Thing #6 -

Thing #5c - Exploring Flickr

The picture of the sweet orange cat reminds me so much of my dear cat, who at this moment, is curled up by my legs under the coffee table, as I explore flickr.

Agent Orange by 4cknEy3d

I have had fun exploring so many of the numerous tags. I also am beginning to have more of an understanding of the various groups on flickr. I plan to spend much more time exploring the various copyright rules to make sure that I fully understand them and give the correct credit where credit is due.

Thing #5b - Exploring Flickr

I am so lucky to work with my 4th graders and the art teacher as they explore patterns in nature. The art teacher and I are always looking for patterns in nature and there are so many pattenrs in nature that we can download from flickr to use in class, such as this cracking pattern.

This photo is Bark Texture by articotropcial

Thing #5 - Exploring Flickr

Wow, what a wonderful world of pictures I have found in flickr!!! I love finding geometry in the world around me. I, myself, am constantly found taking pictures of brick walls, wallpaper patterns. floor grates, etc. I also have my students take pictures of the geometry they find in the world around them. I can use the pictures I find in flickr as more examples of geometric patterns for my students to see and experience.

Metal Grate photo by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions

Thing #4 - Registering My Blog and Looking at Others' Blogs

I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I was able to e-mail Vaughn and let her know that I had set up my blog and created my avatar. It was especially great this morning when I saw my blog name in the list on the side of the Library2Play blog. I am so pleased that I have gotten this far, and yet I have 19 more things to do before August 10. I need to not look at the long list but just take one thing at a time. I know I can do this and still have a relaxing summer and also accomplish the other goals (work for my home and school ) that I have set for myself this summer. I find that great times to work on the 23 things are when I am sitting in front of the TV, early in the morning, or late at night. I also like going up to school from time to time in order to touch base with several fellow bloggers who are going through the program too. It is a great time to ask questions or share what I have learned. I am learning so much from others. I am enjoying looking at others' blogs. It is especially fun to look at the blogs of coworker friends. I am learning much more about their attitude toward learning and technology, and their learning styles. I also am getting great hints about using the technology we are learning about.

Thing #3 - Creating My Blog and My Avatar

Boy was this a challenge for me!!! I am a scan reader, so I found myself skipping important directions and having to go back lots of times and rereading the directions a step at a time. I also sat close to fellow bloggers from time to time at school and asked for help getting started or when I really got stumped. However, in the evening when I was at home without any fellow bloggers around, I seemed to get stumped a lot, especially by little things. I would get frustrated, step away for a moment and then come back and work on it more until I finally was able to work through my difficulties. I felt great by the time I went to bed. In the morning I went to school to be close again to fellow bloggers, and to my amazement I was much farther along on my blog than I thought I was. A fellow blogger opened my blog and there was my avatar. I did not realize I pasted it on my blog last night. We went back through the steps I took and I really did it - yea!!! - on my own (or should I say with very good directions - especially when I read them carefully).

Thing #2 - Pointers from Life Long Learners

I love to learn new things and see myself as a life long learner. I am good at setting a goal and then working toward meeting that goal. However because I am a scattered thinker, I may get sidetracked at times, but eventually come back to the original goal. I am good at accepting responsibility for my own learning and enjoy finding the tools I need in order to fully understand what I am learning about. I enjoy challenges. However, sometimes I am an impatient learner and have to stop myself from moving on to something else when I am faced with a challenge. I have seen what I have been able to learn over the years including how to fly an airplane. That experience plus countless others have given me confidence in myself as a competent effective learner. Those experiences have also taught me a lot about my learning style which is important in order to not get discouraged if it takes me a while to learn a new thing. I am a dinosaur when it comes to using technology. I found I learn how to use technology best when I have to use it. If I use it over and over again I eventually am able to use it easily. I think one reason I love teaching so much is that I am constantly learning as I teach. Even though I have taught math for the past 27 years I am constantly learning new things from so many sources including my students. Every time I learn something new, it is a new exciting discovery to me. When I mentor someone, I truly understand their frustrations because I experienced them along the way too. It is especially fun to find the best way to help someone learn something they don't understand. I love to play and have fun with something I have learned. The more opportunities I have to use what I have learned in a fun playful way, the more I understand what I have learned.

Getting Started on Thing #1

I read all the blog and am overwhelmed and excited at the same time. I have used the internet at school for several years but mostly just for sending e-mails and exploring some internet sites for classroom use. My husband and I got internet service at home for the first time last summer and so I truly am very much a novice when it comes to using the internet. I am overwhelmed by all the words and terms that seem so new to me. I am excited by the prospect of learning what they mean and putting these terms to use so I can truly understand what they mean.