January 27th, 2009
January 27th, 2009
We pledge to GO GREEN!
“We pledge to GO GREEN!
- We will do our best to use less paper in 2009.
- We will send files online rather than printing them out.
- We promise to recycle paper more often!
- If I need to print, I promise to use both sides and then use the paper for art or scrapbook projects.”
Signed: chelu • edtechworld • macguam • rmaiquez • allannaz • cecillenaz
Click here to GO GREEN! 250GB of FREE online storage - offer ends January 30, 2009!
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December 16th, 2008
Beginning JAVA Programming - Resource Materials
As an introduction to Computer Science for middle school or high school students, a wonderful resource called “Beginning Java” from MathBits is worth a look.
The online resource is designed for beginning programmers who are studying the Java programming language. The materials use JBuilder with BreezyGUI and emphasis is on Java application programming. The website offers sample exercises and online quizzes to test students on material learned.
If the online materials are not enough for you, the site owners offer a Beginning Java Course Resource CD for Educators for $149.00 + S&H. I ordered the CD and am quite happy with it. All teaching materials, including handouts of lesson notes, are included in the CD. A large part of the contents of the CD are the MS-Word versions of the materials offered for free on their website — but there’s so much more on the CD — including:
- Hardcopy lesson handout sheets for each of the on-line lesson pages
- Calendars with the suggested schedule lesson layout based on 84-minute class period
- A brochure that explains the course, assignments, grading, extra help, virus checking, room rules, working at home, etc.
- A Course Tri-fold Brochure
- A brochure on Java with JBuilder - Quick Reference Guide
- A tri-fold brochure explaining how to use JBuilder
- An Introductory Powerpoint Presentation for parents
- Lots of assignments, programming projects, activities, quizzes, and unit tests
The whole package is essentially a 7-unit course on Beginning Java Programming:
- Unit 1: Introduction, Vocabulary, Number Bases
- Supplement: Installing/Using JBuilder and BreezyGUI
- Unit 2: Data Basics
- Supplement: Working with BreezyGUI
- Unit 3: Conditionals
- Unit 4: Looping
- Unit 5: Methods
- Unit 6: Arrays
- Unit 7: Basic Graphics
- Final Exam Project
So far, I have worked on Units 1 and 2 with my class of 11th grade students in IB Computer Science and I am happy with the results. Students are also excited about what they are learning, especially the short, simple Java programs they have developed.
Just a few comments on the paid for CD resource:
- Using only Units 1 and 2 of the materials thus far, I have come across a few errors on the materials. Some errors were on the exercises - regarding the inconsistent use of numbers. There were also minor inconsistencies in the Unit 2 test.
- I emailed the author of the resource CD and I was told that since the files were in MS-Word, I was welcome to go ahead and correct any typos or modify the materials as I saw fit.
- Aside from minor typos and errors on the MS-Word files of the materials, the quality of the subject content and amount of exercises, quizzes, etc. is quite good.
Our class also uses two other resources on Java Programming: EIMACS and “Chortle”. These are discussed on different posts in this blog.
Filed under: Educational Technology, For Teachers, JAVA Programming | No Comments
December 16th, 2008
Samsung ML-2571n Drivers - Mac OS X and Windows
The Samsung ML-2571 is a very affordable and highly reliable NETWORK-READY printer that we use in school. This post is a reference for the printer and software links providing quick and easy download for installation and maintenance of our ML-2571n printers.
Main support/download page or the ML-2571n at the SAMSUNG website.
Macintosh
- Download PostScript driver for Mac OS 10.1- Mac OS 10.5 (ver.1.60)
- Download Smart Panel Application for Mac OS 10.1 - 10.5 (ver.2.01.06)
Windows
- Download Win 98/ME/2K/XP/2003/X64 PCL Printer Driver (ver.1.57)
- Download Win 2000/XP Smart Panel Application (ver.1.19.06)
The Samsung ML-2751n printer is available for $159.99 + S/H from ELECTRONICA DIRECT. Click here. Since I live in Guam, this is the best price I’ve seen so far online — including shipping (USPS Priority Mail - $28.41). Shipped to Guam, this printer costs $188.40.
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December 16th, 2008
Samsung ML-2510 Drivers - Mac OS X and Windows
The Samsung ML-2510 is a very affordable and highly reliable printer that we use in school. This post is a reference for the printer and software links providing quick and easy download for installation and maintenance of our ML-2510 printers.
Main support/download page or the ML-2510 at the SAMSUNG website.
Macintosh
- Download ML-2510 Driver for Mac OS X - CUPS driver for Mac OS 10.3- Mac OS 10.5 (ver.1.19)
- Download Smart Panel Application for Mac OS 10.3 - 10.5 (ver. 2.01.06)
Windows
- Download Win 98/ME/2K/XP/X64 Printer Driver (ver.1.57.11)
- Download Win 2000/XP Smart Panel Application (ver.1.19.06)
Filed under: For Teachers, Moodle, Tech. Gadgets | No Comments
December 16th, 2008
Inter-office, Cross-platform Communication :-)
Programs we use a in school for internal computer-to-computer communications (referenced here for easy download as needed for installation):
SNAPTALK from Glassbead Software (http://www.glassbead.com) — Secure chat and file transfers provide real-time inter- and intra-office communication.
- Download SnapTalk 5 for Mac OS X - Macintosh Version
- Download SnapTalk 5 - Windows - Vista/XP/2KWindows version
QUICKPOPUP from Kanex Group, Inc. (http://www.quickpopup.com) — QuickPopup, the easy way to communicate with everybody on your office, school and home network. It’s cross-platform, ready to run on all flavors of Windows, Mac OS/Mac OS X and Linux. Quite simply, it’s the complete solution for all your messaging needs
- Download Macintosh Version - Mac OS X (PowerPC and Intel)
- Download Macintosh Version - Mac OS Classic (PowerPC and 68k)
- Download Windows Version - Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008
Filed under: Educational Technology, For Teachers, Linux, Mac | No Comments
December 16th, 2008
Free Printable 2009 Calendars
This if probably a useful resource for teachers: Free 2009 calendars that you can download, customize, and print. Calendars are available in PDF and Microsoft Word formats.
http://www.printable2009calendar.net/
Filed under: Educational Technology, For Teachers | No Comments
September 1st, 2008
DAA Converter for Mac OS X
For Mac users out there who need a utility to open .DAA files on their Macs — I came across this helpful utility simply called “DAA Converter for Mac OS X” from this URL –> http://www.twilightedge.com/mac/daaconverter/
Following text is the description from the site:
“Direct Access Archive (DAA) is a disk image format that’s currently unsupported on Mac OS X.
DAA Converter is a free utility which allows you to access the contents of a DAA image file by converting it to ISO disk image format; The converted ISO disk image can be mounted as a readable volume on your Mac by double-clicking it.
DAA Converter is a native GUI application which wraps the command-line tool, DAA2ISO, by Luigi Auriemma.
It runs on Mac OS X 10.3 Panther or later.”
Here’s a direct link to download the file: http://www.twilightedge.com/downloads/DAAConverter1.1.dmg.zip
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June 19th, 2008
2008 IB Conference - Montezuma, New Mexico
I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity by my school to attend the 2008 International Baccalaureate (IB) Conference in Montezuma, New Mexico this summer (June 16 to 20). After a few conversations in the past school year with my IB Coordinator (Dr. Michael Manafo) at St. John’s School, IB Computer Science was added to our growing list of IB subject offerings. (IB Physics and IB Performing Arts were added as well.)
Right after the last day of school year 07-08, I packed my things and flew off to the mainland U.S. I travelled with a colleague of mine, Arlene Chua, who was also attending the IB Conference (for IB Physics). The pick-up point in New Mexico was at the Albuquerque International Airport. United World Colleges (UWC), the school that sponsors the annual summer IB Conference, was very organized at meeting attendees at the airport and transporting everyone to Montezuma (about a 2-hour air conditioned bus ride). Since my arrival at the conference site, the organizers (administration, faculty, staff, and students) at UWC were very professional in hosting the needs and looking after the well-being of all attendees (~190 registered attendees, 10 guests, and 14 workshop leaders) . Kudos to Eyad Shabaneh and his team!
The week-long schedule of the IB conference mixed 1.5-hour long sessions (there were 9 such sessions) with other activities (field trips and sports games). There was one general assembly and two sessions on special IB topics (Internationalism and The Extended Essay). With other activities to choose from, the week went by too quickly. There was a lot to learn, a lot to ask, and a lot to digest (literally and figuratively!). The IB conference was absolutely intellectually stimulating and socially interesting. Being “trapped” in the Montezuma Castle area was quite a respite for me.
The IB Computer Science (IBCS) workshop group was led by Julie Plante — coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program at Vanier College in Montreal, Canada. Compared to other workshop groups, the IBCS class was quite small — there were six attendees. This was quite an advantage for us since we had a closer interaction among attendees and workshop leader.
Julie Plante was an amazing mentor. She obviously knew a lot about the IBCS program — the ins and outs of mark schemes, the intricacies of the subject matter, and the nuances of various aspects of IBCS. She was always full of positive energy — swiftly attending to the participants’ questions and concerns on the subject and never failing to pin the point she was making with an accompanying rush of emphatic hand movements.
(More thoughts on this later…)
Below are photos taken during the 2008 IB Conference - June 16 to 20, 2008.
| Above: Arrival at the Albuquerque International Airport |
| Above: Scenery on the bus ride to Montezuma |
| Above: The Parade of Flags near the Castle |
| Above: Montezuma Castle |
| Above: Plaque about the Castle |
| Above: Check-in Area |
| Above: The Great Fireplace |
| Above and below: From the castle’s porch |
| Above: View from the porch |
| Above and below: The first assembly at the auditorium |
| Above: Yes - great exercise every time — all 137 steps from Casa B4! |
| Above: IB Computer Science Group with workshop leader: Julie Plante |
| Above: Julie Plante about to drive in a point on the intricacies of IBCS “mark schemes”. |
| Above: Julie Plante showing online resources to a workshop attendee. |
| Above: The IBCS group working intently in one of the many computer labs at UWC. |
| Above: The IBCS group working on a few challenges |
| Above: “Yup! It sure is!” |
| Above: Writing up the sequence for IBCS! |
| Above: Julie Plante assisting one of the participants. |
| Above: Shelby Hall - where all attendees shared colorful meals and networked! |
| Above: A photo moment with friends from Texas, Florida, Peru, Guam, and the Philippines! |
| Above: An amazing view of the castle |
| Above: A great view of the castle from the soccer field |
| More photos later … |
Filed under: Educational Technology, Professional Dev't. | No Comments
April 21st, 2008
Create logos online for FREE
I came across an interesting entry at hongkiat.com about creating logos. This would be useful in my Graphic Arts class. It takes out some of the frustration on creating logos non-specialized programs. Worth a look …
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Tags: logosgraphic arts
Filed under: Educational Technology, Presentations, Visual Communications, Web 2.0 | No Comments
January 28th, 2008
Brando Leather Case and a few other pics of Eee PC
A few more pictures of the Brando Leather Case (BLC).
Pics below and a few more available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22279665@N03/sets/72157603809204675/
Here’s a photo showing the leather “hinge” that connects both parts. As I wrote in an earlier post, it would have been better if Brando used just a bit more leather and went all the way opposite the charger side for a wider hinge.
Photo of the Brando Leather Case (BLC) on a postal service weighing scale — showing 8.1 ozs.
Photo of the Eee PC in the BLC on a scale — showing 2 lbs, 8.8 ozs. Super-cool! 2.5~ pounds total for a protected ultra-tiny laptop. I just love it! 
Close-up photo of the cutout in the trackpad area of the Eee PC. Notice the cutout is a bit too exact. The right side cut is a bit skewed. Perhaps Brando gave more space on the right side so one’s pointer finger can easily travel up and down the scrolling area? Can’t tell — I don’t have another BLC with which to compare.
Two photos below show the top side of the leather case. Since the bottom part holds the Eee PC snuggly, it doesn’t slide around. The top part is only held by the leather hinge and the magnetic lock so there’s a tendency for the flap to slide around. I’m just being picky.
Photo below shows the Eee PC in the BLC in typical daily use on a table. Notice the flap at the back.
Photo right below shows the Eee PC and BLC on a table — this time, the top flap is folded under the Eee. The leather strip with the metal disc for locking protrudes forward. 2nd Photo below shows the back view of the Eee with the top flap folded under.
Photo below - the circular item at front left is the PivotDock I got a few years back for my Gen. 1 iPod Shuffle. Mouse is a wireless Microsoft Travel Mouse with the USB transmitter tucked under the mouse.
Photo below - close-up of PivotDock and underneath of MS Travel Mouse.
Photo below shows USB wireless transmitter connected to PivotDock.
Photo below shows PivotDock at work - so USB transmitter is not standing tall and in the way.
Very light travel setup.
ULTIMATE BOTTOM LINE: As with many things, the Brando Leather Case isn’t perfect — but it’s very, very good! Coupled with my Eee PC, it’s an awesome combination that I’m just loving more each day.
Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | No Comments
January 27th, 2008
Brando Leather Case for Eee PC - Brief Review
My Brando Leather case finally arrived. Here’s a few pics of the unpacking / unboxing. I’ve a few comments about the product as well above the pics.(A little bit larger pics available here: http://flickr.com/photos/22279665@N03/sets/72157603801102682/ )
Packaging was typical.
Packaging was typical.
Standard Brando packing box.
Ohhh … the smell of leather … AAAaaaahhhhh! Luv it!!!
Very nice!
There’s a lot comments/inquiries about the vents holes. “Are these enough?” Personally, I think nothing will beat the absence of a case. No case simply means more ventilation. I’ll report back later if I notice any noticeable major increase in fan operation and heat.
The SD card and business card holders are handy — but I’m not sure if I’ll use them. Nice to have — just in case …
Now there’s something I’m not too fond of: the LEATHER “HINGE”. I feel the strip of leather that connects the top and bottom parts of the Brando case is too short. I understand that they cut off the left side for the adaptor plug. I would have wanted a full strip of leather on the right side since the Eee doesn’t have any connectors on the right rear side. Maybe they did this for aesthetics? At any rate, in my regular use, I notice the top part flip-flops around. I just feel that a complete strip to the right side of the case would have made a sturdier “hinge” joint.
OK. Here’s something I’m not so happy with. The cutout for the trackpad is TOO EXACT! It would have been better if they cut off an additional 0.5 cm on the left and right sides of the trackpad. Why? The leather on the wrist rest area is about 0.125 cm thick. When I used the trackpad without the leather case, I was able to maove my pointer finger to the very left and right edges of the trackpad. Now, the left and right edges of the trackpad leather cutout prevents my finger from reaching the edges. A bit of an annoyance than a major pain. Plus - it’s probably just the case I got - the cutout on mine is not perfectly straight. Oh well.
A few more detailed pics of the cutouts later.
In the meantime — I’m quite happy with the Brando Leather Case (BLC). With the BLC now, I’m not excessively careful with my Eee PC when using it. With the BLC, I can just place the Eee in my bag without worrying — or take it out and start working on a desk or table without being too scared of dings, scratches, etc.
More on this later after using the Eee and BLC at work.
Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | No Comments
January 1st, 2008
Growing number of LINUX users due to the success of the Eee PC
“Will the ASUS Eee PC do for LINUX what the iPod did for Apple / the Mac OS?”
Just a few curious thoughts. With the success of recent sales of the ASUS Eee PC and projected growth of sales throughout 2008, does this translate to a growing number of Linux users? It would be nice to find out how many Eee PC purchasers are actually using the Linux OS on their new computers. It would also be interesting to find out how many Eee PC owners are installing Windows and using it instead of Linux and how many are keeping an existing Windows or Mac system and maintaining their Eee PC as an additional laptop? Or maybe even - how many Eee PC purchasers are first-time laptop buyers — and maybe keeping their Eee PC as their main or only computer? Anyhow … just thoughts on the Eee PC.
Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | 1 Comment
January 1st, 2008
ASUS Eee PC Travel and Home Setup Review!
I recently got an ASUS Eee PC - Pearl White - 4G/512MB - model 701. I’m very happy with it. I’ll write about my experiences with the Eee PC soon. In the meantime, here’s a few pics of my Eee PC Travel and Home setups:
My Eee PC Travel setup - using a Targus Gig bag (not sure about model number). The Eee PC is a perfect fit in the bag — which has a lot of pockets! The bag itself is not very well-padded, so it’s best to keep the Eee PC in the free neoprene case that came with the package.
Here’s the Targus bag with all the items inside — Eee PC in main compartment; charger, SD card case, external portable HD — in front pockets.
Here’s a pic of just the Targus bag.
Here’s a pic of the Eee PC on a Macally IcePad. I use this pad at home — with all items on top and the IcePad on my lap while on a recliner and just browsing away or watching a video — or on a table when I’m working.
Here’s a pic of the Macally IcePad and Eee PC on my lap.
And finally, here’s a pic of the Macally folded in half for storage. The Eee PC is small enough to fit on the folded size of the Icepad.
Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | 2 Comments
December 27th, 2007
ASUS Eee PC for Christmas - mini review!
On December 26, 2007, I got an ASUS Eee PC Christmas present! Well … okay, I bought it for myself. 
The one I have is the 4G/401 model. It has 4GB of onboard storage and 512MB of RAM. The next model up — with 1GB of RAM (same 4GB onboard storage) has a large, unjustifiable price difference of $100.00. I immediately bought a replacement 2GB single RAM stick from NewEgg for about $42.00 (with shipping and taxes included — and this is before the $10.00 rebate offered by NewEgg). And with news that the warranty is not voided when one opens the RAM compartment to upgrade, then there’s no problem at all to do that then. So for those considering the 1GB RAM model of the Eee PC — save your $100 and use about half of it for even more RAM and get a 2GB single stick RAM upgrade.
This is the item I got from NewEgg:
pqi 2GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Notebook Memory - Retail
URL –> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141297
What’s the Eee PC? It’s an ultra-compact, ultra-light laptop by ASUS (ASUSTEK). Weighing only a measly 0.92 kg (about 2 lbs.), you can take the Eee PC anywhere. Equiped with a solid-state disk instead of a magnetic harddisk, you get unparalleled shock-protection and reliability. Power-efficient design and rapid start-up time make Eee PC the perfect companion for your mobile computing and entertainment needs.The Eee PC in a nutshell:
“Eee PC” stands for Easy to Learn, Easy to Work, Easy to Play PC
- 7″ compact design and only 0.92kg
- Durable, shock-proof solid-state design
- Rich network and wireless connectivity
- Graphic user interface for simplicity and ease of use
- Over 40 built-in applications for learn, work and play
Eee PC Models and Specifications
- Eee PC 8G ( 8GB Storage, 1GB Memory, Webcam )
- Eee PC 4G ( 4GB Storage, 512MB Memory, Webcam )
- Eee PC 4G Surf ( 4GB Storage, 512MB Memory )
- Eee PC 2G Surf ( 2GB Storage, 256MB Memory )
Common Properties
- Display : 7″ LCD widescreen at 800×480
- Processor : 900 MHz Intel Mobile Celeron
- Operating System : Custom Xandros-based Linux (Pre-loaded) or Windows XP
- Networking : Built-in Ethernet and WiFi 802.11 b/g
- Audio : Hi-Definition audio, built-in stereo speaker and microphone
- Battery : 2.8 - 3.5hrs
- Weight : 0.92 kg
More on my Eee experiences later!
Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Open Source, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | No Comments
December 3rd, 2007
GMail loading / access problems
Our school uses the free Google Apps for Education. Recently, our teachers have been having problems accessing their GMail through our school domain. I discovered through my searches on the web that going through the secure protocol fixes this problem — using “https” instead of “http”.
So, the following URL seems to fix our GMail access problems: https://mail.google.com
Filed under: Educational Technology, Web 2.0 | No Comments
September 18th, 2007
FREE Educational PALM Programs hosted
I recently communicated with Brian Schau (week of August 27, 2007) and he has agreed to let me host and support his creations for the Palm Handheld Computer. His contributions to the world of education include very helpful software such as MathAce. All titles by Brian Schau are free of charge. However, I’m sure he’d appreciate it if you’d write him a note if you find the software helpful for your classes/students. Brian is no longer hosting the software in his server. I am now hosting all the educational software he created. And here’s the link: www.edtechworld.com/palmprograms
Filed under: Educational Technology, Palm Handhelds | No Comments
September 14th, 2007
Mac Helpmate
Use Mac HelpMate on your computer to run routine or scheduled maintenance tasks, diagnose hard disk failures, or troubleshoot your Mac OS X computer. It’s free. Download here.
Filed under: Educational Technology, Mac | No Comments
September 13th, 2007
Mac Links for those new to the Mac
Cool OSX Apps: http://www.coolosxapps.net/
Filed under: Educational Technology, Mac | No Comments
August 31st, 2007
New Aluminum iMac - “warpy” keyboard
Our school received two donated iMacs - the new aluminum and glass iMacs - and the keyboard is already a bit warped after a day. Student sprobably pushed down a bit too hard on a portion of the keyboard. The aluminum casing of the keyboard bent out of its perfectly straight shape. :( I was able to “opposite” bend it back into shape. A photo from the built-in iSight is shown below — not the best photo — but you can see the slight curve of the aluminum.
But don’t get me wrong … I love the new keyboard design. It looks like Apple was able to save by producing a lot of the white MacBook’s keyboard and using that portion for the main keyboard of the new aluminum Mac. The usual Volume and Eject buttons are in the main keyboard area - they are not above the numeric keypad.
Anyhow, the new iMac is so perfect — I just had to look for something to complain about … the “warpy” keyboard.
LOVE THE NEW iMACS!!!
Filed under: Educational Technology | No Comments