SMUS Tech Tips: December 2016

Monday 12 December 2016

Tech tip #39 - what does the XXX key do?

There are quite a few keys on many keyboards that do interesting and sometimes unusual things… Here is a sampling:

Insert key: the insert key toggles whether text is inserted before other text or overwrites it. If you accidentally press insert, it can be surprising! http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/i/insertke.htm

Home key: the home key returns you to the beginning of the line where your cursor is. Ctrl-home will take you to the beginning of the document. Shft-Home will highlight to the beginning of the line. http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/h/homekey.htm

End key: the home key returns you to the end of the line where your cursor is. Ctrl-end will take you to the end of the document http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/endkey.htm

Numlock key: the numlock key toggles whether the number keypad acts as a number key entry system or whether the other functions (arrows etc) are enabled. http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/n/numlock.htm

F-lock key: the F-lock key toggles whether the function keys at the top of the keyboard behave as “F-keys” (e.g. F5 for “refresh”) or as indicated on the key (open, spell, save, print etc) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Lock

ScrLk (Scroll lock): This key is rarely used. In Excel it will change whether the cursor moves or the page moves. http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/scrolock.htm

Windows key: the Windows key is found to the left and right of the space bar and can be combined with other keys to perform common tasks. Win-E – explorer, Win-P – monitor/projector choices etc (http://www.computerhope.com/shortcut/windows.htm#2)

Menu Key: beside the right Windows key, you may find the menu key which brings up a context-sensitive menu (usually the same as when you right-click)

This page has a good summary: http://www.computerhope.com/keys.htm

This page of the top 10 is pretty useful: http://www.computerhope.com/tips/tip79.htm

If you would like any help doing this, please let one of your EdTech support teachers know, and they will be glad to help.

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

	Michael Jackson MA (Cantab) MEDes (Calgary)
	Science Teacher Senior school Technology Coordinator
	Senior School, St. Michaels University School
	3400 Richmond Road \| Victoria BC \| V8P 4P5 \| Canada Phone: 250-370-6182 \| Fax: 250-592-2812 Cell: 250-888-8783 Twitter: @MikeJ_SMUS www.smus.ca
	.

non tech tip - Sunsets are now getting later! (though the days are still getting shorter)

The earliest sunset (4:18 pm) of the year was on December 10^th, so we can enjoy more evening sunlight (sunrise does not start getting earlier until December 31^st (8:05am), however!) …

The December Solstice (Winter Solstice) is on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 2:44 am in Victoria. This day is 7 hours, 48 minutes shorter than on June Solstice (3 and a half minutes shorter than today). In most locations north of Equator, the shortest day of the year is around this date.

To understand why the latest sunrise, earliest sunset and shortest day are different one has to understand the “equation of time” – basically the difference between “clock time” and “sun time”. Basically “solar days” (solar noon to solar noon) vary in length. A good explanation can be found here: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/equation-of-time.html. Another good article can be found here: http://earthsky.org/earth/winter-solstice-and-late-sunrise. Yet another here: http://earthsky.org/tonight/earliest-sunset-today-but-not-shortest-day.

If you want to get all nerdy about Victoria’s “sun stuff” you can go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/canada/victoria

Enjoy the sky! (even though we can’t see much of it today!)

Cheers

Mike

-------------------------

Mike Jackson, Science Teacher

Senior School Technology Coordinator

St Michaels University School, Victoria, BC

Thursday 1 December 2016

Tech tip # 38 - network start menu folder

Hello all,

Many years ago, all the programs on the network were available through the start menu, but that is no longer possible with our network setup.

To compensate for this, we have created a shortcut to a folder of shortcuts called W7-Start Menu (or W10-Start menu). This folder should be on your desktop. If it is not, please ask one of your ed tech support folks to help you find/recover it (you can find the shortcut in the W: drive).

I have created a screencast of how to use this folder: http://www.screencast.com/t/z0TbgJoK (the video also shows how to use the Lab monitoring software)