What else are you doing with Google Books?

On July 17, 2009, I blogged about using Google Books for a variety of groups whether you are an educator, student, parent, employer, virtual book club participant, or an individual wanting to consolidate books they have read, wanted to read, or associate books with your digital profile.

As an adult student, I started building My Library in Google Books with required textbooks and some other books on my physical bookshelf. You can add notes and tags, and annotate if you loan out the book or if you find online supplements to your books.

Of the 3 textbooks required for my current course, Research Methods & Designs, one book has a partial preview in Google Books and the other two have no preview of the book available. In all the textbooks I have checked out from libraries, rented, borrowed, or purchased...somewhere in the front matter of the book is some type of data about online supplemental information. For the textbooks required for RSH9102E, all three textbooks have some type of online supplemental information, so I just added the links to the Notes section in each of the textbooks. Long after the course is over and after I graduate, my notes will be available to me or other individuals who review My Library.

While Google Books provides access to a virtual library of a multitude of books and magazine along with previews of books that agree to display content, if there is a book you want and the preview of the content is not available, links are provided to locate the book in a library or if you want to purchase the book. The link to Find in a Library provides many additional opportunities.

Selecting the Find in a Library option opens up a WorldCat link that displays libraries that have the book based on a designated (your choice) or an associated zip code (based on your Google profile). From there you can cite the book, email or share the link along with additional features of the book from reviews, local libraries, table of contents with links to the Library of Congress, and many other features.

You can follow Google Books on Twitter @googlebooks, subscribe to the Google Books blog, check out the Google Books history, read Google Books Facts and Fiction, or the Google Books Library Project.

What is the difference in the views of Google Books? Full, limited, snippet, or no preview available.

What are you doing with Google Books? Have you built your own library in Google Books? Share the link to your Google Books library or post a comment about your Google Books experience. As always comments are welcome.

Out with the old and in with the new

Happy 2010!

As many people are bringing in the new year in a variety of methods, some people are resolving to downsize by getting rid of things and supporting the old adage "out with the old and in with the new". One way to help others get rid of the old without removing the memory or the personal history is to integrate technology. Capture the personal memories, experiences, and history with the technology available today. This can be an individual, family, or community project and become a shared learning experience for all participants.

Maybe grandparents or parents are not the techsperts, but every family has at least one gadget girl or guy or self proclaimed social networking geek. Where do you start? Wherever you want. Tomorrow is not promised...so if you lost everything and everyone tomorrow, are there certain things you would want to share?

The knick knacks on the shelves...where did they come from? Why are they on the shelf? Do the knick knacks have more family history than what can be seen on the shelf? Why not spend some quality family time and capture the memories for the future?

Not everyone is ready to go public...so why not start a family blog? Not ready to share with the whole family? Start on the home computer. Use the KISS (Keep It Short and Sweet) method to empower the participants. Model or demonstrate your favorite sites or how you have created a piece of cyberspace for your personal history.

I broke 3 of my own picture frames and took it as a sign to scan the pictures. I moved many things that my mother has collected over the years. While I could explain some of the pictures to my daughter, I wondered...What if some of these knick knacks were displayed digitally with the history and personal memories associated with it?

I know my mother is not ready to be a public blogger...yet, she subscribes to blogs using RSS and even posts a comment when the mood strikes. She still journals with pen and paper. I know this blog post won't get her started but it may plant a seed.

If you do this with items for tax donations or high value items for insurance purposes...why not store the high value memories for posterity before a significant emotional event (SEE)? Turn the event into a significant emotional educational event (SEEE) for everyone.

If you have helped a family or community member downsize their things by integrating technology, please share your ideas, successes, and lessons learned.

Thanks to my PLN

As with any holiday, I always took time to show my daughter the importance of "Thank You" notes and remind her that if you do not thank the people who took the time and effort to do something for you...more than likely it will not happen again.

As a self directed long time learner, my personal learning network (PLN) and my personal learning environment (PLE) impact my perpetual and persistent learning. I learn from, in spite, or because of you...which includes you in my P⁴LN*. Some of you know who you are...and others will never know the impact they make or have made in someone's learning process.

Regardless of what you have shared and/or the platform you shared it through from a tweet, a link, a blog post, a comment, a book, actions or inactions, digital/virtual resources, support, and/or inspiration, recommendations, notice of corrections, know that you are appreciated and this is my virtual "Thank You" note in the form of an ABCD Award.

I have shared the link through Twitter for the public version of this shared Google document, so that you can create your own ABCD award and present it to those who are deserving. The ABCD Award is a simple and thoughtful way to recognize those who go "Above & Beyond the Call of Duty."

Want to learn more about PLNs and PLEs? There are a few links below but there are so many links and resources available that I cannot list them all here...please feel free to leave a comment if you have published information on your experiences with PLNs and PLEs.

edtechpost wiki - Collection of PLE Diagrams (Diagrams, links & categorized - 1 of my favorites)

EDUCAUSE - "7 Things You Should Know about Personal Learning Environments" in their collection of 7 Things briefs.

EduTech Wiki article on Personal learning environments.

Wikipedia provides a history of Personal Learning Environments.

Mohamed Amine Chatti's ongoing research on Technology Enhanced Learning blog post on PLE links with links to many other blog posts and articles.

However you reference your PLN/PLE, personal, professional, perpetual, persistent...or whatever adjective you use, it is yours, once you have learned it, applied it, the knowledge cannot be taken away from you...so enjoy it!

Thanks again P⁴LN for continuing and growing on my learning journey!

P⁴-Personal, Professional, Perpetual, Persistent

Please share your comments, recommendations, and links about your PLN/PLEs and don't forget to thank them.

Technology Sharing Gift Certificate

A simple gift certificate that anyone can use. One hour of 1 to 1 technology sharing. You can tailor the certificate to the recipients' needs or your choice of what you want to share.

From sharing your favorite blogs to using a specific piece of hardware or software to teaching about personal security or demonstrating the power of your PLN (Professional / Personal Learning Network). From F2F (Face to Face) to virtual, using a local library or a favorite wi-fi spot, from cell phones to netbooks...it is all up to you.

Whether you consider yourself an experienced techie, a novice, or someone who doesn't know a computer mouse from a real mouse the certificate is here for your use, modify, and to continue giving, learning, and sharing. You can give the certificate to those who may need some additional attention outside of a group setting or give the certificate to a group who may want to learn something you want to share. Maybe you know someone that you want to learn from...give them the certificate and request 1 hour of their time.

The certificate can be used for any holiday and you can tailor the certificate based on what you want to give. The certificate was created from one of the Holiday templates in Google Docs, Presentations, and Spreadsheets.

I would love to hear how you give your technology presence versus presents. As always, your comments are welcome.

Reflection with some HS grads and how do we...

What have you done to break the cycle of passive acceptance?

When I returned to Augusta for a visit, some of my daughter's friends stopped by to check on G Mama Flo who was injured in a car accident and catch up on what we all have been doing.

I miss working with the students who I have so much hope for because they are our replacements and we relate on so many issues. Many of them were home for the holidays and stopped in to visit their former high schools and noticed many changes, from educators who have moved on to their personal diverse perspectives as alumni.

It was great to hear about those who have moved on to successful college experiences, military, or internships and to hear their hopes and dreams and those who have remained in Augusta and have fallen into what I call the "Disgusta Depression." Some of them had so many hopes and dreams during high school...plans for college, travel, fulfilling jobs and they seem to have petered out. It hurts my heart...because I left Augusta...for many reasons from focusing on my own educational endeavors and the dissertation process, career progression, experience life as an empty nester, and to fulfill a need to move every few years that became ingrained during my military career.

So how do we help them to break the cycle of passive acceptance? How do we empower these former students who seem to have lost their zest for life challenges, hopes, and dreams?