THING #15

I don't ever remember this Sandbox playing being as stressful. This was probably one of hardest aspects to grasp and I know I will be doing a lot of reteaching in this area. I spent many hours trying to figure out some of the formatting, being a secretary, I like to use tabs and I did not see that that was an option beside just the bullet format and when I inserted my photo it came it too large and ran off the page and was having a difficult time find the edit prompt. I also encountered a few problems when I droped in nd incorporating other aspects and widgets. I have truly done the bare minimum on this but have worked longer in the Sandbox. I know this is something that I will be working to try to perfect moving around in - I will conquer the "SANDBOX WIKI." This truly is out of my comfort zone. I am planning on doing my own wikispace and continue this "lifelong learning experience."

SUMMARY

What a great learning adventure this has been. I never realized how much is changing in technology. Wow, am I glad my grandkids are going to be a product of the 21st century and the truth is technology will change over and over and over. It is changing at such a rapid pace that I'm amazed how each of the instructors can stay up on these changes. I guess it's true when it is said that change is inevitable. Thank you for allowing me to get out of my comfort zone and self-pace my way to the finish line . The one area of this session that was frustrating for me was the "SANDBOX". (man have sandboxes changed from my day of Sand in a Box)... I know Google Reader will be a valuable asset to me as well as Google Docs and DELICIOUS the bookmarking tool is going to me my New best friend. I can truly understand the frustration of teachers knowing that the format of teaching must change to meet the needs of our students and it is apparent that technology is our Future. Thank you for taking me on this journey.

THING #7b

I was reading the blog on Michael Jackson and all the drama that is associated with the death of a public figure. It's sad to know that even in death, there is so much uncertainty for his children. One has to wonder what he was thinking if he would nominate Diana Ross to serve as the guardian of his children if Katherine could not serve as their guardian. His estate is said to be worth more than $500,000,000. I guess I'm in such "Tech" overload that I decided to read on the lighter side. This has been a sad week with the death of Michael and Farrah.

THING #23

I had never heard of these social networks and was excited to explore their capabilities. I enjoyed exploring the Discussions. It gives me insight into how these networks can be used in the classroom. It is hard to imagine some of this since my job isn't directly related to students and classroom so it helps to get perspective from the teacher . I do worry some about the networking in school because there is always that small percentage that will not adhere to the acceptable use policy and therefore makes it hard to manage. I can see where NING might be useful to a classroom teacher for certain units, and posting assignments as well as the discussion among the students. This is another way for the student to think outside the box and to express in writing what his/her mind is thinking. It is a great way to network and gather information. I can see that maybe NING would be a great social network for families too.

THING #22

I never thought I would be one to enjoy social networking, don't get me wrong...I love socializing and networking, but I have always been afraid of these sites. However, Facebook has become my families networking site. Our schedules are so busy that we do not have time to have long conversations but I can always see what's going on in their lifes. Who would have thought that your grandchildren would enjoy networking with their grandmother. This has been a wonderful communication tool. My grandson is 20 years old and he allows me to be his friend on Facebook. It is amazing how he will comment on photos I have posted or just drop a note to say hi and catch me up with his "social" life. I must say I was concerned with the security on these sites, but I am careful when I post photos or videos that I restrict the view to only friends. This makes me feel a little more comfortable. This aspect of still scares me.

THING #21

I am overwhelmed at everything technology has to offer. I had no idea that Google tools could be so useful not only in my job but in networking my family. The Google Notebook is a great resource tool that I didn't even know existed. This Google Engine is as powerful as the Little Engine that Could. I set up some web albums in Picasa and have shared these with my family. Now that I am getting use to tagging it is a great way to pull photos and share with appropriate family members. I also wanted to network with my kids and their activities, so I have set up a Google Calendar. With two granddaughters in sporting events this is the perfect way for all of us to share our activities and schedule around any activities the kids may have. I believe my family is going to get computer savy before this class is over.

THING #20

My mind is racing... I can really visualize where this application will be a great tool for my office. I am already using the Google Docs with the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents to gather information into the Staff Meeting Agenda each month. The first few months, some of the individuals would prefer calling instead of going into google docs and inserting their agenda items, but after a few months, we are all trained and it is a great tool. The only think I do not like about it is the fact that it does not hold formatting regarding tabs and if it does, please share. I also did a spreadsheet for my husband's family and sent to a contact at each household and they inserted their relative information, i.e., demographics as well as birthdates and email addresses for other siblings. This is a great resourve for the entire family. I can see so much networking that will save time between individual departments that we try to gather. One important form is the telephone and contact list that personnel does. My brain is in overtime now.

THING #19

I can see where teachers would be extremely excited about this application and to see how an entire class could interact and express their thoughts. It is amazing to see all the different technology how it is used to stimulate all children. Since I am not in a classroom sometimes I was a little hesitant with all the technology my grandchildren are exposed to because I felt they need to learn the way we learned and not depend on a gadget.. However, now that I am into so many of the different aspects of what our students are experiencing I can see that this is a new way to motivate and to reach all students. Man, I wish I could be a student now but in a younger body since their minds just pick up on all of this. I can see where voicethread can be used to teach higher level thinking skills and to help students who have a hard time writing down their thoughts to be able to verbally express those thoughts. Here is a site that I found regarding intersting ways to use wordle, voicethread, and ninento DS in the classroom.

THING #18

I could get lost in this assignment. Your searches are unlimited on this application. For my job related video, I found the following Steve Jobs MacWorld 2008 instructional YouTube on Keynotes and there are a series of these tutorial You Tubes. Dr. Henrie is wanting us to move from Powerpoint to Keynotes since the presentations are crisper and brighter and graphics are eye catchers. However, I am having a hard time finding instruction on this and this YouTube seems to fit my need perfectly. I enjoy scrapbooking and find that this seems to help me be a little creative when doing presentations for work so I bookmarked this YouTube on scrapbooking. I have really not taken time to scroll around in You Tube until this assignment and now see why my grandchildren can spend hours on this site. The choices or limitless. However, for my fun or nostalgic site anytime Simon can be at a loss for words it is worth capturing, so I picked the Britain's has Talent with Susan Boyle. I think I could become addicted to surfing You Tube.

THING #17

Podcasts is an interesting concept. Who would have thought that we would return to the days when sitting around the radio and listening to weekly shows would return on an individual basis. I listened to Grammar Girl and enjoyed it and could see where teacher's could use this in their classroom setting. I loved The Dragon Page Podcasts and the fact that it is a discussion type of podcast regarding education and school issues. For my job, podcasts would have to be more job related. However, I found several podcasts that I have subscribed to through Itunes. I subscribed to the CNBC Radio Highlights as well as the TVs the Girl Girl. The first I subscribed to to keep me updated on what's happening in our country since I have a hard time finding time to tune intthat I am excited about is Storynomy which is story books for kids. I plan on getting my grandchildren interested in listening and then recapping the story to see what they comprehended.

THING #16

This Library Thing is way cool. What happened to the days of going to the library and browsing all the card catalogs to find your book and cross reference by the author. I would have never thought that it is now at your fingertip and you never have to leave your house..not even to purchase the book if you own a "KINDLE." I do not see too large of an impact on my job through the Library Thing. However, I can see where the classroom teacher and students will love this and the time it will save searching for a particular books through the use of the tags. I love John Steinbeck and reading through the list of his books made me want to take time to enjoy a book and get back to reading for relaxation.

THING #14

What is a Wiki... I have been listening for months when the administrators have returned from one of the technology trainings and hearing all about wikis, now I can say I understand a wiki. What a great tool for the classroom teachers to encourage group projects and collaboration and networking. As I read through these wikis I immediately thought of my grandchildren that are in school. This would truly encourage all the students to think outside the box and to become active participants in group projects. I loved the Salute to Seuss, and to think that the final result came from the culmination of talents from PK through Sixth graders. I am amazed at the creativity that this activity cultivates.

I can see where this could be useful in administration, especially when we are working on certain large projects and have several people working on the same concept. This is the way we could track all the changes in one place instead of everyone submitting changes and having to combine the changes to one document. My mind is still spinning on thinking of ways we can collaborate and make this a useful tool in our office. I think I can..I think I can.. I know I can...

THING #13

Well, I know know that delicious doesn't mean a dessert. Glad I got that cleared up. Now on to business, I am trying to get accustomed to the aspect of tagging; visually, I can see where it will be very beneficial. I have been in the habit of filing my bookmarks into category folders, so this is just fine tuning and will give me a little more flexibility with searches and finding different sites. The sites I have bookmarked are the state websites, i.e., TRS, TASB, UIL, TEA, and several MISD sites along with some tutorial sites for computer technology resources. While searching through I found an interesting site for iphones which I bookmarked as well. And like a kid in school, I didn't read the entire directions before I took the bull by the horns and got in the ring.. and I exported my bookmarks from one of my computers. I am very excited to know that I will know have access to my sites at other computers, this was always a frustration to me.

THING 7a

I am interested in receiving updates regarding Mesquite. I have a feed from the Dallas Morning News for Mesquite. It is nice to read some of the good things happening in Mesquite. The one feed that I probably would have overlooked just skimming the newspaper at night was the article regarding the school bond ratings of AA. Another site I subscribe to is The City of Mesquite. However, this is not through a true feed it is through email. Through these notifications, I am aware of what is going on in the City of Mesquite regarding possible crimes that I otherwise might be oblivious too. Through the feeds, my husband has learned to be a little "computer savy" because he keeps up with the Stock Market.

THING #12

This is FOCUSED PLAY for me. I am loving all of the sites and can see where I can really let my creative side flow throuw. The Blabberize is going to be one of my favorite toys for the computer. Watch out "PEEPS" I can really spice up some presentations.. The other application I can find myself utilizing both at work and at "play" is Picnik and Wordle is going to proof to be very helpful in some of my presentations. After exploring PollDaddy I can visualize where it might be useful in some areas of our organization, but my mind is in overload and this one will require more than focused play for me. I am so excited to experience these applications for work as well as home. Who knows I might be able to teach my grandchildren something on the computer. Won't they be impressed that their Nonnie is learning technology too!

THING #12

THING 12

THING #11

I am really excited about this Thing 11. I have played around in some of these programs, however, being able to understand what I was doing is really getting me pumped up to take it to another learning. I love the creative aspect of each of these sites. Being a Uverse subscriber for cable, the Flickr photos play directly onto my TV which is great when we are together and I'm able to play all the pictures for the family. The Mosaic Maker is one of my favorite and the spell with Flickr is just a fun application as well as the Happy Face generator. Now, if I can find, no I will make the time to get familiar with all of these sites. My brain is in overdrive!