Thing 5: Register your blog

To share your reflections with other colleagues on the 19thingsTVW programme you need to email us details of your Blog address so we can list it on our Participants' Blogs page.

Please email tvwlibrarians@gmail.com 

giving details of your 

• Name 
• Library 
• Blog web address

(Only your blog web address will appear on the Participants' Blogs page The 19thingsTVW team will want  to match your name to your blog when we are making awards to participants)

Thing 4: Write your first blog post

Sunshine project at Mottisfont

If you have logged out of your blog log in again.

If you are using Wordpress click on the New Post link on the blue ribbon at the top of the screen (towards the right hand side) and then click on the Text option.

If you are using Blogger click on the Pen icon on the grey ribbon at the top of the screen (on the left hand side)

Your blog is an opportunity for you to reflect on the Things you are exploring so give your Post a title eg 
My first post 
or 
Wordle, QR codes and Blogs -some thoughts 

and write what you think of the things you've explored so far:

• were the tools easy to use?
• where have you seen them being used at work and in the wider world?
• might you use them in the future at work or at home? 
• were the instructions  too frustrating to follow? 

When you have written your post preview it, make any changes you want, and then Publish your post

We don't expect you to be able to upload images to your blog when you are working on NHS pcs.

Bear in mind that once you post something online, you can't always take it back. Don't post comments, photos or videos that may cause embarrassment, and never post comments that are abusive or may cause offence.

Thing 3: Blogs

What are blogs?

Blogs are a web tool for sharing ideas, experiences and information on a regular basis

You may already have enjoyed reading a friend’s travel blog or following a blog on a topic of interest. 


Read some of the blogs listed below:

Gardening

Library news from the Wellcome Library

Library news from Oxford Health NHSFT Library service

East Dorset NHS Library Service

Nursing Times student blog
Lisainthehealthlibrary

melonthelibrarian

If you find yourself reading a blog you really enjoy, you can add comments and questions at the end of a story. In fact, most authors want readers to respond.

Read  one of the posts on the NHS England news blog; NHS Chief Executive Sir  David Nicholson is blogging about Time to think about the whole person and, if you scroll down below the "Leave a reply" section,  you can read  7 peoples comments on Sir David's post.

On the 19thingsTVW programme we are going to use blogs to reflect on our experiences of using the web tools we are exploring: 

• were the tools easy to use?
• where have you seen them being used at work or at home?  
• might you use them in your library service in the the future?
• might you use them to manage your personal information?

When you have created your blog and emailed the link to be posted on the 19thingsTVW blog,  colleagues will be able to read your posts, and possibly comment with extra ideas on using a particular web tool, and you will be able to learn from, and comment on other participants' blogs.

We are providing instructions for creating blogs using Wordpress or Blogger. If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser you will need to use Wordpress, if you use Google Chrome as your browser you can use either Wordpress or Blogger.

Creating a blog using Wordpress-use if your browser is Internet Explorer

Go to Wordpress  http://learn.wordpress.com/get-started/

Follow the link to "Create your Wordpress" account and then pick your web address.

Have a bit of fun when choosing a Username eg Dorsetdaisy or Stressedalready or Stridingahead  (remember those Hotmail addresses you had as a teenager!)

Scroll down to click on the Create Blog button (we’re not planning to spend any money!)

Go to the Get personality link and choose a free theme for your blog

Congratulations your blog exists! You are now ready to write your first reflective post.
If you want to further customize your blog follow the get configured instructions.

Creating a blog using Blogger-use if your browser is Internet Explorer or Google Chrome

Go to Blogger www.blogger.com

You will need to create a Google account if you haven't aleady got one.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a Blog using blogger
1. Go to http://www.blogger.com/ and sign in at the top right-hand corner with your Google account username and password. This will bring you to a sign up for Blogger screen. Some of the information may already be filled in for you (depending on what you told Google when you signed up for your account) but you will need to choose a display name and to accept the Blogger terms of service.

2. You now need to name your blog.  Have a bit of fun when choosing a Username eg Dorsetdaisy or Stressedalready or Stridingahead  (remember those Hotmail addresses you had as a teenager!)

Then choose a web address (URL) for your blog. The address has to be unique so your first choice may not be available.

3. Now choose your preferred layout template for your blog. You can change this at any point for a different one.

4. Congratulations your blog exists. You are now ready to write your first reflective post.

Thing 2: QR codes

What are QR codes?

• A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is basically a barcode in a square shape. It is scanned by a smartphone or tablet and could direct someone to a website, an image, a text message or, even, a phone number. (That’s totally up to the QR code’s creator). For marketers, a QR code allows you to get smartphone users to call you without forcing them to actually type in a phone number or URL.

Where might you see them?

You can see QR Codes anywhere where an organisation, company or person wants to market a product, provide more information, or connect with other people. Possible locations for QR codes include marketing posters, billboards, static displays, items of mail, business cards, product packaging, labels, information signs for tourists, theatre tickets, stickers, and worksheets etc. 

See how QR codes were used in the 2012 Olympics!

(I’m sure there are more places where QR codes are seen… where else have you seen a QR code?)

What could you use the codes for?

• Deliver library instruction and help
• Promote your blog
• Link to databases/websites/e-books or library catalogues
• Link to podcasts or how to demo videos
• Treasure hunts
• Promote a new service or changes to an existing service
• Link to feedback questionnaires

How can you make one?  

You don’t need a smart phone to create a QR code…..

QR codes are REALLY easy to create.  You just have to copy and paste the web address of whatever you want the QR code to link to into one of the hundreds code creators on the Internet

A simple QR creator is. http://www.qrcodegenerator.co.nz

Kaywa is another popular option http://qrcode.kaywa.com/  (Generate a static code and you won’t need to register)

I also like http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator

Do you have a favourite?

Create a QR code for a library webpage or e-resource you think will be useful to your readers 
QR codes are particularly useful if the web page you want to link to has a long URL.

If you can’t think of a web page you want to link to try creating a QR code for https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/about-evidence-services/journals-and-databases

When you have generated your QR code right click on the image and either Copy the image into a word document  or save the picture to your folder and add it to a document at a later date.

Something extra to consider: If linking to a website, blog or wiki we suggest you shorten the URL using bitly at: https://bitly.com/ or TinyURL at: http://tinyurl.com/ to make it easier to scan and better looking!  Bitly will also keep statistics of the traffic and use of your code. 

……BUT you do need a smartphone or tablet to read the QR codes!

Print out the QR code that you have copied to a word document. If you have a phone or mobile device with a camera and the ability to download a free QR reader app (e.g. QR Code Reader and Scanner for the iPhone or QR Droid for Android) you can then take a picture of a code and be taken directly to the web page the code links to.
If you don’t own a smart phone or tablet ask a colleague or a member of your family who owns a smartphone to download a QR reader app and read your QR code so you can see how the code links directly to the web page. QR codes are particularly useful if the web page you want to link to has a long URL.

Thing 1: Creating word clouds with Wordle

We’ll start our exploration by having a bit of fun creating word clouds with Wordle.

Once you have created a Wordle you will notice them on posters, greeting cards and in adverts.

Wordle is a tool for generating word clouds from text you provide. If certain words appear more frequently in the text, they will appear more prominent in the word cloud. You can change your cloud(s) with different colours, fonts, and layouts.

               

1. Go to http://www.wordle.net/
2. Click on "Create" on the top menu bar.
3. Add text from something you wrote or found on the Internet  eg you could create a list of all your holiday destinations (type your favourite destinations in twice to give them more prominence in your Wordle) or use some text from one of your library or hospital web pages 
4. Copying and pasting text from a web page:  Open a new tab and  find the web page you are going to use. Place your mouse at the beginning of the text you want to copy –hold down the left hand button of the mouse and drag the mouse over the text you want to use  -it will appear highlighted, right click the mouse and select Copy. On the Wordle Create web page right click your mouse in the “Paste in a bunch of text box” and click on Paste.
5.  Click “go”.
6. You can now change the colour, font, layout, etc. for your Wordle using the menu bar above the Wordle.
7. Click on the “Print button” at the bottom of the screen to print your Wordle

Saving your Wordle

If you are using Wordle on a pc with Windows 2010 you may have access to a snipping tool which allows you to save your Wordle as a jpeg file, making it easier to use in posters and blogs.

1. Click on the Windows “Start” menu and type “snipping tool” into the “Search program and files” section
2. Once "snipping tool" is open, click and drag the mouse over the area the Wordle covers and once the mouse is released it will generate a screenshot.
3. Under the File menu   select "Save as" and save as a Jpeg file (This is the same format you use to save your digital photos.) The Wordle is now ready to be uploaded to a poster or copied onto your blog.

If you don't have the snipping tool on your pc you will need to use the Print screen key to save your wordle screen to a word document and then use the cropping tool to save your Wordle  

HELP

As you help library readers by pointing out links on webpages or help them understand words on unfamiliar Library webpages, be prepared to ask colleagues for their help in seeing links and interpreting instructions that aren’t obvious to you.

OR

Email tvwlibrarians@gmail.com  if you have any queries or problems about using Wordle  or…. if you want to share some tips for using it better! (You will be able to post your queries on the Blog when you have set up your own blog )