Skype in the Classroom

One of the popular Web 2.0 technologies is now available in many of our multimedia classrooms. Skype is software that allows users to video and audio calls over the internet to other Skype members. Skype is free to download and at the basic level calling to other Skype users is also free. This software allows for point-to-point video calls and multipoint audio calls by using the same microphone and instructor camera that Tegrity uses.

How does this impact classroom technology and instruction? It allows the instructor to collaborate outside of the classroom. Bringing guest speakers into your classroom can be a powerful instructional enhancement. This could include peers from other universities, alumni who are able to discuss how SMU prepared them for their profession, or other guest speakers who help support the instructional topic of the course.

Below you will find an article that shares how two Pennsylvania teaching colleagues with an interest in music and technology are bringing remote experts into classrooms at almost no cost, using Skype’s free video conferencing technology. http://campustechnology.com/articles/66727/

For a general overview, the following link will share 7 things you should know about Skype. http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7032.pdf

Skype can be downloaded from http://www.skype.com/. Feel free to contact the HelpDesk with questions or to line up a test to see firsthand how Skype works.

Rushford-Peterson Emac donation

The SMU iT department donated several eMac computers to the Rushford-Peterson school district this past summer. Included is the note of thanks from Corey Mattson, IT staff for R-P schools:
“These eMacs really are the ticket for what we needed them for!! … Thanks again for your donation. I attached a picture of the lab and how it looks...it'll be in use very soon. Our elementary is grateful for your kindness!!”
Cory Mattson
Rushford-Peterson Schools

SMU Services Added To Blackboard Portal

You may have noticed a new tab appear within Blackboard. The SMU Services tab has recently been implemented and currently contains Business office forms and HelpDesk information. We anticipate that more information will be added to this tab as more offices migrate internal information from the external Saint Mary's website. Stay tuned for more changes. If you have any questions or suggestions for content please email helpdesk@smumn.edu. We greatly appreciate your input.

Graduating Students

Your email account will remain active as long as you log in using WebMail once every six months and don't violate the SMU Appropriate Use of Technology. Your network storage (G: drive - Winona students only) and network login will deactivate 90 days after graduation. If you have content on the server, please make sure to take it with you before you leave campus.

Summer computer swaps and reimaging starting soon

The Winona Campus IT department will be starting our summer reimaging and computer swaps following graduation. Computers purchased for Macintosh systems and Classroom Desktops should be arriving on campus as early as mid-May. Please make sure that your work has been saved to the network servers, and that you've made arrangements with us for any special needs you may have prior to graduation.

Email update planned

On Sunday, May 4, SMU IT will be applying a software update to the email server. This update will occure between midnight - 7am on the 4th.
This update's most noteworthy enhancements are; Recurring days-of-week selected by checkboxes instead of multi-select. Content filter searches through message subject and body only to prevent false positives from attachments, pictures, etc., Message list shows received date, not date specified by sender so that messages are sorted by receive time not arbitrary time specified by sender., and changes to how IMAP and POP function so that Iphone/Ipod Touch Imap client will function correctly.
For a full list of all changes, click on Email Changes and view all changes in 4.08-4.10.

Blackboard update planned

On Sunday, May 11, SMU IT will be applying a software update to the Blackboard server. The update will occur between midnight - 7am on the 11th. This update will fix a variety of bugs within the software. Areas of Blackboard most often affected are Discussion Board operations, Hot Link addition/removal functionality, and back-end performance enhancements. For a full list of changes click on Blackboard Bug Fixes.

New Password Requirement

The criteria for secure passwords will change University wide this summer. Your new password must be 9 to 25 characters in length, and not starting with, but containing at least 1 numeric character. It will not allow you to use a password that you have used within the last 180 days.

Did YOUR students spend 30,000 hours studying last semester?

Learn how the University of Central
Florida drives student achievement with technology.

Over a year ago, the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences
at University of Central Florida (UCF) adopted the award-winning
Tegrity Campus 2.0 student achievement system. Within the first
semester, more than 2,300 students and 80 faculty members
embraced the technology, making classes available to every student
in the college, anytime.

While the average class recording lasts one or two hours, students
typically spend a mere fraction of this time per visit. They use Tegrity’s
patented google-like search and indexing system to quickly jump to
exact elements of a class they need to review. UCF has seen an
overwhelmingly positive response from users. Students are excited
and the faculty is eager to engage more students with the technology.

Tegrity is the only solution that allows UCF instructors to capture
content in any classroom on their own computers - and to offer that
content to students in a variety of convenient ways based on their
preferred media.

With the ability to study more effectively, students are showing signs
of improvement in retention, grades, and graduation rates. Now in its
fourth semester at UCF, the impact of Tegrity is evident:
· 70% of instructors now use Tegrity
· 2500 students viewing lectures
· Doubled recording classrooms ($0 cost)
· 100,000 visits to Tegrity by students
· 30,000 collective hours of reviewing
Join us for an engaging webinar and learn how the University of Central
Florida School is engaging students online to help them learn and
achieve more while providing faculty with an easy-to-use system for
making their instruction available to students around the clock.


REGISTER TODAY!
Date: March 12, 2008
Time: 1PM Central
Duration: One hour Host: Campus Technology

Open Word Documents without using Word

If you don't have Microsoft Office Word installed, you can use Word Viewer to open, view, or print documents that were created by using Microsoft Office Word 2007, 2003, 2002, or 2000. However, you cannot edit, save, or create a new Word document unless you have Word installed.

Here what you can do:

1. Download and install Word Viewer

2. Download and install Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 Files Formats.

Once those two are installed, you can open any Word document.

Word Viewer and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack can be found on the Microsoft webpage, www.microsoft.com/downloads. Be sure to select Word Viewer, and not Word Viewer 2003. Word Viewer 2003 is the old version.

Avoid Using Special Characters in Blackboard

Do you occassionally get an error message when trying to download all students' assignments, and then have to individually download each individual's assignment? Using special characters is a well know problem within Blackboard. Blackboard suggests that all faculty/students should not use special characters in any files wanting to upload. Also, it has been a problem if an instructor who uploads a document for the students to retrieve, student putting items in the dropbox for instructors, etc. Blackboard is saying that a fix will be in the works in the near future.

Office Ultimate 2007 for $59.95

Seize the deal! Get Microsoft® Office Ultimate 2007 for just $59.95. This software is normally priced at $679. Saint Mary's students can now purchase the software for a fraction of the regular cost. Click here for details.

Offer expires April 30th, 2008.