Monday, July 19, 2010

Forsvarsmakten

Forsvarsmakten

The above link takes you to http://team.forsvarsmakten.se/english/ which is a site that teams you up with three other people. You all work as a team to solve problems. If the team member next to you in a counter-clockwise motion gets things wrong then your "life" doesn't get refilled; however, if they get their problem correct then your "life" is extended. When one person's "life" is drained it is only a matter of moments before the rest of the team is down. This is one fun test.













The Swedish Armed Forces has one heck of a team. :-)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comedy and Learning Photoshop - All in one

Do you need to learn some of the specifics of using Photoshop? Do you find tutorials to be boring? Would you like to lose some weight immediately? Sexify your look? Merge images so that they look like they were always together? Well, do I have the tutorials for you.


On YouTube's MyDamnChannel you can find the series, "You Suck at Photoshop". This EXPLICIT leader in the world of learning Photoshop is Donnie Hoyle. There is a fair amount of sexual comments. It is all meant in fun and

Let me warn you that there is cursing, disfunctional humor, put-downs, but more than anything, it is easy learning and FUN!!!

Here is your list of links:
#1: Distort, Warp, & Layer Effects
#2: Covering Your Mistakes
#3: Clone Stamp and Manual Cloning
#4: Paths and Masks - You will never want to use the eraser again
#5: Select Color Range
#6: Filter: Liquify - How can you not love his visualization of the honeydew mellon?!?!
#7: Patch Tools and Levels - MILF has a new meaning "Mom I'd like to Facebook" hehe
#8: 3D Layers - He still tells you how much you suck but at least tells you not to feel too bad.
#9: Curves - This was not what I thought this was going to be... cool though... learned something
#10: Vanishing Point - Wow that train leaving was impressive
#11: Smart Objects
#12: Measurement Log
#13: Displacement
#14: Video Stuff Real Fast
#15:
#16:
#17:                                              ...TO BE CONTINUED
#18:
#19:
#20:

Thursday, March 25, 2010

A new way to perceive life.

The following video gave me and my family something that couldn't have been timed better. We are facing a difficult decision. Our decision was to make a list of pros and cons to help us make a decision. We are now going to start with a look at how blessed our family is and each of us individually is to help make the list of pros and cons not be such a negative experience but instead a way for us to work together to find the best solution to a problem that has no good answer.

I am sure this video will touch you in your own way. I hope you take the chance.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

New multi-media review for Amazon

I received an email from Amazon after I purchased the Kindle. It highlighted their new option of "writing" a video review. It is a great and creative idea. I am excited to take part and watch it develop. I think the more we know and share the better consumers we are able to be. It is wonderful how the web has led to a democratic rule (if the people choose) of what is worth time and what isn't. Read the following message for more information.

This is what the message said:

Dear Airin Hazelwood,
Thank you for your recent purchases from Amazon.com.
We invite you to submit reviews for the products you purchased or share an image that would benefit other customers. Your input will help customers choose the best products on Amazon.com.
It's easy to submit a review--just click the Review this product button next to the product.
by Amazon
by BoxWave Corporation
by Service Net

New on Amazon!  Grab your video camera or webcam and add video to your customer review. Click on 'Review this product' above to upload a video or find a different product to review.

Need help?
If clicking the buttons above doesn't work, you can review your products by following these simple steps:
  1. Go to Amazon.com and navigate to the product.
  2. In the "Customer Reviews" section, click the "Create your own review" button.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Free Energy Education Kits with SO MUCH STUFF!!!




www.getwise.org


I ordered one kit of the Energy Wise program for EACH of my 30 students last year and received one for myself to use as a demonstration. These kits are sooo cool. The kit we got had 2 FREE CFL bulbs, one faucet aerator for the kitchen or other utility type sink, plumbing tape to ensure a good seal, thereby conserving more energy. It also contained a FREE gallon-per-minute measuring tool and so much more. AND did I remember to mention that it is all FREE!!!! Plus, when I participated, I was sent a $50 VISA credit card to use for my classroom as i wanted.

Here is a quote from their site:
In a Nutshell
"Through the LivingWise®, WaterWise™, or Energy Wise® Programs, students learn about conservation in a classroom setting. The new knowledge is then taken home and shared with their families and friends, reinforcing the lessons learned. The program provides students and their families with the tools needed to audit and retrofit their homes, generating immediate and lasting
savings."

Believe it or not, some parents did not want their children to change their bulbs or faucets so we did it in class with my set as a demonstration and then any materials left over we collected. Then we raised money and bought more CFL lights and donated enough to light 2 whole Habitat for Humanity houses and then some.

I can't express enough what a cool experience it was to go on a field trip to meet the families we were donating to and be able to give the bulbs and faucets in person. AND, if you can believe it, one of the families: a single mother with one severely disabled teenage daughter and one other teenage daughter who, by definition of being eligible for the program are POOR. This mother bought doughnuts for every child in my class and soda to celebrate the birthday of her disabled child and to thank us.

My students asked excellent questions like, "how much of the money that gets donated do these people get?". They got some real learning in that experience. It was all sparked by trying out this free energy education program which is sponsored by power companies and others.

It is more than worth it to sign your class up. They have a very worthwhile learning experience. It is not without flaws, some small errors here and there, but the value of the lessons overall was unable to be quantified.

I encourage you to check it out and tell everyone you know about it. Even better, they are available in both English and Spanish. That way when students take the kit home to improve and assess the changes in their home, their parents (if they speak no english) can participate with them. That is the central focus of this program is to get parents and children to work together to improve their understanding of energy consumption.

Let me know what you think.