Kids Take Field Trips Into Space Using the Internet	Y2K Software	Netscape Communicator and Messenger (Email) Usage and Security	Changing Your Email Password Using Telnet
Notes from the Director	- Backup Your Data - Farewell Brad Pemberton - Welcome Will McCullen	Welcome Raul Bejarano!	Programming Your New Samsung CTV
Internet is 30 Years Old	Students Go Online For Scholarships	Email Keyboard Shortcut	Sending a Web Page
Screen Savers Cause Problems	Site Technology Budgets	Proper Media For Laser Printers	What's Happening at the Alternative School
Educational Technology Conference in Tucson	Customer Service Survey Form	Installation of New Computers	A Message from Claudiovisuals
Computer Security	AOL 5.0 and Category 3 Software	Lesson Plan Ideas for Microsoft Office	Is Your Network Connection Down?
Hyperlinks in Microsoft Office 97	How To Send a Group Message In Voice Mail	Windows Shortcut keys	Mail Merge Printing in Word 97
Older Apple Products are No Longer Supported	Technology Coaches	Forward This Email Message To 10 friends And You Will Receive …	Technology Trainee
Using Computers for 6 Traits of Writing

We took a field trip into space! It wasn’t quite like Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus. When we were studying the Solar System in class we got to see real pictures of the planets right on our computer screen. We looked at pictures of each planet and then wrote riddles about them. Here is an example of one of our riddles:

Most kids think I am the most beautiful planet.

I am the 2nd planet from the sun.

I am very hot, 900 degrees.

My days are longer than my years.

What planet am I?

We wrote these on the computer, of course.

We saw movies on the Internet about how the Earth turns in space. These showed us how the seasons occur from the tilt of the earth. We also watched movies (simulations) about the phases of the moon. Seeing these movies about the moon and earth helped us understand how they move. It was easier to understand these concepts by seeing them on the Internet than just seeing a picture in a book.

We also read about how long it took some of the missions. This helped us understand that space travel covers great distances.

There were sites where we could even email questions to NASA. A student in our class wanted to know if you could take your gloves off on the moon. We found out that you couldn’t! If you would like to find out, we used Yahooligans! as our search engine. It has a link called space right under its home page. This link took us to all the places we liked. Just type Yahooligans.com if you don’t have it on your computer already. From this space site you can click on Ask an Astronaut. Here are some other places we liked:

Astronomy for Kids:

http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/planets/planets.htm

How Big is our Solar System?

http://www.icu2.net/faahomepage/gallery2.htm

Happy learning! Which planet do you think is the most beautiful?

Have you upgraded your Quicken or Calendar Creator?

There are only 60 some days left until we enter the year 2000. Our department has upgraded all the hardware and mission critical software and believe that our computers are relatively prepared for the new year.

However, a number of users have installed software on their computers that may NOT be Y2K compliant. Programs that may have some problems are those that specifically deal with dates and numbers. For example, Calendar Creator and Quicken may not function correctly. For these programs, I would encourage you to purchase and install the latest version of software if you intend on using it after January 1, 2000. If you have other similar programs make sure they are Category 2 District approved software. I would caution you to insure that the new versions of the software will run on our desktop operating system , Windows 95. Many programs are now being written specifically for Windows 98 and the District computer operating system is still Windows 95. If you are unsure as to what to do about various software, please don’t hesitate to send an email to rshannon as soon as possible. You should order replacement software ASAP!

Lately, I’ve received many inquiries about security for Netscape Communicator and Netscape Messenger. For that reason, I wanted to issue a reminder that your email password only protects against the retrieval of new email messages. Email can be sent and any email messages that are stored in your Inbox, Sent, and Trash folders can be read - without a password. Also, Netscape Communicator and Messenger are accessible without a network password. Anyone can cancel past the Novell login and access Netscape, search the Internet and read existing email without a password.

If you think your Netscape Communicator is being accessed without your permission, you should inform your Principal or Supervisor. Also make sure you do not leave sensitive messages in any of your mailboxes. If you wish to save an email message in a secure location, highlight the message and go to File and select Save as…, give the document a title (it will most likely have a .txt extension) and save it in your folder on the server. This is your personal subdirectory on the server and it is not accessible without your network password. You can later retrieve the message via Microsoft Word. You should then delete the message from your email box AND empty your trash. (File, Empty Trash Folder). If you don’t empty your trash folder your email is still hanging around and can be retrieved or read.
 

Telnet was around before web browsers. It is a program designed to connect computers through remote logins. It isn’t graphic and flashy like a web page. This is a little used program that has a great usefulness for information retrieval and to change information.

I will explain a great use of telnet. You can change your password in the Amphi system. To get into telnet, simply use the Start button on your taskbar. Go to run and type: telnet

A screen opens up with four options: Connect – Edit – Terminal and Help.

Click on connect and then Remote System. You will get a smaller screen. The only information you usually need to fill in on this screen is Host:

Host: amphi.com

Port: telnet

Term Type: vt100

Click on connect.

You will receive the login prompt. Type in your user name. Your login is your email account, for example, dwardlow.

Then you will get a prompt for Password:

Type in your current password for your email account (Note: nothing will appear as you type).

Press return.

You should now be logged in to the network. In order to change your password type passwd

Press return.

The screen will say

Changing password for ‘user name’

You will receive the prompt Old password:

Type in your current password (Note: nothing will appear as you type). Press return.

You will receive the prompt New password:

Type in your new password (Note: nothing will appear as you type). Press return.

Retype new password (Note: nothing will appear as you type).

Press return.

If you are successful you will then be back at sun1.wetmore. amphi.com {user name}

If you are unsuccessful you will receive a Password Unchanged error message.

Important: You do have to have to know your password in order to do this.

You could change your password every day, once a week, once a month - anytime you feel like there might be some breach of security on your password.

WOW! Has this been a busy year so far or what? I just can’t believe all the things that have been done since the beginning of the school year.

I’ll list just a few of them, we have:

• installed 436 Gateways, 75 iMacs, and 47 Macintosh-G3s for a total of 558 computers this semester.

• Installed network equipment for all sites that will enable all classrooms access to the Internet.

• Provided 469 computer repair or troubleshooting services this quarter.

• Provided 178 audio/visual repairs and various services.

• Made all the phone moves and changes for all the new and relocating staff.

• Offered 69 classes in a variety of content areas including Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, MicroGrade and the Internet.

• Installed TV monitors in all remaining classrooms.

That should give you an idea of what we’ve been up to this quarter. There is still much more to accomplish this year, so stay tuned!

Backup Your Data

Imagine how you would feel if you had been working on a report, a computerized lesson plan or grades and the computer system crashed and you lost all the work you had done. I talk to users on a regular basis that have had this happen to them and it isn’t any fun for them or me. Many times, nothing can be done to recover all that work.

You can help yourself by always backing up your documents and other important work. For those users with logins to a network, you should ALWAYS save your work to the file server. That way, your data will be backed up every night.

For those of you without access to a network, you should backup all important files to a floppy disk – maybe even two different disks. I use the rule of thumb that the more important the document (the less willing I am to redo it), the more often I back it up in different places. Remember that you can save yourself a lot of re-work by simply backing up your files.
 

Farewell Brad Pemberton.

It’s never easy saying farewell to someone that you have worked with for a long period of time. I always have mixed emotions when an employee leaves; I am happy for them to be moving up to a job that provides more challenges, a wider range of learning experiences and of course higher pay, but am sad because we lose a talented and valued member of the Technology Department.

Brad has accomplished a great deal in his two-year tenure in the District. Most notably is the near completion of the computer networks in every classroom in the district. Through his leadership, the network and repair staff have upgraded all the file servers in the District, installed all the networking equipment at every school and devised a way for future upgrades. His list of accomplishments is far too long and technical for this article.

I think that the most significant thing that can be said of someone is that they will be missed – I will miss Brad very much. The technology staff and many of you in the District will miss his technical skills, work ethic, and even his sense of humor.

Brad, thank you very much for what you have done for the students and staff in the District. You have made a difference in our lives, and for that we will remember you.

Welcome Will McCullen!

I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of the Technology Department. Will McCullen is the new Network Manager, replacing Brad Pemberton. Will graduated from the U of A with a degree in Psychology and minored in German.

Will has had a variety of technical experiences; most recently, he has been a network support person for Intergroup. Prior to that, he was a consultant for Sprint Paranet. He gained considerable experience in an educational setting as a Computer Technician, Network Systems Technician and finally as the District Technology Coordinator for Catalina Foothills School District. Interestingly enough, Will worked for Brad Pemberton until Brad left Catalina Foothills, then Will took over Brad's position. So it goes in Amphitheater School District.

Some of Will’s interests include computers, swimming and Scottish country-dance. He and his wife Lynne have a 6-year-old child.

I am sure you will find that he has the technical skills to keep us moving forward and is very focused on customer service. Please welcome Will to the Amphitheater family.
 

I’d like to introduce you to one of the newer members of the technology team, Raul Bejarano. Raul is a native Arizonan and has lived in Tucson, Phoenix, and Nogales. He has been working with computers for about 10 years. Prior to joining us, he worked as a computer technician for GEM Commodities. His interests include SCUBA, snorkeling, computers, and automotive restoration.

Raul is one of three Computer Repair Technicians in our department. His responsibility is to maintain and repair all of the previously purchased computer systems as well as assist with the troubleshooting and installation of all the new Gateway computers.

Please welcome Raul to Amphitheater District and make him feel like part of the family. He is most anxious to get to meet you and when you need help, please feel free to get in touch with him. Raul, we wish you the best of luck and hope that you make many friends in the District.
 

During the summer of 1999, the Technology department acquired over 400 Samsung TXJ2767, 27" color television/monitors. These were distributed to every school. The quantity depended on the number of classrooms at the school. Some were installed on wall brackets, but the majority were to be put on carts. Each school is responsible for hooking the CTV to the cable jack, after being given the proper length of coax cable. Some of you may connect a VCR into the system.

If the VCR antenna jack is hooked to the cable jack, and the VCR out jack is hooked to the CTV antenna in jack, the VCR should have the power turned off, before trying to program the CTV.

Programming the CTV for the first time.

On October 20, 1999, the Internet celebrated its 30th birthday. Although some of us have only been using the Internet for a few years, it actually started in 1969 and was called ARPANET. Telnet was started in 1972, FTP was initiated in 1973 and emoticons :-) were used in email messages starting in 1979. The first virus attacks started in 1980. The World Wide Web only started in 1990. Mosaic, the first web browser many of us used, was developed in September, 1993. If you would like more information about the history of the Internet go to http://iday.hypermart.net/timeline/.
 

Many high school students are going online to find scholarships and college information.

Fast Search is one of the largest scholarship sites that is available for free on the Internet. Students answer questions and are then sent an email that lists scholarships that match the student’s criteria. Fast Search can be found at http://www.fastweb.com/fw/fastsearch/index.html. Other sites that provide information about colleges, scholarships, and financial aid information are College Net - http://www.collegenet.com/, US New Colleges and Career Center - http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/home.htm, FreSch! – Free Scholarship Search - http://www.search4scholarships.com/, and college view - http://www.collegeview.com/.
 

When you are ready to send a message in Netscape, hold down the CTRL key while pressing the Enter key and it will send your message. You will no longer have to move the mouse and click on the "send" button. Check it out on the next message you send.
 

Have you ever wanted to send someone a web page you found really interesting? Do you usually copy the URL and paste it in an email message to someone? Did you know there was an easier way? Here are the steps.

When you are in Netscape, go to File and pull to Send Page.

An email message will automatically popup with the URL typed in the body of the message and the title of the page in the Subject.

You simply need to type in the address of the person you want the email message to go to and you can add any additional comments in the body of the message.

Then send the message to the user;

it’s as simple as that.
 

If you are doing any sort of processor or memory intensive application (such as generating large reports or sorting lists) the type of screen saver you are running can greatly affect the amount of time it takes to complete the task. The 3D and other intensive screen savers receive the same amount of system resources as programs when they are running. That means that when they start they will at the very least double the amount time it takes the application in the background to finish. They can also cause the applications in the background to stop or crash if the computer resources get too low. 3D screen savers are not allowed on District Computers as they are classified as Category 3 software, so stick with the simpler screen savers.
 

Just a quick update on Site Technology Monies… I am in the process of reconciling my 816-XX budget spreadsheets with information from Budget and Finance. I will forward copies of those spreadsheets via district mail to the principal or appropriate designee by 11/5/99. Most of the schools still have funds available in this account. In the meantime, if you are in need of information regarding your account, please feel free to call me at 5212.

The reason for this article is to share information that may help you keep your laser printer in ship- shape condition. The type of paper or labels that you use may be okay for older printers but not for laser printers. Take the time to check the labels and the paper you use. Many times if the paper you use is thicker than what is recommended by the manufacturer, the paper will get stuck in the printer. This will cause delay of use if you can not remove the paper jam. Removing paper improperly may break the printer as well.

Printing Labels: It is important to make sure you use labels that are made for laser printers. Labels for older printers will work for a few labels but the heat from the laser printer will cause the labels to come off the paper and become stuck to the internal rollers and jam future printing jobs. If this problem occurs your only option is to call the tech hotline and request one of the technicians come out and remove the stuck labels. This is usually time consuming and may require us to remove the printer so we can take it back to the shop for repair. The best way to ensure that you have the proper labels is to check the package that the labels come in. The package should say that the labels are for laser printers.
 

First, check out our web site at www.amphi.com/~jweismil. John Weismiller, one of the teachers here at the Alternative Program, took Chris Yetman’s class last year (and again this summer) and is proud of his efforts. Second, the staff and students at the Amphitheater District Alternative School are excited because the ten HP computers in our classroom are now connected to the Internet. Finally, thanks to the efforts of Brad Pemberton this summer, all twenty-two computers at the Alternative School are now on line. This is especially important to us because we do not have a library. Consequently, the web serves as our virtual library and is the only means our students can use to do research for school projects while they are on our campus. We wish to thank the Technology Department for their continued support and assistance.
 

The 8th Annual Teaching and Technology Conference will be held on Saturday, January 22, 2000. The conference will be held at Tucson High this year because of renovation being done on the Student Union at the University of Arizona.

The conference will feature exhibitors and presentations on the Internet, multimedia, telecommunications, curriculum integration, and presentation graphics. The keynote speaker is Dr. Michael Milone and many of you may know him from his column in the Technology & Learning magazine.

Registration information may be obtained on the web at www.ed.arizona.edu/tc/ or by contacting your Technology Coach, Patti Greenleaf, or me.
 

Beginning October 1, 1999 a new form was distributed along with the pink Technology Service Request. This form was generated to solicit your input on our service to you. We would appreciate your feedback and comments so we are able to better serve your needs. Please hold the form until your request is complete, then fill out the form and return it to Sue Sledge, Wetmore Technology Department. If you have any questions about this new form, please feel free to contact me at 5214.
 

Well, the first several hundred Gateways have arrived, and installation of them is going pretty much as we expected. There are always a few snags when making a significant transition such as this, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and enthusiasm during this process of learning and adapting. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the installation process for these cowputers, so I’d like to answer the most common questions. As always, if you need help, please call.

Q. What are the steps involved in installing my new Gateway?

A. First, the warehouse will deliver your new Gateway computer. It may be delivered directly to the proper room, or it may be delivered to a central location in your school where it will be secure; your tech coach or administrator should be able to tell you how equipment is normally distributed at your site. The CPU will come in a black and white cow box, and the monitor will come in a separate brown box. After your computer arrives, you will need to call the technology hotline at x5078 and request installation of the computer. When the initial setup is complete, the tech will leave a bright blue sheet attached to the computer detailing exactly what has been done.

Q. Can I take my computer out of the box and start using it right away?

A. No. Your tech coach or specialist may remove the computer and monitor from the boxes and connect all the cables. However, the computer is not ready to be used and should be left in a power-off state until a tech visits your site and completes the necessary installation setup. We do request that only your local tech coach/specialist or a representative from Technology open the boxes unless otherwise instructed.
 
 

Q. What information do I need when I call the hotline?

A. You will need to give your name, site, phone number, and the best times to reach you. You will also need to provide the asset tag number, serial number, and location where each piece of equipment can be found. Please give as much detail about your request as you can: Has your equipment been received? Where is it to be installed? Are there any special instructions? Once your request has been received, we will send you a bright pink sheet with details about your request. Please place this in a visible place, preferably near where the equipment is to be installed.

Q. What happens after the installation is complete?

A. The technician will leave a blue "checklist" form detailing exactly what has been done, and giving additional information detailing what steps you may need to take to access network or internet resources. You will need to have this blue sheet available when setting up these resources. It is our goal to inform you of the options available to you, and to verify that certain parts of the setup have been completed before trying to move forward.

Q. What else do I need to make sure my computer is set up correctly?

A. You will need a sturdy desk or table for your new computer, with a space at least 23" deep and 26" wide. It is also strongly recommended that you have a power strip with surge suppression. You can use an existing power strip if you have one within reach of the desk. For the computer and monitor, you will need two available outlets. If you are also getting powered speakers, you will need two additional outlets (due to the size of the transformer, it will block another outlet), and if you are getting a printer, you will need one additional outlet. If your computer is to be connected to the network, please be sure that it is close to the network drop. Standard network patch cables are six feet long, and the maximum length is twelve feet. If you need a cable longer than six feet or cannot locate your network drop, please speak to your tech coach.

Q. What if I need a new account for SASI, email, Pentamation, or the network?

A. If you need any additional setup such as a new Novell, SASI, Pentamation, or email account, you will need to put in a second request through the technical contact at your school. Often multiple people – or even multiple departments – must be involved in the creation and maintenance of these accounts. If you need a SASI account, for example, representatives from three different departments will have to do their part to make it happen. In some instances there is a form which must be completed and signed before accounts can be created. Your tech coach or administrator can direct you to the information you need, and help complete the appropriate form if necessary. In addition, for all new computers installed after October 25, 1999, a blue checklist sheet will be attached to the computer when the initial setup is complete, and you will be asked to have this blue sheet available when setting up Novell, Pentamation, network printers, or email.

Q. I also have a printer to be installed with my new computer. How does that work?

A. Please state that you have a printer to be installed when you call in the installation request. We will need the model information from your printer so that we can send the right person for the job. Different printers are set up in different ways – some are low-usage printers designed to be connected directly to the computer, and others are high-usage printers designed to be connected directly to the network. If your printer is to be connected directly to the network, please be sure there is a table, counter, or other suitable space large enough for the printer, and that there are power outlets and a network drop nearby. It is strongly recommended that network printers be plugged into a power strip with surge suppression.
 

The Technology Department has purchased a series of 5 CD-ROMs by Rand McNally that are available for checkout from the Media Center.

CDR 187 Rand McNally: Children’s Atlas of the United States

This is an interactive atlas of the United States presenting information about the capital city, emblems, statistics, points of interest, and history of each state.

CDR 188 Rand McNally: Atlas of the World Wildlife

This is an interactive atlas describing the various types of animals found in different natural environments throughout the world, using maps, text, pictures, and video clips.

CDR 189 Rand McNally: World Vista

This explores the countries of the world including the people, politics, economy and geography, maps and flags, music, and phrases spoken in the native language.

CDR 190 Rand McNally: Quick Reference

This is an atlas with maps of the world’s time-zones, population distribution, climate and economic activities. Includes different information on the history, politics, economy, population and natural resources of each country.

CDR 191 Rand McNally: TimeMaker

This is an interactive road atlas and trip planner with information on over 20,000 hotels, restaurants, and points of interest in North America. Includes an itinerary planner for selecting routes, scheduling stopovers, calculating travel times and locating attractions.
 

There is some concern about securing computers when the "normal" user is away, either over the summer, intersession, or when you are out sick. Some have taken to using the "power-on password" option that P.C.s (not Macs) offer. This is bad, bad, and bad. It is bad because, if your computer needs repair work and you are not there, a lot of time is wasted in trying to track you down. It is bad because that means you were in the computer’s setup and could have made a change by accident and then a lot of time is wasted in trying to figure out what has been changed. Bottom line is, though it seems like a good idea at the time, it can, in fact, waste a lot of time.

"But, " you say, "I keep confidential files that I need to keep others from seeing!" Well there are other ways to skin a cat. If you keep all these confidential files on the server, under your folder, then the only way anyone can get to these files is if they know (or guess) your password. So, even if someone else logs on to your workstation, they can still only see their folders, not yours.

While we are at it, let's talk about passwords. Most of us admin folk have many, many things we log into each day. From the Novell log in, to the email server, to SASI(XP), and many other things. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of all of them. The easy answer is to make all your passwords the same and be done with it. However, like most things in life, the easy answer is not always the best answer. What happens if I guess your password? Now I have access to everything - your e-mail, all the SASI(XP) records, and all those confidential files we just moved up to the server! So, though it may be a pain, it is best if you can pick a different password for each system you have to log into.

Some other password tips include:

never, never, write your passwords down on a sticky note and stick it anywhere NEAR your computer.

Never look around the room for ideas when trying to pick a password.

If you can, pick a password that has both numbers and letters in it.

So, even though most of us have grown quite attached to our computers and have a feeling of ownership, we all need to remember that we DON’T own them. Someone may need to use the computer, install something to make it Y2K compliant, or fix it. Also we need to remember that we have a responsibility to protect sensitive information from those that do not need to know.

As always, if you have questions about any of this, please feel free to give us a call in Technology and we will be happy to answer your questions!
 

The America Online 5.0 software has been added to the district’s Category 3 "Not Supported" list. We are asking that no one install this software due to the problems it can create. Installing this software may cause a wide range of problems, including damage to networking, user data, and operating systems.

AOL 5.0 is currently labeled "Member Preview" by the company, and is intended to be a beta-test product. Because beta software is used for trial/testing purposes, it often has bugs or problems that can cause serious problems for the user. However, should America Online release the AOL 5.0 as a "gold" or final version, it will still remain Category 3 until a need arises to re-rate the software.

In its present state, the software can under certain circumstances damage the Network Control Panel. This can sometimes be corrected by removing and reinstalling every networking component on the computer. In other instances it is necessary to reinstall the operating system and all software. In both cases, the user is prevented from connecting to the Internet and all networking resources including servers, SASI, Pentamation, and network printers; and a tremendous time investment is required by the Technology department to repair the machine. User files, which are backed up, must then be recopied to the restored machine, a slow and unpleasant process. Some or all of your data can be lost in this process if it has not been backed up.

In some other cases, the installer appears to damage the operating system, not allowing the machine to shut down, requiring a reinstallation of the operating system and all software before the machine will shut down correctly. In extreme cases, the machine will not boot properly after installation. This results in a total inability to use the computer until the operating system and all software has been reinstalled, and user files must be restored from backup. Resolving these problems requires a great deal of time and effort on the part of the Technology department, and any data not backed up may be lost.

Previous versions of America Online have not been rated by Technology. They do not appear to cause the potential problems present in AOL 5.0. However, the district supports no version of the AOL software as Category 1, and no relevance to Category 2 criteria has been established. Access to the Internet, including the Web and email, is provided through our network and the Netscape Communicator software package. The Category 3 rating associated with AOL 5.0 does not apply to AOL Instant Messengerä, which is packaged with the district’s current versions of Netscape Communicator.

There are several other software packages which have been specifically rated Category 3 by Technology, including RAM Doubler, Disk Doubler, Speed Doubler, Talking Moose, Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher, and 3-D or third party screen savers. However, Category 3 embraces a wide range of software that may not appear on the specific list.

How is software rated into a category? Software Committees representing District personnel needs have established a "core" set of software that will be loaded on all new computers. This "core" software is designated Category 1 and this specific list has the full support of the Technology department.

When a school or department determines the need for a piece of software that is not part of the Core software, they can request that it be added to a machine/network as Category 2 software. All software which can be classified as Category 2 has very limited support from Technology and the majority of technical support for this software falls on the school or site; specific guidelines are listed on the Technology home page. To be classified Category 2, the software should relate to the Amphitheater School District Technology Plan, be necessary to accomplish job related tasks, support district curriculum, and meet needs not addressed by core software. In addition, to be classified Category 2, the software must specifically state that it is designed for the operating system it will be using ("Designed for Windows 95" on a PC; or the system requirements must match your version of the MacOS if used on a Macintosh.) This software must also function properly on district equipment. If it causes conflicts, crashes, instability, or any other problems on desktop computers, network servers or equipment, Technology can designate that software Category 3.

The Software Specifications policy states for Category 3: "When a School or Department has a piece of software that is not approved by the Technology Department, they can load the software; however, the Technology department will no longer support the software or computer in terms of repair, maintenance and technical support. The computer cannot be connected to the site Local Area Network and the District Wide Area Network." This means that any software which does not meet all criteria for Category 1 or 2 should be considered Category 3, even if it does not appear on the Category 3 list. The specific Category 3 list exists as a reference for that software which has already been tested and failed to meet these guidelines.

Additional information regarding the Software Specifications policy is available on the Technology website, at http://www.amphi.com/depts/technology/software.htm. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please call.
 

Microsoft has an education section on its web site and it has a variety of ideas for using the Microsoft Office programs in your classroom. You can find lessons utilizing all the Microsoft programs that we have in the district: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. There are lessons from primary to high school level in the content areas of language arts, social studies, math and science. Each lesson has a teacher’s guide and student activity section. The URL address for this site is http://microsoft.com/education/lesson/productivity/default.asp.

When you get to this site you will see three content area groupings that you can search. If you click the down arrow in the box, you will see a list of the lesson titles. I find it more useful to go below the box and click "View complete list" under the appropriate content area. This will give you an index of the lessons, with a brief description, the appropriate grade level, and the program(s) used in the lesson. If you don’t know what the symbol means in the software needed section, place your mouse on top of the symbol and it will tell what program it is. For the lessons that use Internet Explorer you could use Netscape instead.

One problem I have found with this site is that when you try to print out a lesson, the print preview will show only a few pages. However, when you try to print, it prints out about 20 pages. One suggestion if you want to print the lessons out is to copy the information and paste it into a Word document. Despite this problem, the site is an excellent source for finding ways of incorporating the Microsoft Office programs into your curriculum.

There have been various calls about getting an infamous message in Netscape saying "The server is unable to locate the server …" or something about a DNS entry error. This is not a time to panic though; before you call us, answer these questions to help us get you running.

And Turning Off the Hyperlinks Feature

One of the differences between Office 95 and Office 97 deals with some web features that are available in Office 97. One such feature is being able to create hyperlinks in your Office files that will automatically open a web page on your Internet browser, if you click on the link. However, in Word 97 if you type an URL address it automatically changes it to a hyperlink, underlining the text and changing the color of the text. I find this feature not very useful for me because what I want to see when I type a URL address is the address; I don’t want it to automatically make it a link to an Internet site. If you are like me and just want the address you can turn off the feature that automatically makes your URL addresses hyperlinks. To do this:

On the menu bar, select Tools, slide down and select AutoCorrect.

Select the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and in the section Replace As You Type, uncheck the box next to Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.

You must also select the AutoFormat tab, and in the section Replace, uncheck the box next to Internet and network paths with hyperlinks.

Click OK.
 

You may find yourself sending voice messages to the same group of people again and again. Instead of calling each person individually, you can create a distribution list and send the message to the whole group at one time. Group messaging can also be a convenient way to send an announcement to your entire group.

Sending a group message is a simple two-step process. First, create a distribution list of the people you want to send the message to and second, create the message and send it to your new distribution list.

How to Create a Distribution List

Some people prefer to use the keyboard shortcut keys on their Windows 95 computers. Here are some of the most common keyboard shortcuts.

Press To

Ctrl + Esc Display the Start Menu

Alt + Tab Switch to the window you last used

Ctrl + x Cut

Ctrl +c Copy

Ctrl +v Paste

Ctrl +z Undo

F2 Rename an item

F3 Find a folder

Shift + Del Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle bin

Ctrl +a Select All

Backspace View the folder one level up

Ctrl + Shift Closes that while clicking the folder and all Close button parent folders
 

It came to our attention recently, by a user in the district, that the mail merge feature in Word 97 does not print selected pages the same way mail merge does in Word 95. If you are printing the whole job or the current page the procedures are the same. However, if you only want to print certain pages, the process is a little different.

On the menu bar go to File, pull down and select Print.

In the Print window, click the radio button for Pages under Page Range. Then in the box next to Pages type an S before the page numbers you want to print. For instance, if you want to print pages 1, 4, and 7, in the box you would type s1, s4, s7.
 

They say that as soon as you get your brand-new computer home from the store, it is out of date… Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the truth of the matter is that computers do become obsolete after a few years. It is also true that you can still go out and find parts for an old Apple IIgs, but there comes a time when it becomes more trouble and expense than it is worth to go out and find these parts. To that end, we no longer support old Apple computers. The Apple company no longer provides support for these computers either. The following is a list of the computers, laptops, and printers that we no longer support:

The entire Apple II line of computers. (Apple IIe, Apple IIgs, etc…)

The entire Mac SE line

Mac LC/LC II/LC III

PowerBook 100/140/145/170

The entire LaserWriter II line
 

Each school in our district has a Technology Coach. The primary responsibility of the coach is to help teachers integrate technology into the curriculum. They provide staff development training and technical and pedagogical support. They also coordinate repair requests and request teacher email accounts in coordination with your Technology Specialist.

If you have problems with your equipment, questions about software, or need ideas for integrating technology into your curriculum, you should contact your Technology Coach. The Technology Coaches work very hard and should be commended for their efforts. The coaches for each school are listed below.

Sites First Last Name

AHS Dean Packard

Alternative John Weismiller

AMS Jeannie Wager

CDO Casey Smythe

Copper Creek Mary Damiani

Coronado K-8 Anne Booth

Cross Laurie Celaya

Donaldson Judy Dodge

Donaldson Nancy Jimmerson

Harelson Cris Cisco

Holaway Rosemary Beck

Keeling Mike Schaefer

La Cima Cynthia Rolewski

Mesa Verde Cathy Burg

Nash JoLynn McNeil

Prince Lisa Pratt

Prince Bianca Rivas

Prince Julie Valenzuela

Rio Vista Lisa Boyer

Walker Karyn Vick

Wilson Jan Horetski

Wilson Jim Reed
 

Have you received email messages that tell you that Bill Gates is testing software, and if you forward this email message you will receive money? There are currently numerous Internet Urban Legends and Hoaxes out there, and yet I continue to receive these type of email messages with introductions from people that state, "I don’t know if this is true, but I don’t want to miss out." The old adage, "there’s no such thing as a free lunch" is true with Internet emails of this type. Patrick Crispen declared in the October 14, 1999 issue of Tourbus, that " No one is ever going to give you anything for forwarding an email message to all of your friends. Period. I don’t care what you might have heard from other people. You can’t get something for nothing, and you certainly can’t get something for simply forwarding an email to all of your friends."

Recent urban legends that I have heard about are... "if you forward this email message to all of your friends you will receive.."

* A free car from Honda

* A $25 gift card from Old Navy

* A free case of M&Ms

* Free cargo pants from the Gap

* A free computer from IBM

* Money from Microsoft

* Windows 98 from Microsoft

* A free trip to DisneyWorld

* Free shoes from Nike

* Your name in the Guinness Book of World Records

* A donation in your name from a

billionaire to a dying child

These email messages are not true, they are a hoax, don’t forward these messages in hopes that they are true. They take up space on the email server and slow down traffic on the Internet. If you receive a message and want to see if it is a hoax, there is an Internet site that does a good job of keeping up to date with Internet hoaxes. Go to http://urbanlegends.about.com/ and see if it is listed.
 

We will soon be having a new face in our Department, his name is Todd Defilippo. He is a student at CDO High School who is participating in a program that involves the completion of 90 hours of voluntary work-study experience with computers and related equipment. He is currently involved in the A-Plus Computer Certification program and our Repair Department staff will be doing the honors of taking him on board, part time, and showing him some hands-on practical involvement with our computers and networked systems. I am sure that he will do well and gain a wealth of knowledge and experience.
 

The computer, in conjunction with word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and Student Writing Center, is great technological tool to be used when incorporating 6 Traits of Writing into the classroom. These programs allow students' work to be saved, printed, and revised at a later time. Research studies have shown that students are more willing to revise their writing if they can do it on a computer as opposed to long hand. A study by Jane Flinn discovered that when sixth graders used computers to revise their compositions they wrote longer papers and received slightly higher holistic scores than those using paper and pen. In addition, a study by Gail Womble found that the most impressive differences between the groups had to do with an emphasis on fluency, word choice, and mechanics. Womble discovered that students using word processing tended to work longer on their writing, made more changes in the text, and developed a better sense of audience than they did when writing in the traditional manner.

Use word processing programs any time students need to write. Below are a few examples specific to the 6 Traits of Writing.

Ideas

Create a document with story starters that encourage students to make their ideas crystal clear. Each student should select the one they like the best and delete the rest. They must finish the story.

Have students create menus, catalogs, travel brochures, newspaper articles, cookbooks, or technical manuals. Word processing programs make it easy to create professional looking documents so students can concentrate on the content and their creative ideas.

Give students a document with a list of details about a topic. Ask them to make the six most intriguing and interesting details bold, the ones that are irrelevant italic, and the ones that are common knowledge underlined.

Write a newspaper article that is missing some key information. Have the students read the article and add the missing information.

As a class, use the computer displayed to a TV monitor to brainstorm common facts about a topic. Print the list of facts out for the students. Have the students research using books, encyclopedias, or the Internet to find little-known facts not mentioned in the original list. Have students add the facts to the original list.

Give students a passage of informational writing. Ask students to highlight and bold the things they would make notes about if they were doing research.

Organization

The teacher can type in a story that is not in chronological or sequential order. The students can use cut and paste to put the story in the correct order.

After students have studied a unit they can create a class newsletter about it. The students will have to practice their organizational skills to determine which articles should appear in the newsletter and the order they should appear. Students should meet in peer groups to edit and revise the newsletter. The newsletters could be sent home to parents as an example of how your class is meeting the State standards in writing.

Give your students a passage and ask them to use formatting techniques to make it easier to read. They can use bold, italics, bullets, numbers, or centering.

Voice

Give students practice using voice and word choice in different types of letters. Use word processing features to have students create formal and informal letters and practice using appropriate voice and word choice. They should use different voices when sending a complaint letter, a letter requesting information, a thank you letter, or a letter to a member of the legislature.

Students can use different voices to create brochures, newsletters or flyers. Ask students to create the same brochure, newsletter, or flyer for two different audiences. The audiences could vary in age, ability level, knowledge, or experience. For example, students could create a flyer for the school carnival, one flyer for children and for adults. They could make a newsletter about Pokémon for experienced users and for novices. They could create a brochure about their state for people who live in the state and for people who plan to visit.

Word Choice

Have students go online and find an article. Have them paste the article into a word processing program. Then they should highlight and make bold phrases that work well. Have them use the strikethrough effect for phrases that are unclear or vague.

(continued on page 14)

(6 Traits continued from page 13)

Create a passage with long phrases. Have students change the long phrases to one word. Make a copy of each sentence so that the same sentence appears twice. Next, have students revise the long phrase into one word in the second sentence. Then, have them read both sentences and highlight the sentence they think is stronger and make it bold.

Sentence Fluency and Structure

Have students type a sentence into the computer. Give them a short time allotment, such as 2 or 3 minutes, to rewrite the sentence in as many ways as possible without altering the meaning.

To get students to look at the first words in each sentence, do the following. Have students take a document they have created and copy the first four words of each sentence and paste them at the end of the document in a list. Then have them look for a pattern? Do they need more variety? Are all the beginnings different? What can they do to improve their sentence fluency?

Students can look for transitions in the work they create. You might give them a document and ask them to find all of the transitions and make them bold or a specific color. Then ask them to open a document they created and find all of the transitions. Have them compare the fluency of both pieces. Then have them revise the document using transitions to make it more fluent.

Conventions

Use a word processing program for D.O.L (Daily Oral Language). Type 2 sentences in the word processing program with errors. Display it on the TV monitor in your classroom so everyone can see. Have students write the sentences on paper, or a computer if they are in lab situation, and make corrections. Ask students to give editing corrections and tell why the correction should be made. Then have them go to the computer and make the editing corrections, they are practicing their language skills and their computer skills.

Have students proofread the work of another student. Have them make changes in the document, and highlight those changes by using a different font color or style such as bold or italic. You can also edit student work on the TV monitor in your classroom. Display one student’s work and ask the class for input on things that need to be edited and have the students come up to the computer and make the changes.

Give students a document with several key words in a different color. Have them highlight the word on the computer and use the thesaurus tool to find synonyms. They should look up the meanings of words they don’t know in the dictionary. Then they should change the highlighted word to a synonym they believe makes the passage stronger. Have them explain at the end of the document why they selected the words they chose. Once students have had practice using the thesaurus tool, have them select words in their own documents and use the thesaurus tool to find synonyms.

Give students a document with no punctuation. Have them put in the punctuation.

Technical Writing

Have students practice their technical writing skills to create letters with the essential components (writer’s address, date, reader’s address, salutation, text, signature, and name).

Have students write a user’s manual for a computer program they have learned in your class.

Have students research information and write a brief technical report.