#23 Final question- survey

#1- I loved learning about Flickr. I now have another great source of photos and can see how others viewed places I have been. Del.icio.us was also great to meet!!!

#2 Anything new that I learn about computers is great. When I began 300+ years ago at a computer store and touched my first 'motherboard' I never dreamed where it all would lead. There are so many new things to play with like the trading cards, and jigsaw puzzles, and mashups, and rollyo - wow!!!! Again, I want my new 25 hour day!!

#3 I liked how I could combine some of my prior knowledge with the new programs/ideas. One of my favorite items was to just click next blog at the top of any blog and see where it was coming from. At one point I was on one page that was telling me what was getting uploaded at any given minute. I do want to put the thing on my blog that tells me where the people are coming from. ( where in the world- but currently I have forgotten where that is)

#4 Check the websites on a few more computers that might not be running the same system as the school. I am trying hard to not download much on this home machine since it is older and has less memory / ( and little gremlins under the hood). I do have an additional hard drive for my photos, but I try to keep the general system a little clean. *** Do warn people they have to have the faster internet to do this at home- That was a delay in my working. I went through the local phone company and they had to boost the lines in the neighborhood to get to the 6 level of stuff. And it works better earlier in the day than at night.

#5 Yes since I now have the higher speed internet access.

#6 An interesting way to bond with the lapper on the kitchen table during the summer!! But I did enjoy the process

#7- And I have been doing that all along

Thanks for a good summer Vaughn!!!

#22 Nings

One more registration, one more place to visit. I did visit the high school teachers group and found out where specific topics could be found. If you were interested in that topic it would be great. At this time I did not start another blog.

With just geography teachers having some connected blogs it would be useful. In a way we have had our own TAGE sharing site for years going through the alliance where we do share teaching ideas, but nothing quite as organized as this. We do manage to keep current with useful web sites and conferences however.

This is useful, and I did bookmark it and I might visit it again, when I get the new 25 hour day.

In the classroom, --- I am still not sure with the students-how much control would you have?

#21 Podcast

I need to hurry, hurry, hurry on this one since Eduardo is due and the deadline is almost here and with a storm I might lose electric power and there would be a real disaster then.

I have read about pod casts, I understand them but am concerned about creating one. I understand storyboards from the old Digital Chisel projects the kids made, but at home I do not have everything hooked up to this machine, and it does not like to receive more programs. ( they slow it down) But here goes.

Not good- The video I wanted to put some audio only wants to open in apple and that program has been removed from this machine. I am do an organized abandonment of this step and going on to NINGS and will return later.

Between Eduardo and the district closing some things due to it and a deadline I do not want to get in further trouble- we procrastinators do get in trouble at times

tried to download again and had more issues- this is not good-

#20 You Tube and Teacher Tube

I have enjoyed some youtube this summer since I finally got DSL. I have not done much with TeacherTube yet, ( except what I have seen in this presentation) Now I need to learn more.

need to shut down- after going to awards, got some virus- need to shut down and do a disc clean up and stuff- shame on the award site!!!!!

This day is getting too exciting. I got rid of the js virus thing and then got to teachertube. Got the log in and all of that. Found a video on Chinese Geography and it was not that great. Just pictures, no audi0 and then the credits took the cake!!! I turned it in as inappropriate. When I checked teacher tube on the school computer ( I also am running it) it did get screened on that one I tried out a video on TeacherTube and it was inappropriate.It came from Al Vasectomy, Nina Viagra and Impotence Australia
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=666f4e5516bfbb3d10c5

I am hanging this one up for a few minutes- I am heading off to the next task!!!

#19 Web 2.0 Awards List

And, now for the Academy Awards of the Internet

I had heard of some of them before, ( travel sites, Craig's list, mapping sites) but several were news. I did bookmark this page so I can play with this again.

Regarding the use at school. Of course I use google maps and this next year will use Google Earth since we now have updated Windows!!! Rah!!!

#18 OnLine productivity tools

My next challenge!!!

Several good things are here.

1. Free is always good with software. I did not download it at home however, and know better than to put it on the school machine!!!!
2. Google Docs- that would be good for students putting together a project. They could see what each others componet looked like and if I needed to print it or view it, they would all be together.

Multilingual- that sounds great. This past year I had Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Jordanian, Brazilian, Moroccan, Pakistani, Peruvian and Italian students.

This site / Google docs does have possibilities.

Disadvantage- Getting different formats of anything sometimes confuses computers. I am doing this project with two side by side laptops and the school one gets the apple works items but the home one downloads faster. ( go figure) School is on wifi and home is connected.-

#17 Rollyo

That was fun. Thanks Bruce for your video. I made a geography rollyo for weather and will add to it later on.

Rah!!! Double good.

And depending on the way the computer lab is working this year or the amount of students that I have that have laptops with wifi ( and our ability to use them in the classroom without blowing out the circuitry) I could see doing more immediate research

Great site!! And there I am Geography G 13-

#16 Wikis

I met the concept of Wikis a few years ago when I had my GT class in the computer lab and they were all on Wikipedia changing the information on about everything to personalize it for the names of the students in the classroom. Anyone else in the world that was researching at that time was learning a very fractured version of History and Geography. Seeing how information was changing before my eyes as I went from machine to machine made me once again like to hold the printed word in my hand.

Now for me to learn more about Wikis from an academic viewpoint

to be continued---- Saturday at some point!!!-- Make this Sunday- I had obligations on Saturday-

This is something really neat. If all of the students had laptops we could do a brainstormning about a topic and end up creating something by the end of a period- groups that were not groups talking, but typing instead about something to organize. Interesting idea!!

I need to come up with some ideas to get them thinking, or writing along.

A continuing story about an area using physical features. Describing an area where someone writes something down, and then they read what has already been written and add to it. Neat

This is good!!!

#15 Web 2.0 - and the future

I was 4 when I got my first Library Card at the downtown Public library ( the big old one)
This next lesson is probably going to be a very different library of the future

Wow!! I remember a librarian about 10 years ago saying that her budget for buying new books was disappearing and we would soon do all research on line.
I remember about 5-10 years ago how I would take classes to the library to do research.
My last library project was 2 years ago and most of the students did not do any work in the library but insisted they could do it all on line. And boy did they do it on line. When I googled their work several of them had done a very nice job of copy/ paste.

Libraries are changing. That is a given. I still like to sit down and hold the books in my hand. I can skim read books faster than the internet and I know of more synonyms for what I am looking for even though the internet can quickly search the page for a specific word.

Yes, you are teaching an old dog new tricks on this information. I do like to have a few old ice bergs of information around for when the internet is down or just refusing to work or-- technology problems that we all seem to get when we least expect them. I know a bulb can always burn out in an over head projector, but doing all things via an internet you have to worry about the bulb on the projector plus the computer, connection to the world- etc.

Is there an easy solution? or just have plan B, C, D, E, F, etc.

#14 Technorati

( I hope it likes me today- we became arch enemies several days ago)

First, I could not watch the video on the home machine due to an appleworks problem. Thank goodness I had the school lapper going. Then, once the video started, what she was showing me was not at all what I had on my own machine. ( home page for technorati)

This one site could be my nemesis for a bit. But I did learn why I lack authority and I am ok with that,. Onward to more stuff

And where is the little heart I am supposed to click on?

Onward- I am not giving up yet!!

I do have a blog there and I have claimed it. I wil do more searches at a later period.

If anyone has some secret methods to conquer this site ( Technorati) please share.
Thanks

#13 Tagging and discover Del.icio.us

Am I really supposed to learn how to TAG? I thought I went to an inservice last year about NOT TAGGING ( hahahah) now to get down to business!!!



Del.icio.us

very interesting. I wonder if my technorati problems have solved themselves so I can get into the magic middle?

I did like searching through Del.icio.us
I need to play a few more of the games I tagged. I did like the Chinese provinces. ( for the olympics of course) and I might bring my jigsaw puzzle of them to school ( to help those that need to see/ touch the shapes).

Prior to going to the lab I could get some bookmarks for the students to use, but of course I would have to check them out before hand. I am currently using my computer for the researching so I am not sure how much the districts firewall will get involved.

Good site.

( Now if I could only tag and organize all of the passwords and secret names I have created in the last month. I just wish I could be the same thing in several locations!!!)

And just for myself. I could bookmark travel sites for when I am not in the states to use for booking rooms along the way. ( Yes, I do leave home without every room pre-booked!!!)

#12 Creating community Through commenting

I must say that I think I have figured out how to do this lesson. Have my blog open on one page and the direction thing opened on another computer. I bet though soon I am going to want 3 computers going. !!!

I understand applying the rules we have to answering e-mails are true here also. I am just questioning how many comments do I have time to make. The 100 people read but only one contributes does make sense. There are times when I wish I could just read some e-mails and not respond, but there if we do not get back to a parent in less than a few hours, more e-mail seem to fly.

Will your blog, and comments to others be in the front of a court room one day?

I do remember starting out a faculty meeting one year with that being the catch to get our attention. One little thing someone wrote in an e-mail ended up being projected on a big screen in addition to being on one of those big flip charts.

Is there freedom of blogs?

Ok, so back to the questions

Two things that are very important are the ---- Reread what your are responding to, and Reread what you are writing before you hit the magic send button

I have just finished my comments on some of the blogs on the system. Several of the listed ones I was not allowed to add comments to ( even though I wanted to) because I was not a member of their team.


And I have previously made comments on some random blogs. They were mostly about certain photographs they had taken in some places, and I wanted to compliment them

so, bottom line of this activity, read, read, read, and then send. Right?

#11 LibraryThing

Is there going to be an Addam's Family Hand appear on this one?

This was better than I expected. I did join LibraryThing and I did list 5 books from the wonderful box of books ( xerox paper size) that I bought at a garage sale for $1.

Regarding using this in the classroom? Well, I can find books for me here and get their current event information about what is going on with books. I personally like to read the New York Times Sunday book review. I am assuming this will be along the same lines.



.

#10 Online Image Generator

This sounds interesting. I am going to succeed on THIS THING. And I did not have to register or get a new password to accomplish this. ***** Warning*** I might be putting some cartoons on future worksheets!!! Did anyone else enjoy this task like I did? I must remember this one.

#9 Useful blogs

I am signing up for more items with this lesson. If things get where they are supposed to I will be on Technorati. ( currently the little guys in the computer have not confirmed all) I have still not been authorized.

Now things should get going faster. I have two lap tops on the kitchen table and I am going to conquer the internet.

technorati tried to conquer me the other evening, but I am going to win today-

I have found a lot of feeds just by going to places on the Internet that I like- along the lines of newsweek. But then I hit more technological difficulties.

Regarding the search tool well, I think Blogline might win on that one. I got to register for one more thing - this is not working though since they will not send me a verification e-mail so I can respond and finish their registration.

Onward!!!I did sign up for an Outline Map Europe feed. I will check it once all things get eventually cleared.

I will try technorati once I have time to spend on it, and fight it. I just got very frustrated with it.

This does look useful, and I have it on my list of things to continue to research in the future. Right now I am just glad to know what RSS is and how to sign up for it. ( Like last night when I was reading the rest of my Newsweek magazine on line.) I hit its RSS and so am signed up.

At some point I will figure out where everything is landing in this registration and re-registering. But I am learning.

Is anyone else having problems with some of this registering, and stuff? Is it due to an older machine? ( my lapper at home is a 2005 version, but it is running xp) I know a few things have wanted vista

On to the next challenge!!!

# 8 RSS issues

Technical difficulties. I got the DSL at the house, but these videos that I need to down load are simply not loading.

I do like the idea of the RSS and will attempt the google reader tomorrow. Right now the internet and this machine are wanting to call it a day. I think I will go read a book ( and all the pages are there already for me to touch) and call it a day myself soon,

More tomorrow

and tomorrow is here- DSL is happier- I was just able to get to google reader and set that up. Now I am so excited. One more thing to check!!! Just kidding. I will fit it in the schedule and the internet will be working fast.

Once I start storing the blogs that I find here during normal searches, I will be able to use them during the school day. I have a vision (ha) of making news folders from the various sites so I can get sort of current news articles to use with the students. Most of what I am saving now seems to come back with the current issue and not the one I wanted to save. (so I still like having a folder with the real paper in it to make a transparency or copy to use with the kids) but I am learning.

And, can I connect the NYTIMES? I have a subscription to that--




I think I will like this more when I add blogs to it that I find when I am just piddling with this when I do the required stuff. Rah- and on to #9

#7 Google extras

My Tuesday chore-----
I just began a calendar for Geisha- I hope she will remember where it is for her next vet appt. But just as a back up, I put it on my paper calendar. The amount of log ins and passwords is getting a bit heavy. One of these days, I want it to just be the finger print or looking at it and having the pupil/ eye read.

And-- now I have started the Google notebook. That will be very useful for future trip research ideas. Will it keep the prices of a certain search though? or just the web page? Is it live or??
you know what I mean!! Now to search one more item. -- But just learned why the Google notebook is not fully working on my home machine- I do not have Vista running here. Nor at the job!! - phooey on this!!!!

But I did down load Google earth. I will be using that more this next year with the updated windows in the classroom. That will be good. Students have been using it for years at home, but due to windows 98 alas, I have not been doing it with them at school.

And now on to #8. ( But I think I have already done some of that with the Picasa web album and its rss stuff)

Can we get Vista at the job soon, so the clip of the notebook will work? I was wondering why it kept fussing at me when I was downloading it!!!

#6 mashups- trading cards

After several attempts I have a trading card. I do like this idea and can see using it in the classroom. Can we now get multiple projectors and computers to have them showing all around the room?

And of course you do know the locations of both of these photos ( probably less than 20 miles separate them)

#5 Flickr

This was an interesting stop. I was planning on using my photos of places and not ones from other locations. But this was good to learn about for other uses too- Right? Additional items for power points? But then can I break myself from just using stuff I have photographed?

#4 Registration

I sent The Leader my information and I hope to become real shortly. I am on a roll this evening.
Rah!!!

I hope all is well. This was one of the easier steps

#2 Goals

I think I am getting these things out of order, but I am doing them.
The goal one I think I typed, but it is lost out there someplace. I have a goal to learn more about this blogging, but a definite goal??? I have a problem with goals in that I begin with a vague one and then get more specific and wander about a bit as I am doing the researching. I know where I want to go, but what path will I take. Imagine the Family Circus cartoon where Billy is not going in the most direct path. That is me

Do you always go directly to a goal? or stop and smell the roses and go on an alternate path?

#3 Avatar development

I did it, I am an artist. I have an avatar. It did take a few minutes due to phone calls and a hungry dog, but it is up. And I have a great idea for day two of this computer business. I am doing this work on my home machine. Tomorrow I plan to set of the school lapper right next to this one so I can read the directions on one machine and do the work on the other. Rah!!

And in the future will we be working with 4-5 or 6 open screen on a desk? I know we can have layers on a machine, but when you need to save time? Suggestions?

Dubrovnik or bust

Thursday July 17, 2008
At last I am starting this blog. I attempted to create this before I went on vacation, but a dial-up modem was no match for what I needed, and the wireless people were having some technical difficulties getting me set up ( Where have I heard that before?) But now I am on line and ready to begin . Now for the questions of the day.
I was in Dubrovnik and Split recently
What body of water did I get to see each day?
What country was I in?
And, what additional country did I have to travel to when I went from Dubrovnik to Split via bus?
( but they just checked, but did NOT stamp my passport)