the thoughts of an avid reader

I didn’t have to create a blog because I already had this one up and running. I was almost inspired last night to sit down and write something, but a movie sounded a little more interesting. Robert Fulgham’s All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten was also sitting on my bed. Reading a couple sections during the movie was easy. Digressions are so easy when blogging.

A problem has arisen. It has been a twenty minute task to try and post an avatar on a wordpress site. I think I am giving up until I can write to someone and ask for directions. All possibility might have been exhausted. The avatar is ready (also something I have had for awhile). In fact, I have had the avatar since college. We used to have Jeopardy competitions (nerdy, I know). The site used to be interactive and three people could meet in a room and compete against each other. There, one could choose an avatar. It was such a new concept we created them through our Yahoo accounts.  As soon as I figure out how to insert the html language that connects my avatar to this site, then you will see how the skinnier computer version of me looks.

It really amazes me that I can learn about the Internet while using it. I don’t even know what some of the words are, and yet I have seen them all over various web pages. What the heck is an RSS Feed? I even tried to read the “FAQ” section and was still lost. This is exciting because I might (finally) be encouraged to regularly use my blog. If you notice, I have actually had it for quite a while.

Back to Classroom Learning 2.0 Thing #2. I really think I am a lifelong learner. It is something that has come naturally. I love to read and I am always craving explanations. Utilizing technology and other sources is normal. However, I do realize that I see many challenges as problems instead of learning experiences. I try to teach optimism to my students (see “Cultivating Optimism”) and still find it easy to complain through the problem. Do I get it done? Yes. But I am sure I could find something positive about the experience.

I set a goal for myself that is pretty broad. I really want to find practical applications of technology in my classroom. There have been several ideas I came up with, but obstacles prevented success. MySpace AND YouTube can be used for positive learning experiences. There are even a couple of WebQuests I would like to try, but they are blocked. I guess I have to learn how to create my own WebQuest in order to get it approved. Going though this process will give me (and everyone else participating) a way to come up with some good ideas to make technology something useful and accessible. I guess the first step is for me to keep practicing (blogs are a little confusing until you get the terminology down).