Monday, November 22, 2010

Can you say "Tangled"?

As anyone that owns a desktop computer knows, sometimes the wires get out of control.  You've got the monitor and desktop and printer with at least two cords from each.  And then start adding your network/Internet cable and the mouse and keyboard.  The Headphones and Ipod and any other usb devices and it becomes quite a tangled mess.  It is usually well worth it to take time out, when you can, and try to add some order to the chaos.  I use a couple different tools when organizing computer wires.  The first item are the zip-ties.  These are of many sizes and should be used for the items that will not need to be adjusted anytime soon.  Like power cords or network connections.  For the wires that might need adjusting I use a very thin strip of double sided Velcro.  I've seen a lot of variations of this from the homemade to the expensive color coded store bought.  The final items I use, mostly in the school, are little 1"x1" self-adhesive plastic tabs that have a small hole I can slip a zip-tie through.  I use these to secure wires to walls or furniture when I need to travel a distance from port to desktop/printer.  With a little time and some minor organizational skills you can clean up your work environment in no time and get back to work or fun with a little elbow room.

Friday, November 19, 2010

New Internet Safety Bulletin Board

Internet Safety is very important.  To at least know that there is a danger is half the battle.  Here is the latest bulletin board I have put up in my lab about Internet Safety.  I use the cartoon characters as the eye catcher to at least get the students to take a look and ask what the message is about.  I'll probably leave this one up for a while.

Below are some of the good Internet Safety Links I came across while researching for the B-Board:
Disney Online
Kids Health Online Safety
SafeKids
Federal Bureau of Investigation