Thing #15 - Iceberg ahead

Sobering reading. Not news. Just a validation. Printed text libraries as they exist today will one day be featured as oddities on the history channel. Barnes & Noble and 1/2 Price Books may not exist at all in 25 years. As the paper made today contains acids which slowly erodes the paper, books we read today have no opportunity to become antiques. The cost of maintaining the printed shelves balanced against the cost to stay abreast of the ever-expanding technological realm leaves little or no room for the printed inventory. Will children two generations from now know what it feels like to curl up beside their parents with a good read-aloud picture book? What will happen to the bookmark industry? What about Itty Bitty Book Lights? Will the Holy Bible still be available as a printed text? Or will people carry a small piece of technology from which to read the testaments? I'm just not sure I can get snuggly with my laptop.

Thing #14 - Tech-NO-rati

Okay, I must not be a Techno-ficianado - I just can't learn to like Technorati. I get that tagging is critical, and the ping back tool is cool. If I can come up with a blog topic for my 3rd grade kids - we will set up a classroom blog. In the meantime, tags will help make the kids' research on the net more concise (if the net can ever be accused of being concise) and more enclosed within research boundaries. Unless I can overcome my block about Technorati, I'll use del.icio.us for my blogging searches, at least for now.

Thing #13 - tag this tag that

'We are experiencing technical difficulties, the fault does not lie with your television set...'The FURL and Ma.gnolia sites would not open. Don't know why.

Since Del.icio.us opened, that's where I set up my account. I found several watercolor techniques blogs and tagged them. Thinking about classroom applications... this could be an excellent tool to help keep students within the boundaries of an investigation and assist in the maintenance of those boundaries. There is also a time-saving factor for the students, pointing them in the direction they need to go, without actually spoon feeding.

Thing #12 - contribute 2¢ or 5¢

What's important about commenting?
first- interact with comments left on your blog. I was so excited to get a comment on one of my 'Thing' postings (and it wasn't even written by a member of my family...)! What I did was to 'pay it forward' and made comments on other SBISD summer blogs. What I should have done (and will take care of) is respond to the blogger, even with a simple 'thank you' for taking the time to read my assignment.
second - as it pertains to students, (and maybe adults) 'teach commenting'. Model, model, model, and guide the practice. Great persuasive writing, even for elementary kids.
Two blogs of personal interest...
my first choice
http://www.treasurehunting.com/
I LOVE the whole finding treasure thing. I don't dive, don't care to learn, don't even want to go on a cruise, I don't like 'big water'. But, there is just something about the archeology and history and treasure beyond imagination in a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean.... We're heading to the Florida Keys this week on vacation and I'm hoping the Mel Fischer Museum down there will make the itinerary.
my second choice
http://paulagreene.blogspot.com/
I'm learning to watercolor and never realized there are blogging sites.... Who knows maybe I will pick up some tips (hopefully not drips).

Thing #11 - organize my life

-Dang! I LOVE this site. Setting up the account was sooo easy.
-I looked at some of the groups and found many to have just ONE member, call me simplistic, but it doesn't actually qualify as a group now does it? Its kinda like hosting a party and you're the only one to show up. Anyway (random travels...), I'm tagged to watch a Children's Literature group.
How will this site be useful?
-For several years, I've been meaning to catalogue my children's literature books (title, genre, teaching elements...) and this would be a great way to get that accomplished. Especially since I'm constantly trying to remember which books are great for main idea, or figurative language, or yada yada yada.... I can use the tags to take care of that aspect. Guess I'll have to fork over some bucks when I get to that 201st book.
-I'm going to sign up for the Early Reviewers (sometimes I need to read grown-up books and not just children's literature or professional books), what a great way to have even more books to catalogue and keep reading.

Thing #10 - light bulbs

http://www.imagechef.com/

Just in the nick of time....Back to my cup-of-tea, lots of visual stimulation. I browsed the comic strip generator sites, but Image Chef is more fun for a quick image and seems more user friendly. If I had more personal photos on on Flikr (or even on a flash drive) at this time, I could have a blast with Image Chef.

This application will be a little more engaging for elementary (probably 3rd (?) grade, maybe 4th grade and up). Even keeping the kids away from the Simpsons, there is enough variety for just about any student. Right off the bat, the kids could use the greeting card generator (easily applied to any subject). The 'wanted' poster could be a blast, science - wanted butterfly, social studies - wanted conductors for underground railroad, math - wanted polygons, language arts - wanted verbs, reading - wanted bad guy from the story. The posibilities for exposure to technology is fantastic.

Thing #9 - getting tougher (or not as engaging?)

Which method of finding feeds did you find easiest to use?
-I grabbed The Cool Cat Teacher Blog and used that as a springboard to browse. Maybe because it's summer, (?) but it appears difficult to have a burning topic for which to search the blogs for professional reasons.
However, personal interests are another topic altogether. I like the Lonestartimes (on-line newspaper) because of the political angles. It is created exclusively by bloggers with the same conservative political views I share. I can read the articles, but also click on the blogs and dig further. Using Vicki Davis's advice from Cool Cat - start with someone/thing you already respect and use them as a source from which to branch.
Which Search tool was the easiest for you?
-I guess I'm just a Google-r, it's my favorite. I feel more at ease with the Google Blog Search than any of the others. The format is familiar and I'm comfortable finding the 'right vocab' to get search results.
-The Topix and Technorati each have a feature that makes them okay. Topix has an easy to read layout on the main tab. Technorati has the topic directory that saves a little bit of time and keeps me on-task. Reminder... I'm ADD and I get lost in my searches, birdwalking off to other areas.
Which was more confusing?
-The Edublog site was a mess (at least for me) - couldn't find anything on the topic I tried (I can't believe nobody is blogging on 'schools within schools' and 'fine arts integration'. Oh well, I'm over it.)
What kind of useful feeds did you find in your travels? Or what kind of unusual ones did you find?
At this point, everything is unusual to me. And everything (well, almost) is interesting.
What other tools or ways did you find to locate newsfeeds?
- I'll use the online 'newspaper' (Lonestartimes) to connect to blogs and AP and API backed news stories.

Thing #8

What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
The RSS and newsreaders have the capability of being real timesavers. I'm just not sure I'll quit going to my favorite news website - miss all those visual images that draw me in. I guess I'm just not pressed for time yet to the point that I need to be able to read 600 feeds in a morning.
As for the blog side...I will actually be able keep more in touch with things that interest me because they will be 'right there' and I won't have to find time to go searching (which I never seem to find time to go searching....)
How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your school or personal life?
The school aspect for elementary gets a bit trickier. You have to be so aware of the students' exposure on the web...I would not recommend blog sites but more news sites for superficial type awareness of state or national happenings.
Personally, I set up a travel newsreader and will enjoy reading and who knows, traveling.
How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?
A school librarian and classroom teacher could collaborate and set up newsreaders and blogs on a given topic prior to allowing the students to jump in. That way staff can be more aware of and have more control over what students are exposed to on the web. They can also have more confidence that what the students are learning is from a trusted source.

Thing #7

Things are getting a bit tougher. I was able to successfully set up an iGoogle page, but unable to figure out how to link it to my blog.
part one: I did enjoy setting up the iGoogle page. I placed Houston area weather information, Dopplar radar images and the daily weather stats on the Home tab. I also set up Google Maps, Things To Do, and fun stuff like Optical Illusions on the same tab. The iGoogle site can be a student resource for basic expository learning, reading maps, understanding weather situations, post important notices (and homework) on the To Do list. I also set up a 'Games' tab which can be used to set up 'kid friendly' games and games that support curriculum. Few of my students have access to home computers so most students will need to use the site within the school/classroom setting.
part two: Google Notebook can be a useful tool for writing and sharing lesson plans with team members. The same can be said for Google Docs. Not sure which is the better tool.

Thing #6

Wow, there are lots of classroom possibilities for mash-ups and 3rd party sites. I especially like the applications from Big Huge Labs. The Magazine Cover would be a neat back-to-school activity for 3rd grade and higher. It would be a way for kids to investigate expository text (i.e. actual published magazine covers and even newspaper headlines) and apply the concepts in an autobiographical fashion. Conversation Bubbles is another concept which can be easily applied to the classroom. Mappr can be a fantastic tool to demonstrate concepts of community at multiple grade levels. Beginning with the concept of the Spring Branch Community, branching out to the Greater Houston area, Texas and beyond. Students can even contribute photographs from their own travels (even though many of my students do not travel far from Houston) to bring more meaning to the unit of study.
Personally, for starters I'm already planning to use the Mosaic Maker for an off-to-college announcement for my daughter.

Thing #4

Oops, got out of order. I already registered my blog with the Kickball Captains.... And recv'd their acknowledgement.

Thing #5

This is getting easier and even more interesting. The only problem with Flikr is that I am a 'visual' person and I get lost in the search. Also, it seems that the absolute BEST entries are copyright materials. I did ask permission from one photographer but didn't want to wait any longer to finish my assignment, so I found an entry from the Commons.

Still Life

Still Life
Originally uploaded by _joshuaBENTLEY

The play on light and the use of negative space is cool.

Thing #3

Thing 1 Thing 2 (sounds like The Cat in the Hat) completed with only a bit of challenge.
Thing 3 took some time and patience. Creating the blog was actually pretty easy, the step-by-step screens were awesome. Creating the avatar gave me a chuckle or two. So many options, so many possibilities. (Sigmund F. could have a field-day with this stuff.) Again, the step-by-step was helpful. It was the exportation to the blog that proved the challenge. I wanted to import a picture. When in actuality, I was importing an HTML. After a few rereads of the nicely detailed instructions for importing, I deduced my error, and voila' the avatar appears. It will be much easier the next time.

Thing #2 - Trudging across the tundra

screen after screen to Saint Alfonso's pancake breakfast...

Down to business. I find it hardest to begin with the end in mind. It seems I frequently reset the 'end', at times making it elusive. I find it easiest to teach and mentor others (probably because it helps my own skills and my ego(?).)

Dang!

Testing 1 2 3