Technology Self Assessment

Assessment for Teachers and Students

Basic Computer Use
___I do not use a computer
___I can log on and off a computer properly and I can open, use, and close programs.
___I can open programs using icons on the desktop and/or Start menu.
___I can learn new programs on my own.

Responsible Use
___I do not know how to use a computer responsibly.
___I use equipment gently and leave it ready for the next person.
___I understand and follow school rules for responsible use of the computer including spam, language, copyright, etc.
___I model responsible use and can show others how to be responsible with computer use.

E-mail
___I do not use e-mail.
___I can use e-mail to send and receive messages, and I can organize, save, and delete messages.
___I can send and open attachments in e-mail.
___I can add a signature to an e-mail.

Internet Use
___I do not use the Internet.
___I can use navigation button to move between pages.
___I can use various search engines to find information.
___I can evaluate Internet information that is reliable, accurate, and appropriate.

Search Engines
___I do not use search engines.
___I can name and use at least 5 search engines.
___I can do a basic search on a search engine.
___I can do a boolean search on a search engine, and I know what a metasearch engine does.

File Management
___I do not save documents.
___I can select, open, and save documents in my folder on the main drive. (usually H drive for schools)
___I can create folders and organize my files on the main drive or on the desktop.
___I can use Windows Explorer or My Computer to locate and move files from one drive to another.

Software
___I do not use software.
___I can identify a piece of software.
___I can run software from a disk or the harddrive.
___I can load software onto the harddrive.

Graphics
___I do not use graphics.
___I can create pictures with paint and drawing programs.
___I can insert graphics and clip art in a document.
___I can select and modify graphics using a picture editing program.

Word Processing
___I do not use a word processor.
___I can type text in a word processor.
___I can use word processor tools including spelling & grammar check, thesaurus, font style, font color, and word art.
___I can insert graphics, hyperlinks, and tables into a word document.

Desktop Publishing
___I do not use a publishing program.
___I can use wizards to input my school name and address into a document.
___I can use templates to create a published document, and I can modify the template to suit my purpose.
___I can create a document from a blank page with columns, graphics, tables, word art, hyperlinks, etc.

PowerPoint
___I do not use PowerPoint.
___I can insert slides in PowerPoint, and I can insert a background, text, and graphics.
___I can link slides and create hyperlinks in PowerPoint.
___I can add word art, animation, sound clips, and voice overs in PowerPoint.

Spreadsheet
___I do not use a spreadsheet.
___I can enter data in a spreadsheet.
___I can use spreadsheet formulas.
___I can choose and create charts and graphs, and I can add hyperlinks in a spreadsheet.

Database
___I do not use a database.
___I can create fields in a database and enter data.
___I can designate a key field and a primary key in a database.
___I can create queries for a database.

Web Page Design
___I do not create web pages.
___I can create a web page using a Microsoft Publisher template or other template.
___I can creat a web page using Microsoft Word or FrontPage.
___I can create a web page with DreamWeaver or another web page building sofware.

This is a basic assessment tool that could be used for teachers and students at the beginning of each school year to determine key areas for teacher workshops or student lesson plans.

Attaching a File to an E-Mail

Let's say you have just written a wonderful children's story in Microsoft Word, and you want your best friend to edit it for you.

Here is what you will need to do to attach it to an e-mail to send to your friend:

Save the file in "My Documents" or some other folder if you like.
Click "File", "Send to", and "Mail Recipient (for review)" or "Mail Recipient (as attachment)". This will open an e-mail window where you can attach files. Click the "Browse" button by "File 1" to locate your file in "My Documents" or in the folder in which you saved it. Double click the file name and it will appear in the "File 1" box. Next click "Attach Files". Once the file is attached click "Continue to Message" which will open up the e-mail page to compose a message and add your friend's e-mail address.

Note: The only difference between (for review) and (as attachment) is that (for review will allow your friend to edit your story. Once they send it back to you, you will be able to see what edits your friend made and either accept them or discard them. You will use (as attachment) when you are not asking for edits and just want to share your document.

To open an attachment that your friend may send to you, just click the attachment link that will appear at or near the bottom of the e-mail. A window will open and you will click "Download Attachment" which will then open a pop-up window asking if you would like to "Save" or "Open" the file. I always click "Open" and the appropriate device will open the file. But feel free to "Save" the file if you wish, then you can open it later.

My e-mail is through Yahoo, so your attachment process may be a slightly different ;>)

Basics of Webpage Design

When building your first webpage, remember to follow a few basic guidelines for and attractive site that is easy to navigate.

Easy on the Eyes---The page should be easy to read. The best choice is to use a light colored background with dark text. If you use a dark colored background, the text should be much lighter. The background should not be visually busy. Background pictures should be transparent so as not to interfere with the readability of the text. Bolding a title is fine, but limit bolding on the rest of the site to only the most important information. Never type anything in all caps, because it looks like you are SHOUTING at the person reading it. Left aligned text is most appropriate for content. Centered text should only be used for information in a table and links on your navigation bar. Headings and titles may also be centered, if you feel it necessary. Make the text size appropriate for the reader. The most common font size used in HTML editors if 3 which is about the same as font size 12 in Microsoft Word. A larger font size may be appropriate for young children's sites. Times New Roman or Ariel is most common font style for PC users, and Helvetica and Times is most common for Apple users. Triple check for grammar and punctuation mistakes.

Easy to Navigate---Links to your main pages are best on the left side of your page. You can also put a navigation bar on the top, or bottom. My personal preference is to have a navigation bar on the left side of the page and one at the bottom. The bottom navigation bar allows the navigator to find links easily after they have scrolled to the bottom of your page without having to scroll back to the top. If you have designed a site with many different links from several pages, a top and side navigation bar may suit you best. Use the top navigation bar for the main pages and the left side navigation bar can change from page to page to show links from each new page. If you use text links in the content of your page, they must stand out so they are easily recognized as links. The link color most people are familiar with is blue.

Use of White Space---White space is used to divide a page into sections to make it easier to read. The extra space between each paragraph on this page is making use of white space. If the text had no breaks between each section, it would be much harder for you to read.

Consistent Layout---All graphic images, fonts, navigation bars, backgrounds, headers, and footers should remain the same throughout your site.

Speed of Download---Your page should download quickly on the web or people will give up and go somewhere else. Excessive graphics, particularly animated graphics so the loading speed of a webpage. Graphics should be minimal and relate directly to the content of the page. Music not only slows the loading speed of a webpage, but is also annoying when you can't shut it off. It is best not to use music on a webpage, but if you feel you must, provide a link to turn it off.

File Extensions

File extensions are used so the computer can tell what program was used to create the file and what program to use to open the file.

A few extensions you might see:

.aac ----- Advanced Audio Coding File -------Program to Open File: Apple iTunes
.arc ----- Macintosh Hierarchical Archive -------------------------- Opens itself and Stuffit Expander
.aiff ----- Audio Interchange File Format -------------------------- Audio or Media Application
.avi ----- Audi Video Interleave File ------------------------------- Movie Player
.bat ----- Dos Batch File ------------------------------------------- A Text Editor
.cif ------ CD Image Format --------------------------------------- Roxio Media Creator, Magic ISO
.dat ----- Data File ------------------------------------------------ A Text Editor
.db ------ Database File ------------------------------------------- MS Access or File Maker Pro
.doc ----- Microsoft Word Document ------------------------------ Microsoft Word
.dot ----- Microsoft Word Template ------------------------------ Microsoft Word
.eps ----- Encapsulated PostScript -------------------------------- Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat, or Illustrator
.ftp ----- FileMaker Pro File -------------------------------------- FileMaker Pro
.gif ----- Graphical Interchange Format -------------------------- A Picture Editor
.gp4 ---- CCITT Group 4 File ------------------------------------ Any Fax Program
.gz ----- Gnu zipped file ------------------------------------------ WinZip or Stuffit Expander
.htm or html ---- Webpage file ----------------------------------- Webpage Browser
.hqx ---- BinHex 4.0 encoded file -------------------------------- Stuffit Expander
.img ---- Mac disk image ---------------------------------------- Mac OS 9: Apple Disk Copy or Aladdin ShrinkWrapMac OS X: Apple Disk UtilityWindows: MagicISO
.jar ----- Java Archive File -------------------------------------- Java 1.1 or later
.jpg ----- Joint Photographic Experts Group File ---------------- Any pic viewer or web browser
.lit ----- eBook File --------------------------------------------- Microsoft Reader
.log ---- Log File ------------------------------------------------ Any Text Editor
.m4a --- MPEG 4 Audio Layer ---------------------------------- Apple iTunes or QuickTime Player, Windows Media Player
.mdb --Microsoft Database ------------------------------------- Microsoft Access Database
.mid or .midi --- Midi File -------------------------------------- Quicktime or other audio player
.mim or .mime --Multi-Purpose Internet Email ---------------- Stuffit Expander or WinZip
.mp3 or .mpu --- Moving Picture Experts Group 3 Layer Audio-iTunes or other music player
.mp4 ----- MPEG-4 Video File -------------------------------- Apple Quick Time
.mpg or .mpeg -- Moving Picture Experts Group File ---------- Any movie player
.pdf ----- Portable Document Format ------------------------- Adobe Acrobat Reader
.png ---- Portable Network Graphic --------------------------- Most picture viewers and web browsers
.pps ----- PowerPoint Slide Show ----------------------------- Microsoft PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer
.ppt ----- PowerPoint Presentation --------------------------- Microsoft PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer
.psd ----- Photoshop Document ------------------------------ Adobe Photoshop
.pub ----- Publisher Document ------------------------------- Microsoft Publisher
.qt ---- Apple Quick Time Movie ----------------------------- Apple Quick Time Player
.ra or .ram -- Real Audio ------------------------------------- RealPlayer
.rtf ----- Rich Text Format ---------------------------------- Any text editor
.rm ----- Real Media ---------------------------------------- RealPlayer
.sql ----- Structured Query Language Data ------------------ Any text editor
.swf ----- Macromedia Flash Movie -------------------------- Macromedia Flash Player of web browser
.txt ----- Text File ------------------------------------------- Any text editor
.wav ---- Windows WAVE Sound File ------------------------ Audio or media player
.wma --- Windows Media Audio ----------------------------- Windows Media Player
.wmv --- Windows Media Video ----------------------------- Windows Media Player
.xls----- Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet ----------------------- Microsoft Excel
.xlw --- Microsoft Excel Workbook -------------------------- Microsoft Excel
.xlt ---- Microsoft Excel Template -------------------------- Microsoft Excel
.xml --- Extensible Markup Language File ------------------ Any text editor
.ymg or .yps -- Yahoo Messenger File ----------------------- Yahoo Messanger
.zip ----- Zipped File ---------------------------------------- Stuffit Expander or WinZip

Movie Editors

For those of you who want a very easy to use movie making product, you absolutely must try Photostory 3 by Microsoft. It allows you to easily insert pics, voice overs, text, and music. It will hold up to 300 digital pictures. It takes your still pictures and turns them into a video. Photostory 3 is a free download from Microsoft.

I used Photostory to make a digital yearbook for my school, which we ran on one of the televisions during Back to School Night. I actually added all the pics to slides in PowerPoint, and added backgrounds, and text to each within PowerPoint. I also put a frame around each picture in PowerPoint. I added the text in PowerPoint so it wouldn't be written over the top of the pictures. Photostory 3 puts the text on top of the pictures. Then I saved the powerpoint in a folder on my desktop and loaded all the pics in Photostory 3 where I added music.

Adobe is still the best around because it has all the editing gadgets and tons of features. No one beats Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5. They do offer a free trial download if you want to test drive before you buy.

Maximize Your Battery

The best type of battery for laptops is the Lithium-ion. When you first get your laptop, you need to run the battery down completely, and then charge it back up by plugging the laptop into the wall. This needs to be done once a month to reset your computers fuel gage which tells you how much battery power you have left. This will help you extend the life of your battery, but eventually all batteries will need to be replaced because they will lose capacity over time and they have a limited number of charge cycles. It is a fact of life, sorry. :>(

Free vs. Paid Hosting

Advantages of Free---It costs nothing for the domain name. The domain name is assigned free by the host server.

Disadvantages of Free---1) If you change host servers later, you could lose traffic to your site. 2) The host server will probably add banner ads and popup window ads to your site. 3) Some free host servers do not allow you to use banner exchange programs {You can't put money making ads on your site.} 4) Free host servers usually provide lower disc space and bandwidth than paid servers. 5) Many free host servers change their Terms and Condition, so you will need to keep up with any changes. 6) Free host servers may stop offering free server opportunities which means you will lose your website unless you pay. 7) Free servers do not offer the features that are available with paid servers.

Advantages of Paid---1) You can use your own domain name and keep the same name if you move to a new server which means you won't lose your traffic. 2) Reliable tech support. 3) Provide more disc space and bandwidth. 4) You can use banner exchange programs.

Disadvantages of Paid---It costs money.

Free sites are best for the novice who is experimenting with a personal webpage just for family and friends. If you are creating a webpage to sell services or merchandise, paid is the way to go. There are several affordable servers out there. I have listed a few in a separate post.

Free host servers:
Yahoo
50 megs
prohosting
doteasy
homestead
zoomshare