Welcome to School of Wonders!
This school will open it's doors to WiWon team members on August 1st, 2009! And we'll have grand opening!
Of course, even if you're not member of WiWon team you're more than welcome to learn with us!
Founder and Tutors >> WiWon Team Members
All of tutors involved in this project are current and / or formal members of WiWon team from June 2009 Giant Squid during which this team created 647 lenses and assisted in creating 14 new Giants and 7 new 100 Clubbers!-
Willow's Wonder Squids
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And you're invited to jump right in and join this challenge! A little elaboration for all of you who came to this lens: Giant Squid Organizers and Greeters are throwing a great and fun challenge called Giant Squid Challenge September 2009 for all le...
Meet Wonder School Coaches!
They will guide WiWon team members on their journey!
Each coach will guide a small group of potential giants working closely on several important aspects of this journey. Their 1st and most important goal is to assist you in creating new and polishing old lenses (those created before Challenge begins). They will also be your extra ace in a sleeve when it comes to tips and tricks about lensbuilding and brainstorming. They are people who will jump to help you on first sign of problems! They will give their time and knowledge to you for free so be nice to them!
For all of this, we should call WiWon School of Wonders coaches = Wonder School Angels!
0ctavias0fferings coaches from OctaviasHothouse
0ctavias0fferings, aka Katherine CaringtonSmith is probably one of olders Squidoo members here - she is a member since April 2007. During this time, she became SquidAngel and created 106 lenses. She's one very patient lady and an expert in few niches, one of them being Action man figures! :)
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0ctavias Hothouse
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Part of the wonderul WiWon team, I managed to make the Giant100 Club membership at the end of June and I know I wouldn't have made it without the rest of the team's support. If you've ever wondered why there are teams and challenges to...
Luvmyludwig's Squidlets by Joyful Crystal!
Luvmyludwig, aka Crystal Touchton is one very happy and cheerful lady! She became a Giant last deadline and during last Challenge she created 17 lenses for our team! She has big heart, positive attitude and her eagerness to help out beats everything else! If you ever feel down, this little lady will surely lift your spirit! Crystal also works on several niches, latest being about camping...
Giant Squid aka Colossal Squid by VeeBee
vbright105, aka Veronica Bright (we call her VeeBee 'cause we love her!) is another SquidAngel on a team. She has been Squidoo member for a year now and during this time she created 109 lenses. She is a writer so I would urge her students to take advantage of her knowledge in this aspect of lensbuilding. She's also like big mommy - strict, straightforward but with golden heart and good intentions! One of her biggest niche is about native Americans.-
VeeBees Colossal Squid Group
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Lurking deep in the sea are those squid that stand out among the rest. They are the biggest and most unique of all squids in the ocean. They are called "colossal squids". If you are reading this; you are either about to become a part of, or are curio...
Maniacal Squids Guided by Mike Moore
Mike is pretty new to Squidoo but in only few months he proved he got what it takes to become one of greatest on Squidoo! During last Challenge he created almost 2/3rd of 53 lenses he currently has! That makes him quick study! Now, he's ready to pass on what he learned but also what he brought with him to Squidoo as professional writer!
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Mike’s Maniacal Squids
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This is our game face! Mike's Maniacal Squids play to win. Nothin' gets in our way. We're some of the best lensmasters striving to become even better. We don't just win; we crush our competition in a frenzy of crazy-ass-passion. Our group belongs t...
Stazjia Following Her Stars!
Stazjia, aka Carol Fisher is here from 2006. Although she didn't see it as something really interesting first time she came on Squidoo, she ended with 109 lenses! More than 30 of them were created during last Challenge, and that was just after she said she had no inspiration for building lenses!? Now, what happens when she has an inspiration?! Carol is another professional writer on the team and she created several niches, one of them being England.
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Stazjia's Stars
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I originally made this lens in summer 2009 for the September Squidoo Giant Challenge for Stazjia's Stars, my tutorial group in Willow's School of Wonders, better known as the Wiwon Team. Our mission was to help people who wanted to qualify to...
Leather Clad Squids Rocking Squidoo With Alex!
Drifter0658, aka Alex Crabtree is... well, unique what you can see if you open any of his lenses. ;) His mind takes him to places where he creates associations which become so natural once he finish his lens. He even wrote about someone's missing gallbladder! He manages to put humor into almost any theme and has very inspirational writing style. He loves to help out new members and he jump in for me couple times. If you got to know him, you'll love him! For sure!
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Leather Clad Squids
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Who are the Leather Clad Squids? If you don't know by now, you will soon. We are the rockinest coaching group this side of anywhere. Part of team WiWon, Leather Clad Squids is a group dedicated to helping its members reach that coveted Giant and/or...
All Natural Nymphs by Naturegirl7
Naturegirl7 better known among friends as Yvonne is a lady with pretty amazin collection of lenses - 127 of them to be exact! One of the things that make her excellent teacher is how and what she picked as topic of her lenses! This is probably the narrowest niche I saw on Squidoo... So, if you have any interest in learning facts about snakes or frogs residing in Louisiana, you came to right spot!
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Naturegirl's Nymphs of WiWon Team
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From the depths of the ocean comes friend to squid and human alike, Naturegirl and the Nereids. Like the Goddesses of old, we ride on the backs of many Giants of the sea, at one with nature, in the never ending battle to achieve greatness in the worl...
What Do You Expect to Learn?
I wish to learn all the ins & outs so I can be an effective mentor to future potential Giant Squids
2 points
I would love to learn how to draw people in, keep them there and never let them go....okay maybe eventually let them go.
1 point
What Are We Learning in School of Wonders?
8 Week Curriculum
These lensmasters will create 16 lenses on topics which are all targeted to same goal - learning! They will use what they learned so far on their journey to become Giant Squids but also research it even further and pass it on to you!
All of us who will attend these 'classes' will expand our knowledge about writing, modules, creating niches, layouts of the lenses, using css and html, keywords, etc...
As I said, 16 lenses will be created - each of them will be created in such a manner to be learning resource but also source of inspiration for new lenses!
Start With Basics!
Even before August 1st!
Here is a peek at what this school will offer for it's future attendants! Of course, we start with basic... You know what they say: If you get basics right, you'll be able to build on it without things slamming on your head!-
Basic Writing for Squidoo
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Hello, my name is Mike and I'm lucky enough to be your first Squid-tor...er... I meant mentor. Your goal is to become the next batch of Giant Squids and my goal is to help you in any way I possibly can. Michelle, our illustrious group leader, has in...
And Apply for An Entrance Examination!
This test has been created as a way for members to get to know each other better but also to show what they learned so far! It's fun!-
Importance of Personal Touch
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It's said that one of the hardest things for anyone, even professional writers, is writing about yourself! It's much easier to write about something irrelevant and without any sign of person behind an article. Something completely unrevealing! But,...
The best 5 exam entries
Most personal, unique and extremely well written stories!-
AJGodinho's Lensography
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In this lensography, I'm going to take you on a tour into the world of yours truly - ajgodinho a.k.a. Anthony Godinho. You will learn about my journey from one corner of the world (a tiny dot on the map) to another (worlds apart). We'll talk...
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Raising A Bipolar Child
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It will be painful at times, and frustrating beyond belief at others. There will be tears...lots of them. Then just when it seems like you can't possibly make it through another day, let alone the next hour, you will feel such joy and happiness t...
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A Survivor Story
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Victim, survivor, thriver... If you have read any amount of my writing at all, you've no doubt heard me use that phrase a few times. It might not mean much to you, but for me that phrase is magical. It means overcoming so many things in life, it mea...
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Motorpurrr Explained with New Kitten Introduction
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At the same time of making this "about me" type lens for an examination, I am introducing a new kitten to the clan. Born late for kittens, June 4th, now July 28th so he's a great age to introduce, because he's extra cute, even to o...
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Hopping On The Bus
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Every time a Sunday School or Vacation Bible School bus rolled by I was waiting by the side of the road ready to hope on. It didn't matter what church or religious origination the bus belong to I was on it. Anytime a girlfriend asked if I wanted to g...
GRAND OPENING
August 1st, 2009
Let's Get Our Creativity Juices Going!
A question: do you consider yourself creative?
It's August 1st! Today we start with Giant Squid Challenge but also with our creation of new quality lenses and expanding our knowledge base! For grand opening we'll start really hard! Here is the lens that will start you thinking:Where your creativity comes from?
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What's keeping you in a box?
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Do We All Have Creativity?
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Do we all have creativity? That is a question which has been argued through the ages. Some schools of thought argue that not all of us have the talents or skills to be creative and others believe that those of who do possess those skills, depend on a...
Creativity Buzz!
All ideas and thoughts buzzing through your head when you read that lens above can be turned into new lenses!
That's right! Everything, every single thing around you, in you, on you! Everything can serve as material or idea for a lens!
And here is what's been buzzing in my and other people's head when they read Do We All Have Creativity?
These 5 lenses show the amount of creativity in their creators!
They also show how different people really are! These lenses are so much different yet they share one similarity: They are written in unique way and show creativity can be found in most particular places!-
Seeing and Creativity
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What does it mean to really see? We are a society that loves to label, stereotype, judge, pigeonhole, put in a box, you name it. We see what we perceive. Recently, I heard someone on the radio say, "Perception is so powerful and it creates our...
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Road To Creativity
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Is there a road map we can follow down the road to creativity? Or is a muse the source of inspiration for our creativity? Do we wait for her to visit us in the dark hours of the night? Do we wait for her to whisper in our ear the inspiration we need?...
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Woolly Doughnut on a walk
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Woolly Doughnut first belonged to my son, but he grew up. Then he belonged to my daughter, Meltedrachel, but then she grew up too. So now he lives with me and I take him on adventures because it is boring just sitting on a step all day.
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The Secret Behind The WiWon Team's Success
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Have you wondered what the secret is behind The WiWon Team's success? Have you wondered how in the world we created so many lenses for The Giant Squid Challenge? Are you wondering what in the world I'm talking about? If you answered yes to any of th...
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How Creativity Works
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Discovering how creativity works has led to answers for the question "Do we all have creativity?". After researchers determined that the two halves of the human brain process information differently, there could only be one conclusion; we all do inde...
WEEK 1 THEME: HTML
1st Class: HTML for Squidoo Themes
Starting August 3rd 2009
Most of people I came across, specially those new to Squidoo, find html and css challenging! Not surprising taking into consideration that, not all of us are computer geeks and although school did teach us to write, we never learned stuff like this! So, this school will give you an opportunity and tools to learn html and beautify your lenses! Make them more eye friendly and more attractive! This is first step-by-step tutorial created for you:-
HTML for Squidoo Themes
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Welcome! You are writers, marketers, researchers and artists. Words are your medium and the web is your canvas. There's a lot to learn about building quality lenses that attract visitors, whether it be to share information or sell a product. Squidoo...
Applying what they learned about html!
There has been many really great lenses created as result of this lesson lens, but here are 5 of the best:-
Rembrandt van Rijn's Biblical Art
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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn painted some beautiful biblical art, some of it is dark and haunting yet moving and full of emotion. He had his share of tragedy in his life, and it may have influenced some of his work. Here you will find an overview...
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Finding Your Perfect Wedding Cake
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You've been waiting for this moment to come, possibly since you were a little girl. When that day arrives, it will be but a brief moment in time and the beginning of a new chapter in your life. The memories created will last a lifetime. With your bi...
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Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins of Louisiana
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Louisiana is blessed with thirty species of turtles, tortoises and terrapins. The body form of this ancient group of reptiles has changed little in the 200 million years of its existence. Besides various freshwater and land turtles, the Gulf waters a...
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The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection
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The original complete collection of Sherlock Holmes is comprised of four novels and 56 short stories penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In my view, Sherlock Holmes was the best detective that ever existed in contemporary literature. As a kid, I was t...
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Celebrate The Caramel Apple!
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Or if you cannot wait, some "food calendars" have Caramel Apple Day as October 21st! Actually, the food holiday police would not arrest you if you choose to celebrate on BOTH days! Might I suggest the Mini Caramel Apple Tutorial (that is...
2nd Class: HTML for Squidoo Cobrands
August 7th 2009
Second of our weekly lessons will stay on same topic, html. Only this time we'll take a look what exactly we can do with Squidoo Cobrands like SquidWho, SquidVid, etc... And can we take a step further from what these templates already offer and make lenses created through these quick builders to new level. Here is what we prepared:-
HTML for Squidoo Cobranded Lenses
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Welcome! This is the 2nd half of the WiWon School of Wonders HTML Lesson Plan. In the first session, we learned about HTML codes and colors that work with the various Squidoo themes. This time, we're going to cover Squidoo's Co-Branded lens templa...
There is more to creating great lens using templates besids basics provided by Squidoo!
And these lens prove truth of this statement to it's full meaning:-
Dr. Myron Wentz
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Dr. Myron Wentz is an internationally recognized microbiologist, immunologist, and pioneer in the development of human cell culture technology and infectious disease diagnoses. Even though his businesses have been extremely successful, Dr. Wentz fir...
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Jeff Dunham Showcase
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Jeff Dunham is a ventriloquist and stand-up comedian. He has appeared on numerous television shows, including Star Search, Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents and The Tonight Show. He is familiar to Comedy Central audiences for h...
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Who Killed JFK
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Who Killed JFK According to The Warren Commission - Oswald acted alone. According to the House Select Committee on Assassinations - President Kennedy was probably assassinated as the result of a conspiracy. According to conspiracy thoerists - it w...
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Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance
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A BOOK REVIEW Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is my favorite book of all time. When I first read it at the age of 25, it was my first introduction to Zen and I'm not sure how much I really understood. It made a whole...
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Banks don't want to do Loan Modifications
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Banks don't want to do Loan Modifications Banks don't want to modify your loan, why should they? They already got Millions of Dollars from the Government, and we see how they spent that! Lavish Payouts to the people that got fired, or replaced , som...
WEEK 2 THEME: WRITING A LENS
3rd Class: Make a Reader Friendly Lens
August 10th 2009
Due to fact that we have quite a lot really fresh Squids on our team, I've decided to take step back and go through some basics of writing lens, structure and balance of your creation - all of this in effort to create a reader friendly lens. Lens which looks appealing but is also informative and helpful to visitors. Many of you know most of this stuff, but it's good to remind ourselves of this:-
Make a Reader Friendly Lens
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When I visit a lens or web page for the first time, I quickly scan down it to see if it covers material I want to read or look at. If it doesn't, or it's hard to tell, then I bounce off to look for somewhere that makes it easy to see it has what I wa...
These 5 lenses are few of the best!
They are created due to inspiration found in our lesson lens:-
Daisy, One Cool Cairn
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This month, our cairn terrier dog, Daisy, will turn 10 years old! She has been our one and only dog and we couldn't have picked a better one for our family. In honor of her birthday, I'd like to tell you all about this very cool cairn.
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Bathing For Health
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There have been times when bathing was considered sinful and frivolous. During other times a woman's bath wasn't just a hygienic activity but a true art form. Bathing for wealthy Egyptians was a long sensuous ritual with lotions, oils and oin...
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World's Amazing Waterfalls
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Nature displays its beauty in many forms, one of these forms is waterfalls. You will find these amazing waterfalls all over the world. This webpage captures, in picture, the splendor of many famous waterfalls in various parts of the world. Be pre...
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Guthram's Safe Garden
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Do you love hedgehogs? Would you like them to visit your garden? How do you help them survive and encourage them to stay? Here we continue the story of Guthram the Hedgehog and give a few pointers about the care and rescue of hedgehogs. In Autumn...
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GIMP Quick Tricks: The Fuzzy Select Tool
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If you are new to GIMP, and wondering what the Fuzzy Select Tool is, it is like the Magic Wand in Photoshop. With it, you can select similar areas of a layer or image base on color. It is best suited for solid color areas, depending on the threshold...
4th Class: Lenscrafting Quickly and Efficiently
August 14th 2009
Most of us, specially when we started, struggle with writing a lens. And it looks like it takes us ages to make lens - both well written and appealing! But, there are many things that can make your lenscrafting period shorter and more efficient! Here are some of them:-
Squidoo Lenses - Quickly and Efficiently
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I'm not going to tell you how to build a Squidoo lens in 20 minutes. You might be able to do one that fast but the trick is build a good quality lens as quickly and efficiently as possible. We've all seen lenses on Squidoo and web pages elsewhere th...
Next 5 lenses are great examples
for quickly build lenses. Quick but never the less, great.-
Online Image Generators
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Since starting on Squidoo, my biggest challenge has been to find original images that I can use on my pages. Recently, I came across image generators. My first impression is that they're nothing more than an automatic image editor. You choose th...
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How To Find Inexpensive or Free Reusable Totes
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Did you know that you didn't have to spend $25 or more to buy a reusable tote to go grocery shopping. You can find plenty of inexpensive tote bags for as low as free. Seriously you can find free tote bags in plenty of places. You can also find some f...
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Hula Hoops - The Best Toy Ever!
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Hula hoops have been around since the 50's. They are a part of American culture. I had one as a child and now my three girls each have one. Young or old, hula hoops will bring out the kid in you and get you moving. Let's take a look at one of the bes...
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Tracing Paper - My Favorite "Toy"
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Give a child some tracing paper, a pencil, crayons and a comic book and they will be occupied for hours! When I was in my single digit years I traced Archie, Brenda Starr, Snoopy and Wonder Woman. Remember them? That tracing paper made me think I w...
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Mary Higgins Clark
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Now here's a lady that really can keep you in suspense! LOL Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite mystery/suspense/thriller writers. Since reading "Where Are The Children," released in 1975, I've been a huge fan of Ms. Clark. Be ready to devote s...
WEEK 3 THEME: INTERACTION
5th Class: The Importance of Visitor Interaction
August 17th 2009
Everyone talks about importance of interaction with visitors! But what that really means?! Is every lens good for interaction? How to interact? Answer to these and many other questions you can find in next lesson lens:-
The Importance of Visitor Interaction
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If you've published a website/blog/squidoo lens, you need visitors. Visitors to your site are often referred to as traffic. This traffic is vital to your website's success. But, you also need to encourage those visitors to interact with you and your...
Interactivity is best shown in these lenses:
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A Secret Everyone Should Know
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Who else wants to look years younger? This is the secret of a longer happier life. Here is a method that is helping thousands find real happiness! Learn little known ways to influence people around you. Get rid of depression once and for all! Here's...
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Boo! It's a Planet-friendly Fun Filled Halloween
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BOO!! Halloween is meant to be enjoyed, but does it have to be so trashy? Does it have to be so unhealthy? Does it have to be so expensive? No! Frankly, I'm tired of seeing the trash (candy wrappers, streamers, torn or broken costume parts, actual...
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Dinosaur Themed Fun And Learning
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Recently my family had Dinosaur Day, a day where all things were dinosaur related. While preparing for the activities I realized that there were endless resources about dinosaurs available and that I wouldn't be able to even scratch the surface on Di...
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Amazing Ants
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Ants are small but mighty! We don't have to worrry about ants being endangered! Did you know that they make up almost half of the biomass of all insects combined? In his book, The Diversity of Life, Edward O. Wilson wonders if the prevalence of...
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Ever Been Stuck On An Airplane, On The Ground, For Hours?
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That's what we felt like, and we were stuck for only a few hours. Imagine being detained on an airplane for five or ten hours with no food and without a working bathroom or air conditioning. It's happened many times before, and it happened ag...
6th Class: A Guide to the Interactive Modules
August 21st 2009
There are number of modules provided by Squidoo which we can use to boost a little (or a lot) of the interaction with visitors. Using of these modules can be efficient way for keeping visitors on our lenses for longer periods of time. Here is overview of all interactive modules along with couple of ideas how to use them inside a lens:-
A Guide to the Interactive Modules
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This squidoo lens is the second in the series of lenses about Visitor Interaction. The first one is: The Importance of Visitor Interaction Read on to find more about the interaction modules on Squidoo and how to use them! Title image: Buy at AllPost...
5 great examples for interactive lenses:
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A Southeastern Fall Vegetable Garden
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The summer vegetable garden usually begins to see hard times in late August and early September. The temperatures are hot and the diseases and bugs are having a ball. My garden has certainly suffered. The pattypan squash plants were pulled up last we...
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Canada's Woodstock - 1970
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This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival. This got me thinking about Canada's Woodstock - The Strawberry Fields Festival - held in Mosport, Ontario - August 7th, 8th and 9th, 1970. I was a young teenager at the time and l...
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Kate Bush - A Retrospective
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Kate Bush is a real musical heroine. I attempt to sing her songs, I wish I had half her studio skills, and she was one of the few rock stars to make me sit up and say "Wow!" on first hearing. Unlike many singers, Kate was never in it for the fame and...
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Best of GIMP on Twitter
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GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program. appears to be getting more popular every day, especially if you take a look at that popular micro-blogging site known as Twitter! Despite criticisms that it can't be considered a tool for the serious profess...
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Old Fashioned Toffee Apples become Gourmet Candied Apples
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When I was small my grandmother made toffee apples for special occasions. She produced these gorgeous, sticky, jaw-breaking confections for birthdays, Christmas, St Patrick's Day and sometimes just for no reason at all. We didn't particularly care w...
WEEK 4 THEME: PICTURES
7th Class: Using Pictures Effectively
August 24th 2009
In some occasions and with some visitors good, inviting pictures spread throughout your lens, can make a difference in staying and reading lens through or leaving at the same moment! When, where and how to use pictures, is a theme of our 1st lesson lens about pictures:-
Squidoo Lenses: Using Pictures Effectively
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Have you ever landed on a web page and found it was either completely or almost completely text only? If you have, did you stay and read it or did you bounce out to find something that looked less dry and unfriendly? Occasionally, I have stayed and...
best 5 lenses using pictures effectively
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Finding The Perfect Grooms Cake
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Throughout history, the main wedding cake has often been call the the Bride's Cake. Some think that the Groom's Cake is a relatively new tradition originating in the South. It is a southern tradition, but it was originated in the 17th century, so the...
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A Summer Day In Cleethorpes
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Cleethorpes, fondly remembered from my youth, is so much more than a Northern town with a funny name. People come from all over England - and even wider afield - to enjoy the golden sands and traditional English seaside hospitality of this friendly...
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Photography & Visual Design
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As a photographer, I love to get away for a week-long workshop where I can be in the company of other photographers and just shoot! Over the past 15 years I have attended three workshops, and two were to New Brunswick, Canada for Freeman Patterson a...
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Canon Powershot SX100IS Review
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I love to take pictures, and have several film cameras, but couldn't find a digital one I liked, or that I understood how to operate. Until I bought the Canon Powershot SX100IS! I take a lot of pictures both for work, and pleasure and needed somethi...
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My Famous Better Than Sex Cake
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Yes, You read that right. Better Than Sex Cake. It's actually quite a popular dessert, but it's not for a dieter or healthy eater. If either of those describes you, I don't know what to tell you. LOL This cake is rich and if it's made well, not overl...
8th Class: Picture Modules
August 26th 2009
There are so many modules Squidoo provides where you can put either your own or other people's images! This lens is giving you a peek in them along with many really very helpful tips how to add those pictures and make them look good!-
Exploring Picture Modules
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If you've started making lenses you've probably got to grips with adding an intro image, like the one opposite. You may have added images to a text module too. But what other modules are available to display images? In this lens I aim to find out and...
5 of the best lenses using different picture options
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Hiking Grand Canyon's South Bass Trail
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It was August 24th. I had things on my to-do list for the next several days, but I couldn't pass up the invitation from a friend to hike Grand Canyon's South Bass trail. A Park Service volunteer, Sueanne had to check on some archaeological sites in t...
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Everything Autumn
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Autumn is a wonderful time of year, right on the verge of a winter freeze the spectacular red yellow and gold colors everywhere are beautiful and worth admiring. Autumn is a beautiful time of year, so sit back relax enjoy the colors of fall and find...
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My Flower Photography
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Not many people know this, but I love to take pictures. I am completely an amateur and I don't have a fancy camera...but so what. Photography doesn't have to be all about composition and lighting all the time. I just find a shot I think will be prett...
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World Of Warcraft Cataclysm Expansion
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I received my email today from Amazon letting me know that the WOW Cataclysm expansion is available for pre-order. Apparently, it will be released on December 31, 2009? So much for a Christmas gift for my husband. What shall I do? Hand him an envelo...
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My holiday in South East Ireland
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We went to Ireland in May several years ago. It was a coach holiday so included a ferry trip there and back. Going was fine, you'll hear later about coming back. The trip was just Monday to Friday, so only Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday were spent fu...
9th Class: Searching for Images
August 28th 2009
This is the last of 3 lessons we throw together about all the ways to find and use images inside a lens. We could probably make at least a dozen more but no time... We're moving to next topic next week. In meant time, take a look at all the places you can find images to use inside a lens, along with few tips on using different affiliate programs for inserting images inside a lens. Have fun!-
Searching For Images
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Are you having trouble finding images to use in your lenses? Are you having to resort to hastily scribbled doodles and photos of yourself with no make-up and tangled hair? Worry no longer! This lens is going to tell you everything you need to know...
These 5 lenses really use images to appeal to visitors:
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Best of Pet Safety on Twitter
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A pet safety report was recently released by the Office Of Inspector General about the FDAs handling of the 2007 Pet Food Recall. This was the deadliest Pet Food Recall in history and responsible for countless deaths of cats and dogs. The Office Of...
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Garden Bugs and Slugs! Natural Sprays and Tonics For Pest Control
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We've prepared our garden beds, planted our flowers and vegetables, waited patiently (or not so much) for the fruits of our labors to burst forth in color and bounty. But what what are all those holes in the leaves? And in my tomatos? Don't you just...
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Coffee Shop High
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So what's the first thing many people do just after they get out of bed in the morning? They slowly make their way to the kitchen and rustle up a coffee. A couple of sips later they feel better, more energized and alert. " Wow! It's gonna be a great...
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Scary masks from afar.
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Here's a collection of fabulous masks from around the world. What they have in common is that I love them. I'm currently copying one of the "El Tigre" masks and you can watch my progress at Instructions for making a giant puppet.
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Flower Wall Decals
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Decorating walls can be a pain. Choosing the right paint color...wall hangings...chotchkies...they are hard to coordinate and set up without the help of a professional. One of the easiest ways to decorate a room and give it a 'wow' factor is by addin...
WEEK 5 THEME: NICHE
10th Class: How to Find and Expand a Niche
August 31st 2009
We all hear talk about need to create niche lenses. What exactly that means? And how to find a niche? Where to look? Maybe the answer is closer then you think! Take a look and you'll see what I mean:-
How to Find and Expand a Niche
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There is a lot of talk about building a niche. Everyone is saying: make niche lenses! They have a better chance to be found by search engines! Become an expert in your niche! This is all great! And you should do this! But... how? Today there is so...
5 lenses created as result of expanding a niche from Squidoo stats:
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California Wildfires Evacuation Tips and Resources
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Every year California Wildfires threaten both life and property. As a REALTOR® in SO California I want to make sure that all Californians know what to do in case of fire, and what to take with you in case you are Evacuated. California is a great pla...
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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Revisited
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What motivates you? Do motivations change? If something motivated you yesterday, will it still motivate you today? According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, human motivation isn't really as complex as most people think it is. Maslow believed that...
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Beautiful Wreaths For Your Front Door
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The first time you pull up to your house and see a wreath on the front door, you know that you are at home. They add personality and style to the front of a house. They can be made of real evergreen and flowers or be more untraditional with berry or...
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Fill-Able Hobby Train Cars
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Train cars that haul what ever you like. Versatile train cars that you can use in any theme. Besides coming in many road names(the company name on the sides) They can be weathered and have graffiti on them, plus carry a variety of loads. Flat cars, g...
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Organic or Local?
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Obviously, organic and local is best! But if you have to make a choice, which would you pick? Personally, I want my food to be free of pesticides. But I have had organic food that's traveled some distance and just doesn't look or tast...
11th Class: Google Vs.Yahoo
September 4th 2009
We all look forward to Google and Yahoo and the moment they finally notice our new lenses! What are differences and similarities between two search engines? How they look at your lens? This questions and many more are answered in:-
Google vs Yahoo
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The Prom is around the corner and you've been asked by two players to be their date. One is the ever popular and smooth talking quarterback, Google, while the other is the nerdish, Yahoo. Between the two of them, roughly eighty percent of the girls...
Google loves them :) Check them out:
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October Is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month
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Adopting a Shelter Dog can enrich not only *your* life, but the life of the special dog you take home. They save lives, protect people, they are used to fight crime and wars, they are adorned as service dogs for the handicapped, yet shelters are ful...
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GIMP Quick Tips: Matching Colors In Images
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Adding elements to an image is easy using GIMP, but sometimes you can come across problems simply because a little bit of the background from one image doesn't match the image it is being added to. The Fuzzy Select Tool can be used with the Color Pi...
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How to Collect Russian Lacquer Boxes
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Hand painted Russian Art, including Lacquer Boxes are very collectible. I have several, and these are some of my most prized possessions, For me, it's not just the Lacquered box, but the story, and the hunt that gives my collection value. However, fo...
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Make a Gift Money Tree
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What is a money tree? Well, money does not actually grow on it. This gift is a "tree decoration" that you put money on, then you give the tree as a gift. One usually sees a money tree at a wedding shower, baby shower, or a retirement party. It is...
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Danish Wedding Cookies Recipe
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I remember when my mother used to buy these in the box. They never lasted long as even store bought they were too tempting for us. Oh the delicious flavor was almost intoxicating! Danish wedding cookies made very close to this recipe used to be give...
WEEK 6 THEME: KEYWORDS & SEO
12th Class: Keywords for Squidoo
September 7th 2009
If you want your lens to perform well, even before you click 'build a lens' button, there are couple things you should look into. One of them is title you'll put to your lens and accordingly, url you'll give to that lens. This lesson is about basic research on keywords to get you going in right direction and closer to your goal: making a lens which will be loved by Google and Yahoo!-
Keyword Tips for Squidoo
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It's Time for Keywords! Keywords are the words that link your content to your visitors. They are the words people type into search engine search bars to come up with the information they need. Your selection of keywords can make or break your lens....
These 5 share Google love!
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Bernie's antiques, Seattle WA
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Owned by Bernie is Bernies Antiques, which is an old style antique shop where items are super old and the store it's self dates back to the 40's. The building was once a Kaiser dealership, with big windows and a part that has garage doors for the mec...
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Sexually Suggestive Ads aren't appropriate for Children
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Online sites require revenue to stay in business, and grow. That's a fact! It's also a fact that not everything is appropriate for every age group, or target market, and Sexually suggestive ads are NOT appropriate for children! Many people have join...
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Quick Editing Tips Using Firefox & FoxReplace
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Whether you are writing a blog post, building a webpage or just filling out web forms, FoxReplace, the Add-on for Firefox can really be a time saver when you need to correct little mistakes. Firefox comes with a built in tool to find characters on a...
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Death Mountain: A Novel For Young Adults
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I sure did. And that was before I even saw the words "Young Adult Fiction" on the back cover, which didn't happen until I was three-quarters of the way though the book. I admit, though, I was nervous when I agreed to read and review thi...
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Serrano Del Vista
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Serrano Del Vista is a 55 plus Gated Community in the city of Banning, CA for Active Adults. Want to know more about the Serrano Del Vista Community? I made a couple Videos of the Community in order for you to get a better idea of what it's like. Se...
13th Class: Pre Publish SEO Tips for Squidoo
September 9th 2009
This lesson lens talks about all the steps you can do to optimize your lens for search engines, in other words, we have here Ten Best SEO Tips Before You Publish a Squidoo Lens! Some things with your lens are better to be done before you press that publish button, and you'll here find out exactly which - in 10 steps!-
Pre Publish SEO Tips for Squidoo
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It's Time to SEO! What is SEO, anyway? And what tips should you use to enhance your lens in search engines? Oh, you probably know already but just in case here's my definition: search engine optimization (SEO) is the technique webmasters use to make t...
More Googl love for these 5 lenses:
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Foods and Recipes of Early American Settlers | Pioneers
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The Early American Settlers spent much of their time finding their food and and then cooking it. Food had to be hunted, trapped, foraged, or planted. They had to kill and butcher their meat, forage for wild plants, fruits or nuts, or plant and harve...
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Seven ways to cook eggplant: a Sephardic song and sephardic recipes
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I'm a wedding musician and we often play for Jewish weddings. One time a bride asked us: "Could you sing some Sephardic songs, but I don't like the sad ones." Hmmph! Most Sephardic songs I know are sad. So I did some research and still didn't come u...
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Hiking Grand Canyon's South Bass Trail
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It was August 24th. I had things on my to-do list for the next several days, but I couldn't pass up the invitation from a friend to hike Grand Canyon's South Bass trail. A Park Service volunteer, Sueanne had to check on some archaeological sites in t...
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Dumbbell Exercises for Women
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These free, online dumbbell exercises for women are presented in video format so you can watch them right now. Use them to start an exercise plan or choose a few to add to your existing routine to help challenge your muscles with new moves. A few y...
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The Evolution of Ska Music
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Ska music has developed from its Jamaican roots in the 1950s and 60s into a worldwide phenomenon that has come in waves of change, incorporating jazz, bop, rock and roll, and punk music as it grew. Here, I've gathered some of the biggest names from t...
14th Class: Post Publish SEO Tips for Squidoo
September 13th 2009
You just hit a publish button on your new lens! WooHoo! It's out there now! Whole world can see it!........... I wish it was as easy as that!In many cases it will take a while for Google and Yahoo to find your lens! But, there are couple things you can do for search engines to find your lens quicker and rank them better! Here are best 10 suggestions:
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Post Publish SEO Tips for Squidoo
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You got it - more SEO! We've obviously been immersing you in SEO tips and we're not done yet. You know why? Because there are lots of things you can do after you've published a lens to improve it's ranking in Google. You have to give Google (and all...
They found a spot on 1st page on Google:
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Silence vs Sound: Which is better for drowning out Noisy Neighbours?
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Ever moved into a new house and the neighbours were just so loud you lost sleep and never got any peace and quiet when you got home? Are your walls so thin that you can hear every single conversation your neighbours have? Ever had to sleep with ear...
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Battlefield 1943 Media: Wallpapers, Videos, Pictures, etc.
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Battlefield 1943 is an awesome game multiplayer game. The game is centered around it's multiplayer mode just like battlefield 1942. This time though, the game is much better. It has awesome maps, vehicles, and weapons. If you want more information j...
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Real Estate Land Sales in zip code 92282 Whitewater CA
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There is plenty of land for sale in Whitewater CA, 92282, houses too. Whitewater is located about 15 minutes from downtown Palm Springs to the East and Banning and Beaumont about 15 minutes to the West. It is located in Riverside County. Back in the...
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Leather Biker Jackets For Women
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I remember a time when I would only see a woman wearing a ladies leather biker jacket if she was a model and the jacket was one of those retro style belted biker jackets. With nearly a half of a million lady riders on the road, now days I see plenty...
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The Fick Fossil and History Museum in Kansas
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What a pleasant surprise the Fick Museum was! If you take Exit # 76 on I-70 in Kansas and head south, you will find a charming museum in Oakley. Oakley is a small town, so you should have no trouble finding the Fick Fossil and History Museum. If y...
WEEK 7 THEME: AMAZON MODULES
15th Class: Amazon Modules - Part 1.
September 14th 2009
Selling is easy! Or is it? Many people think selling is easy and than, after a while, they wonder why they haven't sold anything?! Well, this week lessons are here to help you. All of the lenses we'll present here this week will give you an ideas how to use different Amazon modules to actually sell stuff! Not just have them displayed on your lens! 7 lenses for 6 different Amazon modules and an introduction to selling stuff... So here we go:-
Amazon Tips For Squidoo Lensmasters
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Lensmasters can promote a large variety of products from the Internet's largest online retailer without belonging to the Amazon Associates program, and earn 50% of Squidoo's commission for any items that are purchased from the Amazon Modules on their...
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Amazon Module Tips
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The main Amazon Module can feature up to five items at once, it is also able to use a search function to automatically update the featured products based on a word or phrase. Like anything, the more you put into it, the more you'll get out of it.
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Amazon MP3 Module Tips
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The Amazon MP3 Module is a great way to showcase your favorite music, and your readers may even be compelled to purchase some. One of the best parts of this is that you don't have to worry about shady "free" download sites. If it is available, it's...
Featured lenses created by potential Giants:
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A Greenhouse for Your Cat
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As a promise to my old cat I eventually moved to a house and put up a green house. It's a room of their own where they can hang in the sun, chase bugs and sleep with fresh air. It can also be used a nice place for you to read and play with the cats....
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Senior Squids Are Blue
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Color Matters. Color conveys meaning through associations and symbolism. A soft blue reminds us of the sea or sky and conveys a sense of calm and peace. Yet, the word blue also indicate sadness. In other words, too much blue can leave us with the blu...
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James Bond Theme Song Covers
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Perhaps the best measure of how cool a character has become is how many different bands play your theme song. From the release of the first 007 movie, Dr. No, in 1962 the James Bond theme has captured the imaginations of musicians in every genre and...
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Crochet Christmas Stocking
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It is that once a year, when good friends are dear, and if you wish to give more, why don't you go for a crochet Christmas stocking? One of the best things about making your own craft is that it gives you a sense of fulfillment. It gives you the...
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Cat and Mouse Mats
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Nimrod is one of the Enigma Variations by Elgar, he is also a hunter - and Nimrod is a feral cat. This is his picture and I thought he should head up this lens on Cat And Mouse Mats. Nim, as he is known to his admirers, will not allow human touch but...
16th Class: Amazon Modules - Part 2.
September 16th 2009
We are moving to next two lesson lenses in our 7 lens Class week. These two share tips and ways to improve a default setting of Amazon Spotllght and Amazon Search modules.-
Amazon Search Module Tips
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Set up an Amazon Search Module, and your readers can search for deals right on your Lens. With so many identical items available at different prices through Amazon, thanks to all the competing merchants in the Amazon Marketplace, you don't have to w...
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Amazon Spotlight Module Tips
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The Amazon Spotlight Module has become my favorite Amazon Module on Squidoo. It features a single product at a time, and has a larger product picture than the other modules, except for the MP3 module. With all that space, hopefully you can come up w...
5 great examples of using spotlight and search module:
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Build Your Own Cat Tower
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My cats have two towers and two scratching posts. One scratching post is wall mounted and they never show any interest. One is a heart shaped pink fluffy thing which keeps Miss Amberleigh content. The other two are more robust affairs. About twenty ye...
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Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas Ornaments
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Deck the Halls with Steelers Ornaments! Here you will find a wide variety of Pittsburgh Steelers Christmas ornaments like Steelers Santa, Gnome, Super Bowl, helmet, penguin, Ben Roethlisberger, team spirit ornaments and many more! Who says Christmas ha...
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Huffy Green Machine | Huffy Green Machine 2 | Huffy Pink Green Machine
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Huffy Green Machine is a next generation outdoor machine that is perfect for your kids and yup for those always-a-kid-at-heart adults as well. The Huffy Green Machine is one of the latest crazes in kids toys and is definitely much more fun that your...
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The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Series for Nintendo DS
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An overview of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Nintendo DS games, featuring walkthroughs for each currently released Ace Attorney game. The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games are visual novel-style adventure games in which you play an attorney who...
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Personalities Plus
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It's hard to believe, but at one time I used to think that horses were pretty much similar to cows as far as personalities went, (although I knew there were some fundamental differences). I mean I could see that some horses were more spirited or stub...
17th Class: Amazon Modules - Part 3.
September, 18th 2009
Last two Amazon modules we'll check ut and see what exactly can we do with them are Amazon Voting Plexo module and Amazon Recommendations module. For the last one, there seam to be some problems lately but out tutor found a way around! So, take a look at:-
Amazon Recommendations Module Tips
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This Amazon Module takes your product suggestion, and recommends similar items that the reader may also enjoy. Add this module to your Lens, and you may see something you never thought of that you'd like to get for yourself! To me, this one works b...
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Amazon Voting Module Tips
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When you engage your readers, get them to think, then you may be able to get them to stay on your Lens long enough to interact with it. If you are looking to get a little more interaction from your readers, this may fit the bill! Make a list of pro...
Good use of recommendations and voting modules in:
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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
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What triggered Mary Shelley to write the novel Frankenstein? Simple - a dare between friends! Just imagine the scene. You are 18 years old, just a teenage girl, home educated, staying in a spooky old building with your (newly eloped) poet partner, Pe...
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Family Wii Games
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One of the Wii's greatest strengths is in its great family Wii games. Whether playing as a family, just two players, or a single player exploring a game that parents of young children don't need to worry about having on in their living room,...
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Discover Your Strengths
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Recently, I was introduced to the book "Living Your Strengths" by Albert Winseman, Donald Clifton and Curt Liesveld. This is the Catholic edition of the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths," co-authored by Clifton and Marcus Buckin...
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Melted December
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As you may be aware, I'm making a textiles calendar for next year. Each month is not only going to be filled with whimsical textiles eye candy but not only that. Each month is also going to be a tutorial which tells you how you can make your own ver...
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Making friends and keeping them
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Making casual acquaintances is easy but not very rewarding. A real friend is a gem and truly worth keeping. How do you meet? How do you get to know this stranger who is going to be a friend? I'm going to talk you through it and see if I can help you...
WEEK 8 - FINAL TIPS
18th Class: Polishing and Updating Lenses
September 21st 2009
As we are approaching deadline for you to apply for Giant Squid or 100 Club member, it's seams like a good time to go through all (or most) of your lenses again and give them a little inspection. After all, we want them to shine! And we want to present ourselves in our best edition to the world!-
Polish Until It Shines!
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For all of you who landed on this page, probably 'good' isn't a word you are satisfied with. You want to make 'great', 'excellent' even 'outstanding' lenses (pages or articles) online. We'll go through a list of things which will help your lens go f...
Simply beautiful:
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BOMA - The Flavors of Africa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in Walt Disney World
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BOMA, located in the Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) at Walt Disney World, is my favorite Disney restaurant. The first time we took our twins to Disney we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, so they could experience the Savanna views. While there...
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Where O Where Do Donations Go?
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Initially my plan was to create this lens if we won the $3,000 giveaway competition Squidoo hosted this past summer to show how we used the money. Unfortunately, we lost by a landslide (but it was to a really great cause!). You know what though? I de...
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What Wedding Gown Is Perfect For Your Body Type
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Congratulations, you are getting married! In all the excitement of planning your wedding over the next few months, one of the most important purchases you will make is your wedding gown. Choosing your bridal gown is one of the most important fashion...
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Visions of Italy
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After two trips to Italy in the past three years, it is officially my favorite country! This page will outline the beginnings of a project that will evolve into a book and prints available online. Inspired by a beautiful book called Italian Dreams a...
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Carving Driftwood for Gifts Calms My Restless Spirit
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Anyone that lives near the Beach has probably seen driftwood lying about. Depending on the Beach there might be just a few pieces washed up onto the shore, or a lot of them scattered throughout the area. If you look around the mountains or the beach...
19th Class: Role of the Giant Squids in Squidoo Community
September, 25th 2009
For the end and our last lesson, we'll take a look and remind ourselves about importance and value of Giants Squids as well as their role in Squidoo community.-
Giant Squids And The Squidoo Community
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Giant Squids are revered around the Squidoo Community and are recognized as being the best of the best on Squidoo. With this honor comes responsibility. (I don't want to hear any whining "responsibility" is not a four letter word, I promise!) Giant...
Giving back to community:
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Lenses Inspired By Other Lensmasters
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I love all of my fellow lensmasters and the community we create. Every once in a great while I get inspiration from one of them and feel driven to create a lens in their honor. Most aren't lensographies of their work, but lenses that speak to those...
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Finding Squidoo Lenses Online
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Writing on the Squidoo Platform is one thing, but Finding Squidoo lenses online is another. As part of the Giant Challenge for 2009 I have written many lenses, but hadn't tried finding these Squidoo lenses online, in the different search engines. Us...
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A Big Giant Squid Thank You
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As I write, the Giant Squid Challenge deadline is tomorrow! Yesterday I was driving home with some friends after a great four day weekend and we started talking about communities of strangers that form and are very positive and affirming. One spoke...
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Free Decorations Backgrounds Spacers and More
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A collection of place with free decoration, lenses with free decoration, and lenses that help you decorate, I will also allow you to use anything in my personal Photobucket albums. This is for everyone to use anywhere
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Recipe Cards Using Tables
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This week our assignment for Rocket Moms was to make a Fall Recipe Lens. I decided to be creative with my design of it and went in search of recipe card template to use. I wanted to make a table in the shape of a recipe card. Understandably, it is...
School Of Wonders Attenders
These Squids are swimming towards a goal of 50 quality lenses:
Giants going for 100 club:
Hard Work Always Pays Off!
And we'll feature on this page ONLY THE BEST!
Each class will be also a call out for creating new lenses by applying what you learned!Out of each class, we'll choose 5 lenses - the best, most unique, best written and presented lenses and feature it here!
And those lensmasters will be offered to proudly show off their badges on featured lenses!
This badge will be sign and certificate of quality! :)
Code you can paste into your lens if it's featured on this page is:
<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/school-of-wonders" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.squidoo.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens5795042module49465262photo_1249141769school_od_wonders_featured.gif"></a>
Wonder Squid Award
For the best and most dedicated of Wonders Squids
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Wonder Squid Award
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We, members of WiWon team, love to challenge ourselves! We love to move mountains and split rivers! We don't believe in limitations! And believe in saying: Sky is the limit! This award shall be given as recognition of dedication to goal of becomin...
Are You Open For Learning?
All of knowledge we have, we'll give away!
We believe that your success is our biggest reward!
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Reply
- JoyfulPamela JoyfulPamela Dec 21, 2009 @ 10:20 am
- Wow ~ as usual you are so giving of your time to help and encourage others. I can't wait to read through these so I can learn more. Thank you! :D
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Reply
- bethd821 bethd821 Oct 17, 2009 @ 7:24 am
- great resource lens. thanks for sharing it.
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Reply
- ChapelHillFiddler ChapelHillFiddler Sep 25, 2009 @ 10:42 am
- This lens has sure gotten huge. You've worked very hard on this, Willow, thanks for all the thought and time you've put into it.
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Reply
- MeltedRachel MeltedRachel Sep 22, 2009 @ 3:53 am
- So I'm looking through all the new lesson lenses I missed since I've been away and scrolling down this lens I'm absolutely blown away by how much we've all achieved- Michelle, your superhuman powers to organise everything, to lead, to educate, the group leaders, all the lesson lenses people have created - I've learnt so much I wouldn't have learnt on my own - and the sheer volume of lenses WiWon team has managed to create! Congratulations everyone! You're amazing!
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Reply
- KathyMcGraw KathyMcGraw Sep 13, 2009 @ 4:01 pm
- Michelle-I just emailed this link to someone, and realized I never favored it :) That has been corrected now LOL....yep, this is a one stop shop for great lessons.
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by a_willow
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