Week 4: Photoshring

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deblaauw/122722089/

This is the link for the photo I selected from Flickr. The photographer's name is Marjan Deblaauw.

I was unable to discover how to load the photo to the blog. The photo is saved, and I can find it in the Finder, but I don't know how to upload it to this site.

Anyway, the photo is a lovely view of the Cathedral at Assissi, Italy, and the surrounding countryside. I visited this lovely Italian village on an European tour a few years ago. Assissi was only a stop on our tour so we didn't get to spend nearly enough time there. Cars aren't allowed, if memory serves me correctly. We had fun climbing the steep streets and enjoying the stunning views. The Cathedral is the resting place of St. Thomas of Assissi. I would love to return someday and explore the village further.

Week 3: Online Meetings

I have participated in a couple of Wimba sessions, and I like this method for getting information. I don't think that online meetings are the answer in all situations, but the technology is a very helpful tool in today's society. Outside of Wimba sessions that provided information about some of the databases offered on the Kan-Ed website and other related library information, I was unaware that webinars were offered on a variety of subjects. I looked briefly at several of the topics listed in the OPAL archives and found several of interest. Some I could view and some I couldn't. I particularly wanted to look at the ones related to travel, but I needed some plug-in called MIME or something. I'll have to try to access that when I have more time, but I think that the online meetings are great. It's the next best thing to actually being there in person.

I do have a question. On OPAL, I found a webinar about the book entitled Children of Terror. The two ladies who authored this book were being interviewed about their experiences during the Holocaust. It was an audio version, I believe. If you wanted to use this in the classroom, is it permissible to do that? If so, how do you search for materials of this kind? Do you have to know about such sites as OPAL and search them directly, or will your browser find these webinars when a search term such as Holocaust is used? I haven't tried searching for webinars on particular subjects, but I think I will try that and see if I can find materials that might be of interest to me and other teachers in my building.

Week 2: Online Communities

I chose to join WebJunction. I think I need more time to assimilate things before I try Facebook. I can see some use professionally for some of the features of Facebook, but I need time to persuade my district that it might be beneficial for students to have some access to blogs and social networking sites.

23 Things Kansas Week One: Blogging

I am a middle school librarian in a small rural town known for its historical affiliation with John Brown. When I heard about 23 Things Kansas, I was very excited and wanted to participate because I know virtually nothing about 2.0 tools. Blogs and other social networking tools are blocked on our school's network.

At the risk of dating myself, I can remember the era of party lines and dial telephones. I lived quite happily for a number of years without computers and the internet. I don't send or receive tweets, and I don't have a Facebook page--at least not yet. I prefer to read a book!

Setting up a blog makes me nervous, but I am anxious to experience this new technology and see how it might impact education. Now if I can get my blog registered, I might get this first assignment completed.

I have looked at a few blogs from participants in 23 Things. I even tried to reply to some of them, but I didn't seem to be able to do that. Anyway, I enjoyed reading the blogs and hope to read more soon. For today, I'm out of time. Happy blogging to all!