Windows 95 :: essays research papers fc

Windows 95 Windows 95 may very well be the most talked about software release in history. With more people than ever using personal computers, and given Microsoft's dominance in this still growing market, Mr. Gates' newest offering has caused quite a stir. As with any new product in this ultra-competitive industry, Windows 95 has come under intense scrutiny. Advocates of the new operating system applaud its new features and usability, while its opponents talk about the similarities to Apple's operating system. As I have never used an Apple computer, I can't address this point, but I will attempt to outline some of the more interesting "new" features of Windows 95. Arguably the most welcome innovation Win 95 offers is the "task bar". Use of the task bar eliminates the need to navigate through several open application windows to get to the one you need. When you first start an application, a corresponding button appears on the task bar. If after opening other windows you need to return to the original window, all you need do is click on the application's button on the task bar and the appropriate window will come to the fore. According to Aley, "the most gratifying, and overdue, improvement is Windows 95's tolerance for file names in plain English" (29-30). Traditionally, users had to think of file names that summed up their work in eight letters or less. This was a constant problem because frequently a user would look at a list of files to retrieve and think "now what did I save that as?". Those days are over. Windows 95 will let the user save his or her work with names like "New Speech" or "Inventory Spreadsheet No. 1", making the contents of those files obvious. Much to the annoyance of software developers, Windows 95 incorporates many features that previously required add-on software. One such feature is the Briefcase- a program for synchronizing the information stored on a user's desktop and notebook computers. Keeping track of which files were the most recently updated was a big problem. As Aley puts it, "Which copy of your speech for the sales conference did you work on last, the one in the laptop or the one in the desktop?" (29-30). One solution was to use programs like Laplink which would analyze which copy of a file was updated last. Now that Windows 95 provides this utility, there is no need to buy the add-on software. While mice have always come with two or even three buttons, most programs have only provided for the use of the left. With Windows 95 there is finally a use for the right.

Rationale Statement

This 2 hour online workshop Is an Indication of this standard because of the freeloading and research that went Into Its creation. I Incorporated what I knew of the learners into the initial design phases of the module. Taking multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences into consideration helped me to create targeted activities, assignments, and resources to reach a broader pool of participants. After all, â€Å"to teach effectively, you've got to know how people learn and in particular you've got to know how they think. † (Ramrod, 2010) Interestingly enough, the topic of the workshop Is differentiation.As result, the module Itself models the topic by providing lessons and assessments that incorporate differentiation in its design. Images, videos, text, links, and interactive activities make up the bulk of the content, and each tab brings in different strategies to reach different learners. Standard. The Instructional materials for this website Indicate a wide variety of modalities. I have shot and embedded videos of subject matter experts, Included Interactive multiple choice quizzes, as well as developed discussion threads to allow participants o work together.Using what I know of the skills highlighted by the Partnership for 21st Century Literates, I incorporated assessments that ask learners to collaborate, to analyze readings and photos, and to synthesize their findings into writing. These skills are ones teachers need to use, sure. However, since the focus of the workshop Is to help teachers teach students, I believe It is vital for any professional development to model these skills as well and ask teachers to interact with the skills they will also expect their own students to utilize. Standard.I believe It Is very important to allow learners flexibility in this workshop's Implementation. Knowing the schedule of the target audience, the secondary teacher, I decided that the workshop should be self-paced and accomplished over a short window of time. Over a two-week period, learners have the chance to log in and work to chip away at the tabs at their convenience. Each tab focuses on different topics centered on differentiation and can be explored in any order. However, as self-paced as it is, there are still patterns and rhythms worked into the workshop. Resources, visuals, informal assessment. Resources, visuals, Informal assessment.The predictable pattern Is meant to help the comfort level of learners. â€Å"Students find that a†¦ Rhythm for an online course provides similar benefits in keeping learners on track†¦ † (Botcher & Conrad, 2010. ) By making this decision of flexible learning right off the bat, I was able to then back plan what support I needed to develop and provide in order to ensure a smooth experience for the learners each time they log in. Throughout my program, I became a greater fan of Haiku as a Learning Management System. Haiku is amazingly user-friendly, and still provides the le arners and the signers access to a wide variety of tools.They don't water down the possibilities. The resources are housed easily using this virtual classroom. The discussions are easily encouraged. Submission methods are obvious and clear. Haiku permits an easy pathway to communicate with learners. Nevertheless, the pool of learners that piloted the workshop varied in levels of tech users. To address this, I developed a series of scaffolds to help participants regardless of their tech level. For instance, despite the ease of Haiku, I still also provided a Screenplay that allowed me to introduce both savvy and tentative learners to the ALMS.It was my first time using this kind of technology, and having gone through the process, I have discovered how invaluable it is. I plan to include a Screenplay for any future project as an instructional designer as well as a classroom teacher. Standard 5: EVALUATIONS]O Regarding learner assessment and evaluation, the workshop clearly meets this s tandard because of the elements included in its virtual walls. It includes formative, informal assessments in the form of short writings based on photograph analysis ND asking learners to synthesize concepts into discussion threads.It also incorporates more formal summarize assessments in the form of an online multiple- choice survey. Regarding my own evaluative process, I ensured that the assessments aligned to the initial objectives. â€Å"The test [measures] what it's supposed to measure† (Laureate, 2012. ) A simple concept, but one that is critical in the success of creating a training module. In addition, the course evaluation survey incorporates both quantitative data and subjective opinion, the results of which I could reflect on to aid in my evasions as well as my own growth as an instructional designer.

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