Tech+PDF+Documents

[|Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part: Observations about making technology work in schools.] Second Edition Written by Doug Johnson, Illustrated by Brady Johnson

I really enjoyed reading Doug's thoughts on technology, teaching, and libraries. His humor combined with the current issues we face in education made it easy to laugh and agree with his thoughts. There was one page I really liked (I printed out copies to share). It is #10 and states "Change can only be made by the rank and file." I was not sure I agreed with it until I read his reasoning--"Who can make the most improvements in education: The Department of Education or all teachers making small changes?" He is correct.

[|Nine Free Programs Every PC Should Have] Ian “Gizmo” Richards

I was unsure about adding software to my school computer, and I do not always trust free software. I am not sure why, but I do. There are a few I am interested in. I decided to try one immediately: PureText Format Stripper. My classes require I pull information from other sources, combine it with other information and create cohesive document. I tried this out and it worked great (other than I kept hitting the wrong key). I was able to copy and paste information without having to worry about formatting.

I found this especially helpful when I was adding questions into a online quiz. In the past the formatting definations would show up if I tried to copy and paste. I had to resort to retyping the information. Using this program, I do not have to worry about the formatting information showing up.