I Want the T-Shirt Dammit!

I'm sure you're familiar with that old saying, "Been there, done  that, got the T-Shirt" but that's not the one I wanted.

This is the one I wanted. (Actually, the one I wanted said "Yesterday I couldn't spell eguneer, today I are one" but I couldn't find it)

When I had finally made the decision to return to college, I, like most purpose driven Adult Learners, had a specific goal in mind. Mine was a Degree in Social Informatics. These words, “Social informatics researchers are specially interested in developing reliable knowledge about information technology and social change, based on systematic empirical research, to inform both public policy debates and professional practice” (Kling) were my inspiration.


Informatics is inherently multi-disciplinary; perfect for my Renaissance Soul leanings. You can't just get a degree in Informatics without having a particular area of study. Pick a subject, any subject, Informatics applies.


Some of the more popular Informatics programs are in the Healthcare Industry, Environmental Sciences, and of course, Computer and Information Sciences. Perfect, I thought, as a base for a Masters in Library Sciences. And did  I mention that it comes out as an Engineering Degree. (Hence the T-Shirt)


The pursuit of any Degree is the outcome; a job. But you don't want 'just a job' that only puts food on your table; you want a career that both challenges and fulfills. As you pull into your driveway or parking space at the end of the day, you want to think "My work made a difference today." 


Informatics was that Degree for me. With my affinities for any and all informations and an insatiable pursuit of knowledge, what better endeavor than The Keeper of the Scrolls. But I would be The Keeper with new and emerging technology. How cool is that!


Did you notice the "was" in that last paragraph? Don't worry, I'm not quitting college only to make a 7th attempt later. (Did I ever mention that this is my 6th try at college?) Sadly, in spite of the excellent real world skills and knowledge I would gain, in spite of the required, much desired internship, and in spite of guaranteed placement of every Graduate of the UNLV Informatics program - it was eliminated on June 3rd of this year.


Disappointed, bitter, sad? You Betcha! I was darn near inconsolable. Oh, I ranted and raved for a while. My tirade included the economy, the United States Educational System, how Americans compare to the World in Education and advancement, and more. I even lashed out at our President, who told me at the beginning of my college career "Without a workforce trained in math, science, and technology and the other skills of the 21st century, our companies will innovate less, our economy will grow less, and our nation will be less competitive. If we want to outcompete the world tomorrow, we must out-educate the world today" (Obama).


I believed in the President's statement then. I believe in it now. Ultimately the Board of Regents, the economy or the President is not responsible for my education and pursuit of happiness. I am!


"So, watcha gonna do about it?" you may ask. I tell you what I'm gonna do. I am going to research another Degree that lends itself to my interests. And I won't stop there. I will augment my Degree with self-study classes and certificates that will help me achieve my goals. I hear I can do that on this new-fangled-thingy called The Internet.


Everybody Likes a Do Over


Has your program been eliminated? Were you downsized at your job? Are you having a hard time keeping up with the kids and their technological superiority? I have some great Resources for you  in the Perpetual Andragogy Wiki; coming in a short two weeks. In the meantime, here are a couple of springboards for you.


Take a Web 2.0 Class

I took one last semester, and you know what? When you take this class, except for the basics, it will be totally different. Technology's double edged sword: Emergence and Obsolescence. Check out BNET for a great video on Web 2.0 Business Integration.




From My Bookshelf *Note* This is on my To Read Bookshelf. It has great reviews plus don't you just love the title?
                                                             




Hop on The Green Bandwagon.


United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Measuring Green Jobs
Green Careers Guide


Get an Informatics Degree with your cognate. Here is a list of Colleges with Informatics Programs. I hope there is one near you.


Rob Kling Center for Social Informatics ~ Indiana University Bloomington
"Social Informatics overlaps other areas including computer-mediated communication (CMC), information systems, information science, “Internet Research,” and even parts of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)."  (more)

Employment and total job openings by postsecondary education or training category, 2008-2018. Table 9

Summertime and the Living is Easy

That's what I thought, anyway, when I decided to take the Summer Semester off. But three months is a long time to "Do Nothing."

I realized that it had been a full semester since I had a math class. A higher math is required and that means Pre-Calculus. I had struggled towards the end of my combined Elementary/Intermediate Algebra, so I'm doing a couple of things. First I got out my big ol' math book and just started going through the odd numbered problems (the answers are in the back) in the Intermediate Algebra section.  I also decided to give the For Dummies series a whirl.      

Pre-Calculus For Dummies Pre-Calculus Workbook For Dummies I also got Logic For Dummies because Symbolic Logic sounds daunting!

Overall I like the For Dummies series. They are written towards a specific audience - Us! We get these books because we want to learn more or learn better. My favorite line in the Introduction under Foolish Assumptions of the Pre-Cal is "We can't assume that just because we absolutely love math that you share the same enthusiasm for the subject." A word of warning: There are errors in the Pre-Calculus Workbook for Dummies. Go here to download the Errata. While you are there, you might want to look around to see if there are any corrections for other For Dummies books you may have.

I didn't stop with just the above books either. Remember the Wiki Post? I told you then I would learn more about Wikis and share with you what I've learned in future installments. I just finished the first week's assignment with my Summer Camp for PBWiki. In another three to four weeks I hope to have a Perpetual Andragogy Wiki up and running. There you will find more in-depth information for Adult Learners, Career Changers, and College as a Non-Traditional Student. AND you can contribute also. Want some info now? Go to the PBWorks Support Center. There's a great intro video also.

Now I'm not all work and no play. I'm a big proponent for giving the brain downtime. I give myself permission to "Do Nothing." Dan Bingham's article, Mad Men's Guide to Managing Creative People, gives great perspective on the Do Nothing/Brain Downtime position I advocate. 

I also believe in Field Trips; you know something Outside! I'm hoping to make it to the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, WA. We have a  RAIN FOREST ! In the U.S ! I gotta go. 

Photo brockzilla

Building a Video Podcast Part 2

This is Part Two in the Series: How to Build a Video Podcast

In part one of this series I told you that I had looked all over for video podcasting software, and could only find the two standards; Vimeo and youtube. These will work for a quickie-cast, but I was looking for something a bit more professional.  Since that posting, I have done some research.  This book report/review is also an Assignment for my Dynamic Web Application Class. (Say hi to Professor Fightmaster when you sign up for this fabulous class! :)

I found some invaluable information in these two books; Absolute Beginners Guide to Podcasting by George Colombo & Curtis Franklin, Jr. and Podcasting and Blogging with GarageBand and iWeb by Robin Williams and John Tollett.

I chose these two books so that I could learn how to Video Podcast in two different platforms. I may use my Mac for home and school, but Windows is the norm for most workplaces. Let's start with the similarities.

• Plan your podcast. What do you want to say? Who do you want to reach? How long will your podcast be? Will you be doing a series, perpetual, one time or intermittent podcast?
• Research some other podcasts through iTunes. iTunes comes with a Mac and can also be downloaded free for Windows. 
• The Steps:  Plan, Record, Edit & Mix (Groom), Publish, Promote.

Williams and Tollett gives an easy no-geek speak illustrated step by step on how to create your podcast in GarageBand and then incorporate it into your blog page in iWeb. Though this book is a mere 158 pages and it was published in 2006, the information is still relevant.

 

 Colombo and Franklin go into a little more depth. Section IV, Day to Day Issues You'll Face as Podcaster, Chapter 13 deals with Generating Income with your Podcast. In this chapter you will find the Four Basic Revenue Models; The Associate/Affiliate Model, Donations, The Sponsorship Model, and Distribution to Paid Subscribers. 
 
Something that both Podcasting and Blogging with Garage Band and iWeb and Absolute Beginner's Guide to Podcasting address is Bandwidth. With a mobilme subscription for $99 per year you get 20GB of combined email and file storage and 200GB of monthly data transfer.  Colombo and Franklin list  Libsyn, among others,  in their Resources for Podcasters, (p 212).

In GarageBand and iTunes the file format is automatically MP3. If you are using Audicity, as suggested by Colombo and Franklin to create your podcast, you will need an MP3 enocoder like winLame. The Appendices in this book are worth the price alone. Here you will find a list for each: Audio Software for Podcasters, Pod-catching (Aggregator) Software, Audio Equipment Manufacturers, Podcasting Directories, Online Resources for Podcasters, The Podcasting Community Online, and Web Hosting and RSS Feed Software and Services.

Yeah, but you said you were going to tell us how to build a Video Podcast. And so I will.

With a Mac all I need is a digital camera, iMovie and space on my iDisk. According to Williams and Tollett "A video podcast is basically a standard audio podcast with video added" (p 152). I create the video in iMovie and then send it to GarageBand. Colombo and Franklin suggest "Wrapping Your Podcast in a Good Website" (p194). Photos, slide-shows, and an accompanying video clip that you have uploaded to either youtube or Vimeo makes the visit more inviting.

OK, I'm off to create my first Video Podcast. I'll have it here for you in Part 3 of the Series: Building a Video Podcast.

Some Helpful Sites I Found

Public Domain Music 

How To Create a Podcast With Mixcraft 3

How to Podcast

My Podcasting Pipeline

Building a Video Podcast

This is Part One in the series: How To Build a Video Podcast

I get to learn it and so do you :)

I looked all over for a free place to put my video podcast (this isn't it. This is to compare quality and sound and torture you with German music hehhehheh) I could only find the two standards; youtube and Vimeo. Each needs an account to upload and both are free at the basic level. But how is the quality? 

Below, find the comparison of youtube (top) and Vimeo (bottom) Notice how youtube "doesn't quite fit?" I know it will if I use a different layout, but I want to dabble around some more first to see if I can make it fit. 'You will conform muwahaaaaaaaaa!" 

youtube

The Garden in June from Kathleen Ackroyd on Vimeo.

Vimeo

Don't forget to watch in large screen for both as well. Does one have better visual? Does one have better audio? Which one looks best at what size? These questions matter; especially for a Master's Thesis, job interview or client presentation.

Of course by then, you should be writing you own code and building your own presentations. But for now I will leave that to the experts (to right in bloglist) at Techie Tipz and Addicted to Code.