What I am Learning in CEDO 510 and How it Applies to My World

The class that I am currently taking at Cardinal Stritch is called Computer Systems: How they work. In this class we will discuss the history of the computer, the different components of computers, the role of an operating system, the various operating systems available, viruses, and what makes up an ideal computer.

The topics that we will discuss in this class apply to my life in various ways. Computers have become part of my daily life. I use them to socialize, research, collaborate, share, and organize. After learning more about computers and how they work, I will be able to make informed decisions about computers. I will be able to evaluate the various types of computers, components, and software that is available. I will be able to determine what computers offer the best option for my personal use.

This course will also help me protect my information and my computer. I will be able to learn how to prevent viruses and keep my computer secure. This will help ensure that I do not lose important personal information or affect the functionality of my computer.

This class should also help me increase the longevity of my computer. I will be able to keep my operating system running smoothly and I will be able to troubleshoot issues with the components inside my computer.

All of these topics will help protect my investment and make sure that I can maximize the use of my personal computer.

Computer history for Carl Bauhs

I can remember using computers all the way back to my elementary school days. I was fortunate enough to have access to an Apple IIGs in our home. The elementary school that I attended also had Apple computers and we would play games like "Oregon Trail" and "Number Munchers". The computer lab was primarily used for these type of interactive learning games. This definitely caught my attention and it did actually help motivate me to do better in my math classes (I didn't want to be the kid with the lowest score in number munchers). I also have fond memories of my cousin's IBM machine. We would spend hours playing "Kings Quest" which was a logic story type of a game.

As I got older the technology definitely changed. I remember when we got a new computer and a subscription to AOL. Our phone line was always busy as I was chatting with friends on the computer and sending emails. This allowed the computer to be used as a social tool and a research aide. Once we got rid of dial-up I remember becoming obsessed with Napster. This even got me to install my first CD-Burner.

When I look back and remember the "good old days" I have to laugh. I can now do more with my phone than I could have ever dreamed possible. The technology has changed so fast and has become so accessible that the possibilities seem endless. It has definitely simplified life and can be incorporated in everything that we do on a daily basis. Possibilities such as Pranav Mitry's "6th sense" (see earlier post) integrates technology seamlessly and makes information available to us at any moment. I can't imagine what the next generation will be experiencing.

Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense | Video on TED.com

This is a must see. Using the internet as a 6th sense. Interacting with your world via a webcam, projector, and phone to obtain information and achieve a variety of tasks accomplished by only using gestures from your own two hands. UNREAL!


Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense | Video on TED.com

Quality assurance team

I just met with the members of my quality assurance team to discuss how we use technology in our school district. The members of the team are going to return to their departments to collect artifacts that demonstrate the use of technology within our school. We hope to gain insight on what we are currently providing and how we can expand the use of technology in the classroom.

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Diigo

I have been checking out diigo. I really like the idea of highlighting/annotating websites. I can totally see this being something that teachers and students could use to extract the important info from a webpage. I like the idea of collaboration and using it as a smarter search engine. I look forward to using this from now on.

South Milwaukee School District Professional Development Day

On Monday, my school district, South Milwaukee School District, had a professional development day. The first part of the day was a break-out session where teachers attended two inservice meetings of their own choice. I checked out an inservice on Adobe Photoshop. The inservice contained information on how to upload photos from various sources and how to do some basic editing. I hope to some day utilize student photos within lab reports. The second inservice that I attended was on social networking. We discussed how prevalent social networking is and its lasting power. The inservice demonstrated a variety of social networking sites and discussed safety issues and school use. Currently our school district blocks all social networking sites but has started to allow a few select teachers to utilize facebook to connect with students and relay information. After the inservice I met with some co-workers and discussed the possibility of starting our own facebook page for our chemistry students. We discussed the pros and cons and we also compared it to the wiki which we currently have. I look forward to seeing how our school district decides to integrate social networking.