Tech Tip Tuesday - SP14 Upgrade - Disability Updates

This week Nadine Edwards describes what the new Blackboard upgrade will do for your students with disabilities.

The upgrade will effect the Summer 8W2 courses - Blackboard will be unavailable between July 2nd - July 4th, so please plan accordingly.


This week's video tutorial is on Disability Updates

The topics covered include:

• Quicklinks
• Test Exceptions

**REMEMBER** These features will not be available until after the upgrade.

For more details on what else is new with the SP14 upgrade visit the EdTech page on What's New In Blackboard.

As always you can find more details about these tools on the Faculty Help Tab in Blackboard or by going directly to www.stevensonedtech.com.

Tech Tip Tuesday - SP14 Upgrade - Test Access Log

This week we will continue previewing some of the new features available to you after the Blackboard upgrade July 2nd - 4th.

This upgrade will effect the Summer 8W2 courses - Blackboard will be unavailable between July 2nd - 4th, so please plan accordingly.

This week's video tutorial is on Test Enhancements.  You will see:

• what it looks like from a student's perspective when taking an exam
• the new test access log data which allows you to see more detail about each question a student answered

**REMEMBER**  These features will not be available until after the upgrade.

For more details on what else is new with the SP14 upgrade visit the EdTech page on What's New In Blackboard.

As always you can find more details about these tools on the Faculty Help Tab in Blackboard or by going directly to www.stevensonedtech.com.

Tech Tip Tuesday - SP14 Upgrade - Exam Feedback

This week we will continue to show some of the new features coming to Blackboard with the planned upgrade July 2 - 4th.

This upgrade will effect the Summer 8W2 courses.  Blackboard will be unavailable between July 2 - 4th, so please plan accordingly.

This week's video tutorial demonstrates what testing looks like to the students and what new data you can gather, as an instructor, after a student has completed an exam.

**REMEMBER** These features will not be available until after the upgrade.

As always you can find more details about these tools on the Faculty Help tab in Blackboard or by going directly to www.stevensonedtech.com.

Tech Tip Tuesday - SP14 Upgrade - Full Screen Grading and Grading Sidebar

The next few weeks before we take a Tech Tip Tuesday Summer hiatus I would like to show you some of the upcoming new features you will have access to when we upgrade Blackboard to SP14 in July.  This upgrade will not make Blackboard look different but the features that are being added will hopefully make your courses easier to manage.


This upgrade will matter most for the Summer 8W2 courses.  Blackboard will be unavailable between July 2 - 4th so please plan accordingly.

This week's video tutorial will focus on two new enhancements - Full Screen Inline Grading and the Grading Sidebar.

**REMEMBER** These features will not be available until after the upgrade.

As always you can find more details about these tools on the Faculty Help tab in Blackboard or by going directly to www.stevensonedtech.com.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Video Everywhere

Video Everywhere allows you to record video of yourself anywhere you have a content editor in Blackboard.  Using your webcam you can capture yourself giving a weekly announcements or introducing yourself to your class.  The content is then uploaded directly to your private YouTube Channel.

Anywhere your students create content in Blackboard (Discussion Boards, Journals, Wikis, Blogs) they also have access to Video Everywhere.t.  With student use it does require more planning on your part to make sure they have access to a webcam and microphone in order to use it.

Since Video Everywhere uploads to YouTube you do need a Google Account to use it (Google owns YouTube).  Directions on how to obtain a Google Account can be found here, you can even create an account using your Stevenson email address.

To see this tool in action you can view this week's video tutorial on Video Everywhere.

You can also view this Blackboard handout on Video Everywhere.

As always, these directions and other tutorials can be found on the faculty help tab in Blackboard or directly by going to www.stevensonedtech.com.

Tech Tip Tuesday - How to Subscribe to Discussion Board Posts

Discussion boards can be set up so that users can 'subscribe' to them.  By 'subscribing' the users (students and faculty) can get email alerts when posts are made in that specific board.

The most useful example of this being deployed is in a "General Questions Discussion Board" where you don't go and check it all the time but you don't want to miss out if a student posts a question.  So you set up only that specific Discussion Board to allow for subscribers and then subscribe yourself as the instructor.  Students will also be able to subscribe but it is all totally optional for everyone.

If you 'subscribe' to a Discussion Board then you will get an email alert when a post has been made.

Each time a new course is running you will need to go in and 'subscribe' again since it is tied to specific courses.

This is not the default setting in Discussion Boards but can be set up very easily by following the steps in this week's video tutorial.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Uploading to Google Drive

This week, to continue our Google series, we will focus on Uploading to Google Drive.

Not only can you create fresh and new content in Google Drive but you can also use it as a way to store 'in the cloud' other digital items like Word Documents, Excel, pdf files, photos, etc. and access them anywhere you have an internet connection.

So far we have:

• Learned how to set up a Google Account (including using your Stevenson email address)
• Had a quick introduction to Google Drive
• Learned about using Google Documents
• Learned about using Google Presentation
• Learned about using Google Spreadsheet
• Learned about using Google Forms
• Learned about Working Collaboratively in Google Drive

This week's video tutorial shows you how to Upload to Google Drive.  

In this video tutorial you will learn how to:

• Upload items into your Google Drive
• Share those items with others
• Download the original copy
• Take an uploaded document and switch it to an editable Google Drive document

Tech Tip Tuesday - Working Collaboratively in Google Drive

This week, to continue our Google series, we will focus on Working Collaboratively in Google Drive.





So far we have:

• Learned how to set up a Google Account (including using your Stevenson email address)
• Had a quick introduction to Google Drive
• Learned about using Google Documents
• Learned about using Google Presentation
• Learned about using Google Spreadsheet
• Learned about using Google Forms

This week's video tutorial shows you what working collaboratively in Google Drive looks like.  

In this video tutorial you will learn how to:

• Work synchronously in any Google Drive Format
• Work asynchronously in any Google Drive Format

Tech Tip Tuesday - Google Forms

This week, to continue our Google series, we will focus on Google Forms.





So far we have:

• Learned how to set up a Google Account (including using your Stevenson email address)
• Had a quick introduction to Google Drive
• Learned about using Google Documents
• Learned about using Google Presentation
• Learned about using Google Spreadsheet

This week's focus is on a very useful tool called Google Forms.  Google forms let's your create questions for your audience to answer to gather information.  You can share and embed forms anywhere and those filling in the form do not need to have a Google Account.  

In this video tutorial you will learn how to:

• Create a form using different types of questions sets or items.
• Customize the confirmation page.
• View and share the live form
• Collect responses in a Google Spreadsheet

Tech Tip Tuesday - Google Spreadsheet

This week, to continue our Google series, we will focus on Google Spreadsheets.




So far we have:

• Learned how to set up a Google Account (including using your Stevenson email address)
• Had a quick introduction to Google Drive
• Learned about using Google Documents
• Learned about using Google Presentation

This week's focus is on Google Spreadsheets which would be comparable to Microsoft Excel.

In this week's video tutorial you will learn how to:

• Create a spreadsheet
• Use some of the basic features and functions 
• Download a spreadsheet
• Import a spreadsheet
• Add and rename a sheet
• Comment on a spreadsheet
• Share a spreadsheet

Tech Tip Tuesday - Google Presentation

Our next installment in our Google series is on Google Presentation.




So far we have:

• Learned how to set up a Google Account (including using your Stevenson email address)
• Had a quick introduction to Google Drive
• Learned about using Google Documents

This week we will focus on another tool in Google Drive called Presentation.  Presentation is very similar to PowerPoint.

In this week's video tutorial you will learn how to:

• Create a presentation
• Upload a current PowerPoint to Google Presentation
• Share and collaborate on a presentation 
• Present your presentation
• Download your presentation
• Use the help and revision history tools

Please enjoy this week's Tech Tip on Google Presentation.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Creating A Google Document

To continue our series on Google, this week we focus on Google Documents.

So far we have:

• Learned how to set up a Google Account (including using your Stevenson email address)
• Had a quick introduction to Google Drive

This week we will dive deeper into one part of Google Drive, Google Documents.  Documents is very similar to Microsoft Word.  

In this week's tutorial you will learn how to:

• Create a document
• Share a document
• Collaborate on a document
• Use the Research function in a document
• Download a Google document as a PDF or Microsoft Word document
• Using the Help tab

So enjoy this week's video tutorial on Google Documents.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Introduction to Google Drive

One of the more useful Google Tools, in my personal opinion, is Google Drive.

Google Drive is an online space to create items similar to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.  Not only can you create and store items in Google Drive you can also access these items anywhere you have an internet connection.

The other bonus to using Google Drive is the ability to work collaboratively on a document without having to annoyingly pass that document back and forth via email and losing track of which is the most current version.

This week's video tutorial build's on last weeks post on creating your Google Account.  This week is a quick walk through of Google Drive.

In the following weeks I will take each of the tools and separately do a video tutorial on each one.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Setting Up A Google Account

One of the most useful online accounts to have is Google.  It is so more than a search engine.

This will be the first of a multi part Google Education series featured on Tech Tip Tuesday.




Google owns and operates more of the internet then you might know.

• YouTube
• The Android phone operating system
• Blogger
• Google Drive
• Gmail
• Google Maps
• The Search Engine 'Google'
• Picasa Photo sharing
• Chrome Web Browser
• and more!

You can get a free account by signing up like you would for anything else.  

A little known and hidden thing that Google doesn't make super public is you can get an account to use their tools using an already existing email address, like your stevenson.edu email.  

The benefit of doing it this way is you can:

1. Keep your professional and personal email separate if you use your Stevenson 
2. Use Google tools in your class and your students and colleagues will easily be able to find you since you are using an email familiar to them.

Go obtain a Google Account using your Stevenson email, follow the directions here.

Note: Besides the fact that you are signing up for a Google account using your Stevenson email this account would be in no way tied to your Stevenson account. 

Tech Tip Tuesday - Netiquette

Senior Instructional Designer, Jinsong Zhang, has put together a wonderful write up on Netiquette that I would like to share with you this week.

*If you would like to share this with students, please do not share the blog post but instead share this link.

As the Internet becomes more and more a place for daily activities such as chat, online posting, video conferencing, and email, basic guidelines for normative behavior is required. As an instructor for online learning, you want to create a space where objective and respectful discussion is promoted and encouraged. In order to maintain such a pleasant environment, it is important to consider the rules that everyone needs to observe. Netiquette is about such code of behavior for communication online. While netiquette does change depending on what type of communication one is engaged in, for online learning here is what we can offer:

Netiquette 

Netiquette is about the code of behavior established for communicating online. For the purpose of our online class, please adhere to the same etiquette you would follow in real life. Always show your respect for others online even if you need to strongly disagree with them when evaluating and critiquing their point of view. We argue ideas in a civil and respectful manner in order to arrive at the truth and grow intellectually, but nothing good is gained by demeaning a person.

1. Critique ideas in a respectful and constructive manner, not criticize an individual;
2. Respect the privacy of your classmates by not sharing their written postings outside the class;
3. Be professional;
4. Use standard written English and not text message or chat style abbreviations;

When participating in video conferencing or recording:

1. Respect other people’s time and band and bandwidth;
2. Prepare an outline if you are to talk online; 
3. Find a quiet place and away from any visual distraction such as moving vehicles in the window or kids playing in the background; 
4. Place the webcam in front of your face so that you give the impression of looking at the person you are talking to; 
5. Dress up for a video recording or conference to show your respect for your audience.

This is also located on the Faculty Help Website under 'Blackboard Tutorials' then 'Other Tips'.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Grade Book Column Organization

Grade books can be one of the tricky items to set up in Blackboard.  You have to decide between total points and weighted total, how much everything should be worth.  Make sure it comes out correct in the end.

One thing that may help you wrap your head around what you actually have in the grade book is to organize the columns in a way that works for you.

View this week's Tech Tip Tuesday video tutorial on reorganizing your columns and learn what the 'hide' and 'hide from user' buttons do.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Setting Review Status for Students to Stay on Task

Today I am going to introduce a little known tool in Blackboard called Review Status.

This tool should be used sparingly or deployed slowly on a small scale until both you and your students are used to idea and see the value (or not) in using this feature.

Review Status is something the instructor needs to deploy in each individual course and item that they wish to use it in.  Once enabled, it allows the students to check off when they have reviewed that particular item to help them stay on task.  On the instructor end, it also allows you to view reports on who has review the item and who hasn't.  There is more to it, so please view this week's video tutorial on Enabling Review Status.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series

Blackboard does a wonderful job offering a fall and spring faculty webinar series on various topics.  This Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series is usually led by peers from other institutions or Blackboard professionals.

The spring schedule was just posted and I would like to invite any of your to attend from the comfort of your own computer.  You do need to register, but it is free.

Some upcoming topics include:

• Writing Objectives and Goals
• How to Engage Students from the Start
• Revenge on the Vendor-Turned-Instructor and his Collaborative Technologies
• Authentic Assessment - How Do They Really Know?

They also archive past webinars on the Blackboard YouTube channel.  These hold a wealth of information to help you brush up on your skills and get new ideas.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Reorganizing Your Courses Within Blackboard

The way Blackboard organizes courses from the main screen can be very overwhelming.  Especially if you've taught here awhile you are probably in semesters worth of courses.  (I actually put a request into Blackboard's virtual suggestion box about this very topic)  While there is not a lot we can do on our end, there is a little bit you can do that may help ease the pain a bit.

It is also SUPER important for you to be diligent when working in your courses so that you know what course you are putting those announcements or dates in and not get it confused with a course of the same number from a previous or upcoming session.

This week the Tech Tip Tuesday video tutorial shows you how you can rearrange your course list so you can put the courses that are most important to you towards the top for easier access.

Tech Tip Tuesday - New Links in Blackboard

Now that all courses are off and rolling we thought it would be nice to share with you what links within Blackboard we have been changed and updated to help standardize our courses to meet the needs of all our students.

These are links that are standard in all courses and should never be deleted. They are there to help both you and your students get important information.

These topics include:

• Students with Disabilities
• Technical Support
• Academic and Student Support Services
• SU Login Links

Please view this video tutorial to get a quick run through of the new links, there location and purpose.

Tech Tip Tuesday - Who Moved My Cheese!

Surprise!  We have a new Stevenson website.  We are just getting our first look at it as well but they definitely moved our cheese!  It will take some getting used to but hopefully all the information will be more streamlined.

The new website design is being used for more of a recruitment tool for prospective students while trying to get us to go through the 'portal' do get to what we need.  Once we are in the portal we should be able to find what we need.

Here is this week's Tech Tip Tuesday Video Tutorial on how to navigate the new website.