One of the things that I do, as the program coordinator for the Bellingham Technical College home inspection training program, is to work to assure that our students will qualify for their Washington State home inspector licenses. That is the goal of taking the class. We provide detailed instruction in all aspects of the field in our fundamentals course and we create tests and quizzes for the class that are designed to serve as refresher material. Our students have lots of materials to help them along the way. Some of those materials, after classroom training is all over, can be accessed online from their own living rooms. Plus, anyone who takes the class can Email or call any of the instructors and we will gladly supply advice on procedural issues that come up. Most people do not write online tests. I do, for after class work. Again, my tests are not part of the class curriculum, they are for later, to refresh the memory after the class. Active Rain helps me with this endeavor. When I make a test, I often want to have a photo in the test. To do so, at most online test sites that I use, I have to enter an URL of where that photo can be found. Thank you Active Rain. This site is reliable, solid and I can write a blog on a topic, put in a photo, and count on that photo being there, at that URL for as long as I need it. If you see my crazy assistant Nutsy, acting scatter-brained and posting, in comments at the King of the House blog, that he has way too much to do and way too much to remember...and then he has all these little photos of what he has to remember --well that is his way of helping me out. I can link to each one of those tiny photos yet they are full-size at my test. Frankly, Nutsy came up with this idea and I thank him, and Active Rain. Nutsy is no dope and while he might act, scatter-brained, it is all an act. He stores my comments just as carefully as he stores his mother's acorns. Thanks Nutsy! Years ago, I used to store the photos form my tests at various other websites I could access. Forget about it -- AR is just so easy and so reliable that it is now my only source for about everything I link to. I can post it and be using it seconds later. If I do not like it, just change the photo plus I get a blog post or a comment out of the photo too. Below are examples of a couple test questions and the photos are interwoven in various of Nutsy's comments such as the link here. Man, that is one valuable squirrel! Question 97 of 300 The component above would be found in
a natural gas or propane furnace an oil furnace a coal boiler a steam heating system
a)
b)
c)
d)
Points: 1
Question 156 of 300
In the heating system shown above (sometimes known as an octopus system) air is distributed from one location to another by
| a) |
fans and blowers |
|
| b) |
registers |
|
| c) |
radiation |
|
| d) |
gravity |
Points: 1
Question 233 of 300
The system of wiring shown in the photo above was common from
| a) |
1920 to 1950 |
|
| b) |
1952 to 1976 |
|
| c) |
1890 to 1915 |
|
| d) |
1976 to 1995 |
Points: 1
Steven L. Smith
Bellingham WA Home Inspections
Gosh Steve, This is a toughie!!! I need to consult my right hand man, Bubba, to hep me figger this one out...
Helping you live your American Dream...
Michael,
Call my assistant, he can help.
I recently found the same use for AR photos. I can use the links to point to photos.
James,
It is encouraging to know that you have something to point at other than my assistant.
James must have left his gun at home:)
Charlie,
When you can get correct at least one of the three questions above, then some of us will take you seriously. It might be a slower process than global warming.
Hey Steve, has Nutsy taken the test? What was his score?
Jack,
Nutsy scored five percentage points HIGHER than old crabby Charlie.
Speaking of examples, how about this one I have to remember.
Nutsy
I have a hard time keeping track of all the things that stress my memory.
Nutsy W
This is just great, now I have even more to remember. A genius squirrel's job is never done.
Nutsy
And the stuff just keeps coming upon us.