I finally succumbed to familial pressure to join Facebook, because I need another distraction from all the things I don't get done. Now I'm testing the Typepad integration with it. Fascinating, I know.
Update: FB had a neat "import blog button" that worked well. Cool.
In May I participated in an online homeschool conference. The workshops had interactive chat and could be listened to later, so it was cool and convenient. It didn't require much new techno learning on my part, just downloading some conference software and playing with iTunes. Though it won't replace being physcially present, it's a nice chance to learn from people you may not otherwise hear.
My next virtual conference will require some techno learning. I'll need to figure out how to use 2nd Life so I can attend the BlogHer '07 conference.
What's Blogher? It started in 2005 as a conference for women bloggers and has grown to include an online gathering place for women bloggers.
Being the learning junkie I am, I would love to hang out at a
BlogHer conference. However, I can't make it to Chicago, but I can
still attend the conference virtually via 2nd Life.
My geeky self is quite excited about that. What's better is there is no fee to attend virtually. Woo-hoo.
It will cost me some time to learn how to participate in 2nd Life, but it will be a fun experiment.
I'm interested in the "Business of You" workshop track. It seems like a nice fit for blogging writers. Here's the description:
Business of You: This track is devoted to personal and business advancement. We will discuss speaker and media training, self-branding and promotion, mentoring, turning your blog into a book or a business, and even managing your time, your finances, your blogging policies and best practices...the business of you.
If you're interested in attending virtually, go here for more info. Let me know if you'll be there.
Do you want to know "Google's views on government, policy and
politics?" I know. You were just wondering about that. Now you can
read the Google Public Policy Blog.
Information is powerful. Google is a worldwide distributor of information, granted it has a lot more user control than traditional information distributors like newspaper & tv, but it's still a huge purveyor of ideas. The user has to be able to critically sift through all they find on Google.
I'm used to thinking of Google as a search engine, a tech company - even a verb. I'm not sure what to do with this new idea of them shaping public policy, but as an observer of how technology affects our lives I had to note it in my blog.
Now that I think about it a bit more, other companies have influence on government, so it makes sense for Google to have a blog focusing
"on issues like net neutrality, censorship, innovation regulation, immigration, R&D, national security, and trade" ("just to name a few"). Google's public policy team, who author the blog, say that they hope to foster a "dialogue" with Google users about political issues in order to "do a better job of fighting for our common interests." (from this post
on readwriteweb.com)
Do other big companies, particularly oil, have blogs about issues affecting their business?
Since my brain hasn't processed this info yet, though I have been thinking, I'll leave you with Josh Catone's conclusion from his Google the Vote post:
"Lobbying and PACs are the more traditional road for corporations to influence American politics. Google's latest approach leverages social technologies (the backbone of web 2.0?) to bypass Washington completely. By creating platforms for candidates and talking directly to the people, Google has positioned themselves as a major force in shaping American political policy (and by extension, have a far reaching global effect). At the same time, Google's political forays will likely strengthen their brand -- not just by helping them get what they want politically, but also by associating their name with yet another staple of American life: the democratic process."
Nothing like a little food for thought with my Berrylicious Oatmeal.
"Expand means to get bigger. So, we expand." -- Kara, 5 years old
Science concept. Check. Vocabulary. Check. Auditory comprehension. Check.
Sounds like our homeschooling is progressing. What curriculum was that? Ummm...how 'bout the The Jim McNeil News Hour on PBS - at 10:30 p.m.?
I was working on a blog post inspired by the shifthappens presentation about the exponential growth in technology and information we are experiencing, which is an inkling of what our kids will face. Jack had just watched the presentation and was watching the News Hour when a story about Intel's new computer chip came on. (Audio here.) I stopped blogging and to watch the perfectly apropos story. Not being able to sleep, Kara was downstairs on the love seat. I figured it would be a 2-for-1 deal to watch the story and snuggle with her. At the end of the piece, she piped up with the above quote. Somewhere in the news story she had picked up the word expand and was compelled to explain it to me. (Of course, some of us expand more than others, but we didn't go there.) She's one smart elf.
"... big fonts, big graphics, and a “storytelling” orientation. These are three crucial qualities of a good presentation."
-- Guy Kawasaki on the winners of The World's Best Presentation Contest
Hey! It sounds like Guy is talking about a Big Book. It seems some principles of communication apply throughout life, from preschool to the boardroom. Another reminder of what I should teach my kids. It's also a reminder of the usefulness of storytelling.
"Today's learner will have 10-14 jobs...by the age of 38."*
*Per the U.S. Department of Labor via this shifthappens slide presentation.
That's just one of the mind boggling group of facts, statistics and projections in the presentation. Besides making me feel really, really small, (as opposed to really, really good-looking) it made me think of how to prepare my kids for the future.
What should I teach them?
First and foremost, the Word of God and the importance of following Jesus. From those things they will learn wisdom and how to treat others.
After that, teach them to be learners - able to discern, process and communicate information.
Basic facts and skills are essential, but more important than memorizing specific dates, etc. is a general understanding of history and a relationship with the Author of HIStory.
HT: Guy Kawasaki.
I've been spending a few hours today in front of the computer at the Ultimate Homeschool Expo, but together by Cindy Rushton.
Cindy has done a great job of utilizing technology. It has been incredibly encouraging, cost effective, convenient, and efficient. Completely worth the $35. Cindy put together lots of goodies for a virtual goody bag. Being able to chat during the workshops is fun. I can also multi-task while listening to the workshops.
Hearing from a few home school grads, Eric Novak and Crystal Paine, encouraged me so much.
Though Google has become synonymous with doing an internet search, it is not the only way to ferret out facts from the web. The folks at Noodle Tools have compiled a lengthy list of other sites to help you find info, depending on your needs.
They list nine different ways to narrow your search and recommend several search sites for each. Do you need a specific type of media? Kid-friendly search engines? Info on a specific discipline? You can find it here. Personally, I will probably hit the kid-friendly links first.
By spending a few seconds thinking about the type of search you need, you can save yourself some time and get better info by with the help of this Noodle Tools page. Search on, all you learners, search on.
HT: Sreetips
Yes. I have Idol bobble heads on my blog now. This was just too goofy not to put on my blog, though I don't know if it was worth 30 minutes of my time.Oh, well. It didn't take any longer to do this than it would have to watch the show, so it's not like I spent the whole evening on American Idol stuff.
(It seems I'm going through an experimental techie phase w/the blog. Let me know if it makes the page load too slowly - except my brother in East Texas on his high speed dial-up.)
Why are these three contestants blog worthy?
*Melinda is my favorite singer. Her humility is refreshing.
*Chris Sligh made the cut because I enjoy his singing and sense of humor.
*Sanjaya made it because of my kids - probably the same reason he's made it so far, because of lots of tween votes. I have to give him credit for going for it. Admittedly, he is kind of growing on me.
Now go have yourself some bobble head fun. (Click on a head to bobble it.)
This is my fourth and final post about American Idol. I've already blogged too much about it. For those two of you who happen upon my blog via Google or Yahoo, I'll leave you with some sites that actually updated their American Idol information.
Somehow, in my travels, I have come across a clean, clutter free, and well-updated American Idol blog at American Idol: I Love this Cheesy Show.
There's also the clutter full, drippiing with ads, official American Idol blog here. Being official, it has more info, including voting telephone numbers, iTunes links to the contestants' songs, etc.
Finally, if you want to abuse the premise of the show you can visit votefortheworst.com. Warning: The Mail Bag posts are a study in...well, I don't know (or won't say), they're just goofballs. HT: My mom, of all people!
This concludes my dabbling in AI.
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