Seeing that I use a computer or computer technology of some form throughout my waking hours, I believe this course is extremly relevant to my world. As I have mentioned in previous posts, technology is such a major part of my world, both professionally and personally that I am not sure what I would do without it! I am quite comfortable working on a computer...So, how have I gone this long without having a better understanding of how a computer works?
This class has taken me places I hadn't really thought of going before: I've watched a movie about "nerds" who were not looking for "revenge" (tee hee); I've timed how long it takes for a computer to boot so that I can say, "It was ready for use in 45 seconds..." rather than saying that "it seems like it's just taking forever;" and I've actually gone "under the hood" in order to observe the inner workings of a desktop computer! All in all it has been quite interesting and extremely enlightening.
I look forward to learning more about how computer systems work. I expect to be pushed outside of my comfort zone on a regular basis, and while I find that to be stressful in the moment, I know it will be rewarding as I work my way through. I truly believe that knowledge equals power; therefore, knowing more about the way computers and their components function will help me become an informed consumer, as well as a better resource when it comes to making computer/technology related decisions at work.
Time to start channeling my "inner nerd!"
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Computer History for Sue Biehn
I believe I was in middle school when my family got a computer, and that was my first experience of using a PC on a regular basis. We were one of the first families in the neighborhood to have an actual computer in the house--it was an Apple IIc and had the greenish black screen along with the 5" floppies that needed to be switched out in order to boot and then run programs. It was nice because I was able to use the computer to type papers, rather than using the old typewriter and having to perfect the use of liquid paper and setting the typeface in the exact spot to correct any errors! What a relief! I think what I remember most about my Apple IIc is spending time playing Oregon Trail with my friends and siblings--it's amazing what we found entertaining at that time!
Since my initial computing experience I have had my share of windows based personal computers that I've used for various purposes. Originally, my computers were used as tools to create: papers, presentations, spreadsheets. I enjoyed the ability to go back in order to edit and continually add to my work at a whim. With the increased accessibility and speed of the Internet, I began to use computers as a tool for communication as well as research. Where, in the past, I might have used the phone book to look up phone numbers, or refer to a paper map for directions, I could suddenly use the Internet to locate that information all in one place. It seemed pretty amazing to me, but I had no concept of how powerful computer technology would become or that it would play such a main role in my life.
Today I not only have a PC at home with a high speed Internet connection, but I also have a wireless laptop and an iPhone that I use not just on a daily, but hourly basis. Computer technology has become an integral part of my work and personal life. I now use my computer for all of the reasons I've used computers throughout my history: creating and editing documents, conducting research, communicating via email, and playing games. Today I also use technology for video conferencing, social networking, staying on top of the news, shopping, and even going to school.
Technology and computing devices made available to us continue to change at an incredible rate. I find myself having that recurring thought: technology is really amazing and I can't imagine what the experts will think of next! Unlike when I pondered technology ten years ago, I know that computers will inevitably evolve, so it is up to me to keep up with the changes and enjoy the journey!
Since my initial computing experience I have had my share of windows based personal computers that I've used for various purposes. Originally, my computers were used as tools to create: papers, presentations, spreadsheets. I enjoyed the ability to go back in order to edit and continually add to my work at a whim. With the increased accessibility and speed of the Internet, I began to use computers as a tool for communication as well as research. Where, in the past, I might have used the phone book to look up phone numbers, or refer to a paper map for directions, I could suddenly use the Internet to locate that information all in one place. It seemed pretty amazing to me, but I had no concept of how powerful computer technology would become or that it would play such a main role in my life.
Today I not only have a PC at home with a high speed Internet connection, but I also have a wireless laptop and an iPhone that I use not just on a daily, but hourly basis. Computer technology has become an integral part of my work and personal life. I now use my computer for all of the reasons I've used computers throughout my history: creating and editing documents, conducting research, communicating via email, and playing games. Today I also use technology for video conferencing, social networking, staying on top of the news, shopping, and even going to school.
Technology and computing devices made available to us continue to change at an incredible rate. I find myself having that recurring thought: technology is really amazing and I can't imagine what the experts will think of next! Unlike when I pondered technology ten years ago, I know that computers will inevitably evolve, so it is up to me to keep up with the changes and enjoy the journey!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Week Two: Webcams and Social Bookmarking
This week our focus in class has to do with webcams and social bookmarking.
I've had a webcam built into my laptop for the past year or more, but have never found a way to make use of it in my work. It's not that I haven't wanted to try it out, but my lack of experience with the webcam has held me back from giving it a go. I had my first meeting via webcam this week with my professor and found it relatively easy to use. I learned that while Skype is quite commonly used for virtual meetings and chats, there are several other options out there such as tokbox and eyejot that can be used to communicate with people at a distance. I was excited to learn that there is a "share desktop" option on Skype, which could be quite useful in my role of trainer; especially when I have questions regarding computer applications, I could have people connect with me via Skype so I can see what they are doing and then model a process for them without having to set up an appointment to meet in person. I am still learning about other webcam and video conferencing options and plan to look at each carefully to really get to know the capabilities of each before rolling out a virtual training process with my staff.
As far as social bookmarking is concerned, this is new territory for me but I think it could be extremely useful within my work world. As educators my coworkers and I try to stay on top of trends in education as well as the political world and how it impacts education. We are continually finding articles online and emailing links to one another. I currently have my Outlook set up to filter articles to a particular folder, but only I have access to those files. It would make a lot of sense to make use of a social bookmarking site that people within our company could access and it would stay organized, as well as take up less space on our exchange/email server. I plan to propse setting up a profile for Learning Exchange at our next Leadership Meeting.
I continue to learn new things each day as I make my way through the coursework of the MEIT program. I will be sure to post how the virtual training and social bookmarking are working out once I am able to give them a try. Wish me luck!
I've had a webcam built into my laptop for the past year or more, but have never found a way to make use of it in my work. It's not that I haven't wanted to try it out, but my lack of experience with the webcam has held me back from giving it a go. I had my first meeting via webcam this week with my professor and found it relatively easy to use. I learned that while Skype is quite commonly used for virtual meetings and chats, there are several other options out there such as tokbox and eyejot that can be used to communicate with people at a distance. I was excited to learn that there is a "share desktop" option on Skype, which could be quite useful in my role of trainer; especially when I have questions regarding computer applications, I could have people connect with me via Skype so I can see what they are doing and then model a process for them without having to set up an appointment to meet in person. I am still learning about other webcam and video conferencing options and plan to look at each carefully to really get to know the capabilities of each before rolling out a virtual training process with my staff.
As far as social bookmarking is concerned, this is new territory for me but I think it could be extremely useful within my work world. As educators my coworkers and I try to stay on top of trends in education as well as the political world and how it impacts education. We are continually finding articles online and emailing links to one another. I currently have my Outlook set up to filter articles to a particular folder, but only I have access to those files. It would make a lot of sense to make use of a social bookmarking site that people within our company could access and it would stay organized, as well as take up less space on our exchange/email server. I plan to propse setting up a profile for Learning Exchange at our next Leadership Meeting.
I continue to learn new things each day as I make my way through the coursework of the MEIT program. I will be sure to post how the virtual training and social bookmarking are working out once I am able to give them a try. Wish me luck!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Getting Started: What I Hope to Learn and How it Can be Applied to What I Do
Hello Everyone!
My name is Sue and I wear many hats in both my job and my life. A common theme that I see running throughout all aspects of what I do, whether it is for work or play: technology.
As an educator in the role of Director of Supervision and Training for Learning Exchange, technology has been and continues to be a critical tool for me to use on a daily basis. In terms of supervision, I rely on Outlook to facilitate communication with my staff via email and shared calendars. When it comes to delivering training for new staff and staff development throughout the year I have used presentation tools, such as Power Point and an interactive whiteboard technology called mimio, to create visual as well as hands on support. While I believe these tools have been useful and effective in the past, I find that I want to expand my repertoire and freshen things up for my staff and for my own professional development. It is time for me to take it to the next level! I look forward to gaining experience and fluency in the use of blogs, vrooms and continued integration of whiteboard technologies to keep my staff supported, engaged and excited about the work they do with our Title I students.
Learning Exchnage, the company I work for, advocates 21st century learning for both the teachers we employ and the students who participate in our programs. Technological literacy is one of many 21st century skills we integrate into our lessons, but we are still in the learning process of figuring out the most effective application in our supplemental program. I hope that through my coursework in the MEIT program I will be able to help guide and support our company's mission of devloping 21st century learners, as well as help our teachers toward continued professional growth in this area.
Although we are just getting started in this journey, I can already see the benefits of what I have learned--in the matter of a week I have created my first vroom, used Google Docs for the first time in a collaborative manner and I am now making my initial post on a the first blog I've ever created! Talk about exploring new territory. I look forward to all of the "firsts" to come over the course of the next two years or so, and I anticipate that I will be pushed out of my comfort zone regularly; but I welcome the challenge! Stay tuned...
My name is Sue and I wear many hats in both my job and my life. A common theme that I see running throughout all aspects of what I do, whether it is for work or play: technology.
As an educator in the role of Director of Supervision and Training for Learning Exchange, technology has been and continues to be a critical tool for me to use on a daily basis. In terms of supervision, I rely on Outlook to facilitate communication with my staff via email and shared calendars. When it comes to delivering training for new staff and staff development throughout the year I have used presentation tools, such as Power Point and an interactive whiteboard technology called mimio, to create visual as well as hands on support. While I believe these tools have been useful and effective in the past, I find that I want to expand my repertoire and freshen things up for my staff and for my own professional development. It is time for me to take it to the next level! I look forward to gaining experience and fluency in the use of blogs, vrooms and continued integration of whiteboard technologies to keep my staff supported, engaged and excited about the work they do with our Title I students.
Learning Exchnage, the company I work for, advocates 21st century learning for both the teachers we employ and the students who participate in our programs. Technological literacy is one of many 21st century skills we integrate into our lessons, but we are still in the learning process of figuring out the most effective application in our supplemental program. I hope that through my coursework in the MEIT program I will be able to help guide and support our company's mission of devloping 21st century learners, as well as help our teachers toward continued professional growth in this area.
Although we are just getting started in this journey, I can already see the benefits of what I have learned--in the matter of a week I have created my first vroom, used Google Docs for the first time in a collaborative manner and I am now making my initial post on a the first blog I've ever created! Talk about exploring new territory. I look forward to all of the "firsts" to come over the course of the next two years or so, and I anticipate that I will be pushed out of my comfort zone regularly; but I welcome the challenge! Stay tuned...
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