I have been continuing to find my way though the maze of Google course work. I am never quite sure of where I am nor where I am going. I watch a video and get drawn to further links. It's all interesting, stimulating and so unlike my natural inclination. I never feel like I know exactly where I'm going. i ran across something I am going to try and  get here into the Blog - wish me luck...

well, 1st attempt didn't work

(this post got lost, and I found it today in my' saved' posts. I didn't know I could save a post without posting it - now I  know...)

Using Google Docs as an organizational Tool

So, here I am, trying to post comments on our class blog.  Over the last weeks I have listened to hundreds of videos, read comments (I am a big picture person - like to have all the info before I respond) but I'm not used to quite so much info (all of it interesting). And I am not sure what I've been waiting for in terms of responding (except maybe the deadline for the class to end...) Feeling a little bombarded and overwhelmed by information, I tried a new technique. I opened a new doc before re-watched the Ken Robinson video and copied relevant ideas to it as I went through he video and transcript. I then wrote a response post and copied that to the same doc. Some of the thoughts are really part of my final reflection and they'll be there to use when I get to the reflection. Lets see if that technique helps me finish my posts as this day progresses.

addendum  - many hours later - my posts are finished and this technique definitely helped me to stay focused. I could take notes at the same time I was listening and docs saved continuously - I think Google docs are great!

Embedding a You Tube video

After seeing Sheryl's embedded Severe Allergy Video, thought I'd go looking for a good EPI-Pen administration training video and try to embed it here in my Blog. If we can all (The nurses in the district) upload useful training videos to our WCSU NurseShare Site, we can share resources as a first step in selecting the best resources for our district training needs.


1 -<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pgvnt8YA7r8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
(this is what I got when I clicked on embed video on the You Tube site)


2 -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgvnt8YA7r8&feature=em-share_video_user
(Here is what I get when I paste from the email of the video link from You Tube)


3 -EPI-PEN Instructions
(So, this isn't exactly what I wanted either. It will take you to the video, but I want to have the You-tube video itself show up here.)

4 -Epi- Pen Instructions
(same result when I click on open link in new window, though I didn't check it in the  link #3 that also opens in a new page)

5. Finally, I see Insert a video on the tool bar but it still doesn't have the title like the emailed link did. And I can't get it to play.

6. Finally, I watched a demo of how to embed a video in a blog - it was easy!

Using Epipen

Reflections after viewing other blogs

So, I'm in the midst of trying to organize myself to complete my project. The Google course is so huge, with so many overlapping threads, I find it hard to know sometimes where to begin. I just finished looking at the Blogs of all the Berlin participants. Inspiring to see everyone's creativity and unique ways of doing things. I'd like to cultivate a sense of fearless exploration that I saw in a few of the blogs. Having a goal (for example to add a video to a blog, changing the site - using colors and a theme. As opposed to thinking this is my final and perfected blog - it's a work in progress and a site to reflect on the many tools we explored in our week of classes. I liked a the idea of keeping notes after e.g. creating a form - to help avoid pitfalls in future form creation.As I go through some of the readings and find videos to explore which then lead me to further videos - realize I have to reign my explorations a bit and get down to the task at hand of actually working on my own site.