tech tip #31 - Youtube tips

Here are a couple of tips for using Youtube: (thanks to Chris Bateman for the suggestion!)

If you want to download a video because you are worried about the wifi connection while showing it (or losing it because the video disappears):
1. go to video in youtube
2. type "ss" just before the "y" of "youtube" in the url
3. hit return
4. takes you to a new page with a mp4 download link

If you want to share a Youtube video, you can click on the “share” link (or right-click on the video), where you then have a choice to copy the youtu.be link, get embed code to paste into a website like MOODLE, or email it directly to a list of recipients. Embedding is a bit complex, but allows you to include the video in your own page without all the youtube clutter. You can see an example in the staff resources MOODLE page: https://secure.smus.ca/staffmoodle/mod/page/view.php?id=604 (how to get to chapel on time!)


If you want to share a youtube link but only to a certain part in the video:
1. go to the youtube video
2. scrub forward to the spot you want to share from
3. pause video
4. right click "copy video url at current time"
5. embed or paste into email to share.

If you would like any help trying out these options please let one of your EdTech support teachers know, and they will be glad to help.

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

Michael Jackson, Academic Technology Coordinator

St Michaels University School

Tech tip 30 - Wireless display

Many of you may be aware that we have a program called Airserver installed on most of the computers that are connected to projectors. (If you have a projector-connected computer that does not have Airserver, please contact help@smus.ca)  This program works a bit like an Apple TV or Roku device in that it can mirror most screens wirelessly to the projector. Currently, Airserver can display up to 4 devices at one time. Airserver also has the ability to record the screen being displayed.

At the moment, you can do the following on our network:

<![if !supportLists]>1)      <![endif]>Mirror an iOS device (iphone or iPad) via airplay or the Airserver connect app (this is the only way to project student devices on the screen)

<![if !supportLists]>2)      <![endif]>Mirror an Android phone or tablet using the Airserver connect app (this allows students and faculty to display wirelessly)

<![if !supportLists]>3)      <![endif]>Mirror a MacOS device (eg Macbook) using airplay  - this only works for faculty devices.

<![if !supportLists]>4)      <![endif]>Mirror a MacOS device using the “cast” option in Google Chrome (faculty devices only?)

<![if !supportLists]>5)      <![endif]>Mirror a PC device running windows 10 using a program called Airparrot ( this has to be downloaded and purchased)

<![if !supportLists]>6)      <![endif]>Mirror a PC device using the “cast” option in Google Chrome (you have a choice of just a tab or the whole desktop) (faculty devices only?)

<![if !supportLists]>7)      <![endif]>Mirror a Chromebook using the “cast” option in Google Chrome on the Chromebook. (I think this also works on student devices)

Airserver can display a QR code which makes it easy for devices using the airserver connect app. It can also be used with an on-screen password. These are settings that you can change for your user. You can also change the name of the device to be something easier to find than the full computer name. Since the change is tied to your user, I suggest you use your name.

If you would like any help trying out these options please let one of your EdTech support teachers know, and they will be glad to help.

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

Michael Jackson, Academic Technology Coordinator

St Michaels University School

Tech tip # 29 - SDS - finding out who is free or teaching

If you want to know who is doing what and where on a particular day, you can go to the SDS and go to Staff menu – Teachers – Daily Campus Schedule and see what is happening during each block of the day. This could be useful if you want to find out who is teaching during the same block in case you want to enter into a collaboration with another teacher during one of your blocks. A direct link to that page is here: https://sds.smus.ca/index.php?next_page=teachers/daily_campus_schedule.php

You may also be interested in finding out who has spares in common with you on a particular day: Staff menu – Teachers – Common spares (https://sds.smus.ca/index.php?next_page=teachers/free_teachers.php)

Also you can find out who is free in a particular timetable block by going to Staff menu – Teachers – Who’s free? (https://sds.smus.ca/index.php?next_page=teachers/free_teachers.php)

Let me or one of the other Ed Tech Team folks know if you need any help with any of the items covered in these tips.

Mike

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

tip #28 - uploading and converting Google docs

Dear Colleagues,

Many of us are using Google Drive to store and work with our documents on line.

If you want to make your files available in the “cloud”, you can copy them to your Google drive. Your SMUS google account has a huge capacity and is available anywhere you can access the Internet with a computer, tablet or phone. It is best to access your drive with Google Chrome or the drive app on your phone.

To get to your Google drive the easiest way is to go to: http://docs.smus.ca

There are several ways to upload files, including dragging them to the folder window or using the New-file or New-folder upload button. 

If you upload office files (Word, Excel or PowerPoint), they will stay in their original format by default. This means that they cannot be collaboratively edited in the same way as Google docs, sheets or slides can be. To make them far more useful, you can right click on them and choose “openin Google docs”. This makes a copy of the original file in the Google format. The problem with this approach is that you end up with two files with the same name (different format).

I recommend that you convert all your Word, Excel and Powerpoint files that you upload to your Google Drive to the Google format automatically which you can do via the settings (gear icon in the top right) and checking the box for “convert uploads”. This way you don’t have to worry about multiple versions or converting, as it is all done for you. It is then easy to convert entire folders of files in one operation.

The images and video linked below is a good overview of the whole process:

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/googledriveanddocs/uploading-files-to-google-drive/full/

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Please feel free to ask any of your ed tech specialists for help!

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

tech tip # 27 - practical ed tech guide

Dear Colleagues,

For those of you that are teachers and any of you that work with groups of students, Richard Byrne of http://www.freetech4teachers.com/   has created a Practical Ed Tech Handbook that can be viewed/downloaded from the following link: https://app.box.com/s/jw3v4nprrqz0nex4qbgb1zhzi54aacst

There are lots of good suggestions for tools that you might wish to use with your classes or groups.

The table of contents is as follows:

Introduction

1. Communication with students and parents.

● Text/ SMS/ push notification tools.

● Email management tips.

● Blogging tools.

2. Web search strategies.

● Getting beyond the first pages of Google.com results.

3. Digital citizenship.

● K-6

● 7-12

4. Video creation.

● Video projects and tools for creating them.

● Tools for building & distributing flipped lessons.

5. Audio recording and publishing. 

● Web-based & mobile recording tools.

6. Backchannels & informal assessment.

7. Digital portfolios.

If you need help figuring any of this out, please don't hesitate to contact one of the ed tech specialists on your campus. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Cheers

Mike

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

--------------

Mike Jackson, Science Teacher

Senior School Technology Coordinator

St Michaels University School, Victoria, BC

tech tip # 26 configuring Windows 10

Dear Colleagues,

By now you are probably all getting somewhat used to Windows 10 (it is quite a change from Windows 7 which came out in 2009!), but there are a few things that you may want to do to customize your personal Windows 10 settings.

Personalize

If you right-click on your desktop and choose “personalize”, you can adjust quite a few things about how things look, including the background image, the lock screen image. Under the “lock screen” item, you can adjust the screen timeout settings as well as the screen saver settings.

Taskbar

If you have a program that you use often, you may want to “pin it to the taskbar” so that it is readily available. To do this you can right click on the program icon in the start menu and choose “pin to taskbar”.

Launching programs

In general, one of the easiest ways to launch a program is to type the program’s name into the search bar. This is often faster than scrolling through the list of available programs. (once you find that favourite program, add it to your taskbar!)

Logging out, shutting down and restarting

If you forget to log out of your computer and it “locks”, then there is no way for anyone else to log in without restarting the machine. Windows enterprise does not allow multiple users at the same time. The person who needs to log into that computer has to either “restart” the computer, or shut down and then power up. Surprisingly it is usually faster to so the latter rather than restart. Please get in the habit of logging off when you leave your computer. Also, please remember to leave your computer on (logged out) when you leave so that updates to software can be performed.

SMUS Windows 10 FAQ

Chris Kloosterman sent out an email in late August with a link to the “Frequently Asked Questions” about windows 10.  In case you have misplaced the link it is here: https://secure.smus.ca/wiki/index.php?title=SMUS_Windows_10_FAQ

At the moment this FAQ includes topics such as: logging out, setting your default browser, setting the right program for PDF files, and much more

If you need help figuring any of this out, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the ed tech specialists on your campus. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Cheers

Mike

These tips are now being archived at the following location in a blog format: http://smustechtips.blogspot.ca

Also, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!

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