Project Play: Play More, Learn More, Fear Less!
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Project Play Play more, learn more, fear less! Joy Schwarz, Winnefox Library System Stef Morrill, South Central Library System Beth Carpenter, Outagamie Waupaca Library System WLA Conference 2K8
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Project Play was a very successful Library 2.0 learning project shared among three library systems. Learn how it worked, what particiapants learned, and how you can replicate the project. From Beth Carpenter, Joy Schwarz, and Stef Morrill.
Transcript of Project Play: Play More, Learn More, Fear Less!
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.
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!
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 :: [email protected] Schwarz :: [email protected]
Beth Carpenter :: [email protected]
