Series 2: Lesson 6 Challenge

I searched NoveList for "The Story of Owen: Dragonslayer of Trondheim," which is a book I read a while ago but really enjoyed the voice of. Initially, I selected too many appeal factors (or maybe they were just too specific), and my original title was my only result. (I selected witty, fantasy, and teenagers, hoping for YA results.) I ended up finding many more results when I searched for witty and teenagers, though 8 of my first 30 results were Georgia Nicolson books. Next, I'll have to explore ways to exclude appeal factors.

Series 2: Lesson 5 Challenge

Learning Express Library taught me that I don't remember the proper way to multiply and divide fractions.

I tried the Basic Math Tutorial in the Adult Learning Center. It certainly helped me refresh my basic math skills. I don't use fractions much in my daily life! While the content was quality, the tutorial structure wasn't my favorite. The only way I saw to navigate through the tutorial was through the links at the side of the page. When I completed a page, the only option I saw at the bottom was to clear any answers I had entered to diagnostic questions. It seems like an easy fix to add navigational links to the bottom of the page so that the person completing the tutorial doesn't have to scroll up and down over and over again. Or maybe I'm just lazy. (This is a strong possibility.)

I find that Learning Express is one of my top database recommendations for teens, simply because of their test prep resources. I imagine it comes in handy for adult learners, as well.

Series 2, Lesson 3 Challenge

I use both Canva and PicMonkey periodically when creating flyers, bookmarkes, and digital graphics for use in the Teen Library. I've used PicMonkey more, but I must admit that I usually just use it to remove backgrounds from photos. I'm a relative newbie to Canva, but it does seem to have some interesting tools and effects, and I've used it to create bookmark-sized readalike lists.


I created a flyer for the weekly open lab hours at the Teen Library with Canva. I may have included too many images, but I like it!

Series 2, Lesson 2 challenge

A customer comes up to you and says they think their Facebook account was hacked, but they’re not sure.

First, I'd want to determine whether their account was hacked. According to Facebook, these are some signs of a hack: 

Your account may have been hacked if you notice:

• Your email or password has been changed
• Your name or birthday has been changed
• Friend requests have been sent to people you don't know
• Messages have been sent that you didn't write
• Posts have been made that you didn't create

I'd ask the patron if any of these things happened. If the patron confirms that they have been hacked, or just wants to be extra safe, I'd direct them to Facebook's own security tool - www.facebook.com/hacked

I'd remind the patron that it's important to use different passwords for different online accounts and to use passwords that are not easily guessed - there are many methods for creating secure passwords. If the patron was inclined to learn, I might recommend one of the methods mentioned in these articles. 

Lesson 11: Wrap Up

Prompts and answers:

  Go back to your thoughts/ideas about technology and mobile devices. Has anything changed as a result of this experience?
 I thought a bit more critically about access to technology and mobile devices, which is a useful exercise.  

What were your favorite Cosas/Things and discoveries? 
The things I learned through this experience that I use most often are definitely the snipping tool and an increased familiarity with hoopla.

Did you connect with others doing the 11.5 Cosas?
 No, but I joined late, so maybe that's why.

  What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or content?
 A forum-style discussion might be more engaging than blogging to an invisible (and mostly nonexistent) audience.

  Describe your learning experience in one word or in one sentence. We may use your words to promote 11.5 Cosas learning activities to others.
 I learned some useful tips and became more familiar with SAPL's digital resources.

Lesson 10 Challenge

I explored sanantonio.gov and usa.gov. Just glancing at the two, I have to say that the federal site has a much more clean, uncluttered presentation and is more inviting to browse. The sheer number of links on the sanantonio.gov home page can be overwhelming. It's great that the local government info is available, and the city's 311 services section is nice, but it certainly takes some time to learn to navigate it.


I'm not sure that government access and services are really at a level yet where they're "on the go." Government organizations don't have the motivation or the incentive that private app developers do, and their offerings are going to lag behind significantly. I think when we reach a point where government access can be easily accessible away from a computer, we're still reinforcing some privilege. Not everyone's going to have a smartphone or tablet and access to wireless internet or an abundance of data, and not everyone who has one knows how to use it (or all of the things it can be used for).


You can definitely see some engagement with "viral" trends on social media and in the news - like when John Oliver did his bit on net neutrality and the surge of comments was so big that it overwhelmed the FCC's website. However, it seems like these things are short-lived and easily forgotten. So while we might see surges of activism and engagement, I don't think there will be a sustained change in the way we interact with government.

Lesson 9 Part 2- Zinio

Three of the titles available through SAPL's Zinio website are American Craft, National Geographic Traveler, and Vegetarian Times. The Zinio reader app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows 8, Mac, PC, and Kindle Fire.