Finding a Mac Blogging Application
In a recent post I talked about Microsoft Live Writer on a PC. Needless to say I was pretty impressed. Prior to using Live Writer I always took the time to go to the admin and type it on the website. Because my primary computer is a Mac so after using Live Writer I started my search for a Mac Blogging client. I must say first that although I settled on a winner, it was settling. The Mac Clients don’t even come close to design, functionality, and ease of use to Live Writer. Although, there are a few outliers the two applications that stand out from the crowd are MarsEdit and Ecto. While my first inclination was to go with MarsEdit, and that is what I’m typing this on, Ecto has a little but more capability when it comes to formatting and adding things to the entry like keywords or ads. The media management however is not as strong. It’s not that MarsEdit doesn’t have some of the formatting features but they are buried and difficult to use.
Ecto is not as pretty as the rest, but it does what you need it to do. I would like to see a single window interface, and easier media management, but it is very easy to format your articles and text like you want. One feature that is either not there or difficult to find is the ability to add columns. It is not important for this blog, but it is a feature I use all the time on my classroom blog for spelling and vocabulary lists. Inserting ads, and links is very easy, and it is possible to create your own scripts to make repetitive tasks a breeze.
It’s not often that Mac software is blown out of the water by PC apps, but in the case of Blogging clients Mac software doesn’t even come close. But if you are on a Mac, your best option is Ecto.
Trying out Windows Live writer
Windows Live Writer is a part of the Windows live tools available at http://download.live.com/ . The download also includes a variety of other applications for managing photos, making movies, email application, and IM. As a side note if you are using outlook express, you should immediately download the new Live mail app. it is a huge step up.
The live writer application is a blogging application that lets you blog right from your desktop. It was very easy to set up. I simply typed in the name of my blog, the user name, and password, and waited a few seconds as it configured everything.
Adding Photos seems to work good, and is far easier than adding them from the web interface. It ads the picture to your windows live photo albums and links up so you are not using space on your server.
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Adding Tables |
Which is a great way to organize. |
| Is also easy! |
Unless trying to write sentences in them. |
I think that the real value in this application is that it makes it very easy for both teachers and students to blog. Because the interface is clean and far easier to understand than many of the web interfaces, it eliminates the barriers of entry into the blogging world. Windows Live Writer is definitely worth a look and for the price of free why not?
iLife ‘09 is out but is it time to buy? Why waiting could be best.
iLife ‘09 is out and has some amazing new features. iPhoto particularly has some great enhancements including face recognition and improved editing abilities. iMovie has also added significant editing capabilities. It is now possible to edit audio length seperate from the video length. The interface is also far more usable, and capability is a huge leap from prvious versions. With all of these great features it makes you want to upgrade quickly. So should we all go out and make the leap to ‘09. If iLife 09 is the only thing you wan’t to purchase then go right ahead, but if you are considering iWork ‘09 also there may be reason to wait. Apple is bundling OS X Leapord, iLife, and iWork in what is called the Mac Boxed Set for $169. This is a great deal, but it will be an even better deal when the new Version of OS X is released later this year. We are only a few months away from an upgrade and the new opperating system will likely be included in this Bundle. If you are patient enough to wait for the new operating system this will be a great deal.
Windows 7 can wait!
I have been very impressed by the rave reviews I’ve been hearing for the Beta of Windows 7. Unfortunately, reviews and reality are two seperate things. I was quick to join the beta program when it became publicly availible because I was excited to try out the “Vista that works”. After trying a few times, with some aggrivation I got it installed. It was late so I let the install finnish while I went home to bed. The next morning I launched the beautifull new Windows 7. After clicking through several nags for not having an antivirus, and permission for my Amazon Unbox app (I had to do this every time I boot about 6 times before it quits popping up) I finally lauch my first application. I use a Promethean Digital Whiteboard and I started up the software for the first lesson. It started great! I opened the slide show for the Mornings lesson and it came write up. I clicked on the X to get rid of the splash screen, and my screen went black. This does not look good, then I notice that my machine is rebooting. I have had a few crashes in my day. Sometimes when a machine gets a virus attack it will get overloaded and crash. Sometimes there are hardware malfunctions or the processor overheats and it will immediately shut down. This is the first time I’ve been running a program where it is perfectly reproducable every time. I must have this application as part of what I do, so I realized that I needed to downgrade back to Vista. I decided to do somthing productive on 7 before I bailed ship, so I launched IE 8 to make this post on Ed Tech Review. When I tried to log into the admin, IE 8 Beta also crashed. To be fair both applications are Beta and as such you can expect problems, but, I personally don’t have the time to play when two of the applications I use most consistantly crash my machine. I put Vista on the machine about two weeks before I tried the upgrade and it seemed to be working fine, but it looks like I will be waiting for Version 7 sp1 before my other XP machines will see an upgrade.
Don’t let tech get in the way of good teaching.
Often we who love technology spend a great deal of time and effort implementing technology in our classrooms. In most cases it is a bennificial endevor, but there are times when we get to focused on the tech that learning suffers. The biggest trap is time. Often we will spend inordinate ammounts of time on a project with limited learning potential in order to implement a technology aspect to it. Other traps we fall into is testing a technology with the class and finding we need to use time to trouble shoot instead of teach. Upgrading to the most rexoent versions of software can also present problems. One example of this is that I have upgraded to the most recient version of office on my teacher computer but the student lab is still on the previous version. When I show students how to do something it does not match what they will see when they try it. Technology can be a great enhancement to our teaching but we must be aware of it’s use to make surebit does not get in the way.
Apple updates iLife
Apple announced an update to it’s iLife suite of software at MacWorld Expo today. This update was expected, but iLife 09 has some significant enhancements. The biggest enhancements are in iPhoto, but there were also some good size bumps in the iMovie, and Garage Band applications. Unfortunately, iWeb only received minor upgrades. iWeb had a lot of potential to be a great app for the classroom, but I do not believe that it stepped up to the plate like it could have. I will be downloading the trials and provide further reviews to determine whether it will be worth the upgrade for teachers.
A Cricut for Christmas!
The first thing many of you teachers are thinking is that I misspelled Cricket, and some are thinking what would I do with a noisy insect. But for those familiar with the Cricut Machine from Provo Craft you will understand why I am suggesting this machine a a gift. The Cricut Machine is simply a giant leap up from you old diacut machines. The Cricut works much like a printer, or more like a plotter with a blade. You choose from a wide selection of cartridges that range from $40 to $60 that either cuts out shapes or letters. This would be the equivalent of buying a dai set for your old diacut machines. The difference is that the cricut can cut in a variety of sizes, from tiny letters up to 24″ tall letters if you get the larger Cricut Expression Machine. This is perfect for bulletin boards, class activities, and hands on instruction. Although the Cricut was originally designed for scrapbookers, they have released several cartridges that are specifically for teachers.
The best place I’ve found for Cricut Machines is CricutDirect.com . There Prices are great, and the service is fantastic. Go take a look to learn more about these amazing machines, and the wide variety of cartridges availible.
Lenovo ThinkPad T400 Review
K-12 can be a rough place for computers, so Lenovo has an idea designed with students (and budgets) in mind: the durable Lenovo® ThinkPad® T400 notebook featuring Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology. It is tough enough to stand up to everyday notebook accidents to help your school avoid replacement costs.
Roll Cage: The Lenovo ThinkPad T400 notebook can take a tumble with its durable carbon-reinforced roll cage. The material is lightweight so you can keep your ideas portable and protected.
Spill-Proof Keyboard: One spill can do a lot of damage. Protect your hard work with this special keyboard. It is sealed and contained in a tray with drain holes.
Active Protection System™: Like an airbag’s sensor, Active Protection System can detect sudden changes in motion and temporarily stop the hard drive to help protect your valuable data from some crashes that could occur due to everyday notebook accidents.
Stainless Steel Hinges: Designed to withstand frequent opening and closing of the notebook.
One-touch Rescue and Recovery: This one-button rescue solution includes a set of self-recovery tools to help you recover from a virus or other software crash, even if the primary operating system will not boot. With one touch of a button, you can get back to work fast.All of these features make the notebook tough enough to last in the K-12 environment.
How to learn, 77 tips to improve memory.
http://oedb.org/library/college-basics/hacking-knowledge
OEDB (Online Education Data Base) produced a great article that compiles a lot of the data about learning to give you a handy guide on best practices for learning. Many of the suggestions are tailored for personal learning, that we as educators have little control over. Even with this focus it has many suggestions that we could teach kids and implement in the classroom.
Our New Look, and new Plan!
We have a new look and a new plan for our site. As you can see the fresh new look provides a cleaner interface that is a little easier to navigate and find the information you need. The ohter change is in regards to content. I have been extreemly busy and have not been able to post as much as I like. Even if I wre able to post daily it would not be enough to cover and informs the fast moving field of education technology. I would like this to move to more of a community based model where all of us teachers who use technology can share our successes and failures. I will be allowing teachers and tech advocates accounts on edTechReview as writers. Details will follow soon.