Welcome to the Tech Coach Blog!

 This is an open discussion for any staff member. Feel free to comment on each blog topics as they become available.

If you are interested in using the blog feature of your teacher web page, please contact your technology coach for help with blogs.

Many of you have recently completed the Copyright and Fair Use Moodle activity or have recently attended a Copyright and Fair Use workshop.  After reading numerous discussion board posts, many of you offered great discussion topics and posed excellent questions.  Several of you wanted to know where to find copyright posters for your classrooms, others wanted to know if we have any resources available for staff, students, and parents.  For this week's technology tip, I want to share additional resources with you.  Even if you did not participate in the Copyright and Fair Use professional development recently, this is always helpful information to review.  Remember, not only is this designed to assist you in your understanding of the sometimes intimidating Copyright laws, it is also designed to provide you with the knowledge and tools to help students make proper choices in the digital world. 

There are two resources that I would like to share with you.  The first is a teaching resource provided by Education World that can help you understand Copyright, Fair Use, and our role as educators to promote these concepts with our students.  I highly recommend setting aside a few minutes to read through this, it does a fantastic job of addressing many of the frequently asked questions from educators.  You may view this resource by clicking here.

The second resource that I would like to share is our Copyright and Fair Use electronic library of resources that is housed in our Intranest.  This collection of materials electronic  explain and clarify many important technology-related policies, guidelines, posters, and services.   It even includes Copyright  and Fair Use presentations that can be used with your students. 

To access the Copyright and Fair Use resource on the Intranest, please follow these directions:

1. Log in to the Intranest at www.cvschools.org/intranest.
2. Click on the Tech Tools tab.
3. Click on the Copyright and AUP link in the left hand side navigation menu.
4. To download any of the files, right click on the link and select Save Target As. Save it to your desired location on your computer.
5. To simply view any of the PowerPoint shows, just left click and select Open.

To view tip as a printable PDF, please click here.

During the last few weeks, I have received many positive comments regarding how helpful the web page tips have been with keeping absent students up to date.  For this week's tip, I decided to put together a resource that will combine some of the recent tips with some other helpful ways that you can use your web page as an extension of your classroom. 

To view tip as a printable PDF, please click here.

Do you have many students missing your class lately?  Would you like an option for them to digitally submit assignments to you?  If so, then this week's tip is for you!

This week, I will show you how to use the form feature of your School World Teacher Page to create a virtual "assignment drop box."  Any student with an Internet connection will be able to turn in any digital assignment (Word document, PowerPoint presentation, audio file, video file, etc).  It is quick and easy to use, and it offers an environmentally friendly "paperless" way to view student work!

Last week, I showed you how to record the action on your computer screen using SMART Recorder.  This week, I will show you how to upload that video to your webpage as a podcast.  With a podcast, students and parents have the opportunity to subscribe to your updates.  If they subscribe to your podcast, they will not need to check back to see if you added new content.   Your updated podcasts will automatically delivered to their computer.

You can easily record the action on your computer screen using SMART Recorder.  The video that you create can be uploaded to your webpage as a downloadable file or set up as a podcast.  This is ideal if you want to introduce new material, describe a concept, summarize a lesson, provide step-by-step directions, or create a review.  Since this software is very easy to use and is already loaded on all of the district machines, you can have students use it to create a project, presentation, or summarizing activity. 

Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar in Office 2007 will help you set your toolbar to include the commands you frequently use.  This tip can be used in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. 

Have you ever created a multimedia PowerPoint presentation on one computer, only to find out that your images, sound, or video would not work when you showed the presentation on another computer?  The reason why this happens is because PowerPoint does not automatically embed the files directly into your presentation, it only creates a reference to where the files are located.  When you save your presentation and open it on another computer, the program will try to find the referenced files.  It will not be able to find them because they do not exist on that other computer.  By using the Package for CD option, PowerPoint will place a copy of every file that is referenced in your presentation into a folder.  This folder can then be burned to a CD, saved to a storage device, or zipped so that it can be uploaded to a webpage or sent via email.

To view or print this tip, please click here.

To view this tip on the Tech Coach blog, please click here.

To view this tip as a video podcast, please click here. 

SmartArt is one of the new features that is packed into Microsoft Office 2007 (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).  SmartArt is a great way to visually communicate information.  With just a few clicks, you can create your own customized charts, diagrams, and graphic organizers to enhance your lessons. 

A few weeks ago, we shared a tech tip that showed you how to create an assignment drop box in your homework section of your teacher web page.  This week, we will show you another option for students to submit assignments in a paperless fashion.  By using the File Upload option with the Teacher Pages Form Feature, you can create an opportunity for your students to turn in any type of digital media.  You can even set it up so the submissions will be sent to your email account directly from your website! 

To download or print this week's tech tip, click here!

Have you ever needed a portion of an image from the gallery?

Screen Capture Tool in SMART Notebook

 

The Screen Capture Tool (Camera) will allow you to manipulate graphics at a higher level.

 

 

 

You have four options using this tool. One of the options allows you to select all of the background or part of the background. In both cases you will have an image that can now be manipulated.

 

    

To download or print the complete set of directions for using the Screen Capture Tool, click here. 

This week's technology tip is to help you create a Rule in GroupWise.  This tip will allow you to have e-mails go directly to folders in your Cabinet rather than your Inbox.  For instance, if you keep the Monday Morning Tech Tips in a folder in your Cabinet, the new tips can go directly to the folder each week without ever entering your Inbox.

In addition to this week’s tech tip, you can download or print the tech tip “How to Create a Folder”.  You should have a folder in your Cabinet so you can create a Rule.

This week, we are sending a follow-up tip (by popular request) to show you how to create a direct hyperlink to a video hosted on United Streaming.  The great part about this link is that the students do not have to be logged in to United Streaming to view the video.  This link can be placed into PowerPoint presentations, Word Documents, Inspiration maps, and SMART Notebook files.

Creating Hyperlinks to United Streaming Video

1.   Find the video or video clip that you wish to create a hyperlink to. 

2.   Click the Play Button for your selected video clip.

3.   When the video begins playing, right-click the center of the video and select Properties.

4.   In the Properties box, left-click and drag to highlight the location URL, then right-click and select Copy. 

5.   Open the document where you want to create the hyperlink (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Inspiration, or SMART Notebook).

6.   Right-click in the area where you want the link to appear and select Paste.

7.   Save your document.  When clicked, the hyperlink will now open up the video that you linked to.

Downloading Videos and Video Segments:

When you download a video or segment, you are making a copy of it on your laptop desktop. Videos and segments should NEVER be saved on your H-Drive.

1. Click on the Download icon next to the desired video segment.
2. Click Save. 
3. Select your Desktop, Rename as desired, and Save.

Lock Workstation

1.         Hit the Ctrl, Alt, Delete keys simultaneously to bring up a menu of  choices.

 2.         Choose Lock Workstation. 

Unlock Workstation

3.         Type in your Novell Password.

4.         Click Ok. You are now logged back into your computer.

Video Editing with Microsoft Movie Maker

• Are you interested in video editing? 
• Do you have classroom video that you wish to spice up with text, audio, images, transitions, and special effects? 
• Are you looking for a unique video project to engage your students? 

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, this tip is for you! 

Using Microsoft Movie Maker, you can import a wide variety of video, audio, and image formats.  The free program (which is already installed on your district machine) allows you to customize your clips with transitions, special effects, and text overlays.  When you are finished, your video may be viewed on your computer or it can be uploaded to your website as a podcast. 

To view the CVSD Technology Department's Quickstart Guide to Microsoft's Movie Maker, click here.

To view the CVSD Technology  Department's Movie Maker Podcast, click here.

For more information and tutorials on using Microsoft Movie Maker, check out the official site here.

Retracting Email in Groupwise

• Have you ever sent an e-mail and forgot the attachment?
• Have you ever sent an e-mail, but you realized that you needed to add another piece?