Week 1: Photo Sharing Continued

Second Site/Tool: Picasa (link to my slideshow)

Verdict: I LOVE Google, but I absolutely hate this product. Maybe I was missing some important instructions but I found Picasa to be clunky and could not get it to do what I wanted it to do. I spent over an hour making this slideshow (had to make it more than once) and I still don't think it's anything extraordinary. I also had to download something to my desktop to be able to create the slideshow and embed it. I'm still trying to work out the embed code...



Third Site/Tool: Photobucket (link to my slideshow)

My Verdict: Easy to use and easy to find the embed code. The code, however, does not show up in Google Sites and I've had trouble getting the slideshow to show up here as well.

Week 1: Presentation Tools "5 Facts about Geocaching!"

Below are 3 different Web 2.0 tools for creatively sharing information (presentations).

First Tool: Smore (link to flyer https://www.smore.com/rbnj-geocaching)
Verdict: This isn't a "presentation" per se but it creates pretty awesome digital flyers. I like it! I think this is a great tool students could use to make something similar to an infographic (just a lot less data on these). It was easy to share and embed.



Second Tool: Slideshare (link to presentation http://www.slideshare.net/dcarnesrls/742-geocaching-31144911)
Verdict: This tool was easy to use, especially if you already have PowerPoint. You simply create your presentation and then upload it to the website. It provides an embed code which doesn't seem to work within Blogger. I did not have success with the video playing from within the Slideshare.




Third Tool: Popplet (link to my popplet http://popplet.com/app/#/1638878)
Verdict: This was easy to put together but I don't find it visually interesting or appealing. Perhaps if I paid for the full version it would be better but I didn't find this to be something I'd use for myself or with students. There was an embed code but it hasn't actually worked.

Week 1: Photo Sharing

First Site/Tool: Flickr

Verdict: I was finally able to embed this "slideshow" that you have to click through and my hilarious captions don't show up. Not sure if I would recommend this site for slideshow purposes.

#Helpful

As someone that is relatively new to the Twitterverse, I cannot sufficiently describe how helpful it has been for me to part of such an awesome network of connected educators. This is especially important as I am somewhat isolated being the only math teacher in my district that teaches what I teach. I am an island. Not by choice. And this is not new for me. When I taught in San Francisco I was the only teacher at my school that taught my subjects. I had no one in my building to bounce ideas off of that were on the algebra front-lines with me. To make matters worse, or at least more difficult, that school was a state charter not part of SFUSD. Our building was our entire district that reported directly to Sacramento. Talk about isolation...there were definitely days when I wished I had a Wilson. And there may have been days that I screamed at inanimate objects.

I'd totally allow myself to be stranded on an island if I ended up that ripped and tan...

Belonging to Twitter has provided me with near-immediate answers to questions, especially from +Alice Keeler whenever I've had questions about using her awesome Google Spreadsheets. I participated in a few Twitter chats about middle school math and standards based grading that have given me great resources for my master's project as well as help to just make my classes better on a daily basis. 

Through Twitter I feel like I grow a little bit each day. I know who I can reach out to for help or guidance, I know that I can be part of a live discussion practically on-demand. At most I have to wait 6 days until the next time my #sbgchat or #msmathchat will be online and firing off ideas faster than I can keep up. I wish I had been cool enough back in my San Francisco days to have realized the wealth of information at my fingertips by being a connected educator. 

And in case you're bored, go on Twitter and type in #castaway. I guarantee there will be recent posts (like within the last few hours recent) of people watching it and being super emotional about Wilson. Here's a peek:

Finish Line? Or first hurdle?

I am beyond excited that this first semester is drawing to a close. I'm even more excited that I am actually ahead of my assignments and did not wait until the final moment to complete my Chapter 1 allowing me to already have received some feedback (realizing now as I write that how terribly incorrect it is grammatically...). This Thursday my class and I will get to share, for the first time, where we're really headed with our projects. We have shared before, earlier in the term, what topics we thought we were going to explore but I know some of us have changed direction (either slightly or drastically as I did). I am looking forward to hearing updates about everyone's projects as I have genuine interest in all the topics my colleagues are investigating.

Because this Thursday marks the end of our first term, and one small portion of our writing being complete (albeit temporarily complete until it gets revised in the future), it feels as though I am crossing a finish line. End of term. End of Chapter 1. Moving on.

Then reality sets in as I register for next term which will be starting almost immediately upon the completion of this term. That's when I realize this is no finish line at all. If anything, it is just the jumping of the first of many hurdles. It is one tiny step toward my end goal. It is probably the easiest of the terms I will have to complete and that makes me a bit uneasy. I'm not sure how I will balance the demanding nature of my next courses while still teaching and trying to integrate our students' new Chromebooks that will roll out in the next few weeks. 

It's the same sort of feeling that I get at the end of every school year. As school draws to a close in June it feels like a finish line but it also feels like the starting point for the next year. Because I spend a good chunk of the summer preparing for the upcoming school year it is really more like this: 

Yay you finished! Now get started again!

And while I swear I'm not trying to make this entire blog a dedication to music from my past, I can't help feeling that my thoughts as of this moment are perfectly encapsulated in this one lyric "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Name that late-90's tune. Bonus points for the artist.

Feeling Like I'm 13 Again

I'm pretty sure the last time I did one of these things I was in junior high, on my parent's dial-up internet, using my blueeyes9@hotmail.com account, around midnight...way past my bedtime...I was such a rebel.

11 random facts about me 

1. I go by Deb or Debra now but anyone that knew me pre-3rd grade, still calls me Debby (yes, with a "y"). I was always called Debby and thought that was my name until one day my sister got mad at me yelled, "Debra Anne Lanum get over here!" And I found out that was my real name. Devasted. Been Debra ever since.
2. I have the best sister in the world. She's almost eight years older than I am and helped to raise me. I love her to death and she is the most thoughtful, creative-gifter I know. For my 30th birthday last year she scoured eBay to find Moon Dreamers with both their shoes (she may or may not have stolen one of each of my dolls shoes when I was like 6 years old and owned up to it about 5 years ago) to make up for something she did two decades ago. And she made me a super thoughtful picture album that can't be shared with the general public...that's a long story.  
   
3. Thanks to "How I Met Your Mother" I salute (in my head or actually race to salute to beat my husband) any time someone says "general ______________" or "major _____________." Super dorky and super annoying to anyone else not playing along. 
4. My husband is wonderful and just as much of a dork as I am. We will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary on March 20th. He puts up with my constant quoting of TV and movies, and, in fact, loves that about me.
5.  I watch way too much TV and love movies. Too hard to choose a Favorite movie of all time but 1985's Clue with Tim Curry ranks pretty high on my list. Definitely have every word and all the music memorized.
6. I have a really good memory. Like, so good it scares people some time. And, unfortunately, gets things stuck in my head all too frequently. This song is constantly playing in my head while I'm doing research for my masters paper.
7. I wish I was a good singer. If there was any one creative skill I could magically have, it wouldn't be art or dance, it would definitely be singing.
8. I love going to listen to karaoke even though it usually only happens once a year when I go on my annual girl's weekend trip. Six of my friends and I have been doing a weekend of debauchery for the last 8 years and we love listening to Ashley sing Black Velvet (a song I otherwise hate).
9. I think in very linear patterns. I think that's why I love math. It's orderly and makes sense in my OCD brain. Have you followed the chain in all these random facts?
10. I dislike odd numbers (even though my favorite number is 3). I refuse to have the volume in my car or tv on odd numbers. I take even numbers of paper towels and try to take even amounts of steps between places. Yes, I'm sick.
11. And I'm also very long-winded. Promise to make the answers to Sergio's questions less wordy.

Questions from Sergio

1)  Best moment of 2013?

Family vacation to Maui in July. Sunrise bike ride, amazing, snorkeling, luau, the whole-nine.

2)  Michael Jackson or Madonna...why?

MJ for sure. No one can deny the awesomeness that is Thriller nor his phenomenal dance skills or his music videos that are more like mini-movies, bad 80's hair, outfits, and all.

3)  Why did you get into education and what keeps you there?

I always wanted to be a teacher. When I was little, in addition to playing "house" we would play school and I was always the teacher. I stay in education because I can't imagine doing anything else that is more challenging or rewarding. 

4)  What is something you have done/made/accomplished, that you are most proud of?

I am proud that my husband and I have been blessed to have owned two homes in our young lives. It feels great to have accomplished this huge rite of passage at such an early age.

5) If you were not in education, what would you be doing instead?

I would go back to school for forensics and/or law enforcement. I'm fascinated by true-crime shows and am definitely a #IDaddict. I would love to investigate and solve crimes.

6)  Best "moment" in your career as a teacher/leader?

Every time a former student comes back (sometimes years later) to say thank you for being so "mean."

7)  Best gift you ever gave someone?

This year I made a gift for my husband that planned 52 dates for the upcoming year. One "big" date per month (going to Portland, LA, Warrior's game, Giant's game, Niner's game at new stadium, etc) plus 40 additional any time dates that are written on popcicle sticks. Don't worry, they're painted and cute, not too school-y. What can I say, you can take the girl out of the classroom but not the classroom out of the girl!

8)  Share something charming/weird about your family

My dad is one of 7 children and they are all named in alphabetical order, including his parents who were Avis and Benny (children in birth order: Clayton, Dorothy, Elert, Frank, Gary, Harry, and ivan). 

All the grand kids on my mom's side were born in girl-boy-girl order through all 11 of us (Jennifer (my sister), Brad, Amanda, Todd, Melanie, Tyler, me, Aaron, Krysta, Andy, Kayla.)

9) What is your best personal gift/quality/strength?

I try to make the best of every situation and am not afraid of working hard to make things better.

10)  #bestdayever?

Any day that I am traveling someplace awesome with my husband, friends, or family. I love exploring new places plus I really love airport beers. 

11)  What are you most excited for when you think of 2014?

In all honesty, finishing my masters. That will be a huge accomplishment.