Technology and My Learning Curve

Hmm... I am not sure that the title of this post is an accurate description of what I have been experiencing.  When you hear the word, "curve", you sort of think of an arc--something on the order of a rainbow.  Starting at the bottom, rising upwards while gently bending either to the right or to the left.  Hmm...ok.  Now I know.  I have not been on a "learning curve", because my path looks more like a 90 degree angle. One straight horizontal line, which makes a  sharp and sudden turn and becomes a vertical line. Yep--that's it.  No gently curving rainbow here!  By working my way through these assignments, I feel like I have been  launched in an upward direction and have traveled very far in a very short time period.  Sort of like a rocket or a marble in a slingshot.
  
Who woulda thunk that I now know: 
* how to conduct and record a synchronous small group meeting (via Adobe Connect) and send the URL to the professor, so she could watch it.
* how to develop a survey, administer it, collect the data, create a tabular or graphical report of the data, and display the tabular or graphical data in an online slide deck, then send the professor the URLs for the survey and the slide deck.  I can't take credit for all of that. The survey program did much for me, I just had to figure out how to get the program (Qualtrics) to do what I wanted it to do!  That took much studying.
* A new phrase: slide deck.  Heck, prior to 6/13/13, I don't think I had even heard the phrase "slide deck"! And now, I knows how to make one! :-)
* That Google is a very good friend of mine.  Do you all know about all the things Google has to offer? I was very surprised!
* Google  has a survey option, but I have not tried that yet. I don't know if it can do what Qualtrics can do.  
* Similar to Skype, Google has "Google Hangout".  If you need to record your Google Hangout meeting, use Jing. 
* Google has something called "Google Docs".  It's a document that is shared between two or more people. It eliminates the passing around of a document via email. You can write stuff down on a document, then share it with others.  They can write stuff down, too, and you all can see what each other has written.  Each person can write in a different color, so you know who has written what.   It's very handy.  Just be careful when setting it up.  The default line spacing is 1.5.  Weird.  Causes problems when you copy & paste it into a Word doc, then try to double space everything.  Then you really have some difficulties! (Yes, I am speaking from the voice of experience).
* You can also create a Google Doc that is "view only".  Only the owner can make changes.  Still cuts down on attachments on emails.   
* Google Docs has a spreadsheet option.  I used this option to develop a spreadsheet for an assignment.  Title:  "Must-try Restaurants of Central PA".  Categories included: name of restaurant, type of cuisine, location, website & phone number, and why I like the particular restaurant. By doing a Google Docs spreadsheet, my professor could see that I knew how to put information into an online spreadsheet. Once again, this reduces the emails with attachments.
* I  know much of the ins & outs of setting up a blog via Blogger, which is also connected to Google.  I tried to keep my blog "private", but that didn't work too well.  So, I made it public.
* Setting up a private blog is a challenge. Advice: If you want to make your blog private, tell your family and friends your blogger name before sending them a message via Blogger.   I sent email messages, via blogger, to family & friends.  Two family members trashed the emails because they didn't know who "Grad Student Grandma" was, as there was no clue to her (my) identity.
* It's easier to make your blog public.
* That Blogger has a great spam filter. A family member tried to "spam" me.  It didn't work.  :-)
* And Google has an online calendar that you can share with others.  Find it when you go to your gmail. 

I could go on with more stuff that I have learned, but I think I need some R & R.  I have been on quite an adventure.  And I am not finished yet, as this class is not over until August.  So, yeah, some R & R sounds nice.  Maybe I will pet a kitty.   Yeah, I'll grab Captain Hook.  He is always up for some attention.  Maybe not his photo being taken, but he usually enjoys some attention. 

Oh--and I learned that the laptop takes photos like this.  Whatcha think? Cool huh?   It's just a matter of hunting and pecking.  And, as Dr. Passmore said, (regarding using a computer), "You're not going to break anything".  He's correct.  You just gotta get in there and "figure it out".