Collaborate or BUST!

What FUN! Yes, I am actually talking about homework.

The group that we used for our web conferencing decided to join forces once again. We sent one another e-mails and decided it would be "easy" for the three of us.

The funny thing is that we are supposed to be focusing on the fact that we are collaborating using Google Docs and yet we can't let go of the fact that we want to present something FANTASTIC! So, we're working on the fantastic part. :)

I had never worked with Google Docs prior to this class. But I have to say that it really is quite easy to use and can be quite beneficial for a distance education class. Or, any class, really. It enables you to work simultaneously as well as separately while working on the same document.

Let's say I have a paper I'm working on. I ask a friend in another area to please read and edit for me. When they do the edits, I will ask them to put them in red font so I can see what they recommend. All that is necessary is for an Internet connection. I don't have to pass the document back and forth and then compare the differences. I can see their edits and suggestions.

With our group, we started a Word document and shared some ideas back and forth. We each selected a color font. I chose green, Jeff was blue and Terri selected pink. It was easier to get an idea of who was "talking." One evening Jeff and Terri were able to talk back and forth in the Word document and I signed on about an hour later. I was seriously bummed! Stupid 3 hour time difference!! But, thanks to the color font I was able to see what was discussed and add my own ideas - albeit at a later time.

I left a note in the document and said I'd be there the next evening and set a time. The following day Jeff and I chatted back and forth then decided it was time to start on the presentation. We discussed what slides we would take and then pretty much did a, "one, two, three... BREAK!"

Our presentation is not done yet... but we have another week to work through it. :-) Oh boy, I can't wait to post a link on here!! I don't even want to say what our presentation is about, I'm so excited!!

Go ahead - say it. GEEK.

I am happily updating the link to our presentation. I hope you get a kick out of it and also learn a thing or two in the process!

Quiz me!

This week's project was a lot of fun. I enjoyed creating a game as a learning opportunity. I considered a survey and a poll but it just didn't seem like as much fun! Recently I was in training and aside from some on the job training, the best training came from two different games we played.

The first was a Jeopardy style game and we were able to work in teams. It was exciting and, quite honestly,  a little nerve racking!! We wanted to WIN! Unfortunately, we came in 2nd because of a bobble answer by one of our teammates. We all learned and it was a great opportunity to hone our research skills.

The second game we played was evidently from Minute to Win It. Which, I don't watch. We had nine ping-pong balls in an empty tissue box and had to get them out. Oh wait, it was behind our backs and we couldn't use our hands! We had 30 seconds to get them out and then if we didn't get them all out we had to answer questions. Again, we were able to work as a team to get the answers and work together. We came in 2nd... but we protested because when they asked a question we looked at each other and someone said, "That's under media..." and the instructor said, "NO!" HUH? Anyway.... all in good fun and we didn't have to answer any other questions because we made sure we had ALL those ping-pong balls out each time we were up again!! :-)

So, with that so fresh in my mind - I thought it would be fun to do a quiz type game. I looked at one of the websites that Rob suggested, Quia. Once I looked at what they had to offer I was on my way! I tried a couple of the different assessment style games and thought that Picture Perfect would work best. I just wish I had been able to upload my own picture to show up underneath. Unfortunately, it just gives a different picture each time underneath.

I'm very excited at what could happen moving forward in a classroom environment. I'd just have to make sure that everyone had access to the internet during class or if it's a long distance education thing - that would be easier. Getting everything together for my final has my head spinning. I can't wait to get it out of my head and on paper!

Picture Videos

I had seen people post pictures to music and thought it was some type of Power Point. Well, I've done that. But it never quite worked the way I wanted it to. This particular assignment allowed me to really try my hand at pictures with music.

I've uploaded videos to You Tube via my cell phone so I really didn't want to do that. I wanted to try something new!

I went out to my mom and dad's house and raided the picture vault. I always viewed it as the picture vault because I just thoroughly enjoyed going in and seeing pictures of my parents wedding, baby pictures, pictures from our travels, my children's development, and even me at different stages of life. I really wanted to open up the old albums and take pictures out of them, but I'm almost afraid to do that. So, I stuck to the loose pics and went from there. Once I got home I set to scannin and uploaded them to my Flickr account. (Haven't made them public yet)

I made three different videos so far. I say so far because I will be doing more of these. The first one I created was when we visited Venice while living at Aviano Air Base in Aviano, Italy. We took the opportunity to travel Europe and I can still remember quite a bit of it! In the pictures I loaded we were in Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark's Square.

The second one was from my High School graduation 25 years ago. I also posted them on Facebook for my HS friends to take a peek at. I have already gotten a ton of comments on line and it has been a blast from the past for all of us.

The final one I created was from our time in Dayton, OH - technically Wright Patterson AFB, my birthplace. I was getting a kick out of seeing the look on my 18month old face. In most of the pictures I just look a bit annoyed that we're taking pictures!

I could picture doing a voice over and including some interesting labor history. And hopefully, not just interesting to me! My HS History teacher was amazing at bringing history to life by telling the stories. I want to tell the stories and have the pictures behind the story. Hmmmm, that's a fun idea!!

I hope you enjoy my videos - they were fairly easy to make using PodOmatic and dig cc mixter for the music.

Podcasting - who knew??

After taking some time off and enjoying the holidays, I got down to business with my next homework assignment. For about two weeks I was thinking about what I would say on my podcast. I considered history but in the end I opted for a recipe that I love. 

I really enjoy cooking and I don’t do it near as often as I should. It’s just not as much fun to cook for yourself. (I haven’t quite mastered Diane Keaton’s character in Because I Said So) So I pick a meal I want to fix and then I tell my kids, “I’m fixing _______ on ______. What time can you make it?” This way we can sit and laugh about anything and enjoy a delicious (even if I do say so) meal together. 

Once I decided I’d talk about a particular dish I make, it made perfect sense and the podcast pretty much took on it’s own life. I wrote my script but then came the mixing issues with music. I wanted to give that a try and even at this writing I’m still struggling with that. I’ve found music that is ok for the intro and the end but getting it worked out where it plays properly is an issue for me. 

This morning, ok afternoon... I finally sat down at the kitchen table and fought with my computer to get a resolve. While Audacity was easy enough to use, I could not get my brain wrapped around how to make it an MP3. It wasn’t until after a full night’s sleep (actually got 8 hours!) that I saw that I needed to download another file. It had been telling me that for the last 3 days but I just wasn’t seeing it. 

I downloaded the file, fought with how to get it to work and where to save my new MP3, and it was if the heavens opened up and a light shown on my head, “OH, THAT is what I have to do...” It’s a good thing my recorder wasn’t running, I think I would have made a sailor blush. 

I used PodOmatic to post my podcast. That site was very forthcoming and easy to navigate!!

This one was such a tough assignment, I’m really glad that we had two weeks to get it done. Honestly, the educational aspects are endless with a podcast. Although, they could end up being a little dry and “lecturish.” I really enjoy the more interactive aspects of other web 2.0 offerings for educational opportunities. 

I hope you enjoy!

Where did all my pictures go?!

Shame on me. I'm so disappointed in myself right now. I've been utilizing my social media sites (MySpace and Facebook) to house my pictures. Not a bad plan, except that they changed the formatting. I can't move pictures from those sites into my NEW flickr account.

So why, oh why, have I never used a free photo sharing site? I had pictures stored on a desktop computer that died. Those are gone. I put pictures on MySpace that are now gone. Literally gone, all I see are ? where pictures used to be. I have pictures on Facebook that are from my various escapades and they are STUCK in Facebook.

My daughter used Flickr and she told me how cool it was. But, she's young and not so bright. Right? Absolutely wrong. My digital native daughter should have been a bit more forceful with her mother. I would have had my Flickr account and not lost all my precious pictures. Deep sigh.

The past is the past and it's time to look forward to the future. Get over what I've lost and look to what I'll gain. So why in the world would I choose Flickr over Picasa and Shutterfly? I honestly thought I'd select Picasa because it popped up when I signed up for my Google Reader account. I even reviewed Shutterfly to see how that looked. But, when I looked at the upload features on my phone - there was the answer. Flickr was preloaded. Decision made. Yes, I probably should have done a tad bit more research. But, in my defense, my phone is my camera.

I started loading pictures into Flickr and became completely wrapped up in loading the pictures I had on my old laptop. The next thing I know, seven hours have passed. It was fun looking through my memories once again. I had the most fun adding pictures to the map! Now I have a challenge to go through and scan pictures from when my family was stationed at other bases and the fun places we went.  I still need to work on my Flickr page and make sure I have pictures tagged and in the proper set.

I believe it can be used in an educational setting when doing research for a school paper. You can search through your friends and see if they've been to a location. Then you have someone with first hand knowledge. Not only that, you'll have brand new media to preview and use. I need to work on my tags and get them all set. As I was working through this assignment I kept thinking about the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, MD. It's the IAM's educational facility and in my other class I really talked it up. I want to share that set of pictures with everyone in my class. :)

Enjoy flipping through my memories!!

Update: I created a slide show through SlideRocket. I hope you enjoy.

Delicious!

Ok, so maybe that should read as del.icio.us. Or perhaps not, after all that spelling is so 2007 and we are clearly in 2011. :-) I opted for delicious and I'm still working on getting it all together.

This week's assignment was to dive into social bookmarking. I had seen the "share this" for Facebook, Twitter, Diig as well as del.icio.us but didn't see a point in the bookmarking aspect. Usually, when I get a new computer I just transfer all my information over and wa-la, no problem. But, there have been times that I was away from home and I've needed to get to a bookmarked item and I couldn't because it doesn't come up on web search. (Companies are so weird with their intranet sites!)

Even with that prior experience, I honestly didn't see the point in bookmarking my bookmarks on a site. That is, until I was reading Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, by Will Richardson. In Chapter 6 he described the point I was missing. Imagining the Internet as a giant library, the way to link to applicable sites could work best when users set the tags and NOT the developers of the sites. It was through that mental picture that it came together.

If I want to find the most bookmarked page (and possibly, the most useful) for writing a paper in proper APA style I would go to "Home" and then on the right side, type in, "APA." Once I hit enter it gives me the most recent entries, but I'd prefer to have the most popular, so I click on popular and it re-orders the results. What is interesting to me is that it didn't give me the most bookmarked item first. But, when looking at how many bookmarked a site, I could see which one is the most beneficial to me. I don't like "bots" creating my bibliography. It doesn't matter how many times I do a research paper, I always have to refer to the Internet for examples so I can write it properly. I want to do the work - not just feed info into a bot. Of course, the fact that I'm not retaining the information leads me to wonder why I don't just go the bot route? But I digress...

Now that I can see the potential, I can definitely see how it could help in a classroom setting. I think we should set a tag for our class and when we do find something of interest, add that tag. By doing that our instructor will have information for his next class and it could be continually built on. Actually, not just by THIS class, but for the COURSE. Yeah, lots of emphasis - but I'm an emphasis kinda person. :)

I can see where my tags can make a difference. Adding the word cloud just emphasizes what the main words are, it could help determine the best tag for your site or blog.

Hmmmm, I need to work on not using "just" so often. 

I'm now excited at the possibilities ahead for delicious and tagging! 

RSS - Really Simple Syndication

Many years ago, when I was still learning the ins and outs of the Internet, Yahoo.com was the premier search engine for me. I had a "My Yahoo," page and it worked really well. I enjoyed seeing the daily news and updates that I was interested in. I still surfed the web for more information - but it kept me updated! When Google came around, I switched my loyalties.

Through Google, I created my own news aggregator. It was and still is wonderful! It searches for stories on the following items for me: Local news for my city and state, Machinists, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, AirTran, Delta, and Alaska Airlines. I search for the airlines because they are all (except AirTran and Delta) airlines in my Local Lodge. I want to be up-to-date on anything at our airlines. Station closures, possible openings and hirings, just basic information that can help us through our different 'struggles.'

Now, through the most recent assignment, I have advanced to the Google Reader. I am still learning the best way to utilize the reader and most importantly, to share it with my classmates (or anyone else interested in what I'm interested in). I've had a gmail account for almost four years and I'm still enjoying the Google brand and the inner workings of it. The Reader encouraged me to create a Google profile (thought I had one) and to describe certain things about myself. So, I gave that a go. 

Now? I still can't quite figure out how to share my Reader list. And that is rather frustrating. The good thing is that while I was creating a Google profile, it showed linking to PicassaWeb. (Good to note for an upcoming lesson) 

After I created my Reader, with profile, I set out to find that lovely little RSS symbol. But, web pages that I frequently visit are not RSS equipped. I e-mailed the web master (a friend of mine) and asked him if he could add it. He told me he had previously tried to figure it out, but was unable to do so. He asked for my help and I literally laughed out loud. Seriously? Me??? Help??? Hello!?! I am a digital immigrant and I'm trying my best to understand how to muddle through this stuff! But, there must be an answer on the web... right? Lo and behold, there it is. A WIKI!!! I sent him a link and told him that I had no clue how to write html or any sort of web-based language. After he read it, he thought it would be "easy," to write. (Once I get the hang of sharing... you'll be able to see that in my Reader feed)

As an educational tool, it seems the Reader would be an excellent addition for updated information available on the web. Imagine if we were still on the weekly news cycle by the weekly paper? Or even the 5pm news? Or the daily paper? Thanks to Ted Turner's CNN we have dedicated news channels (I'm not goin there on the Faux News). But, that's not good enough for the Information Age! We want it now, at our convenience, and without any unnecessary pop up ads or videos. If I want commercials, I'll watch TV! Oops, I digress... I don't think the attacks on labor in WI, IN, OH... would have had the impact a week later. 

"As we went to press, Governor Walker, was struggling with a state budget with only one recourse in his mind. He would need to renegotiate contracts with Wisconsin public worker unions." HA! Thankfully, we have Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, Yelp... in addition, there were moment-to-moment updates available online through the various news outlets. Thanks to the Reader, I will only have one place to go for my daily news - and the only ads I will see are the ones I choose to click. The Reader, while making the world smaller,  is making our contacts and ability to motivate - much greater. 

I'm going to go ahead and post this. But, I'll be updating it once I get that sharing figured out!

****Update**** I figured it out! I hope you enjoy. My Google Reader shared stories.

****Update**** Even more so... check out the left side of the page, you can view portions of my Reader easily through my Blog. I set the layout so you could see who I am, read my previous Blogs, subscribe, follow and then my Reader feeds. 

Word Clouds

This is going to be a rather short post but I just had to share my word cloud! I've seen it done and I wondered how it was done. I'll probably play with it a little bit more in the future. I used Wordle and was able to save the cloud as a pdf to iphoto. I hope you like it!

Then I found this cool site, Tagxedo... what fun!!

Web Conferencing Possibilities

The other day at work someone was talking about "skyping." I had a momentary personal giggle moment because using Skype has now become a verb. But, aside from my personal giggle moment, they were complaining about the connection on Skype. How the mouth would be moving but nothing was coming out. Similar to a 1960's Godzilla movie.

I explained that while Elluminate Live! did not provide the best picture, it did allow for a more synchronous experience and they could have three people use it for free. Particularly helpful with a family where you have children scattered to the winds. Although that is certainly not the optimum way to use the software, it is an option.

I could see using the software on a grander scale than just three people for free. Within my union, there is a hierarchy to follow: International (or Grand Lodge), District Lodge, Local Lodge and finally worksite. I could see a way to bring our union closer together by using this software.

For example, my contract becomes amendable on October 31st of 2012. Unfortunately, not all the stewards are able to make it to a strategic planning session or once the contract is ratified the inability to get to the contract explanation meeting. Having an Elluminate session would enable everyone to be on the same page (literally). The negotiators would be able to moderate the session, show a power point and even take a poll on whether something is "important." Most Local Lodge offices have internet access and having a camera is not a requirement. It would be nice, but certainly not required. They would be able to record the session and make it available for anyone not able to make the time slot set.

For an educational setting, I could see it used for online classes and even a way to bring other locations within the union together. The possibilities are endless. I'm looking forward to presenting some ideas to my District and moving the movement forward!!

Why Blogger?

When I was deciding which software to use, I thought I would view what I could. Imagine my surprise when I went to blogger.com and I was already logged in?! I looked at the date that I joined and tried to surmise what in the world I was doing in April of 2010. So far? I got nuttin.

But, I still went to a few sites but nothing really stood out to me outside of blogger. I liked the way blogger.com was affiliated with google and more specifically, with my gmail account. I love the fact that I can review my stats and see who has read my blog. Ok, maybe not really see who is viewing it - but the geek in me is fascinated by the fact that I've been read by people in US, Canada and Germany, that 46% of them own a Mac computer, and that PC users are not loyal to the Microsoft brand (only 21% use Internet Explorer). That may only interest me...

Overall, I've been having some fun with the blog. Today I added a background that more aptly fits my desert home. I don't think it really fits my blog... more searching is in the works for a background that works for me. Thanks for reading! Y'all have a great day. :-)

DC Memorials and Thoughts on Technology

Last week I was in Washington, DC for my union's annual Legislative Conference. On Monday afternoon we had some time to spare, and so with a few of my friends we went to see some memorials. There is something awe inspiring in seeing the Washington Monument reflected in the reflecting pool from the Lincoln Memorial. Oh wait, it was being worked on.

Has anyone paid much attention to the marble at the top of the steps to the Lincoln Memorial? It's a reminder that Martin Luther King, Jr. stood there and delivered his I Have a Dream speech. And as a trade unionist, it is worthy to recognize that he made that not only for civil rights but for jobs.

We went to The Wall as well. My uncle, Ronald W. Montgomery is on that wall. My father came home but my uncle did not. Every year I visit and every year I am overcome with emotion.

We also went to the FDR Memorial. My first visit was in the summer of 2009. In all my trips to DC I had never visited. THAT was a mistake. The quotes along the walls should be read by everyone. Particularly incoming Freshman members of Congress as well as any Trade Unionist. People just don't talk like that anymore - and we should.

We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all citizens, whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.

 They who select to establish systems of government based on the regimentation of all human beings by a handful of individual rulers call this a new order. This is not new and it is not order.

We have faith that future generations will know that here, in the middle of the twentieth century, there came a time when men of good will found a way to unite, and produce, and fight to destroy the forces of ignorance and intolerance, and slavery, and war.


I just wanted to share some of the beauty I was able to experience. While it technically doesn't have a thing to do with Instructional Technology... I was taking those pictures with my phone and uploading them immediately to my Facebook page. I wanted my FB friends to experience it right along with me. It's only been in the last couple of years that I was able to do that. It's amazing how far technology has brought us. The world is infinitely smaller as a result of our increased technology. 

First blog, first post

Welcome to my first blog. Naming it was one of the most difficult things I could imagine. I finally turned to social networking and asked for help amongst my friends. Thankfully, I have friends that are limited on their social life as much as I am. I had a couple of ideas but my first two choices were denied because someone else was already creative. Friends to the rescue! After I'd already selected the one you see above, someone suggested Melissa's Manifesto. Hmmm, interesting - but no. Sounds a bit too, well - stuck up?

I'm hoping to use this blog to focus on different issues within the airline industry, with a distinct Union perspective. I'm an educator at my Local Lodge and would love to create a "go to" place for information within my Union. While I don't claim to know it all, I do have a desire to learn more and want to share that information with others. Some items will be of a political nature (because every aspect of our day involves politics in some way). Feel free to comment and share with other likeminded folks - even some folks that do not think as I do. I welcome all discussions. Any rude or flaming posts will be deleted. If you have an opposing viewpoint, that's fine - it's still a free country, don't just spew rhetoric.

Finally, I want it to be made perfectly clear that while I work for an airline and I'm active within my Union, please know that the views, opinions, and postings are my own (or attributed to someone else) and they do not necessarily represent any company or organization. I hope you'll come back often. 

One of my favorite Union songs is "Union Maid," by Woody Guthrie. Enjoy. 

Union MaidWords and Music by Woody Guthrie There once was a union maid, she never was afraid Of goons and ginks and company finks and the deputy sheriffs who made the raid. She went to the union hall when a meeting it was called, And when the Legion boys come 'round She always stood her ground. Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union. Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union 'til the day I die. This union maid was wise to the tricks of company spies, She couldn't be fooled by a company stool, she'd always organize the guys. She always got her way when she struck for better pay. She'd show her card to the National Guard And this is what she'd say You gals who want to be free, just take a tip from me; Get you a man who's a union man and join the ladies' auxiliary. Married life ain't hard when you got a union card, A union man has a happy life when he's got a union wife. Full disclosure: This is for an Instructional Technology class I'm taking online through the National Labor  College. My goal is that the blog will continue beyond the summer semester.