Ready for Facebook?

Today we'll explore the social networking site Facebook. There are lots of reasons to sign up just as there are lots of reasons not to. We'll try to get to them all! (But you'll probably think of more!)

Here is a link to one tutorial I found online from a Social Networking Series - A Basic Introduction for Nonprofit Use Facebook Tutorial  It's a PDF file, but should open in a browser window. (You know how we techie teachers throw around the word should!)

There are links to tutorials built right into Facebook too, but sometimes they can be, well, too technical!
So, here we go...the chocolate bag is open and the computers are running...what more could we need?

Research

Or, if research sounds too hard, then - Play time.
This is how the kids learn...by being on the computer hour after hour and learning by default. (There are lots of discussions to have about this and we can have one or two of them, but for now we're just going to go with it.)

One site that we can explore is this one - TIME magazine's 50 Best Websites page.

How are we doing?

We're two weeks in and I want to know how you're all feeling about things. In all classes there is a spectrum of skill and comfort levels when learning about the internet - and all it has to offer. Think of this class as a "lab", where you can come in and experiment with some facilitation. Even though it's an eight-week class, that's really not enough time to cover everything, so we'll cover a smorgasbord of things...things you've indicated that you'd like to learn more about.

Another thing I read in the surveys is that most of you would just like to become more comfortable using the internet- and your computers. Again, hopefully that's what this class will do for you. If you don't have a Facebook page and a Blogger account by the end of class, don't worry! Not everyone will. But if you stick it out and gain a little more confidence about what you want to do and have a little more information about how to do it, then you'll be successful!

As always, if you're having some difficulties or any questions that you don't feel comfortable asking in front of the class, you can always see me before or after class. And there's always email!

You're all doing a great job! See you on Friday!

Welcome Spring?

The reason that we started class a week late is because I was in Italy. As we walked around Rome, we would come upon the most amazing fortresses, cathedrals and monuments and other times we'd just come upon some random ruins, seemingly strewn haphazardly around the city. Like some enormous leftover confetti from a past parade.
I appreciate your sticking with the class, though. I hope that you'll get what you came here for!
And speaking of getting what I came for - wasn't Spring supposed to have come last week? We came back from a lovely Primavera in Italy to gray skies and snow! And cold!
Well, we'll be nice and cozy in our little OLLI computer lab - so let's get started!

Trying out Picasa to Blogger....

 
fast and easy!!

Last Day! What should we do....?

I hope everyone has learned something new this Fall. We covered a lot of ground and despite the sometimes worried looks on your faces, I think everyone did a great job.
Someone asked about free e-cards, since the Blue Mountain site requires a subscription for them. Hallmark also requires a sign up, but there are many cards you can get for free. Here is the link:
http://www.hallmark.com/online/product/ecards/
If you sort by price, the free ones will come up first.

Let me know if you want more links here...then you can bookmark this site - and use it for your personal favorites site!

Thanks for all your hard work! It's been a lot of fun working with you all! Stay in touch - you have my email!

Election Day