Prepare you computer

Open the Firefox Browser

Install Missing Flash Plugin
Go to this page and click 'install missing plugin'.
If you have any problems or questions about doing so, look at the step-by-step screenshot guide.
Once you see the chat room , you're 'good to go'.

Next. watch this quick intro to tabbed browsing with Firefox

Open Firefox with these three tabs open.

• http://efl537.com/spring2008/week1a (this page - it's already open)
• http://www.efl537.com/chat (please set your nickname and say hello)
• http://learningcall.net/

Course Orientation

Get Acquainted

Basic Training

Basic Training - Week#1

Below are screencasts that explain some basic computer skills.
Please watch them all and then complete the tasks below.

• Desktop management
• Windows Explorer (Files & Folders) Screenshot Guide
• Menu Bars & Right clicking
• Start Menu Options
• Windows search
• Gmail Basics * Attaching a file to a gmail
• Bandwidth Basics
• Determining System Specifications
• EFL537.com Tour, leaving comments

Tasks ( It is OK to seek help from you classmates if you have questions.)

• Save the file from the designated URL on this page, rename it (any name you like), email it to me (jefflebow@gmail.com) as an attachment, and tell me its filesize and extension
• Send me another email with the following information
  
  • Watch is the largest .exe file on the computer you're using? In which directory is it located?
  • How much total hard drive space is there on the computer you're using? How much is used? How much is available?
  • What is the download bandwidth speed of the computer you're using?

Next Step: Exploring Possibilities

Exploring Possibilities

Let's look through the list of topics, skills, & tools and discuss which are of most interest to you.

Finally: Assignments

Assignments

• Finish uncompleted class tasks (answer Voicethread questions, watch basic training videos)
• Look through the list of topics, skills, & tools. Write a blog post on EFL537.com about which ones you're most interested in learning about. Feel free to include items not on those lists.
• Answer the skill questions at: http://www.efl537.com/node/233
• Answer the 'why are you here' questions at http://www.efl537.com/node/240
  
• Tasks:
  
  • Set up a gmail filter that automatically gives emails from jeff@efl537.com the label 'efl537'. Show me next week.
  • Make sure you are registered with all of these sites by next week's class. Feel free to experiment with the different sites, but don't waste too much time (or get too stressed) figuring out how things work. We will be learning about each during next week's class.
    Edublogs.org , Voicethread, Yugma , Bubbl.us , SlideShare, Del.icio.us , Pageflakes , WikiSpaces , Skype
  • (Optional, but encouraged) Play with the tools being introduced next week.
    Audacity , Firefox , IrfanView , Kompozer , Jing Project , FileZilla FTP
• Prepare for next week's Topics: Copyright, Fair Use, Licensing & Web Presence
  You should at least 'take a look' at the readings with a *, but try to find relevant readings (from the list below and elsewhere) that are of most interest to you.

• Creative Commons License *
• Copyright 101 *
• Education World - Schools, the Internet, and Copyright Law
• UM Guide to Copyright
• Video: Larry Lessig: How creativity is being strangled by the law
• http://wiki.creativecommons.org/FAQ
• Copyright in an Electronic Environment
  
• Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers
• Fair Use of Copyrighted Works

• This article is a bit out of date, but still useful. Consider it 'required skimming'
  Establishing and Maintaining Web Presence: A guide for educators *
• Additional Information here: Creating a presence on the web
• Also, Google yourself. Type our name in quotes (for example, "Jeff Lebow") into the google search box. We will discuss results next week.

• Browse through the Mega sources of readings and start looking for articles of interest. No assignment other than browsing this week, but active browsing now will serve you well later.
• Terminology - Make sure you understand the terminology below (these will be part of

root directory file folder System Configuration Utility taskbar toolbar menu bar default quicklaunch Refresh/Reload file extension desktop screensaver clipboard Bytes, KB, MB, GB minimize maximize screen resolution tabs WYSIWYG cut/copy/paste URL bandwidth download upload