Thing #7

I was never aware that Google had so much to offer. I have always listened to the secondary teachers complain about having limited access or having to override to utilize Google, but I thought "What is the big deal?" Well, after playing extensively with iGoogle, I now know what the big deal is.

Being in charge of the morning announcements, like most of us are, I always feel rushed to help my announcers find all the information they needed, especially the top box office movies. After looking at all the options on iGoogle, my announcers helped decide what we needed to have access to, and set our page up.

We are utilizing: weather, sports, box office movies, quotes of the day, in the news, Did You Know, and they also chose a few things, just for fun, that we don't use for announcements.

Thing #6

Just when I think I have found my favorite "Thing," I move on to the next assignment, and I have even more fun with it. For this "thing," I created a trading card for Madison's basset hound, Quencey, used Spell with Flickr for my VW bug, created a softball collage with Mosaic Maker, and a few other things.

I had the perfect opportunity to think about school uses when Dennis complained about not having time or a "worthy" enough reason to take his 8th. grade social studies classes to the computer lab. I fired up Flickr Toys and my blog, and showed him some of the features that he could teach his students, along with the computer tech. I thought he could use the trading cards for his explorer unit, and then he thought of using the trading cards for the key players in his Constitutional Convention lesson.
They also have access to the mobile laptops, so I reminded him that he didn't have to "take" them to the lab, he could bring the lab to his class.

I am afraid that "the test" has had a negative impact on our students getting the opportunities to experiment with all the new technologies. I hope this project will help me gain insight and provide my teachers with new technologies that will give them "worthy" reasons to make it down to the computer lab.

Thing #10

Even though I am usually a very random person, when I work on projects, I seem to become much more sequential. However, after looking at several of your Blogs, I went straight to Image Chef to "play" a little. I can see these tools as really spicing up and adding variety to all of our websites. My students are in the middle of a Planet Contest where they create a new mnemonic device to help students ages 5-11 remember the order of the planets. Once I "play" a little more and learn how to post one of these little gems to my website, I think that is how I will announce the winner, and even display some of the other entries, as well.

After endless choices, I chose the Taxi Cab for a little Galloway advertising. And the Danger sign speaks for itself to anyone with a kid(s) in the house.

Taxi Anyone?

'Aint Nothing Soft About It

'Aint Nothing Soft About It
Originally uploaded by traceysadler

Using fd's Flickr Toys "Mosaic" in combination with my Flickr favorite photos, I put together a softball collage. I am still at the beginning stages here. I found many softball photos that I added to my favs, but I can't figure out how I can rearrange the order that I put them in when I make a mosaic. It seems to just selct them in the order I have them in my favs. Also, I am trying to figure out how to combine favs. with my own uploaded Flickr photos. Still a lot more playing to do!!!

Batter Up

Mad Dog 08
Originally uploaded by traceysadler

Using fd's Flickr Toys, I created a magazine cover with one of Madison's softball photos. After playing with several different toys on Flickr, I think I could spend the most time with the magazine covr creator. Obviously, Madison doesn't mind either.