Thing 22 - ("zweeanzwanzeg" - LUXEMBOURGISH)

I will...

1) Keep Google Reader as my home page. This will have me continue using this page as my main source of gaining information from around the Web. I will keep this updated by adding new, relevant to me RSS feeds. I will also delete RSS feeds that are not so interesting anymore.

2) Use more productivity tools supplied by the Web for school work and personal work. Ta-da List and Backpack are two that come to mind that I can start using this summer or in the fall.

3) Photoshare more often on Flickr using more pictures that I take. I did not realize how easy it was. I took some sweet photo of The House on the Rocks this summer that would be cool to add.

4) Enhance my communication skills in the classroom to the parents by placing some of my slideshows on my teacher website this fall using Zoho Show and Slideshare. I will have better access using the school's PC compared to my Apple at home. I look forward to sharing what the students are learning in the classroom with the technology provided by our district and Web 2.0.

5) Continue using Facebook to stay personally connected with friends. I recently just chatted with a college friend through Facebook's chat feature. I have not seen him in over two years. This really gives me an opportunity to stay in touch with people I have not been doing that with. I also have been connected with old high school friends. Reading what is up with them has been quite entertaining.

6) Look at online games to better educate myself, but I will NOT play these games regularly. I am proud to announce it has been a week since I played Puzzle Pirates. I will continue seeing the positives gaming has to offer, but I will also continue to challenge students and parents to better develop self-control when it comes to gaming. It is not the absence of, but balanced infusion in one's life where I see value.

Thing 13 - ("treze" - PORTUGUESE)

Thing 13 was definitely cool to look through and find things. I have been using My Yahoo for some time now (like 5 years). It has been constantly changing and trying to improve. I have always been a Yahoo supporter over the Google hoopla. Looking and using Google for these things have made me a believer in Google. It just is better. iGoogle was sweet because of the user friendly applications and tools. Yahoo is trying, but it is just not as easy as Google. I will keep using My Yahoo because of my personal email, but I may change to Google soon. My start page is still my Google reader because I need to practice using that tech. I still do not use it very well, but it being there every time I open up the internet is a good thing.

I think the online calendars are useful, especially planning with a significant other. Currently, my girlfriend and I use a Wiki, but I think, after seeing these calendars, we are going to go use Google Calendar from now on. The interface is simple and so is getting an account for adding more people. This is definitely better than setting up a table on a Wiki.

I did check out Ta-da Lists, but I want to talk more about Backpack (looks like provided through the same company). That looked really cool. I think teams of teachers could use this to much benefit. Microsoft Office just doesn't seem like it is at that level of cooperation. I know some people use the Microsoft Outlook calendars. I used it for a year. I didn't like it very much because it seemed so isolated. I know you can look at other people's calendars and suggest an appointment, but it seems just a busy step that is replacing communicating verbally with people. Backpack looks like a place where teachers could place their agendas and plans seamlessly. TOO BAD IT COSTS MONEY (I know there is a free trial, but come on). I wonder if our school district would pay for it for some of its teachers? Hmmmm...

The other calendars, organizers, sticky notes, and converters seemed good. I think the converters are incredible, because I still remember the day a PC document couldn't be read on an Apple and vice versa. What progress we have made.