Today is the last day of our class. I must admit that I had reservations about the class but I am glad that I stuck through! I was glad to have Ryan in class with me...he helped balance the undergraduate/graduate issues and standards .
In summary, the most useful things I learned about (and was able to apply this semester to my job) were: blogs, rss feeds, google docs, InDesign, slide show creation, and web modification. Thanks for the tools background!
~S.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Today is my presentation day...I have opted to go last so I will try to pay attention to the other two presenters and know that in 2 hours from the posting of this post it will be over :)
Rose presented a video on gardening. She used some Adobe software to create her movie. I have been following Rose's blog and she truly is excited about gardening! I would have enjoyed this presentation more if she had shown a shorter video and explained more of the how-to. Suggestions for Rose: write a script so that your "story" is told more fluidly. Use the transitioning tools for smoother transitions. Good first time video. As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry I am anxious to try my had as a video producer.
The second presentation was on "kidspiration" which is visual learning software for pre-K to 5th grade. "kidspiration, the visual way to explore and understand words, numbers and concepts. We first watched a tutorial that made me jealous...there isn't a fun/easy tutorial for InDesign (the software I am presenting on). Maybe this is due to the audience, ya think? I think that my daughter Ellie Ann (2nd grader) would enjoy playing with the free trial software while learning too! There is also a software program called inspiration for 6th to 12th grade.
I'm up in 10 minutes...Fortunately or unfortunately some of my classmates were not able to attend my presentation...classes for the eight week session begin today. I guess as long as Kurt doesn't walk out I am good.
~S.
Rose presented a video on gardening. She used some Adobe software to create her movie. I have been following Rose's blog and she truly is excited about gardening! I would have enjoyed this presentation more if she had shown a shorter video and explained more of the how-to. Suggestions for Rose: write a script so that your "story" is told more fluidly. Use the transitioning tools for smoother transitions. Good first time video. As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry I am anxious to try my had as a video producer.
The second presentation was on "kidspiration" which is visual learning software for pre-K to 5th grade. "kidspiration, the visual way to explore and understand words, numbers and concepts. We first watched a tutorial that made me jealous...there isn't a fun/easy tutorial for InDesign (the software I am presenting on). Maybe this is due to the audience, ya think? I think that my daughter Ellie Ann (2nd grader) would enjoy playing with the free trial software while learning too! There is also a software program called inspiration for 6th to 12th grade.
I'm up in 10 minutes...Fortunately or unfortunately some of my classmates were not able to attend my presentation...classes for the eight week session begin today. I guess as long as Kurt doesn't walk out I am good.
~S.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Mini Presentations Day 2
Today we had demonstrations on Google Docs and graphics.
This is one of those tools you wish you had known about years ago! I have had a side job as a thesis editor for MS and PhD students. Rather than sending enormous files over the email (and often breaking up the files into chapters) Google Docs is the way to go!
I also have some of my staff members that work from home or work only a certain % time in the office particularly during the summer. I also have an advisor on maternity leave through the end of July. Rather than sending documents via email to ten different advisors, setting up these files on Google Docs would appear the way to go. I plan to present this as an option to my staff on Thursday's staff meeting. I love the option of going back to previous versions of a document! This would save the necessity of cut and paste, format updates etc.
Alternate sites: http://www.hypertextopia.com, http://www.zoho.com, some are just word processing, some just have excel functionality, some like google.docs have both functionality and more.
On his presentation covering graphics Ryan first covered some simple definitions. Bitmap graphics use pixels. A vector image is mathmatical/scalable. They are also smaller. Vector images are not good for photos. You would use vector graphics when using logos, on-line images.
300 dpi is where you want to be for a good quality print.
More than 72 dpi on the web is overkill.
picresize.com has some fun features like the polariod (see image top right).
According to Ryan Photoshop is the best graphic tool! I am interested in taking Photoshop I and II for my graduate program.
~S.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Mini Presentations
Today the first presentation was on Assistive Technology. I must admit I wasn't sure that I would have anything to contribute to the group, however, as the discussion progressed I realized that I use "low-tech" options on a daily basis.
As an academic advisor I refer students to the Disability Resource Center for testing and additional assistance. Many of my students are returning Veteran's that have some disability or another, as a result of their service in the military.
FIELD TRIP! We took a tour of the Assistive Technology Building and saw just a few of the items available for those in need of technology. I learned that they have equipment available for students (particularly the first week of ski season, and the first week of Ultimate Frisbee). This is a great service to share w/ my students.
The second presentation was on Shutterfly. Subscriptions are free :). For a NON-SCRAPBOOKER this is a great alternative. Since my husband works out of the state 25 out of 30 days a month it might be fun to make a small book of the kids to send on the road with him. This would also be a fun teacher memory book...Summer Vacation...Teton Science School...5th Grade Graduation...Sky View Graduation...many fun memory making opportunities to come for the 2008-09 year.
~S.
As an academic advisor I refer students to the Disability Resource Center for testing and additional assistance. Many of my students are returning Veteran's that have some disability or another, as a result of their service in the military.
FIELD TRIP! We took a tour of the Assistive Technology Building and saw just a few of the items available for those in need of technology. I learned that they have equipment available for students (particularly the first week of ski season, and the first week of Ultimate Frisbee). This is a great service to share w/ my students.
The second presentation was on Shutterfly. Subscriptions are free :). For a NON-SCRAPBOOKER this is a great alternative. Since my husband works out of the state 25 out of 30 days a month it might be fun to make a small book of the kids to send on the road with him. This would also be a fun teacher memory book...Summer Vacation...Teton Science School...5th Grade Graduation...Sky View Graduation...many fun memory making opportunities to come for the 2008-09 year.
~S.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
iMAC
OK, after Tuesday's class I am convinced that I should take my economic relief check and buy a macbook or macbook pro. A few of the advantages are: I can work with my school/work files using the windows option w/o recreating and transferring files. I can play with iMovie, photobooth, garageband, and the list goes on.
In class we took clips from a previously recorded movie and learned how to rearrange them, cut unnecessary sections, add music and cool effects. The best part is that while the process is time intensive, it is quite easy to do. With this new found knowledge, I am planning on creating a DVD for my students. I am working with a colleague and fellow Connections (USU 1010 Freshman Experience) instructor to video her class participating in the Amazing Race. This activity involves.teamwork, choice and consequences, and decision making while exposing students to a variety of campus buildings and resources. It is similiar to the ClueFinder experience.
For home it would be fun to video the kids playing ball, jumping on the tramp, just being kids to share with family and friends--since I now have a blog, a webpage, RSS feeds, and a facebook account to manage :).
With regard to our projects, my suggestion would be that the class be extended two additional weeks for project submission. I would love to make an iMovie but with only two weeks left for class it is not very realistic. Of course you will always have the procrastinators who think there is never enough time. Maybe I am putting too much into the project concept...just my unsolicited two-cents.
~S.
In class we took clips from a previously recorded movie and learned how to rearrange them, cut unnecessary sections, add music and cool effects. The best part is that while the process is time intensive, it is quite easy to do. With this new found knowledge, I am planning on creating a DVD for my students. I am working with a colleague and fellow Connections (USU 1010 Freshman Experience) instructor to video her class participating in the Amazing Race. This activity involves.teamwork, choice and consequences, and decision making while exposing students to a variety of campus buildings and resources. It is similiar to the ClueFinder experience.
For home it would be fun to video the kids playing ball, jumping on the tramp, just being kids to share with family and friends--since I now have a blog, a webpage, RSS feeds, and a facebook account to manage :).
With regard to our projects, my suggestion would be that the class be extended two additional weeks for project submission. I would love to make an iMovie but with only two weeks left for class it is not very realistic. Of course you will always have the procrastinators who think there is never enough time. Maybe I am putting too much into the project concept...just my unsolicited two-cents.
~S.
Monday, May 26, 2008
UAOA Advising Conference
I was unable to attend class on Wednesday due to the fact that I was participating in a regional advising conference. On Wednesday night I moderated a dinner group on the topic of "MySpace, Facebook, email...How do you connect/communicate with your students?" It was very informative. I have changed some of my views based on the discussions we had that night. The "Hot Topic" of the night seemed to stem from the very basic definition and initial intent of many social networking sites. Over dessert we seemed to come to the consensus that social networking sites should be used for just that! They should not become the main source of university information sharing, although they are beneficial in finding the "lost" students.
We also discussed the issue of a professional on-line presence verses the real you presense (in some cases these are two very different profiles). It appears that my colleagues use these sites to fileter out potential employees. I have heard of this practice when hiring new college graduates but it is also being used to hire for upper level support staff and administration.
~S.
We also discussed the issue of a professional on-line presence verses the real you presense (in some cases these are two very different profiles). It appears that my colleagues use these sites to fileter out potential employees. I have heard of this practice when hiring new college graduates but it is also being used to hire for upper level support staff and administration.
~S.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Digital Photography
Today we learned about Digital Photography. I have recently purchased a digital camera and am anxious to learn how to download pictures, minor editing, and how to save a picture. My biggest confusion is with all the file extensions. I have pictures I would like to save in an HTML, blog, as a screensaver, etc.
Most Common picture files/extensions
TIFF -
JPEG - Joint Photographic Expert Group re-saving, the file quality gets a little smaller when you save, edit
GIF - Graphics Interchange Format
If posting on the internet is is not necessary to have a really high resolution. The biggest reason is that the higher the quality, the longer the file will take to load.
photoshop.com/express/landing.html an alternative to purchasing PhotoShop (approx $600)
flickr and picnik are popular on-line photo management systems
Most Common picture files/extensions
TIFF -
JPEG - Joint Photographic Expert Group re-saving, the file quality gets a little smaller when you save, edit
GIF - Graphics Interchange Format
If posting on the internet is is not necessary to have a really high resolution. The biggest reason is that the higher the quality, the longer the file will take to load.
photoshop.com/express/landing.html an alternative to purchasing PhotoShop (approx $600)
flickr and picnik are popular on-line photo management systems
OK, I tried to resist but I must admit after braving the MAC world (let's be real just photobooth) I took my own picture and have now added it to my blog...and it was fun. I plan on sneaking in during the dead of night to play with this accessory. I need a picture to post for my 20th H.S. reunion and on my facebook site that I recently created.
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