Sunday, June 21, 2009

Teaching beyond school walls.

"Without travel "I would have wound up a little ignorant white Southern female, which was not my idea of a good life." -- Lauren Hutton




Isn't technology wonderful when it works? This morning I hooked up a new web cam to my husband's Mac and showed him how to use it so that we could use Skype video while I was away. I had purchased a Logitech camera, but to my dismay found it only worked on Windows machines (I looked everywhere on the box except the bottom ... which is where the specs were listed). Fortunately, my son was able to use it as his web cam was too old for his computer.

I had to fight a horde of iPhone buyers to get into the Apple Store at the International Mall in Tampa. There were exactly two types of web cams available. There was a $30 difference in price, so I asked one of the Apple salesmen what the difference was. He took a moment to look up from his iPhone to say, "Really, none. They'll both work with Macs." Well, thanks a lot. I would think so since they were in an Apple Store!

After reading over the descriptions, I went with the Eyeball by Blue. The main reason was that there was no software to install with it. Macs would read it automatically. Guess what? They were right. I plugged it in, restarted my computer, hit Skype and voila! A live picture of me.

I took my husband through a brief tutorial that included 1) how to open Skype, 2) how to choose video, 3) how to answer a call, 4) how to make a call, 5) how to make it full screen, and 6) how to hang up! Boy, I'm good!

We also figured out how to pack the web cam in its handy-dandy carrying case in case he decides to take off for parts unknown (actually Roanoke, Va) while I'm gone.

Just a little over 33 hours and I'm headed for "The Scepter'd Isle."

1 comment:

  1. It's been my dream to go to England for over 25 years, so I'll be following your trip with a great deal of interest. BTW, we use Skype and a webcam to talk to my sister-in-law who is teaching in China and it works beautifully- we were even able to have her "present" for Christmas breakfast and family pics via Skype- thank goodness for it!

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