Free webinars - In service training

Have you ever wanted to listen to experts in their field discussing a topic?  This week I have attended two presentations in the US where there have been audiences of over 500 people scattered around the world.  There have been PPTs, voice, chat, questions and Twittering as a back channel.

Where was I?  Well, at home!  What did I attend?  A webinar!  

According to Wikipedia a webinar is - Web conferencing used to conduct live meetings, training, or presentations via the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected to other participants via the internet. ...

They are often free!  I have just gone looking for more free webinars in order to keep up-to-date and as a part of my life long learning.  I registered on the two URLs below for new interesting learning.  All that is needed is ADSL or equivalent good bandwidth.  Many of us now have uncapped ADSL so it is a good option for learning.

http://www.webex.com/web-seminars/

http://community.discoveryeducation.com/

I did a Google search for webinar free education - Try it.

Gr 12 PAT

I have marked many PATs and feel irritated.  All reports are marked and I am just finishing off a few PPTs. 

We must check that the learners actually answer the question or complete the investigation.  Finding information on the topic was done well.  The survey was done well and analysed. However the survey results were not linked to the theoretical information found on the topic. Problems were not identified in the target group based on the theoretical information found. Solutions were also not based on the habits of the target group.

Put simply the learners investigated … on the Internet and in books.  They then looked at the … habits of the learners in their class. They did not make the link that the data on the Internet said xxx and the learners in their class only did xxx, therefore there was a problem. They did not say that x y z in their class who did not do … and should be doing ….  The learners did not solve the problem.  They gave solutions in general, things we all know.  The work was not finished! 

As we mark each phase we are meant to tell learners where they need to change and improve.  In the planning phase I did indicate to learners there was a part missing but despite much talk and explanation I could not seem to convey to my learners that a huge part was missing.  In future the problems and solutions phase needs much greater attention.  

Preparing for Grade 12 exams

The September exams are coming soon.  To prepare I am going over old exam papers.  I am horrified at how much my learners have forgotten.  I am very grateful, that now, with the 3^rd group of learners writing the NSC, we have a bank of old papers to use. It is quite amusing, doing the practical papers, using Office 2007 in our lab, realising how different 2003 and 2007 are.  What was easy in 2003 is difficult in 2007 and vice versa, especially in advanced Word, Excel and Access.  I hope the 2010 papers take this into consideration, e.g. protecting a Word form in 2007 is tricky but easy in 2003, creating Word forms in 2007 is tricky, removing lines in Access forms is not necessary in 2007, making certain textbooks different sizes on an Access input form is tricky in 2007 but so easy in 2003, etc.  All these small 'problems' make life challenging. 

Access problem

This is for all those good at Access.  I formatted text in a database table with an input mask.  When I did a mail merge, that text displays as if there had been no input mask.  How do I make the input mask format 'stay'?  

In service training

I had a wonderful Friday evening and Saturday morning teaching the CAT students doing an advanced certificate in education (ACE) at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.  They are all qualified teachers working full time, some already teaching CAT.  We did work on

• creating a web to market CAT
• making a PowerPoint for the subject choice meeting normally held in September
• creating fun quizzes in Hot Potato, Excel, PowerPoint and a web editor.

I love teaching adults who are already computer literate. It is such a pity that the course will not be offered in the future as bursaries are no longer available.

PowerPoint 2007 SmartArt

My Matrics are finishing off their Phase 3 PPTs and a few are using PPT 2007s SmartArt.  Wow!  Never again will I make PPTs in the way I did!  I realise that my thinking was still stuck in 1997 format.  Try it!

Digital Divide

Look at this new definition of the Digital Divide by Helene Blowers

Graphs

Chapter 3.2 in the Grade 11 book is such an important chapter and the work so challenging. Graphs really require understand and thought. Nice!

• Non-aligned data
• Axis - Scales, Intervals, Units, Number, Alignment
• Labels - Outside
• Font size
• Columns – Fill (Pictures)
• New in Excel 2007 insert a Shape label onto/into a graph to specially show something

Report writing

There seem to have been problems downloading the Report Writing PPT. I thought it was because there was a space between words in the file name. I fixed that - here it is. Still problems for others although I could download successfully. I have now zipped the file and hope that it will download and unzip successfully - here it is. Please let me know if you are still unsuccessful. Thanks

Office 2007 training

During the holidays I had the pleasure of helping presenting an Office 2007 training course. Here are copies of the Excel manual, PowerPoint, Crossword (to check if teachers knew the 2007 vocabulary) and Access manual and PowerPoint. Most of the files in 2007, are zipped and I hope they will download and unzip correctly.

Exam papers 2010

Place your order for CAT exam papers. Quality papers and low prices. Click here, download and follow instructions.

PAT and report writing

I have marked many PAT reports and ACE student reports. Here is a PPT (in 2007) of points that are badly done in both. Please feel free to use it with your learners showing where to be careful.

Clean up

This winter weather and soccer on TV is a wonderful time to clean up one's computer and get ready for the tax man. I cannot spend hours watching soccer – I have the TV on and regularly go to see specific action. I have been to the stadium and a fan park but sorting out papers and computer files has used much of my time this holiday. After my computer and papers, cupboards are next!

Office 2007

Between watching soccer I have been spending these holidays preparing to give a training session on new features of Microsoft Office 2007. I wonder, just wonder, not wanted to start an argument, how many of the new 2007 features are available in the latest Open Office. I wonder when these new features will be examined in a matric paper knowing that anything on the paper must be able to be done in both versions of Office.

Internet course

I have just completed the GetSmarter Internet SuperUser course http://www.getsmarter.co.za/uct-internet-super-user. This course has been the best investment I have ever made. I have learned so much about using my computer and cell phone, to access the Internet to improve my life long learning. I sat in my home, downloaded notes in pdf format, watched videos, joined a forum to discuss topics, performed exercises, answered multiple choice questions and did assignments. I did all the work online. I have spent more than the recommended 7 hours per week on the course, it consumed me.

I believe all teachers, especially CAT, IT and school librarians, should do the course. We all have to teach using technology, some teachers more than others. We all have to access information. We all have to communicate with colleagues. We all have to publish material. We all have to manage information. We all have to keep safe online. And we all have to teach our learners responsible behaviour. The course covers all these topics.

I have learned about quality, efficiency and accountability. This course has influenced my thinking in so many ways. A similar course will be offered in September with a 10% discount to all teachers, so I am told, if you request the discount.

I intend doing another course with GetSmarter soon, you guess which.

This is an unsolicited recommendation.

Twitter

http://edudemic.com/2010/06/twitter-launches-official-guide-to-tweeting-videos/

Guide to Twitter - but do not try and have a whole class 'join' Twitter at the same time as the network cannot handle it.

Facebook

The CAT teacher is the expert ICT teacher at most schools. Please share this article with your fellow teachers.

http://edudemic.com/2010/06/every-teachers-must-have-guide-to-facebook/

Here's the preamble to the article:
You can*t swing a stick in social media without hitting something on Facebook. Same goes for education. You can*t talk about how technology is revolutionizing education without mentioning Facebook. It*s a simple service to figure out but what about once you become a regular user? If you*re a teacher, you would be well served by spending 3 minutes to read through this must-have guide...

Thanks for the article must go to Maggie Verster at http://www.school2.co.za

Email addresses from Excel to Gmail

Teachers may find this useful - How to use a group to send email, and then how to import email addresses from Excel into Gmail http://www.compmat.wcape.school.za/PHS/examples/Google%20email%20import%20group.doc

Technology for tourism

Google street view is here! A Google street view vehicle has probably been in most urban areas in South Africa and taken street views. Today I went to Google map and looked for my home. I dragged the orange "Pegman" icon on the left-hand side of the map onto my street, and saw my home. Oops, I need to do some tree trimming. Read the details of Google street view here - https://sites.google.com/a/pressatgoogle.com/streetviewza/ .

And while we think of tourists have a look at the web cams at http://www.kapstadt.de/reiseinformationen/suedafrika-webcams/blouberstrand-webcam/

Social networking and the World Cup

Have a look at the links, share with learners.

• Who/what matters on Twitter - http://listorious.com/WorldCupCNN/world-cup
• World Cup to drive record social media traffic - http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/04/26/football.world.cup.social/index.html?iref=obinsite
• The role Twitter could play in the World Cup - http://sports.tmcnet.com/world-cup/articles/87266-sony-ericsson-believes-real-time-medias-like-twitter.htm

PPT on Basic Computer Devices Gr 11

Exploring the application is essential in teaching the computer. Have a look at this PPT made in two periods by a gr 11 learner who had never used animations before and never used PPT 2007. I have saved it in 2003 as well as 2007 to show what can be done. Here is another PPT in 2007.

Gr 10 Page - Page 86 - Activity 2 - Important words

• CAP – amount of data (text, pictures, animations, video, sound, etc.) transferred (downloaded and uploaded)
• Line rental – to Telkom
• ADSL – type of line
• ISP – Internet service provider
• 384, 512, 1024 – different transfer speeds available
• Kbps (speed) – kilobytes per second
• Bundle – type of package available from an ISP

This activity is very tricky as there is no right answer and the information is actually difficult to find. Rather focus on the words found in the activity. Valuable in seeing that it is difficult to compare ISPs. (Cybersmart has an interesting deal for night people.)

But the learners should create a table where they compare information.

Google search criteria

http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html

Essential information on doing searches on Google.

Way of teaching

When we teach CAT we have to be very careful to teach the learners to explore the applications.  We should not give too explicit instructions on how to do things. Applications which we use change – they get updated, new versions are developed, we change the office suites, and we learn to use totally different applications to that taught in the CAT class.  We have to teach an exploratory and flexibility way of thinking and working – tricky to teach but it has to be done.  

Page numbering - Odd and Even, and other things in Word 2007

If you do NOT want page numbers on page 1, then be ON page 2 or higher and insert page numbers. In Table Design check on Different First Page.

If you want page numbers on Left or Right, insert them on the specific side required AFTER checking Different Odd and Even pages in Table Design.

If you want the page numbers to start at 69, in Table Design, on the left hand side look at Page Numbers, Format Page Numbers, and check on where it should start.

You may have to redo a few steps if … It is NOT fluid. Do not bother with section breaks.

Page numbering - Odd and Even in Word 2007

There has just been a query about odd and even page numbering - Look at this solution.

• Move cursor to first page.
• Insert, Page Number, Bottom of Page.
• Choose Plain Number 3 (because it is on the RHS - what you need for odd numbers).
• All the numbers will appear on the RHS.

Then

• Right-click in the Footer section, Edit Footer.
• Place cursor in Footer section of any EVEN page number.
• Select, on the Design tab, the option Different Odd & Even Pages (in the Options group).
• The even page numbers will disappear.

Then

• Insert, Page Number, Bottom of Page.
• Choose Plain Number 1 (because it is on the LHS - what you need for even numbers).
• Also explore all the exciting options with page numbering and images.

My learners have had great fun

Grade 12 PAT

I have worked hard on getting my grade 12 PAT correct. We are now working on Phase 3. Here is a link to that PPT that I am using. I am trying to get it *right*. I am now doing it in small bits.

Passwords

Here is a very good article on how to create and manage passwords, must reading for every CAT teacher and learner.

http://www.fastcompany.com/article/work-smart-a-single-trick-for-remembering-countless-passwords?partner=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+fastcompany/headlines+(Fast+Company+Headlines)

Microsoft Office

Revamped Microsoft Office Will Be Free on the Web

For the first time, Microsoft will provide a free online version of Office that lets people store their documents on the Web rather than on their personal computers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/technology/12soft.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Excel 2007

I keep discovering new things with Excel 2007. In the past to change the format of a cell you had to go to Format … or right click Format cells … and it was a long process. Now all is on the ribbon.

Wonder wheel in Google

I am doing a wonderful course to become an Internet Superuser at http://www.getsmarter.co.za/ and learning so much!

To find the wonder wheel in Google work from a Google search page, i.e. type a search term into that text box, and hit the "search" button to see a page with search results.

Now look at the top left of your search page, just under the search bar, you should see a link called "+ show options"
That will open the "options side bar" inside your browser view, and you should see the option for Wonder Wheel down near the bottom of the list.

Play with that! Wow.

Exam timetables

In the old days we made an ordinary table in Word with exam days.  We also made it fancy!

Take the next step and make it with Gmail Calendar, and add revision days.  You can even add popups or SMSs or emails to remind you of events.

For a short time my own calendar is on my web page at http://www.compmat.wcape.school.za/PHS/ as an example. 

Computers are cool!

Great kids google competition for World Cup

Look at this great competition brought to my attention from the Infolink mailing list - good work with shapes, printing, Google, etc.

There is a kids competition running for Google Doodle logos for the World Cup.

It looks great but get them designing now - closes May 3rd.

http://www.google.co.za/intl/en/lovefootball/doodle4google/

Soccer T shirts and software

With the soccer getting our attention these days many people are now buying Bafana Bafana T shirts to wear on Fridays, and at the games. I believe those T shirts cost about R600 from a brick and mortar shop. Those T shirts, or very similar T shirts, can also be bought at traffic lights and street markets for a much lower price. This seems a good time to discuss legal and illegal software, particularly Gr 10 Page 176-178.

See you at the games! I bought my ticket ages online ago. I also started learning French to speak to the visitors.

Use the Internet in a fun way

If you have time in the busy schedule of teaching CAT you may want to enter, with your learners, the competition to help name the fossil of a young boy found near the Cradle of Humankind.  The following comes from the blurb - "Are you 18 or younger and want to WIN R75 000 towards your education and R25 000 for your school? All you have to do is think of a name for the oh so very popular, but currently nameless skeletal friend from the past and enter this awesome competition! Click on http://sedibachild.standardbank.co.za to enter."

Internet course

I am looking forward to the UCT Internet Super-User Course http://www.getsmarter.co.za/uct-internet-super-user which starts on 12 April.  The closing date for registration is 31 March, so it is beginning soon!  Whopee!  And the best thing about the course is that I can do it from anywhere, not have to travel anywhere on our roads which are undergoing BRT changes.

I always teach – Now I want to learn and grow.

Setting exam papers

I am really enjoying setting my exam papers for June.  For a long time I have used those set by Sandra and Co, but now am doing my own.  Inspiration has come!  It may leave me but for the moment I am alive with ideas.

PAT

I have had a problem brought to my attention about the PAT: Schools which do not have Internet access.
First a school should not be offering Computer Applications Technology if they do not have Internet access but that is a different topic to the PAT and this posting is about the PAT.
Solution – A teacher at his/her own expense goes to a computer (at an Internet café or wherever) which has Internet access and downloads suitable web pages. (The costs to the teacher – that is not the topic here – the PAT is.) Save them on a flash drive. Take the files to school and make them available to learners on the network or individual workstations. It is not the 'correct' way to do a PAT but is a solution. This is not an official opinion but my opinion.

Another problem with the PAT
We are meant to use many different sources for the PAT, not only focus on the Internet. For the Gr 12 PAT consider using Life Science textbooks as well as those of Consumer Studies, plus the learners should be encouraged to use the library, and that is from an ex-school librarian. For Gr 11 there have been so many articles on social networking sites in the local magazines and newspapers all listing their (bad) points. One just needs to collect them.
This year the PAT hardly needs the Internet to do the work, although the Internet is ONE of the suggested resources! For those schools without Internet access remember the Internet is just ONE of many possible sources.

Remember that CAT means greater job and enhanced job opportunities. We have such a huge responsibility to help learners fulfill their potential.

Flash drives

On an average day I pick up at least 2 flash drives left behind by careless learners in my computer lab. One learner has devised her own way to make sure she does not leave her flash drive behind. A good idea!

Wonders at the hairdresser

After having my hair washed at the hairdresser, like a robot, I walked over and sat down at a computer and logged onto the Internet. I only realised that I was in a hairdresser when I was tapped on the shoulder and informed that the computers were for the use of clients having a colour job and not for those in the salon for short periods of time, i.e. having a hair cut. So next time I go in to have a colour job I can surf, go to Facebook, check my mail, etc. at no extra cost. A most forward thinking salon owner. Lovely!
The keyboard fits neatly onto the shelf in front of the chair, and the LCD monitors have the CPU affixed to their backs. Each computer has an aerial for wireless connectivity. If you are in the area visit the Hair Zone in Parklands, Table View, Cape Town and have a look. It looks as if computers are becoming more and more part of our world!

Grade 11 PAT Phase 1

My Grade 11s are working so well on their PAT phase 1.  Why?  Because I taught them well last year, they have the long document on the PAT from national and they have the PPT I used last year ( http://www.compmat.wcape.school.za/PHS/examples/PAT/0910PAT.ppt ) The phases have changed slightly this year – so last year's phase 1 is this year's phase 2.   I have watched the learners – they found slide on what to hand in the most useful.  It is so nice to see the class working so well.

Office 2007

Have you tried mail merge in Office 2007 Word?  What a dream!  My Grade 12 learners did mail merge today - wonderful.  Even labels were easy.  And Activity 4 on page 103 forced them to revise addresses and tabs, as well as learn mail merge!  My learners saw the power of Word in this mail merge activity.  Grade 12 is the year of a few new skills and revision, revision.  CAT is such a valuable subject!

In-service training

How to keep up with technology in the field of CAT– I was asked that recently in an interview.  Well I paid, in dollars, to study online in the US a few years ago.  I also supervised M.Ed students which kept me up-to-date and still lecture part-time.  Now the University of Cape Town and www.getsmarter.co.za are offering the 'UCT Internet Super-User Course' online where you can pay in rand!  Have a look at www.getsmarter.co.za/uct-internet-super-user 

You may also notice that there is a discount for people coming from the same company.  So teachers get together and get a discount.  It looks really worthwhile. 

Office 2007

Many people are moving to 2007.  Have a look at the 2008 matric paper on Birds where there is a PPT to support the paper, based on 2007. It was uploaded last year but it may be relevant now. 

Go to the blog -  last year http://studyopp.blogspot.com/2009/09/gr-12-practical-revision-en-hersiening.html

Gr 12 Survey - Extracting data from forms

Email from a teacher - Sorry to bother, but I have done some surveys with my grade 12's. Do you know how to export the "results" to excel/access in 2007?  I could do it in 2003 - convert to txt..... import from excel, but clueless in 2007. Already tried to google it, but no luck.

My response - Go to http://www.studyopportunities.co.za/  Click on FET:  CAT then look at all the 2007 things. There is a document on how to create forms. Now to answer your question - Office button, Word options, Advanced, Preserve fidelity when sharing this document, Save form data as delimited text file.  Phew!

Internet security quiz

Have a look at the Excel spreadsheet quiz on Internet security. This quiz fits in well with the work at Gr 11 Pg 22 Activity 1. The main Excel features used were Data, Data validation, List.

Office 2007

I do not believe the Department of Education requires us to move over to 2007 or 2010.  Their papers are even set so that one can use Open Office and Microsoft Office.  There is a problem in that I do not believe it will be possible to get Office 2003 in the future, so we should phase it in.  At my school we have both versions on the system and the learners may use which ever they wish to use.  

Competition and Online safety

Learners are invited to vote for the name of a recently discovered asteroid.  One of the learners at my school submitted a name.  Please go online and vote at http://www.nameourasteroid.org.za/  CAT teachers may want to discuss the safety of filling in personal details online. In the spirit of ubuntu I hope the best name wins.

Gr 10 – Page 117 Activity 5 and 6 - Text effects in Office 2007 and Format Painter

Text effects in 2007

In Word 2003 if you go to Format, Font, Text effects you have the option of Shimmer, Marching Black Ants and other fun text effects.  If you open the file PressReleaseENG, for Activity 5 on page 117,  in Word 2007 you cannot change the text effects as Word 2007 does not have that feature. 

Format Painter

Activity 6 on page 117 is about the Format Painter.  Using Word 2007, to show the real use of the Format Painter one can have the file for Activity 5 open, use the Format Painter and copy the text effects formatting to Activity 6.  Doing this really shows how the format painter can be used, especially as Word 2007 does not have those formatting features.

Effective learners

A deputy at our school, Jeremy Gibbon, gave a wonderful PowerPoint presentation at assembly at the beginning of the term on 'The 7 habits of highly effective learners'. Each slide had a key word which he spoke about and around. He focused on the audience and did not turn around and look at the screen. He knew what he wanted to say – he obviously had notes but he did not read from them. The key words were Read a lot, Are curious, Are active learners, Develop good study skills, Write well, Are responsible for their own learning and Are organised. It is available here, zipped, at 4 Meg, created by our PR secretary Deborah Torrington.

I was so impressed with the presentation and its delivery. The words 'Active learners' made me think of how I could make the CAT learners into more active learners. The results – this week the learners had to take the PowerPoint presentations which come on CD with most of the chapters in the book, and they had to give the presentation. They had to talk around the key words. They had to know their work and emulate the deputy by talking around the topic. It was so successful. The learners rose to the occasion, maybe because they hold him in such esteem and they wanted to copy his delivery. I picked up a few errors of knowledge with respect to primary and secondary memory, and different kinds of printers. I have his permission to share this PowerPoint - feel free to use this presentation in 2003 and 2003 zipped and 2007 and 2007 zipped and maybe do something similar.