Speeding up your Computer

Best Buy Commercial - Geek Squad

Buying A Computer

What type of computer does a high school student need?

Computer Parts

Here are some videos I have found on YouTube.com to show my students about "why" computers are needed and the basic parts of the computer. Our district has blocked YouTube, therefore, embedding these videos is the only option to show them to my students.

Making Technology Education Certification a Priority

I would like to personally thank Mark Wagner and Dr. Shepard, who I had the pleasure of hearing at the NECC Walden Residency in Atlanta, for getting me back into blogging. I thought doing this would somehow limit my time in the final stretches of my doctoral journey with Walden University in writing KAMs and my dissertation, but in turn will do the opposite. They explained how networking and using RSS feeds will allow research and brainstorming to come to me...which saves me time!

I am now working on the need for education paradigm shifting (using Reigeluth as a primary resource) for the priority of technology education certification, specifically in the state of Alabama, as my main research agenda. Rural and inner city school systems must have a certified technology education specialist on payroll that can show teachers how to integrate technology efficiently and effectively into the curriculum, more importantly reorganize the learning structure!!

Rocci Luppicini (2005) reexamines AECT's definition of educational technologist that "these people have the ability to analyze, synthesize, and, in effect to invent [or reinvent] whole new conceptual frameworks" (AECT, 1977).

Ahhhh...I love it. I just wish the beauracy of this statement could spill over into my state department!

Stay tuned for more information as I delve into the literature...Erin

WEEK 12!!!!!

Ok, do I sound a wee bit excited about it being week 12?? Well, that's only b/c I have 1 class left, then my dissertation. I can honestly say I have enjoyed the conversations with my fellow classmates and learning about new and exciting technologies. I feel, for the first time, AHEAD of my competition (ha ha) tech. coordinators, who I will see at NECC (National Educational Computer Conference) in San Diego. They come from the districts that actually pay them (can you imagine?) to go and learn about these emerging technologies.

I wanted to post my IM interaction this week has been with a thank you to Jacqui for sending a file I had lost via IM. And, an interesting conversation I had with Steven on Sunday and Thursday.

Good luck everyone!

Erin :)

IM Update

Today, May 17, 2006, Nate, Jacqui, Lauretta, and I participated on eCollege's Live Chat feature. We had an interesting conversation about the Java version to work the whiteboard feature in IM. We finally found how to access the Java applet version in control panel, which should be version 2. Also, in IM at 9:00 p.m. CST, Jacqui, Lauretta, and I participated in a 3-way text chat. We talked about the different versions of IM (v8), and how the interfaces are different. Also, we commented on the show "Deal or No Deal", of a woman who ended up with $50.

Erin

May 15, 2006

Week 11...almost there. Learning Objects (LOs) is a new term to me, as is most that I have had the pleasure to discover in this course. It seems that there is just so much information out there to help teachers facilitate learning in his/her classroom. I have just come across a website called, Educational Grant Wrangler www.grantwrangler.com , which is a database for educators to find grants to write for projects or ect... Well, someone needs to come up with a Technology Tools for Instructional Design Wrangler, and include everything we have learned in this class into one database. All teachers would have to do is type in a keyword from their content lesson plan. Hmmm, what I could do if I was a programmer...Erin :)

May 15, 2006 IM

Well, I finally have used the voice feature in IM. After hooking up the microphone and speaking to Jacqui today, I have found that dial-up does not transfer the voice clearly enough. It was very choppy, so much so, that we finally went back to text conversation. At least Jacqui didn't have to laugh at my southern accent--ha ha. We also shared remote assistance, and I explained what some of the icons on my computer were. Lastly, Jacqui showed me how to share the whiteboard. I think it would be great if Inspiration software could be a part of this and the students could finish a concept map over IM. Wouldn't that be cool?

Erin

May 11, 2006

My blog is going to be short and sweet today. I feel the "senioritis" from my students towards the last week of school. I would like to comment on the LCMS models we discussed this week. I feel that this learning environment is going to revolutionize how opportunities are available to rural and inner-city students. Because of funding, teacher quality, school size, ect... these students do not offer the same elective courses. Therefore, students do not receive the same vocational/college prep classes that urban/richer schools do. So, using a LCMS or LMS system to bring these opportunities to the students is a big plus! ...This week has somewhat changed my original dissertation topic. Ugh.

Erin

May 2, 2006

Hello again. Let's hear it for Week 9--almost done! I think the wireless "revolution" is going to be the next big thing for education. It will be a "solution in progress" for older facilities with anti-technology wiring capabilities, it will help to keep students better aware and informed, and it will increase the amount of accessabilitiy teachers, students, parents, and administrators have to educational information.

The drawbacks I can see already is the speed difference in wireless and hard-wired and the network security. I have not researched how to encrypt wireless access points so that students cannot bypass the domain. And, the wireless routers for some reason inhibit our network capabilities. Anybody have any comments to help me out? :)