Thing 6

This was the first thing I had never heard of before. The term "mashups" brings to mind what I eat the days after Thanksgiving!
On a more serious note, I can't believe how many of these sites are out there. I love how Flickr even encourages use of their site! Of all the mashup sites I browsed, I must admit that my favorite was also the trading card. I can see so many uses for this as a librarian! Students (or teachers) could create cards for book characters, genres, themselves as a reader, a topic they researched, etc. The possibilities are endless!

On the other hand, there are a few mashups that are fun at first but I got bored with very quickly and just didn't see the point. One of these is a game called guess the title. I was intrigued at first, but after 5 minutes of playing the game I became very frustrated. I couldn't guess any of them! Noone named their pictures anything I could tell from the picture itself! Although, I guess you could argue that it did pass the time.

Whether the mashups were fun, useful, or unproductive, I do enjoy that Big Huge Labs lets you upload from multiple sources such as Flickr, Facebook, and a file saved on your computer. This way you don't have to take that extra step of publishing pictures to a site before using the program. This way, librarians and teachers can take pictures of students, projects, or books and create a product immediately!

Thing 5

I hope this picture posts correctly because right now it looks like a long stream of random letters and symbols. On to the topic at hand- flickr. I've known about its existance for awhile now because my husband uses it, but I just thought it was for sharing pictures with your friends. The picture I chose is of the San Jacinto Monument. It is by a man named Jason Tinder and is entitled, "God Bless Texas." My students are currently learning about the Texas Revolution and will be introduced to the Battle of San Jacinto on Monday. I will definitely keep this site in mind for classroom use from now on.

Thing 4

My blog has been "official" for three days now! I'm one of those silly people that get excited every time I get a comment and I never thought I could learn so much just from reading about everyone else's experiences. While I've used blogs before, I never knew how to manage its layout or "follow" anyone. Either that or the last time I used one you couldn't do these things. Technology evolves so fast it seems like every time I turn around there's something new!

Thing 3

I never thought I would have this much fun setting up and maintaining a blog! I used MySpace in college, but lost interest after I graduated because I didn't have the time anymore. When I sat in front of the computer last night I thought I would spend 30 mins, maybe an hour. Well, 2 1/2 hours and one annoyed husband waiting for me so we can watch House later, I had a page and an avatar!

In case you're wondering, the word "cylon" in my name is a nod towards my love of sci-fi. I also love vampire books (special mention goes to the Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight series), fantasy, and superheroes.

I'm really looking forward to exploring the remaining 20 things and following everyone's blogs!

Thing 2

The 71/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners seem to be habits for a highly successful life, period! There are many instances that came to mind from my everyday life as I read this. For example, it would have been a good idea to "begin with the end in mind" while picking out decorations for my guest room!

Speaking of beginning with the end in mind, this is the hardest habit for me to put into action. I often run full-speed into things without fully grasping where it will take me. I always look a few steps ahead, but am often surprised if it gets derailed. I get excited about technology, learning languages, and starting new projects. Half the time I end up with incomplete blankets or a few words learned in French because I later realize I never really needed it or it has no practical application in my life. I guess I get carried away by the experience!

The easiest habit, by far, is Play! I am always looking for new and exciting ways to present information to my students because I feel that if I'm bored by it, who knows what they're thinking! My husband and I take time to relax every day with a game, our favorites being Rock Band, Scrabble, and "who can tire out the dog first?" The habit of play is especially important so we (teachers, grad students, any other hats we wear) don't burn out. If you find yourself shutting your eyes or wanting to bang your head against the wall, make it a game! Can you finish in 10 minutes? 50 points if you can! Treat yourself to something when you hit 500!

Thing 1

I must say, all this "thing 1, thing 2," etc. brings to mind Dr. Seuss! I guess that's aligned with this program's philosophy - have fun! After reading the introductory blog, I am really looking forward to all that I can learn and adapt for both classroom and library use. Most of these items I have used before, but can't fathom how to use for teaching. The thought of youtube in the classroom scares me, to be honest. Here goes nothing!