My Squidoo Modules Sandbox   by DrMarkJoyce

Rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 10 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Which Squidoo modules are the best tools for which tasks?

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox as a Lab
My Squidoo Modules Sandbox is where I examine and experiment with modules before putting them to work in lenses.

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox as a Referent Lens
I'll refer back to this lens for the visual & written "notes-to-self" I've made about specific modules.

For any given module I'm thinking of using, I'm interested in exploring:


    ~ What can and can't be done with it?
    ~ What could but probably shouldn't be done with it?
    ~ How might I push the use of this module beyond its intended function?

For my future reference, and yours, I always try to document:

    ~ Comments that flash through my mind
    ~ Questions I'm investigating
    ~ What I tried
    ~ What I learned
    ~ New questions I might investigate now or later

Most of this documentation will appear on the Squidoo StickyNote module's yellow stickynote.

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox as an Impetus
Perhaps you will be inspired to create your own Squidoo Sandbox lens. /mysquidoosandboxyour_name_or_intials.
There can be more than one sandbox in a community!

Perhaps existing lenses about modules will add sandbox to their tags. Think of the list that would pull up!

Please jump in and add your module musings, insights and comments to the polls, discussions and guestbook that are part of this lens!

Something's Been Addited

New word? Addited = added + edited
Definition? When you've changed or improved a document by adding and editing its content?

  • The two polls have been redone & are working
  • A Duel has been added after the 2nd poll
  • Intentional expansion & compression of vertical spacing done
  • Learned how to create internal links
  • Testing Contents at a Glance idea
  • Testing Table of Contents "at the bottom" idea

TOC Module: Contents at a Glance 

Just the Content Modules, Not the Comments or Interactions

After creating the full blown Table of Contents, seeing how long it was, and noting that "for real" I'd shorten it,

I remembered that all of the "Dummies Books" have a Contents at a Glance followed by a Table of Contents.

I still think it's too long but right now I'm just experimenting with it as an idea.

There a place to comment on this idea after the module.

Duel Module: Contents at a Glance: What do you think about the idea? 

I'm no dummy! I got this idea from the "Dummies" series.

All of the Dummies books have a Contents at a Glance followed by a full Table of Contents.

In this Sandbox, and in two lenses to follow, I'm experimenting with the use of both in one lens.

  • The Contents at a Glance follows the Introduction
  • The full Table of Contents is the last module before the Guest Book.

(There's another Duel after the full Table of Contents, in this Sandbox, where you can respond separately to the idea of putting the full Table of Contents at the end of a lens.)

Reasonable Length Lenses
I've read the discussions re what is reasonable length.
"It depends upon your content, purpose & target audience," is a reasonable response.

No Contents at a Glance strategy can compensate for an unreasonably long lens.
For the sake of this Duel>, assume we are considering the idea in the context of lenses of reasonable length.

What do you see as the Pros & Cons of the Contents as a Glance + Table of Contents idea, within the context of

Loading Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

CoaG + ToC Pros

jooloo says:

I like the contents at a glance and then the table of contents put down lower in the lens. Thanks for your help. How do you link to your second lens from the first. say a series of words and the link: squidoo then how do you put the HTML? jooloo

Posted September 10, 2008

CoaG + ToC Cons

 
 
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StickyNote Module: Note Formatability

The StickyNote module is being used throughout this lens to post commentary on

  • what I'm attempting
    • what coding works
    1. within modules
    2. withing StickyNotes
  • and what I'm learning as I go

Poll Module: Seen Any StickyNoted Lenses Lately? 

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

I've read a lot of lenses and have only seen one that used the Squidoo StickyNote module.

I may just happen to be reading unStickyNoted lenses.

What's been your experience?

Loading poll. Please Wait...

StickyNote: Poll Module

AHA!

We can use basic html codes in the description of a poll. Very nice! Good to know!

I added a hard return after the last word in the description to increase the space between the description and the poll question.

Flickr Module: In Lieu of Squidoo Sandbox Photos...I just looked for sand 

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

This is the exploratory Flickr module in My Squidoo Modules Sandbox.

Nel grembo della Terra (dscn1894_mod2) by gerlos

Nel grembo della Ter...

Spray by LornaJane.net

Spray

Footprints in the sand by LornaJane.net

Footprints in the sa...

Mum and Cait paddling by LornaJane.net

Mum and Cait paddlin...

Lorna paddling by LornaJane.net

Lorna paddling

Powered by Flickr

StickyNote: Flickr Module

I don't know why the top of the note is a serif font and everything else is san serif. It is also smaller than the rest of the text.

True in first note too. Hmm...

Have you ever had

    an image search
    turn into
    an image safari?
That could happen here.
Move along now!

Polaroid Module: "Burnishing the Clay" from my American Clay earth plastering apprenticing

YouTube Module: Searching for "Squidoo Modules" 

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

This is the exploratory YouTube module in My Squidoo Sandbox. It's set to search for Squidoo Modules

Here I'm checking to see if I can add a hyperlink to a specific, company, product or service mentioned in the video.
In this case, it would be to Squidoo.

If I'd set the YouTube module to search for American Clay videos, I'd have added a link to American Clay, the company.

It looks like I can write quite a bit here to intro and promo whatever your about to see on YouTube and the hyperlinking is not limited to one link!

How to setup your squidoo page

How to setup your squidoo page

Runtime: 3:07 | 13 views | 0 Comments

 

powered by YouTube

StickyNote: YouTube Module

Being able to include hyperlinks directly to the companies being featured,in this case,Squidoo & American Clay, is very helpful both

  • in the YouTube module, and
  • in these StickyNote modules!


Delicious Bookmarks Module: Searching for "Squidoo" 

Search must be based on a SINGLE tag. That makes it tough!

Comments, questions, experiments, and answers about the potentials of specific Squidoo modules and the tasks for which a given Squidoo module would be the best tool. ~ Module comments, questions, experiments, answers and solutions are documented for each Squidoo module explored.

Social Networking For Squidoo Lensmasters
Explore Lenses
SquidU | Learn How to Build Better Lenses
SquidooCool.com
Squidaholic
Powered by Del.icio.us

StickyNote: Del.icio.us Bookmarks

Del.icio.us said it didn't have any links for Squidoo modules at this time.

It appears that the Squidoo module(s)or Squidoo Sandbox tags aren't as tasty as some other tags...yet!

The problem is that the search is limited to a single tag. No tag phrases allowed!

Ouch!

Google BlogSearch Module: Searching for "Squidoo Modules" 

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

Comments, questions, experiments, and answers about the potentials of specific Squidoo modules and the tasks for which a given Squidoo module would be the best tool. ~ Module comments, questions, experiments, answers and solutions are documented for each Squidoo module explored.
Squidoo Modules 101 - The Starter Package
Taking a long and detailed look at the Squidoo starter package of modules - great for beginning lensmasters, a refresher for experienced squids. read more | digg story.
Learning the Squidoo ABC
The next step in learning how to Squidoo is to build the layout of your lens! Start by clicking on Add Modules at the top. Here are some important modules that work well on lenses (and remember that all modules will have a built in ...
Is Your Squidoo Lens Boring?
Squidoo has dozens of modules that can be used to spruce up a lens. Emphasize your most important point with a Black Box module (now available in multiple colors, by the way) or a The Most Important Thing module (a white box bordered in ...
Powered by Google

StickyNote: Google Blog Search for My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

I've been watching this for a few days and there's a steady stream of module hits, but usually not "Squidoo modules" as a phrase. There's an opportunity!

There would be a lot more hits for "sandbox" if this were a Wiki search, eh?

(The "sandbox" concept being "native" to Wikis.)

Featured Lens Module: Visual Thinking School: Sketching 

Have you visited Dave Gray's Visual Thinking School?

The Draw a Stick Figure instruction in the Sketching lens of Dave Gray's multi-lens Visual Thinking School is one of my favorite tutorials in Squidoo.
featured lens Sketching

Sketching is a module in visual thinking school, a course designed to help you learn how to think and communicate better using the visual part of your brain. In this module you'll work on your drawing and sketching skills.

StickyNote: Featured Lens - D. Gray's Visual Thinking School: Sketching

I was hoping for more space to say things about the lens.

I don't know what the character limit is for the featured lens description.

Text / Write Module: Visual Thinking School: Sketching, continued 

More about the Visual Thinking School's Approach to Stick Figure Drawing

[An exploration of a Text/Write module in My Squidoo Sandbox.]
Field Based Application of Dave Gray's Stick Figure Drawing Technique

I've used the Stick Figure Drawing information many times with teacher candidates.

  • I give them about 10 minutes to read through and practice the procedure.

  • Then they go to the white board and draw a stick likeness of themselves (through inclusion of a distinguishing feature or two) and

  • introduce themselves to one another through dialog written, then encompassed with a talk bubble.

Dave's approach to drawing stick figures will markedly increase the body tension of your little people!

Grab yourself a couple of napkins or some scrap paper and give it a try today.
(Appropriate for all ages.)

New GapingVoid Cartoons Module for My Squidoo Modules Sandbox 

 

StickyNote: gapingvoid.com

[NOTE: GapingVoid is not always for all ages. Sometimes it contain R rated language & references.]

...but what a concept!
The back of a business card is the next best thing to the back of a napkin, unless you prefer index cards.

Amazon Module: Whether It's the Back of a Napkin or Index Cards... 

Visual Thinking & Communication Are Withing Your Grasp!

Use one or each of these excellent resources to develop and hone your visual thinking and visual communication skills.

Can't draw a straight line?
Not a problem.
There are no straight lines in nature!

Envision yourself simultaneously reaching for a napkin and into your pocket for a pen at your next power coffee.
(Work your way up to power lunches.)

Envision yourself at the paper cutter, chopping up scrap copypaper into 3"x5" pieces, for practice until you're ready to go public with index cards.
(Work your way up to a line item in the budget.)

The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
The Back of the Napkin: S...
Indexed
Indexed
I See What You Mean: Children at Work With Visual Information
I See What You Mean: Chil...
Rapid Vis Toolkit
Rapid Vis Toolkit
Graphics for Learning: Proven Guidelines for Planning, Designing, and Evaluating Visuals in Training Materials
Graphics for Learning: Pr...

Black Box Module: Is The Blackbox Case Sensitive?

Text in this module IS case sensitive & the title is LARGE!

"It's not a problem, until it's a problem, and then it's REALLY a problem!"

StickyNote: Black Box

I don't know why there's a secondary black shape protruding from the sides of the rounded corner black box.

Learned Later. The extra box disappears when the lens is Published and viewed.

"Talk Bubble Module:
Is the Talk Bubble case & code sensitive?
See for yourself!"

StickyNote: Talk Bubble

The bold code does not show, as all TB text is bold.

Automatic "Quotation Marks"
Is putting quotation marks around the text in a talk bubble redundant?

Voice your opinion by voting in the poll module right below this StickyNote.

Poll Module: Use of Quotation Marks within the Talk Bubble 

Isn't putting quotation marks around Talk Bubble text redundant?

When exploring the Talk Bubble module, I was surprised to see quotation marks automatically placed around the text.

I thought querying you about this would give

  • me a chance to explore the poll module, and
  • us with an interesting poll to watch.

[It's also giving me unordered list, with emphases, practice and a chance to see if it works in a Poll description.]

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Duel Module: Quotation Marks within the Talk Bubble? Remove Them or Leave Them? 

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

In the preceding poll you were given the opportunity to vote Yes or No on the question of whether the use of quotation marks within a Talk Bubble was redundant.

Now use this Duel to make a recommendation to remove the " " or leave the " " in the Talk Bubble.

Label your argument as (R) rationale or (E) emotional.
(See those ingrained teacher habits at work?)

What Should be Done About the Default Use of Quotation Marks within the Talk Bubble?

Loading Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Remove them!

Leave them!

 
 
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Most 'portant Thing Mod'le: Case & Code Check

Is the text in The Most Important Thing Module case and code sensitive?

Can these two kinds of lists be created?

  1. ordered/numbered lists
  2. ordered/numbered lists
  • unordered/bulleted lists
  • unordered/bulleted lists

StickyNote: The Most Important Thing Module 1

I was able to code botn ordered and bulleted lists.

The three sizes of fonts are defaults. All of the text I entered was the same size.

The three main types of emphasis

  1. bold
  2. italic
  3. underlined
were all possible.

In this experiment, I wanted to see what would happen if I did not put a title on the module.
NOTE: This is default italic text.

  • Will the module be saveable?>
  • Will the text size be the same size as the middle sized text in TMIT module 1?
What is the size of text following a list?
Let's see! It's still small by default.
Why is that? What don't I understand about this...yet?

StickyNote: The Most Important Thing Module 2

You can create a TMIT module without a title.
NOTE: The title is created in a separate box but appears in the orange box as the largest font size. See TMIT Module 1.

The mid-sized font will be the default text font.

I don't know why text after a list stays small.

Barry Commoner's
Four Laws of Ecology


  1. Everything is connected to everything else - humans and other species are connected/dependent on a number of other species.

  2. Everything must go somewhere - no matter what you do, and no matter what you use, it has to go somewhere.

  3. Nature knows best - Like it says, nature knows best.

  4. There's no such thing as a free lunch - everything you do must have a reason behind it.

StickyNote: The Most Important Thing Module 3

This example uses 299/300 character limit.

  • a vertical space (hard return) = one character
  • html coding letter & brackets = one character each
No title was entered for this TMIT. The title in the box was entered there as text & bolded.

Less garish than default titles?

StickyNote Character Counts

A StickyNote has a limit of 300 characters, but notice how note length will vary with formatting.

  • TMIT Module 1 StickyNote: 288 characters
  • TMIT Module 2 StickyNote:
    293 characters
  • TMIT Module 3 StickyNote:
    300 characters
  • This StickyNote:
    299 characters

Amazon Spotlight Module: Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds 

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

What do Presentation Zen, Indexed, and The Back of the Napkin all have in common?

They underscore the importance of stepping away from your computer and using good old-fashioned paper & pencils, pens, and/or markers to plan your presentations. Analog means, then digital means.
Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)

by Garr Reynolds

from the book: Check your local listings for a Pecha Kucha night near you.

StickyNote for Amazon Spotlight

There seems to be plenty of space allotted to writing and you can insert hyperlinks, at least three.

If you've never used this module before, play around with it to see where your text shows up, after it's saved and how it's formatted.

T/W Module: 3 Things I've Learned About Formatting, Since My Initial Posting of This Lens 

Check out the new cleaner, tighter look!

In the last week, I've learned three ways to code a visually cleaner, tighter lens. These may be old hat, to some, but they were new to me.

Two Way to Control Vertical Space Between List Items
If the html code for li pairs is run in a continuous string, there will be no spaces between list items.

You will get bullets/numbers, for sure, depending on whether it was an ordered or unordered list.

[I don't know how to write an html example without it being active code, so you'll have to play with this in a text module and watch what happens.]

If each li pair is on a new line, items will be spaced and likely, not show bullets or numbers.

Increasing Space Between Modules
Placing a bracketed br after the last line of text creates a blank line. This kept the modules from feeling vertically compressed.

I don't know if these three things are clean solutions or workarounds but they did produce the desired effects!

If there is a better way or these will lead to unintended consequences, please let me know.

TOC Module: Full Table of Contents 

My Squidoo Modules Sandbox

Having the ToC create itself, sure beats creating it as a link list!

This ToC is way too long but I just wanted to leave all that had accrued.

To shorten it, I'd only use main topics since they chunk the information and incorporate the supporting StickyNote comments.

I'd also revise long titles to stop text wrapping.

Duel Module: Placing a Table of Contents at the End of a Module 

It's happening in blogs? Will it work in lenses?

Even in "lenses of reasonable length" encountering and reading through or scrolling past a full Table of Contents can be an impediment to connecting a reader (motivated by your Introduction) with the content you want them to read.

Functionally, whether a hyperlink to your Table of Contents takes them physically up or down on the page doesn't matter. They will land in the TOC and jump to where they want to go next from there.

There seems to be a trend in blogs where the long lists, formerly found in sidebars, are being repositioned in shorter columns across the bottoms of the blog.

Would placing full Tables of Contents at the bottom of lenses function similarly?
Placing full Tables of Contents at the bottoms of lens might be a solution to what problems? might have what +/- unintended consequences?

What so you see as the Pros & Cons of placing full Tables of Contents at the bottom of lenses?

Loading Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

ToCs at the bottom: Pros

ToCs at the bottom: Cons

 
 
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Group Discussion Module for the My Squidoo Modules Sandbox 

I'm unclear as to the differences between this Group Discussion module and the Guest Book. I've read that the space allocated for Guest Book blubs is small.

Let's try using this Group Discussion module for lens discussion and the Guest Book for short blurbs and see what happens.

I hope you've found at least one good idea in this lens!

annetteghallowell

I wanna play in the sandbox! I will be returning often. I am a long way from creating my own sandbox, but I am proud to say the as a newbie, I discovered the sticky notes right away! 5*

Posted August 10, 2008
Alpinefolk

Thanks, got me thinking of a few options ofr future lenses.

Posted July 11, 2008
beeobrien

Fascinating look at the process. Thanks for sharing.

Posted June 28, 2008
Roger

Great Lens, one that can help many others take advantage of these great offerings!

Posted April 01, 2008

ElizabethJeanAllen

Great Lens! *****
I've only been with Squidoo for a few weeks but I've viewed a lot of lenses. Yours is the first I've seen with a sticky note. I will definately be checking it out.
Thanks,
Liz
http://www.squidoo.com/turkeyvulture

Posted March 27, 2008
Regal-Realm

hats off to you - and to all those who.. can see your mind! Favved on the spot and starred to the brim :)

Posted March 26, 2008

Guest Book for the My Squidoo Modules Sandbox 

What Do Which 'doo Modules Do Best?

Comments, questions, experiments, and answers about the potentials of specific Squidoo modules and the tasks for which a given Squidoo module would be the best tool. ~ Module comments, questions, experiments, answers and solutions are documented for each Squidoo module explored.

I hope you've found at least one good idea in this lens!

Graceonline

Thank you for an entertaining and informative lens. It was fun watching your progression of experiments.

Posted April 09, 2008
Music-Resource

Hi Mark, Excellent Sandbox lens. I am enjoying your experiments. Have fun in your lab! ~Music Resource~

Posted April 02, 2008
groovyoldlady

Whoa...this is such a totally groovy lens! You are clearly the analytical person that I am not. I will refer back here often because my motto is, "If someone else has already blazed the trail, just grab your water bottle and some granola and FOLLOW."

Well, that's not really my motto, but the point is that I, as a total non-geek, am very appreciative of all the experimental work you have done here.

You sir, are a true scientist!

Posted March 27, 2008
adez7

Hi Dr. Joyce,
Thank you for this great resource for lens development and inspirational thought. It is definitely worth five stars! Favorited, and Lensrolled to several lenses. I look forward to more of your lenses. :)

Posted March 27, 2008

Look who made this lens!

DrMarkJoyce

DrMarkJoyce
Learning & Teaching at the Speed of Life!
I've been a professional educator with a passion for innovation & design thinking since 1970!


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