Please listen carefully to the instructions in the following podcast.
http://uashome.alaska.edu/~tlholt/podcast%20teresa.mp3
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Assignment: Privacy, Security, Ethics
Security Concerns
1. Security concerns that need to be addressed before using a resource or service.
Security concerns go two ways. Coming in and going out. You need to make sure that unauthorized content and unauthorized access does not occur on your computer. You also need to make sure that your information and data is not distributed without your permission to people who would misuse it. You need to use common sense in all these areas. Subscribe to a security service and make sure it updates itself regularly. Be careful when going online so as to not reveal too much information. I try to be very careful online. I don't fill out random surveys or subscribe to sites that I don't know about. I have several phony identities that I use for online use complete with bogus birthdays and addresses. I have several junk email accounts that I use when I am surfing. I try to limit my purchases to the major companies -- Paypal, Amazon, EBgames, Penneys, etc. I have a special bank card that I use for online purchases with a small credit limit. I never use online budgeting or tax services. I avoid remote desktops. I would never have a Facebook or MySpace page. I simply don't want my personal information out there. My real friends already know who I am. They don't need MySpace to get to know me. People who are not my real friends, have no business knowing anything about me. As careful as I am, I still fall into problems. This course required me to go places I normally would not. I got into a serious problem with one site for this course.
2. Insuring student and school safety.
I work for the University and deal only with adults. As far as I know we do not have any censuring programs on our computers. Our computers are protected from hacking by limiting access and running all administrative management through the IT department. This is frustrating at times because we do not have administrative access and control of our work computers or laptops. If we want to subscribe to a service or install a plug-in, we have to submit a work order and wait until someone comes in to service it. I found many of the programs and sites for this course were off-limits on my work computer. I had to use my home computer to access some of the sites. As irritating as this is, I do understand. When you have a system that is used by several thousand people, it is too easy to acquire a lot of damaging material. Keeping central control is the only way to manage what is coming into the system.
As far as K-12 goes there are two types of screening and protection available. One method opens up the system and allows students to search at will, but filters out harmful material as it comes back. This method allows the most freedom, but isn't perfect. It often screens out legitimate data by misgrouping it or it doesn't recognize harmful data and allows it to come in. The destructive forces are hard at work trying to find ways to circumvent these filtering programs. The second method blocks ALL incoming data except data from pre-approved sites. Students are only allowed to get data from safe sites. This is probably the best and safest method, but needs to be constantly updated.
I feel very strongly that public schools need to safeguard student's access to harmful and damaging information. We usually think of predatory or pornographic information, but there are many other topics that are harmful to children (drugs, violence, criminals). I would rather err on the side of caution. There are plenty of good sites and resources available.
Ethical Concerns
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/library/faculty/copyright-faq.html
I find this topic extremely complicated. All I can do is refer students to the UA policy for students and staff concerning intellectual property. The Egan Library has a staff person who specializes in helping students and staff with these issues. When in doubt, ask.
With Web 2.0 and the social sites and services, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to tell exactly where an image or text originated. Someone may send content to you without annotation, and you assume that it originated with the sender. They could easily have taken it from a legitimate source and copied it. You have no way of knowing. You also have no way of knowing how the content you send is going to be copied and used. Where will it finally end up? Probably not where you think. You simply can't control it. I am uncomfortable because I am not sure where I stand most of the time. The issue is too complicated for the average person to understand. I still forward articles, pictures, and jokes to my family and friends. I assume, if someone put it out there, it is intended to be used and shared. With my casual internet use, I don't worry too much. With my courses and professional writing, I am very careful about where I get information and how I annotate it and use it.
Privacy Concerns
I really am concerned about privacy and actively try to limit my exposure on the web. I never use my correct demographic data on the web. I would never join Facebook or any of the social sites. I simply don't want people to know me or anything about me. I do use email and listservs for professional and specific personal communication. But I always in a minimal way. I don't like businesses tracking my purchases so that they can try to sell me things they think I want. I don't like customer loyalty cards and never fill out a questionnaire truthfully online. Robert and I don't even put bumper stickers on our cars. No matter how bland and innocent the thought is, you will probably make someone mad. We just don't like people knowing much about us. Period. I have no expectation of privacy on the web.
If I had young children in school, I would try to impress upon them the importance of keeping personal information private. The school has a responsibility to respect students and their family - in every way. But ultimately, it is up to the students to protect themselves. Teachers and parents need to make sure that students know how to do this.
Web 2.0 is no different from any other web application. It is no more invasive than applications that have been around for a long time. You need to use the same common sense with all web applications. I have no expectation of privacy any more.
1. Security concerns that need to be addressed before using a resource or service.
Security concerns go two ways. Coming in and going out. You need to make sure that unauthorized content and unauthorized access does not occur on your computer. You also need to make sure that your information and data is not distributed without your permission to people who would misuse it. You need to use common sense in all these areas. Subscribe to a security service and make sure it updates itself regularly. Be careful when going online so as to not reveal too much information. I try to be very careful online. I don't fill out random surveys or subscribe to sites that I don't know about. I have several phony identities that I use for online use complete with bogus birthdays and addresses. I have several junk email accounts that I use when I am surfing. I try to limit my purchases to the major companies -- Paypal, Amazon, EBgames, Penneys, etc. I have a special bank card that I use for online purchases with a small credit limit. I never use online budgeting or tax services. I avoid remote desktops. I would never have a Facebook or MySpace page. I simply don't want my personal information out there. My real friends already know who I am. They don't need MySpace to get to know me. People who are not my real friends, have no business knowing anything about me. As careful as I am, I still fall into problems. This course required me to go places I normally would not. I got into a serious problem with one site for this course.
2. Insuring student and school safety.
I work for the University and deal only with adults. As far as I know we do not have any censuring programs on our computers. Our computers are protected from hacking by limiting access and running all administrative management through the IT department. This is frustrating at times because we do not have administrative access and control of our work computers or laptops. If we want to subscribe to a service or install a plug-in, we have to submit a work order and wait until someone comes in to service it. I found many of the programs and sites for this course were off-limits on my work computer. I had to use my home computer to access some of the sites. As irritating as this is, I do understand. When you have a system that is used by several thousand people, it is too easy to acquire a lot of damaging material. Keeping central control is the only way to manage what is coming into the system.
As far as K-12 goes there are two types of screening and protection available. One method opens up the system and allows students to search at will, but filters out harmful material as it comes back. This method allows the most freedom, but isn't perfect. It often screens out legitimate data by misgrouping it or it doesn't recognize harmful data and allows it to come in. The destructive forces are hard at work trying to find ways to circumvent these filtering programs. The second method blocks ALL incoming data except data from pre-approved sites. Students are only allowed to get data from safe sites. This is probably the best and safest method, but needs to be constantly updated.
I feel very strongly that public schools need to safeguard student's access to harmful and damaging information. We usually think of predatory or pornographic information, but there are many other topics that are harmful to children (drugs, violence, criminals). I would rather err on the side of caution. There are plenty of good sites and resources available.
Ethical Concerns
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/library/faculty/copyright-faq.html
I find this topic extremely complicated. All I can do is refer students to the UA policy for students and staff concerning intellectual property. The Egan Library has a staff person who specializes in helping students and staff with these issues. When in doubt, ask.
With Web 2.0 and the social sites and services, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to tell exactly where an image or text originated. Someone may send content to you without annotation, and you assume that it originated with the sender. They could easily have taken it from a legitimate source and copied it. You have no way of knowing. You also have no way of knowing how the content you send is going to be copied and used. Where will it finally end up? Probably not where you think. You simply can't control it. I am uncomfortable because I am not sure where I stand most of the time. The issue is too complicated for the average person to understand. I still forward articles, pictures, and jokes to my family and friends. I assume, if someone put it out there, it is intended to be used and shared. With my casual internet use, I don't worry too much. With my courses and professional writing, I am very careful about where I get information and how I annotate it and use it.
Privacy Concerns
I really am concerned about privacy and actively try to limit my exposure on the web. I never use my correct demographic data on the web. I would never join Facebook or any of the social sites. I simply don't want people to know me or anything about me. I do use email and listservs for professional and specific personal communication. But I always in a minimal way. I don't like businesses tracking my purchases so that they can try to sell me things they think I want. I don't like customer loyalty cards and never fill out a questionnaire truthfully online. Robert and I don't even put bumper stickers on our cars. No matter how bland and innocent the thought is, you will probably make someone mad. We just don't like people knowing much about us. Period. I have no expectation of privacy on the web.
If I had young children in school, I would try to impress upon them the importance of keeping personal information private. The school has a responsibility to respect students and their family - in every way. But ultimately, it is up to the students to protect themselves. Teachers and parents need to make sure that students know how to do this.
Web 2.0 is no different from any other web application. It is no more invasive than applications that have been around for a long time. You need to use the same common sense with all web applications. I have no expectation of privacy any more.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Web Integration
I teach online college math courses using a Blackboard- based commercial math program (Coursecompass / Math XL). The management and presentation package is excellent and I am able to do everything I want to do from the program. The University has provided me with several excellent resources (Elluminate, Breeze, and Camtasia) that I have used to enhance and individualize my teaching. I would like to conduct real-time tutoring sessions for my students. I can develop good asynchronous materials using Breeze. Some students would benefit from a visual, real-time tutoring component. I have not seen any web applications in this course so far that will meet this need. I am interested in the podcasts and vodcasts that are coming up. This may work in some way. Elluminate is actually very awkward for math instruction. The whiteboard is slow and it takes too long to type quick responses to student questions using an equation editor. I have learned from experience over the years to keep my classes efficient and the interface simple. When I first started teaching online classes, there was a real temptation to include all the bells and whistles. Just because a feature was available, did not mean that I had to use it. Students are frustrated enough with math -- they don't need to be frustrated by the technology. For example, the first few semesters I taught online, I thought that the Discussion Forum would be a good way for students to develop a sense of community and support each other by helping each other. Not so! They hated it and resented the fact that I required them to do it. It was just one more unnecessary thing for them to do. Adult students have very little time and a lot to do. They received no benefit from emailing each other with useless questions. I have learned to be very selective in what I ask them to do. An application has to be very good for me to include it.
As Director of the Sitka Campus Learning Center, I am also the Disabilities Coordinator for this campus. The resource that I have found most valuable for me professionally in this course is the Classroom 2.0 website. There is a Disabilities Forum on this website that I have joined which will be very useful to me as I try to provide services to students with special needs on campus.
http://www.classroom20.com/group/technologyinspecialeducation
This site is specifically directed towards K-12. But the issues for college students are the same. I belong to an email listserv for community college disability coordinators. The resources and discussion links on the Classroom 2.0 site are much more complete and inclusive. The links and resources are complete. The reports from conferences and publications are up-to-date. This is more of a staff development service, not a student or instructional service.
As Director of the Sitka Campus Learning Center, I am also the Disabilities Coordinator for this campus. The resource that I have found most valuable for me professionally in this course is the Classroom 2.0 website. There is a Disabilities Forum on this website that I have joined which will be very useful to me as I try to provide services to students with special needs on campus.
http://www.classroom20.com/group/technologyinspecialeducation
This site is specifically directed towards K-12. But the issues for college students are the same. I belong to an email listserv for community college disability coordinators. The resources and discussion links on the Classroom 2.0 site are much more complete and inclusive. The links and resources are complete. The reports from conferences and publications are up-to-date. This is more of a staff development service, not a student or instructional service.
Web Applications: Review
I enjoyed going through web applications. The Go2Web2.0 website was a wonderful list of possibilities. Several of the applications that I found are listed below.
Professional Sites
Reminder Service
http://iwantsandy.com/
I Want Sandy is a reminder program. You start the program by adding this as an email contact. If you send an email to this address with a short message about an upcoming event and a date, the Sandy Program will send you a reminder in the future. It can contact you in several different formats - email, mobile phone, or calendar system (Yahoo Calendar, Google Calendar, Windows calendar etc.). What is nice about this is that it also works with groups. It will send an entire group a reminder at a future date. The other people are just 'CC'd". This program is free and easy to use. It was designed to work with Twitter, but works independently. This is useful at work when you have several people to contact. You can set it up in advance and not worry about it.
Journal Writer
http://penzu.com/pad
This is a very simple word processor. Registration is simple. The interface is very attractive. It looks like a piece of notebook paper. The typeface is inviting. There is a good introductory section about the types of journals that you can keep and the value of keeping a journal. This program offers you a place to journal that is very secure (double locks), very easy to use, very portable. You don't need to be at your computer when you want to journal. It is web-based and available anywhere. You don't have to worry about leaving your journal on your computer or having it read in your email by your IT department. If you want to print your journal or share it with others, those options are available. It is a very simple word processor that can be used anywhere.
Simple Charts
http://chartgizmo.com/internal/ChartsList
This is a simple graphing program that even children can use. It uses the most common types of graphs (pie charts, bar, ring, 3-D, and line graphs) and sets them up for you. You can add them your your website or application. You can import excel data.
Poll Writer
http://www.99polls.com/signup.php
Many times you just want a quick poll to add to your program or website. This was simple and concise. It gives you the code to add to your website or you can link to the poll site directly and use their webspace.
Personal Sites
Funny Photo Maker
http://www.faceinhole.com/home.asp
This is just a fun photo site. You are given a wide selection of scenarios with the face missing. You can then add your own face or the face of someone you know quickly. You can save it or use it in an email or website. It is a very easy photoshop tool. You can be Luke Skywalker or a Teletubbie. When we were in Las Vegas, one of the hotels did this for a fee. Now you can do this online yourself. If you want you can use your own backdrop and place your own faces into the scene. This is just a lighthearted site - but a lot of fun.
Travel Planner
http://www.kayak.com/
I had heard of Kayak before but had never visited the site before now. I have used all of the major planning site for travel and was interested in how this one compared.
This site was developed by Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity together. It is not a travel booking site or a travel agent as the other sites are. Kayak is a comparison site. It does an excellent job. It sorts ALL of the airlines or hotel chains and presents the data to you in an easy to understand format. I really liked it. I booked several trips that I am familiar with to see how it worked. I loved it. It is the first site I will go to in the future to work on travel plans. You still have to go to the airlines directly to book, but you have the right data and have the comfort of knowing that you did not miss anything. The only airline that was not accessed by Kayak was Southwest Airlines. But that's OK. Southwest is such a miserable airline - I wouldn't fly with them anyway!
Professional Sites
Reminder Service
http://iwantsandy.com/
I Want Sandy is a reminder program. You start the program by adding this as an email contact. If you send an email to this address with a short message about an upcoming event and a date, the Sandy Program will send you a reminder in the future. It can contact you in several different formats - email, mobile phone, or calendar system (Yahoo Calendar, Google Calendar, Windows calendar etc.). What is nice about this is that it also works with groups. It will send an entire group a reminder at a future date. The other people are just 'CC'd". This program is free and easy to use. It was designed to work with Twitter, but works independently. This is useful at work when you have several people to contact. You can set it up in advance and not worry about it.
Journal Writer
http://penzu.com/pad
This is a very simple word processor. Registration is simple. The interface is very attractive. It looks like a piece of notebook paper. The typeface is inviting. There is a good introductory section about the types of journals that you can keep and the value of keeping a journal. This program offers you a place to journal that is very secure (double locks), very easy to use, very portable. You don't need to be at your computer when you want to journal. It is web-based and available anywhere. You don't have to worry about leaving your journal on your computer or having it read in your email by your IT department. If you want to print your journal or share it with others, those options are available. It is a very simple word processor that can be used anywhere.
Simple Charts
http://chartgizmo.com/internal/ChartsList
This is a simple graphing program that even children can use. It uses the most common types of graphs (pie charts, bar, ring, 3-D, and line graphs) and sets them up for you. You can add them your your website or application. You can import excel data.
Poll Writer
http://www.99polls.com/signup.php
Many times you just want a quick poll to add to your program or website. This was simple and concise. It gives you the code to add to your website or you can link to the poll site directly and use their webspace.
Personal Sites
Funny Photo Maker
http://www.faceinhole.com/home.asp
This is just a fun photo site. You are given a wide selection of scenarios with the face missing. You can then add your own face or the face of someone you know quickly. You can save it or use it in an email or website. It is a very easy photoshop tool. You can be Luke Skywalker or a Teletubbie. When we were in Las Vegas, one of the hotels did this for a fee. Now you can do this online yourself. If you want you can use your own backdrop and place your own faces into the scene. This is just a lighthearted site - but a lot of fun.
Travel Planner
http://www.kayak.com/
I had heard of Kayak before but had never visited the site before now. I have used all of the major planning site for travel and was interested in how this one compared.
This site was developed by Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity together. It is not a travel booking site or a travel agent as the other sites are. Kayak is a comparison site. It does an excellent job. It sorts ALL of the airlines or hotel chains and presents the data to you in an easy to understand format. I really liked it. I booked several trips that I am familiar with to see how it worked. I loved it. It is the first site I will go to in the future to work on travel plans. You still have to go to the airlines directly to book, but you have the right data and have the comfort of knowing that you did not miss anything. The only airline that was not accessed by Kayak was Southwest Airlines. But that's OK. Southwest is such a miserable airline - I wouldn't fly with them anyway!
Web Applications: Adobe Air Application
I had never heard of Adobe Air until this class. I enjoyed surveying the various applications available. I was impressed by the number of programs and the quality of the programs.
I chose several programs to sample.
..
Ebay Desktop
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&loc=en_us&extid=1513019
I admit it - yes - I do business on Ebay occasionally. I have always found the Ebay log-in process tedious. You have to wade through so many screens to reach the sections you want. They do have a MyEbay Section that you can customize yourself. But you have to log in and go through several layers before you can locate your Watch List or your Favorite Searches. This Adobe Air program allows you to put all your favorites on one single page. You can maintain the main Ebay search engine link and also add the features from My Ebay that you like. It is easy to install and use. You do have to invest some time at the beginning putting in the features you like from your personal Ebay page. Once this is done you have a wonderful end product. When you bring up your Adobe Air Ebay page - it is uniquely yours. I am only a purchaser. I don't sell on Ebay. If I were a seller, I would find this application extremely useful. I hate to think about what you have to go through to get an auction mounted on the site. This application enables you to put the sections that you use for your sales in one place. The link above is to the main Ebay set up. Once you install this program, it is on your desktop and cannot be shared without your passcode.
..
I also found two other Adobe Air programs that were especially useful.
kuler.air
This program used the Kuler Color Analysis to show possible color combinations for artists. This is useful for artists and craftspeople. I am a quilter and have used the Kuler program in textbook form. This was a very useful application. Easy to install and use.
..
The program I demonstrated during the last class was the back-up program.
BackIt
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&extid=1574518
This program uses your desktop. You install it on your desktop. You can select programs, links, folders to backup. It backs up your data to a disk, your hard drive, a CD, or a thumb drive (USB). What is unique about this application is that you can save it and name it. The next time you want to back up this items, you can do it with one click. Very helpful for teachers who move around a lot and use many different computers. Because it is web-based, it is always available.
I will continue to use Adobe Air and these applications.
I chose several programs to sample.
..
Ebay Desktop
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&loc=en_us&extid=1513019
I admit it - yes - I do business on Ebay occasionally. I have always found the Ebay log-in process tedious. You have to wade through so many screens to reach the sections you want. They do have a MyEbay Section that you can customize yourself. But you have to log in and go through several layers before you can locate your Watch List or your Favorite Searches. This Adobe Air program allows you to put all your favorites on one single page. You can maintain the main Ebay search engine link and also add the features from My Ebay that you like. It is easy to install and use. You do have to invest some time at the beginning putting in the features you like from your personal Ebay page. Once this is done you have a wonderful end product. When you bring up your Adobe Air Ebay page - it is uniquely yours. I am only a purchaser. I don't sell on Ebay. If I were a seller, I would find this application extremely useful. I hate to think about what you have to go through to get an auction mounted on the site. This application enables you to put the sections that you use for your sales in one place. The link above is to the main Ebay set up. Once you install this program, it is on your desktop and cannot be shared without your passcode.
..
I also found two other Adobe Air programs that were especially useful.
kuler.air
This program used the Kuler Color Analysis to show possible color combinations for artists. This is useful for artists and craftspeople. I am a quilter and have used the Kuler program in textbook form. This was a very useful application. Easy to install and use.
..
The program I demonstrated during the last class was the back-up program.
BackIt
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&extid=1574518
This program uses your desktop. You install it on your desktop. You can select programs, links, folders to backup. It backs up your data to a disk, your hard drive, a CD, or a thumb drive (USB). What is unique about this application is that you can save it and name it. The next time you want to back up this items, you can do it with one click. Very helpful for teachers who move around a lot and use many different computers. Because it is web-based, it is always available.
I will continue to use Adobe Air and these applications.
Web Applications: MASH-UPS
What is a web mashup?
A web mashup is a hybrid web application. It combines one or more web applications into a single application. Web mashups can be complex like the various mapping programs that combine imaging, weather, mapping, and other demographic data. Or they can be quite simple like organizing a personal play list for online listening or merging calendar data.
..
Easy Web Developer Tool
http://www.roxer.com/
This site is one of the best finds of the entire course for me. I have never been able to develop a website on my own. I know it is easy. Every third grader in Sitka has done one. But I have been intimidated by the process. This program is so easy! You register on the website and are given space to develop your webpage. There is a training video to teach you how to do it. The process is done through boxes. Each box contains content, an image, links, whatever you want. The Roxer site hosts the webpage for you. When you are done, you 'lock' the page and no one else can change it. If you want to modify one of your boxes, you 'unlock' the box. I have developed a sample webpage and will continue to work on it. It offers very few design choices. This is great for a beginner. A more sophisticated web programmer would find this site limiting. It would be excellent for younger students.
..
Speed Trap
http://njection.com/speedtrap/
This mashup is developed by users all over the U.S. It identifies speed traps in areas that you might by visiting. I tested this site out by locating a known speed trap near Marysville, Washington. It correctly located and identified the trap. You would not need to use this program all the time. But it would be very useful the first time you visited a new area.
..
Daylight Map
http://www.daylightmap.com/
This is a very simple program to use. It is a map of what parts of the earth are currently in daylight and darkness. I have admired those geochron maps for years. They are so expensive. Our local supermarket has one and I always enjoy looking at it. I was so happy to find this program. It shows the terminator and updates every two minutes. It has an analog or digital clock. You can choose the usual Google map options of satellite, map, terrain, or hybrid. You can zoom. This program doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles -- but it is entertaining.
A web mashup is a hybrid web application. It combines one or more web applications into a single application. Web mashups can be complex like the various mapping programs that combine imaging, weather, mapping, and other demographic data. Or they can be quite simple like organizing a personal play list for online listening or merging calendar data.
..
Easy Web Developer Tool
http://www.roxer.com/
This site is one of the best finds of the entire course for me. I have never been able to develop a website on my own. I know it is easy. Every third grader in Sitka has done one. But I have been intimidated by the process. This program is so easy! You register on the website and are given space to develop your webpage. There is a training video to teach you how to do it. The process is done through boxes. Each box contains content, an image, links, whatever you want. The Roxer site hosts the webpage for you. When you are done, you 'lock' the page and no one else can change it. If you want to modify one of your boxes, you 'unlock' the box. I have developed a sample webpage and will continue to work on it. It offers very few design choices. This is great for a beginner. A more sophisticated web programmer would find this site limiting. It would be excellent for younger students.
..
Speed Trap
http://njection.com/speedtrap/
This mashup is developed by users all over the U.S. It identifies speed traps in areas that you might by visiting. I tested this site out by locating a known speed trap near Marysville, Washington. It correctly located and identified the trap. You would not need to use this program all the time. But it would be very useful the first time you visited a new area.
..
Daylight Map
http://www.daylightmap.com/
This is a very simple program to use. It is a map of what parts of the earth are currently in daylight and darkness. I have admired those geochron maps for years. They are so expensive. Our local supermarket has one and I always enjoy looking at it. I was so happy to find this program. It shows the terminator and updates every two minutes. It has an analog or digital clock. You can choose the usual Google map options of satellite, map, terrain, or hybrid. You can zoom. This program doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles -- but it is entertaining.
Assignment: Widgets and Gadgets
I have been using widgets and gadgets for a long time without knowing that is what they are called. I have been using a integrated desktop (Iwon.com) for several years and have enjoyed the available gadgets offered there. I have used the calculator, various stock trackers and portfolio managers, geology and weather monitors. I monitor several writers and columnists and a number of news agencies. My favorite Alaska gadget is the sunrise and daylight monitor. Starting in January I keep track of how much more daylight we are getting each day! Of course, after the solstice, I turn that off because I don't want to know how much daylight we are losing each day.
.
For this class, I set up an I-Google personal page. I have to admit that it is much better than my Iwon page. Because it is manged by Google, it integrates all their web aps and is extremely reliable. I set up a number of gadgets and widgets on my personal page.
..
My favorite widget/gadget is the
free text messaging service.
http://www.txt2day.com/
Our children use text messaging more than email. They have different phone services. In order to text them, we had to go to the phone company site (Sprint, TMobile, etc) and use the text service provided. These services are free to the sender, but are tedious to use because you have to actually go to their website. This gadget is great. It was easy to install and easy to use. You just type the phone number you want to text and check the phone service. If you don't know the phone service your friend is using, the gadget will tell you. Type the text and send. Done. If you include your email address (optional), your friend can post a response to your email acct automatically.
This is definitely a keeper.
..
Earthquake Map
http://www.myeqwatch.com/
This is a simple map which records earthquakes worldwide. They are recorded by location and magnitude. By clicking on the flags, you can obtain more geologic information about each individual incident. This is more for entertainment than news. It is easy to install and easy to use. I will keep it on my homepage for personal interest.
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Google Financial Manager
http://www.google.com/ig/directory?hl=en&root=/ig&dpos=top&cat=featured&sort=popular&url=www.google.com/ig/modules/finance_portfolios.xml
This is really a collection of gadgets which are all related to finance. This link enables you to develop your own personal financial management page with news items, tickers, and personal portfolio management programs. You are able to track the items in your 401K, IRA, or retirement program on a daily basis. You have to spend time entering your personal data, but once it is current, you can obtain daily information about how your investments are responding to the day's news. Developing this page takes a bit of work, but it is worth it. I have used a service similar to this on IWon. But the Google site offers more information and is easier to use.
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Scientific Calculator
http://www.google.com/ig/directory?q=scientific+calculator&hl=en&type=gadgets&url=gotoscience.com/gadgets/Calculator.xml
There are many different calculators available on the Google Gadgets page. I chose a simple scientific calculator. It is nice to be able to use a calculator from the desktop. I minimize it because I don't use it all the time. I like to bring it up when I need it. There are also several very good countdown timers and other devices that make life easier.
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RSS gadgets.
I have several RSS widgets/gadgets related to my BlogReader. I installed a set-up button on my personal toolbar so that I can add a site to my Blog list if I come across something of interest. I also have a Clippings and Feed organizer. I will demonstrate these at the next class on the 24th.
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For this class, I set up an I-Google personal page. I have to admit that it is much better than my Iwon page. Because it is manged by Google, it integrates all their web aps and is extremely reliable. I set up a number of gadgets and widgets on my personal page.
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My favorite widget/gadget is the
free text messaging service.
http://www.txt2day.com/
Our children use text messaging more than email. They have different phone services. In order to text them, we had to go to the phone company site (Sprint, TMobile, etc) and use the text service provided. These services are free to the sender, but are tedious to use because you have to actually go to their website. This gadget is great. It was easy to install and easy to use. You just type the phone number you want to text and check the phone service. If you don't know the phone service your friend is using, the gadget will tell you. Type the text and send. Done. If you include your email address (optional), your friend can post a response to your email acct automatically.
This is definitely a keeper.
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Earthquake Map
http://www.myeqwatch.com/
This is a simple map which records earthquakes worldwide. They are recorded by location and magnitude. By clicking on the flags, you can obtain more geologic information about each individual incident. This is more for entertainment than news. It is easy to install and easy to use. I will keep it on my homepage for personal interest.
..
Google Financial Manager
http://www.google.com/ig/directory?hl=en&root=/ig&dpos=top&cat=featured&sort=popular&url=www.google.com/ig/modules/finance_portfolios.xml
This is really a collection of gadgets which are all related to finance. This link enables you to develop your own personal financial management page with news items, tickers, and personal portfolio management programs. You are able to track the items in your 401K, IRA, or retirement program on a daily basis. You have to spend time entering your personal data, but once it is current, you can obtain daily information about how your investments are responding to the day's news. Developing this page takes a bit of work, but it is worth it. I have used a service similar to this on IWon. But the Google site offers more information and is easier to use.
..
Scientific Calculator
http://www.google.com/ig/directory?q=scientific+calculator&hl=en&type=gadgets&url=gotoscience.com/gadgets/Calculator.xml
There are many different calculators available on the Google Gadgets page. I chose a simple scientific calculator. It is nice to be able to use a calculator from the desktop. I minimize it because I don't use it all the time. I like to bring it up when I need it. There are also several very good countdown timers and other devices that make life easier.
..
RSS gadgets.
I have several RSS widgets/gadgets related to my BlogReader. I installed a set-up button on my personal toolbar so that I can add a site to my Blog list if I come across something of interest. I also have a Clippings and Feed organizer. I will demonstrate these at the next class on the 24th.
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