John Sklar's Office

The Death of FlashDrives....

2011-11-26T12:15:00.001-06:00

I saw some pretty good deals on flash drives in the past few days. You know, those little devices that we all started to use when floppies became hopelessly small for the documents we wanted to move around.

The first time I actually got a flash drive was at a product demo for a computer maker. It was about a decade ago. It was a tiny little thing that had the companies catalog on it. I promptly erased it and used the little thing to transport files from work to home and home to work.

That little thing was about 64kb or about an eighth of a gig. On my desk today I have several 8 gig drives, one of which will actually boot to linux.

Alas, these will probably become collector's items too. With cloud computing it seems that we no longer need "hard" storage as much as we need "cloud" storage.


Click to create your Dropbox and increase my storage

Dropbox is a service that provides cloud storage. Using a small program on your computer, Mac, or PC, it allow you to store files in the clouds and get them back from any computer that has an internet connection.

There is also the capability to make folder public, share them with specific people and best of all, share them with your Ipad or Ipod.

That's right, there is an app for that! The dropbox app is a super way to move things around. Music, pictures, ebooks either MOBI or epub and any other files that you own and want to share with friends or move from your computer to your Ipad. For example, if you have a pdf that you want on your Ipad and you want to share with friends or co-workers, just put it in your dropbox, notify your friends and fire up your Ipad's dropbox app. The file will soon appear in the dropbox app and prompt you to select an app to read the file in. (pdf's can be read the most ebook reader apps, but that is another post.)

(Disclaimer: If you click the graphic or link above to create your own Dropbox, it will increase my storage. Its a perk for getting people interested. )

Welcome Students:

2011-11-13T13:47:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my CEdo510 Students. I know some of you might surf over here seeking some special wisdom. All I have are posts of stuff I'm interested in. I post infrequently but in spurts. When something strikes my fancy.

Here is something fancy, that struck mine:

More Incredible Tech

2011-11-13T12:17:00.001-06:00

I like tech that installs itself.
When you get an IPAD you soon realize that printing is reserved for expensive apps or printers that are wireless and designed for Apples Airprint technology.
I only buy a new printer when the old one dies... Mine died. It was a six year old laser printer that had a duplexer and printed color in its early days. The print cartridges cost about $350 bucks a set and the printouts were not good enough in color to justify the cost. So I used it for BW printing for the last couple of years. When its network interface failed I took that as a sign from the almighty that I needed a new printer.

Shopping online is so easy. I decided that I wanted a wireless printer/scanner that was AirPrint compatible. I wanted speed and ease. I shopped amazon, J and R, buy.com and HP. HP remarkably had the best prices and selection so I compared all the printers, using their tool and decided on the HP C310a. Some of the reviews said it was a bit complicated but I thought that the performance specs were probably worth the trouble with initial setup.
HP's website is a bit troublesome. Great information but every time I go to buy, I have a question that does not seem to be answered online. (or a coupon code it refuses to recognize) The salesperson was excellent and eventually sold me the printer for about 15 bucks less than if I had completed the purchase online. There is a lesson there.
So here is my experience:
It came in about 2 days. The box was so light, I thought they forgot the printer. The packaging was sensible, a reusable zipper bag for the small items and the printer was set in the box in a reusable grocery type bag. Pulling gently on the bag handles and the printer slid out, easy and neat. I set the printer on my desk. Believe me the hard part was done.

Today's Gem

Unpacked and on my desk, I followed the directions, pictographs actually, on how to remove the tape, install the cartridges and then plug the thing into the power. From there the 4" touchscreen came into play. Following the directions on the screen, and answering a few questions, The next thing I knew a test page popped out. I was done setting up the printer and its wireless connection. The touchscreen suggested that I might want to put a disk in the drive and install this on my computer.
Computer setup is not necessary if you use an IPAD. In that case you are done. If you never print anything but photos from picassa, for example, or direct from a memory card, you are also done. It does that stuff right out of the box.

Here is today's gem!!!
I put the CD in my computer and followed the onscreen directions. It asked me how the printer was attached to the network, I said wireless. That's it. Next thing I knew there was a test page coming out of the printer from the computer. That's about it. Never did have to plug the printer/scanner into the computer, it does everything through the network and wirelessly. The scanning is fast and accurate, but this isn't a review, its a gee wiz.
So the best is yet to come. The printer, it turns out, has an email address. HP calls it eprint technology and there is an app for that too. A few seconds of setup on the computer, accessing the eprint site and resetting the email address to something I could remember and I was done. Actually, I also secured it so that only certain email address can communicate with MY printer. You could leave it open to all but that would take a lot of ink and paper.
My daughter is kind enough to leave a picture in my tray once in a while. Not often enough, if she's reading this. My son has yet to do it but I hold out hope.
All they do is send me a picture, from any device, as an attachment. It supports pictures, documents etc. The printer simply prints the pictures and leaves them for me to retrieve.
From the IPAD there is actually no setup. Just find the right icon at the top of your app and select print. It finds the AirPrinter and voila, a page pops out. Isn't tech great.....

Incredible Tech...

2011-11-13T11:05:00.001-06:00

Apple //e with Duo Drive

I got an IPAD 2 for my birthday. I love it. But more than that I like what it says about computing and the future. I remember my Apple //e. It had a duo-drive, i.e. two 5.25" floppies in one case that sat between the cpu/keyboard and the green/black monitor. The picture on the right is essentially what I had. I added a 1 gig ramdisk to the motherboard which gave me the option of loading all of the productivity software I used directly to ram so that both floppies were free for reading and saving files. The boot was kind of long but not in comparison to Windows 7. It probably took a minute or two to fully load.

This computer was hooked up to a printer. The internet was a dream and networks in general were reserved for hospitals and airlines. A sneakernet moved files from one computer to another on a floppy that held next to nothing.

Apple 140 kB single-sided 5¹⁄₄-inch disks, labeled "single sided" but with a notch cut on the right side could be flipped and written on the other side. That made them about 280kB. The tiny picture on the right is 31kB, while a picture taken with my Sony DSLR is about 625 kB, just about 20 times bigger.

The size of current files long ago outstripped the floppy and we eventually moved to flash memory and network storage. Large organizations, seeing the need for people to use their work files when out of the office often employed VPN, virtual private networking, over the internet. This makes an insecure connection, secure so that sensitive data can be transmitted safely.

These networks take some setup and hardware costs and might not be the best choice at home.

Enter the IPAD:

The ipad doesn't do traditional filing. I never actually get to look at the files stored except when a program or app offers me a choice. But getting the files into the IPAD or from IPAD to IPAD or from my computer to your computer. Things get a bit complicated. Unless you employ one of the apps that is designed to move things.

So that brings me to the subject of this post. You see, I have this great chair and this new knee. This means that often I prefer not to get up and go to the computer and fiddle. In fact sitting at the computer is a bit of a chore these days. (hurts the knee a bit)

The great chair on the other had is a pleasure. Holding the IPAD and sitting on the chair. I can access the computer through WiFi using an app called Splashtop. (On sale for $2.99, usually $19.99) Splashtop lets me access my desktop as long as it is on. Even if I'm on another WiFi network, like Starbucks or McDonalds. It simply allows me to control my desktop with my IPAD. Find a file surf the net with flash. etc. Anything my desktop can do I can control from the IPAD.

Splashtop Remote

Last night I wanted to read a book that was stored on my computer. From that nice chair, I Splashtoped over to the computer and dropped the book into my dropbox folder. (Dropbox is free) A few seconds later my ebook app on the ipad was reading the file.

Dropbox App

Dropbox allows me to put a file in a virtual folder and access it from another location. I just need the password or permission. I could share that book with you too. I just send you an email and permission to access my dropbox.

This tech is so remarkable because it makes my IPAD an extension of desktop or is it the other way around. And because it puts me in charge. I don't have to say, "I can't do that..."

Its all about reading the book, not the device its on. Isn't the tech incredible?

Sam's Birdhouse

2011-07-20T16:36:00.001-05:00

For any of you, other than Sam, who care about the bird house. Here is the story. The tenants had babies and the babies are almost ready to fly off. Here is a picture of the dad and one of the babies.

Welcome Students from CED0555 from June 29th

2011-06-30T10:46:00.002-05:00

Here is the powerpoint that I muddled through last night.

If you want to contact me: john.sklar@gmail.com or jmsklar@wolfmail.com

PI-34 and CED555

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Thanks for spending the evening with me. In the end the Brewers lost so teaching was way better than watching them.

Need Guitar Strings?

2011-04-10T13:55:00.002-05:00

I hate to go to my string box and not have a selection of strings. With multiple guitars I am usually getting ready to put new strings on one of them.

I usually buy strings a few sets at a time. I found a place that makes buying strings online a real snap.
The site is www.stringsbymail.com. They boast $3.99 shipping for any size order. This makes them my champ for strings. They also sell some of the strings I use in singles. This gave me the chance to "fill in" where I had broken up some sets. Incidentally, they are a couple of bucks below the other dealers on the D'Addario Chromes that I use.

Most of what I like about these folks is that it is quick, efficent and no nonsense. They shipped within hours of my order and they were in my mailbox a couple days later, no fuss or muss. Very pleasant experience.

Is This Spring?

2011-02-16T11:51:00.001-06:00

Or are these birds just looking for a new home?

You might remember that Sam and I made a birdsnest in the fall. Today, a pair of birds were trying it on for size. I hope they like it.

Moving Itunes? Here's How!

2010-12-31T17:54:00.004-06:00

I have a lot of music. I spend a lot of time listening to it. My ipod has 100 gig of music on it and I rotate the tunes from my itunes library on my computer.

So.... when the music folder on my hard drive got so big that it wouldn't fit, I bought a big hard drive and proceeded to move the music from one drive to the other.

This is actually not a big deal, just copy or move the my music folder from one place to another and then just remind windows where it is. In Windows 7, just hit the start button and right click on music. On of the options will allow you to select where Windows will expect to find music.

So far this is easy. Now open itunes. Oops. it can't find the itunes.itl file and so it makes its own. You are pretty much toast, all your playlists, checked songs etc are gone and itunes doesn't know where the music is.

Here is the trick that I learned... and you should use.

Start itunes with the shift key depressed. Then you can tell itunes where the .itl file is and voila, you will be good to go.
However, itunes still may need to relocate your actual music. Just select a couple of tunes, if there is a grey exclamation point next to the song name, then itunes has lost the location.

I bet there is a way to hack the .itl* file but for me it was easier to select all my tunes in itunes and add them all again. This gave me a new chance to organize the music the way I wanted it. Classical in one folder, vocalists in another etc.

I love my ipod but I hate itunes. At least now I can move it around without too much trouble.

One more quick note. My music is stored on my computer at the highest quality that is available. I'm not sure what the future holds but I want the best sound that I can store. When I load my ipod I use the convert to 128K AAC option. To load an ipod from scratch, i.e. 0 to 100 gig, takes more than a day because it has to convert each song as it loads. By the way, 128K is half the size of 320K on the ipod so it may be worth converting. Can I hear the difference? I don't think I can.
*in fact you can hack the itunes.xml file and then destroy the .itl file. I'm told that this will cause itunes to create a new .itl file based on the .xml file. I won't try this, at least not with the size of my library.

Want to Have Some Real Fun!

2010-10-29T19:44:00.002-05:00

Take one terrific grandson named Sam.
Add one simple wooden birdhouse Kit from the Birdhouse Depot, great people to deal with.
Predrill all the nail holes so the nailing is easy for a little hammer.
Read the directions out loud and show him the pictures so he understands what's going on.
Mount the house right away so you can see the finished product.
Add some cookies when you're done!

Ever need to make a label?

2010-10-24T15:53:00.001-05:00

About five or six years ago my daughter bought me a label maker as a gift. I didn't think I needed to make many labels but honestly, I loved it. It was this little hand held gizmo. on the right. It had a keyboard and used about 6 AA batteries. The labels were great and the thing did a great job but finally the motor burned out. Too bad because I have a few feet of label tape left.
So I started looking for a new label maker. I decided on a brother pt-1230PC for a couple of reasons, first, it was on sale and second it has no keyboard. That is the cool part... you just think a label and it prints... Just kidding... but almost.

This little baby, on the left, plugs into a USB port and the software for running it is on the printer. It loads up in a second, not installed, just runs from the printer. You type your label and press the print button on the screen. Out pops a label and you hit the big button on the top to cut it off.

The part that intrigues me is that this is better than plug and play, its plug and use. Nothing to install, you can use it on any windows or mac computer. It uses batteries and just weighs a few ounces.

Think of the magic of devices that work magically without leaving a footprint on your computer.

BTW: if you are thinking buying one of these look at the other models, the next model up makes one inch wide labels, this one only goes to a half-inch. It also make iron on labels for the kids camp cloths. The white or black on clear tape are great for labeling electronics with notes like "Drive E:"

Here's a final picture of the whole gizmo. Bravo brother! (They don't capitalize their name, they were originally founded by e e cummings)

Software is onboard, no looking for the CD for installation.

What the heck do we need now?

2010-10-11T12:39:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my new graduate students... This is some of what we will talk about on Tuesday night.

What do we really use computers for… would an ipad® do it for us…

What did you use a computer for today?
Did you check your email?
Did you surf the net?
Do a little shopping?
Check up on your friends (facebook®)
Did you “google” an address or map?
Did you find the answer to a NYtimes crossword puzzle clue?

In short, did you turn you computer into a terminal for the day’s work?

Were the files you used stored online?Was the data you needed, online?
Did you save your files to an online location?
Did the music come from a service like itunes?

So much of it is online that…

Computing power is not as important as bandwidth.
Processing power is trumped by browser speed.
We have put our confidence online with our music, pictures and other documents.
Have we misplaced our confidence?

What do we need to go online?

A computer, or computing device, that has a strong network connection.
Wireless, wired or some combination.
We need nice clear video that is able to project what we need to see on the monitor.
We need an input device, our fingers, mice or keyboards. That allow us to interact.

Computing Devices…

Cell phones, netbooks, tablets and big old computers all seem to work for us.
I have a friend who listens to “Pandora” in his car. He uses his ipod to control his cable box and he can surf the net for movies from his TV?
My daughter reads the NY Times on her Kindle, cheaper than the print edition.
People who used to buy books from Amazon and have then delivered now use their Kindle. (Is UPS scared?)

So what do we need…

An Iphone, Ipod or smartphone for talking and music…
A Kindle or Ipad for books and magazines…
A netbook to get on the internet to search, shop or scratch out a letter or email…
A computer with some special software that is not available on the internet…
A device that will privately store your data…

In the future:

We may just need a colorful terminal…
We don’t need much storage, now that it is cheap…
We don’t need much processing, now that it is faster than we ever imagined…
We now need connections and bandwidth…

So as we look at how computers work, lets take the time to look at how we use them too. This change in the way we do use computers happened quickly, what’s the next change? How can we prepare for it?

Welcome to CEDo510

2010-10-08T14:15:00.000-05:00

Computer Systems: How they work

As you can see by paging back through my blog, I usually blog when I have classes in session. Otherwise I'd be pretty much writing to nobody. During our class I will muse occasionally here but mostly the information you need, will be on the Angel Site.

Here is a nice new picture from my back yard... (That's the Homestead High School parking lot in the background)

This little guy came for the crabapples but I think he's going to stay for the lecture.

Things Just Got Better!

2010-04-18T11:01:00.002-05:00

People are always telling me that google docs are just not good enough. Well, I think things may be changing. Google seems good at fixing the things that irritate and adding things that amaze.

See what I mean?!

What is this Omer Counter Thing doing here?

2010-04-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

As a child, holidays came and went. Each had its own rituals and foods. Some I didn't even notice, others were pretty much good for a day off from school. Now that I am older, and have time to think about these things, I spend a little more time wondering what it is all about.

When my dear daughter asked me to write her an Omer counter I had to look it up to find out what it was. I find the idea interesting for many reasons. Most of which it makes the counter, if you choose to be one, congnizant of the passage of time and the season more than ever. It gives us a chance to prepare for the holiday that celebrates G-d giving us the Torah.

The Torah, everything you need to know about life in one easy to handle scroll, is an amazing gift and however you believe it came to be, it certainly has had a profound impact on Jews and non-Jews alike.

I found a couple of interesting articles on Counting the Omer. The first is from the blog PunkTorah regarding the counting:

So, what does this all mean to us now? Well, it can mean many things. Counting the Omer can be used as a tool of self reflection. We can take this time to recognize the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt, from the gift of our freedom. The Sages tell us that G-d freed us from slavery in order to give us the Torah on Shavu’ot, so this should be a time of preparation. Counting the Omer gives us the time to learn from the gift of freedom G-d has given us and incorporate it into our lives, to grow one day at a time, taking a spiritual accounting, to make sure that we are heading in the right direction, to look at what we are doing that is right or wrong and to try to make ourselves ready to receive the honor of the Torah.
Counting the days is another way of directing our mindfulness to the passage of time. Be aware of the days as they pass, count them, give them meaning. We have been freed from slavery, rejecting the confusion and idolatry (philosophically, literally, and spiritually) of our own Egypt’s and are being made ready to re-focus our lives.

Another interesting article from The United Synagogue Website called Counting the Omer - And Making Each Day Count click over there for an interesting read.

Making each day count is probably a good idea anyway.

Web 2.0 and Collaboration

2010-01-19T18:15:00.001-06:00

When one talks about or tries to explain what Web 2.0 is about, (s)he quickly comes to the conclusion that when all is said and done, its about collaboration. Working together, sharing ideas doing the job together, finding joint or group solutions. Using the power of many minds to solve problems. With that in mind I offer two very cool blog posts on collaboration and web 2.0.

100 Web Tools to Enhance Collaboration (Part 1)

and...

100 Web Tools to Enhance Collaboration (Part 2)

Think about this for a few minutes...

2010-01-13T12:06:00.001-06:00

Two articles caught my attention yesterday. Oddly they made me think of a teary time I had in the Jewish section of Rome. I saw children playing and wondered how many were lost during the war. After reading these two articles my thoughts turned to how many ideas were lost and what the world might be like today if the holocaust had not happened.

Miep Gies, Protector of Anne Frank, Dies at 100

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN - Published: January 12, 2010
Mrs. Gies was the last survivor among Anne Frank’s protectors and the woman who preserved her diary.

The Tel Aviv Cluster By Op-Ed Columnist DAVID BROOKS
Published: January 12, 2010
Israelis’ embrace of technology and commerce has had a desultory effect on the nation’s public life, but an invigorating one on its economy.

Stritch Faculty Institute 1/14/2010

2010-01-10T16:03:00.002-06:00

This week I will be presenting at thte Stritch Faculty Institute. I am teamed with another Stritch Professor, April Folgert. If you want a peek at our presentation go to: http://dynamit.us/Avn

Interestingly enough, that is not the actual URL I used http://dynamit.us/url to create a smaller, more manageable URL. The original is: http://sites.google.com/a/wolfmail.stritch.edu/intheclouds/ way to long to comfortably email or pass on to someone else.

Try it to make URL's more manageable. There is another site that does the same thing. http://www.tinyurl.com/

My Netbook Runs Windows 7!

2009-12-29T21:26:00.007-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I put Windows 7 on my Acer Aspire One. The process was actually pretty simple. I just followed the directions I found at a blog, Into Windows . The directions were clean and direct. I used a portable USB 60 gig hard drive that I loaded with the Windows 7 files on another Windows 7 computer. I had tried to do this with a Vista based computer but it didn't work until I was able to do it on a Windows 7 machine.

The upgrade was easy and all the functions worked as I used them. That is, when I inserted an SD card the SD card drivers loaded, when I tried to use the wireless, then the proper drivers loaded. After rebooting a couple of times, the computer worked perfectly.

One problem I had was that I assumed that all my programs and files would be removed during the installation. On the contrary, they were all placed in a folder, Windows.old. The program files were useless, just taking up space the data files were there but not where I wanted them. My solution would be to uninstall all programs and archive all files then install when XP is as clean as you can make it.

Is it worth the effort?

My Acer was running Windows XP before the upgrade and I am very pleased. The positives are pretty easy to see.

Networking is easier and it finds the network faster
It is easier to share files, including music and pictures on my home network
The machine seems faster both in booting and while running.
Windows 7 seems to take better advantage of the meager processor in the Aspire One

Windows 7 works great. I like it better than Vista. It seems faster and has several new convienince features that are worth looking at. All in all I am pleased with the upgrade.

BTW: If you are a student you can get the upgrade for about $30
Not being a student I bought a 3 pack from Costco.com for just a bit more than that. The three packs include upgrades for both 32 and 64bit versions. I believe you can do a clean install or an upgrade with these upgrade packs but please don't quote me.

2009-12-29T21:26:00.001-06:00

The Netbook Effect: How Cheap Little Laptops Hit the Big Time

2009-04-07T14:07:00.000-05:00

I love my netbook. why? Read this little article in Wired magazine.

The Netbook Effect: How Cheap Little Laptops Hit the Big Time

Posted using ShareThis

CEDo510 - Welcome to My World

2009-03-23T19:38:00.008-05:00

Welcome to my blog. I find this a great place to "put stuff" that others can look at. I also want please fill out the class information form on our WIKI. I will be sending you an invititation to join the wiki, you may have received it already. I know you've filled out a lot of forms but this one will help me keep track of you folks on paper. (Yes, I will probably print the results out.)

You may have asked why I didn't have some kind of ice breaker or meet and greet session. My answer is that you know each other and I'm the outsider. I will use the information sheets to get to know you a little better.

Link to the above presentation

CSI - Milwaukee

2009-02-19T10:56:00.011-06:00

Welcome, I have assembled some materials that you might want to review after we are done or share with colleagues and students. These will be here because blogs don't go away. In fact, you can look back to July of 2008 when I did a presentation much like this. I recycled some of the materials and added a few new pieces.

Here is a flash version of my presentation:

Thinkfree is an online office app and here is a pep talk about online apps you can look at: Use Online Apps (From Thinkfree) Getting started with Web 2.0:

Here are some interesting Web 2.0 links:

A Web 2.0 Directory - http://www.go2web20.net/
Blogger (Google blogs) - http://www.blogger.com/
PBWIKI - http://www.pbwiki.com/
GMAIL - http://gmail.google.com/
ImageChef - http://www.imagechef.com/
ZoHo - http://www.zoho.com/
Thinkfree - http://www.thinkfree.com/

What's an application? Where does collaboration and composition collide? Why use online apps?

Using Google Docs - An Adobe Publication which is a tutorial of sorts and quite professional.

Another Google app is the Google Notebook. I put one together, for you about Jewish Blog Sites.

Phyllis, my daughter and favorite rabbi, said I should include two additional items:
So does one keep track of all these great blogs? Here is a video that will describe a program, Web 2.0 App that will organize this for you.

Need a nice description of Social Media? Try this!

A Vista Solution

2008-12-01T09:30:00.004-06:00

One problem that I have had with Window's Vista OS is that software publishers do not create installers that are Vista compatible. That means that programs don't install correctly and then, don't uninstall. This leaves pieces of programs all over the computer, especially in the registry.

One of my Vista machines has had several programs that just would not uninstall. What to do? Yesterday I did a search on this problem and I found a new tool for users that will uninstall completely. It is easy to use and best of all, there is a portable version that you can use with no installation and even on a portable drive or flash drive.

It is called Revounistaller and is freeware!

On The Road!

2008-10-27T17:43:00.001-05:00

We will be traveling to Israel this week. If you want to follow us, and if I have time to blog, check out:

Blogger in Draft

2008-10-17T11:22:00.001-05:00

If you have blogged for a while and with to experiment with some new "stuff" why not try Blogger in Draft.

Just log into blogger with http://draft.blogger.com to see it. This is where the smart people who work on the blogger software experiment and have fun. For more info go to the Blogger in Draft info page.

Meca Presentation

2008-10-14T15:24:00.014-05:00

Links to note:

Here is another public presentation on Web 2 from a poster at Slikeboom named Anarchyandy. No, I don't pal around with anarchists but it is a great presentation!

If you have blogged for a while and with to experiment with some new "stuff" why not try Blogger in Draft.
Just log into blogger with http://draft.blogger.com to see it. This is where the smart people who work on the blogger software experiment and have fun. For more info go to the Blogger in Draft info page.

MECA ReBorn Join US!

2008-10-10T16:24:00.016-05:00

MECA Meeting Schedule:

Join us from 8:30—9:00AM for coffee, juice, treats and conbersationSaturday, October 18th, 2008 (Newsletter and directions)

Session I: 9:00—10:00

“Managing Digital Photos / Slide- Shows“ – learn how to organize your pictures with Louis Loeffler Web 2.0 applications allow you to share, edit and create pictures. This workshop will discuss photo sharing with Flickr, Image Editors as well as Visual Literacy and 21st Century Skills.
“What is all this Web 2 Fuss?” with John Sklar Is Web 2.0 something educator’s should look at? Anyone can BLOG right now. We will create a blog and update a new MECA Blog.

10:05-10:35—Gathering and discussion. Please join us for a general Q & A about MECA and Web 2.0.

Session II: 10:45—11:45

“Internet and Technology Projects That Support Differentiated Instruction." with Lisa Gokey Are you wondering what you can do to incorporate technology into your differentiated classroom? We'll discover Internet resources that offer independent, self-guided learning for students of all abilities and learning styles.
“Wikis and Other Web 2.0 Delights” with Jim Kasum Web 2.0 is all about collaboration and sharing. Wikis and other tools are simple to use and, in many cases, free to use. Come and see how to build and use a wiki along with, time permitting, other tools for conferencing, meeting and collaboration.

Class 5 & 6 Resources

2008-10-06T17:22:00.002-05:00

Use the button on the left to access the files for the last 2 classes. If you have any problem getting the files please contact me ASAP.

Class 4 - Resources

2008-09-26T10:46:00.001-05:00

Please click on the 516 files button on the left to access the files for class.
Dr. Jim Kasum will be filling in for me tonight. I know you will enjoy the time with him.

Thanks to the Stritch Network Folks....

2008-09-21T09:49:00.002-05:00

I asked the Stritch Network techs to set up the web server so that it would allow the direct download of .java files. It is done and works. Starting today you will be able to download or directly open .java files from the web. This will make it much easier to use the files from the website.

Study Team Logs - CEDu516

2008-09-18T19:01:00.008-05:00

Use this button to fill out the study team form. Print before submit to keep a copy.

September 15th CEdu516

2008-09-15T16:07:00.003-05:00

In a small group, i.e. 2 or three at the most, please complete exercise 4.12 on page 83 and 84.

The file you need, Counter.java is on the file site. Use the button on the left and go to class2 folder. Be sure to take the .txt off the file or just paste the text into jgrasp.

This is should not take more than a few minutes, ok, 15 minutes.

Then I will talk about what you have done. DO NOT PRINT OUT THE RESULT, just show it to me. (And save them!)

Changing a Foreground color:

2008-09-11T10:06:00.007-05:00

After a little research, I found how to change the foreground color in a JLabel and therefore in the content pane of the kinds of applications we are writing. (Thanks Stephen)

You need to set the Opaqity or opaqueness of the label to change the forground. Note lines 13, 29 and 30 below:



 1 // RedText

 2    import java.awt.*;

 3    import javax.swing.*;

 4

 5     public class RedText extends JFrame

 6    {

 7       private JLabel aLabel;    // JLabel that displays text

 8  

 9    // no-argument constructor

10        public RedText()

11       {

12       // get content pane and set layout to null

13          Container contentPane = getContentPane();

14          contentPane.setBackground( Color.LIGHT_GRAY );      

15          contentPane.setLayout( null );

16    

17         // set properties of application's window

18          setTitle( "REDText Demo" ); // set title bar string

19          setSize( 608, 143 );   // set width and height of JFrame

20          setVisible( true );    // display JFrame on screen

21    

22       // set up aLabel

23          aLabel = new JLabel();

24          aLabel.setText( "I am red text on light gray!!" );

25          aLabel.setLocation( 30, 0 );

26          aLabel.setSize( 550, 88 );

27          aLabel.setFont( new Font( "Serif", Font.PLAIN, 36 ) );

28          aLabel.setHorizontalAlignment( JLabel.CENTER );

29          aLabel.setOpaque(false);

30          aLabel.setForeground(Color.RED);

31          contentPane.add( aLabel );

32       }

33    

34    // main method

35    public static void main( String[] args )

36     {

37       RedText application = new RedText();

38       application.setDefaultCloseOperation( JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE );

39    

40     } // end method main

41 

42    } // end class RedText

Accessing Files For Class

2008-09-10T15:15:00.005-05:00

When accessing files from the CEd ftp site, using the button below, please note the directions below the button:

I've added a .txt to all the java files on this site. Right click on the file you want, choose "save target as" from the menu and then drop the .txt off to use the file on your computer.

CEd 516 - Programming in Java

2008-09-03T11:08:00.023-05:00

We will be meeting in Ed101 - From 5 to 9 on Mondays until October 13.
This is in the ED building.

Textbook:Simply Java Programming, (Deitel, Deitel, Listfield, Yaeger, Zhang) Prentice Hall Publisher – Upper Saddle River, New Jersey ISBN: 0 – 13 – 142648-6

Links to booksellers: (None of these are endorsed or tested)

AbeBooks

Campus Books

Alibris

Amazon

Save Money on Textbooks - from the folks at Dealnews

Course Syllabus (As a Google Doc)

CEd516 SYL Fall 2008 - Upload a Document to Scribd

Here are the .java files for testing your system. (Cut and paste them into jgrasp or your editor)


  // a very simple program

  // use this to make sure your equipment is

  // set up right for command line use

  // Written by John Sklar for CEd516

  //



 public class test_console

 {

   public static void main (String args[])

   {

    System.out.println("Is this in the command window?");

   }

 }

 // a very simple program

 // use this to make sure your equipment is

 // set up right

 // Written by John Sklar for CEd516

 //

   import javax.swing.*;



    public class test_setup

   {

       public static void main (String args[])

      {

         JOptionPane.showMessageDialog( null,

             "Testing 1 2 3...",

             "This is just a test",

             JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);

      }

   }

Social Networking & DOPA

2008-08-08T11:05:00.010-05:00

Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006 (DOPA) is a bill (H.R. 5319) brought before the United States House of Representatives on May 9, 2006 by Republican Pennsylvania Representative (R-PA) Mike Fitzpatrick. The bill, if enacted, would amend the Communications Act of 1934, requiring schools and libraries that receive E-rate funding to protect minors from online predators in the absence of parental supervision when using "Commercial Social Networking Websites" and "Chat Rooms". The bill would prohibit schools and libraries from providing access to these types of websites to minors. The bill also would require the institutions to be capable of disabling the restrictions for "use by an adult or by minors with adult supervision to enable access for educational purposes."

The bill is considered controversial because according to its critics the bill could limit access to a wide range of websites, including many with harmless and educational material. Arguments for the bill focus on the fear of adults contacting children on MySpace and similar websites. Many Internet websites, however (ranging from Yahoo to Slashdot to Amazon.com), allow user accounts, public profiles, and user forums, in accord with the bill's definition of "social networking". The bill places the onus upon the Federal Communications Commission to provide clarification.

My daughter pointed out this interesting article on Social networking. Certainly worth a read maybe more action in terms of curriculum...

Welcome to Sally Ride Academy '08

2008-07-10T08:28:00.027-05:00

Note: I started blogging last year just in time for Sally Ride. Here is a link to that post, with some cool resources.

This week we will be looking at Office style applications and how they can be used effectively by students and teachers. This blog will provide you with links to the resources we use in class. I will be able to update it during class and you will be able to refer to it during and after class is over.

Syllabus:

Read or print this document online from Scribd, a free service that allows you to place documents in iPaper format and store them online for blogs or other online access.

Project Descriptions:

Read this document on Scribd: Project descriptions08

PowerPoint:

First a little background:

Click the link below and download the file as a text file. You will need to use the file to use for Wednesday's activity.

Sally Ride - July 14, 2008

2008-07-06T17:57:00.014-05:00

Thinkfree is an online office app and here is a pep talk about online apps you can look at: Use Online Apps (From Thinkfree) Getting started with Web 2.0:

Here are some interesting Web 2.0 links:

A Web 2.0 Directory - http://www.go2web20.net/

Other Web 2.0 links.Blogs - http://www.blogger.com/

PBWIKI - http://www.pbwiki.com/

GMAIL - http://gmail.google.com/

WriteBoard - http://www.writeboard.com/

Student 2.0 - http://students2oh.org/

ImageChef - http://www.imagechef.com/

ZoHo - http://www.zoho.com/

Thinkfree - http://www.thinkfree.com/

NNDB - http://www.nndb.com/

Thinkfinity - http://www.thinkfinity.com/

What's an application? Where does collaboration and composition collide? Why use online apps?

Using Google Docs - An Adobe Publication Google Docs Help Google docs on iPaper ( I didn't write this or endorse it but it seems complete)

HOWTO use google docs - Upload a Document to Scribd

Use Online Apps (From Thinkfree)

Here is a google doc with our Class activity

Please Try My Embeded Form:

2008-06-18T13:47:00.002-05:00

Here is the spreadsheet that is fed from this form. Fill it out then go look at the spreadsheet.

Class 6 - Resources

2008-06-18T13:26:00.003-05:00

Alternate Directions To Oconomowoc

2008-06-17T09:14:00.002-05:00

From Juli Garton:

Just a friendly reminder that our class tonight begins at 5:00 PM which is 15 minute earlier and will end at 9:00 PM.

Meet in room 213 of the Oconomowoc High School, 641 Forest Hill Rd.

Below is an alternative for folks traveling West from Milwaukee if I-94 is closed at Delafield.

Take I-94 and at Pewaukee
Exit Hwy 16
Take Hwy 16 towards Oconomowoc
Before the construction Exit Hwy 67 South (not North)
You will go over Hwy 16 and immediately turn RIGHT after the bridge on Armour Rd *
Turn left onto Summit
Turn right onto Forest Hill Rd – see sign for high school
Left onto Stadium Drive

Drive past the entrance which is near the Gymnasium and PARK please.

Room 213 is on the second floor and on the East side of the school. We took the elevator, but you can take the stairs that require you to walk up and then down ½ a flight to get to room 213. I will be on hand to help you find the room.

High School staff warned me that the lab gets warm with all the computers turned on, but today I would expect it to be comfortable based on the nice weather.

The trip from Madison may take a little more time – I understand that I-94 is closed. Last Saturday, Hwy 18 was also closed in one place, Hwy B and Hwy 16 had closures. Good luck on your drive.

* If you go to far and miss Armour – you will turn right at Summit and then left at Forest Hill and left at Stadium Dr.

Class 5 - Resources

2008-06-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

JavaScript Handout and Examples:

Java Demos and Sites:

Class 4 - Resources

2008-06-03T10:08:00.007-05:00

Here is a Presentation on CSS

Basic Style Demonstration files:

CSS in Blogs?

2008-06-03T09:25:00.003-05:00

Here is a normal large Heading:

Here it is with style!

The normal Code:
<div align="center"><em><strong><span >Here is a normal large Heading:</span></strong></em></div>

The Styled Code:
<div style = "border:thick black solid; background-color:silver;text-align:center;padding: 10px; font-size:280%;"><em><strong>Here it is with style!</strong></em></div>

The Main problem is that each time you view the preview or post, blogger changes the code to "their"standard. It looks the same but may be more complicated.

Thanks to Ben Suter for the character converter. Check out his other tools.

Class 3 - Materials

2008-05-27T11:04:00.009-05:00

A few quick shots:

To change the background image for a whole document:

To change the font for a whole document put this line after the body tag:

A font-family is a prioritized list of font family names and/or generic family names . The browser will use the first value it recognizes so be sure to include enough description.
There are two types of font-family values:
family-name: The name of a font-family, like "times", "courier", "arial"
generic-family: The name of a generic-family, like "serif", "sans-serif", "cursive", "fantasy", "monospace".
Always offer a generic-family name as the last alternative.
Note: If a family-name contains white-space, it should be single-quoted.
<div style="FONT-family: ‘Comic Sans MS’,cursive; font-size:18pt;color:white;">
The line above will display Comic Sans or another cursive font if it is not available

To set the color and behavior of links in HTML

EXAMPLE:

In the head of your page put code like this to get white links, no underline and a change when the mouse is over them. When visited the link will turn red and when hovering the link will turn green. It will turn white after you click before the new page loads.

<Head>

a:link {color:White;text-decoration:none;}

a:visited {color:red;text-decoration:none;}

a:hover {color: green;text-decoration:none;}

a:active {color:white;text-decoration:none;}

</style>

<head>

So Why The Same Graphic Twice?

2008-05-22T07:47:00.010-05:00

Yesterday I posted an image that was made with ButtonShop3. When I got to class last night it didn't show up. Why? I'm not sure. The computers in the classroom were Macs. The format of the graphic in yesterday's post was png, i.e. portable network graphic. This one is a simple jpg.

Can you see the difference? The jpg is 4 kb and the png is 24 kb, is the png file six times better. I won't use png's any more.

CEd 533 - Resources

2008-05-21T09:20:00.012-05:00

So where do you get a cool button? Cooltext.com will help you with the button or... you can buy a program that will do it.
The button above was made with ButtonShop3 from Kristanix software. Today, May 21, 2008 it is the GiveAway of the day. Check it out

CEd 533 - Class 2

2008-05-14T11:27:00.011-05:00

FTP - Oconomowoc
is very important. You can do it from any computer that is on the internet, if the isp allows. You need software. I created an installer for a free, portable ftp client that you can use.

Go to this link: http://faculty.stritch.edu/ced/533/FZ/

IMPORTANT: Right click on the installfilezilla.txt file and select save Target As...
Change the filename to installfilezilla.exe (be sure you know where it is saved!)
All you need to do is double-click on this file and follow the directions. Don't
forget to provide a folder name, say "filezilla" on the drive you want to
install to. This can be a flash/pen/usb drive of your choice.

So why do we need to do this filename dance? Because the server won't let us download an executable file.

Using FileZilla Portable - Upload a doc

In Greendale we will be using FireFTP. An ftp program that runs within Firefox.

FireFTP 0 - Upload a doc

Why HTML by hand?

Now that you know a little HTML you may want to try an editor. It will write the code for you and make life a little easier. It is not cheating, using tools is what makes human intelligence different from animal intelligence.

There are lots of tools out there and many of them are free. If you Google the topic you will find a lot of great editors. Try this list for starters.

I like Nvu It is free and still being developed. There is even a successor on the horizon and it may be released soon. There is talk that it may work inside FireFox. This would make it really neat. As of now it just works for us as an editor. We will still have to upload the results. Click on the logo on the right to go to their website.

Here are the presentations for this week about web languages:

Here is a presentation on graphics:

And finally on Linking pages: (This is very important)

CEd 533 - Class 1 - Resources

2008-05-08T13:26:00.007-05:00

Please fill out this form for me so that I have up to date information about each of you.

Study team logs will be done with a Google Form that Louis assembled and I modified slightly. [Click to fill out this Study Team Form]

Here is the presentation on the History of the Internet. (via Slideboom)

Here is the 1st night Handout: (Via Scribd)

makeapage06 - Upload a doc

CEdu 533 - How the Web Works

2008-04-28T12:53:00.024-05:00

This course examines the origins, history and evolution of the Internet and World Wide Web. Students develop skills in page design concepts, simple html, including the basic use of Javascript and Java applets. Students also investigate page production tools, development of web-based content, content management systems, on-line web applications and curricular examples. 3 graduate credits.

Greendale Middle School – AMEC-AA-0024
Greendale: May 14, 21, 28; June 4, 11, 18 - 5:00 - 9:00 PM

Summit Elementary (Oconomowoc) – AAMEC-AA0023
Oconomowoc: May 13, 20, 27; June 17, 24; July 1 - 5:15 - 9:15 PM

Documents you might want to use:

Course Syllabus: Greendale and Oconomowoc

Assignment 3:

Using FireFtp with FireFox

Glossary of Terms (PowerPoint, not used in class)

Lots of web resources specifically for this course: http://faculty.stritch.edu/jmsklar/533

We will be doing ftp, file transfer protoco, during this course. You will need an ftp client for your computer. If you don't already use one, i.e you are not a complete geek, I have created a portable ftp client setup for you. You can download it now and install it to your USB or Pen drive or wait and do it in class. A pen drive will be useful.

Go to this link: http://faculty.stritch.edu/ced/533/FZ/

IMPORTANT: Right click on the installfilezilla.txt file and select save Target As...

Change the filename to installfilezilla.exe (be sure you know where it is saved!)

All you need to do is double-click on this file and follow the directions.

So why do we need to do this filename dance? Because the server won't let us download an executable file.

Sally Ride - Excel Class - April 16, 2008

2008-04-15T08:20:00.006-05:00

Welcome to class. I hope that you will enjoy yourself and learn a lot about Excel and spreadsheets. Don't hesitate to email me with questions.

The History of Spreadsheets - From Class 1
Assignment Checklist - Google Doc
Syllabus - Google Doc

Welcome WCSS Participants 4/1/2008

2008-03-30T14:09:00.009-05:00

Presentation from WCSS - Jim, John and Web 2.0 - Flash needed, this is a large file, give it time to load.

Same Presentation via slideboom - Fast and easy to use. Give Slideboom a try.

Session's

Handout with Hot links!

Make a comment on our WCSS writeboard (Password:WCSS)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Daughter blogs almost daily and does some interesting things. She started blogging before I did. She uses her blogs to communicate with her congregation, students and she makes new friends. When she was in Israel last month, she took a side trip to deliver a prize that one of her blog readers had one on her blog.

Here are sites she thought you might find interesting and useful as you learn to blog:

Using a reader to read selected blogs

Blogging Basics 101

Tips for making your blog read

When you spouse is blogging too much

Five things every blogger should know.

An HTML converter

Harambee Tech-tune Up

2008-03-04T07:56:00.001-06:00

The History of Desk Top Publishing! (Short Version)

MessMer High School - Tech Fest

2008-02-24T20:00:00.006-06:00

Links from my Keynote on February 25, 2008:

Post your tech integration ideas at:

Messmer Tech Ideas - http://123.writeboard.com/afcc1a3d2c679cd6a/login

password is messmer

Blogs - http://www.blogger.com/
PBWIKI - http://www.pbwiki.com/
GMAIL - http://gmail.google.com/
WriteBoard - http://www.writeboard.com/
Student 2.0 - http://students2oh.org/
ImageChef - http://www.imagechef.com/
ZoHo - http://www.zoho.com/
Thinkfree - http://www.thinkfree.com/
NNDB - http://www.nndb.com/
Thinkfinity - http://www.thinkfinity.com/
My PowerPoint - http://faculty.stritch.edu/jmsklar/messmer/messmerfeb2008.ppt

SOE Meeting February 22, 2008

2008-02-21T12:13:00.029-06:00

SCRIBDshort into to blogs - Upload a Document to Scribd

Press the button in the upper right corner to view full screen

Links to note:

Take A Look At This:

2008-02-12T10:23:00.000-06:00

Common PowerPoint Errors Exposed:

What's in store for us:

You can check out more videos for the classroom at:

Class 9

2007-11-06T13:48:00.000-06:00

This week Bob Patton will drop in to talk about ITc Portfolios and other things.

We will have our exam prep session.

I think I have some interesting stuff this week. Please bring your questions to class.

Files that we will need for class 9 [LINK]
Remember: The Stritch server, where my files are kept, will not let you download a .java file so I have added .txt to each one. When you see the .java.txt file that you want, just right click and save as without the .txt.

I know that I keep promising but tonight we will look at [ALICE] and possibley [SCRATCH] -- essentially programming language simulators or object oriented worlds. Interesting stuff. Worth the time spent downloading and looking at. They are available in leading platforms.

Class 8 - More on Arrays and 2 dim arrays

2007-10-23T20:23:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the quiz didn't work so well last week... Here comes the new and improved version.
I think I have some interesting stuff this week. Please bring your questions to class.

Files that we will need for class 8 [LINK]
Remember: The Stritch server, where my files are kept, will not let you download a .java file so I have added .txt to each one. When you see the .java.txt file that you want, just right click and save as without the .txt.

Sally Ride Tech-Tune UP

2007-10-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

-- Harambee Community School
Welcome to this Tech Tune-Up Workshop!

Here is a place to get files that you can use as part of this workshop.

School Supply List -- or type it in yourself.
harambee text file. -- a text file that you can use instead of typing in a lot of text.
quiz.txt -- needed in the form making section.

Here are websites that I am sure to mention:

Snag-it -- for creating screenshots.
Word Templates -- from Microsoft
PDF files of workshop handouts -- Feel free to use these but don't change them. I'd also like credit for them.

My personal Websites:

Stritch - http://faculty.stritch.edu/jmsklar

Road Runner - http://home.wi.rr.com/johnsklar

Need to contact me? Best way is by email:

- jsklar@wi.rr.com

- jmsklar@stritch.edu

Class [7] Arrays and Random Numbers

2007-10-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

Arrays and Random numbers are two topics that I find go together well. You be the judge. I think I have some interesting stuff this week. Please bring your questions to class.

Files that we will need for class 7 [LINK]
Remember: The Stritch server, where my files are kept, will not let you download a .java file so I have added .txt to each one. When you see the .java.txt file that you want, just right click and save as without the .txt.

A preview of next week: My Little Math Game! (This is a Jar file, it will run on any computer with the JRE!)

Class 6 - Switch This buddy!!

2007-10-10T08:31:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the files we will look at tonight. [LINK]

This will be a very interactive class.

Class 5 -- Midterm Tonight, October 3

2007-10-03T13:26:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to the files for Class 5 [LINK]

Files You Will Need for Class

2007-09-24T15:51:00.000-05:00

The Stritch server, where my files are kept, will not let you download a .java file so I have added .txt to each one. When you see the .java.txt file that you want, just right click and save as without the .txt.

The files from Class 3 are at: [LINK]
Here is a file that you will need Wednesday. Right click on the link and save the file without the .txt extension. You may also just click on the link and cut and paste the text right into jGrasp. [LINK]
The rest of the Class 4 files are here: [LINK]
Sorry for my tardiness.

CED 516 Programming in Java - Fall Semester - 2007

2007-09-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

Welcome to CEd 516
Fall, 2007

Here is where you can access files, review course materials and comment on what we are doing in class.

Office Suite for Educators - July 16- 20, 2007

2007-07-12T09:53:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Sally Ride Academy

This Blog will allow you to explore resources and to quickly and easily retrieve files and materials that will help you succeed in this course. Please feel free to use this resource during the class and after it is over.

Office Lesson Plans:

Searching for lesson plans on the web is pretty easy. Just use Google-advanced search. Put Lesson plan in the exact phrase box and Excel in the include box. You will find a treasure trove of plans that will make teaching easier and more productive.

Here is a short list of sites that have lesson plans using Excel:

Office Applications Online - Free

There are office-type applications available online some are quite useful. Give them a try.

Open Source Office - Free

Open Office is a free office clone that works and is easy to use. It is quite compatible with Office 2003.