Apple Airport Express

Twin Cities Helpdesk now has three Apple Airport Express units available for staff and faculty to borrow when they are traveling. Lodging while traveling can often be frustrating for mobile technology users. The rooms will often have wired internet but no WiFi or additional charges for WiFi. The Airport Express will allow you to create a secure WiFi hot spot in two simple steps. Reserve one for your next trip at the TC Helpdesk.

Getting Started with Blackboard

Getting Started with Course Content (.pdf)

Getting Started with the Course Environment (.pdf)

Getting Started with Assignments (.pdf)

Getting Started with Grade Center (.pdf)

Blackboard Learn Instructor Guide

Tegrity Update

Tegrity will have an update on Sunday, July 17th. View this Tegrity June Update PDF that covers the new enhancements we can expect.  Also attached are the "Most Viewed Tegrity Courses" from fall and spring semester last year (2010-2011). Hint: if you want to know the Total Viewing Time  of a course in hours... divide the number (displayed in seconds) by 3600.  


Tegrity Viewing Stats - Spring Semester 2010-2011
Tegrity Viewing Stats - Fall Semester 2010-2011

Google Apps User Group Sharing Sessions

Thank you to all of you who attended the inaugural get together of Google Apps Users.  Participants enjoyed the cross campus meeting and liked hearing how people were using Google Apps.  They also provided valuable feedback for improvement which is being put into place for the next two meetings.  Please visit Saint Mary's Going Google support web site to see the notes from the last User group.  You'll see the link to the notes on the bottom of the left hand side.

As you can see from the above diagram, Google Apps for Education has a myriad of possible uses.  So many possibilities leads to many new things to learn.  To help us all with this, there are two more User group meetings yet this summer.  We hope you can find  time in your busy schedules to attend one or both.

July 21, 2011 - Gmail and Google Calendar II

• Although these topics were discussed in June, there are so many ways these can be used to increase your productivity, only the surface was scratched.  If you have any specific questions or areas you would like covered, please email the Helpdesk on your campus.

August 18, 2011 - Google Docs

• We are fortunate to have Sonia Feder-Lewis to lead us in this discussion.  Sonia has personally used Google Docs for several years and has taught classes on how to use this powerful functionality.  If you have not seen Docs in action, you will be amazed at the simplicity of doing true collaboration on document (word processing, spreadsheet, and presentations) creation and editing as well as sharing your work.

Both user groups will start a Noon for one hour.  Please bring a bag lunch if you like to multi task.  If you have laptop, please bring it with you so you can follow along in your Google Apps account.  If you do not have a laptop, the Winona campus has several systems available in the room and the Minneapolis campus will be providing loaner laptops.

Location:

• Minneapolis campus - LaSalle Hall 210
• Winona campus - Hendrickson 23

Successful Blackboard Upgrade

During the July forth weekend, Blackboard Academic Suite 8.0 was successfully upgraded to Blackboard Learn 9.1. The upgrade and migration went as planned with minimal downtime. These articles in our Tech Faq explain more about Blackboard Learn 9.1.

Getting to Know Blackboard 9.1:
http://techfaq.smumn.edu/index.php?action=artikel&cat=4&id=103&artlang=en

Known bugs waiting resolutions from Blackboard:
http://techfaq.smumn.edu/index.php?action=artikel&cat=4&id=205&artlang=en

Deletion of Tegrity Recordings

The IT department will delete Tegrity recordings from the SMU Tegrity database on August 1, 2011.

Only Tegrity files from the semesters of 2009W1, 2009W2, 2009W3, 2009M1, 2009M2, 2009M3, 2010W1 and 2010M1 or prior, will be deleted.

2010W2, 2010W3, 2010M2, and 2010M3 will remain intact, as well as any organizations or courses that don't match that naming criteria.

If there are recordings you would like to keep from a previous semester, there are 3 options available to you.

1) Move those recording(s) to a current semester offering.

2) Create an Image CD of the classes you would like to archive. This process zips up the recordings into a file that you can then extract and save.

3) Log a call at the Helpdesk to request that we not delete those class recordings.

The HelpDesk will need to have the specific course ID to pass along to IT staff.

Please email helpdesk@smumn.edu, or call ext. 7800, if you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter.

Please note:

-- that unless you contact the Helpdesk, Tegrity files listed above will be deleted.

-- this will only delete Tegrity recordings, it does not affect the course listings in Blackboard in any way.

Thank you for your cooperation,

SMU IT Dept.

WWW2 upgrade planed for August 6th

On August 6th, the www2.smumn.edu web server, which was implemented in 2005 is being replaced with a new system. We are encouraging users with content on www2 to contact the HelpDesk and arrange a preview of your site on the new server, prior to July 30th.

This will allow you to verify your website is functional on the new server before the switchover occurs.

This server is also used for the I:(StudOrg) and J: (Deptmntl) network drive letters. These drives will automatically updated to point to the new system after August 6th.

If you are Macintosh user that has connected to smb:\\goliath for access to StudOrg, Deptmntl or Inetpub you should change your connection now to point at smb:\\www2.smumn.edu.

Please contact the HelpDesk with any questions or concerns.

Classrooms Updated over summer

All classrooms running the Windows operating system were updated over summer break. The newer, faster computers should have all the basic and specialty software needed when classes resume this fall. Please test the classrooms at your earliest convenience and let the helpdesk know if any specialty software is missing.

Recycling Program set for August 11th

Saint Mary’s University and Apple Computers will once again offer a one day electronic recycling program to its employees on Thursday, August 11th. The program is free of charge.

Bring your equipment to the drop off point located behind the gates of the Kulas-Connaughty Power Plant between the hours of 8:30AM and 4:00PM on Thursday, August 11th.

We will accept:
Cpu, monitor, printer, fax machine, television, scanner, cd drive, hard drive, laptop, vcr,desk-top size copy machine, projector, overhead projector, networking equipment, cables, keyboards, mice.

We will not accept:
Monitors with broken glass. CRT’s missing their enclosures. UPS battery backup system. Batteries of any type.

Sarah Bearbower to attend ECAR symposium on "IT as a Game Changer"

This year's ECAR Symposium, July 28–29 in Chicago, will create space and provide opportunities for CIOs and their campus innovation partners* to interact with one another and some of the most innovative and stimulating strategists working in higher education today. Together we will explore how information technology can be used, not simply to run campus operations efficiently, but to actually transform teaching, learning, research, and higher education administration.
Speakers include: Susan Grajek,Vice President of Data,Research, and Analytics,EDUCAUSE; Douglas Lynch,Vice Dean of theGraduate School of Education,The University of Pennsylvania; Ryan Oakes,Senior Executive,Accenture Higher Education; Bradley Wheeler,Vice President for Information Technology and CIO,Indiana University.


If your interested in learning more about the this symposium visit ECAR Symposium 2011: IT as a Game Changer.