Project Play

Play more, learn more, fear less!

Joy Schwarz, Winnefox Library SystemStef Morrill, South Central Library System

Beth Carpenter, Outagamie Waupaca Library System

 WLA Conference 2K8

What is Project Play?

A free, online, self-discovery program that encourages the exploration of Web 2.0 tools and emerging technologies.

A collaboration of Outagamie Waupaca Library System, South Central Library System, and Winnefox Library System.

Our plan for today's session

• How we got started & why • Benefits of collaboration • Our philosophy • How you can replicate this project• What a lesson looked like• How we selected topics• Participation - incentives - registration -

tracking• Lessons learned• What we're doing now

Why Project Play?

• bring staff up-to-speed with emerging technologies

• immersion into the technology for participants• make play permissible & positive • make change easier to cope with• easier to adopt new tools in new formats with less

resistance or fear    

Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out,  do-it-yourself character that our future needs.

~ James L. Hymes, Jr.

How we got started

http://plcmcl2-about.blogspot.com/

Our philosophy

• Fun • Collaborative• Safe, yet challenging• Learn to learn, learn to explore: curiosity• Develop "Yes, and..." attitude • "Eating the dog food" 

 "Once recognized, perhaps the quiet yet persistent voice of curiosity doesn't ever go away. Ever. Perhaps such curiosity will hurt until we come to understand the beauty of a journey that might never arrive at an absolute answer.And perhaps it's such curiosity that will lead us to distinguish our own greatness from the mediocrity that stares us in the face."

~ from a short film by Nic Askew with Seth Godin

Benefits of collaboration

• Idea generation • Keepin' it real • Dividing development • Different voices • Expertise• Sharing costs of incentives• More fun 

   Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds.

~ Alexander Graham Bell

How you can replicate this project

• Creative Commons license • Explore other projects

 Info shared today will get you started!

Check out the Learning 2.0 Throughout the World map!

Replication

Racine Public Library's Adventures in Technology

What a lesson looked like

• Blog posto podcast introductiono background on the topico videos when possible (Common Craft

rocks!)o library exampleso assignment optionso fun extra

• Lessons posted weeklyo time built in for catching up

Sample Lesson

How we selected topics

• Collaborative brainstorming• Focused on

o Web 2.0 toolso Free-nesso Applicable to library services and/or

problemso Encourage collaboration

• Assignmentso What did we want them to absorb on

each topic?

Tools we used

• Basecamp to collaborate online• WordPress to post lessons• RSS newsreader to track progress • Google Docs to record progress • Gabcast to create audio clips/podcasts • FreeConference to collaborate via conference call• Doodle to schedule meetings & conference calls • Cafe Press to create incentives using our logo• Chocolate to fuel the planners

Participation

• All library staff, regardless of job description or status (full-time and part-time)

• Registration limited to 50 at OWLS & WLS and 75 at SCLS

• Volunteers & trustees registered (or audited if registration was full)

Play is the beginning of knowledge.~ George Dorsey

Getting the buzz started

• Logoo Design with an eye toward use on ...

Web site/blog/emails and print Wearables and book bags

o Eye-catching & attractive, yet legibleo Free logo generators

• Cafe Presso Upload logo to create products

to sell or use as incentiveso Project Play store

Incentives

• Earned at completion of either semester• Five incentives to choose from• Drawing for prizes in each system, each

semester (iPod Nano & Flip video camera)

• If both semesters completed, included in a grand prize drawing for a laptop

Continuing education contact hours

• Okayed by DPI (Terrie Howe)• 12 CE contact hours in category B earned for

completing Semester 1•  Ditto Semester 2• Contact hours earned for partial completion

Registration

How we did it:• Online registration form for all 3 systems •  ASP programming

o “Spaces remaining” countdown o Email notification & confirmationo Database with exportable output

How you can do it:• Google Docs forms

o Sample formo Sample output

Tracking player progress

• Participants recorded progress on their blog

• We subscribed to the RSS feed for each blog

• Each system tracked progress using Google Docs spreadsheets [sample]

Certificate of completion - yay!

Lessons learned

• Pick the right tool • Plan for password fatigue• Offer options in assignments for varying

confidence and experience levels• Provide "catch-up" time • Be adaptable - change midstream• Focus on exposure, not on perfection• Provide time to play & be there

Was it worth it? Our opinionCons• Difficult to maintain original schedule• Tracking took lots of time• $ for incentives

Pros• Wonderful collaborative experience• Excitement, buzz in our systems• Demonstrated increase in confidence and

willingness to try new things in players                             Play has been man's most useful preoccupation.

~ Frank Caplan

Was it worth it? Players' opinions

Project Play continues

• 93% wanted to see it continue (with a less intense schedule)

• "Play Date" every 4th Friday in OPAL• "More About ..." PP topics + new topics• Need not be a PP alumnus • No incentives• One CEU per one-hour OPAL session• Guest presenters• Pros / cons of this approach

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

~ proverb

Questions?

Contact Us 

Project Play Blog :: projectplay.owlsweb.info 

Stef Morrill :: smorrill@scls.lib.wi.usJoy Schwarz :: schwarz@winnefox.org

Beth Carpenter :: bcarpent@mail.owls.lib.wi.us