SVCC IS/IT Cafe

Make Learning More Effective with a Blackboard Template

2009-04-27T14:47:00.004-05:00

Anyone who has taken course content and copied it into a file in Blackboard has probably been disappointed with the results. You get something like the following:

Text is shown without margins and does not draw the learner's attention to what you want the focus to be...the content.

You do not need to be a web designer to add simple elements to help your learners organize the content and maximize their learning. Compare the above example with this one:

The content is exactly the same. Using a table, you can create divisions in the content with titles, subtitles, and sections. You can visually make these divisions with cell color. You will also notice the addition of images and a YouTube video. This, of course, depends on your content. You will want images or videos that illustrate the content and help learners understand it better.

You can download a template ready for Blackboard here. Right click this link and choose "Save Target As" if you are using Internet Explorer or choose "Save Link As" if you are using Firefox. Upload that file to your Blackboard class and edit it to add your content. For help with this process or with creating your own template, contact the Instructional Technology Department at extension 229.

AlternativeTo

2009-04-16T09:24:00.003-05:00

Ever find yourself not wanting to pay for the software that you need? AlternativeTo.net lists free/cheaper software comparable to the software you need. For ex. - You need a program like Adobe Photoshop, but don't want to pay for the software. Well this site gives you suggestions of other software that is comparable to Photoshop.

http://www.alternativeto.net/

Web 2.0 Again

2009-04-16T08:39:00.002-05:00

You keep hearing us in the IT department talk about web 2.0 and how it can transform your classroom. Web 2.0 means many different things to different people. What do you think of when you hear the term web 2.0? Perhaps you think of the hardware (computer, webcam, etc.) or the various web tools (flickr, blogger, etc.). It can be very overwhelming when looking at the plethora of web 2.0 tools on the Internet. I read an article today about web 2.0 that does not mention any of these things, instead it discusses what the web 2.0 revolution means for learning and our classrooms. I think this article speaks more to teachers than any of the tools or hardware can.

Why Web 2.0 is Important to Higher Education
from Campus Technology

Saving PowerPoint Presentations for Blackboard

2009-04-14T10:08:00.004-05:00

You've created your PowerPoint presentations and you are ready to share them with students. So, let's talk about how to save them so students can view and print them easily. You could save your files as PowerPoint files (.pptx in PowerPoint 2007 OR .ppt in previous versions). However, many students do not have Microsoft Office (2007 nor earlier versions) installed on their home computers. Let's look at your options.

PowerPoint Viewer
Students can download the free PowerPoint Viewer to view PowerPoint files without owning Microsoft Office. You will need to provide the link to the viewer and tell students they need it or Microsoft PowerPoint to view the files.

iSpring
iSpring Free is a free plug in to PowerPoint that allows you to save your presentations as flash files. This means that your presentations will display directly in Blackboard when students click on them. They will not need to download the file itself nor any extra software. This is the easiest method for allowing students to view your presentations. Click here to see what a presentation looks like saved with iSpring. Instructions on how to download and install iSpring then save your presentations using iSpring are located on the Faculty Blackboard Tutorials page.

PDF
When students print PowerPoint files, they do not always know how to print 3 or 6 slides to a page. This leads to excessive printing and paper use. If you want students to print your presentations, save your files as PDF handouts and upload the PDF files to Blackboard. This makes it easy for students to view your slides AND print them. Click here to see what a presentation looks like when saved as a PDF handout. Instructions for how to save PowerPoint presentations as PDF handouts are located on the Faculty Blackboard Tutorials page.

As always, please contact the IT Department at extension 229 for assistance with any of the above!

Free Adobe Instructional Resources

2009-04-13T10:16:00.001-05:00

From the Adobe Education Technologies blog:

The number one request I hear more than any other from educators who use our tools and technologies is “where can I get low cost or free training on your tools?” I’m happy to report that Adobe has some outstanding Instructional Resources available for many of our tools and they are also free.

Full post—Free Adobe Instructional Resources

Reducing PowerPoint File Size

2009-04-01T14:05:00.013-05:00

Are your students having problems downloading or printing your PowerPoint presentations? If you include pictures in your presentations, chances are the answer is yes. When the picture file sizes are big, the PowerPoint file size is big. When the file size is too big, it is difficult for users to download the file at home or even print the file at school. Here are a few tips on creating PowerPoint presentations that don't break the file size bank.

File size goal
According to OnlineConversion.com, it will take a 56K modem 5 minutes to download a 2 MB file. And, if you start asking your students about their Internet connections, I bet you'll find many who have 56K modems. We recommend you try to make your PowerPoint (and other files) as close to 1 MB or less as you can. Confused by all the kilos, megas, and gigas? Here is a quick guide:

KB - Kilobytes
MB - Megabytes
GB - Gigabytes

1000 KB = 1 MB
1000 MB = 1 GB
1000 GB = 1 Terabyte

Use Insert to add pictures
The first step is to make sure you are inserting pictures into PowerPoint the correct way. Instead of finding your picture and dragging into PowerPoint, go to the Insert tab and choose Picture. (If you have dragged and dropped pictures into PowerPoint, the compression (see next step) will not work.)

In the window that pops up, locate the picture you want to insert, and choose Insert. The picture should now appear on your PowerPoint slide. Resize it to the size you want by dragging one of the corners.

Compress pictures
The file size of your PowerPoint presentation partially depends on the original size of the pictures you have inserted. As an example. I created a two slide presentation with two pictures. The original picture sizes were 1.6 MB and 1 MB. When I saved the presentation (without any text or backgrounds), the file size was 2.7 MB. Oops. I've already gone over my limit of 1 MB! The next step is to compress the pictures.

Make sure one of your pictures is chosen in PowerPoint by left clicking once on a picture. Click on the Format tab under Picture Tools. Choose Compress Pictures.

Make sure "Apply to selected pictures only" is unchecked so that all of your pictures will be compressed. Click on Options.

Use the following compression settings. Click OK.

I have now reduced the picture file sizes (from 1.6 MB to 95 KB and from 1 MB to 41 KB) and hence reduced the Power Point file size (from 2.7 MB to 224 KB).

Use simple backgrounds
Another way in which you can reduce PowerPoint file size is to use simple backgrounds (solid color). eLearning and presentation design professionals will tell you that the most effective way you can use PowerPoint is to start with a blank slide. Don't be tempted by all the PowerPoint themes! They increase file size and make it difficult to print the slides. But, you want something interesting you say? Compare these slides. The first is a theme with an inserted picture.

I created the following two slides in seconds using the Format toolbar for pictures. (Picture Style presets, Picture Shape, and Recolor) Which do you like better?

Chunk information
If you are thinking about the math, you'll realize from above that if two pictures makes a 200 KB PowerPoint file, then I can only fit ten pictures before reaching the 1 MB limit. It really depends on the pictures you are using. But, if you find yourself creating a 100 slide PowerPoint presentation, consider 'chunking' the information into separate presentations. This will make it easier for students to find the information they need AND it will be easier to download and print.

I hope these tips have helped you understand file size and what you can do to reduce it. Stay tuned for more tips on how to save PowerPoint presentations for viewing and printing.

Photo from scol22 at stock.xchng

Find Copyright-Friendly Images

2009-02-18T16:10:00.002-06:00

A few people have asked us lately for places they can find copyright-friendly images to use in class or in online classes. As we have stated before, it is NOT OK to do a general image search on the Internet and use the pictures you find. All pictures and text on the Internet is copyright protected unless specifically stated otherwise. There are many websites with images that can be used without violating copyright. The library subscribes to ARTstor, an online picture database that students and teachers can use for educational, non-commercial purposes. All US government images are in the public domain and may be used. Wikimedia Commons, Flickr: Creative Commons and OpenPhoto.net include thousands of photos that are licensed under a Creative Commons license or in the public domain. For these web addresses and many more, go to http://tinyurl.com/photos4learning. Be sure to read each website for specific copyright information. See below for some images from these sites.

photo © Emmanuel Salé for openphoto.net CC:NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Egyptian mantis, photo from Wikimedia Commons, in public domain

Earthrise, Image Credit: NASA, photo taken by Apollo 8

Understanding File Extensions

2009-02-10T09:39:00.003-06:00

A file extension is the “suffix to the name of a computer file” (Wikipedia). It is usually a 3 or 4 character ending that appears after the period (filename.fileextension). It is important to understand file extensions to know whether a computer can open a certain file. Below is a list of four common file extensions and the software needed to open them.

filename.doc	Microsoft Word (versions 97-2003) uses the .doc file extension. A computer needs Microsoft Word installed to open these files. Mentioned previously, a free alternative to Word is OpenOffice that will also open .doc files.
filename.docx	Microsoft Word (version 2007) uses the .docx file extension. A computer needs Microsoft Word 2007 (the newest version) to open these files. (OpenOffice will work as well.)
filename.rtf	.rtf stands for Rich Text Format. It is a more general file format that most word processing programs can open including WordPad and Notepad (both of which come pre-installed on PCs).
filename.pdf	While the above three file formats will open in a word processing program and allow changes to be made, a .pdf file opens with Adobe Reader. Once opened in Adobe Reader, the user can only view the document. No changes can be made. Adobe Reader is a free download. To get the latest version, go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/.

When sending files through email or making them available on Blackboard, we recommend using .rtf or .pdf, since both can be opened with software that doesn’t cost money.

Try a Different Browser

2009-02-09T09:35:00.000-06:00

Having difficulty viewing a web page or accessing a Blackboard class? Try using a different browser. It is good practice to have two Internet browsers installed on your computer, because sometimes the fastest thing you can do to fix the problem is try a different browser. We recommend:

Mozilla Firefox
Internet Explorer

For people with visual impairments, the browser Opera offers easy settings you can use to automatically zoom web pages you view.

Check for Plagiarism

2009-02-06T09:30:00.001-06:00

The University of Maryland has created a The Plagiarism Checker that you can use to check your students’ work. Simply copy and paste text into the box and click “Check the paper”. It is very simple to use.

Another free plagiarism tool is PlagiarismDetect. After signing up, you can analyze text to get a plagiarism percentage. The website is aimed at helping students avoid plagiarism.

Enhanced Classrooms

2009-02-05T09:29:00.000-06:00

Do you report issues while using the Sauk enhanced classrooms?

While teaching in any of Sauk’s enhanced classrooms it is very important that faculty and staff report missing, broken or dirty equipment, software that doesn’t work or is outdated, etc. to the IS/IT Dept. While the classrooms get cleaned and checked throughout the semester they cannot be monitored every day so it is very important the issues are reported so that they can be resolved quickly.
We would also welcome any suggestions for technology related improvement and/or additions in the classrooms. If you have any ideas on how a technology that is not already installed in the classroom could assist you, give us a call.

If you need assistance with the operation of the technology in the classrooms, give us a call. Please report all issues and requests for assistance to the IS/IT Dept. From 8am – 4pm call ext 229, and from 4pm – 8pm call ext 0 and the operator will page someone.

Google Earth

2009-02-03T10:06:00.005-06:00

Google Earth is a virtual globe/map that you can download for free to your computer. You can tour the earth and the stars by using your mouse to move and zoom. Just released version 5.0 beta includes "historical imagery from around the globe, ocean floor and surface data from marine experts, and simplified touring with audio and voice recording."

For a sneak peak at what you can do in Google Earth, view the slides below. (To see more detail, view in full screen. Click icon in lower right of presentation.)

A Tour of Google Earth

View more presentations from Heather Dowd. (tags: google earth)

You can use Google Earth to display your own content (pictures, text, videos, links, etc.) embedded in the globe. The example below shows photos taken by students and teachers for the photo blog 14 Lenses. Use your mouse to move and zoom.

You can do similar projects with Google Earth in your classes. If you have an idea and would like help implementing your idea, contact the IT Department at extension 229.

New in the Library

2009-01-13T08:53:00.002-06:00

The SVCC library has recently added the following books pertaining to online learning and learning design to its collection. The library's collection of e-learning books is a fantastic resource to help you design a new online course or improve an existing course. We encourage you to take advantage of these resources.

E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning
Ruth Colvin Clark & Richard E. Mayer
SVCC Library Call No. HF1106 .C55 2008

Better than Bullet Points: Creating Engaging E-Learning with PowerPoint
Jane Bozarth
SVCC Library Call No. HF5549.5.T7 B6196 2008

The Non-Designer’s Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice
Robin Williams
SVCC Library Call No. Z246 .W634 2008

Blended Learning in Higher Education : Framework, Principles, and Guidelines
Randy Garrison & Norman Vaughan
SVCC Library Call No. LB2395.7 .G36 2008

Developing Online Learning Environments in Nursing Education
Carol A. O’Neil, Cheryl A. Fisher, Susan K. Newbold
SVCC Library Call No. RT73 .O59 2009

Building Intelligent Interactive Tutors: Student-Centered Strategies for Revolutionizing E-Learning
Beverly Park Woolf
SVCC Library Call No. LB1028.73 .W66 2009

OpenOffice.org Portable 3.0 Ready for Your Thumb Drive

2008-12-19T20:12:00.002-06:00

Windows only: OpenOffice.org 3, the latest version of the free, open-source office suite, has gotten a full thumb drive packaging by the PortableApps.com team.

That's great news for anyone working while traveling, or who wants to test out the features and improvements of the 3.0 release without a full installation on their system. This OpenOffice version has also been rolled into the full PortableApp suite, a customizable, menu-launched package of nifty tools for your USB drive.

OpenOffice.org Portable 3.0 is a free downoad for any thumb drive, but requires a Windows system to run.

Best of 2008: Most Popular Free Windows Downloads of 2008 [Lifehacker]

2008-12-16T09:32:00.004-06:00

Firefox 3 Is Released, We Download

Firefox 3 was easily one of the biggest events in software in 2008 regardless of what platform you run. We may be well on the way to Firefox 3.1 now, but if you're looking to brush up on your Firefox 3 chops, be sure to check out the top 10 Firefox 3 features and our power user's guide to Firefox 3.

Mojo Downloads Music from Your Friends' iTunes Libraries Over the Internet

Mojo makes it easy to download music from your friends' iTunes libraries over the internet. Mojo comes in both free and premium flavors, but the free version offers plenty of functionality for the money. If you're just getting started with Mojo, check out our guide to using Mojo.

Free PDF to Word Doc Converter Does What It Sounds Like

It's easy to convert or print Microsoft Word documents to PDF, but what about when you want to go the other way around? The aptly named Free PDF to Word Doc Converter does exactly that. (Original post)

OurTunes Grabs Music from Shared iTunes Libraries

If the limitations on Mojo aren't for you, the open-source classic ourTunes—which downloads music from any shared iTunes library on your network—made a comeback earlier this year, as a new developer took up the reigns and continues to release updates. (Original post)

CCleaner Clears the Crap from Your PC

The popular PC colonic CCleaner (the first 'C' stands for Crap) pushed out a 2.0 release earlier this year and you were quick to update and enjoy the crap cleaning goodies. (Original post)

AVG Free Anti-Virus 2008

AVG Free Anti-Virus 2008 hit the streets in May, and the application that you voted the best antivirus applications for Windows was unsurprisingly popular. (Original post)

Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Microsoft released the first major service pack for Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (x64 version), in March, and you were eager to download and update to the latest and greatest from Redmond. (Original post)

Quick Media Converter Easily Converts Media to Any Format

Quick Media Converter converts virtually any media file (audio or video) from one format to another. The application has an emphasis on simplicity: Just drag and drop a file you want to convert onto the app, click the icon of the device you're converting for, and let Quick Media Converter take care of the rest. (Original post)

DExposE2 Brings OS X's Expose to Windows

Freeware application DExposE2 is a clone of Mac OS X's Expose feature for Windows XP and Vista, providing an attractive, innovative interface for switching and managing windows in Windows. Check out the original post to see a video DExposE2 in action.

Dropbox Instantly Syncs Files Across the Internet

This is my personal favorite. Instantaneous file syncing was huge in 2008, with free, cross-platform application Dropbox leading the pack. Dropbox boasts web-based version control, fast and instant syncs, and a dead-simple setup. Among other things, Dropbox makes for the perfect password syncer. (Original post)

Sharepod Frees Your iPod from iTunes

Want to free yourself from the shackles of iTunes but still want full functionality from your iPod? Sharepod is a lightweight iTunes alternative that runs directly from your iPod, so it's with you whenever and wherever you plug in your player. (Original post)

[Via]

Security Experts Advising You Stay Off Internet Explorer (For Now)

2008-12-16T09:24:00.002-06:00

A serious scripting hack that can grab passwords (or, potentially, do worse) from any version of Internet Explorer is leading security and malware experts to suggest switching from Internet Explorer to Firefox, Chrome, Opera, or any other Internet browser, if only for the time being. Microsoft itself is, of course, asking users to just be cautious while it works on a fix. The BBC article thumbnails security tips, including switching IE's security settings to "High," if you won't be migrating (or can't switch at work). [via]

Google Road Trip

2008-12-01T09:39:00.005-06:00

This fall, Google took a road trip in a bio-fuel bus across the U.S. to hear from students on how they are using Google Apps for learning and for fun. You can view a video of their trip below or click on this YouTube link.

The Appy Trails Finale

iPods in Education

2008-11-17T22:06:00.005-06:00

An iPod is more than a mp3 player. Why not use it to present educational material to students? Flash cards, Power Point presentations, audio and video lectures and quizzes can all be downloaded to an iPod. Students can then review content and terms from anywhere. Textbook publishers are beginning to create versions of their content that can be downloaded onto an iPod.

The IS/IT Department has an iPod that you can take to your classroom to record your lecture. This audio lecture (or portions of the lecture) can then be posted in your Blackboard course where students can download it to their iPod.

Below are links that are related to using the iPod in your classroom.

Learning In Hand - this resource is geared toward K-12 but the ideas are still applicable for any classroom.
iPod Learning Ideas - Strategies that Sauk faculty are using.
Apple Learning Interchange - Apple, the creator of the iPod, has developed a community for educators to share resources and ideas for not only iPods but many other technologies.
iPod Project Blog - This site contains all things iPod. How to videos, using iPods in the classroom,etc.
iPods in Education Videos - Several videos that demonstrate uses of the iPod in education.
iPod Schools - This is a list of schools that use iPods in their classrooms.

Soshiku

2008-11-11T09:44:00.000-06:00

Soshiku

Soshiku is a simplel tool that manages your high school or college assignments. Soshiku keeps track of when your assignments are due and can even notify you via email or SMS.

Veteran's Day - In Their Own Words

2008-11-11T08:41:00.000-06:00

To celebrate Veteran's Day, check out these interviews with veterans from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Here's one of those interviews:

You can also check out the full listing of veteran interviews from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

How To Speed Up Your PC, Part 3: Detect and repair disk errors

2008-11-10T10:34:00.000-06:00

Detect and repair disk errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult, or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors, and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

To run the Error Checking utility:

Close all open files.
Click Start, and then click My Computer.
In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.
Click the Check Now button.
In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.

*Parts of article from: http://www.microsoft.com/AtWork/getstarted/speed.mspx

Web 2.0 Wednesday Challenge

2008-11-05T12:40:00.000-06:00

Do you want to learn more about the Web 2.0 buzz you keep hearing about? Take the Web 2.0 Wednesday Challenge, created by Martha Thornburgh of Mount Vernon School District, Mount Vernon, WA. This site features a different Web 2.0 tool each week along with a challenge to help you learn how to use the tool. It is a great resource for beginning Web 2.0 users, so jump in and take the challenge!

Three Myths About Learning and Why IT Shatters Them

2008-11-05T10:33:00.000-06:00

Read this great article about learning and technology from Campus Technology.

Three Myths About Learning and Why IT Shatters Them
By Trent Batson

Extended Absence Greeting

2008-11-05T10:26:00.000-06:00

Did you know that you can create a temporary voice mail greeting while leaving your permanent greeting untouched?

It’s called an extended absence greeting and here is how you set it up.

1. Login to your voice mail.

2. Select 3 for greetings.

3. Select 1 to record a greeting.

4. Select 2 for extended absence greeting.

5. Record the greeting. When finished press # to approve.

Callers will now hear your extended absence greeting but your permanent personal greeting is still intact.

To remove the extended absence greeting –

1. Login to your voice mail.

2. You will be prompted to press 1 to retain or 2 to delete the extended absence greeting.

Zombies in Plain English

2008-10-31T14:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween from the IS/IT Department!

Zombies in Plain English
by Common Craft