Sue Machado's Weblog

Wrapping up the last project, and the end of the term.

machadsu — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:18:04 +0000

I cannot believe we are already at the end of the term! I am so impressed with what I have learned and experienced through this class! It is like a whole new world has opened up to me and I intend to explore it! I have also made new connections with my son-in-law and students. They have seen a whole new side of me! My kids have gotten a kick out of seeing what I’ve accomplished, too! I hope one of the things they all learn from me is to continue to learn new things and to not be afraid to try. Reach for the stars, sit on the moon, don’t say you can’t do something. Now I have a whole new generation to influence with the arrival of my granddaughter!

(I suppose I may even continue playing with this blog! Stay tuned!)

Rethinking Art Project

machadsu — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:19:03 +0000

I am rethinking my art project. I’m not going to do a family album as my daughter would rather her daughter’s picture not be posted online. Reminds me of earlier discussions in our class about this very thing. So, I am honoring her feelings.

Now what to do? I’ve thought about creating something in the sand at the coast, taking pictures of my students and playing around with the editing features on my computer, working on a flip book. It is already Wednesday and I need to make up my mind. I think part of the struggle is trying to meet my interpretation of the requirements and hoping I’m on the right track.

In thinking through discussion board posts, reading the suggested web sites, and just reflecting on people I know, I realized that I have a second cousin and neighbor with web sites toting their products, art, and creativity. I think I will add their web site links to my blogroll! (I will practice my link inserting skills in this post, also!)

Variola Earrings by Donovan Smith

(variola is the smallpox virus)

Starting to expand my horizons!

machadsu — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:23:17 +0000

This week was very fun! I am feeling so much more comfortable with WordPress and am starting to look at other options. I had looked at Sonific SongSpots before but felt too overwhelmed to figure it out. Last week, as I mentioned, I was impressed with some of the other sites that incorporated it so I was determined to try again. This week….I DID IT!! I was able to set up a playlist even, and included both Australian and Italian music to enhance my dreams and goals.

I also learned more about my own computer and programs, as well as revisiting some old ones. (See my financial project, specifically the report page.) I think I enjoyed this week’s reading assignments more than the previous weeks’. They were encouraging and helpful to my perceptions of finances.

I have had students, from the high school I work at, asking about my classes and they are very interested in this one. I have had a few check out my weblog, one even left a comment using today’s teenage verbage. Hopefully, I can be an encourager to them to continue learning and growing. Looking forward to more stretching next week!

Week Nine Financial Analysis project

machadsu — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:38:12 +0000

My original plan was to work out how to finance a trip to Australia. I am already saving for a trip to Ireland in 2012. I have a friend who is engaged to an Irish man who not only lives in Ireland, but is a tour guide! For this one all I have to do is get there (already have my passport).

So, my next big adventure dream is Australia. Will take more money as well as some kind of plan for where to stay and what to see as well as experiences one should not miss if going there. I know we don’t have to act on this “dream project”, but I would actually like to put it into action and see if I can’t make it a reality!

Finishing the Teaching Module

machadsu — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:16:09 +0000

This was much easier than the culture report simply because I learned so much doing the culture report! I also just finished a Dreamweaver class which taught me a lot of things I needed to know to do both of these projects.

I think my favorite part of this experience was interacting with Ryan and getting to know him better. It was relationship building and bonding. I have a picture of him sitting in my recliner, with my reading glasses on, trying to do some of my cross stitch. Now I’ve had a chance to enter his world. Not to mention actually welding! What a rush! How that added such a personal touch to my teaching module.

It was exciting to look at Ms Van Londen’s teaching module and see that she used Dreamweaver to put it together! I actually understand how that program works and the coincedental timing of me taking the class, wow. I have learned so much technologically this term! I hope I continue to push myself in learning more. Oh, and I am starting to be very comfortable working, writing, and managing this weblog. Ms Van Londen was right!

I just wish I could figure out the Sonific SongSpot thing. It really added a lot to Timothy’s teaching module on how to tune a guitar.

Visit and Pictures

machadsu — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:46:58 +0000

I talked to Ryan Flowers, my future son-in-law and the father of my beautiful granddaughter, about helping me with this project. Ryan is a welder and works for a local company here in Albany. He was glad to help and got permission from his boss to have me go out to their site at his lunch break.

Friday night (last night) I went out not really having any firm idea of what we would be doing both there and here, on my teaching module. So, I just took a lot of pictures and tried to follow his explanation. I quickly decided this didn’t need to be anything big, I would teach the beginning weld, a simple one that I got to actually try my hand at! I took my daughter, Lelani (mother of my granddaughter), who took pictures when I was doing the hands on stuff.

His lunch break was too short for all of us but I have a better idea of what I’m going to be talking about. I will get together with him this weekend to have him explain things again so I can take notes and form my module.

I also emailed Ms Van Londen, our professor, and got my project approved.

Idea for a teaching module

machadsu — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:21:08 +0000

There are not many female welders out there but I have met a few and it is something I have always wanted to learn how to do myself. My future son-in-law is a welder and has promised to teach me the basics. I thought this project might be a good excuse to get started so I’ve asked him to think about helping me teach a simple welding project….and I’ll get some welding experience on the side!!

Week Six Successes!

machadsu — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:39:41 +0000

What a week! I took the advice of one of my classmates to divide my work up into sub pages. I also had visited several other sites and saw what other classmates had done. It was a bit of work, but I got it done and was feeling pretty good until I saw the order was all mixed up in my side bar. I spent several evenings trying to figure out how to rearrange my sub pages in my culture project postings. It was pretty frustrating until I found the section where I could number my pages. I was so exited! I entered the pages in the order that I wanted them and then went to view my site but found that they still were not in order! Then I got the bright idea to read some faq pages, namely about putting pages in order. Once I read that I had done everything right but just not finished the process, I felt better. Went to the widgets site, fixed the problem, and walla! Just like that I felt like I had accomplished a huge thing, kind of like climbing Mount Everest or something!

Then I felt brave enough to tackle adding pictures, hyperlinks, and so on. I think my finished project looks pretty good for a rookie! A month ago I don’t think I could have accomplished what I have just done!

I also heard back from the writing lab. A lot of their suggestions I don’t have the time to do: get more sources on Ellen herself, chose another person. Even though there isn’t a lot of information on Ellen herself, I did learn a lot of things I didn’t know before and found resources to discover more.

I have really enjoyed reading through the other sites from my class. What a great job everyone is doing!

Culture Project

machadsu — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:58:07 +0000

Well, I got my paper written and I went through the instructions for posting it. I also contacted the OSU Online Writing Lab for input on my report. I think I posted it as we were supposed to, but I did not embed links. I was not sure what we were supposed to link and I did not understand how to do it. Looking ahead to next week we are adding pictures and such to our blog report. I’m still waiting to feel more confident in my blogging experience! I still feel like a fish out of water, and at times like I am gasping a bit for breath!

My dog, Sawyer, thought he was a wonderful help! In reality, giving in to the occasional chat or ear rub, and the feel of him lying close to my feet under the table, really was comforting and helpful!

Accessing the Blogroll!

machadsu — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:42:29 +0000

I managed to add some of my research links to my blogroll! Took a couple times for one, editing was difficult so I just deleted and re-added the link. First I labeled them all with my name and then looked at my site, giggled, and then went into edit mode until I got it right and looking okay. I have more info gleaned from our librarian friend, Ms Nichols, to add but want to check it out first. May change the focus of my paper, but I’ll deal with that just fine! So, week 4 has been pretty successful and enlightening! I am beginning to believe what Ms Van Landon predicted that by the end of the term I (we) will be functioning on my (our) weblogs with ease!