I am intrigued with learning visually online. I ran across a post two days ago on Visual Thinking on Squidoo that prompted the post about Squidoo, (I’ll have to go back to the content of that post, as I got distracted by the the application itself).
In preparing for a presentation on some of the newer collaborative browser-based Web 2.0 tools that I am making next week for the New England Adobe Users Group (NEAUG), I discovered this new visually oriented tool. After creating a couple of sketches, it was really obvious to me that Sketchcast is a very cool tool and very simple to use, even if one has no drawing talent.
Sketchcast calls itself the newest iteration of blogs. But I wonder about the practicality of its use with a website as well as how it might be used as an instructional tool. Towards what end this sketchcasting lend itself? What are its inherent benefits? this needs some more thought.
While checking my morning email, I started following links as I am want to do, and ended up on a site that was built using Squidoo. I ran across Squidoo a while ago, and got so far as to create a logon and began to build a lens. While I thought the site had merit, I simply did not keep up with it.
Squidoo is a website that hosts what it calls lenses. Anyone can create a lens, which is nothing more than a topic that you feel you know enough about to share that information with others. Squidoo advocates for itself as follows: Squidoo is an incredibly easy platform that allows you to build a lens, all by yourself, in less than five minutes. Don’t build a lens instead of your website. Build a lens to help your website.
Not only can you promote yourself and your website, Squidoo talks about its ability to help you generate income and traffic and raise money for charity as well.
I’d love to hear from those of you who are actively and successfully (your definition) using Squidoo
I am a MAC gal. While I started out in the 1980’s working on a workstation attached to a supermini computer when I worked at Wang Laboratories in Lowell MA, and then moved on to some kind of generic PC with a 6800 processor (this was a while ago now, so unfortunately I can’t remember exactly what I had). I’ ve used and loved MACs since 2002, and am currently working on an older G4 Powerbook that is attached to a 20″ monitor and an ergonomic keyboard. I use the double screen real estate, as well as the terrific and simple MAC Expose functionality to be able to indulge my multitasking mania.
I only bought a PC because I felt that I needed to be “bi-platform”, and purchased a tablet PC because I also wanted to learn about the benefits of using the tablet in the classroom.
But now I am really tired of carrying around my laptops. I hate needing to unplug all the peripherals and lugging around batteries, headsets, and most of all, the laptops themselves. I rode my bike from Amherst to Northampton and back again for a meeting, and carried the tablet in a knapsack. Admittedly, a regular old knapsack is not the ideal laptop carrier for someone on a bike, but it was what I had. And I want to tell you that my shoudlers and traps were so sore after that ride, that it was enough to make me never want to do that again.
I have been reading the jkOnTheRun for a while now, and am intrigued with UMPCs or ultra mobile pcs. I want to be able travel more lightly, but still maintain the requisite functionality. i have been reading about the HTC Advantage UMPC, but it is not enough to get me to purchase one. (particularly because I would first upgrade my MAC anyway)
to the new home of SparkFireLearning. Since we are an instructional design company, it seems fitting to make an attempt to regularly record the various and sundry threads that are top of mind.
I encourage any of you who find your way here to add your comments and thoughts. Together we can…….
