tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36557647593627854242024-03-13T21:18:34.610-07:00Misadventures in WonderlandA self-discovery adventure in the world of technology.skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-82813067829586168452008-04-18T09:12:00.000-07:002008-04-18T09:30:05.524-07:00Beauty is in the Eye of the BeholderIn a moment of weakness I broke down and read The Ruins after seeing all the advertising hype that went with the novel's movie. Big mistake! I did not enjoy it one bit.<br /><br />So to satisfy my BAM challenge I need something that wouldn't take too long to read. And I wanted to cleans my mind. This month's theme is beauty which should be helpful, right? <br /><br />Well as I was straightening a bookcase I notice a book I hadn't read since childhood. Hence my review is a repeat which I enjoyed reading this past week.<br /><br />Beautiful Joe<br />by Margaret Marshall Saunders<br />Children's book<br /><br />Beautiful Joe is a story that is based on true events. The book documents the cruelity and rescue of animals, most notably Joe. Joe is a dog who as a pup had his ears and tail axed off by his first master in a fit of anger.<br /><br />Sad as this story is, the book is wonderful for it viewpoint which is told through the eyes of Beautiful Joe. And the stories of triumph over adversities makes this book a favorite of mine since my childhood.<br /><br />Interestingly, I discovered that the book was a winner of a humane society writers contest in the 1800s. I can certainly see why.skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-82826977161771378062008-03-28T18:26:00.000-07:002008-12-10T19:14:14.628-08:00I've Got a Human in My Mouth<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/R-2bXJwryII/AAAAAAAAABU/gFb2AmfHzBI/s1600-h/worth1000-photoshop-book.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/R-2bXJwryII/AAAAAAAAABU/gFb2AmfHzBI/s320/worth1000-photoshop-book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182969568232720514" /></a><br /><br />Title: I Got a Human in My Throat<br />Author: Collaboration – Worth1000.com<br />Genre: Non-fiction<br /><br />This month for BAM I went with the literal interpretation of the theme, craft or hobby. My focus for the past two years has been on computer graphics and designs. In fact this past week, I met my requirements to complete an associative degree in science. <br /><br />This book is one that I picked up some time ago, because it has such wonderful tips for photo manipulation. On the practical side Bob Schneider shows you how to restore old photographs, eliminating scratches and sharpening the images. Dorie Pugat shows you how to colorize black and white photographs. On the silly side the reader is shown how to put a human mouth on a frog. Or you can convert a beautiful woman into a wicked witch.<br /><br />Each process is shown through detailed graphics and descriptions. A cd is included with the images for the reader to practice the process. The contributors for each process are manipulators from the website, Worth1000.com. If you are just slightly interested in computer graphics and manipulation this is a site for you. Contests are continually in progress with various levels of expertise, from beginners to advance. The results of these contests are wonders to behold.<br /><br />This is a book that I will definitely keep as a reference.skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-32727171578488192722008-02-15T05:09:00.000-08:002008-12-10T19:14:14.841-08:00February's Challenge<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/R7WP9ibpHFI/AAAAAAAAAAs/CbmAfon16zY/s1600-h/pa2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167194434855050322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/R7WP9ibpHFI/AAAAAAAAAAs/CbmAfon16zY/s320/pa2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Alice Flagg, The Ghost of the Hermitage<br />by Nancy Rhyne<br /><br />The BAM challenge for February dealt appropriately with the heart. My choice for the challenge was the novel, <em>Alice Flagg</em>. <em>Alice Flagg</em> is based on a ghost story of South Carolina. In essence, Alice Flagg was a young lady from a wealthy planter’s family, who fell in love with a lumberman. Separated from her lover, the fifteen year old girl died from a broken heart. On her body was discovered the gold ring her lover had given her. Enraged Alice’s brother threw the ring into the marsh to be washed away with the tide.<br /><br />The story is rich with details that reflect the Southern society of the early 1800’s. Fascinating encounters with the Alice ghost - whether in her beloved home, the Hermitage, or in the cemetery – are described in the prologue and epilogue.<br /><br />I chose this book out of curiosity. Ever seen I had seen Alice’s sad grave I had wanted to know more of her story. The sad burial plot is separated from the rest of the family and marked with a small stone plaque that simply says ‘Alice’. Worn by generations of visitors, there is a path around the grave as people seek to conjure the ghost who is said to be searching for her gold ring.<br /><br /><br />My Life in Dog Years<br />Gary Paulsen<br /><br />This book was a wonderful read-aloud book! Consisting of 8 stories of 8 dogs that author has encountered or owned in his life. It might be more appropriate to say that the dogs chose Mr. Paulsen! The children and I laughed and cried throughout this book.<br /><br />As usual Gary Paulsen does not disappoint. His stories are rich in details. The reader feels as if he/she is actually witnessing the interaction between the dogs and the man.<br /><br />I had to include this book in the BAM challenge. What else is close to many of our hearts than our beloved pets?skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-20743231961940655622008-01-21T15:22:00.000-08:002008-01-21T15:39:00.804-08:00A New Year - A New ChallengeAs part of my New Year resolution I decided to begin to read again...FOR PLEASURE.<br /><br />I joined this marvelous book challenge, <a href="http://bamchallenge.wordpress.com/tag/bam-challenge/">BAM</a>. The goal is to read a book a month that meets the criteria of a set theme. Then the reader shares the review, posting on a blog.<br /><br />For January the theme was TIME.<br /><br />I decided to read two books this month. One book was a youth fiction, since I am still teaching. The other book was hopefully an adult level. LOL<br /><br />The two books read were <em>The Winter Room</em> and <em>The Worst Hard Time</em>.<br /><br />Here are my reviews!<br /><br />The Winter Room<br />Gary Paulsen<br /><br />We all have favorite authors for different genres. For youth fiction, my favorite writer is Gary Paulsen. To me the man is a literary artist. He can provide a sensory experience for the reader through his words. Not only do you see what the character is experiencing, but what he is emotionally feeling, smelling, hearing and tasting. You ARE the character. No higher praise can I think of for a writer than this. <br /><br />The Winter Room does not disappoint this reader. Indeed in the foreword it is interesting to find that the writer addresses the senses as they apply to the story. It is these senses that are closely observed throughout the story as time marches by. For indeed, time is a major theme in the story, as adults grow old and young boys grow into adults. <br /><br />Time on a farm is cyclical and follows through the seasons: summer, spring, fall, and winter. The Winter Room is where the family passes time during the cold winter nights as two elderly men share stories from their past and the old country. Shown through the eyes of a young boy, Eldon, the reader shares the lives, emotions, and maturation of the character and his older brother, Wayne.<br /><br />There is a bitter sweetness to this tale. The short book is reminiscence of Paul Gallico’s work. Easily it may be read in one sitting. However, The Winter Room is worthy of multiple readings for the subtle nuances and the value of life’s lessons the story projects. I highly recommend this book for those who truly want a rich sensory experience. <br /><br /><br />The Worst Hard Time<br />The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl<br />Timothy Egan<br /><br />The Worst Hard Time is a historical non-fiction. For those who enjoy history this book might be for you.<br /><br />Outlining the causes of the Dust Bowl in the Great Plains of the 1930’s, Timothy Egan introduces us to the people who chose to stay within this ‘dying’ land. Through drought, dust storms, twisters and grasshoppers, the American farmers still dreamed of the life that they envisioned making from the land, never giving up.<br /><br />The book is rich with ‘trivia.’ Growing up I remember my parents singing the song, “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You.” Worst Hard Time revealed that Woody Guthrie wrote this song on Black Sunday, when the dust storm was so dark people could not see inches in front of their faces. They literally thought it was the end of the world.<br /><br />I enjoyed the facts and little known information that I garnered from this book. I was saddened from the way some of these farmers’ lives played out. However, sadly the book did not hold my interest the last five chapters except for the fact I wanted to find out about the individuals I started to care about. <br /><br />Unfortunately, the book’s progression seemed disjointed. The storyline of the different people seemed broken and fragmented. Understandably, the author was following the timeline of the Dust Bowl. However, the flow of the story was what broke my interest.skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-48091983588621369372007-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:002007-05-11T17:33:49.204-07:00Encyclopedia of LifeI enjoy listening to NPR as I drive home. Sometimes if I am early enough, I can listen to The World, but most often it is All Things Considered.<br /><br />Today they discussed an internet project that is so exciting. The scientists want to include all known life. <br /><br />Titled The Encyclopedia of Life, this site will be a wonderful resource. You can currently view some demo pages. Check out a new species of crab, the Yeti Crab!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.eol.org">Encyclopedia of Life</a>skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-13764160116700268762007-04-30T17:45:00.000-07:002007-05-03T16:05:24.565-07:00YouTube Move Over!This is too cool! A form of YouTube for teachers! The site is TeacherTube. It has teacher made videos for instruction, sharing, and inspiration. <br /><br />And I love it.<br /><br />Check it out at <a href="http://www.TeacherTube.com">http://www.TeacherTube.com</a><br /><br />And for an added incentive.....<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.teachertube.com/flvplayer.swf" FlashVars="config=http://www.teachertube.com/flvplayer.php?viewkey=499e50248a3a78f7acfc&vimg=http://www.teachertube.com/thumb/1_696.jpg" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="350" loop="false" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"> </embed>skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-74476452449017794992007-04-22T04:50:00.000-07:002007-05-11T17:35:49.938-07:00Busy, Busy, Busy!It's that time of year when things are hectic to the max!<br />Besides work as usual, I am busy learning the ins and outs of html and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Dreamweaver</span>.<br /><br />I did want to share one thing. Our district is encouraging teachers to create <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">webpages</span> from MS Publisher. With my quest for a bookmark program, I came across several online bookmark sites. I decided to combine the two tasks and create a reference area for my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">colleagues</span>.<br /><br />If interested, the address is:<br /><br /><a href="http://guest.portaportal.com/skyork">http://guest.portaportal.com/skyork</a><br /><br />Hope someone can use this!skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-41800975375698278172007-04-08T03:14:00.000-07:002007-04-08T03:23:49.236-07:00Wiki Who?I decided on <a href="http://activeurls.com/">Check and Get</a> for my bookmark manager. It has everything I need. With thousands of bookmarks it's nice to have something to weed out the duplicates. It lets me know if the site is gone, and highlights the changes. Once I set it up it will be a great <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">time saver</span>. The personal edition is $39, but I think it is worth it. You can also download the first version for free.<br /><br />The next few days I am going to slow down. I want to take my time with the next level, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki">Wiki</a>. I love using <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wikipedia</span>. With all the hypes about the negative with this 'resource', I have found it to be a wonderful jumping off point. I remember hearing on NPR that the site had fewer mistakes than some published encyclopedias.<br /><br />It will be fun to find out what I can do with this!skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-26873045158134669262007-04-07T04:55:00.000-07:002007-04-07T06:36:41.471-07:00BOOKMARKS and TAGSWell, the past few days I have been in search of a bookmark program.<br /><br />I have had some suggestions, most notably <a href="http://del.icio.us/">del.icio.us</a>. However, these are online communities in which you share bookmarks. One other one I was thinking of setting up for my educational bookmarks...especially to share with my fellow teachers...is <a href="http://portaportal.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">portaportal</span></a>.<br /><br />However, I wanted a software that would allow me to easily organize my bookmarks, and actually check for updates. Something that would eliminate defunct sites. I may have found it. There is a program called <a href="http://activeurls.com/">Check&Get</a>. It seems to do all I want. I'll investigate some more. Hopefully, I can download a trial version.skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-90002947975229271722007-04-06T18:35:00.000-07:002008-12-10T19:14:15.068-08:00IMAGINE THE IMAGE!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5050494059110104098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/Rhb1lo16fCI/AAAAAAAAAAk/ApFdYsrZvaY/s320/magazine428267.jpg" border="0" />Well, today was an experiment with image generators. This magazine cover was from <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/">fd's Flickr Toys</a>. There are comic strip generators, such as Garfield. This would be great resource for the classroom teacher.skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-6781234101382527272007-04-05T04:43:00.000-07:002008-12-10T19:14:15.333-08:00Feed Me!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/RhTiZ416fBI/AAAAAAAAAAc/iO7SHhrghRE/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049910016572292114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/RhTiZ416fBI/AAAAAAAAAAc/iO7SHhrghRE/s320/images.jpg" border="0" /></a> Today I am discovering the purpose of RSS and XML. Now this is what the Internet should be about!<br /><div></div><br /><div>If you are curious about the hype, there is a wonderful, easy tutorial that gives you the basics of Internet Feed that you can find <a href="http://www.palinet.org/rss/toti/tsstutorial.htm">here</a>.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>God willing, some time today I will try to set up a blogline account. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My Favorites file/bookmarks is bursting. Can anyone rec a good managing programming for bookmarks?</div>skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-26931942886437389972007-04-04T04:47:00.000-07:002007-04-04T04:53:02.232-07:00Future Shock<a id="fs_1" title="'" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00/345807899"><img title="i" alt="i" src="http://static.flickr.com/80/345807899_7cf2fded71_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_3" title="L" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82505070@N00/221602282"><img alt="L" src="http://static.flickr.com/96/221602282_d744b1ef6d_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_4" title="O" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82505070@N00/245028481"><img alt="O" src="http://static.flickr.com/84/245028481_b04482d15b_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_5" title="V" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60139144@N00/240973701"><img alt="V" src="http://static.flickr.com/86/240973701_2b57514e7d_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_6" title="Cimetière de Montmartre" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95229107@N00/360399590"><img alt="Cimetière de Montmartre" src="http://static.flickr.com/127/360399590_444b3168e9_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_8" title="t" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00/384064834"><img alt="t" src="http://static.flickr.com/145/384064834_8784ce14d2_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_9" title="E is for Scoot MinutE" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/92709190@N00/372075493"><img alt="E is for Scoot MinutE" src="http://static.flickr.com/177/372075493_ed09c6b236_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_10" title="C" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/92709190@N00/274949968"><img alt="C" src="http://static.flickr.com/92/274949968_9e96e190d6_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_11" title="'" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00/383987513"><img title="H" alt="H" src="http://static.flickr.com/98/383987513_9bf70737b6_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_12" title="One Letter - N" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/55412350@N00/333258035"><img alt="One Letter - N" src="http://static.flickr.com/131/333258035_0a66d3e858_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_13" title="OOcimetieÌ€re" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95229107@N00/432325179"><img alt="OOcimetieÌ€re" src="http://static.flickr.com/174/432325179_735d4f3afc_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_14" title="L" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/92709190@N00/251806494"><img alt="L" src="http://static.flickr.com/94/251806494_9f2ff41c44_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_15" title="Oooh!" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/92709190@N00/184468582"><img alt="Oooh!" src="http://static.flickr.com/69/184468582_2f90428ce0_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_16" title="G is for Green" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/92709190@N00/400334553"><img alt="G is for Green" src="http://static.flickr.com/148/400334553_52b7f5f964_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_17" title="Y" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00/142696781"><img alt="Y" src="http://static.flickr.com/46/142696781_12c12bf722_s.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a id="fs_18" title="!" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00/88518407"><img alt="!" src="http://static.flickr.com/12/88518407_e9009e6a04_s.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /> Man, it amazes me how someone can keep up with all the innovations of the Internet, technology, AND any information you are looking for. Basically, you do not need a library - it's online. You do not need a college - it's online. You do not need a store - it's online. Sometimes it feels overwhelming and scary. Scary still, what do you do if the power goes out? I remember reading about self-generated laptops that will be given to third world countries. Wonder if I can get my hand on one?skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-64451952337775288452007-04-03T05:52:00.000-07:002007-04-03T05:55:09.675-07:00My Friend, Flickr!I love this site! It has a wealth of knowledge. I feel like I am going to be stuck here for awhile.<br />If interested in all the creative work, look <a href="http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/">here</a>.<br /><br />Do I have to work on my taxes?skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-26285288477712659812007-04-02T04:53:00.000-07:002008-12-10T19:14:15.698-08:00Flickr<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/RhDx4T-YfWI/AAAAAAAAAAU/2FZPUILPYYs/s1600-h/33644293_bc42bf1543.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048801132019219810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ub0tYmfsczg/RhDx4T-YfWI/AAAAAAAAAAU/2FZPUILPYYs/s320/33644293_bc42bf1543.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Wow! I will be here for a while. This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Flickr</span> site is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">phenomenal</span>. I just purchased a Nikon D80. So know I have the place and the incentive to start posting pics.</div><br /><div>This is a great source!</div><br /><div>I'll be back to post my impressions in a day or two.</div></div>skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655764759362785424.post-61990568493391808142007-04-01T13:52:00.000-07:002007-04-01T13:58:01.853-07:00Welcome Inter-WorldWell, here I am on another misadventure. I love the Internet and technology. The discovery of the new and different variety is what I am after. <br /><br />I was on the net from it's birth with my trusted Commodore 64 to Commodore 128 to Apples to Macs and PCs. And it has been a wild trip.<br /><br />I decided to try the Learning 2.0, because hopefully in the near future I will be working with fellow instructors. The goal is to enhance their teaching experience with technology.<br /><br />Learning 2.0 seems to have done this beautifully. I would like to set up a similar program.skyorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09591242802523546616noreply@blogger.com0