Friday, January 28, 2011

D-uh!! Moments

I'm tired.  I'll blame it on that. 

Technology at Tiny Town High is pretty sweet.  Well, it will be if I ever learn how to run it. 

There is an electronic pad on the wall with buttons we push to run the whole system.  The LCD projector (film projector in the old days) is mounted on the ceiling.  It projects onto a non glare white board.  We can hook our computer into the wiring in the wall and project our screen for the class to see.  This is how we will run power point presentations and clicker games. 

Our DVD/VCR combination hooks into the same wiring, so we can project a video or movie too.  And all of it is managed with either a remote or the wall pad. 

We also have a document reader. It will project the image of anything we put under its camera for the kids to see:  a textbook, a piece of paper I'm writing on, or my coffee cup. I can even twist the camera angle and project my class on the big screen.  (Yeah, I've had a little fun with that, too.)

And all of this is in one small unit in a corner of our classroom.

So far, the only thing that I have needed to use is the document reader.  On Monday, I had it working perfectly. (You have to remember a certain order to push the buttons.)  On Tuesday, I couldn't get the darn thing to work at all.  I was so frustrated. I was convinced it didn't work.

Then came Wednesday morning.  I decided to attempt it one more time.  I followed the directions.  Nada.  I turned it off and started it up again.  Nothing.  I mess with the camera...and....voila! I discover it really is a camera!

Yep. The lens cap was on.  (It has a lens cap!!)  Yikes! 

I remove the lens cap and miraculously it works.  Pretty much wanted to smack myself in the head for that one.

And we don't have the Ipad writer hooked into the system yet.  Can't wait to see how I can screw that one up.

Have I mentioned that the tech guy at Tiny Town High is on my speed dial?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, my. I don't have access to that much technology and I struggle. What will happen to me when we get our new school built?!! BJB

Katie (Can't Get There) said...

Brownies. And cookies. Lots and lots of baked goods for the tech guy and I promise he will be your best friend.

Puna said...

Too funny Mrs. E. Well I'm sure it wasn't funny at the moment. Technology is a tricky thing.

Mary said...

Duh moments: moments we can admit we did something uber-stupid but still laugh about! I had one of those last week!

Anonymous said...

YOU should have seen your "COUSIN-IN-LAW Steve ROLL his eyes when I read him this!!! The shaking of the head was right behind!!! Just close your eyes and imagine the image!!! LOVE you my CrAzY CoUsIn! R

Mrs. E said...

R, he couldhn't have rolled his eyes or shook his head any more than I did. argh!!!!!!! The principal got a good chuckle out of it, too. The tech guy who has been helping me is K's age--and I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm an idiot!