Technology is such a progressive science...some people thrive on the never-ending list of new things to explore and have...and others get overwhelmed by the feeling that they can never keep up. Without a doubt, there is so much out there that it can be difficult to weed through it and determine what is of value to us, and what will fade away as people decide they have no use for that particular tool.
One of the problems I have is thinking of ways to use some of this new technology to my advantage. I believe that technology should be used to simplify our lives, not complicate it! And I personally like the "Wow" factor when we can use technology to do something that couldn't be done before!
I remember hearing at workshop that we need to be careful to not get ahead of our users as we attempt to stay current in providing access to technology. This balance seems to be one of the greatest challenges of all.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Week 2, Thing 7
I've spent some time looking at Flickr. One of the things I enjoyed was finding public pictures of some of my favorite places - it's a fun way to site-see without leaving home.
I am amazed by the number of things one can do with Flickr and some of the "mashups" - it looks like a fun way to create your own calendar, etc. with your photos. Unfortunately it looks like you need to have your own account with your own pictures uploaded to actually use those tools. (Sadly, I don't have a digital camera, but I have been told that I could have a roll of film put on a disk and upload from the disk - maybe I'll try that with pictures from my next vacation, and then attempt to make a calendar)! I thought about trying to create a cube with public pictures, but it wouldn't let me do that - I needed to use my own pictures, but not having photos available to upload...
I was especially intrigued with the Flickr color pickr - where you can find public pictures that match a particular color...now that looks like a tool that could come in handy when doing an art project with photos (found on Flickr!). This also was easy to use, which I cannot say about all the tools I looked at. I wish the creators of these tools would give an introduction telling the user what exactly to expect!
I am amazed by the number of things one can do with Flickr and some of the "mashups" - it looks like a fun way to create your own calendar, etc. with your photos. Unfortunately it looks like you need to have your own account with your own pictures uploaded to actually use those tools. (Sadly, I don't have a digital camera, but I have been told that I could have a roll of film put on a disk and upload from the disk - maybe I'll try that with pictures from my next vacation, and then attempt to make a calendar)! I thought about trying to create a cube with public pictures, but it wouldn't let me do that - I needed to use my own pictures, but not having photos available to upload...
I was especially intrigued with the Flickr color pickr - where you can find public pictures that match a particular color...now that looks like a tool that could come in handy when doing an art project with photos (found on Flickr!). This also was easy to use, which I cannot say about all the tools I looked at. I wish the creators of these tools would give an introduction telling the user what exactly to expect!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Olive trees field...
I have spent some time manuvering around Flickr, creating an account and searching for a public picture ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagodigarda/561092115/) in order to experiment with getting the picture on my blog. I have found that, as is so often the case with computer technology, the process of setting up is more cumbersome than accomplishing the final goal.
This is a very peaceful picture!
Thing 3 - Set up your blog: And so it begins!
Of the 7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners, I especially agree with Habit 3 – “View problems as challenges.”
I have always found that having this frame of mind actually lessens the stress of doing something new and foreign, because, to me, the most important thing about accepting a challenge is the trying…if I fail, that’s ok, because I accepted the challenge and gave it my best. I find this to be a positive approach so that usually success is attained. Failure is much more likely, and so much more frustrating, when I approach a problem with a negative, frustrated attitude. Yes, attitude is everything.
I have always found that having this frame of mind actually lessens the stress of doing something new and foreign, because, to me, the most important thing about accepting a challenge is the trying…if I fail, that’s ok, because I accepted the challenge and gave it my best. I find this to be a positive approach so that usually success is attained. Failure is much more likely, and so much more frustrating, when I approach a problem with a negative, frustrated attitude. Yes, attitude is everything.
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