Quite a Journey

Often people (students and teachers alike) are surprised when I declare that I'm comfortable with technology. Maybe it's because I'm old. Well, not that old, but we Boomers sometimes get a "bad rap" when since we're not as tech-savvy as our younger counterparts. It's not that we're not smart enough to comprehend it all. It's just that we may not be interested. Just like what I hear from students: "make it fun and we'll do the work."

Which is what happened in this class. Of course, not all people will like all parts of what is presented, but this course"23 Things" was a really fun way to expand my repertoire of useful technical tools found on the Internet. Since I have my degree in English, my favorite tool was Library Thing. I would have my own classes create an account in the first week and periodically follow it, discovering new books to read. Also, Susan showed me the merits of Delicious.com, so that's another application I would use.

Knowledge is power and I love to learn new things. Besides, I like to shock kids with what an "old" person knows . I would love to take another class like this and discover new applications to furthur enhance my educational journey.

Podcasts

I, uh, listened to, uh, several, uh, podcasts and, uh most of them are, uh, really, uh boring!!! What's this with all the uhs? Isn't speech required in high school? It seems as though if a person is going to post a podcast, he should practice. The guy in the following podcast sucked the life out of what should be a merry activity. I thought it was going to be fun. Thanks.

http://odeo.com/episodes/23715830-CMN-CHIC154-Christmas-Cookie-Alternatives

Paul Potts

Every time I hear this, my heart flutters and I get goosebumps. I'm so happy for him and any other talent who is able to use his or her amazing ability with such humility. It's too bad that we all to often judge a person by his appearance instead of his fabulous gifts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxOytYLlhiQ

Netlibrary

I showed this to my husband and he said to be sure to put it in our favorites, so that we can look at it whenever we get a chance. I think it would be helpful to download these for some students' use to help with their reading. I also think it would enrich life for senoirs who can't see to read. Pretty cool.

New Idea--at least for me

OK, I admit it. I have reverted back to my old habit of clipping coupons from the Sunday paper. I can usually only use one or two each time I get groceries, but the last time I did I decided to do something, quite by accident. I was patiently (I know, right?) waiting while the checker scanned my items, and I spied a couple pads with $1 and $5 respectively on them with opportunitiies to give to hungry people. Just tear them off, and give them to the checker; she scans them and voila, you've given to charity. So, I decided to give whatever I saved by clipping coupons. Admittedly, it's not very much, but it's more than they had before. It's fairly painless, just a few minutes on a relaxing Sunday morning to clip the coupons. I don't get the savings, but I feel good giving it to someone who really needs it. Christmas really sparks the giving spirit.

Podcasts

After reviewing a couple podcast sites, I found odeo to be the most user-friendly. However, even though we were supposed to put an RSS feed on our blogs, I couldn't find a podcast that I would actually want to publish. Most of them were silly or just downright boring. Guess I'll have to investigate further.

Boo!

Since I love to travel I am always ready to peruse any travel site that might facillitate our travel arrangements. Boo.com seems to have it all: reviews, directions, restaurants nearby and photos. However, the photos are not as extensive or aesthetic as venere.com or even expedia. At first the site seems daunting, since it is filled with text. But have a little patience, you'll eventually get what you need.

Zoho, uh oh

Maybe it's the computer; I don't know, but I keep getting an error when I try to open Zoho Writer. I was all ready to post a blog using this app., but it wouldn't let me in--hmmm. Guess I'll try later. Is this a potential problem for web-based apps?

Playing in the Sand

OK, I added my blog to the general blogs in the plcmclearning wiki. Yea. Now I get to explore the categories there.

Not so Wiki

While learning about Wikis, which are supposed to be fast, I found myself getting bogged down. I finally read an article by Emma Tonkin under other Wiki examples that explained the purpose, accessibility, etc. of a Wiki. I can see where they might be useful for brainstorming or lab writeups, but the editing factor could be at once helpful or dangerous. If I used them in a classroom, they would definitely need to be closely monitored.

Library 2.0

Wow, there's a lot of verbage about Library 2.0. At first I found it daunting trying to wade through it all. Even in Wikipedia it seemed jumbled. Finally, in Rick Anderson's "Away from the Icebergs" the purpose for this movement came to light in a succinct manner. He made it accessible, and isn't that what 2.0 is supposed to be about?

Technorati

OK, now I think I have claimed my blog.
Technorati Profile

Delicious

At first glance I didn't think that I would use this tool, however, thanks to Susan W., she extolled the virtues of this as a way of looking at my favorites from anywhere in the world. And I thought only chocolate, Parisian croissants, filet mignon, ok, food in general was delicious.

Rollyo

Yea! I was finally able to find a name for my search engine that wasn't already used. Here it is:
http://rollyo.com/ccushman/wanderlust/

RSS

Hi,
Carol told told me about a Web site I could use for my RSS. The Web site is diverse; I put the whole URL on my RSS. I wasn't sure if that was correct, but that's what I did. Here it is: www.oculture .com I just watched an amazing video about a British austistic artist who took a 45 minute helicopter ride over Rome and then recreated what he saw on a length of paper with mind-boggling accuracy. Very cool.

RSS

After creating my blogline, I had the opportunity to subscribe to catagories to add to an RSS. I only found one that I was interested in. I guess I need to investigate further, Any ideas?

Trading Card Fun

Hi,
I have been investigating some interative tools and discovered the Trading Card Maker. This is a tool that allows anyone to create a trading card using family photos. I remember how my son loved his when we were able to purchase one that exhibited his baseball stats at the time. So, I decided to try creating one showing one of our stops on our fabulous Europe trip. It was extremely easy and I might try creating a whole deck.

Fun times,
Connie

Technology-Dive Right In

I know that technology can sometimes be scary and confusing. Just don't be afraid to try something. Start clicking and usually your superior sense will find what you're looking for, smirking up at you as though it were saying, "I was here all along!" When all else fails, ask--usually a kid. It may be just a keystroke or two and all will be revealed.

Happy hunting!

Sunny Attitude

Hi,
For all of you who are depressed, I say get out in the sun! Fifteen minutes of sun on your skin will give you the required vitamin D for the day and will lift your spirits. Then if you want to duck into the shade and enjoy the sunny weather under a beautiful golden and russet canopy, by all means revel in it. For some reason, cares start melting away in the sun as you gain perspective on what was actually keeping you down.

So, "get up off that thang" and and "dance" in the sun!