CEDO515 Week One

It is always fun to come back to a technology course and have a good idea of what one is doing. I love learning new and interesting ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. Many of the items we began with in class this week were a review for me, as I learned a few of them in my masters program. I am looking forward to new ideas, however, and that is why I decided to take the course. It is also a nice refresher of previous, yet great, opportunities to use in the classroom. The refresher was necessary, I learned, as I did not save my work as I should have, and have since lost it all. I have confidence that Louis will be able to restore my student page to its original (and plentiful) form. It was interesting to look at the different types of graphics and presentation pieces that are available for free teacher and student use. Some of these pieces can be extremely valuable in the future, for both me and my students. In terms of impacting my job, it allows me the opportunity to share these possibilities with my students and use them in my classroom. Perhaps a student will find a particular presentation form that works best for him/her that is NOT Microsoft PowerPoint! In terms of my personal life, there is value to a few items of presentation in that I could create photo options to share with family. I am looking forward to see what else will be offered during the next few weeks!

How does a computer work?

I guess the place to start is the motherboard. This is where all of the components of the computer come together to work in harmony. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is located here as well. It is the "brain" of the computer that carries out the orders that are programmed ahead of time.

The hard drive is also VERY important. There are items that we can live without, however the hard drive is not one of them. The hard drive is where data is permanently stored and allows the user to store large amounts of data that can be recalled at later dates. Basically, this is the long-term storage.

The Random Access Memory (RAM) helps to run programs on the computer. This is short-term storage, and moves through the CPU much quicker than hard drive items.

The processor is what allows the information to move through the computer. The better the processor, the quicker the results of access.

The BIOS allows for successful start up and instructs the computer what to do when powering up. It makes sure that everything is set before the user begins his work. Once the BIOS has been completed, the operating system (OS) takes over. This is when the computer recognizes the software programs available to the user.

Learn 5 New Features of your Operating System - Activity Three

Mac OS X Snow Leopard has been refined! Here are FIVE ways in which Snow Leopard has been improved:

1. A more advanced, more nimble Finder. The Finder has been rewritten to take advantage 64-bit support and Grand Central Dispatch. More responsive with quicker performance throughout. INcludes new features such as customizable Spotlight search options and an enhanced icon view that allows perusal through a multipage document or watch a QuickTime movie.

2. Quicker Time Machine Backup. Time Machine makes backing up the hard drive easy. Time Machine is now 80% faster and reduces the time it takes to complete your initial backup to Time Capsule.

3. Faster to wake up and shut down. Mac wakes from sleep up to twice as quickly when screen locking is enabled. Shutting down is also up to 80% faster.

4. Innovative Chinese Character Input. Write Chinese characters directly on the Multi-Touch trackpad. They'll appear on the screen in a new input window, then recommends characters based on what was drawn, allowing the writer to choose the right one. Input window offers suggestions for subsequent characters based on what was chosen as well.

5. More-reliable, higher-resolution iChat. Morereliable and accessible than ever. Includes technology to address many common router incompatibilities that can interfere with connections. No direct connection? iChat will use the AIM relay server to create a successful chat session.

Investigate an alternative OS - Activity 2

The alternative OS I decided to look into was Google Chrome OS. After reading about it, I am so excited to see it in action. No, I do not plan on purchasing a netbook to use it, however, once it becomes available, I would like to see if it is compatible with Mac in the hopes of using with my Macbook.

With that said, what is Google Chrome OS? What is the history behind it, what makes it unique, and why should we use it? Well...

Google came about just around a decade ago and was seen by Microsoft as an immediate threat. The interesting piece, however, is that Google had no interest in undoing Microsoft. Google was just Google. No concerns about what Microsoft was or wasn't doing.

ANYWHO...Google's new plan to release Google Chrome OS was picked up by news sources quickly after official statements broke. Chrome OS has been specifically designed for use with netbooks, and is a lightweight, cost-effective alternative open-source platform for portable computing: basically a Web browser as an operating system. It has been designed specifically to operate within the "cloud" and users will be able to take advantage of the vast medium of products from Google.

As stated by Angsuman Chakraborty of Simple Thoughts:Simple solutions for complex problems, there are SEVEN points worth mentioning in the upcoming Chrome OS:

1. Open Source Google Chrome OS is an open-source.
2. The 3 S's Google Chrome OS will be built around speed, simplicity, and security.
3. Security Google redesigns the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates.
4. Hardware Chrome OS will run on both x86 as well as ARM chips.
5. Architecture Google Chrome will run within a new window system on top of a Linux kernel. The web is the platform and all web-based applications will automatically work and new applications can be written using favorite web technologies. These apps will run on any standards-based browser on Windows, Mac and Linux thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.
6. Instant Interaction Everything will be instant. Users will not need to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates.
7. It is NOT an ANDROID Google Chrome OS will borrow some features of Android, but not all.

So, who might be interested in using such an operating system? WHO WOULDN'T is more likely the question!! A system that loads faster? What could be better? Although there are some concerns, mainly about everything working through the CLOUD, this has become the new fight. Operating systems and making them work faster and better for the likes of all.

Sources:
Bradley, Tony.Chrome OS Strives to Replace Desktop Culture. Net Work. 2 June 2010. Retrieved from . 3 June 2010.

Chakraborty, Angsuman. Google Chrome OS: 7 things you must know. Simple Thoughts: Simple solutions for complex problems. 8 July 2009. Retrieved from . 3 June 2010.

Whittaker, Zack. The history and future of Chrome OS. ZDNet.com. 11 July 2009. Retreived from . 3 June 2010.

CEDu581 - (1 of MANY) due week 4 - OS Activities

So, the first OS activity I decided to do was to watch Pirates of Silicon Valley. I chose to do this first because it was easy, and I needed some down time.

To be honest, I was surprised. In my experience, I was always under the impression that Bill Gates was the "bad guy" and the Apple creators were the "good guys." In this particular portrayal, it becomes clear that was not the case. Steve Wozniak was the brains of the operation, Steve Jobs the promotion, and Bill Gates the change of the future. I am not too impressed with Steve Jobs. He seemed to be quite the angry person, which is interesting as Steve Wozniak is so laid back. It truly was an interesting experience, and I wish that I had watched it sooner. I remember when it came out!

CEDu581 - Computer Architecture

Well, needless to say, I am not really interested in opening up the computer to see what goes on inside. I fear I won't be able to put it back together. However, this week I will employ my computer tech guru at school, and see if she can help me with the basics. I would rather learn from someone who has done it before than mess with it myself!

There was a lot of information delivered during class about the computer and it's creation. I remember when I was younger and we would go over to my aunt and uncle's house. He had a MacIntosh Computer and I remember seeing the rainbow colored apple symbol. I also remember him discussing with my father the investment that he made in the company, stocks and all. It paid out well for him to say the least! He went from a small-town, poor horse trainer to the vice president of a bank! Amazing the turnaround...

Other than that, I am looking forward to finishing up the final components for this degree. It feels that we just started this program yesterday, however the work and pride show otherwise. I will be happy to have these components finished!

Week 5

We discussed quite a few things this week. We reviewed photo sites, bookmarking accounts, and also, what it is that we need to finish up in order to complete the course.

All of the sites and pieces of information that we have been given have been super helpful, especially in the case of keeping our students engaged in the learning process through the use of technology and web 2.0 tools. I want to keep this momentum going in the future. In that respect, I find that the use of Twitter, blogs, Nings, and Wikis are a pefect example to stay in touch with other educators who are doing the same activities and suggesting different ideas.