PC Maintenance (or PC Rx)

How many times have you heard someone say that their computer's crashed? or that their laptop is running so slowly?  Or that they receive so much junk (i.e spam) via email?

Well don't just stand there - let's do something about it!

You gotta stay proactive, don't let things pile up until the last minute.

Here are some guidelines for PC maintenance and repair:

General Tips

• Be organized - save your working files in sub-folders inside of a working folder on Google Drive (not on your C-Drive) - this will actually help preserve the life of your C-Drive
• Don't save files on the root folder of your C-Drive
• Uninstall (not delete, but actually use the Windows Uninstall routine) all programs that you don't really use - you'd be amazed at all the stuff that piles up on your C-Drive and web browser task bar over time - so get rid of it!
• Buy a surge protector - this will save your desktop, laptop, cable modem and wireless router during thunderstorms

Practice safe computing. Don't accept software or downloads for which you didn’t ask. Delete any suspicious email without opening it. And even if the     email came from your best friend, don't open any email attachments with the following extensions: * .exe, .com, .vbs, .bat, .mdb, .reg, and .js

Can you get to Level 20 on Code.org?

Code.org is a great site to get exposed to computer programming.  They employ a block building approach to get students to create real video games.  

There are 20 levels or puzzles that you need to solve in order to earn the coveted Code.org Certificate of Completion.  Think you got what it takes?  

Check it out at Code.org

Internet Research Detective – Q4A

                Internet Research Detective – Q4A

Your mission is to use your best internet research skills to correctly answer the following 10 questions within the shortest possible time.  You get 10 points for each correct answer plus 20 bonus points if you gmail your answers to me first, 14 pts for gmailing them to me 2^nd, 13 pts for gmailing them to me 3^rd, etc.  Those who submit these answers last do not get any bonus points.  The top 3 scorers per class will get a prize.

Please click on this link to access a Word document version of this exercise. Type your answers under each question into the document, save the document as FirstNameLastName_IRDQ4A.doc and gmail it to rwiegs@comcast.net

    1) In 2014, which ten sports teams have the highest average pay per athlete in the world?  (Hint: think teams, not individual athletes)

    2) Who are the top 10 highest paid athletes in 2014? (Hint: think individual athletes, not teams)

           

3)Which 3 countries have the fairest (i.e. most equal income equality or income distribution across its population), based on the latest World Bank statistics?

         

4) Refer to question 3.  Between which 2 countries does the United States rank in terms of equality of income distribution?    

     5) Which 5 countries have the highest GDP per capita in 2013 (according to  the IMF)?

 6) What are the top 5 languages spoken in the world, in order? 

   

 7) What percentage of women sit currently on the U.S. Supreme Court?

 8) What are the top 5 selling video games of all time?

 9) What are the top 5 countries in terms of the percentage of citizens using the internet regularly?

    

10) Which are the 3 countries with the highest calorie consumption per day?

              

11) What was the single most viewed sporting event in the world?  

    12) Which 5 states in the U.S. have the highest income per capita?

    13) Which 5 states in the U.S. have the lowest income per capita?

14) What are the top 10 most visited web sites in the world?

15)  What are the top 10 best jobs in the U.S. according to U.S. News and World Report?

(Hint: check out http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/the-100-best-jobs)

Use PicMonkey.com to edit a Portrait, Landscape image and create a Collage

In this exercise, we will use PicMonkey.com photo editing program to transform a portrait and a landscape image - and also to create a collage.

The only way to get to know this program is to just dive right in and start editing, using the many menu functions on the left sidebar of the site.  You'd be amazed at all the fun ways you can transform images and create flyers, holiday or business event cards as well.  

I have found this program to have a much faster learning curve than PhotoShop or Gimp, both of which are powerful photo editing programs.  And for many reasons, PicMonkey is much more fun to use and share images with friends.

Be sure to check out the tutorials on PicMonkey.com and the many PicMonkey video tutorials on YouTube as well, such as this one which shows you how to use overlays to create the illusion of a boy flying.

Save and store your files onto Google Drive - Cloud Backup system

This exercise is kind of easy but important.

Students will save as many files and documents onto the cloud using Google Drive.  What are the advantages of using Google Drive over your C drive on a PC?  Can you name a few?

Structure and organization is key.

Here is an example of how you would nest subfolders into a main folder onto your G-Drive:

          HydeComputerTechEd/
                                         Documents/ 
                                                                      Jobs/
                                                                  MyResume.doc
                                                                  CoverLetter1.doc 
                                                                  Coverletter2.doc

                                          Images/ 
                                                      Jordans1.jpg
                                                      FavNBAPlayer.gif
                                                      NikeRedKickz.jpg

                                          Presentations/
                                                              SocialMediaProject.PPT
                                                              FavNBAStars.PPT


                                          Spreadsheets/
                                                              PennyFlag.xls
                                                              4Formulas.xls

In this example, the Jobs subfolder is nested inside the Documents subfolder which is nested inside the main HydeComputerTechEd folder. 

With Google Drive, you can color code all your folders, search for files using Google keyword search, list all folders, and Share folders with a select audience granting them permission to view or edit via email addresses or via a hyperlink onto a blog or web site.                                                                    
                                                                                                   

Quick blog survey

Please answer the following questions about the blogs project:

Create your own blog!

Creating a great blog takes time and experience.  It is the product of developing a tasteful way to package and relay quality information to visitors. 

Before you create your first blog, you may want to do some online soul searching first.  Consider the following questions: 

• How many blogs and web sites have you visited in your lifetime?  
• Are they mostly in one subject area, or across different areas of interest? 
• Are they about entertainment, education, sports, or news information?  
• How many of the sites that you frequently visit are trying to sell you something?  
• How do they make money?  
• WHY do you keep coming back to them?  
• Would you and do you recommend, like or share them with your friends?

Now, here is a series of steps that most bloggers follow when and as they create their new blogs:

1. It makes sense that you choose a subject matter that you're passionate about and that you feel you have some expertise in for your blog.  How else could you be viewed as an authority figure or guru on a particular subject?
2. Once you've decided what your blog is about, try to come up with a catchy title and slogan/tagline. Remember the logo and slogan that you created using MS Publisher?  You may considering using these images for your blog as well.
3. Choose a layout/structure/design that feels comfortable and won't make things too busy.

Here are a few YouTube Videos that I recommend for learning how to create a free blog using Blogger:

• How to create a Blogger blog 2013
• How to Create a Blog Using Blogger.com

Here are some key elements that you should incorporate into your blog (and for which you will receive bonus points for) are the following:

• Catchy title with a slogan or tagline
• Nice and effective layout (header, content area, sidebar)
• An attractive contrasting background - whether patterned or tiled image that was uploaded
• A Search box, preferably near the upper right part of the home page
• At least 3 posts to your blog
• These posts must have at least one image (pic), one video and one hyperlink to another site, page or file saved on google drive
• Posts must show some value-added content - engaging articles or reviews about items or issues in your subject area and consist of at least 2 paragraphs in length 
• At least 3 pages beneath the header with tabs on the navigation menu bar (sample pages include: blog, about, educational, photos, videos, contact, site map, directions, news, policies, events, etc.) You should have no more than 7 page tabs on your navigation bar.
• One of your three pages must be a directions page, where you embed an interactive Google Maps onto the page.  (I will show you how to do this in class).
• A sidebar with at least 3 gadgets (blogger's term for widgets)

Extra credit will be given for embedding a sign-up form from Mailchimp within one of the sidebar gadgets, and/or a site map link at the bottom (within the footer area).

Coming soon! Pay attention to instructional videos which I will add to this post over the coming days.  You can watch them during the Spring break as you spend time to complete and refine your blogs.