And the Winner is...

In a June blog post, I told you about my summer plans to read books on the iPad and Kindle and decide on a favorite tool to use for reading.  I have to tell you that I began my summer reading experiment thinking that the iPad would easily win over other e-reader hardware.  I was wrong!

The major problem that I have reading on the iPad is the back light and the screen glare.  On vacation in Mexico, I found a great spot on our ocean view balcony and discovered that I couldn't see a thing on the screen except for myself.   The iPad makes a great mirror if you're outside!  I would like to see someone invent a clip-on hoodie for the iPad that would minimize the glare.  Amazon got it right with their latest commercial featuring a man reading an iPad by the pool next to a lady with a Kindle.  He asks, "How are you reading that in this light?"

I've been trying many of the iPad reading apps including Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and iBook.  All of them fall short for one reason or another.  I spend a lot of time adjusting screen brightness, changing the background color and changing font size.  I experience a lot of eye strain when I read a back-lit screen for an extended time.  I also find it hard to fall asleep at night if I've been reading on the iPad.  A final problem with the iPad is definitely the weight.  There are ways to prop it up while reading, but sometimes I can't find a comfortable reading position.

What I do like about reading on the iPad is the color and graphics.  The iPad does win for me as a news, magazine, and textbook reader.  I want color photos and nice graphics for that type of reading.  It also works well for many nonfiction books that feature charts and images.  I love the fact that I can bookmark my page and go right to the Internet to find other information. This can be a plus and a drawback.  Many days I find myself surfing the web for an extended period of time instead of reading.

On summer vacation, I finally gave up on the iPad and went back to reading a book on my Kindle 2.  I could read at the beach and didn't have any eye strain.  About a week ago, I walked into a store and tried out the Kindle 3 for the first time.  It was love at first sight!  I went home and immediately placed an order.  The smaller size, light weight, and improved screen contrast make the Kindle 3 a wonderful e-reader.  The Nook has a lot of followers, but I think the new low price for the wireless Kindle 3 is going to be very appealing to many people.   Even more amazing is the fact that the Kindle 3 can  hold 3,500 books.  That's a lot of books for a tiny device!

I know many people who like the smell and feel of a book in their hands, but I have to say that I haven't missed it very much.  The fact that I can take this small device with me everywhere and choose from hundreds of books makes this the perfect device for me.  Our physical bookshelves may be slimmer in the future, but our minds will be full from the many books that we read.

Happy reading!

Thank You PLN for a Great Summer!

This summer has gone by so quickly!  It seems like I was just blogging about my summer plans to attend ISTE and the DEN LC symposium.  In the middle of all my summer activities, I was hired to be the Technology Integration Coordinator in my district.  I began work last week and have jumped right into projects and staff development workshops.  I'm excited about the upcoming year, and I'm already planning how I can use everything that I learned this summer.  It was great to see so many of my Twitter friends at the Upstate Technology Conference, the ISTE Conference, and the DEN LC symposium.  I also made many new friends who have shared valuable advice with me. I will be hanging on tight to my PLN as I encounter new challenges this year.

Here are a few photos from summer adventures that illustrate how much I need my PLN:


This photo was taken several weeks ago on my vacation in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico.  My husband and daughter convinced me to go on a cavern dive in one of the nearby cenotes.  This was a #fail! The reason that it was a failure for me is that I was not able to swim next to a buddy.  I did have a guide ahead of me and my daughter behind me, but I felt very alone.  I wasn't able to see very much and really needed a hand to hold onto to give me courage to go under all of that rock. I gracefully bailed out of the dive and let my daughter and husband see the wonders of the cavern.



The photo above illustrates a different sort of adventure.  While ziplining in Jamaica last summer, my daughter and I were told by the guide that we wouldn't make it to the end by ourselves.  Our individual weights were not enough to get us to the end, but our combined weights would give us a great ride.  We went together on this adventure, and it was faster and more fun to have a companion! #success



On the Mexico trip, I swam into the midst of enormous whale sharks. The guide told us that we would need to jump into the water in pairs.  When the guide saw a whale shark and yelled, "Go,"  we had to jump in together without any hesitation.  I'm pretty sure that I would have been more worried if I had been alone. Having a companion to go overboard with me was fantastic.  We swam beside huge whale sharks and shared our enthusiasm with each other.  This was one of the top adventures of my life!  Jumping right into a situation that is larger than life really made me think about how I should approach all of the challenges coming my way.  I hope that I can keep this image with me every time that I face a new situation.



As I begin the school year and face new challenges, I plan to lean heavily on my PLN. I hope that I can also be a support to you as you jump into new situations.  Let's stick together, have a great time, and see the wonderful results of our learning and growing.  The cavern at the end of the dark tunnel is stunning!