Thing 23

This has been the very best summer class I have taken since 1968! I have learned so much, understand so much more than I did before, and have all kind of new ideas and projects to use with my students. I just know this will be a great school year!

As a visual arts teacher I now can create wonderful projects like my new picture of myself-how to do this can be found on our library resource page under curriculum (http://librestechsbisdcurr.pbworks.com/)

I can't wait to see what my students can do after going to this site.

Thank you our computer masters for giving me new respect for all those blogger out there.

Thing 22

I am already a member of a NING group, http://arted20.ning.com/ ,is a site I joined last year and I have really enjoyed the interacting much like what I saw on Educator Ning and Ning for Teachers.
I have not tried to put assignment up for students to view, do, then have me grade. I read several accounts on the Educator Ning where teachers were doing this. I thought this was an interesting way to give assignments but I wondered what a teacher would do with students who do not have a computer nor have access to one. We do interactive history notebooks at mt school and mt art students come in before and after school to use my student computer to complete these assignments. What would happen to them I wonder if I put my art assignments on a NING?I think it would go the way of the homework assignments that I post of my teacher wesite-they don't look at it.
It is a new world out there.

Thing 21

See below-I was able to finish this with help from Vaughn! Word to the wise-read your comments!!!!


I did not have the necessary downloads on my computer nor could I get photostory 3 to download.(my compter got almost throught then said it had found an error) I did a search on my computer-found what my compter said was photostory-saved it to my desktop using the directions as stated on Library2Play after I saw no where to upload to a blog. I looked through everything on the site I was using-still no upload to blog. Could send in email-upload to an mp3 player but no blog. I still have what I created from my own pictures plus text,plus music on my desktop-tried adding it through gadgets-none worked-tried the other site in library2play-those wouldn't work either. (I left it trying to upload through gadget photo for over 2 hours!) So I did the assignment-used a few photos I took in Italy but here they sit on my desktop. I loved being able to use pictures I had, add text, add music then have a finished product-BUT-I could not do anything with what I spent all afternoon on except save it to my desktop. The icon shows a photo of a cartoon family with an arrow pointing to the right surounded by a round rainbow. Does that mean anything to anyone??? If I were a kid-I would have given up-but I have spend another hour trying to figure out how to upload when there was no upload on my site nor was I able to go from Library2Play highlighted instruction to anything like what was on their video podcasts. The fact that it was stated that this was on my computer was not correct. Very frustrated but still enjoyed the creating part!
I did have the necessary things-I just didn't know where they were-I did a search and finally up popped Photostory 3 so if you have problems-contact me and I can help you. As the Beatles said "I get by with a little help from my friends!"
Thank you FRIENDS!

Thing 20 part two

Very intersting-I finally got my information to join Million Masterpiece.
Seems they are blocked from SBISD email-but when I finally got to play and paint, I discovered that this site is linked to Picasa, the site I just embedded into my blog.

Thing 20

This was a great assignment and lots of fun-this was my favorite Picasa like Picasso.
I can see a vaule in using Utube and teacher tube for getting information across to student in a way they know better than me!

Picasa

Thing 19

I enjoyed this exercise and learned a lot. I checked out the travel and food, and will go back to these sites. I will use with my students two sites, Million Masterpiece and Visual Complexity Color. These two were by far the best of what was under visual arts. What a crime that an add for a paint company (Color Blender) was ranked one and it had several suggestive advertisements on it page at the top-right where my 8th graders would have zoomed in. The last site Swivel should be under business not art. I would never have included this site nor the one ranked #1. Even though Benjamin Moore paint is the best.
Have been waiting to get an ok for Million Masterpiece so I can join in and paint-so far I have not gotten a password back-but the rest of the site is worth the look.

Thing 18

I did not like Open Office at all-I found it to be hard to follow and very little there that I would find useful for me or my classroom. I just didn't get it. After I registered, I thought I must be on the wrong page since it was nothing like what I had read. I guess I need some one on one to get this site.
Google Doc on the other hand was much easier and right away I found all kind of documents, templates, etc. that I will use. The more I played around the more I like it and have added it to delicious. For me, this was a much easier site to use.

Anyone know how to get more than one tab open at a time?

Question

Can Google gagets be added to district web pages?? I really love the Art of the Day.

Thing 17

Rollyo looked great-I made my own list then the fun began when I tried to link it to this blog. Zip. I also had to get going between rollyo and what I was searching for since my computer only allows one thing opened at a time-I finally did all of my searches-pasted them to a word document, then trasferred to my roll. I also could not get it to add another person's roll to mine dispite what the video showed. Once again written directions would help more than a video.
As a result-I doubt that I would use this in my classroom althought I can see how usefull it can be-no worries about students changing the search filters on your computer.
http://rollyo.com/editroll.html?sid=561934 Here is what I did but this is just a cut and paste-not a link. It is called Gooder's Museums.

This is cool

I'm taking care of my 94 year old father today so I showed him my blog. He was very interested in how I had added things to the computer espically when I explained how you can take a picture, download it to a computer-then print the pictures out.
His comment was "Good Night-What next". If he only knew!

Thing 16

Love the Wiki-what a great tool to connect students in other classes doing the same projects. Can also see using this for conference planning and in services. My favorite Wiki was Book Lovers-I could spend a lot of time here so I put it on delicious!
Think I will sign up for wetpaint-that sounds like an arty one.

Thing 15

library 2.0-I think that we are on the cusp of making our students more interested in school and helping them retain what they are learning. I want now to go look at Open World Cat and see what have been created since the article I read was published. I also like the quote that the library is a social and emotional center while 2.0 is a strategy guide. Also the overcrowded classes like they showed in the video is much like the way I went to school and my sons did. We must change how we teach to meet the iPhone, blogging, facebook generation. Both my sons are in careers that are new and they totally use computers in their line of work. They blog, facebook, twitter and use RSS every day. I hear my students talking this way and I now see ways of sparking their interest. They are like the girl in the video with the sign I am a multi-tasker.
But me, I will always need a "collection" of books-I like to read them and re-read and to go to the library and picks them out.
My nieces do not do this-they use Kendal's or download to their ipods and keep up with the latest books.
I still prefer Libraries.

Thing 15

Can't start thing 15-my computer keeps shutting down-now it tells me it has a problem with yahoo and delicious as well as internet explorer. I guess someone who had to go from SMU to TCU just to see what computers were all about and to be on a computer for the first time is now cursed to be on speed dial for SBISD Geek!!!

Thing 14

So now I am getting mad at my dell-I just got knocked off again by Internet explorer-this is getting tiresome. I've cleared cookies and history but still get getting the problem error message.
Anyhow I made an interesting discovery. I went back to prior things and added them to delicious and tagged them. I get it now. Funny thing is that the hospital where I am working (brought my 94 year old father in for an outpatient check) blocked several of the web sites that are on the list.
I found Technorati to be interesting and fun. I checked out several art sites and fun videos which have kept me entertained while I wait. I don't plan on becoming a big blogger so I didn't want to register my site-I like having it in house with fellow teachers
I just don't know if I would continue to use this site. (I do have it on delicious)

I also solved another problem I have had with my lap top. I would be typing along and suddenly my curser would be somewhere else on the page because I touched the screen below the keyboard. I made a trading card-printed it on index paper-cut it out-and tapped it over the screen-YEA-no more messed up typing! I am one of those people who just has to have a mouse!

Question

Is anyone else having internet explorer problems? I need getting messages that it needs to close down or that I need to work off line. It has taken me awhile to do Thing 13 as a result of this.
Am I putting too much on this school computer by joinging so many websites?
I do defrag and remove cookies-any other ideas?

Thing 13

I tried delicious but by the time I got them, I didn't remember all the steps and had to go back. Again this is a problem for a tactile visual learner like me. I really need a book to go with this not just watch a video then go do it.

I found the selections under art to be pretty weak but I will try several sights. I need find a few artists that I had not heard of and enjoyed on of the artists featured in Wired. I tried to add it to my RSS but again did not remember the steps and I hadn't signed up for delicious yet so I couldn't bookmark it there. I just don't spend this much time on my computer and it seems as if my computer is running slower and freezes more. Igoogle freese every time I leave it so I now sign out of it as a vistor to my site recommended-Thanks! I need all the help I can get.

I can also see how tagging would help you find things quicker, so I will keep at it. I am going to start a journel of steps for each section. Will go back a re-read taking notes how to do what I have already done.

I am not sure that I would really use this service-I could I guess use it as a homework source for my pre-ap class but I don't see how this is better than just saving to favorites. Remember this is all new to me.

Thing 12

Here is a news and tech site that I found interesting
http://technorati.com/blogs/mashable.com
Had no idea Google was going for their own operating system.

And another one that I def. found useful
http://technorati.com/blogs/artjunction.org%2Fblog

I looked over several of the suggestive sites-most were interesting-a few I honestly thought were a bit full of themselves. One thing I learned-was to be honest and open-invite comments-ask questions and my favorite was from Blue Skunk-don't be a troll. But I was a troll, since he no longer allows comments! I enjoyed his writing style and openness.
I see now looking at most of my postings that I am short with responses and am not really saying a lot. So I am off to view others.
I must say that Confused in Suburbia really heped me when I first started this project and that Mamalibearian has given me wonderful feedback. I also checked out two of my best buds (Schock's blog and Schocking news) from school and found their web sites to be so much like themselves.
Will continue to add to this section.

Thing 11

This could be useful but I am not so sure that I would keep up with it-I rarely do book clubs and I had trouble listing some of my favorite books-I even used title and author and some still could not be found.
I did enjoy75 Book Challenge and What are You Reading-I could see myself checking in with them from time to time.
I'm always with a book or several.

Thing 10 part 2

woodle is so much fun-I just printed out a new cover for a national report-I will def. use this one in my classroom but only in English-I must know what words they are using.

Thing 10

I love the comic strip site-I can see 6th graders creating some really funny things. For my pre-ap class, I could see then working with glogster to create a graphic image which they could then turn into something else. Some of the other like image chef was just too cute for me.
http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/ this is the comic strip
See mine below art of the day!

http://www.glogster.com/ is glogster

Thing 9

I liked Syndic 8 and added a site called Free technology for teachers to my google reader and igoogle (yes it is still there! Just hope I can still see the cool google logo changes on special days)
I thought topixnet was too weird-don't need my students to be reading about what a homosexual demon is-don't think this is an appreciate site.
Too many of these just didn't look that interesting.
I will use Atomic learning-I found this to be by far the best site of the one's you suggested.

Thing 8

Just talked to my sons-both use RSS in their work so i am glad to have learned something new. did try on the 4th to add a few sites but it didn't work so I need to go back and reread the directions.


I can see where RSS could help core teacher to keep up with the latest information. As for me, I prob. wouldn't use it that much but I did add it to my igoogle page which won't go away!
I found searching for sites to be a bit harder than the video claimed and some things open wihile others don't. I do believe that I will need to use it more to fully understand.
As a visual learner-I get real frustrated when I can't have written instruction in front of me. Don't show me a video or tell me how to do something and then expect me to remember the steps-I need to see it and do it before I get it!!!!!

So far I like the playing card the best and the add ons for a blog. Just wonder if anyone is out there looking at this.

Thing 7 part two part two AGAIN!

Ok now the freezing bit is becoming a pain-I just did another update but now-igoogle froze so I need to figure out how to get rid of it.
igoogle did put this link on my page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFAVxaEc9JQ.
If you haven't seen Francois Macre's version of Jackson's Thriller-then you are missing a great take off on this popular song.
I would keep igoggle but I can't keep re-starting.

Thing 7

I thought igoggle was pretty cool until I realize that it had taken over my computer and then everything froze hmm not cool. Not sure if it is my wireless of the distirct Dells, but my locks up why too often.
Picasso is a great web way to share pictures-I have lots of friens who send me their summer pics this way and it is easy to view.