Thing 10- Online Image Generators

These were fun to play around with. There are so many possibilities. I made an image with my name on the walk of fame. I created a "library open" neon sign. I also created a comic strip from another that I modified. You can create signs, banners, mosaics, art, and so much with these resources. You could spend a lot of time doing this, but it would be fun. I particularly liked using Dumpr and Big Huge Labs.

Thing 9- Useful Library-Related Blogs and Newsfeeds

I liked using bloglines and Technorati to search for Blogs. I found a lot of blogs for librarians. I added about 7 blogs to Google Reader. One of these was David Warlick 2cents. I could not find much in Syndic8 under elementary librarians. It was not as user friendly. I added Hey Jude, Hip Librarian, and others to my reader. I added CNN and MSN as news feeds. I am glad there is now a standard feed icon.

Thing 8- RSS Feeds and Readers

I liked that readers allow you to view these sites without going to your favorites or searching or hours on the Internet for sites that interest you. The feeds come to you. I can look at weightwatchers.com, current news and Librarian blogs all on the same page. This can save time if you are accessing these sites already or it can take up a lot o time because you can have so much at your fingertips. I would use readers at school and at home to keep up with the current news and to see what other librarians are doing. The problem is having the time to look at these blogs and news items. Do I really need to look at the latest news while at work? Readers would be a plus for teachers who wanted to keep a site handy, such as live feeds at a zoo or in space. There are so many applications for this kind of technology.

Thing 7- Cool Google Tools

These were fun to explore. I will use Google Docs to redo my resume. I did not know these document templates were available. I used the calendar to set up appointments for the week and had a text message set up to tell me about a doctor's appointment and a librarian's get-together for this week. I changed my homepage to iGoogle with links to the weather, news and the humor of the day. I liked the jokes and comic strips. I need some humor in my day. There are many possible educational uses for these Google tools. The advanced search option can help with searching for information. Google Scholar would definitely help when searching for scholarly literature such as peer reviewed jounals, professional magazines, thesis's, etc.

Thing 6 - Mashups and 3rd Party Sites

This was a lot of fun to explore. I liked looking at the Mappr with the distructive weather alerts. It seems there is a lot of earthquake activity happening in California. This would be a great resource for teachers teaching weather. I checked out Making mosaics and Warholizing. I created a trading card and a Warhol picture from my son's 7th. b-day party. Librarian can show students how to use photographs on Flickr or elswhere to create things that are personal. I would like to take more photographs of my son and create some art for his room. He would think this is cool. I will also pass these sites and resources on to other teachers that I work with. I am always thinking of art projects to do since I am a former art teacher.

Thing 5 Flickr

It is raining, so I chose a picture of a tree in the rain. I used a photograph from the one of the Commons groups in Flickr. This is a great site to use in education for sharing photos to teach photography or other visual arts and get feedback from other in that community. I like that it is interactive in that one can comment on other's work and look at comments on their own. Also, the site seem fairly easy to navigate. I typed in rain in the Commons section and found many photographs to use. These pictures could be used to make presentations, Blogs, web pages, etc. more dynamic. There was a lot of resources to use for librarians. I liked the art projects that promote literacy as well as art. I can definitely see the value of Flickr in education.

Thing 4 Registering Blog

I registered my blog.. I hope I have enough time to finish the 23 Things since I need to get a certificate to prove that I have completed 18 hours of comp time. I hope to get some feedback soon. My avatar links to the entire page rather than just showing the picture itself.