iMet 7 Blog

I installed my Airport Extreme base staion and my Internet connection just got FASTER! Color me Extremely happy :-)

Uncle Sam, via a hefty tax refund, has provided the final push to go ahead and make the leap to wireless. I tried to purchase an airport extreme base station yesterday at Mac Daddy but evidently MY mac daddy does not provide as much as others. They did not have the part and don't answer my calls. Hmmmm. Frustrating. However, Apple delivers quickly and I simply ordered the part I need online. It was shipped today and will be here soon.

The iMac would not connect to the Internet, server not found... project date is getting closer... what to do, what to do. After a little diagnostic work I narrowed the problem down to the cat5 cable that makes the connection to the Internet work. One end was damaged and needed a new connector. Sigh. I used to know how to do this simple job but now all I can remember about it is that even with the special tools, it can be very tricky to match the correct wires. I took the cable to Radio Shack in hopes that someone there would have skills that were fresher than my now extinct ones. In the meantime, I think I made a command decision to go wireless in the house. It IS about time. I have just been putting it off because I thought it would make my Internet connection slower. That's not true anymore. I will be making the trek to the Mac store for an Airport Base Station on Monday.

In the meantime, after a couple of tries, the fellow at Radio Shack got the wires straight and put a new connector on one end of the cat5 cable. The total bill was $0.43. I had that much in my pocket. Problem solved. Monday I go wireless.

Rose
Originally uploaded by amayu.

The action research project proposal needs only a few paragraphs of explanation for the annotated bibliography (feedback from Mike) and we will be set to go. Our first research proposal draft was accepted with a "good work" comment to boot. As Vickie said "We Rock!" Spring break is next week so it may be a couple of weeks before we get the final approval. I am feeling very confident and "on track" about this project. :-)

Breakthrough
Originally uploaded by ash3.

Wow! I did something that I never thought I would BE doing. Filming Quicktime tutorial movies of myself demonstrating a software program. I am working with a group to create a website resource for a teacher inservice showing teachers how to use the graphics program Inspiration. I was directed towards a program for the Mac called SnapzPro X by Dave, one of my group members. At first, I could not see how the program functioned. Then I found the users manual in the download folder. My eyes were opened! It is really a cinch to use and it allows for all kinds of video compression modes to keep down the file size. In order to keep the ENTIRE workspace for the Inspiration program on the movie screen, I had to adjust the window size on Inspiration and set SnapzPro X to fixed a camera size of 640X480. Then I went searching for my microphone to record my voice annotations only to find out that iMac has NO AUDIO INPUT JACK!! Aargh. Okay, so off I went to find my little imic external usb sound card. I had to search the reviews for this product to get it to work properly with the microphone. Finally I got imic to work (the little toggle switch is confusing) and set the imac sound system preferences correctly. After all that, the SnapzPro audio STILL did not want to work AT ALL even though the microphone WAS working. I started reading message boards and found out that many people had this same problem with SnapzPro X! I, at last, found someone with the solution. A setting of course! The sound compression setting option that comes up just before instructing the program to save the movie needs to be changed to ALaw 2:1. By the way, the video compression I picked was Sorenson 3. Now I had it all figured out and was ready to make the first "complete" tutorial movie. About 30 seconds after I started, the dogs went berzerk and started barking like crazy. Yes, it recorded quite well. I will try again tonight. Hopefully I will have all the variables under control this time. :-) I did it! View the tutorial movies on our web resource HERE.

Photo by Jeffry14.

The proposal for our action research finale has been submitted (yesterday) and plans for the webpage resource and lesson plan are in the works for the culmination of the Spring semester. I am confident that Vickie and I will be able to finish on time. On time being December 2005. I will hold off on the deposit for the cap and gown for the time being but rest assured, there will be a ceremony of fantastic proportions when this is done!