The internet is truly grand!
I gave up on the iTunes-iPod initiative; I'll pursue that when I have more time. Hoping I could perhaps upload free lessons to the iPod, I went to Deutsch Welle's website. I listen to their broadcast of the radio and remembered they encouraged listeners to study German for free at their site. The website was user friendly and the lessons were so much fun! I am so amazed and so truly appreciative of what wonderful learning tools are available for free on the web. While the pdf lesson files downloaded, it seems that the sound files do not. I was bummed about this.
You may be wondering why I am trying to learn German. On Sunday I fly to Vienna and wished to garner some basic notions if only to be polite as I'll ask my interlocutor to speak a language other than German!
-Laura D
Thursday, September 20, 2007
iTunes, iPod, and not iNtuitive yet
Well, up front I have to admit I have used iTunes literally only a handful of times. So bear that in mind with the following.
Well, the easy part was setting up the iPod and seeing all the possibilities. I explored for a while but I must confess I was not clear on how to proceed. I tried to figure out how to load my German lessons from the CD to iTunes to the iPod. I suspect that there may be a copyright protection on the CD which is prohibiting me from uploading the music to iTunes and thus preventing me in turn from downloading to the iPod. Just an idea.
In the end it is probably because I still don't know how to navigate iTunes so I guess I will need to spend some time doing that first. I spent about an hour trying a few intuitive approaches but none worked. I was unable to create a playlist of the lessons. I still don't understand why; the lessons have a CD icon next to it.
Well I just went back to iTunes. In point of fact, I did successfully upload the lessons to iTunes. Now my challenge will be to figure out how to download to the iPod.
I'll keep you posted.
-Laura D
Well, the easy part was setting up the iPod and seeing all the possibilities. I explored for a while but I must confess I was not clear on how to proceed. I tried to figure out how to load my German lessons from the CD to iTunes to the iPod. I suspect that there may be a copyright protection on the CD which is prohibiting me from uploading the music to iTunes and thus preventing me in turn from downloading to the iPod. Just an idea.
In the end it is probably because I still don't know how to navigate iTunes so I guess I will need to spend some time doing that first. I spent about an hour trying a few intuitive approaches but none worked. I was unable to create a playlist of the lessons. I still don't understand why; the lessons have a CD icon next to it.
Well I just went back to iTunes. In point of fact, I did successfully upload the lessons to iTunes. Now my challenge will be to figure out how to download to the iPod.
I'll keep you posted.
-Laura D
iPod and iNtutition
Setting up the iPod was truly a breeze. All I had to do was connect the iPod to my computer with a cable, open the iTunes software, read the prompts hit return a few times and voilà ! it was set up. Apple truly creates ease of use in set up: I believe it is idiot-proof.
The challenge in the end was not the set up but then learning to navigate the possibilties. That part of it was not obvious to me. Again it will take some time for me to explore and understand this new virtual universe.
Exploration and learning through use is probably what Apple expects its users to do since, heck!, it creates intuitive interfaces. I actually have faith that when I dedicate time to these tools I will actually succeed.
There is no manual so I have no choice but to plunge into this universe and try to figure it out. I probably will eventually go to the Apple website and look for pointers there. Notice my assumptions: I am obviously assuming that there is information out there either at the official website or even among avid users who may post tips on their usage on a blog perhaps. I may poke around to see what kind of help is out there. I also am assuming that Apple has created an intuitive tool.
-Laura D
The challenge in the end was not the set up but then learning to navigate the possibilties. That part of it was not obvious to me. Again it will take some time for me to explore and understand this new virtual universe.
Exploration and learning through use is probably what Apple expects its users to do since, heck!, it creates intuitive interfaces. I actually have faith that when I dedicate time to these tools I will actually succeed.
There is no manual so I have no choice but to plunge into this universe and try to figure it out. I probably will eventually go to the Apple website and look for pointers there. Notice my assumptions: I am obviously assuming that there is information out there either at the official website or even among avid users who may post tips on their usage on a blog perhaps. I may poke around to see what kind of help is out there. I also am assuming that Apple has created an intuitive tool.
-Laura D
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Another Moodle Peeve: Slow Loading of Pages
Hi Folks,
Another frustrating element to Moodle is how long it takes for pages to load. Of course, it did occur to me it may be my home connection (high-speed through satellite) but today, at another wireless provider, I am finding it is equally slow. This leads me to believe I am not the only one experience slow loading from class Moodle. It is not terribly slow, but I would say there is a noticeable lag of at least 15 seconds, sometimes more.
Anyone else experiencing this?
-Laura D
Another frustrating element to Moodle is how long it takes for pages to load. Of course, it did occur to me it may be my home connection (high-speed through satellite) but today, at another wireless provider, I am finding it is equally slow. This leads me to believe I am not the only one experience slow loading from class Moodle. It is not terribly slow, but I would say there is a noticeable lag of at least 15 seconds, sometimes more.
Anyone else experiencing this?
-Laura D
Posting Comments to Blogs
Hi Folks,
I was reading through classmates blogs today. Occasionally, I posted remarks to classmates' posts.
Observation: While the basic process is the same: find box, enter text, and submit, the slight or dramatic variation from one site to another has been a bit disorienting. Occasionally, I would hit a key that would inadvertently close the window, and poof! my comment was gone into the nether lands.
Question: Are these merely stylistic differences or is it safe to say that there appears to be a lack of standards for this process?
Also some sites seem to only allow registered bloggers, in other words an insider, to post while others do not. Or it could simply be that I did not know where I was relative to each blog. Maybe I was "inside" but did not realize it.
Also, on the Mac, hitting the tab button does not indent text but sends my cursor off to some unexpected part of the page. Now I can't remember if this is a Moodle problem, a blog problem or both. I have just been spending a lot of time surprised by the consequences of hitting Tab in these new on-line environments. Any remarks? Of course, I will try to understand the function of the tab key and post my findings.
Puzzled on comments,
Laura D
I was reading through classmates blogs today. Occasionally, I posted remarks to classmates' posts.
Observation: While the basic process is the same: find box, enter text, and submit, the slight or dramatic variation from one site to another has been a bit disorienting. Occasionally, I would hit a key that would inadvertently close the window, and poof! my comment was gone into the nether lands.
Question: Are these merely stylistic differences or is it safe to say that there appears to be a lack of standards for this process?
Also some sites seem to only allow registered bloggers, in other words an insider, to post while others do not. Or it could simply be that I did not know where I was relative to each blog. Maybe I was "inside" but did not realize it.
Also, on the Mac, hitting the tab button does not indent text but sends my cursor off to some unexpected part of the page. Now I can't remember if this is a Moodle problem, a blog problem or both. I have just been spending a lot of time surprised by the consequences of hitting Tab in these new on-line environments. Any remarks? Of course, I will try to understand the function of the tab key and post my findings.
Puzzled on comments,
Laura D
Moodle: Not Thrilled Yet
Hi Folks,
Just a quick comment on my initial impressions of Moodle.
I do like the layout on the home/entry page to the site. It is clear and easy to find the classes one is enrolled in.
I find however the format of the discussion forum quite frustrating for the time being. Perhaps there are solutions to the peeves listed here and I simply have not taken the time to solve them..so do indulge me for now. Of course, keep in mind, I believe I am one of the few who has gone on record as actually liking First Class.
I find entering the discussion/post zone disorienting: I find the format to be far too unwieldy. Having to scroll down to read all the posts rather than having windows of posts stacking is annoying. Also I liked the combined nesting AND threading function in First Class. In Moodle it seems that posts can either be nested OR threaded; I may need more practice with using the discussion zone with the threaded listing of posts. I find that the way the threaded posts are presented are unaesthetic and disturbing to my eye. I really also miss the select summarize function. Perhaps I can control these aspects of the presentation in the preferences category. I will need to be proactive to address these potentially resolvable issues.
Enough gripping for now.
What do you folks think so far about Moodle?
-Laura D
Just a quick comment on my initial impressions of Moodle.
I do like the layout on the home/entry page to the site. It is clear and easy to find the classes one is enrolled in.
I find however the format of the discussion forum quite frustrating for the time being. Perhaps there are solutions to the peeves listed here and I simply have not taken the time to solve them..so do indulge me for now. Of course, keep in mind, I believe I am one of the few who has gone on record as actually liking First Class.
I find entering the discussion/post zone disorienting: I find the format to be far too unwieldy. Having to scroll down to read all the posts rather than having windows of posts stacking is annoying. Also I liked the combined nesting AND threading function in First Class. In Moodle it seems that posts can either be nested OR threaded; I may need more practice with using the discussion zone with the threaded listing of posts. I find that the way the threaded posts are presented are unaesthetic and disturbing to my eye. I really also miss the select summarize function. Perhaps I can control these aspects of the presentation in the preferences category. I will need to be proactive to address these potentially resolvable issues.
Enough gripping for now.
What do you folks think so far about Moodle?
-Laura D
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Modest (actually ridiculously easy) challenges
Hi Folks,
I set myself a couple of challenges today. In the end the tasks were far easier than I had expected.
The two tasks were 1) burn music on a CD and 2) program someone's phone number in my cell phone. Two obviously mundane tasks that everyone but me does on a regular basis.
There are a few reasons why these seemed like reasonable challenges to undertake today.
Burn a CD
In the past, I simply did not have ready access to the technology to burn a CD. While my last computer had a CD drive, it did not have a CD burner. My first experience trying to burn a CD was frustrating because I had not realized the system lacked the key burning function. So I spent quite some time uploading music to iTunes and repeatedly trying to "burn" a CD. I discovered I could not complete the task. The problem at that time was that the lack of the "burn" function was not clearly communicated to me. The system kept feigning transfer of files but in the end the disc remained blank. The experience was frustrating because I had assumed wrongly I had done something wrong. The tech support person had to explain to me why I had not succeeded. Despite the a-ha moment, this previous difficult experience left me with the impression that burning a CD could potentially be complicated. It is funny how misguided impressions can last.
Today, I learned it was easy as most functions are on a Mac. I had opened iTunes and then popped the disc in. A dialog box popped up asking me what application I wanted. I chose itunes even though I had already opened the application. Then a new dialog box popped up telling me how to burn a playlist from iTunes. The disc was automatically initialized and the music transferred quickly. The computer was smart: the sheer act of popping a disc into the computer triggers the proper prompts to the user. It could not have been easier.
Another reason I failed to pursue this task in the past is that I simply lacked the time for such tasks. The task was not essential to my daily work life and I did not have any leisure time that afforded meaningful exploration of new things that were not within my immedaite sphere of tech access. I simply did not wish to make the effort.
So, in brief, time, simplicity and direct access to the technology are key factors as to whether some individuals adopt it.
Program a phone number into a cell phone
Yesterday, I bumped into a friend . As she was giving me her new cell phone number, I was trying to find a pen to jot it down. So she said "Why don't you program it into your phone?" I had to confess to her that I did not know how to do it. Again, the reason I am so unfamiliar with my cell phone's functions is that I hardly have an opportunity to use it: unless one lives in Brattleboro, the chances of having reliable service are close to nil. Again, easy and ready access to technology facilitates adoption and time allows for broadening of skill in use. Plus the phone I have was a gift and actually has more functionality than I really care for.
In the end the task was straighforward. As I worked through the task, I learned to cultivate an appreciation for the functions and their potential. It only took a few minutes.
Tomorrow's challenge: learn to use my iPod.
Your slow adaptor,
Laura D
I set myself a couple of challenges today. In the end the tasks were far easier than I had expected.
The two tasks were 1) burn music on a CD and 2) program someone's phone number in my cell phone. Two obviously mundane tasks that everyone but me does on a regular basis.
There are a few reasons why these seemed like reasonable challenges to undertake today.
Burn a CD
In the past, I simply did not have ready access to the technology to burn a CD. While my last computer had a CD drive, it did not have a CD burner. My first experience trying to burn a CD was frustrating because I had not realized the system lacked the key burning function. So I spent quite some time uploading music to iTunes and repeatedly trying to "burn" a CD. I discovered I could not complete the task. The problem at that time was that the lack of the "burn" function was not clearly communicated to me. The system kept feigning transfer of files but in the end the disc remained blank. The experience was frustrating because I had assumed wrongly I had done something wrong. The tech support person had to explain to me why I had not succeeded. Despite the a-ha moment, this previous difficult experience left me with the impression that burning a CD could potentially be complicated. It is funny how misguided impressions can last.
Today, I learned it was easy as most functions are on a Mac. I had opened iTunes and then popped the disc in. A dialog box popped up asking me what application I wanted. I chose itunes even though I had already opened the application. Then a new dialog box popped up telling me how to burn a playlist from iTunes. The disc was automatically initialized and the music transferred quickly. The computer was smart: the sheer act of popping a disc into the computer triggers the proper prompts to the user. It could not have been easier.
Another reason I failed to pursue this task in the past is that I simply lacked the time for such tasks. The task was not essential to my daily work life and I did not have any leisure time that afforded meaningful exploration of new things that were not within my immedaite sphere of tech access. I simply did not wish to make the effort.
So, in brief, time, simplicity and direct access to the technology are key factors as to whether some individuals adopt it.
Program a phone number into a cell phone
Yesterday, I bumped into a friend . As she was giving me her new cell phone number, I was trying to find a pen to jot it down. So she said "Why don't you program it into your phone?" I had to confess to her that I did not know how to do it. Again, the reason I am so unfamiliar with my cell phone's functions is that I hardly have an opportunity to use it: unless one lives in Brattleboro, the chances of having reliable service are close to nil. Again, easy and ready access to technology facilitates adoption and time allows for broadening of skill in use. Plus the phone I have was a gift and actually has more functionality than I really care for.
In the end the task was straighforward. As I worked through the task, I learned to cultivate an appreciation for the functions and their potential. It only took a few minutes.
Tomorrow's challenge: learn to use my iPod.
Your slow adaptor,
Laura D
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Blog Set-Up
Hi Folks,
I had to set up a new e-mail account before I could do our asigned blog task. I set up a g-mail account and that was very simple and straight forward. Surprisingly simple.
Before signing up for the blog, I compared the two that were recommended in class. I went with this one, blogger.com through google because it seemed more user friendly straight away than the wordpress on. I liked that it had a tour so I could familiarize myself with what I was about to do. I went back to wordpress to look at the "free features" to compare user friendliness. It was not intimidating but I determined that as a neophyte blogger I prefered the utter simplicity of the google site. Thus here I am.
Of course, blogs is the topic Allison and I will be presenting next class so I willknow much more about this world in a matter of days.
One kookie thing did happen once I got to the post page. After typing the "Title," I had inadvertantly hit a button and had published without intending to do so! That was a bit unnerving but the "Edit" button was in plain sight and here is my intended post.
I'll have more comments latter.
Cheers, Laura D
I had to set up a new e-mail account before I could do our asigned blog task. I set up a g-mail account and that was very simple and straight forward. Surprisingly simple.
Before signing up for the blog, I compared the two that were recommended in class. I went with this one, blogger.com through google because it seemed more user friendly straight away than the wordpress on. I liked that it had a tour so I could familiarize myself with what I was about to do. I went back to wordpress to look at the "free features" to compare user friendliness. It was not intimidating but I determined that as a neophyte blogger I prefered the utter simplicity of the google site. Thus here I am.
Of course, blogs is the topic Allison and I will be presenting next class so I willknow much more about this world in a matter of days.
One kookie thing did happen once I got to the post page. After typing the "Title," I had inadvertantly hit a button and had published without intending to do so! That was a bit unnerving but the "Edit" button was in plain sight and here is my intended post.
I'll have more comments latter.
Cheers, Laura D
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