Thing #7 Google

I like Google to use as a search engine and recommend it my students. I looked over Google Scholar and will add this to our list of search engines as it will be great for our AP and HOSA classes. I use Picasa for my personal picture editing program and really enjoy it. iGoogle was had fun to set up and I will use it at home but don't see a way at this time to use it at school along with some of the other Google applications. The new Google Earth 5.0 is great. You can use older pictures of the same place plus the Ocean has been added! I can see this being incorporated into some of our classes

Thing #6 MashUps Etc.

I took way to much time checking out all the things you can do with pictures! I can see us using all these and more applications to customize pictures for digital book talks. Below are several I played with this afternoon on pictures from my own collection and from Flickr.

Mosaic Maker

WarholizerCelebrity Pics (Dumpr.net)Bead Art

Thing #5 - Flickr

I have looked through Flickr before as my daughter-in-law has an account for her photography business. I would love to use some of her pictures but they are not available through Creative Commons. It was fun searching the different catagories for pictures I can use in my future digital book talks. I finally decided to find a picture we could use in our 9th Grade Jeopardy Orientation Game . This one will be great as a "True /False" question. -- False - We do allow water in the library!

Thing #4 Registration

Registered today!

Thing #3 Avatar Update

My Avatar works! It wasn't my computer it was the operator ( shucks!). As I was looking through the other player's blogs I found several with avatars that were working so I did what any kid would do and I started pushing buttons. I clicked on tools under the avatar square and then the Rich Text button and then save. And Presto! It appeared!

Thing #3 Blogs and Avatars

Making an Avatar reminded me of when I used to play paper dolls growing up. It was so much fun to try on all the outfits, I must have saved a dozen different avatars! I think I uploaded it correctly but I an not sure, as I can not see anyone's avatar on my computer today. It was working yesterday but that was before my husband cut the DSL cable last night when raising the sprinkler heads in our yard! Yes, after two trips to Home Depot the cable is fixed....but no avatars today!

Thing #2 Life Long Learners

I did it! I made a blog and now I am writing my first post! I read through the 7.5 Habits Of Highly Successful Learners http://www.plcmc.org/public/learning/player.html and most of them I can relate to fairly easily and see myself doing. Having the self confidence to be a effective learner is something I sometimes struggle with. Will I be smart enough? Can I figure it out? Can I come up with a name for this Blog? I tend to worry about the little things and not concentrate on the end product. As I work through these 23 things, my goal is to think positive and start small. The easiest thing about being a life long learner is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I guess I learned this through the examples my father set for me growing up; something I never really thought about until now. My dad who is 85 years old, naturally accepts responsibility for his own learning. If something needs to be fixed he finds a way to fix it. It may take several tries and he may get frustrated but he never gives up. When he discovers his answer, he is always excited about what he has learned -- the frustrations and joys-- and can't wait to share what he learned with other people. I wonder if the kids today, give up too easily because we haven't taught them that learning is their responsiblity?