Thing 23 - Evaluation :)

I am trying hard to collect my thoughts because I really let this course span a lot of time.  But, yes, my thoughts and ideas about mobile devices have changed significantly during this period.  I didn't have an iPad when I started and didn't think for a minute that I could do so much of this on my phone.  I now own an iPad and have significantly more apps on my little iPhone!  Since I work in St. Paul Public Schools, the timing of my "enlightenment" is spot on.  Even though my school's new iPads are scheduled to arrive in the fall, I purposely chose to purchase my own.  I'm even on a path to selling a fairly new Macbook!

I have several favorites that I discovered over the months, thanks to The 23 Things.  In general, I would have to say that I liked the latter options better.  They were like dessert.  I am happy to even have learned how to blog!  Once again, it reaffirmed for me what good teaching consists of, and that is that it should be hands on.  I liked delving a little deeper into social media, presentations, video - performance apps, if I may call them that.

I didn't actually connect with others too much while doing The 23 Things.  There were a few people I know who were doing the course, too, and we talked a bit.  I did look at some of the others' blogs, but not too often.  Mostly that was because I didn't have the time to but would have liked to.

One of the biggest surprises for me was how much I like my iPad.  I was actually given one for a gift the first year they were available, and after a bit of use, I returned it.  That seems to amaze a lot of people.  Last night I was with a friend, and I asked if she owned an iPad.  Her response was that they have two in their home, and no one uses them!  Reminds me of the quote about putting a computer under a kid's pillow and expecting her to learn from it.  My friend and her family need The 23 Things.

I'm not sure that I have any suggestions for improvement.  I liked the course a lot.  Making sure that all links are up to date is important.  I can't imagine how tricky it must be to keep everything, even content, current in such a constantly changing realm.

I would take another The 23 Things program like this again in a heartbeat.  I learned so much!

Handing me an iPad without The 23 Things is like putting a 15-year-old behind the wheel of a stick shift and saying, "Take it for a spin!"

Things 22 and 21, (like reading the end of a book first . . . )

I took the "Free-for-all" advice in Thing 21 and looked ahead to Thing 22's advice for finding new apps, so I'm combining my blog post for both of them. 

I already use Apps Gone Free on my iPhone and am happy when I remember to check it.  Today I added it to my iPad and noticed some new features, at least on the iPad!  I like the "bumping" feature to notify friends of cool freebies.  Am also impressed by the Global addition.  What a small planet we live on today!  I downloaded "Convertible" because it is free today and will likely pass that on (oops - bump) to my science geeky spouse and possibly a teacher or two.

But what I am really happy to learn about is Quixey!  Sources of apps for me so far have been limited to iTunes searches (not so fun and certainly not speedy) and referrals from friends and colleagues.  But now I have my own source!  The new app I found using Quixey is Trip Advisors offline, downloadable city guides.  I also discovered the Concerts app by BlueHaze.  I like how you can go to the Quixey website, type in your search term, and then readily compare all options before blindly downloading.  When searching for a guide to local music, I chose the BlueHaze app because I was able to quickly read reviews of the others that Quixey pulled up.

Also, I recently attended a two-day iPad Institute put on by Minnetonka Public Schools, and it was phenomenal for being turned on to new apps.  I guess that's a public service announcement for Minnetonka!

Thing 20 - Games, games, games

Well, I must start by saying that I am not a gamer in any way.  When I have free time and have a device in hand, I am much more likely to read than play.  However, I do adore board games and card games and family game night for one reason.  And that is because it allows us (sometimes forces us?) to talk and laugh and interact with one another.  Online gaming misses the target for me.  I guess this is revealing my age, right?

With that said, I did peruse the games listed and found some that piqued my interest.  I have never and will never even open up Candy Crush, BUT the word games were a bit fascinating.  Word Collapse is the first one I tried.  It was fun, and the levels got more challenging.  I do enjoy some online games like Words with Friends and Scrabble, as well.  I'm thinking I might enjoy some kind of artsy, doodling one, too, if I find one.

And, actually, when I think about it, I have enjoyed some online Word games with my kids now and then, so I guess what I said earlier about not being able to interact with one another isn't quite true, right?

Thing 19 (Just in time for my trip!)

Road Ninja, I love you!  We are taking a road trip soon, and I will put you to a REAL test.  So far, "driving" around my living room, you are smooth and wise and all knowing and an economist.  No sense of humor, though.  Just kidding (that I expected one)!  I even found a home cleaning business just up my street that I didn't know existed.  Hmmm . . . Could come in handy even when I'm not on the road.

Ah, it says too much about me, perhaps, that I've selected Vivino to download, AS A HOBBY no less!  Anyway, I am much like the fellow in the tutorial, always forgetting a great wine's name.  I'm not all that excited about sharing my low-brow tastes with others, but I like the app for keeping track of labels.  Better than occasionally writing a name in my silly Notes or Reminder section. 

I promise not to use Road Ninja and Vivino at the same time.

Thing 18 - Lots and Lots of Apps!

The fun stuff is always at the end, it seems.  I love 3D Brain.  Gotta share it.  The dictionary app is right up my alley.  I love all that comes with it.  However, I stopped at deleting my old Merriam Webster app on my phone because I like that it pronounces words, too.  That's sometimes why I even use a dictionary while reading.

I have looked at and told one of my sons about artCircles and B-Rhymes.  What teen/artist wouldn't love these?

Okay, I failed my first test in Spanish on Duolingo, but what a cool app this is.  I will certainly make sure to pass it on to world language teachers who don't already know about it.  The same goes for Science 360. 

I think Khan Academy, TED Talks, and Google Earth are certainly worth sharing with folks who aren't already using them.  My school is getting a huge influx of iPads this fall, so even though many of these are somewhat common to a lot of people, they may not be to all. 

Mostly I'm left with the thought that perhaps teaching people how to discover new apps is like "teaching a man to fish."  It is probably a more important skill than passing on cool new apps, because you'll never win this one, no matter how hard you try.  It sure is fun, though!!!

Thing 17 - Connecting to Community

Wow!  I LOVE this thing!  Minnesota 511 is an app I already use and have advertised to all my family and friends.  We SO need this, don't we?  But now I have so many more cool apps in my digital pocket!  The Minneapolis Skyway app sounded so cool, but was actually a bit cumbersome. BUT that doesn't mean I won't pull it up when I need it.  Two more that I will use in my daily life are Minneapolis by Open Spaces and Going Out by the Star Trib.  No more waiting for the newspaper's arts section or relying on Flixster for my entertainment needs.  I like being able to search for music, theater, cool happenings around town and more with an app.  Come August, the State Fair app will be a must.  No more lining up to get a map, unfolding the paper, figuring out how to get to the dairy building from where you are, refolding the darned thing, and finding a pocket to house it.  Wow!  App on a Stick!  Two others that I looked at and liked are MPR Radio and the Mayo Clinic Patient App.  Unfortunately, I searched for the MN Museum app to no avail.  I wanted to know how long the Toys exhibit was going to be in town!  Shoot!  But thank you for filling my pocket with these fun apps!

Thing 16 - Using Audio

Lots of cool recording options are mentioned in the 23 Mobile Things.  I like the looks of SoundCloud but decided to try my hand at Audioboo instead.  I don't think recordings ever have to be deleted in Audioboo, whereas in SoundCloud they need to be deleted after 120 minutes in order to record anything new.

It took mere minutes to figure out how to use Audioboo which is always a plus for most folks.  (I nearly added especially for young people, but, actually, teens spend so much more time delving into the digital world than a lot of older people, and I realized that that statement would be totally inaccurate.)  Anyway, I digress . . . It was simple for me to record my first few "boos," and they are capable of being much longer than the 3 minutes promised by the 23 Mobile Things site.  I believe my countdown was 10 minutes, which is really cool. 

Again, this is something that I will certainly share with classroom teachers who struggle with Podcasts, CDs, and other such recording assignments.  Within the library, I see applications such as alternatives to Moodle for instruction, recording music to complement books, perhaps reading enticing passages from new books, interviewing students on a host of topics, and more.  I'm excited to try this one.  Again, simplicity seems key in this gigantic pool of apps in which we all swim.  Ooh, bad metaphor . . . it's hard to hear underwater!

Thing 15 - Infographics Galore!

Okay, at first I thought it sounded sort of lame to just SEARCH for already created infographics.  But once I looked at Infographics Hub, I really got hooked!  The first question to come to mind, of course, was whether these were just to peruse, to purchase or to actually use, and, of course, there was the wonderful SHARE button!  Question answered.  I found several that I think I will use because they look so polished and slick.

But then I decided I needed to try to create one.  The iVisual Touch Lite (free!) tutorial was great.  No words, just a short "how to."  This, also, would be such an easy way to introduce students to Infographics, and replace the old "let's make a poster" assignment that I still see so many teachers resort to. 

I'm looking forward to creating a product (or two) that I will use in the library.  The one I played around with was really simple to design.  If you haven't tried this app, I would highly recommend it.  It's so easy!

Thing 14 - VINE!

Although I'm not totally new to Vine, (I live with teens and college age folks), I am new at using it "all by myself."  I tried to download it onto my iPad but was confused about which app to choose.  It was much simpler to download it to my iPhone, although I think it would be cooler to film using an iPad.  It's not difficult in the least, and I really am a believer in meeting kids where they are at.  I can see a lot of uses in my high school library, especially after viewing the link to 15 Cool Ways Libraries Can Use Vine to Create Social Videos.  I don't have any adult help in the library, but I can see my teen helpers being totally into creating Vines for lots of library hot topics - new books, how to use the catalog, how to connect to a printer, where to find certain things, etc.  I think the length is perfect for a quick look at things like new titles or even a quickie peek at how to view your own library record.  This might also reinforce how very public apps like Twitter and Vine are . . .

Haiku Deck!

I love Haiku Deck!  Aren't we all always in a hurry?  I love that presentations can be prepared so quickly with this cool little app.  I plan to share it with students as well as teachers this fall, due not only to its simplicity, but more importantly, because of the incorporation of Creative Commons.  Talk about banging your head against the wall - yikes!  Not only do students ignore copyright, but incredibly often it's with the teacher's encouragement.  I see this as an inroad to enlightening both young and not-so-young violators.  And, yes, less IS more.  I do wish you could vary text size.  Maybe it's possible, and I just haven't discovered it.

Now back to being in a hurry . . . yet accomplishing nothing! Ah, summer . . .

Thing 12 - All About Those Old Fashioned Things, Books!

Well, I wanted to be excited about these ebook apps, like I have been about the previous things (which, happily, total beyond 23, and I'm glad!), but most of the freebie books out there just don't thrill me.  Pretty strong words for a former English teacher, I know.  I was curious about the "Popular Books" category in Audiobooks, but the first several included Pride and Prejudice, Treasure Island, and Huck Finn, and the "Free Books" section's offerings were on par with the first group.  I just think of something other than those dusty old titles, which I AM fond of, when I hear the word "popular."  Now professionally, I can certainly see a use for this app.  Teachers in my school teach many of the classics, and they are in a constant state of replacement.  I think Audiobooks would also be quite handy for reluctant readers, as well.  It just didn't provide what I would like for me.

I do like the YALSA Teen Book Finder.  I know the readers in my high school are always prowling the sites like Goodreads and other spots that highlight hot new YA lit.  This is one more avenue for them to cruise.  I might use it professionally, as well, particularly when a student needs a title and can't find it in our library. 

Thing 11, or Library and Reference!

As I sit looking at my various devices, I am, as usual, amazed at little tricks that seem so darned simple once someone shows them to you.  Remember the first time you ever did a screen shot on your computer?  Didn't you think, "Wow!  How much easier could that be???"  Well, I feel kind of like that looking at ELM on my phone.  I rarely use my iphone for doing research, but the high school kids I teach do, and, bingo - there it is, right on my little screen.  Thanks for the concise tour, Minitex.  Again, here is a little gem I will probably show kids how to use . . . tomorrow!

Also, clicking on the SPPL app on my phone is something I never do.  But there it is, and, again, something worthy to pass on to teens. 

Although my district and my own webpage do have Mackin VIA available as well as instructions on downloading the app, not a lot of our students tend to read our ebooks, it seems.  Doing research via ELM is more likely the mobile app of choice for them.

Thing 10 - Sharing Photos

I have a Snapchat account (with a horrible user name that I can't change . . . ), but this gave me an opportunity to reuse it. My sons are probably doing some eye rolling right now at the shots I've sent them.  The biggest eye opener here is the bevy of screen capture apps!  Wow!  SnapRoll, SnapBox, SnapCapture, and SnapChat Save Pics.  Professional use?  Those 4 babies right there!  All I heard the last few years was, "It's private," and "No one else can see my SnapChats."  No reason at all to be leery or cautious or modest or concerned at all, right?  Thank you for giving me those splendid teaching tools! 

And, oh yeah, I love this tongue-twister of a label.  Had to put it here just for kicks.  See how fast you can say it.  Hee, hee.  From the iTunes store:

SnapBox - a snaphack for snapchat to save all your snap chats and screenshot

Thing 9 - Jazzing Up Photos

I was, and still am, so excited about using Color Splurge!  My professional photographer friend does stuff like this all the time, but WTH (heck)?  I downloaded and subsequently deleted the app so many times trying to get rid of the ads on the bottom and on the top and in the corner, etc.  I finally gave up.  The app IDEA reminds me of many years ago when I took a class where we learned to hand tint black and white photos, which I did very little of and spent very much money on.  So I thought this was going to be IT! 

Alas, I went on to Line Camera and had a much more pleasant experience.  I did a few personal photos, and they looked classy, unlike those cheesy frames so many of the Kodak machines at Walgreens add to your photos.  I can definitely see myself using this personally for many reasons.  I take gobs of pictures, most of them with people in them and mostly those people are my family.  Hence, I am preserving memories, and I can see taking a treasured shot and playing with it to make it more than just another photograph.  Professionally, it looks like it will be really fun to play with.  I can see myself making posters of kids reading, using technology, doing research . . . and all without having to invest in one of those fancy poster-making machines (or scrounge around looking for one to borrow) and probably end up with a better product.  Can't wait to try it.  One thing I don't care for is that I can't share via messaging.  That would be good for me.

Thing 8 - What We All Need!

Okey doke!  I have officially changed an unused Twitter account that was a hodge-podge of things into TWO Twitter accounts.  One is the "official" library/school account, and the other one is personal.  I'm glad I finally did that.  It's just like having a work and a personal email account.  Why did it take me so long?  I hope to utilize the Twitter account with students, as well as for tapping into feeds from Shannon Miller, AASL, MEMO (or ITEM), and  MNMultitypes.  Finally, finally school districts are allowing Tweets and other social media.  We're out of the '80's!

Thing 7 - Saving and Sharing Content

So many things I haven't taken the time to even look at!  One that I've only browsed through when it pops during a search is the ever present Pinterest.  To be honest, I thought it was largely for those people with lots of time on their hands who spend that time decorating their homes, decorating their parties, decorating their nails, and so on.  Gosh, I was wrong!  Thank you for forcing me to not be so full of assumptions and to look at something pretty useful and cool.  I've picked up some cool ideas for my school library by looking at the library links provided, as well as gotten a few laughs from "Awful Library Books" (which I did bookmark, of course)!

And back to poking fun at those people who pin party ideas, I now have my own board entitled, "Grad Party Ideas," for the big day in our house in about 5 weeks.  I'm just not someone who takes a guided tour unless someone makes me.  I'm so glad I did.  I will probably start a board with teen reads on it, as well!

Really being mobile . . . with Thing 6

CloudOn is pretty cool.  It makes "mobile" really mobile.  I'm pretty much a Word, Powerpoint, Excel person, and CloudOn truly makes it possible to use those on a mobile device.  Sometimes apps seem so weak compared to the power and ease of writing and creating on a standard computer of some sort.  When something like Word looks the same on an iPad Mini as it does on my huge Mac monitor, I'm duly impressed . . . and much more apt (apped?!) to use it!  This little course is doing right by me.  (I know I will return to its contents frequently!)

Thing 5 - Another one I like!

Okay, Dragon Dictation is just a slicked up version of Siri.  Maybe they're cousins in a fantasy series!  And they were both educated in a cave by a nomadic grandmotherly type who couldn't spell, either.  I digress . . .  Actually, Dragon Dictation is kind of fun.  Since I like to write, and my aging thoughts are often fleeting, I could see using it on a personal basis. 

But on to another option in Thing 5 - Springpad!  It is fun and useful and easy and efficient, and I'm actually sharing it with coworkers tomorrow.  As a work tool, I think I will utilize a few of the notebooks, especially if I start making it a habit.  Admittedly, I'm still a bit of a pencil and paper gal when it comes to note taking and making, but I see so much merit in shedding my pocketfuls of Post-its and other bits of important papers.  The "Task" notebook would certainly be helpful in the work place.  I've already got quite a few tidbits recorded in the "Quick Notes" section, as well.  It seems to have functionality for collaborating in a nice, informal fashion, too.  On a personal note, I think I could use it for many of the things Springpad suggests (vacation notes, recipes, lists, lists, lists!  I think I am as addicted to lists as I am to pockets!).  I didn't especially like the "Books" part, though.  As with so many apps, they just are a variation of something that another app or site does (i.e. Good Reads, etc.).  Nonetheless, I am thus far enjoying Springpad.

Keeping Up! (with Thing 5)

Wow!  I love Flipboard!  Professionally, I see myriad uses. For starters, I love the Tech News section. So they're adding optical zooms to smartphones and Agency Glass is designing spectacles that help emotionless folks pretend they are "friendlier or less socially awkward" than they really are. Hmmmm.... And reading about the new design of the iPhone 6 is pretty cool, too.  These are things/magazines that I ordinarily wouldn't read but Flipbook makes it easy!  I can totally see sharing this app with high school kids, as well.

Personally, I have added food and travel sites.  I even like the picks selected by Flipboard. Who knew you could find Tabasco or beer flavored jelly beans???  I think this is cool enough to share with friends and colleagues. I am currently borrowing an iPad mini and previously used a loaner iPad (thanks, Tori!). I am currently deciding what to purchase for my personal use.  Although I read ebooks on my Kindle, that is not my favorite method for personal reading. I like to flip (see, this IS on topic!) back to lots of places in a book, the beginning, a certain scene, a descriptive passage that I want to retread, and so on. Hence, for those reasons and others I prefer holding on to a print book. BUT Flipboard has swayed me, lured me, to the convenience and efficiency of reading things of this nature.   There are things here that I only choose to skim or read part of or be wowed by more than just words, so I think I've just been lured deeper into the realm of digital reading. Thanks, Flipboard!

Thing 3 - Utilities

Oh gosh, I did this some time ago, but I am still intrigued by the RedLaser Barcode and QR Scanner.  What a lot of applications this has for a school library!  I like the idea of book reviews being scattered around the library, which costs basically nothing at all.  That price point is oh so appealing to me, as well as it being something innovative and shockingly easy that kids would use.  I can see this being something that snowballs, luring more and more teen readers to try it out.  But I can also see it making kids in my urban environment perhaps being segregated into the "haves" and "have nots."  I'd like to think I'm wrong, but that would be an ugly off-shoot of such a project.  I also think I will try using a QR code that leads to a book trailer.  It also seems like a really cool way to create a "library tour," (and it's about time for something like that!). 

Thing 2 Mobile Device Tips

Just watched the iPhone video and I can't quit playing with my compass that turns into a really cool, bubbly level! My husband is pretty fond of it, too.  Didn't know the time stamp was available for ALL messages with just a simple swipe, either. Also am learning that Siri does a lot more than I employ him/her for. The bookmark page on Safari is a direct link to Twitter ... Okay, so the real truth is that "life (and devices) is (are) like an onion, Shrek."  All those layers. I feel like I lift one up, and there's another!  Meaning I was iPad/tablet shopping yesterday and feel like there is just so darned much to learn!  My urban school of 1200 kids has 2, yes 2, iPads that aren't personal ones. So though I know there are such cool ways to use them with students, it seems pointless right now. 

23 mobile things, still thing 1

I think my teen book club could use this. Can more than one person contribute to one blog?  

I am so excited! Thing 1

I have a journal full of future blog posts that I dream big about posting. This is so very cool that I am learning how. Who says this old dog can't learn a new trick? Wish I could figure out how to change my blog title, though. Among other things ha ha ... 

Snow day

"Despite the biological treachery of this snow, its beauty moved her." Reading Flight Behavior by Kingsolver on Feb 21. How apt is that line?!

23 things

Okey dokey!  I'm ready to go mobile!  "We can do it!"