I'm amazed, confused, and eventually annoyed when other educators tell me there is nothing educational to be gained from a site like YouTube. Give me a break! That kind of mindset enrages me more than you could comprehend.
Tell next time, have fun!
I've got to run. Turkey is on the kitchen counter!!!
I recently found some great common sense articles on the WebTools&Tips site. By accident, I happened across the article Internet Security Tips: Look Hard at URL destination before you Click it. This is just one in the series of Simple Security Tips to fortify your Internet Security. And, a great compliment to this series, you shouldn't pass over the "Related Webtools and Tips..." found at the end of each article.
I'm discovering that the average computer user either doesn't see the importance of, or simply doesn't make the time to, look before clicking. A simple click on the wrong link, image, email, et cetera, can result in a variety of problems. These include viruses, spyware, and other evil little critters. The average user can save themselves some pain by learning to deal with these crises before they ruin your day, your files, and your mood.
I especially like the resources to be found at CERT. Another resource that I have used is WebToolsandTips.com
It won't be long till she's walking!
Seems October was so busy, I never got around to posting anything about technology in education, or the family. Here's the quick family update. After all, family comes first.
Isabel was a flower for Halloween. What a cutie!
It's a loving wife who says "go deer hunting" the morning of our anniversary. (Is this a trick?) I'll be sure to surprise her with something out-of-the-ordinary when she least expects it. She deserves it for all she does.
Not that I'm been healthy lately myself. Luckily, the extreme heat expected the week before school started was halted by a stalled front, resulting in temperatures in the upper 80's. I was able to use my final four days of summer (before my 3 mandatory faculty meeting days) to paint the exterior trim around doorways and the garage. (Thanks for doing the painting, Sherriann.) Actually, I just did the taping the keep the paint from getting on the exterior siding. It's always amazing to see the before and after on a paint job. Although I didn't get a picture of the white trim, I did remember to take a snapshot of the deck midway through the staining.
Isabel has used it twice.
...where Isabel showed her mom how much see likes the "big" swing!
Though I wasn't aware we would be seeing our extended family, we were lucky enough to join Mom's siblings, who had come together for lunch and a family visit to the local cemetery. Their mother, Lillian, passed away 41 years ago last week. Isabel, who entered the room as the personification of youthful exuberance, lifted everyone's spirit as she smiled and cooed at all who held her, as seem in this picture held by Uncle Frank, with dad and Uncle Lee in the background.
I also took a picture of the "better halves". Pictured below, from left to right, are Frank and Betty, Joan, dad and mom, and Lee and Mary.
Later, as the elders shared stories under the shade of a maple tree, I walked across the pasture to take pictures of the old homestead where mom and dad first lived after they married in the early fifties.
Hosting for Blogs and Wikis
Virtual WhiteBoard for 15 min. online music theory collaborations.
Isabel and I took a trip to the farm yesterday for a much overdue visit with my Mom & Dad.
Late in the day, she found the old tire swing that so many of the grandkids have enjoyed through the years. Isabel was nervous for the first 3 pushes. But, she finally gave in and had a great time just swingin' and laughin'.
Isabel has been laughing more and more over the past month. Her Razorback grandparents found out Isabel was ticklish when she visited over the July 4th weekend.
between Isabel's regular 3-hour feeding schedule. I was surprised how a thick underground back in the woods above the spring.
There were just too many other priorities, with little Isabel in the house. Maybe that's why the rains came pouring down at dusk on the 4th this year. Lucky for us we had no plans for fireworks! But, the annual event may be back next year.
This weekend we had a quiet, casual visit from the in-laws. They brought lots of gifts for Isabel, who keeps developing a personality with each passing day. She's definitely a ham for the camera. Not that the weekend didn't have its downside. Seems Isabel is trying to cut her second tooth and has a little fluid buildup behind one eardrum. Thankfully, it's not infected.
Then I went toe-to-toe with a huge rhino.
Smaller, but just as impressive, was the striking head-dress of an East African Crowned Crane.
Isabel's favorites included the baby elephant.
Isabel even got to take her first elephant ride, sort of.
Late in the day, it was feeding time for many of the animals, including the gorillas, who snacked on red apples.
With only an hour left before the zoo was closing for the day, the sky showed all the familiar signs that rain was nearly upon us.
A perfect ending to a wonderful day trip to the zoo with Isabel, we happened to see a Golden Rain Tree just outside the main entrance as we were leaving. We have been planning to find two of these to become the showpieces of a new landscape outside Isabel's bedroom window.
As she gets old enough to see out the window of her room, we hope she will marvel at the bright colors of these trees, and the many flowers that will surround them each year.
All the landscaping will have to wait for the rains to pass. But Isabel can still dream about it.
