#23 Looking Back...

My brain has expanded 150% through this course! I knew some of the applications we explored previously through personal use and necessity; however, the almost complete scope of the virtual world and what the future holds is dizzying! I respect and appreciate the individuals that have programmed, developed and created these various web applications that we use with complete reliance throughout our day. But the technical aspects are beyond what I can conceive and just that part of this course has so humbled me.

I now know what people are talking about when they mention web applications, blogrolls, and embedded features. I still am shaky on Technorati and deli.cio.us. I think I need to let natural absorbence proceed there, especially while I consider how I will incorporate this into my professional life. I am encouraged by the fact that my fear factor has boiled over and is now a low simmer. I almost threw the towel in at the RSS feeds lesson! If it wasn't for everyone sharing their learning curve nightmares, I would've walked.

My thoughts on the future uses of this type of online class are positive for the public use. I think our adult patrons will eat this up and be highly grateful. I'm thinking a 12-week session where one particular class can meet in the lab as a group weekly and go over the work they did at home; something like Scottsdale Public Library System's Web University 2.0. We have a very intelligent patron base.

As far as these classes for staff, I got through it but just barely. Being a part-time employee, I literally had to carve out time at home to complete the course because time at work was too pressing with deadlines and schedules. I would not recommend pushing this hard for part-timer's in the future. But since I did complete it, I do think it was worthwhile and made me familiarize myself with, if only in a cursory way, all the new technologies available. The professionalism of the original course was excellent and I applaud the Technology Committee that labored to present it to us! Well done!