Moving at the speed of Youth!

1. Moving at the speed of Youth! Using technology to make the best 4-H club better! Elizabeth Wells, Ottawa County 4-H Youth AgentDoctoral Candidate in Ag and Extension Educationscott@msue.msu.eduElizabeth Scott's Home Page 616-846-8250

2. Technology can provide: • Fast communication with members • Efficient communication • Access to information for club projects • Convenience for you and your members • Fun new ways to explore the world

3. Types of technology for 4-H • E-mail leaders and club members • Discussion group learning • Web based research and learning • CD Roms for learning • GIS and GPS for environmental clubs

4. Getting a free e-mail address You will need: • A computer • Modem or network connection to the Internet • An email software program (Eudora or Pegasus)

5. Getting free e-mail • A World Wide Web browser Netscape Explorer • Internet connection via an Internet Service Provider (ISP) by modem or direct network connection

6. Older Computers • With Windows 3.1 or 95 and a modem you can access free e-mail with Juno • 1-800-654-JUNO

7. No Computer?? • Schools • Libraries • County extension office • Local college or university

8. Free e-mail accounts • http://www.hotmail.com • http://www.lycosemail.com • http://www.mailcity.com • http://netaddress.usa.net • http://mail.yahoo.com

9. Before You Download • Eudora or Pegusus to download onto your computer Welcome to Eudora! • Be virus and worm smart • Update your anti virus program • Update your windows • Don’t open attachments

10. Before You Download • Consider purchasing a family filter for a cost of less than $5. per month • Your virus protection software may provide this also for additional fee American Family Filter Internet Filters http://us.mcafee.com/

11. Before You Send • Use nicknames to send to a group • Send to yourself and a bcc to the group • Ask before you send pictures • Limit attachment size and use rich text format or check with recipient for best software type and match

12. Before You Send • DO NOT SHOUT • Spell and grammar check • Think twice, send once

13. Technology as a Resource • Search Engines Google, Ask Jeeves, Metacrawler • White pages, yellow pages, reverse number look up • University web pages • Discussion groups and list serves

14. Discussion Groups • Almost any subject has a discussion group • Subscription may be regular or digest • Lurking • Posting • Netiquette • List owner • Monitored vs non monitored

15. Finding a group • Google your favorite topic • Ask friends and fellow workers • Start your own Groups.yahoo.com

16. For your own Web Page • Computer • Internet access • Domain (space) • Software for creating web pages • ftp (file transfer protocol)

17. Free web sites • http://www.geocities.com • Your Extension 4-H staff have free space through the university (can include 4-H clubs in their space)

18. Purchase web space • Cost less than $100. per year for do it your self web site • Often free with your purchase of e-mail or isp account One example: Homestead - your web site company

19. Software or HTML Editor • Netscape Composer – free if you get an older version (one page) Netscape Composer

20. Software or HTML Editor • Macromedia Dreamweaver 4.0 or MX– cost is between $100. and $300. depending on the version Macromedia - Dreamweaver MX 2004 • Adobe Acrobat – to create pdf files

21. HTML • Hyper Text Mark-up Language • Home page is usually “index” • No page breaks (use pdf for pages) • No tabs or indents (use tables) • Graphics (pictures) .jpg (art or photograph) .gif (line drawing or transparent color)

22. Web Page Usability • Keep it simple • Limit use of pictures, graphics etc • Ariel 10 point is web standard for print • High contrast for ease of reading • Pages load from top to bottom so keep images near bottom

23. Web Page Usability • Name each page • Add back links and contact info on each page • Consider slow connect users Sample: Elizabeth Scott's Home Page

24. 4-H Club Web Pages • Do not post full names of club members • Post pictures only with written permission from parents • Update site frequently with club news, dates of events etc • Insert e-mail link to leaders

25. 4-H Club Web Pages • Add hyperlinks to web sites pertaining to club projects • Include phone contact information

26. CD Roms and CD RW • CD Rom vs CD RW Not all computer drives read CD RW RW is slower to format and slower to write to CD Rom when file is erased it becomes invisible so you may run out of space Burning is just making a copy with laser

27. CD Roms for 4-H Clubs • Create your own educational tutorial in PowerPoint • Format your CD • Copy file to CD Rom drive • Eject CD • Create Label for CD

28. CD Roms for 4-H Clubs • Pictures of breeds of cattle, goats, dogs horses for notebooks • Lesson outlines for review after club meetings • Hyperlinks to outside resources for additional study i.e. http://akc.org/

29. GIS and GPS Technology • GlS = Geographic Information System Computer program for storing, retrieving, analyzing and displaying data combining geographic referenced information and descriptive information

30. GIS and GPS Technology • GPS = Global Positioning System Twenty-four satellites orbiting at altitudes of 11,000 miles can give you your position within five meters anywhere on earth

31. GPS for 4-H Clubs • Hand held GPS for about $100 at sporting goods store • Bury treasure on property and have members find it using the GPS

32. Resource Links • Electronic Portfolios for Extension Staff • Michigan Virtual University – Courses • The National 4-H Web – Fourhweb • National 4-H Technology Conference • The National 4-H Web - Online Safety Guidelines

33. Any Questions? Elizabeth Wells Doctoral Candidate Ag and Extension Education Extension 4-H Youth Agent Ottawa County 333 Clinton Ave Grand Haven, MI 49417 616-846-8250 scott@msue.msu.edu

34. Products and services discussed or linked via this presentation are not intended to promote or endorse any particular brand or company. They are for the convenience of the participants.