Posts Tagged ‘technology’

Need Tech help? Help yourself with Tech-Ease…

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 by maria

Tech-Ease is a nifty little site  (it covers Windows and Mac) that is just full of great information to help us all solve our tech problems on the fly… it’s written in very plain English – no jargon – and is directed at  ”non-techie” teachers who want to make best use of technology in their practice, and want practical, easy to understand information and answers to common tech problems.

I find it very useful –  I know that for myself  that sometimes when I run into a problem – when something “just won’t work” – I get a bit flustered because I don’t even know  where to start –  I don’t have enough information to formulate the right questions!!  That’s where I have found Tech-Ease so helpful – I get enough information to help me figure out the problem or figure out that I need to get some tech help.

As I was reviewing the site today I realized that it could also be a good source for instructors in planning lessons in digital technology – for example in the section on Windows Files and Sharing you could use the information to create lessons on saving files, naming files, re-naming files, copying files, creating shortcuts, deleting files and much more….

Check it out…


25 worst passwords of 2011

Thursday, November 24th, 2011 by maria

This list of the  25 worst passwords of 2011 has been floating around the internet for the past couple of day. But, i couldn’t resist sharing it, just in case you missed it.

I think my two favourites from the list are “letmein” and “abc123″ pretty amazing eh?

You will find links to some great  tips for creating strong passwords right alongside this list and you can find even more great tips in our recent  post Powerful Passwords


What does technology have to do with the Essential Skills?

Monday, November 14th, 2011 by maria

That question is answered  engagingly  in Shopping in the Digital Age ;Technology Drives Complexity of Essential Skills – the latest Essential Skills Bulletin from the Ontario Literacy Coalition .

Starting with a scenario in which a Canadian Tire customer makes use of multiple digital devices when planning a purchase and then uses self-serve technology to check out her purchase, the Bulletin goes on to describe and discuss through clear examples drawn from the retail sector, from the point of view of customer and cashier,  how our understanding of how we use Essential Skills is being transformed as we work and live  new and emerging technologies.

These changes are reflected in  the Problem-Solving in Technology-Rich Environment within PIACC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) the third international survey, that measures levels of adult literacy within a country whcih is currently underway. . This category includes “problems where the existence of the problem is a consequence of the availability of new technologies, where the solution requires the use of computer-based applications or where the problem relates to the management or use of information technologies,”

As an added bonus Shopping  in the Digital Age has a very informative section on Smartphones and Smartphone technology and even includes a very helpful  comparison chart to help us learn more about  the various types of smartphones and how they operate.
Enjoy!