Reflection #5- Flickr

This tool was very easy for me to learn- I guess simply because it is so similar to the "upload image" features in so many other tools I've used. It is what I would call "intuitive", and I like that!

What I learned (am learning) is how many ways there are to use Flickr that I had never considered. I knew that it was a tool for storing photos, and I had been invited several times to visit the site to look at photos friends had taken. What I didn't know was that I could access so many pictures- of all kinds- posted by so many people! It really was amazing when I did my first search. I entered the keyword "brain" and found lots of pictures that I might be able to use to enhance my presentations.

I also did some exploring and found something that I liked. Under "interesting", over to the right and under the heading "photographers", I found a link to a constant stream of photos from the White House. They are all dated of course, and give a really nice peek into "a day in the life" of President Obama. Very interesting photos!

There are so many ways that Flickr could be used a classroom resource! Some of the ideas that Richardson offered in Chapter 7 have great potential! I especially like the idea of "random writes", "photo field trips", and "Make it Mine", all described on page 108. I also plan to explore the use of Flickr with Google Maps and Google Earth. Thinking about Flickr and how it might be used makes me wish that I still had a classroom full of kids!

But... I know that I will find uses for Flickr with my adult learners! It opens up a whole new world to me- beyond my usual "Google images" searches.