This week, I’ll post updated suggestions to get your computers and technology ready for the blitz of projects you’ll swear to accomplish in New Year resolutions. Here’s what you’ll get (links won’t be active until the post goes live):

1. 12 Ways to Update Your Online Identity— December 11th 
2. 8+ Ways to a Speedier Computer — December 12th 
3. Backup and Image your computer — December 13th (today)

Regular readers of Ask a Tech Teacher know these are updated each December. New readers: Consider these body armor in the tech battle so you can jubilantly overcome rather than dramatically succumb. If you also read WordDreams, these are also posted there with some adaptations to writers.

Today: Backup and Image Your Computer

Two maintenance tasks lots of people skip are:

• • back up your documents
  • image your computer

Backup Data Files

Every teacher I know has lost critical work because they didn’t back up on a regular basis. There’s no reason for that. Backing up is easy, fairly quick, and usually free. For details on backing up your computer, check out LifeHacker, PC World, and Windows online help.

Image your computer

When you image your computer, you take a picture of what your hard drive looks like, including all the programs and extras, and save in a secure backup area. If malware blows up your computer or ransomware locks you out, all you have to do is re-install from the image.

I use @acronis. It creates an image on the schedule I set up. It’ll even image drives that are plugged in (like my USB drive).

Copyright ©2023 askatechteacher.com – All rights reserved.

Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:

https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm

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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

–image credit: Deposit Photos

This week, I’ll post updated suggestions to get your computers and technology ready for the blitz of projects you’ll swear to accomplish in New Year resolutions. Here’s what you’ll get (links won’t be active until the post goes live):

1. 12 Ways to Update Your Online Identity— December 11th 
2. 8+ Ways to a Speedier Computer — December 12th (today)
3. Backup and Image your computer — December 13th

Regular readers of Ask a Tech Teacher know these are updated each December. New readers: Consider these body armor in the tech battle so you can jubilantly overcome rather than dramatically succumb. If you also read WordDreams, these are also posted there with some adaptations to writers.

8+ Ways to Speed Up Your Computer

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This week, I’ll post updated suggestions to get your computers and technology ready for the blitz of projects you’ll accomplish in the New Year. Here’s what you’ll get (links won’t be active until the post goes live):

1. 12 Ways to Update Your Online Presence— December 11th (today)
2. 8+ Ways to a Speedier Computer — December 12th 
3. Backup and Image your computer — December 13th

Regular readers of Ask a Tech Teacher know these are updated each December. New readers: Consider these body armor in the tech battle so you can jubilantly overcome rather than dramatically succumb. If you also read WordDreams, these are also posted there with some adaptations to writers.

Today: 12 Ways to Update Your Online Presence

For most teachers I know, life zooms by, filled with students, parents, meetings, grades, reports, reviews, and thinking. There are few breaks to update/fix/maintain the tech tools that allow us to pursue our trade.

That includes our online presence. But, if they aren’t updated, we are left wondering why our blog doesn’t attract visitors, why our social media Tweeple don’t generate activity, and why we aren’t being contacted for networking. Here’s a short list of  items that won’t take long to accomplish. The ones you read last year, consider a reminder!

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Over the next weeks, I’ll share ideas that will get you ready for Hour of Code. This includes (links are live on publication day):

1. An Overview of This Week — Dec. 5, 2023
2. Long list of websites by grade — Dec. 6, 2023
3. 9 Unusual Projects— Dec. 7, 2023
4. 5 Unplugged Hour of Code Activities — (this post) Dec. 8, 2023

***

These unplugged activities go back to the roots of coding. The idea started as a clever way to teach students to think critically and problem-solve, show them that deep thinking was fun and problem-solving exhilarating.

I happen to agree. Some of my most gratifying moments are when I accomplish the impossible, unravel a Mobius Strip-like problem, or force myself to do what I’ve never before done. Hour of Code does that every year for oh-so-many students. But here’s my issue: Too often, kids forget that the goal is to practice critical thinking and problem solving, not pursue a career in programming.

Let’s reinforce that goal by stepping away from the digital device, recognize that critical thinking and problem-solving apply to any part of life, even without a computer, iPad, or smartphone in hand. All kids need is their brain which happily, every child carries with them.

Here are some of my favorite unplugged activities:

Crazy Circuits With Squishy Circuits

Ages: MS

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Over the next weeks, I’ll share ideas that will get you ready for Hour of Code. This includes (links are live on publication day):

1. An Overview of This Week — Dec. 5, 2023
2. Coding activities by grade — Dec. 6, 2023
3. 9 Unusual Projects— (this post) Dec. 7, 2023
4. 5 Unplugged Hour of Code Activities — Dec. 8, 2023

***

Coding–that geeky subject that confounds students and frightens teachers. Yet, kids who can code are better at logical thinking and problem solving, more independent and self-assured, and more likely to find a job when they graduate.

If you’re participating in the annual Hour Of Code but want something different this year, here are a collection of unusual projects (each, about one hour in length) you can use:

1. Alt Codes
2. Animation
3. Human algorithm
4. IFTTT
5. Macros
6. Pixel art
7. QR codes
8. Shortkeys
9. Wolfram Alpha widgets

(more…)

Over the next weeks, I’ll share ideas that will get you ready for Hour of Code. This includes (links are live on publication day):

1. An Overview of This Week — Dec. 5, 2023
2. Coding activities by grade — (this post) Dec. 6, 2023
3. 9 Unusual Projects— Dec. 7, 2023
4. 5 Unplugged Hour of Code Activities — Dec. 8, 2023

This is a long list of online activities related to coding and programming. It is updated once a year so I apologize in advance for any dead links. At any time during the year, click to take you to the master list:

Program on computers, iPads, laptops–whatever works, whatever age. I’ll start this list with web-based options, by grade level (click the grade you teach) and then continue with a mash-up:

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Traditionally, the hugely-popular Hour of code has been celebrated one week in December, but now, you can participate any time you want. This year so far:

1,706,394,983 hours

in 180+ countries.

at 8,620 events

What is it

Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to students on coding, programming, and why they should love it, designed to demystify that geeky subject that confounds students and teachers alike and show that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, and an innovator.

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Here’s Why Kids Should Participate in Extracurricular Activities

Most parents ignore this, but playtime activities significantly contribute to a child’s overall development. The key to raising children successfully is acknowledging that learning doesn’t take place only within the classroom environment. Similarly, academics aren’t the only key to success in the future. That said, below are a few reasons your child should actively participate in extracurricular activities:

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Here’s the complete overview on the role of assistive tech in encouraging inclusivity in education:

• What does that mead?
• What are the benefits?
• What are the drawbacks?
• What types are available?
• How do you create one in your class or school?

The Role of Assistive Technology in Promoting Inclusive Education

Persons with disabilities may struggle with coordination problems, short attention spans, and limited mobility, which may or may not be obvious. Some disabilities include blindness, deafness, dyslexia, and autism. Whether the symptoms are apparent or not, these disabilities can affect their cognitive and learning processes.

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Artificial Intelligence–AI–has been around a long time, but caught everyone’s attention with the launch of generative AI, ChatGPT, and DALL-E. These made using AI easy enough for anyone and a viable tool for educators and students.

Or is it? Let’s see what the Ask a Tech Teacher team says:

Pros And Cons of AI in Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making major inroads into education. AI tutors, virtual assistants, and adaptive learning platforms are being adopted by schools, colleges, and universities around the world. In addition, many students are using AI to write coursework and essays, which has caused a lot of outrage.

Proponents argue AI can make education more personalized, engaging, and effective while reducing costs and workload for teachers. However, critics worry about the risks and limitations of relying too heavily on AI in education, as well as the problems caused by students using AI rather than penning work themselves.

Here we explore some of the key pros and cons of the increasing use of AI in education, from an education professional’s perspective.

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