New video on YouTube!

Check out these quick videos I created featuring fresh fruit and vegetables....a perfect time of year for heart healthy dishes!!!

Family & Community Health Sciences Department at Rutgers Cooperative Extension
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjvh21RWY28 Try this easy recipe:

Technology and more technology....

Our world revolves around technology! I am amazed that when the power goes off we are in the dark in more than one way....no cell phones, no Facebook, no iPad, no email....just how do we survive? The recent hurricane Irene really gave people in New Jersey a workout living without power, some people for one week so far. Thank goodness for good cool weather since the hurricane. Hang in there those of you without power, yesterday an announcement was made stating that all NJ communities will have power back on by tomorrow night. Best wishes!!!

Solar Powered Chargers

In light of the recent disaster in Japan this is a good time to think about how we use energy in our daily lives. I am wondering about the capacity of solar powered chargers for iPhones and iPads. Do they work well, hold a charge, easy to use? Let me know if you have any of these answers or experience with these type of chargers. Maybe we should be able to use the sun to power up our electronic devices.

And when it (technology) really does not work....

How could all of this happen in one 24-hour period: yesterday my email is a disaster because it is sending one 'PDMF Message Failure' with each email message received and email message sent (does that sound like two email messages for the price of one?). I though it was a bad situation, very annoying and time consuming to sift through so many messages looking for the real ones. It took hours to clean things up that evening.

This morning, in the middle of trying to explain the email situation on the phone, the phones and the Internet (plus the TV, I suppose) shut down. Of course the problem is 'in the area' and cannot be helped. Later in the morning the electric powers goes down too. What is happening here? This cannot possibly happen on the day I am scheduled to conduct a webinar requiring the phone and Internet! What a moment that lasted hours! What do we do when our Internet is suddenly down on the day we need it most?

Like any All-American girl I call my parents to ask if I can use their home office, Internet and phone line for two+ hours so the webinar can be held. Thanks Mom & Dad for raising an independent child, who, at times, still needs the comfort (and electrical power, Internet, and phone lines) of home. All is well that ends well.

When it does not work...

The past week has been a frustrating one. My email was not working and I felt the impact of being 'out of touch'. At times I would see a few messages pop up, then they would quickly disappear. Other times the spinning gear signal would spin forever without stopping. After hours working with Apple experts at the store and Apple experts online my stress level was growing. After even more hours and days working on the issue with our university tech staff, my stress level was ready to top out. Unfortunately our tech staff is not familiar with Apple computers!

Isn't it amazing how difficult it is when we are unable to use our technology? It feels as though you are totally cut off from the world and you are unable to do your work because email is such an important part of who we are today. The frustrations are intense, which makes me feel like we are addicted to our technology! I am sure at some level we are addicted at the ability to retrieve information and correspond with family, friends, and colleagues. If I missed your email in the past week, I apologize!

Podcast Training Videos On YouTube

I have been busy lately refining my skills on how to create a podcast that can be uploaded to YouTube! In an effort to refresh the memory of those I have trained and provide a simple training tool, I have designed three podcast that will help you prepare and record audio podcasts. My versions are primitive yet cover the steps you need to follow to get started with audio recording. Here are the YouTube links:
Preparing to Make a Podcast

Recording a Podcast on GarageBand (for Mac users)

Recording a Podcast on Audacity (for PC users and Mac users that don't have GarageBand)

I hope they are useful and motivate you to get started podcasting!

Latest publications in Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences

Life is good! After spending a wonderfully relaxing week on the Outer Banks, it was fun to start the new work week with news that two of my articles were published in the Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences Volume 102-No 1. The article Online Video Calls: Guest Speakers for FCS outlines a way in which FCS educators could have guest speakers using online video tools such as Skype. I was able to conduct a three-hour in-service last fall for over 40 FCS teachers as they sat at their local Intermediate Unit in central Pennsylvania. My location was simple...my work studio at home, where I could wear my fuzzy slippers and be totally comfortable. Our connection was perfect and the session was a success. A follow-up survey of the participants proved that we could conduct a training via long distance. With some coordination, we were able to use PowerPoint, access videos on YouTube and TeacherTube to enhance the presentation. Our little experiment shows that we can save time energy and money by using the Internet for speaking engagements.

The second article, FCS Careers: Middle School Teacher Transitions to Cooperative Extension, tells the story of how my 25-year public school teaching career prepared me to move to Assistant Professor/County Agent at Rutgers Cooperative Extension. With a career filled with learning opportunities one can find ways to transition into new career fields. Our prior experiences add a richness to our educational palate and enable us to communicate will all types of audiences in and out of the formal classroom. FCS prepares us to practice the art of flexibility and advance our communication skills. Marilyn Sweirk was correct.....everything we learned in life we learned in Family & Consumer Sciences:)