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NEW AT
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 MSDN
Academic Alliance - Low Cost
Software for Students
Microsoft MSDNAA allows students to
purchase Microsoft Computer Science and Business
software at very reduced prices. We maintain
an MSDN portal for registered Palomar students.
Click here for more information.
Fall 2009 Computer
Lab Hours
The computer labs on the ground floor of the
San Marcos campus library will maintain the
following hours for Fall 2007:
| Monday - Thursday |
7:30am - 9:00pm |
| Friday |
7:30am - 4:00pm |
| Saturday |
9:00am - 1:00pm |
| Sunday |
closed |
For more information about the computer labs, or to reserve lab for
classes,
click here.
New
Screencasts
We have created a new set of
training screencasts on how to
archive and export a Blackboard
course, with an explanatory
screencast on why you would want
to do either. We have also
created new screencasts on
How To Search Blackboard,
using SearchLX, how to
move a content area
from one to another (or
multiple) Blackboard courses
using Export/Import, How to use
Direct Submit with
the Safe Assign tool, and many
other topics.
Our library of training
screencasts can be accessed
through one of the following
links, or from the "How
Do I..." page.
"Teaching with Blackboard" How-to screencasts
Using Safe
Assign anti-plagiarism service
Using the
Wimba Voice Tools screencasts
Using
Learning Objects blog, wiki, podcast and search
tools
Using
Elluminate eConferencing Tools
Using
StudyMate Learning Activity Builder
Learning Objects blogging and
wiki tools added to Blackboard
New on the Blackboard production system:
Learning Objects,
comprised of:
-
Teams LX - Teams LX™ uses
wiki technology to provide users
with tools for collaboratively
creating rich media websites.
-
Journal LX - Journal LX™
gives instructors and students the
tools to create rich media journals
within a course.
-
Podcast LX - Podcast LX™
integrates podcasting into an
institution’s online course
environment without requiring
additional infrastructure.
-
Expo LX - Expo LX™ is a
dynamic personal website builder and
blogging tool.
-
Search LX - Search LX™
empowers users to perform full-text
searches of all content in courses
in which they are members and have
access rights to.
We will be
developing how-to screen videos and other
documentation soon, but early adopters can
dive in now, especially if you are a faculty
member who has been requesting these tools,
and call us directly if you need assistance.
The
Wimba Voice Tools are here!
Great
new tools that enable the use of audio
within Blackboard content areas:
- voice
messages,
- voice-enabled email,
- a threaded voice board,
- a voice presenter,
- and an easy-to-use podcaster.
Click here to access our
Wimba Voice Tools page to find our more
and receive online training.
Blackboard 9 is
coming
Blackboard 9 will be implemented in fall
2010?
Click here for details.
New
Blackboard web interface
The old PCOnline interface to
the Blackboard Learning System
is now gone, replaced with a
bright new one featuring YouCan
the Toucan (also called "TechCan"
by the technicians). The
new site features simpler
navigation and a web-based help
system.
Fly on over for a bird's eye
view...
Blackboard (and
Academic Technology) Help System
We have a new
help ticketing system, and wish to encourage
its use. We will respond to requests
for assistance (primarily related to
Blackboard, but any academic technology
issue may be at issue) in the following
order:
Use the new
system to a)
submit a ticket when requesting
technical support--and please, be as
detailed about the problem and your computer
as possible; b) search/read the
knowledge base in order to find answers;
or c)
download a browser plugin or other
helper software.
The Blackboard
Sandbox
 Features
or upgrades not yet released on the
production system can be found on the
Blackboard sandbox system. It is a
place you can feel free to play and
experiment without damaging any of your live
class materials.
Click here to login
to the sandbox. It has been recently
upgraded to version 9 of Blackboard.
Flip Video Cameras
 We
have purchased five easy to use Flip video
cameras for checkout by instructors who wish
to create their own--or assign
student--video projects. The Flip
video camera contains all the software you
need in its built-in RAM (first time
installation required) and it is easy to
transfer video from the camera to your
computer (Mac or PC) via the USB connector
that flips out of the camera. It
doesn't get any easier than this.
Contact Terry Gray for information of
checking out one of the new Flip video
cameras via email at
tgray@palomar.edu or phone at (760)
744-1150 ext. 2877. Checkout period is
for one week, renewable for another week.
Click here for more information on the
Flip video camera.
Click here to view a sample Flip video
(windows media format).
 New CPS RF
Personal Response Devices (clickers)
We have added 42 new clickers to the 64 radio frequency
(RF) personal
polling devices we already circulate. Known as "clickers"
for short, they can be checked out from
Academic Technology for classroom/meeting
use. They are used to ask questions of your
class, solicit responses by a simple
select/enter operation, then show the
results numerically or as a histogram. The
idea is to generate interest, focus a
discussion, and verify that key concepts
have been understood in a fun, immediate
way.
You may download and install
the CPS software (PC or Mac, updated fall 2008) on your own system.
Click here
to login and download (use your Palomar
email address and email password to login).
Click here to reserve the personal
response system. You may reserve for
one-time meetings, or for each meeting per
semester. You must attend a brief Academic
Technology orientation on the use of the
clickers before checking them out for the
first time. For more information, call ext. 2341, or email
hdavis@palomar.edu.
New
versions of StudyMate and Respondus
Even if you are an old-time
StudyMate Author (formerly know as simply
"StudyMate") or Respondus user, you need to
re-license your copy of the software for use
this academic year (2008-2009).
Click here to access the
StudyMate/Respondus install point, which
contains information on re-registering your
copy. If you are new to StudyMate or
Respondus, this will also be the web site
where you download/install the software.
Unfortunately, the software is for PC only.
Users with Macs can create StudyMate
activities, or work with Respondus test
banks, on AT computer lab computers in the
faculty technology center, room LL-111.
Resources:
Streaming Media
Creation and the TEACH Act
As always, we can digitize/stream audio
or video for instructors, but we have a new
TEACH Act checklist which must accompany the
VHS or audio tape, or CD or DVD recording.
By filling out the checklist instructors are
certifying that the media being duplicated
meets TEACH Act Requirements.
If Fair Use, rather than the TEACH Act is
being used as the authority to copy, we also
have resources to Fair Use materials and a
helpful Fair Use worksheet to help
instructors determine if their materials
meet Fair Use standards.
Resources:
Academic Technology Podcasts and Newsletters
and RSS Feed
Since January 2006 have been producing a
weekly podcast covering technology news
and reviews, a
Blackboard feature of the
week,
Teaching with Technology,
Tech Talk
Topics, and more.
Subscribe to the bi-weekly Academic
Technology podcast to keep up with
technology news at Palomar.
Subscribe |
How? - Podcast Help
In concert with the Academic
Technology podcast, subscribe to the AT
Newsletter as well, to receive printed
versions of the topics discussed during the
podcast containing all the valuable links
and illustrations.
If you would like further,
facilitated instruction in using Blackboard,
particularly from the beginner's
perspective,
subscribe to the Blackboard @ Palomar
podcast.
Click here for an index of past
episodes. You may also want to
subscribe to the Blackboard @ Palomar
newsletter.
To stay informed of the
latest technology and special events,
subscribe to the Academic Technology RSS
feed.
Subscribe |
How do I subscribe?
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And also... |
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Wireless
Computing. Wireless access
points have been extended across various
areas of campus. In particular to the
library, student union, and the NS
building, along with some other classrooms.
Click
here for more on wireless
computing at Palomar.
Web Advertising.
If you wish to
place an ad on the Palomar College web site for an upcoming
class or a special event,
click
here.
Video
Production. Palomar College
TV (PCTV)
continues to produce on demand video
segments for faculty who want to advertise
their classes, explain concepts in a brief
video, even record an entire lecture series.
Video segments are played on broadcast TV
and are encoded for the Internet.
Contact
Bill Wisneski for more information.
DVD Creation
If you have several video clips--from either
VHS or other DVDs--that you want converted
to a single DVD with menu, bring them to
Academic Technology, room LL-108, along with
a signed
Fair Use Worksheet, and we will create a
DVD for you for classroom use. DVDs
created in this way cannot be redistributed.
Office 2007.
Click here for an introduction to the
new Office 2007 interface and other training
materials.
What browsers
are supported by Blackboard 8.0?
Click here for the OS/browser matrix
[PDF].
Great new FREE
software
Useful free web
services
Purchase of Microsoft,
Adobe and Dell
Products for Home Use
Microsoft, Adobe and Dell have a great many
new and updated products that can be
purchased at reduced prices for home use
through the Foundation for California
Community Colleges. Proof of
employment will be required.
Click here to begin the process.
Platforms:
Browsers, Displays, OSs
Across the Internet,
W3Schools reports the following
breakdown in browser usage.
Of course this number is very different
at Palomar College because of the
preponderance of IE8 on campus computers and
in campus computer labs.
User displays are dominantly set at
resolutions higher than
1024x768:
Flavors of Windows and Windows XP in
particular (74.7%) are still by far the
dominant operating system in use on the
Internet:
Can you recommend
some podcasts? Absolutely.
Click here for a list (along with
subscription URLs) to some of the best we
have found.
Can you
recommend some good Palomar web sites?
Of course:
Do you have
self-paced online training I can take for PD
credit? Yes!
Click here...
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