January 2008 – Random Connections

Voice Thread Second Thoughts

January 29, 2008 Tom 1 Comment

EdTech, Internet

As much as I was initially impressed with VoiceThread, I’ve noticed some severe limitations to the system. I still think it’s an extremely easy way to narrate a slide show and to solicit audio comments. I’ll probably still use it to create some quick narration to embed here and on other sites. However, I’m spotting … Read More “Voice Thread Second Thoughts” »

Journey to Mount Carmel

January 28, 2008 Tom 2 Comments

Photography, Travel

While my brother, Steve, was off wandering around Jerusalem, my other brother Houston and I made a journey to Mt. Carmel. However, our destination was a bit closer to home. Houston and I have gotten in the habit of making these treks of photography and discovery in the winter months. Last year it was around the backroads and waterfalls of Pickens County. This year we had set our sites on Abbeville and McCormick Counties, hoping to explore some areas where our ancestors had lived. The journey was quite successful, and we came back with tons of photographs and tales of those chance encounters that can only happen in small Southern towns.

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Photo Sleuth 2.0

January 25, 2008 Tom No Comments

EdTech

A couple of years ago I took part in a workshop that used resources from the Library of Congress’s American Memory collection entitled “Adventures of the American Mind.” As part of the workshop, I created an activity called Photo Sleuth. Students were to look at historic photos, and using clues from the photos, were supposed … Read More “Photo Sleuth 2.0” »

Flickr Calendar 2008 – Another Voice Thread

January 25, 2008 Tom No Comments

Photography

For the past couple of years I have used the Qoop publishing company to create a calendar from my Flickr photographs. In December I print up a limited number of these and give to friends and family for Christmas. Unfortunately, Qoop doesn’t provide any way to include text or descriptions of the photos on the … Read More “Flickr Calendar 2008 – Another Voice Thread” »

VoiceThread – Multimedia Authoring for Web 2.0

January 24, 2008 Tom 1 Comment

EdTech, Internet

I was reading Wesley Fryer’s Moving at the Speed of Creativity blog when I stumble across a fantastic new multimedia authoring tool. VoiceThread does for multimedia authoring what YouTube does for video and Flickr does for photography. In its simplest form, it’s a slide show with narration. However, users can also incorporate screen captures, PowerPoint … Read More “VoiceThread – Multimedia Authoring for Web 2.0” »

Once Again into the Dark Corner

January 21, 2008 Tom No Comments

Local, Photography

I had the day off from school for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Rather than tackle the household of chores I needed to do, I decided to head out and take some photos. I had a couple of targets for the day, and I figured it wouldn’t take too long. My first destination was Greer. … Read More “Once Again into the Dark Corner” »

Death by “Shenandoah”

January 21, 2008 Tom 3 Comments

Music, Recipes

Far back in 1998 Garrison Keillor had this to say about the singing of “Shenandoah“… … And there ought to be a law against the singing of “Shenandoah” by any choir, and the penalty ought to be prison time. No probation. The singing of “Shenandoah” is a main cause of the unpopularity of choral singing … Read More “Death by “Shenandoah”” »

A Kodak Moment of Frustration

January 19, 2008 Tom No Comments

Internet, Rants

OK, this has really got me ticked. I signed up for a Kodak EasyShare account when I was exploring the geotagging capabilities of various photosharing sites. Unfortunately, I started getting regular e-mails from them, even though I said I didn’t want such things. So, I decided to click on Unsubscribe. Here’s the message I got… … Read More “A Kodak Moment of Frustration” »

The Wedding Planner

January 18, 2008 Tom No Comments

Miscellaneous

Tonight my comrades hit upon a new career for me. It seems I have a unique skill set for a complete one-man operation. I can sing and play an instrument, I can take a reasonably good photograph. But, most importantly, I’m a notary public, which means I can perform weddings. All I need now is … Read More “The Wedding Planner” »

Library of Congress on Flickr

January 17, 2008 Tom No Comments

EdTech, Internet, Photography

The Library of Congress has decided to place thousands of historic photographs and images on Flickr The LOC is soliciting comments and tags to help identify the images in the collection. Currently, the collection consists of two sets – one from the 1930-40’s, and one from the 1910’s. Previously I had written about Pickens County … Read More “Library of Congress on Flickr” »