Blogger v Wordpress

A while back I mentioned I was comparing Blogger to Edublogs Wordpress product. The hardest thing about blogging is having something to say! If you have something to say, either product will do well.
Blogger seemed a bit easier to get started, although that may have been because I already knew how to start up a blog! I knew what a dashboard does, etc...
Both have similar toolbars. It took me a long time to realize it, but both have spellchecks in their toolbars ( that ABC checkmark). Both have tabbed modes between visual and edit html. I like that because I know a little html and can sometimes tweak things as necessary. Edublogs has a icon for embedding flash and video into your post, which Blogger doesn't.
I like Edublogs template selection more. But I really like the versatility of Blogger's Page Elements, and the movement there.
Edublogs uses categories, Blogger uses labels to organize posts.
Right now I would vote for Blogger because of the poll feature just added in Page elements. That is great.
But both work well. Now if someone could show me 2.0 site that will process my thoughts for me !

Week 8: Online Applications & Tools Thing 18

I have never used Zoho, but have an account on Googledocs. As a school librarian, I have been an advocate of online word-processors just for logistics! Printer problems, forgotten attachments all are a thing of the past and doing group projects with online document generators allows all easy access without waiting for the student who is late emailing...

Hmm I posted this via Zoho. Very very easy.


I read somewhere where 2.0 was taking back the web from the tech guardians. I think this is a good description of 2.0. Too bad I don't know my source!

Still Playing

Put image from LED generator on one of my wikis. It worked, http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/okey/okey?t&a=okey&b=okey but took out the previous "goodie". Oh well, I know wikis are like that!

I tried to put a LED into this blog post, but kept getting tag not closed error, so instead I put it as page element.

Week 7: Wikis Things 16 and 17

I use wikis fairly often at school. My first ventures out in wikiworld were really just pathfinders I posted for various research projects. After attending a CSLA conference workshop by Doug Achterman, I was inspired to make mine more collaborative. They were a good successful thing in our library this year. A freshman class or two made mythology wikis, 2 classes debated if Huck Finn should be banned, one class did a wiki on aspects of the Great Depression, etc..
I took several of them down but here are a few links
http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/schoenmyths1/
http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/hucks2/
http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/genetic_disorders/
With these wikis I made the first page with tables, instructions and guides. I have found making tables with assignments already given works very well. At first, I tried to do my wiki-ness lesson by actually building first page with class in front of me. That, as you probably could predict, didn't work so well. Too many questions from too many quarters. So now I have assignment table prepared and just go over how I did it . (Sometimes I take the guides and instructions off when wiki is complete so students have a "finished" product.) I spend about 15 minutes showing the ins and outs of wiki- ness. The rest of the wiki the students make themselves. Sometimes the results serve as study guides, sometimes as discussion starts and sometimes just as products.
I learned how to put myspace backgrounds into wiki pages to liven things up!
All this image generating I am learning will really help.

I find wikis somewhat temperamental. A table I put in will look fine, but the next day will be misshapen somehow. I have a tolerance for non-perfection, but it really bugged some students.


Finally, for thing 17, I experimented with PBwiki's spreadsheet. I like this idea. I can see usefulness in students doing group projects where collecting numerical data is part of project. Also, I find many students don't know how to use spreadsheets. This could be a way to introduce them.

Thing 15 (in a way) really trying with del.icio.us a continuing post

• Bundles are a way to arrange previously-used tags into groups.

Okay, a way to overcome my inconsistency in tagging

• A lesson possibility for teaching evaluation of sources. Students could find information on topic, tag it evaluate it and retag it with evaluation rating. This is just the glimmer of an idea, but I see possibilities.
• Still working on this. Not surprisingly, once I put a little more effort into it, I like it more. I have to slowly add my cluttered bookmarks, but that is a good learning experience. I love the access from anywhere. And the added bonus of seeing other people's tags is a great feature.

Week 6: Thing 14 Technorati

I have been using Technorati as a search tool for about a year now. I prefer it over Google's blog search, and I have had good luck with it. Lately though, it seems like results are getting hijacked or front-ended or something. I do not know what to call it but I often get results that just seem to be collections of words that then lead to a front-end site of no use whatsoever. Does this happen to others?

Above is a screen shot from one such search I did earlier today. I am interested in what the blogs are saying about Livermore Valley Charter School. I did an advanced search with those terms and got the results above . The only non 'hijacking' result is not until the 10th post.

This is happening to me more often than not lately on Technorati and on Google Blog Search.
Actually, maybe del.icio.us can serve me here?

Week 6: thing 13 and my resistance to it.

Ha. I just noticed del.icio.us is #13. I have explored del.icio.us before and find myself strangely resistant to this technology. I cannot clearly state why, but I have a few glimmers of why this tool is not for me. The reasons seem contradictory, but for me they are not. I am a messy person ( hard to admit as a librarian, but I function kind of well in chaos). I love cataloging, because it forces order on me,to think and use terms in a consistent manner and also because I see it as a long and lovely logical task. But I don't operate that way in normally. I guess I can see myself making my del.icio.us tags so inconsistent that they would become useless to me. I have never established a good personal filing system, my photos are still in envelopes from film processing 15 years ago . Why do I think I'll be good at organizing this aspect of my life? Really, won't it just add to the chaos and clutter?

I have registered and will use it though. I can see its usefulness! For example, I like the idea of a unique tag for working together on group projects. I also like the idea of the authority established by number of tags and links.

Will it be my lucky 13?


Oh I found a spell check which works with Blogger - iespell

Week 5: Play Week cont'd Things 11-12

I already am kind of nosy on zillow and use google docs.
I looked at and can see use of swivel. I liked farecast, and will check its usefulness

Rollyo -
I forgot about this tool. What are other librarians results using it? I created one here for my local newspapers. I am satisfied with results, but remember
trying to use this with Yale's Avalon Project and not having results that were usable.

Select...East bay Local newsSearch The Web

Another tool I like now is image chef
This allows quick, cute images to spice up your electronic life!


Finally, I fooled with my blog template to mix things up a little

Week 5: Play Week Thing 10

http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/

I used a template, but it looks like I could upload an image. I'll have to look further at that.

Flickr Toys Revisited Back to Thing 6

After seeing KangaLMT2 use toys I got inspired, Pictures from recent trip with daughters.

I tried putting this cube on an old wiki of mine
http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/okey/okey
Today it is working. I find wikis tempermental but I love them for easy access.
Anyway I see this as one more tool to make my presentations a little more interestting and inviting.

I really need a spell check for my blog! Does anyone know of one?

Week 4 RSS & Newsreaders Things 8-9

I already use Bloglines. I really like it, especially since I find myself working on many different computers and if I feel like taking a break from what I am doing, I know I can just log into my Bloglines and find something interesting to read. It allows me to stay current on my library and personal issues with just a few clicks. I won't mention the political blogs I subscribe to, but I will list my library ones.
Alice in Infoland
Blue Skunk Blog
Joyce Valenza's Neverending Search
Librarians' Internet Index: New This Week
LibraryLaw Blog
The Primary Source Librarian
The Shifted Librarian
Unshelved

Week 2- 3 Comparing Photobucket to Flickr Things 5-7

I wish Flickr had the url underneath photo like Photobucket does. I forgot I needed to get url of picture not webpage, and this upload kept failing

I like Flickr's map feature. Just off top of head,I can see this could be a fun activity for students reading books set in different countries. Can map be set to private?

I already use Flickr Fastr tag game at http://randomchaos.com/games/fastr/ with my students.

I do worry a bit about community and privacy with all this photo sharing. What is appropriate to share? If I tag that picture above as Vatican museum, will it be found by a Flickr user and posted somewhere I would rather not have it? Will Flickr destroy privacy and community a bit like I feel the cellphone does?

Week 1 Things 1-4

Already have a blog through edublogs. I would like to see which is easier.
My Thing 2 comment on which habits of lifelong learning are easiest and hardest -
easiest for me is thinking of myself as competent learner. I think this goes very well with my belief that at a library you can learn anything! Hardest habit - begin with a goal in mind. I love to learn new things, and often do. But then I forget those new things because they had no real "place" in my life. I can't tell you how many times I have had to reteach myself about pivot tables on excel! I have never really learned it, maybe because I only need that tool once a year or so for a report. Next time, it will be my goal to actually learn it.