Wicked Good Dog

bella_read
Originally uploaded by Sarkathun

First of all, she's not supposed to be on the furniture. Secondly, she can't resist curling up with a good book. Third, look at that face, would ya?

Now, picture this dog covered in low-tide muck barreling down the beach PAST you with her tongue hanging out the side of her huge grinning mouth not giving a moment's notice to the fact that the entire beach can hear you calling, nay, shrieking, her name...

Week 3: Things 5, 6 & 7

Flickr. Right on! My friends have all been at me to share photos, but I have been reluctant to get on board. I took this assignment as an opportunity to finally download the photos from our annual trip to the cottage in Canada...last August. I used to run out to develop photos as soon as the film was used up, but for some reason the digital photos stay on the camera for months and then the computer for months. We rarely print anything out to put in scrap books or albums. I also took a look at Picasa and SmugMug and I think I like the look and features of SmugMug best. I'm more interested in photo hosting sites and creating online albums with private access for families or friends or groups. This appears to be possible in Flickr, but there seems to be more flexibility for creating “scrapbooky” type albums in some of the other programs.

My interest in blogs and wikis and photo sharing has much to do with a brother, sister-in-law and nephew in Park City Utah and my own little one on the way. It is definitely easy to keep in touch these days with email and digital cameras, but often I receive HUGE files (you know the kind - all you can see is an eyeball and you have to scroll up, down, back and forth to see the photo so eventually you give up and just download the whole thing whether or not you originally intended to simply because you want to see it. But I digress...). I am the most tech savvy person in my immediate family, but I know everyone with internet access would go to a website daily to see the latest photos of the family. I need to make it as easy as possible for them to view our photos as well as add their own. The time is now. I will start with flickr and see where the road leads...

I did create a flickr account and upload a "motivational poster" created through bighugelabs (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/). These mash-up applications have great potential in the classroom as well as in our personal lives. I especially love the idea of trading cards and magazine covers. I'm thinking there must be some kind of connection to be made with the trading cards and book clubs or book reviews or something to that effect. Even trading card bookmarks with favorite faculty members a la the READ posters... My mind races with the possibilities.

Week 2: Thing 4

Oh the joy, the bliss! I have chosen my platform and registered my blog with Kathy/MSLA! Yeehaw!

Week 2: Thing 3

Okay, I could easily become obsessed with finding the perfect template or colors or shopping for my avatar. Yes, obsessed. And that's after coming up with a name for the blog...too many choices, too many decisions. Setting up the blog was easy enough and I'm hoping that I can get into the habit of blogging enough that I actually create a blog for my library. We'll see!

Week 1: Thing 2

What is easy and what is difficult? For starters, it's pretty easy for me to talk about the difficulties I face - both on the job and personally.

I'd say it is usually difficult for me to "Begin with the end in mind." I have boundless ideas but in the end I have trouble picking one of those ideas, stating a goal and focusing on that goal. My ideas often stay in the stratosphere and never come to fruition. That personal challenge to bring some of my ideas to life is what spurred me to sign up for this program. I am familiar with many of the technologies, but I haven't found the time, energy or focus to use them in my library.

The easiest habit for me is #4 - to have confidence in myself as a competent, effective learner. I pride myself on being a lifelong learner, in everything from looking for new information and welcoming life's many lessons every day. I know that I take what I learn professionally and put it into action most of the time. I also know that I sound pretty full of myself right now...

As an aside, I think Play (Habit 7 1/2) is both very challenging and quite easy at times. Making the time to play can be difficult, but then using the time to actually play is sometimes also difficult. It's important to remember to play and not to feel guilty about it!