Open Windows

I have now added a few new features on my sidebar for this Blog.  I am teased just a little at work  because I tend to know a little about a lot of things.  It seems that they don’t spend every waking hour looking and learning, but actually spend it LIVING.  To each their own…

I am a firm believer in building  my “PLN”  and I hope that I will make it on some other people’s radar as a resource or at least as someone to share ideas with.  Anyhow, I thought I would share just two of the ways I gather new information.

Two ways that I have been able to gain knowledge at an increasingly rapid rate is by joining some “social networks” and by bringing the news to me.

• So far, I have embraced Twitter and Friendfeed as reliable “social” sources of news and opinion, and I have added a badge on the sidebar that streams my Twitter feed.  Take a look, and you just might see something of interest to you!
• I have also know about subscribing to RSS feeds for some time, and have often spent a long time going through a number of feeds.  Now I have been introduced to Yahoo Pipes by my colleague Kim Cavanaugh as a way to bring these feeds together into one easily accessible stream.  I have added one of these “Pipes” that I use on the sidebar as well.  This particular pipe pulls in several feeds with information related to educational technology, but the possibilities are endless!

If you like to keep up with new ideas, or just like to customize your information overload, these tools can be a great help.

I just officially received my first Mac.  And a nice Mac Book Pro too!!  I have been pretty much a lifelong PC user and have very rarely ventured onto the Mac Platform.  So far in my career and personal computing life this has never been an obvious weakness.  I have become quite proficient in using Windows to do everything I ever set my mind to.  From becoming MS Office certified to learning many outstanding apps both traditional paid for use software, and MANY free and open resources along with PC peripherals,  I have developed a broad knowledge base and skill set.  I have often prided myself in the ability to show others easy to use and often FREE ways to do things that they may have thought only possible on a Mac.  Working in a predominately PC district with TENS OF THOUSANDS of PC’s and HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of PC users, this just seemed like the thing to do.

This is not to say that I have not tried to stay aware of the goings on in the Mac world, and I have seen the growth of the Mac user base from a small (possibly eclectic) group to  a more mainstream audience.  Whether its due to word of mouth, clever advertising, or the melding of two worlds with the use of intel chipsets and Parallells, this trend most likely will continue.  So as I I try and advance my skills as an educator and  Technology Integration Specialist, I know that it is important for me to embrace both of these platforms.

So. Thank you to the powers that be that have seen it important enough  to provide me and the members of my team with this opportunity to not only look out the window but to step through into another world of experiences in order to continue the development of the teachers and students in our district!