Earth Day 2012

Happy Earth Day!

10 Geeky Ways to Celebrate Earth Day (from Wired.com) 

1.  Charge your handheld devices in a greener way – The site localcooling.com has some good suggestions.

2. Install a programmable thermostat in your home – It’s really simple, not that expensive, and is pretty well guaranteed to save energy, and to reduce your utility bills drastically. It can be a bit of a chore to get the programming just right to keep your family comfortable, but the prospect of doing some experimentation has never yet scared off a true geek.

3. Implement Wake-on-LAN on your home computer(s) – You know how it is: you want to be able to access your home computer from wherever you are, whether it’s to get to your music library, or just to grab a document. But of course leaving the computer on all day is a huge waste of energy. Get Wake-on-LAN to work on it, and you can have the best of both worlds: get access when you need it without leaving it powered up when you don’t.

4. Buy and use an energy-saving surge protector / power strip – These are devices that act like regular old surge protectors, but with an added feature: it helps eliminate “phantom power” waste. “Phantom power” is the little bit of power many devices draw even when they’re switched off. Some, like this one from Belkin, are highly configurable and even have a remote control, for extra geek points.

5. Install solar panels on your roof – Obviously this won’t work for everyone, but if you can do this and you live somewhere where you get a decent amount of sun, this can really reduce the amount of electricity you draw from your utility company. Unfortunately, solar panels aren’t efficient enough yet that you’re likely to see a drastic difference (especially in winter), but without solar panels it really is just perfectly good energy going to waste, right?

6. Find and fix air leaks in your home - Houses, and especially older houses, tend to have a lot of little air leaks, any one of which isn’t too bad, but which together can be a huge energy sink. How is this geeky, you ask? Because it’s a great excuse to buy yourself a Black & Decker Leak Detector, which in addition to having a rhyming name just looks like a lot of fun to play with use.

7. Get a convection oven - We know that many geeks love to cook, so this is really a no-brainer. Not only do convection ovens cook food more evenly than conventional ovens, but they do it more quickly and at lower temperatures. There are even some newer ovens that combine microwave cooking with convection and/or halogen light cooking, which are supposed to save even more energy. We haven’t seen reliable information on how good a job they do actually cooking the food, though.

8. Track your energy usage online – An excellent, and free, online web application called “WattzOn” is a tool for estimating your energy usage, comparing it to other people’s, and helping you plan to reduce it. It’s still in alpha, so you may run into a few bugs here and there, but it’s certainly worth trying out, and it’s even more certainly geeky.

9. Turn off screen-savers, and encourage your friends and family to do the same – Time was that screen-savers were useful, even necessary. Unless you’re still using a CRT monitor, your screen doesn’t need saving, and even if you are all modern operating systems have power management functionality which will do the same thing, only better. It’s much better to have your monitor switch to power-save mode or simply shut off after a certain period of non-use, especially if it’s a CRT (as CRTs draw much more power than LCDs do). Once you’ve done it yourself, it’s time to use your status as Free Tech Support Provider for your friends and family to convince them to do the same.

10. Recycle cardboard, cans, and bottles as game terrain - We’re sure you already recycle, but usual recycling efforts are only somewhat effective due to the resources required to gather the recyclable materials, separate them, and do the actual recycling. So why not find another use in your own home, and a geeky use at that? A little creativity, a pair of scissors, some paint and some glue, and you’ve got yourself some nifty terrain for a miniatures campaign, or maybe as a playset for your kids’ action figures.

Easter Egg Hunt

Ever wonder what our 2012 AECT International Convention - Louisville racehorse mascot would look like dressed as the Easter Bunny?  (Many thanks to our very own E-Ling Hsiao for her outstanding holiday-themed artwork!)

April Fools' Day

Happy April Fools' Day Weekend!

Don't be a fiscal fool!  Register for our 2012 AECT International Convention by April 15 to take advantage of the early-bird rate!

Now, for your viewing pleasure and enlightenment - The History of April Fools' Day

Bonus Content -  Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes of All Time

Do you have any April Fools' jokes, stories that you would like to share?

St. Patrick's Day Checklist

Another checklist from AECT to help you get through your St. Patrick's Day weekend:

1) Wear something green
2) Watch a St. Patrick's Day parade
3) Enjoy a pint of Guinness (or your favorite beverage)
4) Go on a Shamrock Hunt
5) Register for the 2012 AECT International Convention (Early-Bird Registration ends on April 15)

One week extension - AECT proposal submission deadline

You've done it again! AECT members crashed the submission system by more than doubling the number of submissions in the last 24 hours. Therefore, we will be extending the submission deadline by one week, until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern), March 9, 2012.  Procrastinators rejoice!  The system will also remain open until March 9 so that members may go back in and edit/polish any proposals that were submitted earlier.  Wishing you a much more relaxed than anticipated Friday evening!  :)

Two deadlines loom - AECT proposal deadline and election deadline

At 11:59 pm (Eastern) March 2nd we are scheduled to pull the plug on our AECT proposal system. Do you think we'll do it, or will we give in and extend the deadline?  As Clint Eastwood says in his classic movie Dirty Harry, "You've gotta ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?"  If you're not a gambler, there's still time to submit at http://aectorg.yourwebhosting.com/events/call/

Also, on March 8th, AECT elections will close. I hope you will take some time select those who will lead this organization at the divisional, board, and executive levels. - http://aectorg.yourwebhosting.com/election/

The Story of Muhammad Ali’s Stolen Bicycle

(reblogged and adapted from AECT Newsletter, February 2012)

Our submission system for the 2012 AECT International Convention is humming right along. The submission deadline is March 2, 2012. Once submissions are closed, our convention planners will hit the ground running, compiling reviews and scheduling sessions. YOU can help us by volunteering to review proposals for your divisions/affiliates. Planners are already collecting reviewer names. If you don’t hear from a division/affiliate representative, please send your planner an email (or you can contact me at mchildre@emporia.edu and I will forward your contact information to the appropriate individual). The success of our convention is dependent upon quality presentations.  I hope you will step forward and review proposals.

At this point, many of you are probably wondering why I chose the title for this column. As you may remember from my last column, Louisville is the home of the Muhammad Ali Center; an international education center inspired by the accomplishments of Muhammad Ali. The center houses scores of immersive and interactive exhibits, each highlighting Ali’s six core values of respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spirituality. While touring the center late last year, our planning team came upon a bicycle. While viewing the bicycle, the center’s director relayed a short version of the following story –

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 17, 1942, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. was named after his father (who was himself named for the Kentucky abolitionist, Cassius M. Clay). At age 12, he had his bicycle stolen and he reported the fact to a local policeman (and boxing trainer), Sergeant Joe Martin. Cassius wanted to “whup” the thief, but Martin suggested that Clay learn to fight first. Under his guidance, Clay rapidly advanced through the youth ranks. Clay won six Kentucky Golden Gloves while in high school and was allowed to graduate, despite his poor grades (later it would be determined that Clay was dyslexic, though at the time, he was simply thought to be a low achiever). Clay later joked about his lackluster academic record saying, "I said I was the Greatest, not the smartest."  (Ali and Me http://www.alicenter.org/edresources/Documents/AliandMe.pdf)

Ali’s bicycle is on exhibit to remind visitors how seemingly insignificant events and encounters with individuals can significantly impact the paths that we choose. The bicycle story also reminded me of the importance of our annual convention. Each year, AECT members meet at our chosen convention venue to share our research and ideas. Just as importantly, we reunite with old friends and meet new friends and colleagues. During these exchanges we also impact and influence each other’s academic and professional agendas. Although they might not seem significant at the time, our convention encounters mold who we are and plot a path for what we do…. the same way that Ali’s stolen bicycle experience helped to determine his monumental path. I encourage you to visit the Muhammad Ali Center during 2012 AECT convention stay in Louisville. I am sure that you will not be disappointed.

More convention updates will follow in upcoming newsletters, TechTrends issues, and at my AECT President-elect / convention planning blog - http://marcuschildress.blogspot.com

Young Ali photo source - http://i.imgur.com/E7Nn8.jpg

Bicycle photo source - http://www.dipity.com/cjblouin23/Ali-Timeline/