LetsPowWow

I just had a virtual meeting today with a colleague using LetsPowWow. This is a free downloadable app. It has a chat window thats very much like an IM client like AIM, but what makes this free tool really cool is it's ability for one user (of the up to 10 users) to give over control of his or her desktop. This was especially helpful to this meeting because my colleague and I were discussing graphic design elements of library signage and posters.

The only thing I wish LetsPowWow had is voip ability. With two people it wasn't necessary, but in a larger group the IM text could get overwhelming rapidly.

Winging It

With the increasing pressure from accrediting bodies and now the federal government to focus on measuring student learning it is becoming more important for instruction librarians to perhaps reconsider their teaching models.

Is a librarian's ability to "wing" an instruction session a detriment to student learning? I'm a strong believer in establishing learning objectives before teaching anything, but I admit to winging instruction sessions that I'm familiar with. A librarian may choose to go unprepared for numerous reasons. He may feel he's too busy to prepare. He may feel he's doing himself and the students a favor by maintaining the ability stay on his toes.

This instructional flexibility is especially important when an attentive/interested faculty member attends the session. Many times a faculty member with good questions/intentions completely side tracks an instruction session.