Somethin' New

Things 10 and 11

2008-06-16T18:51:00.002-05:00

I am amazed and still trying to figure out what all could be done with online image generators.
I haven't quite gotten the kinks worked out--and social networking---while I am not at all sure that is for me--is rather incredible that so many people feel the need to share their most intimate thoughts with the whole world.

We are really in a different world than that which I knew as a student. I can't help feeling there is something missing in lives where people are content to interact on a computer with strangers.

RSS

2008-04-03T19:18:00.000-06:00

Who said RSS was easy?

It appears that I am mistaken---I'm not getting new feeds---only the original ones I subscribed to.

B00 hiss. . . this is supposed to work correctly!

Things #8 and #9

2008-03-31T20:00:00.000-06:00

Who knew there were such things out there?
I'm so glad we are having this experience to learn----I am amazed!

RSS---reminds me of KISS--and it is even easier! The idea that I can get
the information I want to come directly to me. . .it is absolutely mind-boggling.
This is the coolest thing I've seen yet!

#6 Mashups and 3rd party sites

2008-03-23T15:22:00.000-06:00

Now you're talking! What a blast for English classes. . .I love all those ideas. This is a far cry from your basic "illustration" of a poem, story or such. Of course, I do sense a bit of a problem--would my students try to use all the on line resources and never use their imaginations?

I want them to interact with the literature they read---sometimes I think we make it too easy for them to just download and re use what is already out there. Keeping them from just doing that would be my job as the teacher, right?

I can tell I'm having a "moral dilemma" ~ which I'll just have to get over. . .

#5--Flickr Exploration

2008-03-02T20:20:00.000-06:00

This is a cool website--with some of the most fantastic pictures I have ever seen.

I'm in the beginning stages of exploring--but I really like the idea of "tags" on pictures so you can retrieve them when you want them. Who wants pictures randomly stuck all over the computer with no organization?
One question I do have--can you accidentally come across pornographic pictures? Is there any kind of "filter" on this website? Are there any kinds of rules about the kinds of pictures you can put in here? These are a few of the questions I have as I look around.

Working with Pictures

2008-02-26T20:00:00.000-06:00

This is an FYI---while listening to Kim Komando over the weekend (2/24/2008), she had some information about Flickr that I wanted to share with the group. It appears that one woman had downloaded some pictures of her children skinnydipping---and had marked them for private use only.
Later she discovered her pictures posted WITH her information, including names of the children.

On another topic. . .
I've enjoyed several classes with Shirley lately--and have discovered another wonderful product --from Creative Memories--called Memory Manager that does many of the things the picture tool bar does. . .and more! I can't wait to try all the things we are learning and incorporate them into my personal projects as well as school projects.
This is getting to be so much fun!

7 1/2 Habits

2008-02-19T17:05:00.000-06:00

I really like the idea of learning as a continuum. We've all heard the old saw that we're never too old to learn---but some of us act as if we are. But a continuum, now that is different---it implies a journey, a "getting somewhere" kind of idea.
I like that.
I wish our students would "buy" into the idea --that and the fact that "no one has as much invested in your learning as you do." Now wouldn't that shake up the educational environment if the learners believed that?

When I think about what I want to learn from all of this, I am amazed at the list:
you.tube, publishing my photos, blogging (who knew?), internet assignments for my students, downloading podcasts of the things I listen to regularly on the radio or elsewhere, using photo enchancing technology. . . and the list continues.
If I want to get all of that done, I had better get busy!

One day at a time

2008-02-13T11:46:00.000-06:00

I never thought I would be able to blog---or that I would have anything important enough to say. Who knew I could do this?

This begins as a school project--but we may be creating monsters who will fill the internet with chatter about_____________?

These "things" we are learning are exciting and fun and frivolous and creative---all at the same time!