Flickr Fun -- Thing 9

I think Montagr sounds like fun. I can see us using it to create posters or blog entries of library events. EXCEPT that it is blocked as a "gaming" site. AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! Is there some kind of techno-facism running rampant? I mean I'm all for protecting the integrity of our network, but sheesh!

Anway, I used the Flickr Spell, and had some fun with my blog. I'm really excited about blogging. I think schools could use blog sites as portfolios to keep track of student work. Writing teachers could use them for literature response journal entries or reflections. I'd love to see our teachers start using blogs with students.

Thing 8

I spent an inordinate amount of time on this thing. I fancied myself a bit of an amateur photographer. Now, I know the emphasis is on amateur. There are many talented photographers with beautiful pictures on Flickr. It could be a lot of fun just checking and browsing here.

I've always been frustrated when trying to share pictures with my friends and family because of the size limit of email attachments.

That problem has been solved!

I'm delighted to find out about Flickr and will use and share it with my family.

As far as posting images to my blog. I soon became frustrated. I began talking to myself, arguing with the monitor, and casting about the library for a techie kid who could bail me out (a secret weapon I've used in the past). Unfortunately, only the bookish ones were out and about during my melt down. (They're a little worried about me).

Finally I was able to post my Hermit Crab picture to my blog only by selecting it from my USB drive. I could not use the Flickr URL to save my life. I also couldn't find my pic on Flickr unless I was logged into my account and looking at my photostream. I never did see the "blog this" link.

If anyone can set me straight on this, I could use some help. Thanks!

Thing 7

Which method of finding feeds did you find easiest to use? I really liked Google's bloglines search. It was easy to use, and I found what I was looking for. I was able to find a book talk podcast RSS that I've subscribed to. I also did an Itunes search to download that podcast onto a computer for broadcast to our students during their homeroom time.
Which Search tool was the easiest for you? Technorati was blocked at our school. Again with the blocking! Syndic8 was too hard for me to use. I liked Topix for news.

What kind of useful feeds did you find in your travels? I'm most excited about my New Yorker, Poetry, and Book Talk feeds. I'm going to lurk and listen for a while, and then try to broadcast some using Itunes and an Averkey.

What other tools or ways did you find to locate newsfeeds? Using Itunes worked for me because I already have CNN Student News running as a feed which we broadcast to the school during their homeroom time.

I think I will find RSS feeds as an efficient way to keep up on topics of interest to me and my students. It is so much information to absorb and understand that I'm not sure I have a grasp of just what this stuff is. But I think it's cool! And I'm ready to explore.

Thing 6

Now RSS has some exciting potential. I have to confess that as a bit of a sci-fi/fantasy geek, I'm more comfortable keeping track of imaginary happenings rather than the mundane reality.

I have hope for RSS to transform my woefully lacking current events knowledge. Currently, I browse headlines from a local news station on the web. Radio and TV are too sporadic. Newspapers are unweildy and messy. Magazines are loaded with slant/opinion. Now I have hope for getting just the facts on all sorts of interesting topics at my fingertips. I'll look at them on my terms, not some arbitrary TV schedule.

I like the RSS thing. I will continue to use it. It will just take time for it to become a habit.

Thing 5

Since I can only access IM at home. I haven't been able to do much with it. I usually only check it between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m. I'm afraid this mode of communication isn't working for me. I wonder if one can connect an internet IM service to your cell phone?

I am checking into Tapped In which looks like a way for teachers to use Chat in the classroom. I'm excited to see what our teachers can do with Tapped In. Right now I'm looking for a few of our teachers who can pilot the project. I do have some teachers using epals to set up a protected, moderated classroom blog. I hope to have some positive feedback for that soon. I'm planning/hoping to share some of these ideas at our district training sessions. But first I need some teachers with demonstrated success.

I had a misconception that my "young" teachers would jump on this new technology. Actually it's a veteran teacher and a 30-something like me who've been the change agents.

I'll keep you posted about the success of these projects.

To IM or not to IM that is the Question

Last night I revived my dusty Yahoo IM account, and dropped Allana a quick line. I used ICQ about 1000 tech years ago. I had forgotten how fun it is to IM. It's more immediate than email. It's more personal than blogging. It is...well, it's chatting, isn't it? It's like sitting down at grandma's kitchen table after school and shooting the breeze. It's responsive and involving and energizing. I can see why the "Cool Cat Teacher" chose it as a method to involve reluctant students in discussion. What a valuable tool for extending conversations and as Cool Cat said, correcting errors in thinking. I really think teachers in classes that promote reflection and discussion should use this tool. See comments on Things 1-3 for the Cool Cat link.

Things 1-3

I flew through Thing 1 and 2. But I hit a road block at Thing 3. All chat and instant messaging features are blocked on school computers. So, there will be no IMing at school. Are we (the establishment) too interested in controlling student interactions that we are stifling the learning process?
What would happen if chat were allowed? Would students IM one another while they were supposed to be typing essays? What if they IMd one another about the essay topic?
What if they IMd their teachers for assignment help?
During Thing 1 we learned that learning doesn't just take place with paper and pencil in neat rows behind the lectern. Now it grows. It is dynamic. It is insidious. It spreads from palm pilot to blackberry like a virus. And it frightens authoritarian figures. It threatens the structure of our hierarchy.
Dare I suggest allowing IM? What chaos would ensue? What anarchy?