The Teacher with a Life

Digital Graphics: Week 5 Final Reflections

2010-12-19T14:34:00.000-06:00

Thus far, Digital Graphics proved to be my favorite course while in the Instructional Technology Educational program at Lamar University. I do not believe a single week went by in which I did not learn something new and invigorating as a teacher and a learner.

While we started out with simple design theory, we proceeded to learn more advanced techniques, such as logo design and animation. I was probably in the minority of graduate students in the program in my dislike of the animation week. Although I learned so much that week, I found animation to be difficult and cumbersome. I used the program "Scratch" for my animation, and, while I definitely think that a number of my students would enjoy it, I personally did not find it enjoyable.

I was able to begin working on a logo design for our new West Texas affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English: Concho Valley Teachers of English. I definitely found this to be difficult; nevertheless, I believe I enjoyed it immensely because of the reflection of a real-life task. As the first article in Week 5 of our course states, “educational experiences are more authentic and of greater value when the curricula reflect real life, which is multifaceted.” (National Council of Teachers of English, 1995) Whether a child, a teen, or an adult learner, I believe that authentic experiences in learning hold power over those that are isolated and irrelevant in the real world. My interest continued in the course as I worked on a newsletter that actually went out to our membership of CVTE. It was exciting to use design principles, the new logo, and members’ writing as well as my own to create a form of communication that I felt was meaningful and worthwhile.

National Council of Teachers of English, 1995.

CVTE Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 3

2010-12-13T06:33:00.001-06:00

My Graphics Design class this week assigned a newsletter for us to write and design. I decided to help out with our new regional ELA affiliate's work of constructing a newsletter and found out how much fun as well as work this actually entails.

New Affiliate; New Logo

2010-11-28T19:05:00.000-06:00

For my Graphic Design class this week, we were required to create a logo that represented who we are. I asked to create a logo for a new regional affiliate we have just started. The name of the affiliate is Concho Valley Teachers of English and our parent groups are the National Council of Teachers of English and the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. I began by thinking of what messages we want our affiliate to convey to our potential members and members:

Connected
Far-reaching (both in reaching out to regional members and our connections around the US)
Innovative
Welcoming
Embracing 21^st Century literacies
Involved

After considering this list, I eventually used Adobe Photoshop to create my first project in Photoshop as well as my first logo. I believe it does represent our affiliate. I do feel as if I need to continue to work on it before it goes public, however.

Scratching the Surface of the History of Design

2010-11-14T17:06:00.000-06:00

For my first assignment in Graphic Design, I searched for ancient Indian manuscripts on Google. I was pleased to find a site that is hosted by Dr. Joytsna Kamat called “Kamat’s Potpourri”. On the site she featured several pages from a manuscript called Sougandhika Parinaya (wedding of Sugandhika). In regard to the design principle of Contrast, these pages all were in vivid black and white which created a natural contrast for the eye. The principle of Repetition was subtly done with a simple border which appears to some degree in each picture. With the exception of the first and last picture on the web page, all of the pictures are framed in the center with the subjects surrounded by important items. The first and last pictures simply have the prince and princess taking up the majority of the space on the page. Proximity is evident with the prince and princess holding various important elements of Hindu marriage leading the eye to understand the essence of these elements.

5363 Final Course Reflection

2010-09-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

I recall my excitement prior to taking this course. Because my teaching assignment is not centered on technology, I felt that I would learn many things regarding Multimedia and Video Technology that would enhance my 8^th grade ELA classroom. I expected to learn how to create and utilize many technology tools which I could, in turn, begin to use immediately with my students. While I did learn how to change file formats, the knowledge came from another student in the course. Through the course, I feel I have a better grasp of filming video. Unfortunately, these are really the only two outcomes I feel I truly achieved as a result of taking this course. I already knew how to use Photo Story 3, Movie Maker, and Audacity. I teach Audacity often to create podcasts that are uploaded to our classroom website. I really was expecting a more in-depth exploration of Multimedia and Video Technology throughout this course.

Learning how to change file formats has been incredibly relevant to the work my students and I are doing right now. We are involved in a service learning project that came out of a visit by a young couple, Matt and Lauren Mbanga, from Zimbabwe who are taking a sabbatical from their work in a rural area of Zimbabwe. First, my students wrote letters to the teens who live in this rural area. Then, we read the book, In Our Village, which is written by a group of teenagers in rural Tanzania. My students have used Flip Videos to create our own version of In Our Village to send with the Mbangas. I used the knowledge I gained regarding changing file formats to change the video to AVI, so the students could download the videos into Movie Maker. While taking the videos of our town, I used the knowledge regarding how to film video. This was definitely relevant to this type of project.

Because the majority of this class was devoted to creating a PSA with a team, I felt as if there were a number of missed opportunities to really learn how to use multimedia and video technology. It seemed as if our time was devoted more to trying to piece together this PSA and find ways to communicate with our busy schedules and not the actual utilization of the tools associated with this class. I would have appreciated more time to create a better Photo Story, maybe the second week to revise and edit after the instructional associate’s comments. I would have appreciate more time to use Movie Maker and create a video that really addressed an issue that would be more relevant to what I do in the classroom, rather than work together a piecemeal production with a team. My team was beyond wonderful. I could not have asked for a better one; however, to truly learn the material, I needed more time on my own. I felt that the breadth of this learning might have been there, but the depth was not there in this course.

I was successful in completing the course assignments with the exception of the web conferences. I was able to attend one web conference. Two other times, I tried, but I was not successful. The first one I tried to get into, I used the URL given to us for the week. Finally, after waiting for 30 minutes, I gave up. Later, I found out that someone was in the conference, but several of us could not enter. I never found out why. The second web conference I tried to get into, I was successful. The third one I attempted to enter fifteen minutes early and found out that the conference had been rescheduled for an hour earlier. Therefore, what prevented me from feeling successful was simply a lack of communication. In an environment of distance learning, it would seem that communication would be of the utmost importance.

What I have learned within this course about myself is that I am definitely a leader. I worked hard to pull our group together and to encourage communication. Regarding my technology skills, I discovered that, while I have a long way to go to consider myself an expert, I do know many things about technology that can help my students and fellow colleagues. More and more, teachers at my campus and the other two campuses are coming to me with questions that I am, increasingly, being able to answer within a reasonable amount of time. It is exciting and empowering to feel that I have knowledge and skills to offer my school. What I have learned about my attitudes is that, although I am quite a Pollyanna in many ways, I am beginning to accept things for what they are. I am realizing that, oftentimes, we have to circumvent what is offered in front of us and see the possibilities in our colleagues and our students and not necessarily the powers that be.

PSA Reflection: Week 5 of Multimedia and Video Technology

2010-09-26T10:02:00.000-05:00

The last month has been an interesting one, to say the least. While it is imperative that we, as educators, learn collaboration skills, the demands of creating a PSA as a team of four was an exercise in patience, tenacity, and understanding, more than actually learning how to use multimedia and video technology.

Our team was truly the model of a team. All four members contributed equally to the work and the project. We utilized our strengths and assigned roles relevant to those strengths. While this definitely got the job accomplished, I do not feel as if my understanding of the content grew to the extent I expected it to grow. Nevertheless, I do know that several of the things I learned, I am already using in my 8^th grade ELA classroom.

For example, my students are in the midst of creating a video of their town to send to a school of teenagers in rural Zimbabwe. My knowledge of file conversion and shooting effective video has definitely enhanced the students’ work and understanding.

Reflection back on this project, I know I have gained knowledge. I am, however, disappointed that I have not learned more.

The Trials and Tribulations of Web Conferencing

2010-09-05T15:24:00.001-05:00

Honestly, with only a couple of exceptions, web conferencing during my short time (since February 2010) in the Lamar Academic Partnerships has proven quite troublesome and frustrating. Although I realize that dealing with technology requires flexibility, some of the experiences I have had have gone past what I would deem acceptable.

For example, the web conference I could attend this week was Saturday at 11:00 am. Although I had already viewed the links for the previous web conferences held earlier in the week, I wanted to do the right thing and attend one in real-time. I signed into the Adobe Connect Pro meeting at 10:45 and received the message that the administrator would let me in shortly. I waited and waited. At about 10:55, I posted on our Facebook page to see if anyone else was having the same problem. Sure enough, there was one other person attempting to get into the meeting with the same outcome. I emailed my instructional associate and Dr. Abernathy. Finally, after waiting ten more minutes, I determined that the meeting had been canceled.

Later, that afternoon, I received an email from Dr. Abernathy saying that she, in fact, had been in the meeting with another student, but no one else asked for admittance.

This has not been the first time that I have had difficulty with the web conferences through Lamar. It is difficult and frustrating when I try to carve out this time in my schedule and the meeting does not work out.

When I have successfully logged in during the other classes, I have received pertinent information that I would not know had I not been in the conference. Even if I do not personally have a question, it helps to hear others questions and comments.

All in all, I think web conferencing is the way to go. When I worked at the ESCXV in San Angelo, web conferencing was such a great thing when it came about as it saved money and time. My board for which I am vice-president of membership and affiliates just recently started web conferencing. Again, the money and time saved is worth what may be lost when meeting face-to-face.

Nevertheless, with web conferencing, communication prior to the meetings is key. If the link does not work, the attendee is left not knowing how to join. Also, there needs to be an understanding of the learning curve that many of us have when entering a web conference. Maybe a mock conference could help those who have not participated before.

Web conferencing certainly has its place in the present and the future. We need to work together to communicate clearly how this will help us all.

Take 2! Or 3 or 4: Comparing Movie Maker 2 and Wax

2010-09-05T13:31:00.001-05:00

I really wanted to like Wax, the free video-editing software that I chose for my recent class at Lamar University. After downloading it, I found that the initial look of it was deceptively easy. Nevertheless, after doing my usual "check it out without looking at a manual" procedure, I decided it may be something for which I needed to look for a YouTube video for a bit of instruction.

After watching three experts sail through their tutorials on Wax, I thought I was ready---after all, none of them were any older than my 12-year old son! Wrong again! I finally downloaded a movie of my son running during our annual Shannon Harber Relays, an event with a long history in Eldorado. About all I could do successfully is make the video so bizarre looking that it would have been mistaken for an awful B-movie on the SciFi channel.

So back to Movie Maker 2 I go. I am happy with the results I get in Movie Maker 2. It is easy to manipulate video, pictures, and audio. The special effects are such that they make sense, rather than create havoc as I did in Wax. Movie Maker 2 may be simple, but, unless you are a digital native, in my opinion, it IS the best free video-editing software you can enjoy.

Things My Mama Taught Me

2010-08-29T11:41:00.000-05:00

What impact does service learning paired with technology, specifically Web 2.0 tools, have on our disenfranchised and disengaged middle school students?

2010-07-30T13:08:00.001-05:00

Since 1992 I have utilized service learning yearly to some extent in my classrooms, whether it was an elementary social studies classroom, a high school English Language Learner classroom, or, my current assignment, an eighth grade English Language Arts classroom. I have personally watched students who have figuratively dropped out of school become engaged in the classroom and find success in the school setting. Through interviews, written reflections, and process evaluation, one clearly sees the correlation between service learning and student engagement. However, my goal is to have clear evidence to support this claim in order to bring other colleagues in my district on board.

In 1994, as a third through fifth grade social studies teacher, I wrote a grant to obtain a computer as well as access to a social learning program through National Geographic. I can still recall the entire classrooms of twenty to twenty-five students gathered around the one computer engaged in the exchange they were having with students around the globe. Now, my students have access to one computer per student on our, at least, weekly visits to the computer lab. Also, I have thirteen computers in my classroom for easy access. Through wikis, Glogster, and other Web 2.0 tools, my students can interact in a social learning manner familiar to many of them. Using these competencies in the classroom is compelling, engaging, and empowering.

In summary pairing service learning with social learning may lead to powerful experiences for our middle school students in our Title I district.

The Purpose of My Action Research

2010-07-26T00:08:00.000-05:00

     "I hate reading." "School sucks." "Are we gonna do anything today?"

     Unfortunately, these are all statements heard from middle-school students in today's classrooms. My classroom is not exempt from it either. In the early adolescent years, students struggle to find their purpose in life and, often, do not find any relevance to that purpose in our school buildings. With little support at home, many of the students I have taught in my 24 years feel strongly that school is a place that only benefits certain students: those with background experiences, places to do homework, support at home, and no learning difficulties. Furthermore, if a student enters middle school speaking a language other than English, his or her frustration level quickly leads him or her to believe that school holds no relevance to life.

   As a teacher of fellow human beings who inhabit the same space I live in, I feel compelled to offer all students a sense of purpose and belonging when they enter school. Therefore, the purpose of my Action Research for my current class is to discover the impact that service-learning paired with technology has on our disenfranchised students. My challenge will be to offer the support that the staff needs to see that our students may need more than what is currently offered in our school. I expect pockets of resistance, but, with the help of my principal/site mentor and like-minded colleagues, I believe we can offer our teachers the resources necessary to make this possible.

Educational Leadership and Blogs

2010-07-17T10:14:00.001-05:00

Blogs create a platform in which educational leaders may create community. One of my favorite blogs by a principal is Principal Reflections (http://billcarozza.com/). Within this space, Principal Bill Carozza explores professional literature, educational trends, and personal insights that can spark interest and discussion between other administrators, teacher leaders, and families within his school. Used effectively, blogs can be a powerful communication space.

Action Research: Not Only About the Action and the Research

2010-07-17T10:02:00.002-05:00

During the past week, my readings and learning for my graduate class have transported me into an Action Research journey. This place is familiar and comfortable for me which bodes well for the remainder of the class. As I have visited with other teachers within this course and outside of this course, at workshops, conferences, and other educational settings, I have begun to realize how fortunate I am to have had the experiences I have had as a teacher. While teaching at an elementary school in San Angelo, my campus was chosen as an elite group of schools known as the Partnership Initiative Schools. Our task was daunting but exciting: we were to take a Title I, mediocre performing school and elevate it to a level of excellence. To do this, we, as a staff guided by an incredible principal-learner, became true investigators of our school environment. We studied attendance trends, population trends, test data, and teacher burnout. We gathered surveys from parents, students, and staff members. We spent most of a summer as a professional learning community reading about the best practices for schools that mirrored our school. Finally, after our investigation was complete, we created a plan unique to our school that we believed would accelerate learning and create an environment of positive change. The year began, and we pushed forth in our efforts. The entire school community became involved and invested in this initiative. With some wheedling, we were able to rely on school board members and upper administrators in the school system to come to our campus and substitute while we as teachers and principal took a day each six weeks for professional development. The professional development consisted of about 75% reflection (pre- and post-) and 20% action. 5% of our time was spent celebrating our successes and creating a school family. To this day, and my experience at this school was over 14 years ago, this elementary school continues to be a model of excellence. Although we did not call it Action Research at the time, what we participated in was Action Research. The result was a school that continues to excel and educators who have continued to tout Action Research in their new positions outside of that school. Some of the teachers have gone on to become principals; some have gone on to become educational consultants; many have remained in a classroom teaching other teachers how to become true teacher leaders through Action Research. In my role as a teacher-leader at my present school district, I lead my teachers through an Action Research process throughout the school year. This practice is invaluable to me as a teacher and a leader in my school district.

2010-06-14T19:58:00.000-05:00

From Three Stars to Five: The Novel that Grew on Me

2010-06-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is weird...I have changed the star rating on this book from 3 to 5. Why you might ask? (Please ask...) When I read the book, I couldn't put it down even though I felt it plodded through situations of life that could have been skipped. Just like a enormously wonderful experience that just keeps getting better the more time passes, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao has done that for me like no other book with the exceptions of recent novels I've read by Edwidge Danticat. How ironic is it that Diaz writing is from the Dominican perspective while Danticat's is from the Haitian perspective. Two sides of an island, two countries, two languages. Stories so rich that they remain with the reader forever.

View all my reviews >>

Dinner with a Bang

2010-05-09T19:48:00.000-05:00

What men I have on this Mothers' Day! Jess, Ernie, and I are on the trampoline gazing at the the sky when Jess spots a skunk heading across our yard. The darned thing decided to head into an open door of our shed. The guys move into action: Jess gets his last smoke bomb from New Years; Ernie gets his gun. I'm hanging onto the dogs, so they don't get into trouble. Smoke bomb is thrown, skunk comes out to meet his Maker, and Ernie heads to the bar-b-q pit to flip the steaks. Better than dinner and a movie! (It all seemed a little bit Redneck, but it was fun and dinner was yummy:)

Last play of the ball game tonight

2010-04-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

Look at Jess's smile!

Implications Of The Texas S Ta R Chart

2010-03-07T15:53:00.001-06:00

This presentation seeks to offer solutions to weaknesses found in our local campus STaR Chart.

Implications Of The Texas S Ta R Chart

View more presentations from Katrina Gonzales.

My Prezi on 21st Century Literacy

2010-03-06T19:24:00.000-06:00

Reading in the 21st Century on Prezi

Accomplishing Long-Range Goals in Texas Technology: Target Date 2020

2010-03-06T18:42:00.001-06:00

While some might see the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology filled with lofty goals impossible to obtain, many Texas educators see the plan as critical to the realization of an education system that maintains and surpasses the demands for learners in the 21^st century. Although all four components of the plan are equally important, I believe that, without a paradigm shift in the way that we provide Educator Preparation and Development to our teachers, Teaching and Learning will continue to struggle, and, in many cases, stagnate. Fortunately, many avenues exist to enable Texas teachers to promote academic excellence through the use of technology; the issue is not a lack of resources, but a refusal by many in education to view professional development in a new way.

Allowing teachers precious time to learn how to integrate technology into their classrooms enables the teachers a comfort level that a one-shot staff development session cannot match. Helping teachers to understand the demands of today's learner creates a sense of urgency that we, as facilitators of that learning, must strive to do a better job to meet these learners' needs regarding technology. Finally, when teachers embrace the idea that we, the "digital immigrants", have an obligation to provide those tools that the "digital-natives" in our classrooms find second-nature in their 21^st century world, powerful and relevant learning takes place.

Schools must find ways to re-think Educator Preparation and Development so that Teaching and Learning will reach the Target Tech level of the Texas Long-Range Plan for Technology by 2020.

NCTE, Philly, and Me

2009-11-15T10:22:00.000-06:00

And so, at the ripe old age of 47, I embark on a journey to parts unknown...at least, by me. Tuesday, at noon, I'll head to Austin to stay the night with Alana, Branyon, and Branna. Then, Wednesday morning, they'll take me to the airport where I'll board a plane to Dallas, then to Philadelphia. The reason? The National Council of Teachers of English conference!

So many firsts in one trip!

First plane trip alone out of state;
First trip to the northeast;
First time to go to the NCTE conference.

Outside of the great things at the NCTE conference, I want to walk around the corner from the hotel to see St. John's Catholic Church, Chinatown, and Independence Hall. Also, I have a Book Jam invitation for Saturday night which means that I'd miss Tracy Kidder at NCTE, but I REALLY want to hear Alan Sitomer and Sharon Flake.

I have a feeling that this trip will be riddled with decisions. I'll probably end up doing the flotsam and jetsam thing which usually works fairly well for me.

Lastly, I'm hoping I get to hear and maybe (fingers crossed) meet my new favorite YA author Maggie Stievater, author of Shiver! How cool would that be?

Banned Book Week

2009-09-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

Today was the first school day of Banned Book Week. After mulling around many scenarios, I settled on the following:

I pulled many books off of my classroom library shelves that have been challenged currently or in the past. Displaying these on the top of one of the shelves, I asked the students, when they came in, to try to figure out what all of the books had in common. As I made my way to the front of the classroom, I picked up various library books off their desks. One student said, "But Miss. Now, I don't have ANYthing to read." I quietly explained that her book would have to be placed with the others, and I apologized "sincerely."

Then, I compiled their observations and ideas into one list projecting the ideas as the students offered them. Some examples were:

They're all great books.
They all have violence.
They all have a protagonist like PonyBoy in The Outsiders.
They're all made of paper (I just love the higher order thinking in that one.)

Finally, when it seemed as if their ideas were exhausted, I projected the list on the board. Then, I wrote, "Happy Banned Books Week." Puzzled looks abounded. "What???" "I don't get it."

So I explained, "All of the books on the top of that shelf are books that have been banned somewhere in the US. Because of that, I'm pulling all of the books off our classroom library shelves, and, then, I'll have to start working on our school library."

First, each class I had was silent. Then, they erupted. "This stinks!" "Well, if someone don't like a book, they can just put it back!" "That's gay! Those are all the books I like to read!" "But The Outsiders is there, and we haven't finished it..."

I amazed myself at being able to pull it off for as long as I did---close to five minutes in each class. When I realized I might have a major revolt on my hands, I pulled them back together and explained why I did what I did.

Such a simple, but powerful, approach. The students talked about it all day long. They were still suspicious that we might not finish The Outsiders when they came back for their second half of their ELA block, but I assured them that we would read a banned book together in honor of Banned Book Week.

Our 8th grade American History teacher is just beginning the American Revolution, and he is excited about the tie-ins to freedom and liberties that we enjoy as Americans.

This first day hints at a great week of learning in Mrs. G's classroom.

Honestly?

2009-08-23T19:18:00.000-05:00

Facebook became my friend this summer. Through it, I connected with high school friends, family members, and other individuals who, over the years, have come into my life in one way or another. A fascinating and ludic pastime for my summer-time days.

Toward the end of July, it occurred to me that I might be successful at locating some of my former students. Already in touch with a few, I began to dig a little harder to find others. Student after student appeared in my searches, some still in San Angelo, Texas where I taught them at a couple of elementary schools, others as far away as Chicago or California. Each time I opened Facebook and saw a "friend acceptance" notice, it was as if I was a little girl again, hunting elusive Easter eggs. Many of my students wrote notes that made me realize what a special year we'd had together and little snippets of memory from that particular year.

During this entire time of searching, I honestly did not realize that many of these "found" students were in my classroom twenty years ago. It was as if time stopped when they left my fifth grade room and trickled slowly into my thinking that they could possibly be in their early twenties. That's where it stopped. And that's why I was shocked into reality this weekend by one of those "found" students.

My husband, eleven-year old son, and I were eating at Miss Hattie's in San Angelo. A beautiful girl walked in with a friend, and I knew immediately it was Joyce from my first class of fifth graders. After being chastised by my husband for staring (never mind that he'll turn his entire body around when someone walks in a restaurant), Joyce recognized me and bounded over to give me a hug. We visited for a bit, and, then, she said, "Wow! It's been twenty years!" I politely smiled and thought, "She's just exaggerating; maybe it's just seemed like twenty years to her." As she walked back to her table, I recounted that year that shaped me so much as a teacher to my husband and soon-to-be fifth grader: moved on fifth day of school from one campus to another because of low numbers; Joyce's class had already had three substitutes quit in four days; my first glance at the class was not positive, from the lightning bolt razored into one young man's hair to the daring looks from many others.

This class consisted of the "cast-offs"---those whose parents didn't request the good teachers; teachers whose classrooms had books that year and were located in the fourth and fifth-grade wing. Mine was in the first-, second-, and third-grade building. No books, no materials, new teacher...it was a recipe for disaster. Luckily, I had Labor Day weekend to get the room ready, and ready it was when the kids arrived the following Tuesday. The fruits of my labor were the community that we built in that cast-off classroom. I worked so hard to prove to the kids that they were special, and that, despite the not-so-wonderful beginning, we were going to have a great year.

And we did. Like I told Joyce this past Saturday, every group of kids I teach is special in some way, but they were the touchstone for my career. They were the toughest group of kids I ever taught, partially because of my inexperience in a regular education(I had taught early childhood special education for my first three years of teaching.) Nevertheless, despite my fumblings that year, that particular group of students grew to become a force to be reckoned with in school and out in the world. I run into them more often than other classes, for some reason, and, while teaching in San Angelo, received more favorite teacher letters from the campus where the discipline problems went for consequences.

It was a special year, and, as I've really examined it over the last couple of days, and done the math (thank goodness, I teach English Language Arts!), I realized that Joyce wasn't exaggerating. Twenty years ago, I was a twenty-seven year old teacher placed in an almost impossible situation with a classroom full of young minds. Tomorrow, a new school year begins, and those young fifth graders, now in their thirties, will be with me in my eighth grade ELA classroom, whether they're my friend on Facebook or they're still hiding like an Easter egg forgotten. And every other student I've taught will be standing right behind them, pushing me to be the best teacher I can possibly be for this year's students.

Honestly? Twenty years ago? Honestly.

Hog Showing at the Stock Show

2009-01-11T16:40:00.000-06:00

First Posting

2009-01-11T16:36:00.000-06:00

I've decided to set up this blogspot with the primary intention of posting pictures. With recent uploading problems to a website, I'm hoping this is easier and problem-free. HA! It's technology! What am I THINKING?