Library Voice

My lunchtime ride today:

Not a bad ride once I got out of town.  1:02 total time.

Steven Bell writes on the ACRLog:

If staying fit and exercising regularly are important to your lifestyle, it pays to be an academic librarian. If this is one of the benefits you have as an academic librarian, give some thought to putting it to good use.

In the post, Steven looks at the results of the ALA’s Library Workplace Wellness survey.  He writes that while the results for academic librarians look good, it would be ideal if more academic librarians would take advantage of their campus wellness initiatives.

I agree with Steven on this one, and I do my best to use our staff/faculty exercise facility almost every day.  My employer offers memberships to a staff facility called Wellworks for a very reasonable price.  Wellworks is in close proximity to the library, so I am able to get down to the gym and work out during my lunch break.   Since I have two kids, the most convenient time for me to take time for exercise is on my lunch break.   I can generally get to the gym, get a good 30-minute workout in, shower, and be back at my desk in an hour.  Granted, I would love to spend more time down there, but I generally make the most of my 30 minutes with a pretty vigorous routine.  This is often one of the few times where it pays to be folicularly challenged, as I don’t have to worry about drying my hair after the shower.

Like most exercisers and New Year’s resoluters, my exercise participation can often have ebbs and flows.  Since the first of January, I’ve stayed pretty much on course with my routine.  During most weeks I have been able to get to the gym at least 3-4 times during the workweek.  Going at lunch is really nice, and once you start to get a rhythm you start seeing the same people on a regular basis.  The lunchtime camaraderie can actually encourage you not to miss the next workout.  I find that on days that I miss my workout, I’m a little more edgy and not nearly as relaxed.  I also find that if I miss my workout, I wind up not taking a lunch break at all, as I’m more inclined to eat my sandwich at my desk.  So for me, getting my daily dose of exercise is not only for my physical health, but for my mental health as well.

I’m fortunate that I have an employer who offers a workout facility, and I am really thankful that I am able to go exercise at lunch.  If you have a facility near your library, I encourage you to check it out and try working out a few days a week for a couple of months.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy taking time for yourself and get away from the daily grind, while helping your physical and mental health.

I’ve recently switched to GMAIL since the announcement that they were offering free IMAP. I have really enjoyed learning to use it and have grown to appreciate it. However, it does have some odd things about it, like this:

The funny thing is that the ad was at the top of an email that I received from my day care center.

Business Week offers some suggestions for how to present like Steve Jobs.  And no, it doesn’t require the use of a computer with a fruity logo. 

Finally got around to updating WordPress.  Just checking things.

10 Ways to be more productive with your blog  @ Web Worker Daily 

I have not read this yet.  But as you can tell from the lack of posts, I really need to read it.  Perhaps twice.  And then blog about it.

Thanks for reading, even when there’s not much to say.

This is all kinds of wrong, but a hoot nonetheless.

• Dress up Barack
• Dress up Hillary

You can even share your outfit code with others. Have fun.

Business week offers several suggestions for making a good first impression:

Rule #1: Respond within 24 Hours
Rule #2: Greet People with Enthusiasm
Rule #3: Make Eye Contact
Rule #4: Leave Smart Voice Messages
Rule #5: Respect Contacts
Rule #6: Mind Your E-Mail
Rule #7: Remember Small Touches

Murder on Grimm Isle:  The Design of a Game-Based Learning Environment

Michele Dickey, Associate Professor / Miami University

What to borrow from game desing
Why borrow from game design
Challenges of

What to borrow from game design

• Perspective

• God’s eye vs. first person

• The quest–framework

• spatial vs. linear

Why Borrow form game desing

•  design of experiential environments

• first person vs.third person (Winn 2002)

• mulitple perspectives

• cognitive framework for problem-solving
• design heuristics for educational games

• small quests
• types of knowledge:  declarative, procedural,

Challenges of integrating game elements

• instructional designers and K-12 educators

• limiited resources

• time, skill, talent

Overview Murder on Grimm Isle

•  Game-based learning environment
• adventure style game
• purpoes:  foster argumentation writing skills for grades 9-12 and first year college

• experiential learning–artifacts not just text
• spatial narratie–cognitive framework  (Henry Jenkins)

Game
Setting:  Grimm Isle
Scenario:  Robson Wolf has been found murdered on his estate
Factors:  Impending hurrican (Island evacuated)
Learner:  Investigator

Characters
Robson Wolfe

Challenges:  Narrative

• intersecting evidence

• motives (love and money)

• opportunity

Challenges of design

•     Environment design
•     2D too restrictive vs 3D too open

Uses ActiveWorlds

•  pros:  no programming, growing resources
• cons:  subscription, file conversion, object and image file sizes

Outcome:  Formulative Evaluation

• if it is there, it must be part of the story
• choice needs to be part of the environment

Resources
Game Engines and Virtual Worlds
Active Worlds (cheap)
Ogre (open source)
Panda 3D (free)
Second LIfe (various price models)

Need to see handout for 3D modelers

Business 2.0 has a list of last year’s 101 Dumbest Moments in Business.  The list looks “at the year in bungled layoffs, customer-service snafus, executive follies, and other madness.” Some highlights from the list:

In June, research firm VisitorVille Intelligence reveals that two out of every three Microsoft employees it tracked use Google, not MSN, when conducting searches on the Internet.

In August, McDonald’s runs a promotional contest in Japan in which it gives away 10,000 Mickey D’s-branded MP3 players.

The gadgets come preloaded with 10 songs - and, in some cases, a version of the QQPass family of Trojan horse viruses, which, when uploaded to a PC, seeks to capture passwords, user names, and other data and then forward them to hackers.

On the morning of April 3, Amazon.com sends an e-mail headed “UCLA Wins!” to virtually everyone to whom it has ever sold a sports-related item, attempting to hawk a cap celebrating the Bruins’ stirring victory in college basketball’s championship game.

Just one problem:

The game isn’t scheduled to be played until later that night. When it is, UCLA is trounced by Florida, 73-57.