Information literacy is an important concept to be able to grasp, especially now in my college career. I need to learn how to filter all of the information that comes my way and know how what to do with each piece. The library here on the Siena campus has created a very good online catalog of all the information you can have access to. They have organized it in a way to help with this idea of information literacy. This is a hard task though, because with innovations in technology, our world of obtaining information is constantly changing. Technology, as Sean Conley said during the presentation, is both a blessing and a curse.
The concept of information literacy has constantly been changing to keep up with the changes in technology. Years ago, the card catalog existed. All the books, magazines, newspapers...everything that the library had, was put onto a card and stored in a big drawer-type case. This was known as the card catalog. You would go to this to search for what you needed to find in the library. Card catalogs were very inefficient because you had to manually find a book that fit all of your keywords. The example in class was "albany history." You might find a card with a book on "albany" and a separate one with the keyword "history," but it was then your job to manually find a book that satisfied both words. Eventually this evolved into the use of CD-roms. Libraries would keep all of their information about their books on these CD-roms. If other libraries were looking for a book in a place other than their own library, they could just give the libraries a CD-rom of their information. Although this was a jump from the card catalog, this still proved to be very inefficient and timely. In the beginning of the 1990s, the Internet surfaced and proved to be revolutionary. This allowed rapid communication to take place between libraries and shifted the types of resources available. The online catalog was started and is now the best and most efficient way to access available materials. This is where libraries store all of the information on their books, magazines, ect. People can sort through this catalog with ease and find what they need.
With the creation of the online catalog for libraries that the Internet has made possible, there are other aspects of this that have many advantages. Connect NY was created and is used by 11 colleges throughout New York. This is helpful when searching for library books. If the library you are at does not carry the book you are looking for, you can try to find it in Connect NY. This book is then brought to your library within two to three days. This has allowed libraries to share books between one another, which has saved money in the long run. For a college student writing a research paper, this network can come in handy.
Although there is plenty of "blessings" with these innovations of technology, there are some "curses" that have seeped through. Librarians used to play a role as the keeper of all the information and could filter the good and bad. Now, through the invention of the Internet, everyone who is capable of using the Internet has access to this information. It is no longer filtered through these "librarian" figures, which can make research very difficult. Also, with keyword searching, the computer has not become smart enough to filter useless information and keep only the useful information. For example, when "albany history" is typed into the computer, it comes up with everything that has those words, whether together or separate. The computer doesn't get that it needs to keep the two words together.
Through the innovations of technology, the idea of information literacy has evolved. Now, I believe a useful definition is being able to filter the information you receive, reading it as good or bad, and being able to get rid of it if you do not need it. Looking past the good and bad of information literacy, this is a concept we will continually need to get used to using for the rest of our lives, or at least careers.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Reading + Experience = "Ah ha" Moment
Throughout my time at school this past month, I have read many sections of several books and traveled to different places, experiencing technology and social change. One of my experiences off campus was very eye-opening and helped me understand one of the readings I did. It helped me feel more connected to what I was experiencing and want to keep participating.
The Dragonfly Effect by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith is a very good book. It has great aspects of what it means to participate in social change. Specifically, the book breaks down its goals into five sections of a dragonfly, the four wings and the body. In reading about the first wing, I learned how to make an effective goal and start acting on that goal. One of the places I went to off campus was the St John's/St Ann's Outreach Center. I learned a lot about my community and the need here. I believe the section of Wing 1 from The Dragonfly Effect is what has led to this center's success. There are five parts to making a goal, which spell out the acronym HATCH. The first letter is Humanistic and talks about focusing on understanding your audience. With the outreach center, they found the type of people they were reaching out to and centered their work around them, their audience. Actionable is the second letter. This part is all about creating and using short-term or micro goals to eventually achieve your long-term or macro goal. The outreach center developed micro goals, like starting the soup kitchen and food pantry to achieve their macro goal of helping the city of Albany. For the third letter, Testable, you need to identify "metrics" which will help evaluate your progress along the way. This means creating deadlines and then celebrating the along the way. St John's/St Ann's establishes what they want to do and when to do this, like with the welcome table. They can then celebrate after they have served several hundred people, knowing they have been a very important part of these peoples' lives. The fourth letter is Clarity. Being able to focus on your goal and know exactly what is needed creates a better chance for success in the long run. I believe the outreach center made goals for each event or program they hosted, planning down to every type of food available at the welcome table. Finally, Happiness is the fifth and last letter. Every goal should mean something to you and make you happy to not only strive for but complete. You should gain great satisfaction. The outreach center has volunteers which have a love for helping the community. This shines through in everything they do, which means their goals are something that make them happy.
Combining the reading of wing 1 with my experience at the outreach center, I have a much greater understanding about how a goal should be made and achieved. The outreach center made me realize what goes in to creating a goal that means a lot to you. If you are passionate about what you do, the goals you set will most likely fall in line with HATCH and you will be successful.
In the future, I can use HATCH in setting a goal. This way will help me develop a goal that I know I will be able to achieve. Going along with the "ah ha" moment talked about in class, I think this is another moment that fits that category for me. Putting the book and experience together, I fully understand the idea of goal setting for yourself.
The Dragonfly Effect by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith is a very good book. It has great aspects of what it means to participate in social change. Specifically, the book breaks down its goals into five sections of a dragonfly, the four wings and the body. In reading about the first wing, I learned how to make an effective goal and start acting on that goal. One of the places I went to off campus was the St John's/St Ann's Outreach Center. I learned a lot about my community and the need here. I believe the section of Wing 1 from The Dragonfly Effect is what has led to this center's success. There are five parts to making a goal, which spell out the acronym HATCH. The first letter is Humanistic and talks about focusing on understanding your audience. With the outreach center, they found the type of people they were reaching out to and centered their work around them, their audience. Actionable is the second letter. This part is all about creating and using short-term or micro goals to eventually achieve your long-term or macro goal. The outreach center developed micro goals, like starting the soup kitchen and food pantry to achieve their macro goal of helping the city of Albany. For the third letter, Testable, you need to identify "metrics" which will help evaluate your progress along the way. This means creating deadlines and then celebrating the along the way. St John's/St Ann's establishes what they want to do and when to do this, like with the welcome table. They can then celebrate after they have served several hundred people, knowing they have been a very important part of these peoples' lives. The fourth letter is Clarity. Being able to focus on your goal and know exactly what is needed creates a better chance for success in the long run. I believe the outreach center made goals for each event or program they hosted, planning down to every type of food available at the welcome table. Finally, Happiness is the fifth and last letter. Every goal should mean something to you and make you happy to not only strive for but complete. You should gain great satisfaction. The outreach center has volunteers which have a love for helping the community. This shines through in everything they do, which means their goals are something that make them happy.
Combining the reading of wing 1 with my experience at the outreach center, I have a much greater understanding about how a goal should be made and achieved. The outreach center made me realize what goes in to creating a goal that means a lot to you. If you are passionate about what you do, the goals you set will most likely fall in line with HATCH and you will be successful.
In the future, I can use HATCH in setting a goal. This way will help me develop a goal that I know I will be able to achieve. Going along with the "ah ha" moment talked about in class, I think this is another moment that fits that category for me. Putting the book and experience together, I fully understand the idea of goal setting for yourself.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Free Write-Describe an "Ah ha" moment
These kinds of moments happen a lot while I'm doing homework. I'll pay attention in class, but not exactly get what to do for the homework part of it. Once I sit down to do the homework, and come to the conclusion that I really don't know what's going on, if frustrates me. So I will ask for help on this and then comes that "ah ha" moment of everything from class clicking together and making sense on the homework. It's great! I am able to fly through the homework then, but get what's going on the whole time.
Relating to the course of technology and social change, these "ah ha" moments also come when learning what to do with new innovations of technology. It's a terrible thing to sit down with a piece of technology and not know what to do with it at all. I lose of sense of comfortability with the device and it makes me want to just put it down and do something else. In gaining knowledge about how to use the device, not only do I realize how effective it can be in my life but also how cool it is!
Relating to the course of technology and social change, these "ah ha" moments also come when learning what to do with new innovations of technology. It's a terrible thing to sit down with a piece of technology and not know what to do with it at all. I lose of sense of comfortability with the device and it makes me want to just put it down and do something else. In gaining knowledge about how to use the device, not only do I realize how effective it can be in my life but also how cool it is!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Revised St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center is located in the South End of Albany, New York and helps people who are in need. They provide a soup kitchen, food pantry, and a variety of special programs. This organization was started in 1980 and has been growing since. In this day and age, technology has taken over. I believe St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center would benefit greatly from the use of technology. The biggest help I see it accomplishing is keeping everyone connected throughout the city. There are so many people and companies who help out St. John's/St. Ann's and being able to stay connected is a key component that technology could help with.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center provide the people of Albany with food, clothing, furniture, and more. In getting to know the Outreach Center better, I think people need to know everything that they do. With the soup kitchen, they make homemade meals every Tuesday and Saturday from 11am-1pm. Anyone is welcome to come and participate. The volunteers there wait on the people who come to eat, allowing this time to be very social for the guests who are there. On average, the Outreach Center serves up to 300 people in this short amount of time. On the days the soup kitchen is not running, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, St. John's/St. Ann's has a food pantry open from 10am-12pm. People who come pick out food that is to be used over a three day time period for each person. The Capital District is divided into sections and each section has a food pantry for the people living in that section. These people are only allowed to belong to one pantry and have to show ID that is recent, within 30 days, to be able to use the pantry. The Outreach Center does this because they receive money from a grant to provide the people with this food. The grant is called the HPNAP Grant. They receive money every year on July 1, which is supposed to last them until June 30 of the following year. The Outreach Center plans several programs including a furniture program and holiday programs. People in need of furniture fill out a form requesting the furniture and the center gives them what they need if they have it in stock. St. John's/St. Ann's hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas programs, which include a meal as well. During Christmas, each child receives two gifts and every adult is given one gift. Lastly, there is a special program for people who are disabled or sick and cannot make it to the center, but are in desperate need of help. This is called the Home Delivery Program. Volunteers from the center go to the homes of these people and delivery food to them. Everything St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center does has a purpose to better the community they are in.
People outside of the Outreach Center provide a lot of help to St. John's/St. Ann's in a variety of ways. Stewarts and Price Chopper have extra bread in the mornings that are given to the center. Volunteers go over to the store at 6am and pick up what they need. Farmers growing fresh fruit and vegetables also provide their service and harvest to the center. This past hurricane though destroyed most of the farmers' crops, leaving both the Outreach Center and the farmers short of what they need. The Girl Scouts provide something called birthday boxes for St. John's/St. Ann's. These are sometimes used for special events as well. People come in asking if there is anything they can have to celebrate a birthday, and because of the Girl Scouts, they can give them these birthday boxes.
In getting to know what St. John's/St. Ann's does, we can get a better sense of how far the use of technology could go throughout the center. They could use the Internet to publicize their events and get out the word to more people. As mentioned by Professor Harden, the Apple computers that are not being used could be set up at the center for use by not only the volunteers but also the people of the city of Albany. If the businesses that the Outreach Center go to for food and service can connect with the center through the use of technology, I believe this could go a long way in growing deeper roots in the city. More businesses could get involved in helping the center as well. Technology can also help in keeping track of the people who come to the center. They can see how fast their center is growing. Recently, the Bridge to College program was started through Siena College. People in the community of Albany will be partnered with students from Siena College and learn to write together. Computers will be very helpful to this program, both for the center and community.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center is so helpful to people who need food and other necessities. They have a great start in the city of Albany and I believe they are on their way to even more success in the future. Technology can aid in this process and increase their ease of work throughout the center.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center provide the people of Albany with food, clothing, furniture, and more. In getting to know the Outreach Center better, I think people need to know everything that they do. With the soup kitchen, they make homemade meals every Tuesday and Saturday from 11am-1pm. Anyone is welcome to come and participate. The volunteers there wait on the people who come to eat, allowing this time to be very social for the guests who are there. On average, the Outreach Center serves up to 300 people in this short amount of time. On the days the soup kitchen is not running, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, St. John's/St. Ann's has a food pantry open from 10am-12pm. People who come pick out food that is to be used over a three day time period for each person. The Capital District is divided into sections and each section has a food pantry for the people living in that section. These people are only allowed to belong to one pantry and have to show ID that is recent, within 30 days, to be able to use the pantry. The Outreach Center does this because they receive money from a grant to provide the people with this food. The grant is called the HPNAP Grant. They receive money every year on July 1, which is supposed to last them until June 30 of the following year. The Outreach Center plans several programs including a furniture program and holiday programs. People in need of furniture fill out a form requesting the furniture and the center gives them what they need if they have it in stock. St. John's/St. Ann's hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas programs, which include a meal as well. During Christmas, each child receives two gifts and every adult is given one gift. Lastly, there is a special program for people who are disabled or sick and cannot make it to the center, but are in desperate need of help. This is called the Home Delivery Program. Volunteers from the center go to the homes of these people and delivery food to them. Everything St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center does has a purpose to better the community they are in.
People outside of the Outreach Center provide a lot of help to St. John's/St. Ann's in a variety of ways. Stewarts and Price Chopper have extra bread in the mornings that are given to the center. Volunteers go over to the store at 6am and pick up what they need. Farmers growing fresh fruit and vegetables also provide their service and harvest to the center. This past hurricane though destroyed most of the farmers' crops, leaving both the Outreach Center and the farmers short of what they need. The Girl Scouts provide something called birthday boxes for St. John's/St. Ann's. These are sometimes used for special events as well. People come in asking if there is anything they can have to celebrate a birthday, and because of the Girl Scouts, they can give them these birthday boxes.
In getting to know what St. John's/St. Ann's does, we can get a better sense of how far the use of technology could go throughout the center. They could use the Internet to publicize their events and get out the word to more people. As mentioned by Professor Harden, the Apple computers that are not being used could be set up at the center for use by not only the volunteers but also the people of the city of Albany. If the businesses that the Outreach Center go to for food and service can connect with the center through the use of technology, I believe this could go a long way in growing deeper roots in the city. More businesses could get involved in helping the center as well. Technology can also help in keeping track of the people who come to the center. They can see how fast their center is growing. Recently, the Bridge to College program was started through Siena College. People in the community of Albany will be partnered with students from Siena College and learn to write together. Computers will be very helpful to this program, both for the center and community.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center is so helpful to people who need food and other necessities. They have a great start in the city of Albany and I believe they are on their way to even more success in the future. Technology can aid in this process and increase their ease of work throughout the center.
Revised Apple Store Visit
Apple has a huge role in society and is a worldwide leader in technology. They do business in four continents and eleven countries. Although the company seems like they do most of their work in the United States, this is not true. 62% of Apple's sales are done internationally. I don't think anyone can grasp just how big this company is and how far they have come with technology. Apple has guided the development of technology to become more personal with each user. From the iPhone to the Macbook to the iPod, there are endless ways that Apple can customize these devices to fit your needs and personality.
There are several Apple devices including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Macbook, and Apple TV. Each device has many special features to it, some that can be interchangeable with one another. An example of this is the app iCloud. This is a revolutionary app that allows you to have all of your information stored in one place. What if you accidentally dropped your iPhone in the pool? Well now that iCloud is available, your first reaction won't be to panic because all of your information is still available. iCloud also lets you buy music, for example, and have it shared on all of your Apple devices without having to buy the song separately for each one. The Macbook is made from one piece of aluminum that has been carved out. This creates a durable outside so the user can be assured everything is stored safely. The keyboard has a backlight, which is useful for all people who stay up late or after dark on their computers. Keeping our planet in mind, the Macbook is eco friendly, with arsenic-free glass. The battery life is quite impressive, lasting anywhere from five to seven hours. Music artists can use something called JAM which allows you to hook your guitar right up to your Macbook. Next up is the iPad. This "game changing" device is truly incredible. The iPad allows you to connect to the Internet almost anywhere because of its 3G network. Face-time has recently been added to the Ipad. This lets users have a video chat with another Apple user. This takes conversations to the next level. The iPad is beginning to replace paper books in college, as students have started downloading their books to their iPads. An app available for the iPad is iGrill. This app allows you to read the temperature of the grill so that you don't overcook or burn what you're cooking. The iPhone has transformed the idea of a phone. The iPhone was a top seller with 20 million sold this past year. Not only does the iPhone have the normal functions of a phone, but it also has the functions of a computer, right at your fingertips.
Apple's number one priority is you, the customer. With this in mind, there are many readily available options for you to go to to receive training on how to use a device, to seek help, or to purchase a new Apple product. Apple has personalized their service and support programs around what works best for you. In 2010 Apple ranked third overall for the best service industry and first in the realm of computer companies. This assures you that Apple really does offer the best help. In every store there is a Genius Bar. Here, customers can bring in their devices to receive the help they need right away. But what if you're not located near an Apple Store? Apple also offers Call-In Services, stationed in California and Texas. Apple employees will either help you over the phone or send you a box and have you ship your device to them for free so they can fix it. When you purchase an Apple device, you receive free training for up to one year. Apple stores have tables set up where you can bring in your device and someone will help you get to know it a little better.
Businesses have come to use Apple as their product throughout the company. This can be an example of the personal level Apple has with their users. GE is a very large company spread out over 100 countries. At the core, there is a mobile center where they develop apps to suit their company's needs. One very important app is the Transformer Monitoring app. This allows GE to keep track of their gas turbines and electric transformers stationed throughout the world. Not only does this app eliminate the time it takes to check the turbines, but it has also allows GE to run more efficiently. The Standard Charter Banking is present in six continents and uses the iPhone and iPad as the bank mobile system. The Breeze app is helpful in setting up where you want your window located when you have something open. There have been advances in airline apps as well. Commercial airlines have started using Apple, which helps get rid of the piles of paperwork pilots carries around. Right now there are over 200 aviation apps. I would say that is very impressive.
Apple is revolutionary and has took the lead in technology. They have helped guide technology in a direction that is personal with each user. In the future, I'm sure there is more to come, but we can always know that Apple is here to customize to our needs.
There are several Apple devices including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Macbook, and Apple TV. Each device has many special features to it, some that can be interchangeable with one another. An example of this is the app iCloud. This is a revolutionary app that allows you to have all of your information stored in one place. What if you accidentally dropped your iPhone in the pool? Well now that iCloud is available, your first reaction won't be to panic because all of your information is still available. iCloud also lets you buy music, for example, and have it shared on all of your Apple devices without having to buy the song separately for each one. The Macbook is made from one piece of aluminum that has been carved out. This creates a durable outside so the user can be assured everything is stored safely. The keyboard has a backlight, which is useful for all people who stay up late or after dark on their computers. Keeping our planet in mind, the Macbook is eco friendly, with arsenic-free glass. The battery life is quite impressive, lasting anywhere from five to seven hours. Music artists can use something called JAM which allows you to hook your guitar right up to your Macbook. Next up is the iPad. This "game changing" device is truly incredible. The iPad allows you to connect to the Internet almost anywhere because of its 3G network. Face-time has recently been added to the Ipad. This lets users have a video chat with another Apple user. This takes conversations to the next level. The iPad is beginning to replace paper books in college, as students have started downloading their books to their iPads. An app available for the iPad is iGrill. This app allows you to read the temperature of the grill so that you don't overcook or burn what you're cooking. The iPhone has transformed the idea of a phone. The iPhone was a top seller with 20 million sold this past year. Not only does the iPhone have the normal functions of a phone, but it also has the functions of a computer, right at your fingertips.
Apple's number one priority is you, the customer. With this in mind, there are many readily available options for you to go to to receive training on how to use a device, to seek help, or to purchase a new Apple product. Apple has personalized their service and support programs around what works best for you. In 2010 Apple ranked third overall for the best service industry and first in the realm of computer companies. This assures you that Apple really does offer the best help. In every store there is a Genius Bar. Here, customers can bring in their devices to receive the help they need right away. But what if you're not located near an Apple Store? Apple also offers Call-In Services, stationed in California and Texas. Apple employees will either help you over the phone or send you a box and have you ship your device to them for free so they can fix it. When you purchase an Apple device, you receive free training for up to one year. Apple stores have tables set up where you can bring in your device and someone will help you get to know it a little better.
Businesses have come to use Apple as their product throughout the company. This can be an example of the personal level Apple has with their users. GE is a very large company spread out over 100 countries. At the core, there is a mobile center where they develop apps to suit their company's needs. One very important app is the Transformer Monitoring app. This allows GE to keep track of their gas turbines and electric transformers stationed throughout the world. Not only does this app eliminate the time it takes to check the turbines, but it has also allows GE to run more efficiently. The Standard Charter Banking is present in six continents and uses the iPhone and iPad as the bank mobile system. The Breeze app is helpful in setting up where you want your window located when you have something open. There have been advances in airline apps as well. Commercial airlines have started using Apple, which helps get rid of the piles of paperwork pilots carries around. Right now there are over 200 aviation apps. I would say that is very impressive.
Apple is revolutionary and has took the lead in technology. They have helped guide technology in a direction that is personal with each user. In the future, I'm sure there is more to come, but we can always know that Apple is here to customize to our needs.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Evolution of Information Literacy
Information literacy is an important concept to be able to grasp, especially now in my college career. I need to learn how to filter all of the information that comes my way and know how what to do with each piece. The library here on the Siena campus has created a very good online catalog of all the information you can have access to. They have organized it in a way to help with this idea of information literacy. This is a hard task though, because with innovations in technology, our world of obtaining information is constantly changing. Technology, as Sean Conley said during the presentation, is both a blessing and a curse.
The concept of information literacy has constantly been changing to keep up with the changes in technology. Years ago, the card catalog existed. All the books, magazines, newspapers...everything that the library had, was put onto a card and stored in a big drawer-type case. This was known as the card catalog. You would go to this to search for what you needed to find in the library. Card catalogs were very inefficient because you had to manually find a book that fit all of your keywords. The example in class was "albany history." You might find a card with a book on "albany" and a separate one with the keyword "history," but it was then your job to manually find a book that satisfied both words. Eventually this evolved into the use of CD-roms. Libraries would keep all of their information about their books on these CD-roms. If other libraries were looking for a book in a place other than their own library, they could just give the libraries a CD-rom of their information. Although this was a jump from the card catalog, this still proved to be very inefficient and timely. In the beginning of the 1990s, the Internet surfaced and proved to be revolutionary. This allowed rapid communication to take place between libraries and shifted the types of resources available. The online catalog was started and is now the best and most efficient way to access available materials. This is where libraries store all of the information on their books, magazines, ect. People can sort through this catalog with ease and find what they need.
Although there is plenty of "blessings" with these innovations of technology, there are some "curses" that have seeped through. Librarians used to play a role as the keeper of all the information and could filter the good and bad. Now, through the invention of the Internet, everyone who is capable of using the Internet has access to this information. It is no longer filtered through these "librarian" figures, which can make research very difficult. Also, with keyword searching, the computer has not become smart enough to filter useless information and keep only the useful information. For example, when "albany history" is typed into the computer, it comes up with everything that has those words, whether together or separate. The computer doesn't get that it needs to keep the two words together.
Through the innovations of technology, the idea of information literacy has evolved. Now, I believe a useful definition is being able to filter the information you receive, reading it as good or bad, and being able to get rid of it if you do not need it. Looking past the good and bad of information literacy, this is a concept we will continually need to get used to using for the rest of our lives, or at least careers.
The concept of information literacy has constantly been changing to keep up with the changes in technology. Years ago, the card catalog existed. All the books, magazines, newspapers...everything that the library had, was put onto a card and stored in a big drawer-type case. This was known as the card catalog. You would go to this to search for what you needed to find in the library. Card catalogs were very inefficient because you had to manually find a book that fit all of your keywords. The example in class was "albany history." You might find a card with a book on "albany" and a separate one with the keyword "history," but it was then your job to manually find a book that satisfied both words. Eventually this evolved into the use of CD-roms. Libraries would keep all of their information about their books on these CD-roms. If other libraries were looking for a book in a place other than their own library, they could just give the libraries a CD-rom of their information. Although this was a jump from the card catalog, this still proved to be very inefficient and timely. In the beginning of the 1990s, the Internet surfaced and proved to be revolutionary. This allowed rapid communication to take place between libraries and shifted the types of resources available. The online catalog was started and is now the best and most efficient way to access available materials. This is where libraries store all of the information on their books, magazines, ect. People can sort through this catalog with ease and find what they need.
Although there is plenty of "blessings" with these innovations of technology, there are some "curses" that have seeped through. Librarians used to play a role as the keeper of all the information and could filter the good and bad. Now, through the invention of the Internet, everyone who is capable of using the Internet has access to this information. It is no longer filtered through these "librarian" figures, which can make research very difficult. Also, with keyword searching, the computer has not become smart enough to filter useless information and keep only the useful information. For example, when "albany history" is typed into the computer, it comes up with everything that has those words, whether together or separate. The computer doesn't get that it needs to keep the two words together.
Through the innovations of technology, the idea of information literacy has evolved. Now, I believe a useful definition is being able to filter the information you receive, reading it as good or bad, and being able to get rid of it if you do not need it. Looking past the good and bad of information literacy, this is a concept we will continually need to get used to using for the rest of our lives, or at least careers.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Obstacles Faced in Assisting Others
Helping others is a great, rewarding experience. You learn something new both about yourself and about who you are helping. After you are done, you feel really great about yourself and have a feeling of accomplishment. I am speaking mostly for myself, but I'm sure other people feel a relatively similar way. Although assisting others is great, there are some obstacles I will face when doing this. I am tend to have a lot going on in my life so time management would be a big obstacle for me. Patience usually comes easy for me, but in helping others I don't know how this would play out, which is why I bring it up as another potential obstacle. Sometimes the people you serve feel either entitled to your help or don't show their appreciation. This last obstacle comes from this situation and feeling like I am not getting enough credit for what I am doing.
Obstacles are a part of life and will show up when I assist others. Time management is a tough thing for me to grasp. I tend to be a procrastinator, so finding the time to get my work done, be with friends or family, and help others might be hard to juggle for me. I think creating a schedule and laying out everything I need to do will help me with my time management. It was a good idea to create a Google calendar because I can see it helping me with the issue of time management. I am a relatively patient person and don't mind waiting for something to get done or working through something that might take up time. I worked with kids for the past two years at a daycare and have grown up taking care of my little brother. This, I believe, requires a lot of patience and has taught me so much more about the concept of patience. With this in mind, I hope that acquiring enough patience to assist people will not become a great obstacle. Offering assistance to people in need generates different responses from the people you help. Some are overly thankful and some don't say anything at all. Some let you do all the work and some join in to help get the work done together. In a selfish way, I am sometimes the type of person who will work and, in the back of my mind, think that I should be thanked for it. And if I don't, it makes me upset because I don't think they appreciate what I did for them. Through this journey of helping others I need to be able to overlook that point and keep doing the best work I can, not always looking for a response to it.
Kelly Behrend did a great job in addressing what goes on in the act of service. She has traveled to many places and helped others along the way, accomplishing so much. One thing that struck me as being a great challenge was Kelly's teaching of ESL. During the presentation, I was thinking that if I was put in that same situation, I would be very hesitant of actually completing it because of all the obstacles it presents in my mind. I give Kelly so much credit for what she has accomplished, not just with the class but with her entire career thus far.
The act of assisting people presents obstacles up front. Working through these obstacles, helping others is a really great thing. For myself, it makes me feel so good and full of life to know I helped in some way in a person's life. I think if people let it, assisting others can have the same affect on everyone else as well.
Obstacles are a part of life and will show up when I assist others. Time management is a tough thing for me to grasp. I tend to be a procrastinator, so finding the time to get my work done, be with friends or family, and help others might be hard to juggle for me. I think creating a schedule and laying out everything I need to do will help me with my time management. It was a good idea to create a Google calendar because I can see it helping me with the issue of time management. I am a relatively patient person and don't mind waiting for something to get done or working through something that might take up time. I worked with kids for the past two years at a daycare and have grown up taking care of my little brother. This, I believe, requires a lot of patience and has taught me so much more about the concept of patience. With this in mind, I hope that acquiring enough patience to assist people will not become a great obstacle. Offering assistance to people in need generates different responses from the people you help. Some are overly thankful and some don't say anything at all. Some let you do all the work and some join in to help get the work done together. In a selfish way, I am sometimes the type of person who will work and, in the back of my mind, think that I should be thanked for it. And if I don't, it makes me upset because I don't think they appreciate what I did for them. Through this journey of helping others I need to be able to overlook that point and keep doing the best work I can, not always looking for a response to it.
Kelly Behrend did a great job in addressing what goes on in the act of service. She has traveled to many places and helped others along the way, accomplishing so much. One thing that struck me as being a great challenge was Kelly's teaching of ESL. During the presentation, I was thinking that if I was put in that same situation, I would be very hesitant of actually completing it because of all the obstacles it presents in my mind. I give Kelly so much credit for what she has accomplished, not just with the class but with her entire career thus far.
The act of assisting people presents obstacles up front. Working through these obstacles, helping others is a really great thing. For myself, it makes me feel so good and full of life to know I helped in some way in a person's life. I think if people let it, assisting others can have the same affect on everyone else as well.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center is located in the South End of Albany, New York and helps people who are in need. They provide a soup kitchen, food pantry, and a variety of special programs. This organization was started in 1980 and has been growing since. In this day and age, technology has taken over. I believe St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center would benefit greatly from the use of technology. The biggest help I see it accomplishing is keeping everyone connected throughout the city. There are so many people and companies who help out St. John's/St. Ann's and being able to stay connected is a key component that technology could help with.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center provide the people of Albany with food, clothing, furniture, and more. In getting to know the Outreach Center better, I think people need to know everything that they do. With the soup kitchen, they make homemade meals every Tuesday and Saturday from 11am-1pm. Anyone is welcome to come and participate. The volunteers there wait on the people who come to eat, allowing this time to be very social for the guests who are there. On average, the Outreach Center serves up to 300 people in this short amount of time. On the days the soup kitchen is not running, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, St. John's/St. Ann's has a food pantry open from 10am-12pm. People who come pick out food that is to be used over a three day time period for each person. The Capital District is divided into sections and each section has a food pantry for the people living in that section. These people are only allowed to belong to one pantry and have to show ID that is recent, within 30 days, to be able to use the pantry. The Outreach Center does this because they receive money from a grant to provide the people with this food. The grant is called the HPNAP Grant. They receive money every year on July 1, which is supposed to last them until June 30 of the following year. The Outreach Center plans several programs including a furniture program and holiday programs. People in need of furniture fill out a form requesting the furniture and the center gives them what they need if they have it in stock. St. John's/St. Ann's hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas programs, which include a meal as well. During Christmas, each child receives two gifts and every adult is given one gift. Lastly, there is a special program for people who are disabled or sick and cannot make it to the center, but are in desperate need of help. This is called the Home Delivery Program. Volunteers from the center go to the homes of these people and delivery food to them. Everything St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center does has a purpose to better the community they are in.
People outside of the Outreach Center provide a lot of help to St. John's/St. Ann's in a variety of ways. Stewarts and Price Chopper have extra bread in the mornings that are given to the center. Volunteers go over to the store at 6am and pick up what they need. Farmers growing fresh fruit and vegetables also provide their service and harvest to the center. This past hurricane though destroyed most of the farmers' crops, leaving both the Outreach Center and the farmers short of what they need. The Girl Scouts provide something called birthday boxes for St. John's/St. Ann's. These are sometimes used for special events as well. People come in asking if there is anything they can have to celebrate a birthday, and because of the Girl Scouts, they can give them these birthday boxes.
In getting to know what St. John's/St. Ann's does, we can get a better sense of how far the use of technology could go throughout the center. They could use the Internet to publicize their events and get out the word to more people. As mentioned by Professor Harden, the Apple computers that are not being used could be set up at the center for use by not only the volunteers but also the people of the city of Albany. If the businesses that the Outreach Center go to for food and service can connect with the center through the use of technology, I believe this could go a long way in growing deeper roots in the city. More businesses could get involved in helping the center as well. Technology can also help in keeping track of the people who come to the center. They can see how fast their center is growing.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center is so helpful to people who need food and other necessities. They have a great start in the city of Albany and I believe they are on their way to even more success in the future. Technology can aid in this process and increase their ease of work throughout the center.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center provide the people of Albany with food, clothing, furniture, and more. In getting to know the Outreach Center better, I think people need to know everything that they do. With the soup kitchen, they make homemade meals every Tuesday and Saturday from 11am-1pm. Anyone is welcome to come and participate. The volunteers there wait on the people who come to eat, allowing this time to be very social for the guests who are there. On average, the Outreach Center serves up to 300 people in this short amount of time. On the days the soup kitchen is not running, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, St. John's/St. Ann's has a food pantry open from 10am-12pm. People who come pick out food that is to be used over a three day time period for each person. The Capital District is divided into sections and each section has a food pantry for the people living in that section. These people are only allowed to belong to one pantry and have to show ID that is recent, within 30 days, to be able to use the pantry. The Outreach Center does this because they receive money from a grant to provide the people with this food. The grant is called the HPNAP Grant. They receive money every year on July 1, which is supposed to last them until June 30 of the following year. The Outreach Center plans several programs including a furniture program and holiday programs. People in need of furniture fill out a form requesting the furniture and the center gives them what they need if they have it in stock. St. John's/St. Ann's hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas programs, which include a meal as well. During Christmas, each child receives two gifts and every adult is given one gift. Lastly, there is a special program for people who are disabled or sick and cannot make it to the center, but are in desperate need of help. This is called the Home Delivery Program. Volunteers from the center go to the homes of these people and delivery food to them. Everything St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center does has a purpose to better the community they are in.
People outside of the Outreach Center provide a lot of help to St. John's/St. Ann's in a variety of ways. Stewarts and Price Chopper have extra bread in the mornings that are given to the center. Volunteers go over to the store at 6am and pick up what they need. Farmers growing fresh fruit and vegetables also provide their service and harvest to the center. This past hurricane though destroyed most of the farmers' crops, leaving both the Outreach Center and the farmers short of what they need. The Girl Scouts provide something called birthday boxes for St. John's/St. Ann's. These are sometimes used for special events as well. People come in asking if there is anything they can have to celebrate a birthday, and because of the Girl Scouts, they can give them these birthday boxes.
In getting to know what St. John's/St. Ann's does, we can get a better sense of how far the use of technology could go throughout the center. They could use the Internet to publicize their events and get out the word to more people. As mentioned by Professor Harden, the Apple computers that are not being used could be set up at the center for use by not only the volunteers but also the people of the city of Albany. If the businesses that the Outreach Center go to for food and service can connect with the center through the use of technology, I believe this could go a long way in growing deeper roots in the city. More businesses could get involved in helping the center as well. Technology can also help in keeping track of the people who come to the center. They can see how fast their center is growing.
St. John's/St. Ann's Outreach Center is so helpful to people who need food and other necessities. They have a great start in the city of Albany and I believe they are on their way to even more success in the future. Technology can aid in this process and increase their ease of work throughout the center.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Apple Store Visit
Apple has a huge role in society and is a worldwide leader in technology. They do business in four continents and eleven countries. Although the company seems like they do most of their work in the United States, this is not true. 62% of Apple's sales are done internationally. I don't think anyone can grasp just how big this company is and how far they have come with technology. Apple has guided the development of technology to become more personal with each user. From the iPhone to the Macbook to the iPod, there are endless ways that Apple can customize these devices to fit your needs and personality.
There are several Apple devices including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Macbook, and Apple TV. Each device has many special features to it, some that can be interchangeable with one another. An example of this is the app iCloud. This is a revolutionary app that allows you to have all of your information stored in one place. What if you accidentally dropped your iPhone in the pool? Well now that iCloud is available, your first reaction won't be to panic because all of your information is still available. iCloud also lets you buy music, for example, and have it shared on all of your Apple devices without having to buy the song separately for each one. The Macbook is made from one piece of aluminum that has been carved out. This creates a durable outside so the user can be assured everything is stored safely. The keyboard has a backlight, which is useful for all people who stay up late or after dark on their computers. Keeping our planet in mind, the Macbook is eco friendly, with arsenic-free glass. The battery life is quite impressive, lasting anywhere from five to seven hours. Music artists can use something called JAM which allows you to hook your guitar right up to your Macbook. Next up is the iPad. This "game changing" device is truly incredible. The iPad allows you to connect to the Internet almost anywhere because of its 3G network. Face-time has recently been added to the Ipad. This lets users have a video chat with another Apple user. This takes conversations to the next level. The iPad is beginning to replace paper books in college, as students have started downloading their books to their iPads. An app available for the iPad is iGrill. This app allows you to read the temperature of the grill so that you don't overcook or burn what you're cooking. The iPhone has transformed the idea of a phone. The iPhone was a top seller with 20 million sold this past year. Not only does the iPhone have the normal functions of a phone, but it also has the functions of a computer, right at your fingertips.
Apple's number one priority is you, the customer. With this in mind, there are many readily available options for you to go to to receive training on how to use a device, to seek help, or to purchase a new Apple product. Apple has personalized their service and support programs around what works best for you. In 2010 Apple ranked third overall for the best service industry and first in the realm of computer companies. This assures you that Apple really does offer the best help. In every store there is a Genius Bar. Here, customers can bring in their devices to receive the help they need right away. But what if you're not located near an Apple Store? Apple also offers Call-In Services, stationed in California and Texas. Apple employees will either help you over the phone or send you a box and have you ship your device to them for free so they can fix it. When you purchase an Apple device, you receive free training for up to one year. Apple stores have tables set up where you can bring in your device and someone will help you get to know it a little better.
Businesses have come to use Apple as their product throughout the company. This can be an example of the personal level Apple has with their users. GE is a very large company spread out over 100 countries. At the core, there is a mobile center where they develop apps to suit their company's needs. One very important app is the Transformer Monitoring app. This allows GE to keep track of their gas turbines and electric transformers stationed throughout the world. The Standard Charter Banking is present in six continents and uses the iPhone and iPad as the bank mobile system. The Breeze app is helpful in setting up where you want your window located when you have something open. There have been advances in airline apps as well. Commercial airlines have started using Apple, which helps get rid of the piles of paperwork pilots carries around. Right now there are over 200 aviation apps. I would say that is very impressive.
Apple is revolutionary and has took the lead in technology. They have helped guide technology in a direction that is personal with each user. In the future, I'm sure there is more to come, but we can always know that Apple is here to customize to our needs.
There are several Apple devices including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Macbook, and Apple TV. Each device has many special features to it, some that can be interchangeable with one another. An example of this is the app iCloud. This is a revolutionary app that allows you to have all of your information stored in one place. What if you accidentally dropped your iPhone in the pool? Well now that iCloud is available, your first reaction won't be to panic because all of your information is still available. iCloud also lets you buy music, for example, and have it shared on all of your Apple devices without having to buy the song separately for each one. The Macbook is made from one piece of aluminum that has been carved out. This creates a durable outside so the user can be assured everything is stored safely. The keyboard has a backlight, which is useful for all people who stay up late or after dark on their computers. Keeping our planet in mind, the Macbook is eco friendly, with arsenic-free glass. The battery life is quite impressive, lasting anywhere from five to seven hours. Music artists can use something called JAM which allows you to hook your guitar right up to your Macbook. Next up is the iPad. This "game changing" device is truly incredible. The iPad allows you to connect to the Internet almost anywhere because of its 3G network. Face-time has recently been added to the Ipad. This lets users have a video chat with another Apple user. This takes conversations to the next level. The iPad is beginning to replace paper books in college, as students have started downloading their books to their iPads. An app available for the iPad is iGrill. This app allows you to read the temperature of the grill so that you don't overcook or burn what you're cooking. The iPhone has transformed the idea of a phone. The iPhone was a top seller with 20 million sold this past year. Not only does the iPhone have the normal functions of a phone, but it also has the functions of a computer, right at your fingertips.
Apple's number one priority is you, the customer. With this in mind, there are many readily available options for you to go to to receive training on how to use a device, to seek help, or to purchase a new Apple product. Apple has personalized their service and support programs around what works best for you. In 2010 Apple ranked third overall for the best service industry and first in the realm of computer companies. This assures you that Apple really does offer the best help. In every store there is a Genius Bar. Here, customers can bring in their devices to receive the help they need right away. But what if you're not located near an Apple Store? Apple also offers Call-In Services, stationed in California and Texas. Apple employees will either help you over the phone or send you a box and have you ship your device to them for free so they can fix it. When you purchase an Apple device, you receive free training for up to one year. Apple stores have tables set up where you can bring in your device and someone will help you get to know it a little better.
Businesses have come to use Apple as their product throughout the company. This can be an example of the personal level Apple has with their users. GE is a very large company spread out over 100 countries. At the core, there is a mobile center where they develop apps to suit their company's needs. One very important app is the Transformer Monitoring app. This allows GE to keep track of their gas turbines and electric transformers stationed throughout the world. The Standard Charter Banking is present in six continents and uses the iPhone and iPad as the bank mobile system. The Breeze app is helpful in setting up where you want your window located when you have something open. There have been advances in airline apps as well. Commercial airlines have started using Apple, which helps get rid of the piles of paperwork pilots carries around. Right now there are over 200 aviation apps. I would say that is very impressive.
Apple is revolutionary and has took the lead in technology. They have helped guide technology in a direction that is personal with each user. In the future, I'm sure there is more to come, but we can always know that Apple is here to customize to our needs.
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