I love Picasa, yes I do.

Before:

...and After!

Now for the presentation:

• What edits did you make to the photo, and how did the edits make the image better for your teaching purposes? I increased the contrast, brightened the sun, increased the color temperature, and inserted text over it.  These edits will be beneficial for teaching because the photograph is more vibrant and attention-grabbing, and it has an inspirational message on it.

• How would you use the image you edited in your instruction?  I could print it onto a poster and put it in my room.  I could also use it in a presentation/lesson for a Teen Living or Adult Roles class where I teach them about careers, futures, hard work, etc.

• How would you use the presentation you created in your classroom?  I could use this presentation as an example for a project that the students would do in a Teen Living class.  They could post a picture of themselves and then surround that picture with other pictures that represent what they value in their lives.  
• What other instructional problems could you use this technology for? I could use Picasa if my computer crashes because all my presentations, photographs, videos, etc. would be saved online.  I could also use Picasa for communication between students because it is online and from Google.   
• What are 2-3 activities you could use this technology for in your own teaching?  I could use Picasa to make albums of certain projects that the students need to do, such as sewing a specific thing or cooking a particular meal.  The photographs in the album could help the students understand visually what they are expected to do.  Another activity that would benefit from Picasa could be in a career development class with students who are interested in Photography and editing.  This program could help them learn if they enjoy editing or not, since Picasa provides simple editing for videos as well as photos.
• List the instructional standards these activities will meet: Providing visuals for the visual learners in the class, helping the students learn skills in new areas and realize what careers they may want to pursue, providing the students with opportunities to interact with their peers (group work such as making videos or skits and editing them on Picasa).