About 26.2 Things in Boston

The 26.2 Things in Boston program is a self-directed independent study course in social web tools and technologies. Every week, participants are asked to try out 2 to 3 Things, each one a different piece of the 2.0 world -- blogs, wikis, RSS, photo & video tools, comments, tagging, online applications and more. Upon completing the 26.2 Things, staff will receive a Creative Labs ZEN multimedia player an in-person Finish Line celebration.

The objectives of this program are to:

• offer library staff a starting place to explore the ever-increasing number of tools available on the web
• give participants a structure in which they can play with these tools supported by their peers
• support local library missions of improved customer service by helping staff become more familiar with the web tools their patrons use
• reward staff participation for self-directed learning

This site will serve as an information archive for administrative notices, detailed instructions and other extra bits linked to from the main program blog as needed.

26.2 Things is modeled on the Learning 2.0 Program from the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg County. Please see the original site for examples of similar programs.

The design of this online program was completely built on Web 2.0 technologies that are freely available on the Internet. These sites include: Blogger, Google, Flickr, YouTube, PBWiki & Bloglines.

A note about the date on this post: Blogs are designed to display entries in reverse chronological order, with the most recent entry on top. I wanted to make sure that this About post was the first thing that visitors to this site read, so I set the date for 2010. With luck, by the time PLA Annual comes to Boston, there'll be several successful runs of this course to see!

Finish Line Survey

Note: The survey is closed at this time. If you'd like to comment on the course, please send mail to boston26dot2 at gmail dot com. Thank you!

Midway Survey!

Note: The survey is now closed. Thank you for your feedback!

Posting a link

There are a few ways you can isolate a link to a web page or item to put that link in your blog.

The easiest is just to copy the URL from the address bar (up there at the top of your browser). Click into the address field and highlight the entire address; make sure you have it all or the link won't work. Then copy using a keyboard shortcut or the Copy function in the Edit menu.

Sometimes, to link to a specific part of a page, you'll need to get that specific URL in the address bar. You might see something like this:



Click on "Link to this review" to get the specific URL for that review into the address bar, then copy as usual.

For blog posts, you can also just click on the title of the specific post you want to link to, then copy the address.

Other sites may use slightly different wording or options, but they tend to work in the same ways. Experiment a bit, and don't forget to ask your classmates for ideas.

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To insert a the link into your blog, first type the words you want to turn into that link. Then, highlight them and click on the "Insert Link" button -- it looks like two links of a chain.

You'll see a place to paste or type in the URL you want to link to. (Remember to include the "http://") Do this, then click OK. Your typed words are now a hyperlink, and we can see what you did!

You can also see the Blogger help page on inserting links for more information.

If you know HTML, you can also use the "Edit HTML" tab to create your posts. Whichever way works better for you.

Google account directions with screenshots

You can click on any image to view it in a bigger size.

Setting up a Google account

1) Go to Gmail's website.

2) Click on "Sign up for Gmail!"



3) Fill out the required fields, including choosing a login name/email name. (As a suggestion, think about what you might use this email address for before picking "fluffybunny200".)



4) Click on "I accept. Take me to my account." to accept the Terms of Service and create your account.



5) From your new email account, please send mail to me at boston26dot2@gmail.com.

26.2 Things FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

How does this online learning program work?
This is a self-discovery program that encourages participants to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and PLAY. There will be no classes or workshops offered to support this program. Instead, you are encouraged to work together and share with each other your discoveries, techniques and "how to's" both in person and through your blogs.

Who can participate in this program?
This is a pilot version of the 26.2 Things program, and is limited to 30 participants from Boston and around the state. If you'd like to follow along, you're welcome to do so, but the Boston Region cannot award you a Zen player for participating.

How long do I have to complete the program?
This first run of the 26.2 Things program will start on September 22nd and end on December 1st, 2008. We will have a face-to-face Finish Line celebration at the Boston Public Library on Tuesday, December 2nd, where we'll hand out the Zen players and get to know the folks behind the screen names. If you cannot attend the December 2nd event, please let me know.

How do I track my progress for each of the 26.2 Things?
Each participant in this program will keep track of their Things in an individual blog, which I will read...diligently. You'll know this because I'll be commenting on your posts as appropriate, particularly if you have questions or concerns. We'll also have a blog roll (or reading list) of links to everyone's blog on the program site.

If I'm not registered for the course, can I still participate?
Absolutely. Just send me the URL for your blog and I'll add it to the "Those Playing Along at Home" blog roll. However, please understand that the Boston Region can only provide prizes for completion to registered participants.

Why 26.2 things instead of the original 23?
First, because it fit the Marathon metaphor. Second, because rather than PLCMC's eight and a half weeks, we've chosen to go for ten. That's plenty of room for 3.2 things more.

Will there be any training or classes offered to show staff how to do this?
No, this is a self-directed learning program. Basic instructions for more detailed activities will be posted to this coordinator blog, but you are encouraged to play and experiment with each tool on your own. If you get stuck, feel free to ask me or other participants specific questions, and read other 26.2 Things blogs for ideas.

What if I need help - who can I call?
One of the goals of this program is to help you become more self-sufficient and confident in using web tools. If you get stuck, spend some time searching the help pages for an answer to your question. You could also ask other participants if they've run into the same issue and what their solutions were. If you get really stuck, I will be available through comments on the blog, email and Google Chat. We'll be covering Google Chat as one of the middle Things, but if you add me to your Contacts list in GMail, you'll be able to see when I'm online and available (usually between 10a and 6p Eastern Time).

I'm not comfortable with just anyone reading my blog. Can I participate anonymously?
Since you have already registered with the Boston Region to participate, you obviously can't be completely anonymous. At the very least, I need to be able to read your blog to give you credit for completing each thing. However, since you compose your own posts, it can be as private or as public as you want. You do not need to blog under your real name, certainly.

Once I complete all 26.2 Things, how do I get my prize?
For everyone who successfully completes the 26.2 Things, we will distribute the ZEN players at the Finish Line gathering on December 2nd. If you are not able to join us that day, please let me know and we can get your reward to you.

If your question wasn't answered by this post, please comment here.