Independent Digital Thinker

   Also remember:  check your battery power or if you are
    plugged into electricity!

Created by Nora Hickman

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Check out this link regarding Digital Citizenship...

 

Basics on Digital Citizenship

 

 

More Pages to this Blog

Along with the posts visible here, if you scroll down, you will notice on the right side of the blog that there is a table of contents with many other links, videos, prezi's, etc. as well.  Do you have a tech issue you would like me to address on here? Please let me know (nhickman@horrycountyschools.net, or Nora31gifts@gmail.com).

Clearing the Cache for a Mac Pro

Clearing the Cache On a Mac
Please click the Mac below to be taken to a 3 minute
 training video regarding this.

           

 

Good or Great: Which do we choose?

212: The Extra Degree

Watch this great video:)

How to Secure Your Mac:
To keep the information on your Mac secure when you are away from it, set it to require authentication when it wakes from sleep. When you return to your Mac, type your login name and password to continue working.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, and then click General.
2. Select “Require password for sleep and screen saver.” You can adjust the amount of delay before a password is required in the pop-up menu.
   

American Heart Association: Heart2HeartRubies; Waccamaw Walk

Heart2HeartRubies American Heart Association; Market Commons; Please join us! Just click here for the link.Heart2HeartRubies

Important Back To School Video for Us All--A Reminder

I realize many of you have viewed this previously; however, it never hurts to be reminded of the point made in this video (especially as the busy year begins). (Turn up your sound please).

Wow! Great Job Mrs. Gause on being the first to get your QR Code Posted!

    Walking by the various classrooms in our school visitors will soon be viewing a variety of ways our teachers are utilizing digitally to welcome students and parents. Congratulations to Mrs. Gause! Because she is the first to have hers displayed,  she has won a new Thirty-One bag as a special gift. Thanks for your efforts.

    Her QR Code has a very welcoming message included and other important information. So, check it out--I can't wait to see the other QR Codes our teachers employ:) Make sure you have the QR Code Reader installed on your own devices as well as a generator so you can also make one!

QR Codes

                                            Scan me...then follow the interactive map:)

Learning More About Apple Devices and Applications

Building 21st Century Literacy:  iPhoto for Learners

Adding to our knowledge base as technology evolves, progresses, and is tailored for our society is a challenging and fun journey. My attention is always caught upon entering a grocery store, restaurant, college campus, airport, and other places where technology exists. Oh! That's right--it can be found just about everywhere. So, as you may imagine, I am forever stopping to "examine" how technology is integrated into the many facets of society to make business, education, and entertainment more efficient as well as interesting.

As a result it has come to no surprise that I am interested in both types of popular computer platforms:  Microsoft Windows and Apple driven. In the most recent school year as a Technology Coach, I have become increasingly more interested in how Apple continues to "tweak," add unexpected nuances, and "extras" to software applications that on the outset appear to be much like what has been the more familar to most such as MS PowerPoint, Word, Photoshop, Moviemaker, just to name a few Microsoft powered programs that have been usually found within the education world. 

As an Apple fan since the Apple IIe appeared...yes, many years ago, I also have always been a Microsoft lover as well. Currently, this blog is going to focus on some easy, quick, and fun "how to's" that can be utilized for integration in classroom learning as well as on a personal note for home and family. 

This post is going to give you some practical steps that you can follow to investigate and learn some basics for using iPhoto. Yes, this application deals with photos, but, wow, it has some really surprising things you can do with it. Take a look at the sample here so you can see an example of what I mean.

Attached here basic "Get Started" directions.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would post some ideas for how you can visualize this being used in classrooms.  Just double click the instructions below to view them better on your screen.

Questions? Please email them to me at nhickman@horrycountyschools.net so I can get back to you.
Your questions and answers will likely appear on this blog as well.

Microsoft PowerPoint

        Microsoft PowerPoint 2010

  

Guess what? PowerPoint isn't just boring PowerPoint anymore!  Yes, they have upgraded for all you who really love PowerPoint. So many new tools and enhancements have been added that the software has become a "multi-application" type of program. Now, it permits photography enhancements that were previously only found in separately packaged programs. It allows you to not only to select and crop, but also change the shapes of photos, frame them, soften the lighting, and many other options are offered in the photo tools area. And, as shown above, we can now even remove the backgrounds from images. These tools were pretty much found most often in the Adobe Suite of tools previously, but now Microsoft has bundled them in their regular Office Suite of programs!

   Why am I mentioning this? Although I am a huge fan of "most all things Apple" I do believe there is still a place in our technology world of education and society for Windows Operating System  and Microsoft programs.  I know that many people are either all the way Apple or all the way Microsoft; however, as a person who has worked in both education, business, and web design in the corporate world I have found that we are truly a blessed culture to have both platforms.

     Although both handle business related needs well, Microsoft has an edge. Partially because it is the more widely utilized software and also recognized more readily by those in the business world. The company has spent many years (the bulk of their existence) in building and improving the Office Suite which has evolved into truly amazing tools for the business world not to mention educators.

      Apple has been around for a long time as well, but did not progress in the same way that Microsoft, its competitor, did.  As it has evolved it has had its niche in more of the creativity side of technology, and, more recently has also become very popular in education--especially in the younger grades. With its mobile devices and the power they offer, Apple is evolving into more than the creativity tools in technology, but has also introduced numerous business-related applications. Also, it now will permit cross-platform use so that Windows users may load applications onto Macs that are Microsoft based. 

    So, as we educators are life-long learners we need to become comfortable in both technology worlds:  Apple and Microsoft. So, please make sure if you have not had an opportunity to check out the "bells and whistles" in PowerPoint (2007 and 2010 versions) as well. 

    Questions? Please don't hesitate to email me at nhickman@horrycountyschools.net.