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Reply to "Appreciation"

jandtsmom — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:56:07 -0500

First I want to thank the commenter of "Appreciation". Submitted by layni on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 14:41

I am a mom of 2, and after reading this article, while I was searching for teacher gifts, I was disappointed to read this article by Leslie Madsen Brooks. Since when did the cost of the gift, outweigh the thought? Not everybody as 'layni' mentioned, has lots of money to spend on an expensive gift. Why not have some graditude? So you measure the degree of thoughtfullness by how expensive the gift is? Or what it is? You sound like spoiled children. You should be ashamed.

Appreciation

layni — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:41:20 -0500

As a teacher myself, I understand that we sometimes receive gifts that may be looked at as "useless" or "ridiculous" but I think everyone here is forgetting what is most important when it comes to gift giving and receiving. Sure I would love to get a gift card for a massage or to go out to eat but it's the THOUGHT that counts. Students/Parents are not required to give gifts at all, and if they do give their teacher a gift, it shows how special they are to them. Another thing to remember is that not all families have the money to go out and buy these "perfect" gifts that teachers would rather have. I think a hand made card or gift is the best gift of all. The student does not have to be an artist to put time and effort into a gift that comes from their HEART.

Teachers of all people should be greatful for little, "useless", gifts like that.

On the good news stories

kaiteykat — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:59:35 -0600

Thanks so much. I had a great time putting it together.

It's really nice to have to make choices between the many many good news stories there were! I had a hard time deciding.

Take care.

Shooting Food

shoalswriter — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:44:23 -0600

Oh, thanks so much for this list. These are lovely! Shooting food is one of the hardest photographic challenges. When I was a reporter in the lifestyle department of our local newspaper, we always kept our fingers crossed that the food page looked at least halfway appetizing!

Cathy

cathylwood.wordpress.com

Glad you liked it!

Kalyn Denny — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:29:01 -0600

I never get tired of seeing photos of food, and I agree it's a challenge to do well.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Got to check out the Acer One

Kim Pearson — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:28:19 -0600

Thanks for sharing your experience -- it's great to hear from someone who's really field-tested the equipment. By the way, I really like your list of good news stories from Africa as well.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Great!

kaiteykat — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:05:13 -0600

Love the list!

As a reporter, I would be thrilled by almost everything on here. I managed to use Skype on a smart phone in South Sudan to file stories this past year. Two years ago, I could only DREAM of doing that. How fast things change! Technology really is the way forward for reporters.

For a huge huge huge present, I would also recommend the Acer Aspire One laptop. With the large battery you get 6 hours of battery life (a lifesaver out in the field) and it's small enough to toss in my purse. Runs about $350. So it would definitely have to be for someone special:)

Best of both worlds

Tabbygrrl — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:51:36 -0600

I'm all about being green, but I really need a new TV for xmas too to replace the behemoth I have. Looked around and found the Vizio Eco and then I saw it at Sam's Club yesterday and it's as pretty as it is green. Looks almost like an imac. Super modern and 32" so not too huge either.

http://www.vizio.com/productDetails.aspx?id=2838&pid=1506

Hiya Kim

Mata H — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:15:50 -0600

I am laughing at the idea of you as "an inkstained wretch"..HUGE LOLs

meanwhile -- for fabulous dream pens try Fountain Pen Hospital -- I guess they also repair pens, but their main business is selling them. From pens under $20 to pens in the thousands of dollars..

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool

Levengers is very tempting, I agree

Kim Pearson — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:46:26 -0600

I used to fantasize about having an old-fashioned library in my home, with floor to ceiling bookcases that you needed a ladder to reach, a beautiful globe, and a special case just for my complete OED. Levengers' products look to me as if they belong in my fantasy library.with a contemporary touch provided by the funky designs on the pens.

But a girl can dream ;-)

KimBlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Thanks for that, Barbara

Kim Pearson — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:28:14 -0600

Soundslides is a big hit in many newsrooms to be sure. I've used Adobe Premiere Elements to produce flash video slideshows as well. I bought it, bundled with Photoshop Elements, for $89, but that was in 2006. YMMV

KimBlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Love Levenger's. :)

lauriewrites — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:23:41 -0600

I'm scared for my wallet to even hit the site, though.

An alternative to the Flip is a simple point and shoot camera that has video. My Canon PowerShot (that's about to die, sadly) has decent video and an adjustable viewfinder so it's been a great stand-in video camera that's easy to edit to from an SD disk.

A SoundSlides download is also a great idea! Plus the writerly me loves to get Moleskines, Sharpie pens, pretty much anything I can write with or on or in. :)

Laurie

LaurieWrites

Add to this a Soundslides download

Barbara Clements — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:27:25 -0600

Kentbarb

It will cost between $45 to $75 depending on the format you want. But it's nice to put the flash/audio packages together.

Barbara Clements

Freelance Journalist, Web Writer - Pacific Lutheran University

It shows that journalism is computing dependent

Kim Pearson — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:29:38 -0600

This is one of many reasons that I think the blogging v. journalism argument is way past over. Collecting, verifying and disseminating information are among the best practices of both fields. Then again, since the SPJ says journalism is something you do, not something you are, maybe what it really means is that you're a tech blogger who does journalism.

Welcome to the Fourth Estate. :-)

KimBlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Notice how

Virginia DeBolt — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:29:24 -0600

the list of what a journalist would love as a gift is exactly the same as the list of what this tech blogger would love. Does that have some deeper meaning and reveal something about trends today?

Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer Technology Contributing Editor
Web Teacher
First 50 Words