Teaching CS in Dallas

New Category - Making Movies

Since I'm doing a second workshop on Making Movies, AND since TypePad is the easiest way to make a web page about something, I've started a new category called Making Movies.

I'm putting all my directions for Making Movies there.

The first entry is already done -- Making a movie with the "Free Stuff" from Windows.  I'll be more this week.

Screencast.com = Place to Store your Movies and other work.

I have been using Screencast.com to store Camtasia movies for quite some time, in fact, I've even made some podcasts with it.

http://www.screencast.com -- Free account or Pro version at $9.95 a month or $99.95 a year

http://www.screencast.com/t/DlVGEusHKBo5

Jing - Free or Pro Version

You can make a movie with Jing by Techsmith -- see http://www.jingproject.com

There is NOT an education price, the pro is $9.95 a month.

Here is a quick overview -- they do have their own training videos.

 

 

Tools for making movies

You do need a computer -- I've been making all of my movies with either Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.  Sorry, I don't do Macs, but I've heard it's easier.

A microphone is also a good thing.  You could however, do everything with some type of captions, but students really don't like reading.  You can get a stand microphone for under $20.00 at Office Depot.  For today's movies (November 8), I've been using the microphone built into my web cam.  

If you want to do demostrations -- I have done a couple with the blog, you should get a web cam, and they range in price.  I found one on Amazon for less than $15.00

Of course, the point of the workshop presentation was doing it without a camera.

Windows 7 - Lenovo X61 - Removed it

Two things were driving me nuts about Windows 7 and the Lenovo -- the USB Webcam won't work and I  can't find the drivers.   Also , I couldn't get iPrint to work.

SO, I backed up the Windows 7 install to the HMS, and put the XP back on.  There are several issues on that OS bothering me, so I have fixing them.  There is a file that wouldn't let me shut down the computer automatically, and a couple of other programs that automatically load that I have to shut down each time, or they are in the way (Lanschool and SmartBoard). 

I've also fixed an Outlook issue.

All in all, it does make the experience much more pleasant!

Computer Security in Schools

My district uses Computrace -- note I am a teacher tech and am not at any decision level at all, and I am relating what I've been told by the powers that be.

I've been with my district 17 years, and over the years, I've seen various lock down devices.

The first set of computers in my room were bolted to the tables with a very long bolt that had to be undone with a special device if you had to work on the hardware.   I've seen computers glued to various types of  lockdown pads and combinations of security chains.   

All of these had some common problems -- techs had to have a special device to unlock the security devices before they could work on them, usually requiring different keys or wrenches.

BUT the computers were still stolen, often theives would take the whole table with the computer(s) and monitor(s) still attached and detach them at their leisure.

All that changed when we started issuing laptops to teachers.  They all had CompuTrace installed on them and I remember one of our adminsitrations relating stories about how the laptops were found -- one even involved in a child porn case, investigators found the alleged pedophile in the hotel room where the suspect was hiding out.

All of the district computers are now protected with Computrace or the like.  The laptop I am working on right now has one, and you know it when you go into the System setup -- it tells you.

Monitors are so cheap, they don't worry about their theft, they just send out new ones.  We buy in bulk so get a better deal. Same with mice and keyboards.

Windows 7 on my Think Pad X61

In March, I will have had this tablet notepad for two years.  LOVE IT, but it was getting slow and old. 

I decided to load Windows 7 Ultimate (oh, and it had Windows XP on) last night and see what it was like. 

I've gotten on the DISD software to work, VPN, Groupwise, etc.

I still don't have the volume buttons working, but I don't have the latest drivers, had to download new software for the ATT aircard, but it's working now, and

I'm loving my tablet again!

Thanks Microsoft, and I'll probably be buying another copy of Windows 7 from Journey Ed, though I could load the Professional version for free.

Windows 7 + ThinkPad X61

First, tried Windows 7 on the Gateway -- didn't work.

Put it on the Think Pad last night.  So far, loving it.  Only thing I don't have on it is Novell, I have a client installed, but wasn't able to use the VPN to get to our Novell Server, I'll try again and look at our settings.  Went from XP to WIndows 7 since the district doesn't trust Vista.  I'll either have to downgrade to the professional or pay $100 for the Ultimate.

I want to figure out how to turn off their automatic login -- I hate that, stuck with their B "N" when I could have my own picture.

I still have some Lenovo drivers to find and load, but it's looking good.

Ping - Partation Image Not Ghost

http://ping.windowsdream.com/ - Saved my butt this week.

Our Norton Ghost isn't working right now.  Think it's the CD Driver.

Anyway, came in on Monday, workstation would not load any software and run it.  Finally got a blue screen of death, etc.  Rebooted several times, several ways, it was gone.

Called specialist and he said could reload the workstation, but couldn't that day.  I remember only difference between my workstation software and the kids computers was Lanschool, Deep Freeze,  my personal software (Camtasia and the like), and hardware.  So I used Ping, grabbed an image and loaded it on my workstation.  Worked like charm

Dennis came by on Tuesday morning, he loaded Deep Freeze -- that really DOES take him to do, and I immediately took an image.  Loaded my hardware and software, took another image and left for the day.

Went to work yesterday, and got messages saying that my C:\Windows was corrupt, so I decided I had a bad hard drive.  Tried the image and COULD not get it to work.  At this point I have a student station.

First, the second image was bad, as the hard drive had been running for a while.  Second, I was reading directions but not following them.  When I tried to restore the image, I kept typing in the image name, NOT THE DIRECTORY.  Argh!

Follow and read instructions, that is what I am always fussing at students for.

So when I left yesterday, I had swapped a student workstation for mine, was up, and was restoring the student image on my old computer.

Why I'm Jealous of Teach for America Teachers

I feel the same way BUT my problem is that I am the only person in my school, so I have no one to collaborate with.  I have to go to professional development off site for that.

We had something called "Job Alike" and it was great because it was broken up into 1 hour presentations and we took turns sharing what worked.

Hate working in a vacuum! 

Quote

Why I'm Jealous of Teach for America Teachers | Edutopia
I don't mean to whine, but I'm feeling neglected. For all my questions about the eventual impact on education with Teach for America, I find myself a little pouty that TFA teachers get all this professional development, and I don't.

Windows 7 is "sweet" - Wireless

So I upgraded my HP Pavilion Slimeline to WIndows Ultimate (64x).  Bought a wireless USB port from a guy off Ebay.

Stuck it in, didn't need drivers, just needed the Wireless key.

SWEET!