Learning Score

Okay.

Whoever invented this deserves a prize.

I think creating lesson plans is intimidating. I hardly even know how to start filling templates out, half the time.  Well, my methods teacher told us about a new computer program today called Learning Score.  Essentially, it looks like what you see when you create a song in GarageBand or a similar program, only it lets you plug in parts of your lesson into a 45-minute block. Sorry, that's a confusing explanation. I don't really know how to describe it. But it lets you create your lesson plan visually and re-arrangeably, which is a lot easier for me than a "fill this out" lesson plan template.  Plus it's cool because, since it's a visual drag-and-drop, you can see exactly where each minute is going to go.

And.  It's free!

I downloaded it as soon as I got home from school.

If you're a teacher or would use this for anything else, download it! 

I don't know how much longer it will be free, but if you download it now and you don't like it, delete it.  And if you do like it, hey! free program!

And also, tell all your other teacher friends if you like it so that the whole world can benefit from this sweet lesson planning program!

It really does, in my opinion, make lesson planning a LOT easier.  

Here's a really quick one I made today so you can see generally how it works/what it looks like:

And you might be wondering what the "Play" button means.

If you click it, it plays through a slideshow-type thing (I think you click through it - it's not automatic like some slideshows) of your presentation using the little images on each box, giving you, as a teacher, visual clues as to what you planned to come next in your lesson plan. I think you can also set it up to show you a couple of notes with the image, too, if you want.

What did I tell you? AWESOME!

"What could you accomplish if no one told you it was impossible?"

Aviary

www.aviary.com

For those of you interested in Photoshop but not in the price tag, I found something really cool for you!  I happened across it while using StumbleUpon today.  I only played around on it for a few minutes - long enough to do one picture - but here's the basic rundown...

It's called Aviary.
It includes four different image editors, two audio editors, and one screen capture program.

• Advanced Image Editor - This looks almost exactly like Photoshop, only watered down a little.
• Vector Editor - I don't really know how to use vectors in editing pictures, so this didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
• Effects Editor - Lets you put different effects/textures/etc. on your photos, as far as I can tell. 
• Image Markup - This seems to be mostly for cropping, resizing, and marking up images or screenshots, like if you want to put a big red circle around something in a picture or something like that.
• Music Creator - Didn't use it, but it says it's for using instruments to make your own beats, etc.
• Audio Editor - Didn't use it, but seems to be pretty similar to GarageBand.
• Screen Capture - Use it if you want to "take a picture" of what your screen currently looks like. 

It's all on the Internet, so you don't have to use up a bunch of memory on your computer.
You can easily download your edited stuff once you finish - I tried it.
It's freeeeeeee!
You only have to create an account if you want to save online - otherwise, you just do your editing, download the end result to your computer, and you're done!

CONCLUSION: I only used it a little, but this is really awesome. Seriously. You should try it if you want Photoshop or GarageBand and don't have them or the cash to buy them.  I would use it, honestly, if I didn't have Photoshop already.  And I might use it anyway sometimes if I'm not on my own computer and still want to do something cool to a picture.

"Not all Scotch is an acquired taste."

Dear Scotch Naturals nail polish,
How am I ever supposed to be happy with cheap, off-brand nail polish now that I've seen you?!

www.scotchnaturals.com

P.S. If anyone decides to buy this for me, you should get the Cocktail Trio (with Leprochaun Lynch, Loch Ness Mystery, and Stone Fence) because then, you also get their deluxe top coat and a FREE nail buffer! (which equals, all in all, 20% off.)

P.P.S. For those of you were wondering, no, I do not drink scotch.  This post's title is Scotch Naturals's slogan.

a post!

Not having a working camera (which, by the way, is the reason for my non-posting lately - you don't even know how many posts are rumbling around in my head, but who wants to read a bunch of words without a fun picture to break it up?) is driving me crazy.  And then I found this picture, which I hope you all love as much as I do. This is real, people!  You can buy it if you want!  Awesome.  I looove that show!

You're the assistant! Figure it out!

an excellent day off