Thing #12 GoOgLe

I enjoyed furthing my exploration and understanding of Google. As we all know by now I am a huge advocate of Google. As it offers many conviences that make the web as a whole more user friendly. I truly enjoyed iGoogle, http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en. I made my own home page and explored all the applications that were listed. The amount of information that shows up on the screen is unreal. There are links everywhere that allow the user to explore even more information such as: news, sports, weather, etc. I was signed up for Google Alert, http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en, which is an awesome application that will send current information to your email as it becomes available on the web. I signed up to be informed about severe weather. I was not dissappointed by the additional tools I found that Google provides.

Thing # 11 Feeds

Google is by far the easiest search tool for finding feeds. Google has an unfair advantage over all the other sites, the advantage is familiarity. Almost everyone has used some application that Google has designed. The common use of Google makes it by far the most user friendly. Google also breaks down the feeds into categories more clearly than the other sites. Syndic8.com was the most confusing site, the lack of links to specific categories also made it an inferior search tool for feeds. The feed I found most interesting was title "My God Joe," which was basically a gossip site for current events. Alot of search engines will take you to news feeds if you just type in a specific subject. Many of the results of search engines end up being some type of news feed.

Thing # 10 RSS

I really like RSS and readers, it is an awesome way to retain alot of information very quickly. I chose to use Google Reader because it is extremely user friendly, plus most people are familiar with the Google format. I am glad that I now know how to use this application. This could be used in the classroom as a way to keep students informed of current events. Teachers can use this technology to stay informed as well, the convience of this application makes it especially helpful.

Thing #9 Signs

I really enjoyed creating images using the application on the internet. My personal favorite was the application that allowed me to create personalized signs. The possiblities are endless with these personalized photos. Students could use this application to harness there abilities with a computer while also enjoying the creative process. These photos could be printed and posted throughout school buildings to portray real messages. The signs could be used as screen savers on the computers in the library. Overall this application can be used personally as a source of enjoyment. The application I used can be found at http://center-lane.signgenerator.net.

Thing #8 "JODY"

I think that Flickr could be an awesome online learning tool that would help students become more acquainted with the internet, computers, and web 2.0 tools. Spell with Flickr is a fun and interactive way that students could express themselves. This would be a great ice breaker for students at the beginning of each semester. I think that sharing photos online is a great way to spread awesome scenes and allow individuals to indirectly interact. The interaction that occurs helps to bring people together from all over the world, it also allows images to be seen by many. The many images that can be observed online may other wise remain unseen by many

Thing #7 Flickr is a "Silly Cow"

I really enjoyed exploring Flickr, it was an awesome learning experience that allowed me to better understand the website. I found a picture that I thought was really awesome. I picked a photo tagged as cow, or "silly cow" as it appeared on my screen. I searched this tag because I own several of my own cows. I thought this photo was hilarious! Flickr is a very useful website that offers many options for the user to utilize. On this website photos can be organized, uploaded, shared, and albums can be created.