Library Thing - Task 11

I like the idea behind this, but found it to be a bit too similar to google books. I don't think I'd use both accounts and would probably choose Library thing over google books. I liked the layout a bit better and found that there were more comments from fellow readers on here as well as 'talks' and 'groups' related to certain topics, themes or styles of writing. I found that some titles I'd added had many fans while others not so many. The reviews were honest (from the point of view of the reviewer in some instances :)) and not too lengthy. I think it would be a great way to have an online book club with friends living overseas etc. I think it is more appropriate for older students than the age group I currently teach. This could be a place I could get easily lost in for hours on end, reading about others points of views of books and recommendations! Dangerous! :)

Online Image Generators - Task 10

Wow! I never knew how many great looking FREE image generators there were out there. These are great and lot's of fun to play around with. The uses that pop into my head are for class wiki's, blogs, School and personal websites - the list goes on! I feel that I have only scratched the surface with these and I'd be keen to try out using the images in different ways - email invitations on face book for an announcement etc. Now I'm going to try loading up the one I prepared earlier.... fingers crossed.... here goes! :)

Ok, so not where I intended it to land, but at least it's up there :)

I made it on this site:
http://says-it.com/letterboard/index.php

Virtual Worlds - Task 9

Hmmm... not convinced on this one. The whole virtual world thing still really doesn't appeal to me and I'm not sure it ever will. I couldn't understand when one of the big gaming brands bought out virtual worlds a few years ago... where your avatar could meet up with someone else's avatar to 'do' coffee... why not just really 'do' coffee? I could possibly see the benefits of these types of online social settings for people who were physically unable to leave their houses, or if you were living too far away for regular face to face contact; however, there are many more alternate ways to 'catch up' in these circumstances ie Skype, texting, facebook which use technology but are all based in the 'Real' world. What are the benefits of buying a house that can't provide you with actual shelter, or buying a coffee that you can't really drink? I think virtual worlds are dangerous as people can potentially get caught up in the pretend and loose connection with reality. Isn't it better to teach children to be the best person they can be in real life?

Google Books - Task 7

Wow! I had never come across this before. I am an avid reader and really enjoyed searching for a few of my lesser know favourite reads on here and reading what others had to say about them. I even found another book by one of my all time favourite books' authors - Andrew Kaufman - who originally wrote 'All my friends are Superheroes' I now am trying to track down a copy of his 'Waterproof Bible'. This is one feature I originally liked of Google books - it has a list of retailers down the side, although in my quest, none of the retailers listed seemed to have a copy of the book I was searching for, for sale :( It also seemed better suited to people living in North America with a Library search, which would be great to use. As I've stated before, I'm not great with names of things and this also applies to books, so one great feature of Google Books is that you can create your own library with favourites, current reads and ones to read. I think this would also be good for students as would the reviews. A bit like an online book club/ librarian as it also recommended other titles based on what you searched for. Amazon also does this. I think I prefer my librarian and her recommendations better though.

i-Google - Task 8

How much fun can be had with this one and how many reports can be procrastinated?! The answer to both is - LOTS!! :) i-google is something that appeals to me greatly, but my mind knows that it's best to stay away! With all it's nifty gadgets and tools and information, if I set i google as my home page, I probably wouldn't get much further than it on a daily basis. Just playing around with it with the staff at my school proved to be very addicting with each of us calling out excitedly when we'd found an appealing tool. By the time I'd finished my page and found all that I could fit, I had organised what I was going to have for dinner, found out what my horoscope was, seen what the weather was like in London, was updated on the world news and had learnt a funny joke or two. I felt very productive without actually being productive. I can see how this could be a very useful tool for someone far more disciplined than myself, but for now
i-won't i-google.

Google Maps - Task 6

This one I am already a fan of! Being someone not-so-great with directions or remembering street names, I have been an avid user of Google Maps for years now. Being someone not-so-great with punctuality too, I really like that Google Maps will tell me exactly how log it will take for me to get from A to B, or Z for that matter. Prior to owning an i-phone I used to load up the map and directions on my computer and take a picture of it with my camera phone, or my camera so as not to have bit of paper floating around in my bag. My husband and I even used this method when travelling overseas to find directions to hotels, restaurants and other places of interest prior to us leaving the country so we wouldn't have to waste time in internet cafes or asking for directions. Now that I have an i phone it's one of my most used apps - why i even used it just the other night coming home from the shopping centre when I took a wrong turn into a new blossoming suburb and couldn't find my way back. A fantastic tool that I would literally be 'lost' without! ;)

Google Docs - Task 5

I have to confess to being a little reluctant with new technologies of late...  I fear that I am becoming one of 'those' teachers, happy to work with what I know best and leave all else aside. I seem to be too time poor to bother with the new, born out of fear that it just won't work. It all started with the purchasing of an apple mac book pro with its sleek design and user friendly design, and the pending deadline of a termly newsletter late last year. Quite adept at using Microsoft Publisher to whip up a newsletter (or 20) over the years in no time at all, I thought I would play around with and try out Apples Pages to get the job done - but not only did I have to re-make a totally new newsletter on Publisher to meet the deadline, I felt I had wasted what little valuable 'spare' time I had on a piece of work that was never to become anything as I tried in vein to use it like Publisher (which it just is not!). I have to say I was feeling the dread rise in me at the prospect of using Google Docs - Why not just use a group email, after all?!?!? Well, I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised by Mr. Google Docs' capabilities... why, my colleagues and I were able to open and add and/or change details on the document at the same time in real time!!! Wow! No longer will I have to run around to find out who has the planning document open and 'locked' for editing, no longer will I have 10 different responses to one group email clogging up my inbox! Hello Google Docs! :)