Slideshow of Digital Gadgets and Indesign Class 2009-2010

From Movies

Global Positioning Systems

The GPS system is amazing. I enjoyed Holly's in-class demonstrations. Apparently these devices are hands free and can be voice activated. I think these electronic devices should be installed in all new cars as a regular option. I really enjoyed this topic.

The TomTom device

All about GPS systems - Link

 GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that GPS receivers use to provide three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time.

Cell Phones

Viewing a wide range of cell phones was a lot of fun.  Having "Best Buy"Computer Geeks demonstrate and answer questions was super. I really enjoyed this classroom event and learned a lot. I’m sure that the next cell phone choice that I make will be somewhat influenced by this classroom learning experience.

Cell Phones  - Link

Google Documents

Google Docs Online Word Processing Software has a multitude of different features.. Being able to store documents online and accessing from anywhere is very convenient, although it can be a drawback if  Internet access is unavailable. I would have liked to spend more time on the various functions in this program.

All About Google Documents Link

E Books

Discovering E-Books and their downloading sources was informative. Actually performing the process in class was very helpful. I think that I will probably use this reading format in the future, as it lets you store a lot of reading material in a tiny space that can be easily carried with you.

A reference to E books - Link



Video on - "What are E Books"?

Picasa

Picasa is a great new program.  It was free and very easy to download. I am somewhat familiar with Photoshop, but found that there were functions that Picasa has that Photoshop doesn't have.There are many good editing features in Picasa. The exercise in 'Alphabetphotography' collages was fun . What I was really impressed by, was the export feature that enables us to reduce image size. It's terrific that you can    e-mail from this site. I loved the on-screen demonstrations that Holly gave. They were very informative. I am sure that I will  use Picasa  in the future.

All About Picasa - link to
Picasa

Screen Shots

Screen Shots is a very useful tool. I have been using this function regularly for a few years now. And resizing the images in Paint is so easy. Holly's in-class demonstrations     on the computer guided us through the process and were very helpful. I have picked up some very good additional  tips that I will use.
The video below about 'ScreenGrab' is worth watching.

screen shots - link





Excellent Video on Tricks and Tips using ScreenGrab

Wiki

Wiki's software and it's functions still leave me a bit confused. I would have liked to explore and discuss it, in more detail. The classroom exercise about planning a personal event was fun and let us experiment with "Wetpaint" . In comparison, Google's planner has a much simpler format, I think.


Wiki and website builder

USB Flash Drives

The study on ‘USB Flash Drives’ was  interesting and informative. I have been using these devices for many years and love them. Flash Drives or Memory Sticks as they are also called, let me transfer my classroom  files back and forth, and are invaluable to me. Holly's demonstration and information about flashes was very useful

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive

Google Buzz

Buzz was fun and interactive. This class gave us the opportunity to use Buzz with other students and experiment with various features. Buzzing takes being connected to another level. Personally, I’m not into making comments upon other comments, from various sources, or in other words, "Buzzzzing".  However, I’m glad that I learned about it.

google-buzz-is-the-present/

Digital Cameras

Holly did a terrific job showing us the various functions of a digital camera. Learning how to download pictures was very helpful. I really needed to improve my knowledge on how to choose the right camera, use appropriate settings and understand zoom features and these topics were all covered in detail. Having guest speaker Peter Ferguson was great. We learned a lot from his expertise on the subject of photography and cameras. His enthusiasm on the subject was contagious. A field trip around school with our cameras, taking shots using different settings, developed our picture taking skills. Exploring this topic was fun and very educational.



Digital Cameras News and Reviews