Week 9 Online Applications & Tools

Table of Contents 18. Take a look at some online productivity (word processing, spreadsheet) tools. Estimate of time: 2 hours Overview Benefits Perspectives Discovery Reflections: Localize your learning 19. Explore any site from the 15 Best Web 2.0 collections, play with it and write a blog post about your findings. Estimate of time: 1.0 Hour or as long as you'd like! Overview Benefits Perspectives Discovery Reflections Challenge 18. Take a look at some online productivity (word processing, spreadsheet) tools. Estimate of time: 2 hours

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Overview Have you ever watched a SciFi show where the actor can stop time in order to do something while everyone else is frozen in the moment? How many of you have wanted just a few more hours in your day to get things done?!? Our hope in presenting some of the tools people use in their daily lives to keep it all together and get things done is to... allow you to be more productive and focused in your work/life pursuits; discover new ways to organize your thoughts/ideas and collaborate online; reach for new goals and endeavors that you haven't had time to do; and/or just spend more quality time with your family and friends. Benefits Save time on needless management of things. Keep ideas organized. Clear your brain of needless lists of things you have to do, want to do, plan to do. Pursue new endeavors, spend more time with your family and friends, and/or just unwind for a bit. Perspectives Read About.com: Top Ten Productivity Web Site Consider subscribing to Lifehacker blog Take a look at Lifehacker's 2007 Guide to Free Software and Webbapps Review the shared bookmarks on Delicious   (GTD = Getting Things Done) View the YouTube video: Getting Things Done (Time: 45:51:00)

Shared bookmarks: Getting Things Done  Delicious/tag/gtd (recent bookmarks tagged gtd) www.lavanguardia.com www.youtube.com Marking up your to-do lists for increased productivity | Unclutterer Philofaxy: My Set Up for 2012 What I learned from time away from the internet and email An 18 Minute Plan That Will Make Your Productivity Soar Checklist: Are you doing these five things to be more effective at work? | Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Discovery

Take some time to explore some or all of the tools below. Select an entire category of tools to explore or a specific application within each category. Localize your learning by applying to a specific project in your work or personal life.

Reflections: Localize your learning

• Which applications did you select to test drive and why?
• Did you discover other applications not on the list? If yes, please explain what you found and how you envisioned applying them.
• Share the tools you use in your daily life to help you get things done.

19. Explore any site from the 15 Best Web 2.0 collections, play with it and write a blog post about your findings.

Estimate of time: 1.0 Hour or as long as you'd like!

Overview

Web 2.0 tools have flourished over the past few years, becoming one of the most talked about advancements and benefits of the Internet.  Because of the increasing number of these tools, more and more "Best of..." sites are being created, with users' opinions of what sites are the most helpful for the purposes of organization, blogging, travel, etc. Specific to Web 2.0 tools, a May 2010 TripWire Magazine article lists 15 of the "Best Sites to Find Useful Online Web 2.0 Applications" Among the sites included are:

• Ziipa
• FeedMyApp
• Go2Web20

While you may choose to visit one of these sites, or one of the 12 other sites listed in the article, you will find an online library of Web 2.0 resources, rated by users themselves!  

Benefits

• Stay abreast of Web technologies as they continue to evolve.
• Opportunity to review a list of top pick Web 2.0 tools and select the ones that would be relevant to your users.

Perspectives

Not only is it fun to explore these new ways of connecting our clients to their information and expertise needs, special librarians are in a position to take a leading role in this area!

Discovery

1. Go to the TripWire Magazine article and review the "Best of" list. Or, simply click on one of the direct links above.
2. Visit a site that's appealing to you and spend some time surfing around in it.

Reflections

• Which collection/Best of site did you find most helpful?
• Did you find some useful sites and learn more about its features and tools? Share your thoughts on your blog about the site, who would find it valuable and why.

Challenge

As time allows, look through the other collections of sites. Remember that Web 2.0 tools are not just for storing information online or creating spreadsheets; there are some for real estate, travel, cooking, and practically every other topic you (or your client) are interested in!