PC Maintenance and Security

I watched a few tutorials about PC Maintenance and Security on the Atomic Learning site and I'm posting my findings below.

The first tutorial I watched was titled "Using Firewalls."  I learned that if you have a wireless Internet connection, you will need both a hardware firewall and a software firewall.  One thing I'd like to share with others is a protection agent called Zone Alarm.  There is a free version of this available and the free version is enough protection for most systems.  What most surprised me was that hardware firewalls don't block spam emails and they don't stop me from spreading viruses.  I need to take precaution and start protecting myself better.

The second tutorial I watched was called "Making Emails Safer."  Recently I was made aware that my email sent out a "spam" email to most of my contacts.  I have never had this problem before and was extremely interested in how I could stop this from happening again.  It is worth sharing with others that there is a program called "Mailwasher" that can be downloaded free and will help prevent the problems with spam emails.  I was surprised to find that there are so many options in setting up an email account (on hotmail, gmail, or yahoo) that allow you to better protect yourself.  After watching the first video in this series of tutorials, I went right to my hotmail account and changed my settings.

The third tutorial I watched was "Helpful Website Resources."  I am always looking for resources that will help educate me in one way or another.  I can honestly say that I have never "googled" or searched for websites that will help give your computer a "tune-up."  I would like to share the website "PC Pitstop."  On this site, you will be able to give your PC a tune-up.  It will give a status on your computer in comparison with others who have similar systems as you.  Also, you can go to Gizmo Richards' Tech Support Alert and get free tools to help make your computer safer.  It surprised me that there are so many different free options out there to help keep your PC secure.

RSS

This is a screen shot of my Google Reader subscriptions.  As you can see, I have tried to organize my subscriptions into folders based on the content of each one, but it is still a work in progress.  I use the RSS Reader to follow different articles from various sites and professional organizations, blogs, radio shows, and online journals.  At first it was very difficult for me to spend the time sorting through the new items that flooded my feed each day.  To be honest, I forgot about the RSS Reader for about a week once I got it set up in class.  When I logged back in at the end of the week, I had a better attitude towards using it (probably because I wasn't on "overload" from sitting in class all day) and found that it was actually a great learning tool.  

So far, I've enjoyed reading the blog postings and responses to the "Latest Activity on SMARTBoard Revolution" subscription I am following.  I have noticed that people are posting questions and responses rather quickly, and everyday; while other blogs, like the Fountas and Pinnell blog, have not seen new posts for a few weeks now.  I have also really enjoyed the articles from the "Creating Lifelong Learners" subscription.  I specifically liked (and starred) the article titled "Six Ways Teachers Can Improve Education This Year."

Although it has only been about 3-4 weeks since I set up my RSS Reader, I have been able to learn a thing or two from my subscriptions.  One of my favorite postings in "Techlearning" was "Top 25 Sites From 2010" by David Kapuler.  It included a lot of really great sites for teachers to use in their classroom or as a resource.  I have joined the "We are Teachers" social network (#25 on Kapuler's list) and spent some time looking through the various topics the site contains and will definitely put it on my list of "go to" sites.

Keeping up to date with the newest trends in education and technology is not an easy task.  However, using my RSS Reader has already been able to help me in this area.  I am definitely more knowledgeable about ways to incorporate technology into my classroom.  I actually feel like I am a better teacher because I've stepped outside of my "box" and chosen one of the many ideas I've read about to start in my classroom soon.  The first goal on my list is to establish a blog for my classroom that will allow my students to connect with others and share their learning.  There is so much positive feedback from teachers who have introduced this into their classrooms and I would like to try it myself.  

Creative Commons

Photo Attribution:

Original Image: "Baby Pig"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ariels_photos/2986028657/sizes/s/
By: Ariel Waldman
Released under an Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

I often use images from the web to put into documents that I am sending home (so they look pretty, of course), or to spruce up the Power Point presentations that I use to teach from.  I often pull up pictures that I can paste next to text for the students that are not able to read all the words.  The images help me to reach all learners. I chose an image of a pig because my class recently went to the farm and they absolutely LOVED the baby pigs.  I thought I could use this image when I am showing students how to make a life cycle.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ckzgws3nJZ7ySZUPccvaBQ?feat=directlink
The link posted above will take you to a picture that I uploaded to Picasa and includes the Creative Commons license.

Social Networking

After exploring the numerous social networks available, I am completely shocked that this many exist.  I explored and joined the MSUEduTech Group on MACUL Space and have started to "Tweet" on Twitter... which I never had ANY interest in.  I can definitely see the advantages of using Twitter to connect with others out in the education technology world.  After learning the lingo, it was simple to search for threads related to SMARTBoard technology or the MAET program.  I was most surprised to see that people are "tweeting" valuable thoughts and information, even giving links to useful resources.  I am confident that Twitter will be a new resource for me as well.  I am training myself to go to Twitter first, asking for any tips on "blank," before doing the typical Google search.  I know that there will be hundreds of people who can help with whatever it is I am looking for.

I have also been reading articles and blogs about elementary students using social networks as a tool for learning in school.  WOW!  After reading Michelle R. Davis's "Social Networking Goes to School," I can see how beneficial it can be for children to connect with each other about topics that they are learning in school.  Children always learn better when they can apply what they are learning to "real world" situations.  By participating in a blog or even a micro-blog like Twitter, students are able to converse about topics related to their Social Studies or Science curriculum in a meaningful way.  They can even ask for help or give tips on specific math concepts, not to mention that they will be boosting reading and writing skills in the process.  I think that social networking in school is going to be the newest component of the many teaching strategies I already use.