Picasa Wed Sharing Tool

Group: Brianna, Yumi, Ryan, Robb


Overall, Picasa is a very (individually) user-friendly image hosting service. Those wanting to use it as a group sharing tool might want to steer clear. There is no real way to share and edit one album among many people without a few headaches. However, those with little to no experience uploading photos and videos, editing photos and dealing with extra gadgets can get the hang of it quickly without much trouble. All of the program’s buttons are very easy to find and use, and the layout gently guides you through the process.

The editing process is an example of how complex, yet simple, Picasa can be. A double-click on a photo takes you to the editing area. Here you can fix red-eye, retouch photos, add color filters and more. For those of us that are clueless about what to do to a photo to make it look better, Picasa features the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button. This fun button automatically fixes problems in the photo with one click.

To use Picasa, you have to download the free Picasa software. This is probably what scares some users away, but have no fear. This process is easy.

Once you have the software on your computer, forget searching for photos and uploading them. Picasa automatically searches folders that you specify and adds the video and photo files to your Picasa desktop, arranged neatly in albums. Kind of creepy but cool nonetheless.

Have some photos you don’t want others to see? No problem. You can easily choose which pictures you want to go live and which ones you want for your eyes only. By clicking the “Sync to the Web” button at the top of the album you post the album’s pictures to the web. The program will continuously and automatically add pictures that you put in that album on the web as long as you like. If you don’t want an image seen, don’t sync it. Once you sync your pictures and videos, a website window opens up and shows you all of the uploaded albums you have online.

Post# 2 Blogging for Music!

I think blogging would be fantastic for my students to respond to different listening exercises. I feel it is vitally important to listen and more specifically, listen and watch professionals. It gives us something to shoot for, something to dream about; it gives us style, inflection, musicality, and because the body is the instrument we get to watch what the singer does. We see where the inflection is, the emotion. It may or may not be something we like, it may be a fantastic example of how not to do something but it it nevertheless a great tool and great education.

What I am interested in is students reaction, emotional or otherwise to one single selection. I love that we can all watch and listen to the same thing and get completely different and diverse responses. This is where blogging and technology is fantastic.
For example, I would have my students watch something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b12fX9pyVkk&feature=related

We would have discussed where and what this selection was from, the history and time it was derived. Who the singer is, who the conductor is and of course the composer. I would then want to them to respond, having watched the entire clip, to what they felt.

What was their initial reaction, then what do they think the performer was talking about? Did the performer do a good job with his expressions to portray whatever it was, even though it is in a foreign language? Anything and everything, prompted or otherwise typed out in a blog for immediate review from the entire class! Immediate sharing of ideas and reactions... because of this we all come back the next class period with so many things to share and say and above all we can use this fresh information about each others responses to raise the level of our performances and learning.

Take it a step further to discussions about the music we are rehearsing or about the most recent rehearsal or performance. Again, immediate feedback and sharing. Even the parents can be involved and blog with their student about what they might have thought regarding a recent concert or performance that their child was in. So great!

Post #1

I grew up in eastern oregon. I have played, performed, and studied music my entire education and pursuing a career as an Opera Singer has also awakened a passion for teaching. Specifically, I have taken a great interest in the high school age because of some extensive volunteering and clinician time this past year in the Salem-Keizer H.S. choral departments.
I am an avid cyclist and reader...I love sitting in coffee shops people watching and love teaching voice!