Week 10: Conclusion

Q1. What were your favorite discoveries or activities over the past ten weeks?
A1. Favorites include using reference databases and seeing what Google offers as an alternate and mobile office suite. I also like the online reader advisories, although what was usually suggested wasn't a good match in my opinion. I also discovered that I challenge myself in some areas of lifelong learning, but don't take much responsibility for increasing my knowledge in other areas. 23 Things prompted me to revisit and assess my weaknesses, intellectual and otherwise.
Q2. Do you feel more confidence with these resources now? Was it time well-spent?
A2. Yes, I feel more confident with some resources; however, I still need to beef up my Facebook skills to help patrons (they really don't seem all that concerned with privacy settings, etc.). I also need to take all the computer classes offered here so I can have a better grasp of advanced Word formatting. I also need to use Google Docs more and refer patrons to them. Time well-spent indeed. Actually one of the best things for me is working the computer help desk (MIS6). It allows me to learn with the patrons and also lets me know where my strengths and weaknesses are.

Q3. If a similar learning program is offered in the future, are there other resources and technologies you would like to see covered? Any suggestions for how we might run the program differently?
A3. Other resources and technologies I'd like to be familiar with are how to efficiently transfer a Publisher document to a Word document. I've had a couple of patrons create their resumes in Publisher and then realize it won't do for their online application, that they need to have it in Word or similar format. I'd like to do a step by step photo program: take the photos, transfer them to Flickr, edit them, etcetera. I don't know anything about music files, other than there is iTunes and I don't know the first thing about using it. I really don't know what more to suggest because I don't know what I need to know.
I get frustrated with my lack of access to the technology and the lack of time one needs to just play with it to learn it well enough to be proficient. I know there are people in Sub-Saharan Africa that are better at some technologies that I am. They know it because they have access, they must have access, it has become necessary.
No suggestions on how to run the program better. I think it was fine. Wait, here's an idea. Not a program that is mandatory, but ask for tech savvy volunteers, those on the bleeding edge, and ask of they would partner with someone like me who doesn't have access to the tech but is painfully curious how it all works and fits together. Maybe allowing us to borrow some items and create projects or solve problems. When I looked at what the teen summer reading program was requiring of the teen participants I couldn't complete half of them because I lack the tech.


Q4. Do you think our patrons would benefit from a similar program?
A4. Yes. But some need to learn how to use a mouse first (I am not joking). Or some need to learn how to check their spelling. Some need remedial training. I try encouraging as many as I can to take the free computer classes upstairs when I notice how much they struggle.