Thursday, October 25, 2018

EBSCO databases, and schools that use them, under attack.

I must have had my head in a hole being this is the first I heard about this.  In February of 2017, challenges were brought to the Cherry Creek (Colorado) School concerning their use of EBSCO's databases. The challengers claim that EBSCO's databases contain pornography as well as other inappropriate material for young adults and that the school and their librarians were pushing it on students.  A number of organizations have jumped on the bandwagon and have forced schools to abandoned EBSCO's databases. My favorite statement from the following article is: "If middle or high school students are looking for sex on the internet, they do not start with library databases." 

For more about this, read James LaRue's article, "Education is not pornography". Mr LaRue is the Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Does everything you print from your Mac comes out double sided? Time to have a few CUPS of Earl Grey.


Image result for earl grey

So excuse the pun. You have done everything:  page settings, gone into the printer/copier settings and changes everything to single sided...yet everything still prints DOUBLE SIDED??  WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?


I wish I knew what was up with that but I believe I can fix it.  You have change the default via CUPS, which is the core printing system of OS X.
Image result for copyright symbol

  • Open up your browser and go to http://localhost:631 . 
  • By default, access to the CUPS page is blocked. To enable it, open Terminal and type "sudo cupsctl WebInterface=yes" (without the quotation marks). Enter the admin password (the password you use to login to your Mac--if you are setup up as the Admin for the Mac, you'll find out if you are if it does not work) when prompted and then refresh the browser. 
  • With the CUPS web page open, select the Printers tab and then select the printer you want to modify. Then from the Administration drop menu, change to "Set Default Options". See the example below.
User uploaded file

  • This will show a new page with four menu headings (links); Options Installed, General, Banners and Policies. Select General.

  • Scroll down the list until you see the Print Style menu. Change it from 2 Sided to 1 Sided and then scroll down the page until you see the Set Default Options button.


User uploaded file
  • Click on this button to save the change. You will then be prompted to log back into CUPS, using the Admin (user name) and same password you used above.
  • Go to some document and web page and see if it will print single sided.






That All May Read; a National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. A Program from the Library of Congress.

Who says nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m.?  While I was watching the replay of the Patriots v. Colts game on the NFL network at 5 a.m. in the morning, I saw this PSA (public service announcement) about a program called That All May Read.  Please excuse the quality of the video I took it on my phone and it WAS 5 a.m. in the morning. :-)



National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books the way you want them: in braille or audio, mailed to your door for free or instantly downloadable.

NLS works to ensure that all may read by providing eligible patrons access to reading material regardless of age, economic circumstances, or technical expertise. Share the gift of reading, and spread the word about NLS so that all may read.


Friday, September 21, 2018

How The Heck is the 600 MHz Wireless Auction is Going to Impact Me?

Early September 2018,  I ordered a Shure wireless mic from B&H Photo Video for my school, late September 2018 I received an email from them stating that my product may be eligible for (up to ) $500 rebate!!  My mind spun with the thoughts of what I could do with ALL that extra cash.  So I used their link to see how much scarole I was eligible for, sadly to say it was only $50 but it was not for the new wireless system I bought but a trade-in offer for any older wireless systems I had. 

It seems that the FCC has auctioned part of the 600mhz spectrum to telecom companies and if your wireless system falls in that range...basically it becomes illegal to use and becomes a dinosaur on July 13, 2020. Starting October 13, 2018, the manufacturing, sale, lease or shipment of wireless microphones or similar devices that operate in the 600 MHz service band frequencies (617-652 MHz and 663-698 MHz) will be prohibited in the U.S. 

After I read this I almost passed out, all my schools mics in the Auditorium are Shure Wireless Systems. I ran down to the Aud and to my relief, found that they all operate in the 500MHz band...PHEW!  I only have one mic and receiver that operates in the 600Mhz range that will go bye-bye.  So you can do two things: 1) keep using the mics until the drop dead date and retire them to the antiquated AV equipment Hall of Fame Display or 2) use the this link (B&H's trade in offer), find how much your rebate is, send it back to the manufacture and use the money to purchase a new system.

To read more about this check out this article written by Daron James and how it will impact filmmaking.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

The Economist explains why 5G may be both faster and slower than the previous wireless generation

The promise of 5G may not be met until the launch of 6G.  Basically The Economist state the the coast to build 5G networks will cost a lot of money and consumers are not willing to pay for it...yet.  Read the article here.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The SAMR Model, provided by Orange High School, Orange, NJ (USA)

Introduction to the SAMR Model

Dr. Ruben Puentedura developed the SAMR model as a way for teachers to evaluate how they are incorporating technology into their instructional practice. You can use SAMR to reflect upon how you are integrating technology into your classroom.
Is it an act of Substitution? Augmentation? Modification? Or Redefinition? 




 Video:

The Padagogy Wheel, using 21st Century tools, version 4.1

The Padagogy Wheel 
Developed by
Allan Carrington
University of Adelaide

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
This Taxonomy wheel (pdf.file) was first discovered on the
website of Paul Hopkin’s educational consultancy website mmiweb.org.uk That wheel was produced by Sharon Artley and was an adaption of Kathwohl and Anderson’s (2001)
adaption of Bloom (1956). The idea to further adapt it for the pedagogy
possibilities with mobile devices, in particular the iPad, I have to acknowledge
the creative work of Kathy Schrock on her website Bloomin’ Apps