In case I need a loading bar in Flash:

Online tutorial - 5 min tops.  Flash magic at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llcgABOHcCI

jquery

So, if you looked at my last post, you may notice I'm starting to wander through the forests of jquery. And I love it. I'm working with a good friend on making websites, and the tricky coding falls to me because I've been doing this forever. I love when things are beautiful and simple. jquery is one of those things. For those who don't know, it's a javascript library... so you don't have to write the code yourself, just link and go. I'm a jquery neophyte, but I've already resolved a conflict between jquery and scriptaculous on the same page. (Both javascript libraries.) Check them out for joy! The fade-in is jquery and the effect when you click on one of the pictures is pure scriptaculous.

I don't like blogging, but I really kinda like technology.

In case I forget:
Here's the most awesome way to make an HTML page fade in
In the head put:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4/jquery.min.js"></script>

In the body, just before the tag, put:

<script type="text/javascript">
$('body').hide();
$('body').fadeIn(1000);
</script>

Woo hoo!!! No more stinky Meta tag problems!

Ning Ning Ning... bananaphone!

Hi All,
For any of you strange creatures that are following this blog, I have just finished a tutorial on how to use the social networking site "Ning" (ning.com).

This is a step-by-step guide, and I learned a lot making it. If you'd like your own personal facebook-like site, give it a try! It's free!

Thing 20: Just for me? It's Ning

Hello everyone! My "ning" is at modernmedia.ning.com

For my final project, I'm creating a "Ning" site. For those not familiar, "ning" is a free social network located at (whoda thunk it) ning.com.

This free site allows people with similar interests and tastes to get together in a virtual environment. The participants can blog, discuss, post, connect, contact and probably a whole lot of other things. This allows a great deal of freedom for the participants and a desired amount of control by the site creator.

So, I'm feeling a little shaky with Ning. I've made a site, and I've invited some people, but need to open my invites. I feel shaky because I think I'm a control freak, and I don't know how to control all of Ning's features. I've figured out how to modify the look and add apps, I've tied it to Twitter and Blogger, and yet...

I still feel I don't know what I'm doing.

I can see a great deal of use for a ning site. First of all, it's free, and that's always a bonus when working with educational technology, and second it allows for a space for a group of people to interact. This could be ideal for students. Because an instructor can set permissions (such as no pictures can be posted without approval), this could become a safe environment for class discussions and sharing.

I'll have to play more with settings and people in the network to figure out just how useful this might be. I look forward to figuring out this puzzle that is Ning.

Thing 19: Summary of Thoughts About Thinking Thoughts.

Warning: I will babble.

Some people think I'm smart. I really don't know what that means. I suppose I caught on quickly as a child, and I really can multi-task (2%!), so while I was goofing off through K-12 years, I was actually learning too. I know stuff, but I don't know what smart means. The real thing I have going for me is stubbornness.

That almost brings me to the topic of my blog. Hold on, we'll get there.

My stubbornness makes me not give up. I must figure something out until I get it. That's why I'm not afraid of learning... I'm afraid of not learning. I'm afraid if I don't learn things the first time, I'll be stuck doing them forever. I'm freakin' Sisyphus, and that's why I'm not afraid of technology.

Sooo, the blog. This is my first blog. I can't say it was pleasant because it was assigned. Don't get me wrong - I don't expect everything to be pleasant. School is about forcing us out of our comfort zones. Ideally, school shouldn't be comfortable. There must be pain for there to be growth.

This blog was growth. And parts of it I liked. The blog has reminded me that I miss writing, but I'm not sure blogs are the best medium for me. I liked most of the things learned, although some parts I probably won't use again. I'm not a big fan of Twitter, if you couldn't tell from the posts.

If I could do anything differently, I would do this at my own speed, but that's not an option with a graded program. I would only blog about the parts I found interesting. I probably would have shared more personal stories... if this wasn't a class assignment. I don't know what else I would do differently. I suppose I wouldn't have wasted the first couple of months resisting so much of the blogging.

For me, this program is all about exposure. Exposure to new ideas, exposure to new technology. I know it's only a taste of what's available. (I wish when I was teaching there were regular exposures to new technologies.) I also know I must keep up or I won't know what's coming.

So, although I have been a bit resistant about these new things, I'm grateful. I can see how to blend these new methods into a classroom, the Internet, and the world.

Thank you for making me learn.

Thing... which? Oh, 18. Wordle and Tag Clouds

I think I can find use for this one. In classes with a State Core Curriculum, there are lists of terms the students should know and use. I could see a Wordle as a graphic for each quarter.

So, first I wanted to make a Wordle for science. Afterward I'll make one based on this class, and all of the "Things" we've blogged about.

I think this is a fun way to play with words. Here's the image for this class:
Of course, this is not everything about this class, but I wanted to pick up a list of the "things" we have played with. I chose my own colors. This was fun.