REFLECTION #8

Picasa

What:
In class we were supposed to learn about Picasa. Because the computers were not cooperating with us in the lab, we didn't really get to experiment with it very much. I did get some pictures downloaded and was able to see how you can manipulate your photos.

So What:
Being able to have all of your pictures in one place is great, and being able to edit, crop, change and distort photos is fun. I would like to be able to spend some more time using Picasa and learning about all of its great features before I make a decision on whether I like it or not. I'm not even sure of all of the ways that I can use it, since it didn't really work great in class. I will have to download in on my home computer so I can actually use it and learn about it, and then I'll be able to make a more informed decision.

When I told a friend that I would be learning about Picasa, she told me that she uses it all of the time. She takes pictures of her sons' soccer team and then puts them on Picasa. She shares them with all the players on the team. They can all get on there and see the pictures that she has taken. She said that she loves it because it is easy to share with others, and it's free! This is a feature that I would love, too. With my kids involved in sports and scouts and other activities it would be great to be able to take and share pics with other parents and have them do the same for me.

Now What:
How will Picasa help me as a future teacher? I'm not really sure yet. Of course, anything that creates a way to share and collaborate with other teachers is a great tool. Using Picasa in conjunction with a digital camera to teach could be really good. I haven't made a final decision on it yet. That doesn't mean that I'm writing it off, I'm just going to do some more research and discover the great things that Picasa has to offer for myself, then I'll decide whether I will use it when I'm a teacher, or not.

Video:
This weeks video was funny. I liked how he not only talked about mistakes that you can make on a power point, but then he showed them while he was talking about it. It was funny, because everyone has seen power point presentations like the ones he was talking about, and many people have even made power point presentations like those. We laugh because we see the mistakes and we know we've made them, too. It did make me think though. When I make power points in the future, I will probably remember this funny clip. If I try to make a slide with too many graphics, I know that his will pop into my mind. It took him an hour and a half to make the one slide and it was too much. His busy, crazy slide will remind me not to make the same mistake.