Thing #5 - Flickr

Wow! I'm trying to decide if I like Flickr or not. I currently use Snapfish for uploading all my photos online, sharing, and ordering. Flickr is still a little "different" to me. There will definitely be a learning curve.

I think the tag feature is neat. I can see how helpful they can be when searching for photos. I do like the the ability to see the photos of my contacts. That is nice that it automatically shows those on your home page. I'm not sure I like the All Photos feature. I guess I need to make my pics private except for allowing my friends to see them.

I will have to play aroudn with this on e a little more.

Thing #4 - Register Blog

Yeah! I'm made it to "thing #4" .... that just sounds funny. Remember Dr. Suess' Cat in the Hat? He had Thing 1 and Thing 2.... and a few more I think. LOL.

I'm excited to have my blog registered. I'm really excited to review the other blogs listed under players. How fun to read other blogs and see the diversity in personal style. =)

I also plan to link this blog to my other blogs.

Many thanks to whoever thought up this type of staff development. I hope the district does more like this in the future -- but for other core curriculums as well (hint, hint).

Thing #3 - Blog & Avatar

I have created a blog or two in the past. I created one regarding my new house and one I created to talk about my first year of teaching. I have not kept up either of them very well. I plan to begin posting to them at least once a week now. I'm really looking forward to this blog. It is my diary of my own learning progress and views on learning. I also hope to share and link my blog to others created by my colleagues.

I LOVE the new Avatars. I created a facial-only one when Yahoo first came out with them for email/IM. The updates are so cool and so much fun compared to the original. I like that you can change clothing, appearance and the background. There are so many more options available.

Thing #2 - Life Long Learners

I consider myself a life long learner.

I identify strongly with several habits of successful life long learners: #1) Goal Setting, #2) Accepting responsiblity for my own learning, #4) having confidence in my learning, #6) using technology to my advantage, and #7) teaching others.

Habits that I could strengthen are: #3) viewing problems as challenges (very hard for me), #5) creating my own learning toolbox (there are always things I forget about that would benefit my learning), and #7.5) PLAY! --- this one is the hardest for me. I like to play but I get so bogged down in responsiblities and life's challenges. I want to play more for sure!

I guess this confirms that I still have a lot of learning to do. :)

Math Every Day...

As an 8th grade math teacher, I see the importance of learning math well and using it in your daily life. Life is a series of challenges that require top-notch effort, problem-solving skills, and integrity. Math is a tool that can be used to teach success techniques, not just mathematical concepts. Math is difficult, yet extremely rewarding. Don't be afraid of it!

M. A. T. H. = Must Always Think Hard............. but leads to much success!!!