Second Life

I have created a second life. Like I don't have enough to do in my first life. So..Arwen was created in Oyster Bay. She's a red head with Blue eyes. She has a house, an Island, and can ballroom dance. The really good news for me...is that I found my poetry voice again. I hadn't used it in so long. I had forgotten how much I really wanted to write.

Lounging on my beach...just to get away sometimes.

Guess we need to read it all

How often do we get an email and scan for important words? I got three emails this week, and I only half read all of them. Why is that? It is because I think they are short messages, not "real" letters, I can just skim them. What happens when I skim? I miss things...important things like times and directions. I miss little things like who sent the email or a date. I miss other things too...like I love you, I miss you or thanks. Today I thought I had missed an important thing...and turns out...I didn't. That was nice to see.

Lonely

Project WRITE is a 4 county grant project to help teachers be better teachers of writing. I will be here all weekend. It means I will not be with my family or those close to me. The teachers here are great. I am struggling with being lonely and alone and surrounded by interesting people. The good news for me is that we have access to technology, so I can contact those I need to. I am just tired of being lonely. :-( Sometimes I just feel like this will go on forever.

Did you know?

I have now seen this video at least twice in the past 3 days at education meetings. The scariest thing to me is that it's educators looking at info that we know intuitively, while the people who should be viewing this to make decision s about education, testing and funding are not.
Wonder if they will

Did you know?

Long long days.................................

Today is a release of another Magic expansion. For me that means that the day that began at 6:15 am will not end until close to that same time the next day. I have never been very good at staying up for 24 hours. Now that I am on the wrong side of 40...i'm even worse at it. Why is it that we don't think we are ever as old as we are, or as young as we are? I have been thinking about my grandfather lately. He died last year and it was among the saddest things I have been through. He had a stroke. By the time I got there, he was for all intents and purposes gone. I miss him now so much. Saying good bye just stinks.........

Good Bye Grandpa.

I love you...and miss you.

Pleasing everyone

I was pretty sure that the saying was that you couldn't please all of the people all of the time....but damn...I would just like to please a few of the people most of the time. Why does it seem that the more I do, the less it seems to matter. I send missing things to people...and no one even says thanks.. I drive all over heck to get people where they need /WANT to go...and it's not enough.
I work all day, and still spend hours trying to get just one more thing done....and it's not enough.

It's just never enough...

Just makes me sad.

Fighting a losing battle

So...everyone is sick at work. They are all coughing, sneezing, and running a fever. One of the guys at the store has mono....and I worked alongside him for 9 hours last weekend....so should I be very surprised when I have a headache for 4 days and am exhausted. I wanted so much to have today off to just sleep and rest....

Phone rings at 9am...it's the High school....Ben tried to be the goalie at soccer for gym with his thumb...

3 hours later and a splint on his right hand (at least he's left handed).... I get back home.

Now I'm listing ebay...and still exhausted...maybe Fri..........................

I really want to win this one.....really I do

Busy Times

So.......now I have finished my first week on my new schedule...and my new paycheck. It's amazing to me how frugal I have been for the past 3 years. I have worked so hard on my new degree that it is finally paying off. I can work less hours and still be okay financially. The only issue is only having 35 minutes with each class. I just get everyone started...and they have to stop.


So...how do you keep 20 five year olds busy for 35 minutes....when they have little or no fine motor control. It's a tall order.

I was excited to read the guidelines for students and technology though....I teach almost all the skills they need to have already. :)





Now I just need to take a deep breath...focus on each task one at a time.... and not completely flip out.



RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

School has started

So...I started in the new year last week. Man it was nice to not have to get up early to drive 45 min to work, except I had to get up early to drive to GR. Mom was not doing well. Scary stuff when your parent gets sick. Even scarier when you are an only child. Not sure how I am handling this whole getting older thing. I can handle the kids getting older. I actually like the idea of them being on their own and doing their own things. But the idea of my parents getting older....is just not sitting too well with me.

Anyone else??

So...someone told me about the new site that tells you what percentage of the world you have seen. I would love to see where my kids have been. My son has traveled to so many countries its unbelievable. I am happy to say though that I have been to 74% of the US. Since I am making a trip to the great NW this coming fall (gotta check out that new Portland Trail Blazer dance group), I am going to add at least 3 more states to the mix. Now I just have to figure out how to figure out getting to Hawaii........................

Always dreaming.



create your own personalized map of the USA
or write about it on the open travel guide

Man it's hot!!!!

Okay, so I am going to work very hard at keeping up with this. I am struggling a bit with time management. I am supposed to turn in my proposal on my master's capstone, turn in my schedule for the next school year. and keep up with both Bandai, Decipher and RIW. I want to figure out how to get to Chi-Town next weekend. It would be fun to work at con without being in charge. I am excited about having 19 people confirmed to work the Bandai Booth at Gen Con. :-) Maybe I am finally getting this right.

My son has moved in with me now. I have been on my own at home for the past 2 years. It's hard to adjust to being home when he is. I'll get it right. Josh comes home in 3 weeks and I am so excite.

Anyway...just an update from me. :-)

I took this outside RIW. We have furry friends out back.

Last one..Flash

Wow...ever tried to type with a partial cast on...I thought the fact that it was my left hand would be cool...but nope..anyway...final blog try..

• Part 1: How hard is it to pick up & run with a new program like Flash that has a relatively steep learning curve? Why do you think that?

I think it is not effective to try and pick up and run a progam like flash on the fly. I think that it leads to frustration...and not wanting to continue. I am the geek at my school and I struggled here. You need to want to figure it out. Many of my colleagues will not want to spend the time, so they will miss the benefits. Programs like this would benefit from a tutorial built in.

• Part 2: Do you think most people need to have an expensive program (like Flash), when there are other programs that are free/much cheaper that do similar things but are more simplified (have fewer features)? When is it necessary to have the higher-end programs? When is it just spending more time to add bells & whistles?

I think it depends on the focus and outcomes wanted with these programs. Things like morphing programs need the complexity of flash...while most regular joes..can do just fine without all the bells and whistles. If you are using the program to sell something, or make a more professional presentation...you probably need the depth of the higher end programs.

arm hurts...time to stop

Video Podcast By Dick Hardt

So..for my video podcast, I watched a keynote address by Dick Clarence Hardt, who is the CEO of Sxip. This podcast was a couple of years old and about identity and the internet. This is just background because I am actually writing about the format he used. There was very little video of Mr. Hardt. The majority of the video was his voice showing what looked to me like a quick powerpoint presentation. I actually enjoyed it very much. He intermixed pictures and words to accentuate his points. Other podcasts that I have watched have been mostly direct video of an event. I have watched the finals of card game matches, interviews of politicians and sports personalities, and the weather person. These videos have been like short movies. They include pertinent information and video of the people talking as well as background video. This podcast was one where you could hear the words being said, but not see the speaker. On the screen were words or images related to the words, flashing quickly past the screen. It very much felt like a narrated power point presentation.
The link for this video is:

http://identity20.com/media/OSCON2005/
http://ipodmovies.illuster.nl/illusteritunesbanner.jpg

This was a unique presentation. There were times when I was distracted by the images and missed the words. I noticed that since I chose live streaming that the rewinding of the podcast was difficult, so I just let it go by. I was more interested though in the subject than I thought I would be, primarily because of the format. I looked forward to seeing which images he would use in this presentation. In other formats, audiences may tune out the interviewer, or close the podcast because they get tired of listening to the same person and seeing the same things. I know that long podcasts I have watched of games have been difficult to sit all the way through. The length of this was just about my limit without wanting to stop and get up. The streaming option I chose did not allow me to stop it where I was, so I watched it through to the end, mostly because I didn't want to have to do it again. I did enjoy this podcast and would like to try to create one using this type of video. I am not entirely sure how I would do it though.

One more thing to try...........


http://www.gapingvoid.com/i'm%20a%20speaker.jpg

Podcast Reflection

http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/203/what-is-a-podcast/
What is a podcast and How can I use one? by Yaro Starak

Yaro Starak is an internet writer specializing in the use of technology in the 21st century. His article "What is a Podcast and How can I use One?" is an introductory primer on getting started. He begins the article talking about what a Podcast is and how it is made. The article looks at the history of the podcast and it's continuing impact on communication. It also gives possible uses and suggestions for getting started in podcasting on your own. While this is a good article for those who don't know anything about podcasting, I feel it could be stronger in the areas of examples and suggestions. I would recommend this article for those who need to know what a podcast is and how to get started using them.
The article begins with a definition and history of podcast. I thought it was very interesting that the word podcast comes from IPod. However, it was good to let readers know that they can listen to a podcast in formats other than Ipods. "However you don’t have to listen to podcasts only on iPods;... It really doesn’t matter, as long as you have some way to play music on your computer you will be able to listen to podcasts."
The next section is a description of how to use a podcast. I currently subscribe to several podcasts about subjects that that interest me. The use of the subscribe denotes constantly changing content. It is an interesting idea that you can use a podcast like a magazine. The podcasts that I listen to usually update about every month or 6 weeks. I am certain that they can also update weekly or even daily. It is also a positive that you can save the podcast and listen to it at your leisure, rather than having to interact with it at the time it is posted.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/jlo0079l.jpg

The next two sections talk about the impact of Podcasts on the society. The wide reaching nature of the Internet, coupled with the ability to listen when and where you choose, have made Podcasts the new form of information dissemination. "Podcasts and blogs are leading a new content distribution revolution on the web that you are going to hear a lot about in the future...Podcasts are considered to be part of the beginnings of a timeshifting revolution" according to the author. I see many uses for this in education as well. Students who are homebound, traveling or have work/sports conflicts will be able to take classes they may have missed in the past. Students could also avail themselves much more to college classes, as they can partake in lectures that they might not be able to attend for a variety of reasons.
The author gives a quick overview of some of the software he uses in his podcasts, as well as links to the needed software. This is important for the beginner, as there are many different ways to record and publish a podcast. Finally, the author takes a peek into the future of podcasts. "Podcasting is the start of a new media content revolution that is empowering individuals with the ability to globally distribute their ideas and create a following of like minded fans." The next steps will include videocasting or independent creations. The rise in popularity of UTube and Google Video are a testament to the rise in popularity of these forms of communication. It is just a matter of time until the educational community catches up. Our students may be the next Internet stars.

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/102705/itd-last-longer.gif

I would use podcasting for creation of instructions for teachers and students to tasks I want them to complete. I would also create a podcast for those students who missed a session in the lab. I work outside of school and can see creating a podcast of announcements or important information that I want stored for all those with whom I work. I could create podcast messages for my children who are scattered around the country at this time, or create messages that can be sent to my parents and relatives who do not live nearby keeping them updated with kids and their events. I also see podcasting as a great tool for Professional development for staff. Podcasts could be created for teachers on a variety of subjects they need and left for them to access as necessary. The uses are nearly as endless as the topics available.

Kim

Blogs and Wikis

My musings from reading from my multimedia class:
The important things I have gleaned from the readings. The Google article on creating a good blog had great ideas and suggestions. I really like the idea that you do not link to other sites or pictures and find a top level domain. I have been able to keep with this site for a couple of years now, even when I don't write for a long time. It has only recently moved to a stable relationship with Google, which is actually better for me. I also really agreed with the idea that in a blog a writer must explain more than normal. I have re read things I wrote months ago and have to really try and remember why I wrote that, or what I meant by it. The Harvard Weblog article talks about comments. I have found the comments section can be annoying and difficult, and also a way for others to interact with my writing. Those interactions are what can be difficult, but then all writing that is public comes under scrutiny, so I guess it comes with the territory.
A wiki is a new concept for me in terms of my own use. I send students to Wikipedia all the time, with the admonishment that the entries must be scrutinized for validity and correctness. However, the thought of creating my own Wiki has never crossed my mind. However, in the O'Reilly article, the concept that a wiki is used by a large group of people to communicate and share a workspace is a really interesting concept. Recently, I had a group project that didn't work very well, but could have been much better with a wiki. I can see many writers using a wiki to create a book. As I have never used a wiki, I would not know what a good software program is, but am looking forward to using the class wiki. I was interested in the reasons for not using a wiki. I can see that those who are not technology savvy would have a difficult time managing this type of communication. Sometimes the public nature of a blog or a wiki makes it hard to really communicate with others. I can see that I will have much more immediate uses for a blog and plan to help my students create their own blog in an effort to evaluate writing and their ideas in the future. We'll just have to see about a Wiki.
http://blog.org/uploads/dogsandblogsnewyorker.gif (gif link)

Been a long time

It's been sooooooo long since I have been able to get here. Now that it's connected to my email, maybe it will be easier. So much has happened, but the big news is that I only have one more kid in high school. Jonathan graduated from Grand Ledge last friday. He looked awesome and I am so proud of him. He has worked hard to graduate and made it now. He is working through the summer and moving to Howell in the fall. He will be sharing a room with the only high schooler left. Ben moves in with me this week. The house will not be the same..that's for sure. Here is Jon in his cap and gown. He's a young man now working on figuring out his life. I know that he will succeed.

Proud mom is me!!! :-)