Image Generators

What fun! A person could get lost in the Generator Blog for days. My favorite, though, was glowtxt.com and I made some glowing pink "Elementary Library" text.

I especially liked the Mini-READ posters and made a couple using student pictures (because those were the only digital pictures I have on this computer). We have the CD from ALA to make more posters and I'm going to have to take some time to learn how to use it.

The Librarian Trading Cards Pool was also interesting. I like that idea.

Thanks for showing us some fun things to do to liven up our lives with technology.

Flickr Fun

I explored a few of the third party tools, but there are so many, I didn't have time to even read all the way through the list! Some people must have an awful lot of time on their hands. It boggles my mind what all can be done with photos.

I did have fun spelling my husband's name in Spell with Flickr and I printed it out to take home to him. (After I got it the way I wanted it I dragged and dropped each letter onto a word processing document. I hope this wasn't some kind of copyright infringement.) This tool could be used to make eyecatching signs for special library displays.

The Bubblr (I'm not sure I even have that spelled right) also interested me. It might be fun for making humorous greeting cards.

It was interesting to look through these different tools, but my time is limited and I just can't experiment with very many of them. Thanks for letting us know what is available, though!

Thing #8, Flickr

I watched the Online Photo Sharing video and find the idea of backing up my digital photos online attractive. I'm not sure I'm ready to share them with the world, yet, though. And I still need to develop my own system for labeling my photos. But I like the idea of not losing them if my computer would crash.

The Flickr tour makes it appear to be an ideal place to back up my photos. I explored some public Flickr photos and found the variety of subjects, as well as skill levels of the photographers, interesting.

One photo that caught my eye was titled, "Kids in the Rear View". It can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattrupp/3088764104. I think I approach this photo from a different viewpoint than the photographer because my kids are grown now. Whenever I look at pictures of them as children, it's from the "rear view" and with nostalgia. I miss the exuberant, happy children that they were. But I'm very proud of them and what they are doing now. Someday perhaps they will have children and I can enjoy the happy exuberance of grandchildren. However, I will wait patiently in the meantime, treasuring my memories of their childhood.

Finding RSS Feeds

I have experimented with Google Blog Search, Topix.net, Sundic*.com and Technorati and found an immense amount of information. Information overload, actually. RSS feeds are a good way to keep up on current information, but a person needs to be selective in what information they really have time to read.

The Google Blog Search seemed easiest for me to use.

I added some feeds to my list, but I think I need more time to research feeds for specific topics of interest than I have here at work.

However, I look forward to reading the feeds that I have added.

RSS Feeds

RSS feeds can be a real time-saver in following information that I'm interested in. However, there is a temptation (since I'm saving time, after all) to add more and more feeds. To keep up with them all, I could end up in the same time-squeeze as before. I guess self-discipline is the key here, as in most everything.

Instant Messaging

This is my first time to use instant messaging and I just chatted with Allana on Google Talk. Very enjoyable!

I can see the benefits of using this to communicate with friends and family who are overseas. How nice to "talk" back and forth without those awful phone charges. I hope to do this soon from home.

Limiting factors would be the differences in time zones, the availability of computers and the need be on a compatible IM service. Perhaps that last one can be worked around with Meebo or some of those other advanced things, but I'm just learning the basics right now.

Professionally, the school I work in doesn't use IM. There are both pros and cons to limiting it. I can see that it would be handy in communicating with teachers about their reference needs, scheduling, etc. but it would also be a distraction to students who aren't always interested in doing their assignments before chatting for fun. I appreciate being able to use IM now to learn it with Nebraska Learns 2.0.

7 1/2 Habits

The hardest habit of Lifelong Learners for me to acquire will be to view problems as challenges rather than obstacles. I'm too pessimistic, I guess. Learning 2.0 is a good opportunity to practice that attitude and it will be good for me regardless of what else I learn.

At first I thought that the easiest habit for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I've always felt responsible for myself. But taking the initiative to overcome obstacles rather than letting them limit me is part of accepting responsibility and that I will have to work on.

Each of the 7 1/2 habits take some effort to acquire. Now I'm not sure which would be the easiest for me.