A Go With KABOODLE

How could I have not known things like this existed? I am constantly bookmarking sites or adding them to my favorites, and I can NEVER find what I am looking for when I need it! I set up an account with Kaboodle, although there are other bookmarking site options, because I felt that it best fit my needs and I loved the organizational features. Here’s why:
-You can search through all your bookmarks if you’re looking for something using the ‘tags’ feature. When you save a page, you simply use a few tags to describe the website (i.e. fashion, shoes, accessories) and then when you’re looking for “that” site, you can search through all of your saved favorites.
-You have the ability to store your sites in categories and subcategories which is great for people like myself who like everything extremely organized and easily accessible.
-After you save the page, you are taken straight back to the site you were on, so it doesn’t interrupt what you were working on.
-It usually gives you a picture and always provides a description of the site.
-You have the option to change the details Kaboodle provides for you about the site if you want to write something more appropriate to represent that page.
-You can stay permanently logged in to the site.
-I can use it for both management and shopping and the site is geared towards shopping. I usually bookmark all shopping sites so it’s designed with a focus on that.
-You can add your own comments/descriptions about the site.
I couldn’t be more excited to start reorganizing all my favorites on this site…This could be dangerous in terms of my online shopping addiction!

A Trip to Second Life and Whyville

This is a photo of myself and Autumn on our "blind date" in Second Life. It was a bit of an adventure, but we found each other in TC! We couldn't figure out how to take the picture from the front, so this was our best attempt... Fortunately, after playing around for a bit, I've found some ways to rotate the screen, but the graphics seem to be a bit slow on my computer. Thank goodness for the TC computer labs!


So here are some of my thoughts about people who have disabilities using these programs. I guess because I am so uncomfortable using them myself that I find it a little bit difficult to imagine others, with or without disabilities using it as well. However, I totally see that there are some benefits which could make people feel really good. On Second Life especially, you can be whoever you want to be. You can make friends and have social interactions with others which might not be very common. Additionally, this might be a space where you can feel empowered because you are alike, or not like, others. You can fully participate and be a part of any group you want to be and no one can shut you out. In a sense, the idea of Second Life is very much like inclusion. In Whyville, there are some components that I think are really great especially for people with disabilities. For example, there is a place on Whyville called the animal hospital:


Here, you have an opportunity to do just what you would suspect: take care of animals. I think this is a great opportunity for those who maybe can't in their own real lives, maybe because of motor issues, etc.

While I don't foresee myself becoming an ongoing member of either of these communities, I can definitely understand the social justice which these kinds of social networking sites provide people, especially those with disabilities. It gives everyone an opportunity to feel like they belong.

As far as introducing these sites to my students? I think I need a little more convincing...

My Pixie Plate!

My $1 invention... The Pixie Plate. I purchased a large Pixie Stick (every kid's favorite sugary snack) from Party City, a local party supply store, for .49 cents (guess I could have gotten two?)

With the help of a pair of scissors, I snipped away until I transformed my Pixie Stick into a Pixie Plate... A convenient tray that will hold up to three pencils/pens or a few crayons. Why want one? Well, this avoids the annoyance of pens, pencils, etc., rolling off your desk and onto the floor! Check it out, enjoy my creativity!

PS Thanks to my cousin Jason for his photography skills :)

Here We Go Again...

It seems I've lost my blog. How is that possible? I'm not sure. There's technology for you, an unfortunately, me. So, here we go again. I've restarted, but I don't want to loose everything I've done! I'm going to re-upload my old posts and then continue from there. Oh well...Live and learn!