Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Thing 5

Stop doing this for a couple a days and you can forget about picking up where you left off!  I needed to reacquaint myself with all I had done . . . . .and not done.

I was able to add blogs to the folders created by 2 of the 3 methods.  I didn't have Mozilla Firefox, so I downloaded it, but was unable to find the icon in the address bar.  It was difficult to hear the voice on the youtube video as well.    Do I need speakers?  Then I realized that it was our very own, very talented MH!  So I take back what I just said!

With so much going on in the news, I added a PBS blog in my News folder.  Now when they say, "Follow our blog at  . . . . ." I can say "OK!" 

I find the blog formats of some of the design sites fresher and just more enjoyable to visit though.  It's understandable, considering it's the nature of their business.   Take a look at this clean, crisp format: http://www.desiretoinspire.net/

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Google Reader

Wow.  I wasn't going to stop until I finished Thing 4.  It is so easy to get caught up in this stuff!  I thought when I added a couple of feeds they would be in my google reader so I had to keep referring to the video to figure out that I needed to add them directly to the google reader.  Even before that I wanted to have my folders ready so I tried to create them without anything to put in them and it was impossible.  I also copied and pasted some things that didn't take.  They were just web pages.  It took me a while to figure out that that was why.  I did the same ones a couple of times, feeling as if I was loosing my mind.  I did use the add subscription button to search for topics, which was pretty neat.  From there I could automatically add it to the appropriate (already created!) folder. It took me way to long to find Manage Subscriptions.  But once I did, things were easy.
So . . . . . . I went from lots of icons on my laptop so I would look cool, to moving stuff into My Favorites, and now, I have ever-updated information in my google reader.  I'm looking forward to being a more current learner in the areas of:  News, 23 Things (though I'm thinking my version may be 4 Things) Gardening and Health!   So now when I wake up in the morning I'll check my email(s), skim NYTimes online, read my reader updates . . . . .will I ever make it to Thing 5? 
And why is it so hard for me to go back to publish post from preview post?  Is it because I am left-handed?

Monday, July 18, 2011

Thing 3

I have done so much today!  The most rewarding activity was finding a blog of a kindergarten teacher with some great links to check out.  It took a lot of weeding through, but well worth it.The site is:   http://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com/  and the name of the blog is Chalk Talk.  Now how cute is that?  She should win an award for that name!    I am amazed at the wealth of information shared, solely for the sake of sharing.  (Of course you run into the sites with pop-ups, adds and services to sell as well.)

Now, two questions.   I am having trouble finding other people in this program to comment to.  I looked on the right of the blog and didn't see any members.  Help.  And sometimes when I write a comment and need to select something from a drop down message there isn't anything aplicable.   What am I missing?

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Thing 1 and Thing 2

So far, I am doing everything wrong.  I'll be surprised if I finish this course.  It was hard for me to even figure out how to get to the blog I set up! let along figure out how to post something.  But maybe that's why I'm taking this class.  and Yes.  I'm thinking differently now about what and how I write.  Usually I don't bother with capital letters and apostrophe's in my emails to friends.  (Work, of course, is a different story.) I am also used to writing  off the top of my head, without censoring, because I am writing to a friend.  Knowing this is a blog, and it is being monitored by Skip and Matt,  I need to be much more professional!    I was planning on doing this first thing in the morning, but then I got lazy, and would garden, read The New Yorker, go for a walk . . .things I enjoy so much more than this. To be honest, even when I was supposed to be working on this I would check my email and read the New York Times online.   But I'll give it a try.