Thing # 9

What fun!! There were so many different online image generators to play with. For my first choice, I used the Custom Sign Generator. I tried several different choices and really liked the special effects one. This is a picture I took last summer in Corpus Christi at a shop by the beach. I love my digital camera!! I used the stars effect to make this a truly magical picture. First I downloaded a picture from my computer, then I chose the effect. To save the image, I right-clicked onto the image to save as. I saved it on my computer and then used the "add image" button on this post to attach it.


My second choice was the Happy Face Generator.What a cute idea to put into emails!!! I really did like it. It was pretty easy. Once I figured how to put the image where I wanted it, everything was fine. This one is very straight forward, you just follow the directions, but remember to "save as" on your computer, then you can use it whenever you want. I can see using these image generators at school and for my personal use.

I also really liked the Image Chef . I had some more fun with a picture of my favorite cat, Jasmine. Isn't she sweet?? This one took a while, because I couldn't decide which picture to use. I got a message on several that I tried to use, that the picture was too large, so I just tried another one till I got it right. On this one, you could choose the color of the writing and the background. You could also choose the text and the shape of the cutout. You did have to crop the picture to make it fit right. Then, of course, save it to your computer and there you go. Another really cool effect!!


So, I guess that is the end of my playing with the online image generators. It is very addicting, as I have done nothing today, but play on my computer!!

Thing # 8

My creation
Originally uploaded by jkkita

Okay, I think I get it now!!! This was easy and fun. I figured out what was throwing me off....it was the URL. I couldn't figure out where to get it and then I just looked up at the http and there it was!!! Duh!

I really liked the mosaic link. I could see taking pictures and making the mosaic to add to the school department blog that I am thinking of starting. I just like the look of it. I also tried out the puzzle link. It was really cool and you could order pictures for gifts for friends!! The Mappr looked interesting also. Students could add their vacation pictures to a social studies blog and then Mappr could be used to show were everyone went for vacation. What a cool back to school activity!! The possibilities are endless.

Thing # 7--Part 1

Jasmine with bow
Originally uploaded by jkkita

This is part of Thing # 7, using Flickr, which has become exceedingly frustrating for me! I hope I am doing this correctly, because the first time I tried to do it, I posted a weird post that I didn't know that I was doing and I don't know how to delete it. This is my cat, Jasmine, who is very smart, thinks she is a dog, and walks on a leash. She also thinks she is the most beautiful cat in the world. The remainder of my Thing # 7 post will be on a usual post. I don't know what the results of this attempt will be!!!!

Thing # 7--Part 2

This is the rest of Thing #7. The first post did work out and I was able to post a picture from Flickr. I was also able to delete the test Flickr post that I did that I didn't want! So, that was good. I watched the Flickr video and agree that the program seems to be a great way to back up pictures. I was excited to try it out, but did have some difficulties. I decided to choose option #2. I downloaded 5 pictures of Jasmine, tagged them, made a set, and sent one of them to the 23 Thingsters group. That part was easy. The hard part was posting the picture to my blog. I think I need a little more practice on that part because posting that picture was pretty accidental and I don't know if I can do it again!!! This is the most frustrating thing to do for me so far.

I will use Flickr for my personal pictures, especially my scouting pictures. I searched the tags for Boy Scouts of America and found many, many pictures. I think this would be a great way to share pictures of scouting and meet new friends. I have never used another photo hosting service, so I don't have anything to compare. I will probably look at some of the others, just for fun. I don't mind having pictures of my cat out there for everyone to see, but I will be careful about other pictures due to privacy concerns.

Thing # 6

Oh, my gosh! Such fun!!! I couldn't stop with just one site, but kept on looking. I started out with HairMixer. It was really fun, but without much educational purpose other than Cosmotology. I enjoyed playing around with it and came up with some pretty zany hairstyles! I do know that I will keep my hair long because I look like a boy with short hair. Next, I moved on to Biblio.com because I read about it on ParmentersPlace. I also found a book that I have been searching for at my favorite used book store, Paperbacks Plus, in downtown Mesquite. It was part of a trilogy that I have been waiting to read until I found book two, since I already had books one and three. I was very impressed with Lulu. It opened all sorts of possibilities of publishing a book or calendar. If I were teaching English, I would investigate that site a little more to see if it was feasible for class projects. But, my favorite site of all was Pandora. What a wonderful way to set up music for personal use and for the classroom! I can imagine having students do creative writing assignments to various types of music. You could play music to calm students down during testing. Art teachers could have students paint to various types of music. When school starts, I will set up music stations to play in my office while I am writing all of those reports! This was my favorite thing so far!!!

Thing # 5

Hmmmm.....lots of food for thought. I read several of the Web 2.0 articles, but my favorite was "New Literacies: Enrichment or Essential?" My answer to the question would be "essential". In this new age of technology, the opportunities for creativity are endless. Kids today have been around computers their entire lives, so they are not afraid of technology. If I were in the classroom, I would definitely jump in with both feet and use Web 2.0 as much as possible. The stories you could create in English class! It is overwhelming in many respects to think of every thing that is out there in the web to learn and use. I do believe that the use of Web 2.0 in schools is a very important, and necessary, teaching tool.

Thing #4

After reading several of the resources for commenting, I am thinking that this post will be a work in progress. The 10 commandments of commenting gave me much food for thought. Being polite, positive, and basically nice in comments is a definite must, it seems. I have always thought sometimes emails can be misconstrued because it is hard to convey your tone or mood in just your written words. Apparently, blogging can be the same way. I guess that is where the smiley faces and extra exclamations points help!!! :-) The other resource that made me think was the one about the ten techniques to get more comments on your blog. Since I haven't received any comments yet on my blogs, I was wondering what the deal was...... I will use some of the techniques to get if I can get a nibble. But, then, maybe everyone is waiting to comment just like I am---until I get a better idea of what I am doing!! Is anyone else feeling this way??

I am still having fun, though. I really like this class! :-)

Now, for the completion of Thing # 4: I believe that commenting definitely adds to the feeling of community within the group. It makes the blogger feel that someone out there cares about what she/he has written. The back and forth conversations simply connect the bloggers with each other. In this class, reading the blogs of the other participants has helped me figure out what I am doing. It has made me feel a part of the total group. I can see how having a department blog at a school would open the lines of communication tremendously.

Two points from the readings about commenting that I found important are: #1 : "read before you write" because it is so very important not to skim the surface of the blog, but carefully read the entire blog and think about what the writer means so that you don't make false inferences and #2: "write a meaningful blog, let the writer know that you hear them" because everyone needs to feel validated and important. Since there is no eye contact involved in blogging, it is important that we let the writer know that we "get" what they are saying and value their words.

I commented on GALLOWAY because, first of all I know him, was a Cub Scout leader with him, and haven't talked to him in a long time, and secondly, because he has having trouble getting his avatar and I wanted to help him. I also commented on Loving Summer. I told her that I really liked her idea about having students who are reading the same books, but are at different schools, blog each other about them. Next, I commented on Ms. Brownie because I taught with her at MHS and never knew that she was called Ms. Brownie by that student. I commented on Tara Johnson's site about the HairMixer--I agreed that it was a lot of fun and easy to use. The final class site that I commented on was Kimberly's Korner because it is SO beautiful and she has music and everything on it. I want to be just like her!!! I was so impressed with her blog list that I looked a some of the blogs. I used two of them for my non-class blogs. I commented on Devin Dakota's Journey which is the story of a precious little girl born with some problems. I wish the family the best and we should all keep them in our prayers. Finally, I commented on The Good, The Bad, and the Fugly about her little girl's pretty eyes that changed from blue, to green, to brown!!

Now, my Thing # 4 (a work in progress) is through..............

Thing #3

I registered my blog and it only took one day to receive my welcome email. I was excited and thrilled to see my blog name in print on the sidebar. This is such fun!! Now, for how I plan to use my blog.... Since I am not in the classroom, I obviously cannot use the blog in a conventional, classroom type setting. I can see several other uses for the blog other than with students. One possibility I am considering is communication and/or team building with the special education department at my school. Our department isn't very large, but with everything that goes on during the school day, this might be an excellent way to touch base with each other. Another idea is a diagnostician blog. We diagnosticians are always calling each other to discuss testing scenarios, vent about our frustrations, and pick each other's brains for solutions to problems. Why not blog instead of call?? Then we could all help each other since we are all dealing with the same issues. I will think some more, but I am pretty sure that I will try to get both of these ideas going when school starts....maybe before!

Thing #2

Woo hoo!! I have a blog....complete with a pretty close representation of me on my avatar. Learning something new every day!! My avatar fits me because I love camping and have been involved in Boy Scouts of America for over 20 years. I am getting a late start on this project because I spent the week of June 7-14 at Mark Twain National Forest with about 600 other Boy Scouts, Arrowmen of the Order of the Arrow to be exact, in the forest, camping, and working on a service project. The project was clearing out cedar trees which were overtaking the glades of the forest. My job, along with my husband and 10 other Scout leaders from around the country, was to prepare a feast every evening for 600 hungry Scouts.....in the woods, without a kitchen!!! That was quite an experience, I will never forget. It was a challenge. I learned a lot.

But, I must say this: figuring out how do make my blog and get my avatar exported was just as much of a challenge!!! But, I did get it done. And, without any help from my son, so I am really proud of myself. It really was a fun learning experience. I am getting more and more excited about this whole process. I can see how well the blog could work in the classroom. I am the diagnostician at my school, so I am not in the classroom, but I am going to encourage our teachers to use blogs. I also plan to use this idea with Scouts. Our district includes troops from three counties, so this would be a great way to communicate!

Thing #1

After overcoming my initial fear of the unknown, I am now BLOGGING!!! I can't believe it. However since, I really, really like to do things in order, my first blog will be, Thing #1. I am a firm believer in lifelong learning. I certainly know more now, after 35 years as an educator, than I did that first year I taught 3rd grade in Hereford, Texas! Many years, many students, many fellow teachers, and many summers later, I am still learning. I am excited about this class because there is so much freedom in the learning. When considering the 7 1/2 habits, I must say the easiest for me is Habit #71/2--Play. I have always been good at that. I believe that the more fun you have when learning, the more you will learn...and remember what you learned. The hardest for me would have to be Habit #4, for sometimes I am not as confident as I would like to be as I begin to learn something new.

So, here goes.....I am jumping in with both feet!!! Let's begin JJ's summer time fun!!!