Month: February 2018

Guest Speaker Tips and Tricks

As instructors you have a wealth of information but sometimes there is someone who may be an “expert” on a topic and having them share their experiences and knowledge can be priceless.  Some things to consider when hosting a guest speaker, first will they be lecturing on site or virtually.  Depending on their location please follow these guidelines –

On site – check if they are bringing their own laptop and whether it is a Mac or PC.  If the class content is to be lecture captured there are certain “dongles” which must be connected to do this.  Find out what else they might need in presenting their content.  Ask if they can arrive 15 minutes early so that we can help get them set up prior to the start of class.

Virtually – all general classrooms have microphones and cameras to connect virtually.  OET has webcams with tripods which also can be installed.  ECU supports the use of SABA and WebEx for virtual meetings.  Skype can be used with an online login and content can be presented using Skype.  If the speaker is initiating the call there are many systems that can be used.  Best practice have a practice call prior to the class session.

Need more information contact OET.

Working together?

At a recent meeting with the Instructional Technology Consultant’s (ITC’s) of the university we were introduced to Microsoft Teams.  Before I tell you what Teams can do think about this scenario you are involved in multiple projects with multiple people within and outside of ECU wouldn’t it be nice to have all correspondence, files etc in one spot which also allows you to quick chat/comment on something rather than sending emails? Well . . .

Microsoft Teams is a messaging app for teams where all conversations, meetings, files, and notes can be accessed by everyone, all in one place. It’s a place for collaboration and work to happen in the open.

Here’s why you should use it:

  • It makes communicating one-on-one and with groups a snap.
  • Collaboration happens in real time.
  • Everything your team cares about (all your files, docs, contact info, and more) is in one place.

One college has been using it and here is a quote from their ITC “Now that the planner can be integrated into Teams, it is a great way to use both tools at once. I have also integrated a notebook into the team, which also helps keep everything in one place. I haven’t gotten everyone into the chat feature, but the organization part seems to be a nice way to at least get people started in the right direction, at least for us.”

They are not missing their connectors.

Slide advancer and pointer are installed in all general classrooms and the USB connector is plugged directly into the back of the room computer and are NOT missing.  There is a switch on the side to turn it off/on.  Please leave in the classroom for your colleagues to use.  One note though if you are recording your class the laser pointer does not show up in the recordings it is better to use the mouse and or pen attached to the monitor.  Need to borrow one for a room not equipped?  Contact this office.