ISD77 TechTip Notebook 2006-07 #4

ISD77 Tech Tip Notebook 2006-7 #4
May 18, 2007 – 14 days left but who’s counting?

Busy summer ahead
Our department will be busy this summer training 120+ CODE77 teachers, installing 62 new SmartClassrooms, and upgrading computer labs, servers and switches throughout the district. We will be moving district and elementary websites to rSchool. (The old web server is not going away yet). We will also be installing and configuring a special device on our network called a packetshaper that will allow us to prioritize web traffic and will speed up most web access. Stop in and say hello if you are around.

Prepare for the next school year
Now is a great time to make a backup of your files to your Profile account. YODA is going away this summer for both students and staff so everyone will need to use Profile (Lodestar) accounts. YODA is on an old computer and is very difficult to reliably backup which is why we are retiring it.  If you are uncertain how to access your Profile storage area, see your media specialist or technician.

This is also a good time to unsubscribe to any e-mail lists you may be on if you don’t intend to check e-mail during the summer. (Yes, there are still a few staff members who don’t read e-mail all summer!)

And finally this might be the time to give your computer a little spit-and-polish – wiping down the outside of the machine, cleaning the screen, dusting around the workspace, and cleaning the keyboard. See your tech if you’d like help or need cleaning supplies.

Enlarging digital videos in United Streaming
It is possible to show United Streaming videos in a full screen mode. To do so, you need to check the button below the movie that says Stand Alone Application. The movie will then be played in Quicktime or Windows Media Player depending on file format instead of within the webpage. By going to the View menu and selecting Full Screen or by simply resizing the video window of these players, you can make the movie larger. Do remember that quality of the image suffers when enlarging. Try a number of sizes to see which gives the best balance of size and clarity.

Learn your German prepositions using YouTube
Check out Todd Coyour’s very funny video on YouTube at: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY9J8C2eKJg> This is great example of reaching students  by using media that they use and like.

Parent and teacher Internet safety resources online
There is a list of web resources on Internet safety now on the Parent page <http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/parents>. Help make parents aware of these sites. Thanks!

Images in PowerPoint don’t show when using a PC?
If you have ever opened a PowerPoint presentation on a Windows computer that was created on a Mac you know that the graphics sometimes are replaced with a large white block containing an error message. This is the fix:

All graphics need to be added to slides using the Insert menu – they cannot be cut and pasted in. To create a graphic file from an existing PowerPoint graphic, just right click and choose Save as picture. Delete the original picture, then re-insert the picture by going to the Insert menu -> Picture -> From File. This all needs to be done on a Mac and then tested on a PC. (If this can be fixed with Windows computer, I don’t know how.)

Blogs and RSS Feed Aggregators
Three pretty darned interesting Minnesota bloggers who you might want to read are:

1. Dennis Fermoyle, classroom teacher, Warroad, From the Trenches of Public Ed <http://publiceducationdefender.blogspot.com>
2. Scott McLeod, U of Minnesota professor, dangerously irrelevant <http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org>
3. Mike Smart, Minnesota Teacher of the Year  <http://www.toymn.org>
   

If you are finding it difficult to keep up with blog changes and other pages with RSS feeds, set up a GoogleReader <http://www.google.com/reader > or Bloglines <http://www.bloglines.com> account. By checking a single webpage, you can tell which webpages have been updated.

Websites of Note: del.icio.us
Bookmarks in your webbrowser becoming over whelming? Set up a del.icio.us account <http://del.icio.us>. It’s a simple way to store, describe and share bookmarks – and access them from anywhere.

Email from an ISD77 teacher...
I wanted to let you know one more way the LCD projector is helping me teach
our students.  Right now, I am requiring that every [student] create an 8-slide
power point presentation on Europe for my Geography class.

Because of my classroom technology, in each class, I was able to create a
new powerpoint with input on the content from the kids and show it on our
big screen.  We covered layout, design, animation, and other skills right
here in class. That is nice, because kids pay more attention here in the
classroom where they are used to working and being on task...

It has been going very well so far, and the kids seem very engaged. I just
wanted to update you as to how this technology is working in the classroom.

Book of Note: Sixteen Trends and Their Profound Impact on Our Future (Educational Research Service, 2006 by Gary Marx. The District Curriculum Committee is using this book to launch discussions about the future of education. The trends Marx writes about include:

• the shift in population demographics and its role in life-long learning
• the need for school curriculum and practices to reflect the dawning of the "information age"
• the importance of equilibrium and acceptance of divergent viewpoints in preparing for emerging generations
• how continuous improvement will replace "quick fixes" and challenge the status quo theory of education
• why the globalization of politics and the economy today will mandate the need for interdependence in educational practice
• technology will increase the speed of communication and the pace of advancement or decline

Quote of note:
Those who speak most of progress measure it by quantity and not by quality. - George Santayana

Words of wisdom
Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known.  Enjoy the following:

• Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.
• Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
• There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman...neither works.
• Never miss a good chance to shut up.
• Always drink upstream from the herd.
• If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
• The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
• There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.
• Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
• If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.
• Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.
• After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring.  He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him.  The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
  

_____________________

The Tech Tip Notebook is Mankato Area Public Schools' an informational bulletin about library media and educational technology issues in the district designed to alert you to new resources and services, handy "how-to" suggestions, and answer questions about media and educational technology use. If there are topics you would like to see covered in the TTN, please let me know. Back issues can be found at:  <http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/district/media/techtips/techtips.html>  Thanks - Doug Johnson <djohns1@isd77.k12.mn.us>.





ISD77 Tech Tip Notebook 2006-7 #2

January 4, 2007 – Happy New Year!

Getting more spam but enjoying it less?
According to Postini, our spam-filtering agent, “Overall spam volumes on the Internet have increased by 60% in the last eight weeks alone.  Our Postini email security service blocks nearly all of these spam messages. However, with spammers sending far greater numbers of messages, you may see a few spam messages in your inbox during these periods of increased attacks.”  One teacher who I am sure represents many here in ISD77 asks, “I receive almost daily Viagra or something related to religion on my email. What can we do to stop it?”

Unfortunately, not a lot, but here are some things you can try:

• Increase the settings on your Postini filter (Go to https://login.postini.com/) Do note that the higher the settings, the more likely it is that something you want will be trapped.
• Add the email domains from which you received spam (and nothing else) to your blocked senders list in Postini. (You can also allow inappropriately blocked senders email to get through by adding the e-mail address to the Approved Senders list.)
• Use the spam filter built into the Entourage/Outlook email program.
• Use a Yahoo or Gmail account for non-school related business, especially online shopping.
• NEVER, NEVER, NEVER reply to a spammer. Even the really good deals from those Nigerians.

In the survey we gave last November, this how the staff rated the effectiveness of Postini:
 Very Good 133  
 Good 140  
 Poor 13  
 Worthless 6  
 N/A 5  
 Total: 297

Spammers are pernicious and always seem to stay one step ahead of even the most effective spam blocker. Remember that we get the same sort of thing in other media as well with telemarketers and mail order catalogs.

Happy with Macs or switch to PCs?
The November survey also asked whether the district should switch to PCs or stay with the Macintosh platform. The respondents were pretty evenly divided:
 Yes 143  
 No 130  
 N/A 24  
 Total: 297

This will be a tough issue. Here are two typical comments from the survey:
    (Yes) Most of the world uses a PC platform, and it would simplify things for students.
    (No) I much prefer working with Macs.  They're more intuitive.  The changeover process could be very inconvenient and time consuming for everyone.

If the Intel chip Mac proves to be workable for most software applications, this may be a moot question since the new Macs will run both platforms.

Can you suggest a book just like...
LibraryThing produces great suggestions at “Suggester” <http://www.librarything.com/suggester>. Ask for a book just like ___________, and you will get back a list of titles that you might also enjoy. Pretty cool.

Now’s the time to switch from AppleWorks to Office.
I’ve used AppleWorks since 1984 when it first appeared for the Apple II operating system. So it is with great sadness that I have to report that AppleWorks is no longer being developed or supported by Apple. Our department is recommending that you start getting accustomed to Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs in the Microsoft Office suite.  

TeachingBooks resource
"Eye-on-the-Web" customized e-mails give you quick access to resources recently added to the TeachingBooks database that match your chosen grade levels and subject areas of interest.  Click the following link to explore and use these new materials: http://www.teachingbooks.net/ and then choose My Profile menu at the top of the screen. At the bottom of the My Profile screen, you can indicate your areas of interest and sign up for Eyes-on-the-Web.

Some of these 777 new items, relevant to your interests, include:
Author Program with Graeme Base
Book Guide for Case of the Puzzling Possum, The (High-Rise Private Eyes Series)
Book Reading of Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever  

Websites of Note: ITM and Google for Educators
The free website for K-12 educators the Infinite Thinking Machine (ITM) is a blog and Internet TV shows that give the average classroom teacher a “bazillion practical ideas” for turning the infinite universe of information into knowledge.  Although Google sponsors the ITM, it focuses on curriculum and instruction, not technology.  It uses plain English to help the average classroom teacher get the most from today’s innovative tools. Check it out at http://www.infinitethinking.org.

While you’re surfing around, you may want to check out the Google Education website at http://www.google.com/educators. You can sign up there for a Google newsletter for educators as well.

Tips when Using a Laptop
The Center for Disease Control’s “Computer Workstation Ergonomics”  recommends if you use a laptop to:

• Take mini-breaks every 20 to 30 minutes to break up repetition and static postures.
• Maintain a comfortable viewing distance from your screen; about 18-30 inches.
• Keep your head and neck in a neutral posture; avoid excessive neck flexion or rotation.   Notice if after a few minutes you bring your head forward in an unnatural position and pull back to the neutral position.
• Angle the screen so that it is perpendicular to your line of sight, if lighting permits. Laptop stands can angle the screen correctly.
• Position the keyboard at elbow height, and keep your wrists straight while keying.
• Experiment with table height, chair height and keyboard angle to maintain neutral wrist postures.
• If you raise your chair, use a footrest to support your feet. When you are seated your hips should be slightly higher than your knees.
• If you are seated in a side chair or couch, use a pillow to support your arms while keying. This will help you maintain neutral arm, wrist, and hand postures.
• Attach an external mouse instead of using the small constricted touchpad or trackball.
• Clean the screen regularly using appropriate antistatic cleaning materials.
• The hands and wrists should be kept in a straight wrist posture when typing and should not be resting on a palm rest, table, or lap while typing. Wrist and palm rests are designed to provide support during breaks from typing.

More workplace ergonomic tips are available at http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/Ergonomics/compergo.htm  

Book of Note:
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. This highly readable book traces how three typical meals get to your table, and in doing so, reveals some interesting facts about nutrition, agriculture, organic farming, and fast food. You will never look at a Chicken McNugget the same way again.


Quote of note:
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - Leo Tolstoy

Top 10 Silliest (but real) Reasons to Ban a Book
1. “Encourages  children to break dishes so they won’t have to dry them.” (A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein)
2. “It caused a wave of rapes.” (Arabian Nights, or Thousand and One Nights, anonymous)
3. “If there is a possibility that something might be controversial, then why not eliminate it?” (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown)
4. “Tarzan was ‘living in sin’ with Jane.” (Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs)
5. “It is a real downer.” (Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank)
6. “The basket carried by Little Red Riding Hood contained a bottle of wine, which condones the use of alcohol.” (Little Red Riding Hood, by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm K. Grimm)
7. “One bunny is white and the other is black and this ‘brainwashes’ readers into accepting miscegenation.” (The Rabbit’s Wedding, by Garth Williams)
8. “It is a religious book and public funds should not be used to purchase religious books.” (Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, by Walter A. Elwell, ed.)
9. “A female dog is called a bitch.” (My Friend Flicka, by Mary O’Hara)
10. “An unofficial version of the story of Noah’s Ark will confuse children.” (Many Waters, by Madeleine C. L’Engle)
                    * From The 2004 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle (via the SMILE newsletter)

The Tech Tip Notebook is Mankato Area Public Schools' an informational bulletin about library media and educational technology issues in the district designed to alert you to new resources and services, handy "how-to" suggestions, and answer questions about media and educational technology use. If there are topics you would like to see covered in the TTN, please let Sue Rosenow, your building media specialist or me know. Back issues can be found at:  <http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/district/media/techtips/techtips.html>  Thanks - Doug Johnson <djohns1 (at) isd77.k12.mn.us>.