Thing 19: Evaluation or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love to Blog

Well, I may be exaggerating just a bit.  I do not plan to become a blogger.  I've done my duty and survived the 19 Things.  Bring on Badge #6!

• Has anything changed as a result of this experience: Nothing in my daily life, or use of of my mobile device in at, has changed much.  I still use social media and apps infrequently, but learning more about apps that are out that can only help me.  I do use Spotify occasionally now in addition to Pandora, and I used Hoopla for music a lot in March.  In fact, I used up all 10 checkouts for the month. I have removed almost all of the new apps I tried out from my phone.
• My favorite things and discoveries:  I did enjoy the Lynda.com tutorial, but it was time consuming.  I enjoy Spotify and Hoopla.  I am traveling over Spring Break and may try the audiobooks app, which I did keep on my phone. 
• How did you connect with others?  I did read some other people's blogs.  Most were very insightful and I was impressed by their reflections. 
• No surprising takeaways, really.  But I am amazed if people put tons of apps on their devices and keep them.  I don't like all the clutter. 
• Improvements:  You did an amazing job creating this and I can't imagine the hours you must have put into developing it.  Thank you!  I agree with others that working in small, collaborative groups would add value.  I learn a lot from hearing about other people's experiences. Maybe we could try a new app and then have to teach another person about it. 
• Would I participate in the future?  Sure, especially if it's required. (insert winking emoji here.)
• Here's my sentence promoting 19 Mobile Things: Apps and social media are an important part of popular culture, so it's valuable to know at least a little about it--don't fight it!

Thing 18: Find, Discover & Share

Apps Gone Free!!!  

I checked out the free apps on Wednesday, March 23rd and none of them appealed to me personally, but I got Playroom-Lessons with Max which features educational games for preschoolers.  I played peekaboo and match and did really well.  It took me a minute to figure out how to play match though.  A 3 year old would probably have no trouble.   There are also colors & numbers, puzzles and memory. I guess I would recommend it to the parent of a preschooler, though I generally think that preschoolers should play these games with another human being.   Dr. Ari Brown, Chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics, says that, "We as humans are very much social beasts and we are really learning by engaging with other humans and so the more that a digital technology can approximate that, the more a young child can get out of it."

Thing 17: Hobbies

I was trying to get the Weber Grills app, but had some trouble getting it to install so I decided to try a different cooking app with Slow Cooker recipes.  I have been using the slow cooker to have dinner prepared for my family on Wednesday nights when I am working.  I was a little disappointed that the free version has limited categories available (i.e. slow cooker stews) but other categories (i.e. slow cooker Mexican) require you to purchase a Go Pro version that costs from $0.99 to $4.99.

Thing 16: Games

I've tried a few different game apps, mostly to play with my kids--Draw Free (I think that was what it was called), Reverse Charades, and Heads Up.  I do like party games so I enjoy playing Reverse Charades and Heads Up, but not with any regularity. If anybody would like to play me in Heads Up, let me know.

This is from Heads Up

I don't care to spend any of my free time playing a game by myself.  I definitely have a bias against app games.  I like a real (as opposed to virtual) dice game called Mississippi Marbles and occasionally play it when my mother is visiting.  My husband created an app version of it and I refuse to play it that way.  I want to shake the dice and roll them, not shake my phone then swipe the screen.

I downloaded a new game that was available in the iTunes store called Frantic Architect, but then I decided I didn't really want to play it. Sorry, Thing 16 is not my thing.

Thing 15: Education

I got the TED app because I just saw an article about a TED talk given by the woman who co-founded Girls Who Code, Reshma Saujani, titled "Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection."  I like the idea.  I have not listened to the whole talk yet, but maybe I will.  Sometimes these talks are a little too much like watching Oprah.

I'm also trying the Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus app.  I use Wordsmyth.net to do the Wordmasters definitions for my daughter's class and I would like to compare the two.  Verdict:  Wordsmyth is better for WM because you have access to synonyms, antonyms, inflections and lots more.

Thing 14: Books

I downloaded and used the Audiobooks app.  It really had a great selection.  I was particularly interested in the Oscar-Worthy Books 2016.  I listened very briefly to The Big Short.  

I also browsed what was available in Children's.  Again, I was impressed by what they had available and how quick and easy it was to start listening.  

Thing 13 - Library Reference

Overdrive - hate all the hoops you have to jump through to download

axis360 - annoying that you can't tell if it's available until you click on title and then it says how many copies are owned and how many are available. Went into the Juvenile Fiction genre and then the subcategory Comics & Graphic Novels.  Clicked through several Stick Dog books and none were available. Then I tried the subcategory Books & Libraries.  Several titles there were unavailable as well. Got annoyed because all I want to do is find a book and check it out to see why I dislike overdrive and axis 360.  Actually once I found an available book it was just one click to get it.  Well, actually 2 because I clicked checkout and then it asked if I wanted to continue with the checkout.  Uh...yeah I do. Thanks for the fail safe. Also, easy to return.  Okay, I don't hate axis360 anymore. Note: I stumbled upon the Available Now filter.  I guess next time I'll use that when searching.

Hoopla - From pre-19things usage I would say it's easy to use and I have found some decent music.  I've searched through their audiobooks before but didn't find anything I was interested in. For this blog, I borrowed A Snicker of Magic and though I don't really want to listen to it, it was soooooooo much easier than getting an ebook on the other platforms. Returned it too and that was easy, just scrolled down the page and found "Return it now."

Zinio - I think I had the Zinio app at one point, but deleted it because I didn't use it.  I'm not a big magazine reader.

Thing 12 - Video & Audio

I already have Pandora on my phone and listen to several stations (David Gray radio, When in Rome radio, Beach Boys radio).  As I've read on other blogs and in articles, it does seems that if you listen long enough you do start to hear the same songs over and over.  I don't listen to it so frequently that it is a big problem. 

I decided to get the Spotify app just to try something different and see if there are any major differences.  I did like that I could search for a specific song (namely Blue Swede's "Hooked on a Feeling"), but after that song it just continued to play the album rather than a playlist of listen-alikes.

Guess I'll keep both and use them as the mood strikes me.

Thing 11 - Edit, Save and Share Photos

Lola

photos for Passport:  South Africa

Top photo is my storytime friend, Lola.  She came in and got comfortable while reading the YSD January calendar. 

Bottom photo is of some pictures we will be putting up for our Passport:  South Africa program on Tuesday, January 19. 

I tried PHHHoto and Instagram but don't have much use for either in my personal life.  I do share photos occasionally but either I just text or email them or post (once in a great while) on Facebook.  For me, sharing photos and personal info is PERSONAL and therefore doesn't need to be shared with more than close friends or family.  I can see how Instagram is useful for the Library as a way to promote itself in a quick, visual way.  I did play around with some of the filters on Instagram and explored some posts from celebs, but honestly I don't care [about them or their photos.]

Thing 10 - Chat

I face timed with my 12 year old daughter since we both have iPhones.  I don't like seeing myself on the phone's screen, so I turned the camera around.  It's too scary seeing my face that close up and from an angle that really showcases my double chin.

Using Face Time is as easy as calling the old-fashioned way.  I took the easy way out rather than trying something new like Skype.