If you haven't
been a hermit in the mountains or haven't had your head stuck in
the sand, you've heard of email, and blogs, and Wikipedia, and Facebook
or MySpace and maybe even Skype, qq.com, instant messaging, text
messaging and numerous other forms of comunicating and socializing
using computers and the Internet. So let's start with that so we
can actually use some of those forms of communications to communicate
throughout this class. I assure you that your students will be familiar
with several of these forms of socializing.
Let's Try This!!
Starting with the first week
and giving ourselves to time to work out the problems, let's setup
some different forms of communication.
Moodle
This is imperative. This is the program we will use for our
discussions when we are not in the classroom. --- When you arrive
at the Moodle site, click on "Computer Science Education"
in the left column; then click on "CSE610". It should
ask you to Logon: use the same username and password that you
use for most everything you do at Western. Click
here for additional help. Or
go directly to www.wou.edu/accountlookup.
- Click on the Forums in the middle of the page and respond
according.
Email
This is also going to be used through the course, but then essentially
all of you use email. If you have never adventured into attachments,
expect to do that this term and give it a try. Several assignments
will be submitted using email. My email is saxowsd@wou.edu.
Use it freely, I read it daily and I respond as quickly as possible.
Blogging
Blogging is of course web logging or jounraling. It has become
a very powerful form of media and influence. And there are many
options for setting up a blog. I will make one or two entries
in my WOU blog and I ask you to comment on my entries.
Also I ask that you set up your own blog, even if you only use
it once for this class, and I will let you choose the provider:
WOU, blogger,
or any number of other websites which you can find by doing
a google search on blogging.
Email the address (URL) of your blog when you have set it up.
Skype
This is a form of instant messaging combined with replacing
the phone. It's free to anyone who is connected to Skype anywhere
in the world. I personally have found it very useful for talking
to family when overseas, and very handy for quick little instant
messages. I have in on constantly and use it for contacting
people for personal and buiness reasons as I work on other computer
tasks.
Download the free software from the
website and contact me. You may have to find me by searching
contacts. My Skype name is "denvys." If you have a
video camera connected to your computer and you make a phone
call, you can see each other.
qq.com
qq.com is the Chinese version of Skype and is a very powerful
and popular site. There is an English version but Mac versions
are scarce. My qq id is 1018996124 but I'm on a Mac so I can't
communicate with you. This one is just for fun or for your information.
IM
Instant messaging is available in many different forms from
chatrooms, like in Moodle, to IM with Internet Explorer or AOL,
to sites like Skype and qq.com. WOU
has a straightforward and somewhat awkward version of Instant
Messaging which you may or may not want to try. If not, see
if you can get connected with a classmate through another IM
site: AIM (AOL),
google talk, MSN
WebMessager, or more (your choice). If you don't find a
IM partner, Skype me. Or email
me if you have questions.
TWiki
and Wikis
Wikis are an interesting animal. They essentially are online
documents that anyone can change or edit. Scary. That someone
can change my work or that I can invade someone else's work.
But think of the possibilities of sharing ideas and improving
on the document. WOU has a Wiki called TWiki
but you can find many by googling
on wikis, and you can set up your own Wiki.
Try Wetpaint.
Facebook Facebook and MySpace
have become very popular with young people and more gradually
older folks. Facebook seems to have become more popular as the
reputation of MySpace has waned. Go to Facebook,
if you already haven't and set up an account. You should be
able to find me there (saxowsd@wou.edu). Make me a friend for
this class. (PS And teach me how to use this site.)
YouTube
and more
We won't do anything with YouTube now but it is another very
popular center of socializing among Internet users.
As you are doing this exploring
remember and save all you usernames and passwords in a safe
but findable location.
I look forward to hearing from
you as soon as possible through email, Skype, blog! See how many
of these you can set up this week..
Assignments Send me an email (saxowsd@wou.edu).
Attach a photo of yourself, your pet, your family or whatever. Include
"CSE610" in the subject. (2 points)
Go to Moodle,
click on "Computer Science Education" in the left column,
click on CSE610 (Denvy Saxowsky is the teacher), login when it prompts
you with the same username and password used in most WOU programs
and Introduce yourself.(2 points)
Go to Skype.com
on your favorite browser, download Skype, register, send me a text
message or give me a call .(2 points)
Go to my
blog, comment on my blog. For extra credit setup your own blog.
(2 points)
Try one or more of the other
forms of socializing and tell me what you did either via that form
of communictaion or with another email. (2 points)
Office hours: Tuesday mornings: 9:00 - noon
Thursday mornigns: 9:00 - noon
Other times aby appointment
Also contact me through email at saxowsd@wou.edu
or denvygail@saxowsky.com
