Technology Training For Swansea Teachers

An operating system is a series of programs which organizes and controls a computer. Every computer comes with one set of programs already on it’s hard drive. The operating system is the most important of those programs. When the computer is turned on, the operating system tells it what gadgets are linked to the computer. The operating system, or OS, controls the hardware (keyboard, mouse, printer) and it controls the operation of the software.

We still have some older computers in our school that are running on OS 9. These are mostly the extra, student computers in the classrooms. The newer computers use OS X (10) but they also have OS 9 built into them so you can still use some older software that needs 9 to work. Operating system 9 is also called “classic”.

An application, also known as applications software, is a program or set of programs that performs a specific task. A program is a list of instructions, written in computer language, for the computer to carry out.

There are thousands of different types of applications software covering almost every topic you can imagine. There are programs for farmers, programs for games, programs for writing and programs for drawing just to name a few.

Some of the most used programs are word processing (we use Microsoft Word), data base programs (Infinite Campus is data base software), and spreadsheet software, like Excel. New programs are being developed all the time and the programs we use regularly are constantly being made better. (That’s what software updates are all about)

Many applications are already installed in our computers when we buy them. Others need to be purchased separately. If you are in the market for a new computer be sure to ask which programs are already installed to be sure you have everything you need.

In today’s world, with identity theft so rampant, the proper use of passwords becomes a major issue. Even here at school, if someone gets their hands on your email or Infinite Campus passwords, they can access your personal information (paycheck, benefits, etc…) and/or they can access student information that is very personal. In this article you’ll find some Dos and Don’ts for how to manage your passwords.

Do:

1. use a different password for each site that requires a password.
2. use questions for clues to your password when given the option.
3. turn your words into numbers (like on a telephone)to make your password harder to figure out.

Don’t:

1. Never give your password to anyone else for any reason. (be like George Costanza!)
2. Never keep passwords written on papers near your computer.

I’m sure many of us know the feeling of working hard on a document and then not being able to find it the next time we look. We can eliminate this kind of stress easily. I’d like to tell you how I teach the kids to save their work.

No matter what application, or program, you are working on, click on “file” at the top of the page and go down to “save” or “save as”. This will give you the save box/window. There are three important things to do in this box. First, give it your name in the “save as” line. Just your first name or just your last name should suffice. Second, in the same line, give the document a name. (example: susan-class list) The third and final thing you should do in the save box is to tell the computer WHERE to save your work. I have the students save all their work on the “desktop”. This is a good way to double check that you actually saved it. You’ll see the icon for your paper on the screen of your computer after you quit the program. Then, you can drag it into the folder that you created for this topic.

It’s a good idea to take care of this saving piece as soon as you begin the project. Sometimes, if we wait until we are done, we’re in too much of a hurry and the work doesn’t get saved right. Then, as you’re working, you can use the shortcut (first press the “apple” key and then press the “s” key. ) to save as you go.

Just like in a filing cabinet, a folder holds papers or documents that have a similar theme. Your desktop, ideally, should have mostly folders on it rather than mostly documents so you can find things easier and faster.

To make a new folder click on “file” and then go down to “new folder” . An untitled folder will appear on your desktop. At this time you may name the folder anything you want. To change the name of a folder or document click on it so it becomes highlighted (selected). Then type the name that you want.

It’s a good idea to organize your folders alphabetically, thereby making them easier to locate. To arrange them this way click on “view” at the top of the page. Go down to the option that says “arrange by name”. You’ll see all your folders and desktop items move into place.

We often find the need to send email messages to specific groups of people. For instance, maybe you want to send an email to all third grade teachers. This is called a distribution list and they are easy to set up.

When Entourage is open click on the address book icon. Then, click on “add group” at the top of the page. You will then need to give your group a name (third grade teachers). After naming the group click on “add” in the top left. This is where you find all the addresses for all the people in your group. Add them one at a time and when you are completely finished adding names click on the “save” icon at the top–it looks like a floppy disk.

So, when you want to write to those third grade teachers simply open a new email page, go to “contacts” and choose “address book on my computer”. You will find the third grade group there.

URL is an acronym for uniform resource locator. It is a string of letters and symbols telling where you can find a particular site on the web. A URL is usually a web address but it can also be an email address.

When viewing your folders, click on “Public Folders”. Next, click on “All Public Folders”. Then, click on “schools”. Scroll all the way down and click on “Swansea”. Finally, click on “Swansea Calendar”

When you first do this it will take several minutes to load all the items in the calendar. Be patient. Mark this page as a favorite so you can get to it with less clicks next time.

Once you’ve marked the Swansea Calendar as a favorite all you have to do is click on the calendar icon and then click on Swansea calendar in your folders list.

The keyboard and the screen can get very dirty very quickly. Keeping these parts of your computer clean will save time and money on repairs. Sometimes, a key will get stuck on the keyboard and it’s usually because there’s some kind of sticky food under it. Naturally, eating and drinking around computers is frowned upon. Be sure hands are clean before using a computer.

On a weekly basis, unplug the keyboard and wipe it with a damp sponge. (be sure all water is squeezed out!!!) You may also use a can of “air” for occasional dusting. When your keyboard gets extremely filthy you may take it home and run it through your dishwasher. It will need to dry for 3-5 days but it comes out like a brand new keyboard.

To clean the computer screen, spray a small amount of window cleaner on a paper towel and wipe clean. Never spray directly on the screen.

Keeping these parts of your computer clean shows respect for other’s property. There are lots of germs on a keyboard that  spread from user to user. Also, keep in mind that you are not the only one who uses your computer.

Whenever you are finished using a program you should quit the program rather than just close the window. Computers tend to freeze more often when too many programs are left open. In addition to this, when the Internet or your email program is left running, your computer is using unnecessary bandwidth. This will cause all the computers in Denver Public Schools to run slower.

When you click on the little red button in the top right corner of the page you are closing the window, you are not quitting the program.

There are two ways that I know of to quit a program. One is to use your mouse to click on the name of the open program at the top, left of the page. Then, scroll down to the word “quit”. Another way is to use the shortcut. On the keyboard, first press the apple key (next to the space bar) and then press the “Q” key.

You can see if there are programs left open in the dock at the bottom of your screen. If there is a tiny black triangle under the icon in the dock then the program is still open.