Artzy Librarian

Monday, September 28, 2009

Week 5

Thing #10: Exploring online image generators


I tried several sites that were given to us.  Comic Strip Generator was fun.  I made several comics and labeled them.  However, I couldn't seem to copy them or send them to my blog.  So, I wasted lots of time.  I imagine that if you join it might be easier?  I was trying to go the free road. I explored a few other sites and really enjoyed Image Chef where I made a crossword puzzle.  This might be fun to do with a book cover and do one piece at a time, with a clue, until a student could guess which book was being displayed!  I attached my picture above.  I also went to BigHugeLabs.com and then to "Motivator".  From there I made a poster which was fun.  I've included it also. These were a lot of fun.  I wonder how this is different than a mashup?  Can someone explain how or if it is?

Thing #11:  Web 2.0 award winning sites
This was a lot of fun!  I went to several sites.  I tried to stick to educational and related sites.  I visited The 1st place winner in the books category called Lulu, http://www.lulu.com/ which allowed individuals to actually design, print and publish their books.  It was good but I really enjoyed Vufind.org which was the 3rd place winner, http://www.vufind.org/ . This was created by Villanova University Library and was an alternative catalog, able to be modified by it's users.  I enjoyed parusing through this one.  I also liked Mango language, http://www.mangolanguages.com/ , and actually did the 1st free lesson in French.  Bonjour! This was the 2nd place winner in the Education category.  This was a very informative lesson.  I look forward to working on Thing #12 next!  I will post it later!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Week 4 -Thing 9

It is possible to be too "hooked up". I want to know "it" all and be able to reach "it" all but there has to be a way to remove some of the "noise". I have been exploring my new Google Reader and have discovered that I can respond to my classmate's blogs from there. That is a benefit. I've discovered that I can add feeds. I also discovered how to delete them. I tried several of the suggestions on Classroomlearning2.blogspot.com. My favorite is Technorati. I went to the main site, then to blog Directory to Technologoy to Web2.0 and finally to Mashable! which I subscribed to. I think I'm going to enjoy this one. I'm getting the hang of reading the "blurb" then counting it as read. This keeps my screen a bit neater. I'm all about less clutter, it's too confusing. How do all of you feel about being "hooked up" to the max?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Week 4

THING #8 RSS feed(I realize I was counting them but how could anybody else be really sure which task I was on. Hm...hopefully it's obvious but I'm going for easy to understand!)
Okay, I signed up for Google Reader. I had fun exploring some interesting suggested sites and am following, well, too many. I went in today and a site I thought was good yesterday now had things I definitely had no interest in so I unsubscribed. RSS seems a bit like reading the paper and a magazine all at the same time. I will have to be selective. Also, there's a bit of an "information overload" at the present time on my Google Reader site. I will be tweaking it this week and commenting later on this post For now, I've begun!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Week 3


Ooh...this is a fun week! I've been exploring mashups! I've been to Flikr which is a social picture site, kind of like Facebook with more connections to picture sites. My favorite link is a mashup with Smilebox. Flikr works with Smilebox to let you create all sorts of things like videos and posters. I created the attached video of the land that we are going to purchase to this site and to my Facebook site. It was quite fun to do. All of this takes up SO much time, though! I start, get involved, look up and HOURS have passed! I am looking forward to playing with some more mashups for this week and will either add a discussion or a post. I hope the rest of my classmates are enjoying this as much as I am. I'm actually thinking this might be a way to make my avatar do her talking....Hm...I will wait until I've got my reading done for my other class and work before I begin that one. I can see hours slipping by because I have a hard time passing up a challenge! (Even if it's made by me!)
Thursday...I've added to this weeks posting, and will again. I am giving up on posting my avatar with motions and voice from SitePal. I WAS able to get it in a Power Point slide but I can't figure out how to post that into Blogger.com. So, I will explore something else. Too many hours, I have to know when to throw in the towel!
Friday...I have completed the last task for this week. I tried something new! I went to http://bighugelabs.com and made a "poster". What fun! I was able to use the pictures from the Flikr account and play with them. What I did was use an Easter picture of my daughter's dog, Candy, and add ears and a saying. Then I was able to put it in this blog by using the picture symbol on the editing bar! What fun!

Land in Colorado!

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Bald Eagle View
Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox
Make a Smilebox slideshow

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Week 2b

Okay! Registering was not as daunting as I thought it would be. I asked Dr. Farmer who I had to register with and she didn't have a preference. I had planned to register with blogger.com and had watched the videos. The cost is only $10.00 and that seemed reasonable. I found that information by going to HELP and searching for registration. However, http://schoollibrarylearning2.blogspot.com/ which is the blog that we are using for "23 Things", had a registration that was much easier. I was able to fill out the form and send it in. My registration was accepted and I guess I will see what else I need to do after is approved or denied. I'm laughing at myself but I think it should probably be harder than that! How have the rest of my classmates registered I wonder!?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Week 2a

I've called this Week 2a because I know I need several attempts to master this week's assignments! I began with an AVATAR. First I had to look it up. I discovered it's an icon or cartoon character that I could put on my website. I even discovered through Dictionary.com that there was a linked site, SitePal.com that could help me make one! I got busy reading and listening to tutorials and HOURS passed! I made the greatest video with this character I called Artzy Librarian, and I even got her talk. After dinner I spent another 3 hours trying to figure out how to put her on this site. It seems that Blogger.com only accepts certain video, from Google and uTube. After listening to more tutorials from Blogger.com and SitePal, I decided I would try to save the video "person" as a file and then upload her. Hm...I was able to upload her but know she doesn't talk. I will continue to work on this, as well as the registering on another day. If anyone has thoughts about how I could upload a video that only wants me to save it as an embedded file, please let me know!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

23 Things Week 1

Okay! I'm pumped because I finally figured out what 23 things means. I admit to having to to the library database and reading a few articles, but, I think I have it! Each week we will be exploring a different "thing". I love learning about technology and I'm looking forward to adding to this every week for my technology class! My ego has blossomed because I actually already know how to do this, at least, how to begin! I'm sure we will do some things that I don't know about but, this one I understand. Yeah!