Go Go Gadgets!

Today class, Thursday, November 5, was a very enlightening class! We continued to work on our two main subjects, blogs and email, and we went over a lot of information. I was pleased to see that most the class is already much more comfortable using Gmail, and also navigating and using the class blog (Exploring The Web).

Gmail Review:

We spent the first part of class reviewing Gmail, and we were able to go to the class blog, Exploring The Web, and use the previous post from November 4, to select and print step by step instructions on the Inbox, and composing email. We then went over these steps again in class, and in order to review them again, see the post from November 4, or if you were in class, refer to your handout.

One of the issues I've noticed with using Gmail in class, has been with the students who are used to their own email provider, (mostly Yahoo! Mail users), and the differences between theirs and Gmail. I have some good news for those students! As I mentioned, we're focusing on the most popular email service providers, and we will move into Yahoo! Mail next class!

(If you already have an account then you will get a chance to learn more about it, and if you don't you will sign up for one. Either way we'll all get to see the differences and similarities...)

We had a fire drill about halfway through the class. Just when I was explaining how to Bcc to Thomas! We'll, it was unexpected but at least we got outside and stretched our legs. The timing of it wasn't too bad, either, as it was time to switch gears from Gmail to blogging...

Blog Review:

We went back into class and spent the second part of the class working with the class blog, Exploring The Web. I explained some of the features I've added using gadgets. Gadgets are preset miniature objects that you can add to your blog, and that do a specific action. I first showed you the "Slideshow" gadget which allows you to add an image slideshow. I showed you the "Share it" gadget, which allows you to share a blog with Facebook or Twitter (if you have Facebook or Twitter).

I then had the class work with some of the gadgets on our class blog, in order to gain an understanding of what they can do...

1.) The first assignment was to use the "Create a poll" gadget. The "Create a poll" gadget is a poll you add to your blog, asking a question that you create, and allowing others to select from multiple answers that you have supplied as well. It then tracks the answers as percentages.

• Our poll asked, "What have been the most useful lessons of the class?" Each student needed to left-click one of the white bubbles next to the four possible answers ("Web Browsers", "Search Engines", "Email", or "Blogs"). Then each student needed to left-click "Vote". After voting, you could left-click on "Show results" to see what percentage of the class voted for each answer.

2.) The second assignment was to use the "Blog List" gadget. The "Blog List" is a list of other Blogs you can add to your blog, giving you a list that act as links, allowing someone to left-click on one of the blog titles in the list and go to that blog. The "Blog List" also shows a snippet of post from each blog in the list, allowing you to see a preview.

• The class needed to left-click on the blogs titles in the "Blog List," and visit each blog. After reading a post from each blog, each student needed to leave a comment on one of those blogs, and then navigate back to the class blog.

3.) The third assignment was to leave a comment on two different blogs. Leaving comments is usually accessed at the bottom of each post in a blog. After left-clicking on "comment", a text-box will appear where you can write your comment. If you're already signed in to your Google account, you will usually be asked to type a verification word. If you are not already signed in, you will be taken to Google's sign in page first.

• Each student could do this at the same time as accessing blogs from the class "Blog List". Though not exactly a lesson in using a gadget, (though we used the "Blog List" gadget to get to the blog), it was a good chance to review leaving comments on blogs.

4.) The fourth assignment was to use the "Follow" gadget. This gadget allows someone to add themselves as a "follower" of a particular blog. You are displayed on the blogs that you follow, and someone clicking on your profile can see what other blogs you follow.

• The class needed to left-click on the "Follow" button on the class blog, as well as left-clicking"Follow" button on one other blog from the "Blog List". If you're already signed in to your Google account, you will usually be asked to type a verification word. If you are not signed in, you will be taken to Google's sign in page first.

The next class is November 12, and we'll learn some more about gadgets, and how to install them. We'll talk about what we didn't get to this last class, Picasa, and we'll look at Yahoo! Mail. A lot to cover, but on we go!
~Adios!