Finding Balance and Happiness Current Event #5

As I am sitting in the Calgary Airport trying to connect to the internet, finally chose a different web browser, I am reading through my 'starred' blogs, which I saved so I could use them as my current event topic for this week I came across yet another inspiring and thought provoking post by George Couros called, Happiness and Balance. How fitting of a topic for me right at this time. This week, I was juggling, 2 presentations, sub plans for 2 1/2 days of school, travelling, and finding the time to work on my inquiry project, I did some tasks better than others and spent more time where it was needed as we all do.
While I was in Saskatoon, many of the teachers asked, "Where do you get your energy from and how do you find time to do all of this?" I guess I make the time because it's what I love to do. George talks discusses 'being out of balance' at times in his life. I can fully relate to being out of balance because it's how I've felt all week. When I reflect upon how this week has gone, I know I have not devoted enough time to the work that I've needed to do for my project (I know I will be able to over the weekend) but I've missed connenting with teachers face to face. Travelling to conferences and sharing with teachers gives me a renewed sense that what I do in the classroom is worthwhile and important. I love sharing with teachers in this way. It makes me happy to know that teachers enjoyed what I shared and could take back something they valued to their classrooms.
Yes, being out of balance is a huge part of my life right now but it makes me happy to spend time with teachers, with my students and with learning about new Web 2.0 tools. I wouldn't change it for the world.

Couros, George. (2011). Happiness and balance [blog post]. Retrieved from The Principal of Change. http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/2486

Flickr: Just The Flick of A Button

I just uploaded pictures to Flickr using iPhoto's Uploader to Flickr application. Why hadn't I done this before? Good question that I'm really asking myself. It was SO EASY!!! I clicked on the images I wanted to upload, and pressed Flickr in the Share portion of my iPhoto window. Do to not having the Uploader for Flickr installed or set up, it took a bit for the computer and Flickr to talk to one another and about 2 minutes for the photos to upload but it was seamless. It even asked how I wanted them uploaded, in a set or Photostream. I chose set because I wasn't quite sure what a Photostream was. That will be the next thing to investigate. 

Now to post them on this blog and my classroom blog for others to see and share. I'd been searching for a way to upload the photos into a slideshow type presentation from Flickr but I can't seem to find it. However, you will see that I was able to upload all the photos into a poster type layout. 

If you go into Share button and click, "more ways to share" you can actually connect with any of your blogs.

 

What ends up happening is this collection of photos in a poster layout rather than a slideshow. At the same time it adds the photos you are able to write text to go along with the blog post. It's like writing a post from your Flickr account. I don't think you can get too complicated with your posting and I am unsure of the word count. It's something to explore when I have more time.  I know Blogger's Picasa will add the photo's into a slideshow. I'm going to be investigating Flickr to see if this is an option as well. It would be quite nice to have this as an option. I know I'm looking for an embed code.

Art Idea courtesy of http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2011/10/symmetrical-witch-feet-painting.html

 These were just some initial thoughts as I was loading and playing with Flickr. It is quite easy to upload. Blogger and Flickr communicate quite nicely with each other. On a side note, didn't my kids do a great job? 

Witches Feet

Witches Feet, a set on Flickr.

Playing and Learning With Tags

Tag Cloud from The Math Whisperer

Berger and Trexler state (as cited from Kroski, 2005) "Tagging is not about the right way or the wrong way to categorize something and it is not about accuracy and authority, it's about remembering." Here in lies part of the problem with my tagging system. In the past, I have been tagging but more so now since it has become a major focus of my inquiry project. I need to have common words I remember and an organizing structure for the tags I use in other Web 2.0 tools or for tagging for reference to refer back to.

The library system of taxonomy has always alluded me and the system of folksonomy has done the same until reading Berger and Trexler's (2010) chapter on social bookmarking. I have discovered that tagging is a vital way of staying organized and allowing others to find what you have tagged. 

I now know why tagging is important. The big step is to remember what my tagging structure is and continually use it. Kind of like finding a filing system or storage system that works for you and using it and modifying it as needed. 

Russ Goerend (2011) talks about using the first letter of each word when he is tagging student files in Evernote. Here is the link for the video (I was unable to add it to this blog) http://screentuts.posterous.com/my-thoughts-and-strategies-on-tags-and-notebo

For example, word work for Bob might become ww-Bob as a tag in Evernote. I liked this idea for Evernote especially when you want to tag a students note for quick reference.

Berger & Trexler (2010) mention "tagging as performing seven functions for bookmarks:

the first four functions are intrinsic to the tagger and include:"

• The first function is to identify what or who the Web site is about.
• The second function is to identify what it is. Is it a blog, podcast, tweet, etc? 
• The third function would be to identify who owns it. For example, Berger & Trexler, Russ Goerend, etc.
• The forth function would be to refine the categories. This particular one I understand it to be about making your tags simple to understand. 

Berger and Trexler (2010) go on to mention the other three functions as being personal to the tagger.

• The fifth being identifying qualities and characteristics.
• The sixth being a self-reference system.
• And the final function of organizing by task. For example,  read later,  masters, Web 2.0 tools (p. 46).

After reading this page I knew I'd found a system I could potentially try but tweak it so it works for me.  I liked the first three functions and the last one for sure. This means now when I tag something in Diigo, Flickr, Podcasting, Reader or any of my other Web 2.0 tools I will be trying to identify what or who it is about, what it is, who is the author, and organizing them according to the category it should belong to (e.g. technology, Web 2.0, master, education, primary, etc). I am hoping with a small organizational system my tagging will become a bit easier for me to find and relate to. This is a classification system I feel I can remember and use often when tagging on the Internet. If you are at all wondering about how to tag, what tags are all about or how to tag you should read the chapter called Social Bookmarking in Choosing Web 2.0 Tools for Learning and Teaching in a Digital World by Pam Berger and Sally Trexler.

References

Berger, P., & Trexler, S. (2010). Choosing web 2.0 tools for learning and teaching in a digital world. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Russ Goerend (Producer). (2011). My thoughts and strategies on tags and notebooks in evernote  [Screencast]. Retrieved from http://screentuts.posterous.com/my-thoughts-and-strategies-on-tags-and-notebo

Getting excited about Audioboo

There is still something to be said for Workshop type PD. If I hadn't gone to Saskatoon it might have taken me longer to learn about Audioboo. After seeing it being used to create Podcasts and seeing how easy it was to use, I am going to be exploring this to do my Podcasts. In the session we explored other ways to use it. Assessing fluency, explaining math strategies, reading a story, etc. It is easy to record and then embed into a blog or blog post. 

This Web 2.0 tool is far easier to use. I will still investigate Audacity but I have this feeling I will find this one much easier to use. It generates an embed code instantly and it host your Podcasts. It is also SO EASY to use. I'll have more in the comping weeks. 

I can't wait to try this out some more.

What's the Fuss Over Flickr?

Photo courtesy of flickr‑rss.jpg

What's the draw to Flickr? In any free time I've had I've been returning to Flickr and doing some experimenting and playing around. I've added a profile picture that's actually me and not a picture of my dogs. I've thought about why I'm choosing to use different photo's. I think they need to all be the same, especially after meeting @kathycassidy this weekend. She said, "You don't look anything like your picture!" Hmm!! Is that sign? I feel quite important after getting my own Flickr URL. I'll be testing this out soon enough. I chose to add some contacts from my Facebook page. I think I'll add some from my Google addresses as well. It appears I do not have a lot of contacts who use Flickr. I might have to send out emails to ask them to join. 

I uploaded a set of photos and then posted them to Twitter. Nothing happened! No comments and no views. I think it's because I'm new to photo sharing and perhaps my photos didn't have any meaning. Note to self they must be meaningful. 

As I mentioned earlier, I had the pleasure of meeting @kathycassidy at the ECEC Saskatchewan Conference in Saskatoon. I attended her Digitial Portfolio's session and her Rebooting the 3R's session. We were talking and I commented on how I liked the slideshow of her students before her presentation. She told me they were on her Flickr account. I instantly went to her sight. When I was browsing her photos/site it appears she uploads her images from her classroom, individual and sets, and then she must send out her URL so others can view them. Her sets have several views. Mental note on this point. I've added her as a contact so that I can take a look at more of her site to see how she organizes and shares her photos. I'm going to subscribe to her RSS Flickr account so that I can use her account as a resource. I'm glad I found this. Now I'm wondering who else may be on Flickr that I know from Twitter. When I was first investigating this site I was wondering what the point was. After finding her site and using her Flickr account of an example, I'm far more interested in investigating it further.

How can I integrate this into a primary classroom? First of all, any photos I add to my iPhoto that have classroom content, I will upload them to Flickr. This way I can share them with parents and I don't have to always post them on the blog. I will be more conscious of the photos I take. What is the intent, purpose, or goal of the photo? Why do I want to share it? Does it show growth or learning over time? I can also have kids comment on a certain photos to build their literacy skill. 

When I first started using Flickr I wasn't all that excited about it. But after seeing a primary example I can start to see the possibilities of using it in school and for my own personal use. Flickr appears to be multi-layered, which is scarey and exciting all at the same time. I have lots more to learn.

Feeling Disconnected

Hello everyone, my apologies for not having posted in the past couple of days. It has been a whirlwind of a week. I've been prepping for two presentations and making sub plans for three days while I'm gone. I promise to post when I get to Saskatoon and have a bit of down time between my presentations. 

If anyone is going to be at the ECE Saskatoon Convention please stop by and say hello. 

Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in my day and I've been putting in 14 hours at school to prep. People don't realize how long good sub plans take. 

Looking forward to being back in touch in a couple of days.