If you were like me, you fell for these catchy commercials with the guys at the pirate restaurant, the guy singing about his awful decision to marry a girl with horrible credit, or the guys in the compact car. However, don't fall for the name of the site. Freecreditreport.com is NOT free. Believe me. I fell for it a few years ago when I heard we get one free...and thinking the name of the website had to be true.
Unfortunately, if you use said site, you get a free report if you sign up for a monthly service....that you can cancel at any time, but it's hard to do, and the next thing you know your credit card has been charged 2 or 3 times.
So, today I was watching my "Morning Express with Robin Meade" and their financial consultant mentioned this site:
www.annualcreditreport.com
It works. Enjoy. And keep on top of your credit and any fraudulent charges.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Things your "Computer Guy" won't tell you...
I read this while doing a little "bathroom reading". It was in the recent Reader's Digest.
1. Turn it off, turn it back on. “Nine times out of ten, rebooting your computer-and any equipment that connects to it-will solve the problem,” says Aaron Schildkraut, who owns a home tech-support service in the New York tristate area.
2. Just because we're “buddies” at work, don't expect me to come running every time you've got a problem. I've got a slew of IT problems to fix.
3. We're like Santa: We know if you've been bad or good. Fessing up to what really happened right before the system crashed is going to save time-and I'm going to figure it out anyway.
4. Use “strong” passwords. Geek Squad agent Derek Meister suggests combining letters and numbers-but not your birth date-to create a “base” password, and adding a unique suffix for each site you use. If your base password is your spouse's initials and
your anniversary date (say, SP061789), your Amazon password might be “SP061789AM.”
5. Make sure you have current antivirus and anti-spyware protection, and set it to update at least once a day and run a full-system scan at least once a week.
6. There's no free lunch. Downloading free music, movies, and games from file-sharing sites can open holes in your system for others to exploit. Play it safe and use established services like Rhapsody, iTunes, and Netflix.
7. Remember: Public Wi-Fi is public. If you don't have a compelling reason to check your e-mail or bank account while sipping a latte at the mall, don't do it. While you're on a public network, even one that's encrypted, a nearby hacker can capture your passwords.
8. Give it a rest. Turning off your computer when it's not in use saves energy and clears out the RAM, or temporary memory, which would otherwise slow your machine over time.
9. If you can't get online, call your Internet service provider first. Connection problems can often be checked and fixed-free.
10. If you want to see less of me, get a Mac. That's what we use. “Macs are actually a little bad for my business,” says Schildkraut.
11. No, you can't use your cell phone to pop popcorn. Next time an Internet rumor drops into your inbox, don't just pass it on-check it out at snopes.com first.
12. Sometimes we talk about you-in code. If you hear “HKI error” (for human-keyboard interface) or “PEBCAK” (problem exists between chair and keyboard), we're insulting you.
13. If you don't understand me, I'm not doing my job. Confusing tech jargon is a sign of insecurity, not intelligence.
--Interviews by Adam Bluestein. Sources: Derek Meister, Geek Squad; Aaron Schildkraut, myhometech.net; anonymous posters on TechRepublic .com; techcomedy.com.
Here's a few more they had:
"You're Welcome!" :)
1. Turn it off, turn it back on. “Nine times out of ten, rebooting your computer-and any equipment that connects to it-will solve the problem,” says Aaron Schildkraut, who owns a home tech-support service in the New York tristate area.
2. Just because we're “buddies” at work, don't expect me to come running every time you've got a problem. I've got a slew of IT problems to fix.
3. We're like Santa: We know if you've been bad or good. Fessing up to what really happened right before the system crashed is going to save time-and I'm going to figure it out anyway.
4. Use “strong” passwords. Geek Squad agent Derek Meister suggests combining letters and numbers-but not your birth date-to create a “base” password, and adding a unique suffix for each site you use. If your base password is your spouse's initials and
your anniversary date (say, SP061789), your Amazon password might be “SP061789AM.”
5. Make sure you have current antivirus and anti-spyware protection, and set it to update at least once a day and run a full-system scan at least once a week.
6. There's no free lunch. Downloading free music, movies, and games from file-sharing sites can open holes in your system for others to exploit. Play it safe and use established services like Rhapsody, iTunes, and Netflix.
7. Remember: Public Wi-Fi is public. If you don't have a compelling reason to check your e-mail or bank account while sipping a latte at the mall, don't do it. While you're on a public network, even one that's encrypted, a nearby hacker can capture your passwords.
8. Give it a rest. Turning off your computer when it's not in use saves energy and clears out the RAM, or temporary memory, which would otherwise slow your machine over time.
9. If you can't get online, call your Internet service provider first. Connection problems can often be checked and fixed-free.
10. If you want to see less of me, get a Mac. That's what we use. “Macs are actually a little bad for my business,” says Schildkraut.
11. No, you can't use your cell phone to pop popcorn. Next time an Internet rumor drops into your inbox, don't just pass it on-check it out at snopes.com first.
12. Sometimes we talk about you-in code. If you hear “HKI error” (for human-keyboard interface) or “PEBCAK” (problem exists between chair and keyboard), we're insulting you.
13. If you don't understand me, I'm not doing my job. Confusing tech jargon is a sign of insecurity, not intelligence.
--Interviews by Adam Bluestein. Sources: Derek Meister, Geek Squad; Aaron Schildkraut, myhometech.net; anonymous posters on TechRepublic .com; techcomedy.com.
Here's a few more they had:
- Keep it clean. On a PC, run Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter at least once a month. This will store files more efficiently so your system doesn’t slow down. After about four years, your computer is elderly. If you’re shelling out for a blazing-fast Internet connection, pony up for a new model.
- Check the cables. “People are always shocked that a cable came loose,” says Geek Squad agent Derek Meister. Of course, everything that needs power is plugged into an outlet, right?
- Got neighbors? If you do, protect your home wireless network with a password. “If a person knows what he’s doing, getting into a computer on a non-encrypted net-work is easy,” says Schildkraut.
- You backed up your data, right? External hard drives with lots of memory now sell for under $200, and automated programs like Cobian Backup or Apple’s Time Machine make regular backups a no-brainer. Secure online backup services save your data offsite should anything happen to your home.
- If you travel with your laptop, get a lock. A 2007 survey by the Computer Security Institute found that 50 percent of respondents had a laptop or other mobile device stolen in the past year. A simple cable lock (starting at about $20) lets you physically secure your laptop anywhere you go.
- Remember: If your company owns the computer, they own what’s on it, too—even your email in some cases. Act accordingly.
- Please remember: We didn’t create the problem; we’re just trying to help you fix it.
"You're Welcome!" :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Montage Madnes...
I was just surfing the web and came across the site that I thought art teachers would enjoy............but I enjoyed it too.
http://grant.robinson.name/projects/montage-a-google/
Click on the Launch Project button. Do a search for an image (it will search Google images). Then create the montage.
Check out the ideas for use on the page above.
Here's the site's description of the project:
Here's my montage I did on Einstein:
http://grant.robinson.name/projects/montage-a-google/
Click on the Launch Project button. Do a search for an image (it will search Google images). Then create the montage.
Check out the ideas for use on the page above.
Here's the site's description of the project:
Montage-a-google is a simple web-based app that uses Google's image search to generate a large gridded montage of images based on keywords (search terms) entered by the user. Not only an interesting way of browsing the net, it can also be used to create desktop pictures or even posters (see examples below - more coming soon).
Here's my montage I did on Einstein:
Google Street View...
I was watching the news the other morning, and they were discussing a story where Google had to remove an image of a guy passed out drunk off their server. Turns out he had accidentally been recorded during the process of creating this new feature of Google.
Google Street is available for MOST major cities in the US (maybe the world?). When you view a map on Google Maps, if there is a street view, you then move your little yellow guy icon to a street and navigate in 360 degrees and zoom in/out.
Here's a video on it:
Pretty cool!
Google Street is available for MOST major cities in the US (maybe the world?). When you view a map on Google Maps, if there is a street view, you then move your little yellow guy icon to a street and navigate in 360 degrees and zoom in/out.
Here's a video on it:
Pretty cool!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Are you a Googlite? A Skyper?
I am very excited about teaching this class on 8/7 at the Marion County Teacher Academy. Below are the tools and sites I plan to cover.
http://www.google.com/landing/searchtips/
A. Searches (video, images, basic…)
B. Maps
C. Books
D. Scholar
2. http://www.google.com/educators/tools.html
A. Searches (video, images, basic…)
B. Maps
C. Books
D. Scholar
2. http://www.google.com/educators/tools.html
--Another Example-- http://readingwithconstable.blogspot.com
B. Google Earth-- http://earth.google.com/
C. Sketchup-- http://sketchup.google.com/
D. Docs-- http://docs.google.com/
E. Calendar-- http://www.google.com/calendar/
F. Picasa-- http://picasa.google.com/
G. Sites-- http://sites.google.com/site/sites/
--One of my pages-- http://chadnrachel.googlepages.com/schoolonvacation%3F
3. 57 Useful Google Tools: http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/06/18/57-useful-google-tools-youve-never-heard-of/
A. Web Accelerator-- http://webaccelerator.google.com/index.html
B. Google Scholar-- http://scholar.google.com/
C. Google Books-- http://books.google.com/
D. Goog-411: http://www.google.com/goog411/index.html
Skype:
http://www.skype.com/
I LOVE Google. I am soooooooooooooooooooo a Google-lite. I've converted and feel so Freeeeeeeeee! I will write more, later, on these individual tools.
B. Google Earth-- http://earth.google.com/
C. Sketchup-- http://sketchup.google.com/
D. Docs-- http://docs.google.com/
E. Calendar-- http://www.google.com/calendar/
F. Picasa-- http://picasa.google.com/
G. Sites-- http://sites.google.com/site/sites/
--One of my pages-- http://chadnrachel.googlepages.com/schoolonvacation%3F
3. 57 Useful Google Tools: http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/06/18/57-useful-google-tools-youve-never-heard-of/
A. Web Accelerator-- http://webaccelerator.google.com/index.html
B. Google Scholar-- http://scholar.google.com/
C. Google Books-- http://books.google.com/
D. Goog-411: http://www.google.com/goog411/index.html
Skype:
http://www.skype.com/
I LOVE Google. I am soooooooooooooooooooo a Google-lite. I've converted and feel so Freeeeeeeeee! I will write more, later, on these individual tools.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
You have 1 minute and 7.5 seconds to read this post...
Do you ever feel like time is not on your side when it comes to the classroom? Do you feel like time gets away from you...and you're behind before you can attempt to take one step forward?
Maybe a stopwatch would help. Set time limits on the amount of time to present the lesson or for the kids to work on the lesson. Set time limits for clean up (i.e., "you have 2 minutes to clean up and put away all material").
A great website to "favoritize" for this is: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/ You can create a stop watch or a count down.
Maybe a stopwatch would help. Set time limits on the amount of time to present the lesson or for the kids to work on the lesson. Set time limits for clean up (i.e., "you have 2 minutes to clean up and put away all material").
A great website to "favoritize" for this is: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/ You can create a stop watch or a count down.
Are you a rubiSTAR?
I would love to see more teachers using rubrics within their classes as they strive to use authentic assessments via student products and performances.
During a wonderful class from several of my teachers, we covered the need to use G.R.A.S.P.S. in the classroom.
G=State the GOAL of the activity
R=Describe the ROLE the student will play in the activity
A=Identify the intended AUDIENCE
S=Set up the SCENARIO (esplain the SITUATION that the activity would have to be performed in)
P=Clarify what the final PRODUCT will be
S=Provide students with a clear explanation of the STANDARDS they will be assessed by (a.k.a. a rubric)
Furthermore, they provided a way to make the rubrics (with more ease).
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
There are 2 ways to use this site.
The easy way---the "tweeking" way, do a search for a brochure based upon your final product. Choose one that you like, then tweek it for your assignment.
The "work intense" way--create your own rubric. Choose the subject that the assignment is for, and then create your own.
During a wonderful class from several of my teachers, we covered the need to use G.R.A.S.P.S. in the classroom.
G=State the GOAL of the activity
R=Describe the ROLE the student will play in the activity
A=Identify the intended AUDIENCE
S=Set up the SCENARIO (esplain the SITUATION that the activity would have to be performed in)
P=Clarify what the final PRODUCT will be
S=Provide students with a clear explanation of the STANDARDS they will be assessed by (a.k.a. a rubric)
Furthermore, they provided a way to make the rubrics (with more ease).
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
There are 2 ways to use this site.
The easy way---the "tweeking" way, do a search for a brochure based upon your final product. Choose one that you like, then tweek it for your assignment.
The "work intense" way--create your own rubric. Choose the subject that the assignment is for, and then create your own.
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