

• Web sites that can be edited by those with access

• Used to accumulate knowledge & information

• Think of them as repositories of knowledge

Wikis

• Can be password protected

• Editing and other changes are saved

• Collaborating to– Create programming– Develop resource materials– Examples include agendas, documents,

etc.

Wiki examples

• Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

• eXtension Wiki– CoP-

http://cop.extension.org/wiki/Main_Page

• Flu Wiki - http://www.fluwikie.com/

• Future Wiki - http://future.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Another wiki use

• http://theshiftedlibrarian.pbwiki.com/

Wiki software examples

• Mediawiki is free and used by eXtension and Wikipedia– http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki

• Peanut Butter Wiki– http://pbwiki.com/– http://usaintest.pbwiki.com/

Google docs

• Allows you to create online documents and spreadsheets

• Can edit and track changes

• Great for distributed work teams

• Can be done in close to real time

• Allows import & export of documents

Google docs

• Free & easy

• Requires Google account

• Can edit anywhere and from any computer

• Can use to compose documents for a blog

• docs.google.com

Google docs

• Allows you to create online documents and spreadsheets

• Can edit and track changes

• Great for distributed work teams

• Can be done in close to real time

• Allows import & export of documents

Podcasting

• Audio or video downloads (MP3)– Different than streaming – time shifting

and portability!

• Can be accessed on computer or mobile player

• iPod has major market share, but other brands are available

• Most podcasts are free

iTunes installation

• iTunes is an aggregator and music store

• www.apple.com/ipod/start

• Download, then connect iPod. Follow guidelines

Podcasts – consumer side

• Same professional development reasons as blogs, but greater time shifting!

• Many ‘casts are tied to a blog

• Wide variety of topics– Let’s search iTunes

• Other resources– Podcast ally– Podcast network

Using iTunes

• Go to iTunes• Search via music store• Download or subscribe to podcast

– Download = one time– Subscribe = con’t receiving of podcast

• Can find on other websites and subscribe – Example: Business Week CEO Guide:

http://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/podcasts/guide_to_tech/current.html

Podcasts – production side

• Can be recorded on computer, with portable devices, or in studio

• Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Professional development examples

• Manager tools: http://www.manager-tools.com/

• HBR Idea Cast

• Bit Bucket

• Books at iTunes or Audible.com

• Most major media outlets

• Rip materials from CD’s

• Libraries have digital check-outs

Instant messaging (IM)

• Ability to send messages directly

• Must be on same system (see exception)

• Examples: Skype, AIM, Yahoo

• Exception: some multi-protocol systems– http://www.pidgin.im/

Internet telephony

• Ability to use internet as telephone service

• Skype and Gizmo are major providers

Skype

• Most popular type of internet telephony service

• Allows free phone calls to other Skype users

• Analogous to IM clients like AIM

• Also has video capabilities (like AIM)

• Can purchase additional service

• Also limited IM client & conference call provider

Uses

• Save money

• Some quality issues– Broadband is preferred

• Requires headphone (headphones double for podcasts)

• Increase ability to connect with other– Student/faculty for us…or other teams

• Audio/video/chat office hours

How to use Skype

• Recommended procedure– Plug camera into USB port and open

software– Go to www.skype.com and download

most recent version

Collaborative management software

• Ability to share documents, messages and other information

• Sharepoint by Microsoft

• Basecamp by 37 signals

Basecamp example

• Collaborative Project Management Tool

• Offsite, independent server

• Scaled price depending on number of projects

• Some examples

Basecamp benefit

• Share files

• Message/comment

• Writeboard

• To do’s or milestones

• Time tracking

Aggregators

• Compile information from several sites into one, unified reader

• Uses syndication feeds

• Drives content to the user vs. the user going to content

• Can provide “smart searches”

Aggregator examples

• Blogbridge (desktop): http://www.blogbridge.com/

• Google reader (might also want to look at iGoogle): www.google.com/reader

Other tools

• Second Life

• Social networking

• Moving content to mobile devices

Closing quote

• “We change our tools, and our tools change us.”– Marshall McLuhan

Conclusion

• There are many tools out there…pick one based on need and function and just try it

• Learn something and teach someone else

• Questions or comments?