Beetle is almost done!!!

Now I am just waiting on the clips for the chrome to arrive so I can attach it all. I can't wait to get out and drive this beauty all over town. I bet I get a lot of offers to buy it. I will just have to say "NO!"

Putting on the first layer of the clear coat. 

All finished with the paint job. She did a great job. 

The only thing I have left is to put on the
chrome detailing. I have to wait for the clips
to arrive. I forgot to order those! Oops!

This is how Zoe and I spent our weekend in the mountain. I took pictures of her and the most important spots we can always recognize. We plan on heading back up to the cabin over Labor Day weekend for a break desperately needed!

My beautiful daughter, Zoe.

This is called Crystal Cave. Every year it grows more crystals
that people take as souvenirs. It is rumored it is an egress for
Tongue River Canyon Cave. 

This is known as Fallen City. The trees have
covered the rocks that looked as though they
once had been a city that fell down the mountain
side. 

This is Steamboat Rock. I have climbed it twice! Zoe insists
that I climb it with her before she graduates! I have four years to
get back into shape!

Diigo Connection 08/23/2013

• Web 2.0, Blended Learning, Wikis, and More? | Digital Learning Environments

  This article explores the role of virtual learning environments in education. I have some gifted students at my school who find a lot of barriers or restrictions in traditional classrooms, and this could be a way for them to capitalize on their giftedness.

  Tags: summer13accessibility, accessibility, education, web2.0, blended learning, environments

  • - By Amy Franklin

• http://teachingclicks.com/files/creating_educational_web_environments_jc.pdf

  This paper describes some barriers ESL students face with web text and how it hinders their access to material. Very interesting!

  Tags: summer13accessibility, esl, accessibility, education, web2.0

  • - By Amy Franklin

• Cognitive Disabilities and the Web: Where Accessibility and Usability Meet

  An article on the barriers that those with cognitive disabilities face when using the web.

  Tags: summer13accessibility, disabilities, accessibility, education, usability, barriers, cognitive diabilities

  • - By Amy Franklin

• Wiseman Belknap Using Web 2.0 Research Tools in ESL Classes

  This is a slideshow for using technology for ESL classes to increase accessibility. There are lots of great suggestions for apps, the benefits of research using the web, and some interesting slides on QR codes.

  Tags: summer13accessibility, research, research tools, tools, esl, accessibility, resources

  • - By Amy Franklin

• Optimal Colors to Improve Readability for People with Dyslexia - Paper for the RDWG Symposium on Text Customization for Readability

  This is really interesting. You all should read it. It talks about what colors to use on a web page or text to optimize concentration by those with dyslexia and how they're very different preferences than those without dyslexia.

  Tags: summer13accessibility, colors, dyslexia, customization, accessibility, web2.0, education, barriers

  • - By Amy Franklin

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Summer13T2 Web 2.0 Access Barriers group favorite links are here.

Beetle is so close to being done!!!!

Prepare yourselves, because you are about to see "unique-awesomeness"!!! I wasn't quite sure what it was going to look like, but now I just stare at its creative look.

Putting the finishing touches of tape on! She conveniently made
a peace sign on the hood!

Tape is done and the brown goes over the top!

Putting the final touches of brown over the taped designs.

The first peeling of the painter's tape. I was holding my
breath as they began this process.

It took quite awhile to remove the tape and the sun was long
gone. But, the orange and brown giraffe has emerged!

The final steps are coming up soon! It will receive two layers of clear gloss coat to cure for a few days. Then, the papers will be removed, new chrome will be put on, the bumpers and lights will be put back on and the license plate will be attached with new tags. The most exciting new thing will be the eyelashes on the headlights! This giraffe Beetle will be the talk of the town!

Beetle Progress

Here is the progress so far! We could be a lot further, however the rain and lightning has put a damper on things.

Two coats of white for the base coat and beginning the orange!

Two coats of orange!

Using painter's tape to make the giraffe print. We are
still working on getting the tape done.

Once the tape is finished, it is on to painting the brown spots with highlights. The final step will be the gloss over coat that will have to cure. Progress is being made!

Beetle happenings!

I had a little time on my hands today so I shopped online for Beetle parts. I am so excited! I got a new set of exterior chrome, new sun visors, brake and clutch pedal covers, new buttons that raise the seats, a new hubcap to replace the one that rolled down the road one day, and a new parts catalog is on the way! This bug is going to be the talk of the town! We couldn't paint anymore today with the rain that has been so intermittent. But, I will post more pictures when I can!

My VW Beetle

It is finally happening. I have had my 1970 VW bug for over 15 years and the paint faded terribly. I started work on it last spring by removing all of the exterior elements, covering the rest and sanding the heck out of it. In early summer, I finally got the Bondo placed over the bad parts and re-sanded those areas until my arm hurt! I got the primer on right before summer school started. Now, it is getting the paint job I have been waiting for. At first, I wanted a tye-dyed Beetle, but then since I am a huge giraffe fan, I decided an orange giraffe pattern with eyelashes for the headlights would be FANTASTIC. I chose orange because of our school colors and it is one of my favorites. A former student, who is fantastic with spray paint, is working on it today. I can't wait to put it all back together and drive it to school!

Original color was faded and when sanding I found a lot of interesting things under the paint. Thankful for Bondo!

Primed with two coats and ready for the artistic hand of a spray painter!

It's back to school!

I admit, I didn't really have much of a summer vacation. I spent six weeks of it (two separate three week sessions) teaching summer school from 7AM to 4:10PM. Language Arts grade 9 was a challenge since my focus has been 11 for so long, but I had a great time getting to know those kids and giving them the chance to earn their English 1 credit, even if some of them were seniors! Within that, I took 2 grad classes for Summer 1 and Summer 2. Don't even ask me what I was thinking, I just wanted to accelerate my degree! But you know what? I have learned so much and am actually refreshed to bring ideas to the faculty and push us along in our school improvement toward academy based learning.
I have read so much and typed so much that I think I need to make an eye appointment for new glasses!   Today was my first day back as part of the Educational Leadership Team and the department chair for Language Arts. I will be guiding 15 other teachers along the way to our destination in 2020 of completing the CAPS Academy for all high school students in Casper. I'm excited, but I may not get a lot of sleep! Oh well, that's the life of a teacher, right?

Back to civilization!

We came down from the high country about 6pm this evening and had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The weather was a little weird in the evenings so we didn't see a lot of animals, but we did get to relax and enjoy comfortable temperatures, good food and great company. The wildflowers were all but gone and the butterflies were searching for food everywhere. I really didn't miss the phone, the texts, or the Internet!!! It was a much needed break.

The butterflies sat very still and seemed to pose for the camera!

This ball of fluff was about 4" in diameter. It was HUGE!

Grasshoppers were everywhere with the dry conditions. 

Indian Paintbrush - Wyoming's state flower. 

Another hungry butterfly.

Diigo Connection 08/06/2013

• Web Accessibility for Older Users: A Literature Review

  This article discusses elderly users and web accessibility. They compare elderly users to people with disabilities.

  Tags: summer13accessibility, elderly, disabilities

  • - By Kelli Gerhardt

• Web4AllLearners - Web 2.0 Access Barrier- Present and Future

  Wikis, Blogs, this, that!!!! Web 2.0 causes so many barriers to different groups of people depending on the tool used. This article is great because it discusses the issue of access barriers and which groups are affected by certain 2.0 tools.

  Tags: summer13accessibility, web2.0

  • - By Kelli Gerhardt

Posted from Diigo. The rest of Summer13T2 Web 2.0 Access Barriers group favorite links are here.