At least

Next Saturday im going to N.Y, and that can only means that this semester is
finally over...

These months passed so fast..I still remember the first day I came here to the States, my first day of my Masters class, everything was so new, is some way it still is. Im taking all the challenges that wait for me ahead, facing front, in a kinda silly optimistic way. This wasn't a perfect year for me, but i learned so many things, so many things changed and so many stayed the same.

Im looking foward to you next year!

Apps review

In this weeks i was asked to use and reviewa couple of internet applications
that share something in common: they are free and easy to use.

In the Online office applications between the three (google docs, zoho writer & show and thinkfree) i choose Zoho, mainly because it shares the facility of use and "online portability" of the google docs app, but much more complete, is has a lot more options, and is as close as MS office as you can get in a online app, but minus the complexity, so is complete but not complex and portable.

Then on the online picture editing app i really think that all of then were pretty useful, and i must give a special mention to the sumo paint, because is massive and amazing while not even requiring sign in up, but for propierly editing pics i was a bit thorn between picnik and fotoflexer, both of them are good, with nice HUDs that are pleasing to the eyes, simple and with style (unlike phixr, which is good btw), but i thin that fofoflexer had much more effects aviable for a first timer without sign in up or haveing a premium edition (picnik), is easy to use, has tons of options, you can save pics in your pc, in the app or even in facebook or other sites. So there two are the ones that i would definitely recommend (and i certainly will) to coworkers or friends, and since you took the time to read this i ll give you the links to them.

Zoho

http://www.zoho.com
fotoflexer

http://fotoflexer.co
sumo paint

http://www.sumopaint.com/home

My Own webpage!, wow!

I have been asked to do a website (not just webpage) in one of my courses, so
i have been working on it, and after a lot of work, changes, and frustration with the edit buttons and options (is not so easy as google says), i did it, and i don't think is half bad.

Maybe it doesn't have a lot of fancy features because of the short time and pressure to do it, but i think it worked out pretty well.

The theme of the site is about education, I used a classroom website template, and some imagination to see how I would do the page if i were working with students in a school, so I tried to keep the language simple and easy to understand, also I tried to implement some gadgets to keep things interesting, like calendars, videos and stuff like that, so i hope you like it.



https://sites.google.com/site/instructionalfun/home

My first screencast!

Hey guys, today im showing you, a video that i myself did, with the help of camstasia studio program.

I was asked to do a screencast, for a lesson or educational purpose, so i did this little video as a way to show students how to create a blog account that would later be used in other lessons in that course.

I tried to do it simple and easy, and i think that for the most part i succeded with that, also, i remind you that this is my first video, so go easy on me.

and sorry for the bad english!

Lesson and maps

Ok guys, i have been asked to use a map in a class lesson, so it can
help the understanding (and the interest) of the students in a class.

So i though about using maps in a class about hurricanes and weather changes.

The idea is that, first we give the students the information about how the hurricanes work, and then the use of the map would be to simulate the trajectory
of a hurricane from it's starting point to it's possibles routes.

This is not really a good example, but is just to give you an idea of how this may work.

Also another possibility is using this one as an example and make the students do their own maps based on real trajectories from past cyclons or hurricanes.

well anyway, here is the example i did:


View Hurricanes in a larger map

hope you like it

My map

Ok i have been fooling around a bit with google maps again, and i made a customized
map with directions of how to get to the near guitar center store from here WMU in
Kalamazoo to Portage.

so, there you go!


View Guitar Center Trip in a larger map

The dreaded Swine Flu

Last weekend i was feeling kind of weird, and then sick, it all seemed like a pre-winter
cold so i went to my local clinic ( the university one) and got diagnosised with H1N1 influenza
or "swine flu", and so i was put in isolation last monday.

Since that two days have passed, and i have been thinking on a lot of different issues in
my own life, different possibilities and choices, things that i failed to do or that i shouldn't have done...., it's interesting that is in times like these that i can reflect on these matters, and i think that it is maybe a situation like mine (an illness) that we stop worrying about our daily concerns and start looking at the big picture.