Week 2: Educational Technology

During week 2 we learned about the MACOSX including its main features, advantages and differences from PC computers. The obvious differences between the Mac and PC deal with its hardware; the Mac processes information and has different outward features than the PC does. Each new version of Mac is given a name; the OSX version and the computer we use in class is referred to as the "Leopard." Some of the features on the Mac that were discussed in class and on the lecture notes online was how to turn the computer On/Off (it is found in the back of computer which you can turn to face you) or you can turn the computer off by clicking the apple button in the upper left on the menu bar. The desktop includes major components such as the menu bar, the dock, the hard drive, inserted media devices and folders/files. On the menu bar you have the Finder window which is like the Windows Explorer in a PC. This is where items are located from the hard drive, other storage devices and folders/files. The dock at the bottom of the screen is essentially a group of aliases that provide the user with shortcuts to open applications, folders and files. Learning how to create folders, saved documents and aliases on the Mac was also discussed and assessed. These tasks can be done mainly through the Finder window. In addition, a brief overview was given on the Mac keyboard and mouse.

This lesson applies directly to the education field that I am pursuing as an elementary school teacher. Many public school districts throughout the country are or have purchased Mac computers. Therefore, it is crucial for me to know how to operate such a computer so that I can use it effectively and efficiently. How embarrassing would it be if I couldn’t store my grades online on the computer or I didn’t know how to create a graph for a presentation for the class because I am a PC owner? To prove that public schools are in fact using Mac computers I found an article written by Joe Hill, the director of Math and Technology at the Rockingham Public County Schools discussing why his county, along with numerous others, are using Mac computers in schools.
http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/rcps_tech/whymac.html
This shows that Macs are relevant to my field and that this lesson does apply because I need to be able to effectively operate a Mac seeing as it is likely that I will be in a classroom that uses such a computer.

http://apcmag.com/15_reasons_macs_are_still_better_than_windows.htm

I chose this article to look at because I think it is important for me to understand and become familiar with the positive, best features of the Mac computer. By reading this article I learned how to troubleshoot a Mac using three applications in the utilities folder. The author of the article also pointed out some useful apps on the Mac such as iphoto and stickies; I found the stickies to be cool because you can set reminders for yourself on fake sticky notes on the computer screen. I didn’t realize that Macs don’t have to run additional security software like PCs do. In addition, I found the authors commentary on the small features of the Mac to be informative; quick look lets you view all the major files, the image viewing app allows you to view a PDF and open or export it to other image formats, and the Mac has sophisticated screen shot capability. I am a PC owner, but I think it is important for me to understand why so many people like Macs and what its unique features are so that one day when I’m a teacher or working on a Mac, I can easily navigate my way around the computer.