Blogging is the first topic for Extension training in 2009. Leslie Carroll, Nevada TCRC, is a veteran blogger and knows the ins and outs of this unique communication tool. So, why should you learn to blog? Blogging is therapeutic. Scientists have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. Besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, writing produces other benefits. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, and boosts immune cell activity.
Aside from the physical benefits, blogging is the up and coming format for networking with others in your field. Professionals need to learn from one another, they need to test their assumptions and exchange ideas with others through an open dialog. The lack of formality of blogging creates an accelerated discussion and advances expansive thinking and understanding. Being a professional means contributing to your field. When you click on the “submit” or “publish” button, you have changed from a consumer to a producer. Finally, blogging is the learning format of the future. Remember, “In times of change, learners will inherit the earth while the learned will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists” (Eric Hoffer).
Learn the etiquette of blogging on February 24th, 10 AM to 12 PM, at your local TCRC. The classes are free to any Extension employee, however, a $10.00 fee will be assessed to the home county office for those who sign up and fail to provide a 24 hour cancellation notice. Participants will receive handouts via e-mail to print out prior to the class.

Creating a Moving from MS Movie Maker

Go to Microsoft symbol and Right Click. Notice Movie Maker in the list to your right. Double click and open Movie Maker you are ready to start creating a new movie. Light! Camera! Action!

MS Movie Maker - An Application that comes with MS Vista

Blogging - Another Technology for Program Presentation





Here is where to start creating your blog. Follow the steps to create your own blog presents.
Give it a title and URL address; choose a template and start blogging!




Now you are ready to begin. When you start your first post look at the top of the page; Notice the Settings Tab and click. Now you can set the security for your site; how comments are posted, who can view your site and how the public views your site.

a small movie from Movie Maker

Working with Microsoft Office Picture Manager

Have you found Microsoft Office Picture Manager on your computer? This is a very helpful tool to resize images for the web. It is part of the Office 2003 software that is in stalled on all Extension computers. Here is how to find and use it:

Click Start Microsoft Office,find Microsoft Office Tools and click on Microsoft Picture Manager.
This application will do some quick editing to your digital pictures and will allow you to resize those images for the web.

The new digital cameras that are available now do 2 to 6 mega pixel images. This images while extremely clear are also very large. Their size makes them slow to download. Using MS Picture Manager you can adjust the size for email, the web or storing as a smaller image.

Before you upload images to FrontPage, open the folder where your pictures are stored; right mouse on the file name and a menu will appear. Click on open with.. Click again and choose Picture Manager. The image will appear in the Picture manager application.

If you have images in FrontPage Documents and they are loading slowly. Check in your folders in FrontPage. Look at the size of the jpg files. If the images are more than 150 KB, right mouse on an image go to Open With and click on Office Picture Manager. The image will appear. Now you are ready to compress the image for the web.

Looking at the menu bars across the top of the application, you will notice some familiar icons and menu's. The menu bar to the right allows for Auto Correct this will quickly adjust your image, BUT NOT CHANGE THE SIZE OF THE FILE.....

To Change Picture Size - Two option

Compress pictures will change the actual size of the file, not the image size. This is what we want to do to make the image load more quickly. Click on Compress Pictures, you will see several options, for the web is the one we want. Click on the web radio button. At the bottom of the page the old size and new size of the file will appear. Click OK then save the file by clicking on the button at the lower right corner. This will save the file back in FrontPage.