Under the Hood, again?

I never thought that this assignment would be as much fun as it was. I have never taken pictures of my computer before. Seeing some of the slide shows and watching some of the videos on building computers, installing memory, etc, really inspires me to do more. The videos we had to watch were, let's say, a little dry.

I realize that it's just a machine, now how sexy can that be? But I really do have fun working with the computer and it's components. Wow, you'd think I would actually know how to build one then too, right?!? WRONG! I can't build one...yet. :)

The research that we're working on now will definitely help me understand the computer components much better. Knowing what a processor does and what it looks like will help us all know how a computer works and how to possibly replace a part if it goes bad. Just think, if our hard disk drive all of sudden stops working, won't it be more cost effective to know how to replace it yourself? Taking the computer into a repair store may cost hundreds of dollars, in addition to the cost of a new hard drive. Now, it can be without taking it in and it will cost you less. Maybe you can use that little extra you'll save and put it towards a better quality or higher storage capacity hard drive.

What I know about Computers

I would say that I know enough about computers to always get me into trouble. That said, you can imagine when I need to fix something or update something, things may not always go as planned. It seems as though the more we learn about the technology, the more difficult it becomes to fix them because what we may know about how to fix may be already outdated.

I have two computers at home, one desktop named Bertha, and one laptop (sorry no name was given). Bertha was built from scratch by a friend and is getting pretty old. About a month after it was built, the dual processors were released. :( Sad for me but that's what happens sometimes. Since then we've had some problems but now that we installed Windows 7, those problems are only speed related - probably relating to the non-dual core processor.

I already know how to access the BIOS and boot sequences to make me dangerous. I would like to learn more about them so when changes are made, it doesn't mess up everything on the computer.

The other thing I would like to start learning is how to build or update my current system to an updated system that runs faster and more efficient. This would force my wife and I to use that computer more than our laptop. Right now we use the laptop primarily, probably because that computer is much faster than Bertha.

With the second class starting, I'm excited to get going on it after a little break. Let's Roll!

Video Chat

I can honestly say that this is one of the coolest topics to discuss. However, given my school's current technological status, I am not sure how effective this will be in my classroom. In talking with my librarian, who just happens to have taken this grad program 2 years ago - but not online :), she told me that our current bandwith is only 10MB. Luckily, we were one of the winners of a grant that will increase our bandwith to 100MB starting next school year.

This added bandwith will allow for video chat and streaming online. I am very excited about this and hope that it will help move my district closer to offering courses online.

For the time being then, I'll just have to make do with the webcam I have installed on my laptop or the one I purchased on sale a year ago. It doesn't give a very clear picture, but that's alright. I tell you though, sometimes it is nice to be able to just sit here and chat online and not worry about what I'm wearing. This is my first weekend off for 3 weeks now and I have a chat session planned with my group and I haven't changed out of my pajamas yet. :)

How does this all apply to my classroom, well receiving this grant will now allow me to feel better about chatting with clinicians from far away. I still plan to try this in a few months, but I might ask someone I know, just in case things don't go as planned.

For those interested, here are a few links to other audio/video chat programs:
Skype - great for calling around the world.
TokBox - very nice for sending a video e-mail.
Sightspeed
ooVoo - very much like Skype but newer.
UStreamTV - this is more a program that allows one to broadcast a video, not chat in real time.

My plan is to use one of these online chat programs with my classroom as a distance learning tool, possibly trying it out as a clinic session, or making a call to someone for teaching advice. At home, my wife and I can use this to video chat with a friend in North Carolina and California. I'll be talking with both of them soon and will recommend getting one of the programs above.

Last weekend my group and I attempted chatting over video from our Ning network. It was challenging and we eventually ended up using the audio only, but we learned a valuable lesson in the process.

What does it mean to me?

Getting my Master's degree has been a lifetime goal of mine. I also hope to some day get my doctorate in conducting, but one thing at a time. :)

I have always been very tech-savvy, so this whole master's program being online is right up my alley. I know already that it will help me in the classroom as I will be able to post videos and show them our new smart board. The students at school are very excited about technology too and I wonder sometimes if my students could use more technology in my class, how would that effect their learning. I know I already have a lot to learn about the smart board and other online tools, but these students have learned so much already too as digital natives.

My goal as I work towards this degree, is to incorporate as much of these lessons into my own classroom and hopefully bridge the digital gap between me and my students.

Master's Program Begins

I began this blog because I am very excited to start working on my Master's Degree. I am working towards a Masters in Instructional Technology through Cardinal Stritch University.

The course meets online on Wednesday evenings and we are beginning by learning about Google accounts, Nings, and Blogging. I am ready to begin. Are you ready to read about it with me?