Sunday, September 27, 2009

week 4 thing #9

Of the tools mentioned in the directions, I found edublog to be right on topic for what we are searching for. When I googled Feedster, I just got hits about how feedster is dead so I'm not sure I got that one right. Topix.com was ok. I liked that it gave you local news. That could be helpful. I think that the best way to find feeds is probably to go to some of the websites that I like and check on them as well as recommendations from colleagues. There are so many out there, I'm not sure that the links to just find rss feeds are really filtering the good from the bad. Maybe they are and I'm just not getting it. I will keep looking.

Week 4, thing #8

Well, the RSS feed is also totally new to me. I have mixed feelings about this. I think it will be a great tool to connect me to sites that will be useful and save time by not having to go to many different sites but am worried about how much time it will take to go through the information. I can see where one would really have to tweek the sites to get the balance between what you need and too much information. In conjunction with this, I accidentally found out how to use the blogs between classmates better. I thought I would add some of you to the rss feed because I have been going back to the discussion board and linking to your blogs that way each time. I just figured out how to be a follower. I think that will help me visit more of your blogs.

I can see how this could be really a useful tool, regardless of subject, in the classroom. Connecting the classroom and the rss feeds to follow the class blog or a related site could be a quick way for students to connect for projects.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Thing #7

OK, so my husband and I got iphones about a month ago. They are crazy awesome. There are some really useful tools and then there are some that are just a ridiculously mindblowing use of technology that serves no real purpose other than to make you go wow. The app I am thinking of is called Ocarina. You blow into it and push buttons to make music. Then you can allow it to know your location. You hit on a little world button and it shows and plays the music that other people are playing right now on a rotating map/globe of the world. Crazyness.

Thing # 6

Well, that was fun, I just made some trading cards and a movie poster at the FD Toys site. You could really have some fun with that and make some interesting and personalized gifts. Not to mention the educational applications. I tried the mosiac thing, montagr, but was not able to figure that one out. I will try it again later after I have uploaded more photos to flickr so that I can use my own.

Thing #5 Flickr

Well as you can see below, I started to explore Flickr. I did the tour, created an account and sent a video from my iphone. I then posted to my blog from Flickr. Woo-hooo. Look at me go!

Colin and Morgan on slide

This is a short clip of my two youngest boys on the slide in the back yard. Colin is 1 1/2 and thinks he is hot stuff on the slide. Morgan is 5 and has to join in the fun.

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Thing #4

I posted to Clarion discussion board for the class. Now how do I register it with CSLA or am I misunderstanding the need to do that?

Week 2, thing #3 finally!!!

I will admit, I was ready to say forget this avatar and move on. I installed an adobe and a java update and it was still freezing on me. It worked on what I promised myself would be the last try. I guess it just works better under pressure! How do you like my avatar? Kinda cool methinks.

Week 2, thing #3, avatars not working

Ok, this was easy up until now. Each time I go to yahoo to make an avatar, my computer freezes. I can log in but once I start to create the avatar, it completely freezes up. I have tried this twice, I am hoping third time is a charm...

Week 2, thing #3, continued.

Did a little editing, added some things to my profile. So far so good. Now for the avatar....

Week 2, thing #3

Well so far so good. Creating the blog was a piece of cake. Now I need to play around and see what I can do with it. . .