A Few of My Favorite (Web Techie) Things

January 6, 2012

To Pin or Not to Pin

Filed under: Uncategorized — by mnrizzo @ 7:35 pm

Pinterest is probably not new to those of you reading this blog, but you may not have thought of using it the way my teacher friends are using it which is why I chose to share this resource.

When I first discovered Pinterest I did think it was a ‘cool tool’ and I created an account.  I even added it as a widget on this blog, but then I never did much with it.

A few months later I heard some of my teachers talking about it with more excitement than they could contain.  They were creating boards to organize their teaching resources.  Their boards were curriculum related (Language Arts, Math, etc.) and theme related (Christmas, Fall, Beginning of the School Year).  It has become an addiction for good reason.

Saving websites as Favorites/Bookmarks can be risky… if your computer crashes (or is reimaged) all your Favorites disappear and if you haven’t backed them up you’re likely to have a meltdown when you discover they are gone.  Favorites saving websites, like delicious.com, are good tools (I’ve used it for a few years), and though you can add tags to your bookmarks (and even share them with others), when sorted they aren’t as visually pleasing as Pinterest.  And…. with Pinterest you can follow others’ boards and others can follow you.  The social aspect of this resource is what makes it such a great resource.

I have now joined the bandwagon and created a few boards that are technology resource related.  I’m sure that in time I’ll branch out and create boards for my other intersts like crafting.  Until then, I’ll be pinning.  Will you?

(Note: In some school disctricts, ours included, Pinterest is blocked.  That makes it tough to access those saved resources while still at school.  For that reason, I still save bookmarks to delicious.com.)

Geek or Nerd?

Filed under: Uncategorized — by mnrizzo @ 5:48 pm

I love to learn about the origin of words, so today’s email from MakeUseOf Geeky Fun was especially fun for me.  One of the items in the email was an info graphic detailing the differece between geeks and nerds.  http://www.makeuseof.com/tech-fun/geek-vs-nerd/

Did you know that the word ‘geek’ gets its origins from circus performers, or that Dr. Seuss coined the word ‘nerd’?  I didn’t!

When you read the info graphic on this website you’ll learn more about the difference between, traits of, geeks and nerds, and looking at the two, I guess I’d have to say I am a geek…but only in some respects.  I would say that I certainly have specific niches and interests, but I’m far from an expert in any.  I try not to be pretentious or long-winded, certainly never wear ironic t-shirts, and my interests have never included gaming (unless you count virtual farming!), but I did enjoy learning html when I first started creating websites (and still use it on occasion including this blog post), and I am definitely a fan of gadgets!  (See the info graphic to see what I’m talking about.)

So, today I poke a little fun at myself and challenge you to do the same.  If you’re reading this, are you a geek or a nerd?

Make-a-Flake

Filed under: Uncategorized — by mnrizzo @ 11:06 am
Make-a-Flake  has been around for years, but sometimes we forget about some of the resources we’ve found, especially when they are seasonal.  Every time I rediscover this site, I get hooked into creating snowflakes.  Students (of all ages) will enjoy creating unique snowflakes, but teachers will also enjoy ways to integrate them in class projects. I have attached directions on how to create a snowflake as well as ways to use it in the classroom. 
If you have found other ways for your students to use this, please share by posting a comment.
Happy cutting!

Theme: Toni. Blog at WordPress.com.

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