It came as no surprise to me to see that the CNN headline: Mac vs. PC: The stereotypes may be true that Mac computer ad campaigns have been spot on! Then dear Mashable of course picked up on that and gave us this brilliant infographic from Hunch,
You see, I've been a MacGrrl since the beginning of the Interwebs....my first foray into teaching with the web was when I brought into my school library a 14.4k modem and a 100 foot phone line - I dialed up to the University of Maryland's server because my district didn't have the Internet yet and Uof M gave teachers FREE dial up! Wheee! My MacLCIII was smokin hon! C'mon kids let's huddle round this puter & look up state information for our unit Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego! Then, when we opened our middle school school in 1997 we bought 200 PowerMac all in one 5200's that had the S-Video out so we could hook them up to a .....wait for it.....yeah 27" mounted TV! AND because it was a NEW school we planned to have not the one ethernet data port that was recommended per classroom but we said we needed 4! HA! We wanted one on every wall cause we sorta thought that someday we might possibly have more than one computer per classroom....cause that's how we rolled! (picture of my lab in 97) Today we now have all new iMacs! So why am I so strenuously establishing my Mac street cred? Cause I really do think an OS reflects personality. I read that infographic & nodded the whole way! But it's really not the tool - it's the way we think. I think different. I'm creative and random and multi-tasking and as Torrence Temple said "You make ADD your beyatch." This blog posting is taking hours to write because like a squirrel ---Oh shiny! I get distracted! Tweeting DMs with Shannon Miller about AASL hotel reservations, finding pictures of my old Macs, and watching Burn Before Reading on FX....We need to teach to ALL the kids who Think Different. (and yeah, it doesn't *have* be on a Mac OS platform!)
From my iPad love, iPod touch adoration to App lust Apple has played a big part of my learning and teaching life. We don't have to be snooty about it though....really. And if we start to get uppity - then thank goodness we have people like Stephen Colbert making Salsa with his iPad and the Onion to keep us humble....AND laughing!
In The Know: Should The Nation's Unemployed Be Buying New Apple Computers? Forgive the advertisement before the vid (though it's great ICB fodder).....darn the Onion wanting to earn money! Sharks! Poor LauraLee...go use that computer in the garage, honey! We're talking technology here! What are the poor unemployed gonna do? Go to the public library & use their free computers! Sheesh! Forgive the shameless picture...I just HAD to do it! Maybe gonna do a whole series of these pics with my teachers - convert to B&W and photoshop the transparent .PNG logo over...did the whole READ posters years ago...something old is NEW again! Celebrate Thinking Different! ps. my b-day is May 21 wishing on this Tiffany Apple for my charm bracelet! [crosses fingers] Both for my love of all things Apple AND cause I'm a teacher.
Apple charm in sterling silver. http://t.co/y1pOJJK via @TiffanyAndCo
I've had to go back and forth between Macs and PCs numerous times in my career, but always have the biggest smile on my face when I get to use Macs. I know I'm REALLY dating myself with this admission, but my VERY first personal computer was an Apple II Plus, and my second the original Mac. It's been <3 ever since. It was fun reading and relating to the infographic. :)
An update from the Archives . Got Ed Tech Relationship Anxiety? It's so easy to feel Ed Tech trend overload at the beginning of the school year. It's exhausting and can be overwhelming. Just remember, it's OK to date new technology, you don't have to marry it! You don't have to try to be the expert at everything. Sometimes, it's not what you have, it's the creativity of how you use it. It's the innovation of teaching and not the tool. Tools come and go, it's the daring spirit to try new things that pays off in the long run. If you're feeling overwhelmed, gather and curate great resources, rather than create new content. That can come later when you are less stressed or when you get inspired. Then, please share shamelessly across Edu platforms and help another educator who might need it. That's paying if forward. Again, tech may change, but it is our daring innovative change agent spirit that moves on. Use resources like Common Sens
Did you know about Secret Bitmoji's? Well, I just stumbled over them this summer and WOW! Cool! Are these new features or something we just missed? Since Bitmoji never talks to me -- and I've Tweeted and Instagrammed them over and over for years and nothing......I guess this is a new feature? The ability to make a Bitmoji with just about any word. I found this in the weirdest way, I was searching for a picture of an orchid -- because my Dad got my Mom & I orchid plants and I was asking how hers was faring. I found ALL these cartoons with the word Orchid -- but no pictures. Like why???? What was funny, it wasn't a cartoon of an orchid, it was just the word. I tried it again and got a different set of cartoons. Then I realized, wait..... it's just the word. I know, I'm slow sometimes - don't judge me. So of course I tried my name See that little pencil on the top? That means it's going to write out what you put in! There are also other handy Bitmo
Our Middle School Library in Laurel, Maryland has been a loud and proud Safe Space and Ally for ALL of our LGBTQIA and Neurodivergent students for years. We have purchased every well reviewed, requested, intriguing, and middle school approved fiction and non-fiction book on these topics. I daresay we have one of the largest collections around! We have Safe Space signs around, a rainbow narwhal (pictured above) and groupings of books on display all the time. I have also blogged about our support of our diverse communities. Dear Queer Teen - It Gets Better! - 2012 Create a Safe Space - 2018 BUT... I have strong opinions about putting a Genre label on these books. I am really cognizant that some of my Middle Schoolers are curious or questioning to learn more about but aren't ready to out themselves. To their peers and to their parents. This is yet another reason I'm against Genrefication. I know, among some of my other Future Ready Librarians this is a controversial topic.
OMGoodness -- and I thought *I* was a maniac Mac lover! Definitely in your camp, Gwyneth, and my love affair w/ Mac goes back to the '80's too.
ReplyDeletePretty shameless plug for the silver apple charm, babeeee!!! ;o) LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI've had to go back and forth between Macs and PCs numerous times in my career, but always have the biggest smile on my face when I get to use Macs. I know I'm REALLY dating myself with this admission, but my VERY first personal computer was an Apple II Plus, and my second the original Mac. It's been <3 ever since. It was fun reading and relating to the infographic. :)
ReplyDeleteAunty Lynn....Totally shameless! But you've met me right? LOL - Love you!
ReplyDelete~Gwynnie
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Thanks fellow MacGrrls for your awesome comments!
Muwa!