Thing # 11

I experimented with the Flickr Letter Pool below. It was fun to create, although it took me a few times to get the letters to paste in order. I finally just did them vertically, which doesn't make much sense :). I also made a mosaic with Mosaic Maker of my niece, Emma. We have so many photos of her so it was easy to create. The photo generators could be so useful in the classroom. You could use the letter pool when working with vocabulary or use them to embellish student autobiographies. The mosaic maker, photo cube, or Warholitzer would be fun for students to use with reports or presentations. They could also use personal photos to share on class blogs. My students would instantly fall in love with these photo generators! I could upload pics from field trips, play day, or other activities and have them use a generator to document our memories.

Thing # 10

This task was by far the most difficult for me! I should have read about difficulties that other bloggers had first, but I tried to give it a go on my own. After working on this for several hours, I think I figured it out. I had trouble with Rockyou.com so I switched to Slide.com and I finally got it to work. At least now I can create another slideshow if needed. I really used more photos than I wanted to, but it was just easier to select all of them. I chose to use my Vegas photos and some from Gharbally on Flickr Creative Commons. I'm choosing to look at this task as fun overall even though it was pretty frustrating. I didn't even know who to ask for help since the task is so taylored to our individual needs. In other words, I would need someone literally standing beside me to see what's going on and try to help me to fix the problem.

Thing # 9

What a blast I had with Flickr! I learned how to search out photos in Flickr Creative Commons which is where I found this one uploaded by Mootsie. She is a mother who enjoys photography as a hobby, however, some of her photos have made it into country magazines. I thought it was an appropriate pic for the upcoming 4th of July weekend. It is called "Teaching By Example".

There are so many places for Flickr in education. On one of the websites we visited on assignment, I read the teachers suggested uses. The assignment had students find pictures to illustrate different words for walking. Another teacher posted student products and I got a kick out of one student that created a pizza that would teach trig.! I also want to steal the idea of using pics for writing prompts and I'll be passing that idea along to my team. Being a member will be so helpful in the future. My sister is already on Flickr so now I can access the pictures she took on my wedding day at the beach! I'm sure I will be using those for several projects this summer.

Thing # 8

I'm fascinated by the concept for Creative Commons. The copyright laws have always been vague and unclear for me, yet I'm afraid of infringement. Our kind librarian does a presentation in the fall of each year and I always am comforted by the fair use portion. I, then, go on my merry way in hopes that I do not have to concern myself with it. However, I'm missing out on great educational tools. With cc, I'm able to branch out and explore without worry to enhance lessons for my classroom. I checked out directories and search tool as well. The sight is incredibly easy to navigate through and find what you need. The brains behind this site were right on target and I'm thankful they took the challenge of creating a headquarters with which to share creativity with the world.

Thing # 7

Commenting-it shouldn't be that hard! I usually have something to say all day long, but blogging feels differently. Adding a comment during this point in my lack of experience feels a little forced and awkward. I know I will feel more comfortable at it as I go. I just want to sound genuine, I guess. If the blogger I'm reading is giving information that is new, I can inquire or clarify about the info given. If he/she is sharing feelings or venting, I can offer support or agreement. I see the importance of it: to have continued dialogue, receive informative feedback or just to relate to someone with similar interests. The most difficult times for me to comment was on the blogs from my google reader. I feel really distant from these sites, so I guess it feels a little funny. I'm sure the owner's of the blogs do read the comments and find them helpful from time to time.

Thing # 6

I've been enjoying checking up on sites through Google Reader. It's much more efficient and provides the ease of quick skimming when in a hurry. One of my favorites is Flickr Most Interesting Photos. It's like a little vacation from the business and information overload of other sites. Another feed I read is Moving at the Speed of Creativity. Mr. Fryer just blogged about a hilarious incident where his arm, backpack w/laptop etc. got caught outside the train or Metro! Luckily the door opened and everything worked out okay. Otherwise, I just get updates on NYT health and some of the other educational sites. I'm glad summer school wrapped up yesterday so I can focus on my 23 things with more consistency. I guess you can say I'm looking forward to some summer Internet surfing without interruptions or distractions.