Emerging Technologies Post

As I read through the "Emerging Technologies" module for my UCF class and read the chapters in our textbook "Web 2.0 new tools, new schools", the pace at which new technology is being created and new uses for existing technology is being discovered is incredible!

Up until about 2 years ago, I was considered tech savvy and knowledgeable about the working of the computer itself and the concomitant peripherals, and relatively familiar with educational apps and devices such as zip and pen drives, ELMO overheads, computer microscopes, etc.

That isn't the case today. These days I struggle just to stay ahead of the students! It takes all of the 'free' time I have keep up with the programs and devices I need to use, leaving no time to discover new programs, applications, blogs, educational websites, etc. I haven't even been able to use the new White board yet =(

So, it excites me to see the possibilities I've glimpsed as I have perused the sites Ms. Kirkley linked to our readings.

As far as technology that I AM still familiar with and use regularly, my favorite is my digital camera and the sites/programs I use to edit, print, and store them.

To store ALL of my files (music, data and photos) I use Sugarsync, a web storage host with the following features:

• Online Backup
• Multi-Computer Sync
• Remote Access
• Mobile Phone Access
• Music & Photos
• Sharing
• Data Security

Shared Folders

Share entire folders with friends, family, and co-workers.

SugarSync for iPhone

24/7 access to all your files and photos from your iPhone or iPod touch.

It’s the world’s simplest online backup with remote access,
multi computer sync and online sharing built in.

You'll find the service at http://www.sugarsync.com/. I subscribe for a storage total of 30G; I'm currently using 25.4G. Originally, I was over the 30G limit, so I didn't include all of my music files!

This week Sugarsync just released their new feature - FILE SHARING. I can mark any file as 'shared' and send an email invite to view as many or as few as I choose!

When my external hard drive became unreadable a few years ago, I was SO very grateful that I was using online backup for my photos. At the time I had over 5,000 from a span of many years. Currently Sugarsync has backed up 55,455 files and 2,101 sub-folders - that's a LOT of important (to ME) 'stuff'!

Whew, I need to catch my breath. Ahhhh....

Hello there! Long time, no type/read. That's mostly because I have been busy. It seems like every one of us had a Dr. visit (including the cat), haircut, dentist appointment, meeting, etc. We also ran out of all sorts of things vital to our everyday lives (detergent, hygiene items, pet food and so on), so Target cleaned up when I visited there too!

My son also brought home his 2nd report card - I was holding my breath because his mid-semester progress report was way below the acceptable margin. But...he pulled it out! He brought home all As and Bs as usual, and 2 great comments too.

My husband is gone more than he is home these days. But don't feel too sorry for me-we both work from home which is claustrophobic at times. It's either feast or famine.

I'd like to tag along when he goes to Atlanta, but we don't have many options for leaving our 14 year old son during the school week.

I AM excited about a different trip though. My trip (along with my 19 year old daughter) to Dubai has been scheduled - WOOHOO! We areleaving Mar 6, returning March 14. Gosh, it's a very long flight (~19 hours). I've been told to take Tylenol PM and try to snooze for the majority of the plane ride. We have rather long lay-overs too, but that give us wiggle room in case of a delay.

We can't wait to see our best friends; Dawn (My BFF) and her daughter Monica (my daughter's BFF). Isn't that cool? They are living in Dubai for a year. Dawn's company builds marinas and Dubai is famous for having created not 1 but 3 islands - 2 look like palm trees, and the third looks like Earth (this is when viewed from the air). It is absolute debauchery and waste, but I hear it is something to behold. They use the old adage "It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here" to describe how they feel about Dubai.

I must go and prepare some dinner for my son and myself. More later....TaTa

^..^ Kitty

Troubleshooting Reflection - EME5208- Production Techniques for Instructional Setting...

Hello All-

I'm just going to do a little tweaking to make this font look better. Let's see-
I just love the color "Hot Pink", and this definitely isn't it.
What abou...no this is "Baby Pink"
What the? It just gets worse. Soon I'll be invisible!
Aha! ... This is not it either. I think they call this 'salmon'
OK! Wow I don't even know what to call this color.

I just love the color "Royal Blue", so why isn't this the right color? It should look like the word "Preview" in the top right corner of this blog text box! Geez...

You've just read a little bit of what I was thinking as I tried to fill in a template for a set of page dividers. Only 3 font choices, no way to see if what you typed would actually fit onto the tab of the real divider, and VERY vague instructions. Mostly just buttons.

When I finally got the template to print, the letters were too small and it looked like I turned a piece of paper sideways and typed on it! How does the template actually benefit me?

Sound familiar? When you buy a cheap product that promises to have online support, templates, ideas factories, creative samples and MORE!, don't you believe it.

Avery.com even makes you download a tool if you want to use the software for printing on their labels!

I finally filled in the tab outline by hand. Guess what; it looks just fine. Now I'm feeling bad about the time I wasted trying to print them.

Now that I think about it, I feel bad about "wasting time" on the computer quite frequently. As I mulled this over, I realized/rationalized that I've learned most of my computer skills EXACTLY this way. Trial and error (mostly error if I'm really learning A LOT!)

=) Kathleen Kitty Redfern

What does Blog mean? AHA!

AHA!!
I have it!
I think I already knew it and forgot, but BLOG is actually an "urban" word combining
web and log, see?
Did Webster add it to the Dictionary? Wait a second and I'll go out and check - I love the Firefox tabs!

Encyclopædia Britannica:
Blog
internet
in full Web Log or Weblog

Yep! It's in both Merriam & Webster and Britannica.

In my first blog posting, I was so caught up in the actual term BLOG that I neglected to tell a little about myself. Well....there is so much and so little to tell.

I'll just state the facts, as Sergeant Friday used to say on Dragnet (Yeah, I'm that old...)

Name: Kathleen N/M/N Redfern, nee Kennedy. If you actually call me Kathleen, then you do NOT know me-probably trying to sell me something-it's Kitty to everyone else.

Age: Geez, I'm already 48.

Marital and Offspring Status: Married 21 years to Craig who, in partnership with me, produced 2 children:
#1) Lauren, age 19 and a Freshman at UF **How 'bout them Gators?**
(technically a Sophomore with AP and Dual-Enrollment credits)
#2) Bryce, age 14 and an 8th grader at Indian Trails Middle School in Winter Springs.

Location: For the past 9 years I have lived in the Tuscawilla neighborhood of Winter Springs, Florida. We moved here from North Florida.

Occupation: Florida Elementary School Teacher for 26 years-Whew! Currently on a leave of absence from Seminole County.

Education: Bachelors in Early Childhood Ed from Univ. of Fla., 1978-1982
Masters in Elementary Ed. From Nova Southeastern, 1989-1990
ESOL Endorsement (300 hours), 1995-96

*See my profile for MUCH more detail about me!

B L O G . . .

B...what is the B in BLOG an acronym for, I wonder?

I'm assuming (and you know what can happen when you ass u me!) L O G references the way in which we shall use this space to frequently 'log' our activities, thoughts, feelings, special life events, etc.

But the B? Bomputer? Biary? Betwork?

I'd better look it up on the Binternet - that's how I get ALL my info these days. The "at your fingertips" access to information has changed my life, I can tell you.

I'm an info junky. Not the kind you'll get from reading the paper, but facts, words, history, quotes, famous people (dead and alive).

Can't tell you how many times the parents made us kids get the dictionary at dinner to look something up - or the encyclopedia! Remember the set you could collect from the grocery store? I think there was a new letter every month if you spent so much, etc...well, anyway, now I send MY kids to the computer. No cheap, marginal information like we had. It's a wonder we learned anything at all, isn't it?

Now, let's see...I'll have to open another tab and browse to find the "B" answer, so I'll close for now and come back with (voi'la) information!!! (how do you put that little accent mark into a B L O G, anyway?)