Thing 8 Slideshows

I made a slideshow on Thumbstacks. Fought and fought until I realized that the background slide is for all of them. It's a touchy program and deletes things when you're not looking. I liked finding all the slideshow/PowerPoints that are available. Very neat. Zoho was really easy to use. I couldn't get it to access my Flickr account, but once I found my pictures file on my computer, I was glad to see that I didn't have to start from scratch after adding a picture. it takes you right back to the file you were in! I also noticed that you can rearrange slides by dragging them. Not the case in Thumstacks, although neither seems to let you add a slide. Zoho will let you create a copy next to any slide, which you could then clear and make into a new one. I also like that you can tag your presentation. it made it easy to find mine. I found the whole site very easy to use with many options!!

Thing 7 Communication Tools

Thing 7 was more of a review, and some welcome explanations, of things I already know something about. My main problem with any email and IM things is that it takes time. For me, it is still easier to find time to call someone while I drive, than while I have access to a computer. Maybe when I can text and do housework at the same time it will become more user friendly for me! As for libraries... I am not presently in a position where much of this helps. I did wonder, if you are going to text phones about new things, what about overdues? Can we presently send reminders of library day to an entire class as a whole, or do we have to type to each phone separately? I did not try IMing another participant, I've done a bit other times. I do really like classes that offer webinars. It is so great to be able to spend two hours doing one instead of having to drive 3 hours one way for a 2-hour session. I kept thinking of what I know about Moodle, and how similar the idea is. Take the class when you want and where you want. Similar to what I am doing learning the Things. I keep wondering where that idea will take us!

Thing Six Online Image Generators

I had quite a bit of fun with these sites. You could really spice up a few areas of life without having to spend much money. I haven't gotten around to advertising the library at all, but this would be a great way to do it. I made jersies for each of my students and emailed them to them. They were impressed, and should be more interested in what's coming next. They have been struggling with a writing assignment concerning blogs, RSS feed, Flickr, and the top 10 mashups. "What practical applications can you see for each of these in the future, or are they just games that will amuse for a bit and disappear?" I haven't looked at their answers yet, but felt it'd be a reminder for them to think out-of-the-box. I think some of these items would be wonderful teaching tools! Overall, I keep seeing how, not only are we creating more solutions to "How to save money?" with things like creating our own greeting cards, but also the amount of storage we need on our computers. I don't need to save my pictures, I can have Flickr keep them for me. I don't need to have an encyclopedia installed, or a legal program... I can get a feed, host, join, or visit a blog, or search independently on Net. I wonder what the next generation will be like, tho. Will they not hang onto memories as much because they not only see our family pictures, but everyone else's? What are the downsides of trusting more and more of our lives to the virtual world? I am looking forward to what you have next up your sleeve, and amazed how much I have learned about without being more than a fourth through!!

ImageChef.com Photo Frames

Hm... still no luck putting my drawing anywhere. I was able to email the link to myself but it goes to a blank drawing, not one I've done. I also tried to use my Flickr pictures as a slideshow on my blog without any luck. I'll have to come back to that later.

Thing 5 More Flickr Fun

I'm not done looking at and trying out everything, but I've been doing, and doing.... Some of it, tho neat, is not terribly helpful in being productive. Clockr and the Tag thing come to mind. I did print out my picture in retrievr, THEN I realized that I was missing the point. I was trying to find a way to make it show up on my blog or Flickr account. I still think that should be possible, maybe cut and paste, which is what I ended up doing with the spelling one. I want to see if there's a way to send my letters to my students. Gotta be a way! I did have them follow the link on Flickr that shows all the things you can have made. I can see where schools could have fun with this.

Thing 4 Flickr

My head is still spinning! (Can't tell what my eyes are doing...) I had no clue anything like this was out there. I can hardly wait to tell family members to sign up and start sharing. And to be able to see places you want to go without the ads. I could never see why people just "surf the net" for hours, but I can see where this and the blogs could get very addicting. I can see where this could really see a neat tool for schools and libraries, it only it were properly cataloged (sigh). I want to keep record of the ins and outs I ran into. My main problem is that our computer lab somehow decided that we used a newer version of iphoto than what we actually own, and won't let some of us into our files. The kids have screensavers, and it will upload those, but I don't. I had to do it at home or use our one new computer. I even upgraded to Leopard on one and it still won't let me in. But that's a whole 'nother battle!