Giles County Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT)

Throughout   my work with teachers regarding lesson planning, I try to emphasize the importance of tying the lesson into “real life” experience for the students.  Kids always want to know…”Why do we have to know this?”  ”How are we ever going to use this in real life?” “So, what’s so important about learning how to…..?  If the lesson does not have authenticity, then it’s probably not going to make that bridge between short and long term memory.

TV411 is an excellent site with many videos tying real life situations to reading, writing, vocabulary, math, science, and finance…it also has a Spanish page.  These videos use adults addressing many different questions in everyday sittings. The clips are short and to the point.  Each one is accompanied with discussion questions  and additional Web Lessons.  This is the perfect way to draw attention to a concept in “real life” situations…check it out and add a video to your next lesson.

Home Computer Tips

Recently, a fellow ITRT sent this information on how to maintain ones home computer.  I think it’s a very important

message for all of us and want to pass it along to you.

Here are some good Windows Computer Tips for your home computers to do on

a montly or regular basis:

1. Backup all your files to an external hard drive, DVDs, or pay for an

online backup service. I pay for Carbonite backup which is $5/month to

back up all my documents, photos, music, movies on my computer

automatically to a website thru the Internet. Even if I delete a file, I

can easily recover it using the Carbonite software. Warning, if you have

a lot of files, the first time you run Carbonite, your computer will be

slow and not very useable for the first 3 days or so.

2. Download and run CCleaner which cleans up all the temporary files from

all browsers as well as Windows operating system. Download from

http://filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

3. Download and run Malwarebytes and scan for problems. Fix all problems.

This will remove spyware/malware which is just like a virus from your

computer.

http://filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/

4. You must have a free or paid antivirus software on your computer.

Comcast gives Norton to its users (See

http://xfinity.comcast.net/constantguard/Products/CGPS/norton/?cid=NET_33_641)

Microsoft Security Essentials is a good free antivirus from Microsoft at

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5201

Other good free ones include Avast Home Edition, Avira, AVG etc.

5. To speed up your computer, run defraggler. The Windows defragging

program isn’t the best. Disable screensaver and defrag your computer to

speed it up. download from http://www.filehippo.com/download_defraggler

Just like your car, computers sometimes need some maintenance,

Obe

To flip or not to flip, that is the questions?   What are your thoughts???

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