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This is just a sample blog. You will notice several features posted that we will talk about today.

Welcome

THING 23

Some of my favorite things were the "Sign Now, organization tools, the video tools and also the mobile device tips. I really didn't connect with anyone else completing the program, but I think it would definitely be beneficial to complete this with a few friends so that you could learn about the apps that we didn't actually try. I definitely appreciated the equal access to android apps and tools. Apple products hit the classrooms first, but with the advancement of chromebooks, and BYOD programs, android apps are also important. Many times the same apps are available in both platforms, but when they aren't it is good to know about different options. I love the format of the program, but when I completed the first 2, I worked with a couple other media specialists and then we were able to maximize our learning with the additional sharing. This time I was working by myself, but the learning experience is still tremendous. I would definitely participate in any additional programs like this that offer flexibility but still a tremendous amount of learning. This program is almost like going to a buffet and choosing the things you like from an excellent assortment of great tools. All of the choices are excellent, but there are some that fit your needs better than others.

THING 22

Discovering Apps: Quixey and Droid for the day were the app finding tools that I tried. When I was searching Quixey, I found some interesting relaxation apps and also some photography tips/guide apps. I found some other to-do list apps, but I still think I like Wunderlist better. I also found some apps that address different health issues and have quite a bit of information for that. I also found an app that gives you tips on coping with ADHD, which I thought would be very helpful since many students struggle with this, and it certainly couldn't hurt me either. :-) I think this is a good way to find apps as long as you are diligent about reading reviews, etc. There isn't any reason to load your device up with apps that you'll never use or that aren't worth using. The key is to try the apps and then uninstall anything you don't find as valuable as you first thought.

THING 21

Favorite App: I use Wunderlist to keep a running to do list, which has proven to be very helpful. When you create a task for your list, you can assign a due date and then sort your list by due date. You can also see a list of items you have completed or you can turn that setting off. I like to use it because otherwise I am always thinking about what I have to do and hoping that I don't forget something. It has proven to be very helpful.

THING 20

First of all, I refuse to try candy crush. I have heard it is very fun, but I know quite a few people who are totally hooked. They are actually very obsessed with it. I tried Temple run and have found that to be a fun game that totally consumes way too much time. I keep playing to try to do just a little bit better. I also tried frogger because I used to play it on my very first atari and was kind of hooked on it then. I found it much more difficult to play on my phone than when I used to use a joystick. On my phone, if you're looking at the scene it isn't always very easy to move the frog in the right direction. I think I would need a lot more practice, but I'm not going to do that unless I'm in the car with nothing to do. :-)

THING 19

Hobbies: I have used gardening apps before and flower/plant identification apps which are very helpful, but I also enjoy photography, so I decided to try to find something that fit hobby. Most of the ones I found are for photo editing, which I use quite often, so I decided to try photofunia. It is very intuitive and gives you many creative options, but I'm going to continue to look for photography apps. I did find photofunia pretty interesting. I sent out some pictures that were pretty funny, but definitely out of character for me. My kids certainly enjoyed it. This is definitely good for many laughs.

THING 18

Education: I have previously used many of these apps such as Socrative, khan academy, Google Earth, Science 360, fooducate, etc. I will be teaching summer school to some struggling students, so I decided to try the 10 monkeys multiplication. Multiplacation facts are an essential part of being successful in math and I found this to be a little bit addictive. It definitely keeps your attention and you can choose specific multiplication facts to work with. That way students can stay at one level until they are proficient and then move on, or only work on the ones where they struggle. I will definitely be trying this with my students this summer and their opinions and progress will give me more feedback for this app. Personally if I had grandchildren, I would try this with them.

THING 17

Connecting to Community: 511 Minnesota is the app that I tried and I think this would be very helpful now that it is construction season. You can also add layers to tell you about traffic, and cameras. This will be very valuable when we are traveling into the cities, so that we can avoid some major problems. There are always alternative routes to take, but if you don't know ahead of time, you can get stuck in delays. Professionally it would also be valuable if I was traveling for work. Going out -sponsored by the star trib. is a great one for telling you where restaurants are near you location or what type of entertainment is available. This would be extremely valuable because now we just go to the places we are familiar with and this would let us try some different venues. Professionally, you could use this to entertain visitors, etc. I also tried the star tribune app and found all of the local news which is nice to see without waiting through all types of sports/national news, etc.

THING 16

Audio: I registered on the audio boo site and created a couple of podcasts as exaples. This was extremely easy and something that students would be able to do for an assignment. I could also create podcasts and put them on my website with either assignment information, upcoming week activities, or even a review session before a test. This was by far one of the easiest audio recording apps I have used. As far as personal use, I could create reminders for myself, or I could actually create a weekly podcast on one of my hobbies and post every wee,.

THING 15

Success: Using a chromebook and going to the Google Play store, I found Piktochart. It is very intuitive and I definitely wanted to sign up for the Pro Version for more options, but it is 29.00 per month or 290 per year. That is a little out of my budget, so I guess Iĺl stick with the free version. Has anyone had trouble with this Thing? Using my android device, I am not able to locate any of the apps that are suggested.Instead, I installed infographic and How to create an info graphic and also infoto Free. I found lots of examples and also information about creating them, but not actually a generator. I'm still looking or will have to try on an IOS device.