Month: May 2018

Under Construction

Recently I was asked if there was a specific site, link, etc for Adjunct Instructors providing them with information on teaching resources available, blackboard, web conferencing etc.  Since I often work with adjuncts and know that one of the biggest hurdles is getting access to Blackboard I am creating a blog with information and links to help them get started and which will not require having any ECU credentials.  Please let me know if you have any requirements or policies for adjuncts that I could include in this blog.

Happy Anniversary! A week late!

To this blog, as it has been publishing now for 9 years.  Through Blackboard, SABA/Centra, Mediasite, Turning Point and more upgrades as well as hurricanes, ice and flu and many changes over the years.

Today I will highlight some of the features available after our most recent upgrades.

Blackboard – Accessibility rating with Ally, multi column deletion in grade center and student receipt of assignment submissions, Collaborate availability.

Mediasite – Quizzing feature has been added, new interface with ability to favorite folders, Annotaton and we also have available a new software lecture capture system in classrooms without hardware.

Turning Point – better grade center integration

SABA to WebEx – a change to come by next year

Want to see any in action?  Just contact this office.

Something Different this Week!

I get this weekly posting on Sundays from “Escape Adulthood” by Jason Kotecki and decided to share as this week’s blog!

Happy Sunday!

I want to change the world. I want to make a dent in the universe. I want my legacy to last for generations after I die.

Talk about an oversized ego.

I believe that my motives are pure, but the trouble is, I often forget that the best way to change the world is in simple ways, starting today. After all, even if the sun is shining outside, we encounter people every day who are in the middle of a dark time.

My wife is great at taking advantage of the small ways she can bring light into the lives of people around her. Her thoughtuflness results in small actions, but they make a real impact. Baking Valentine’s Day brownies for a widow next door. Sending a funny gif to a friend having a rough day. Complimenting and engaging in a meaningful conversation with the grocery delivery guy.

These small rays of sunshine don’t generate standing ovations or front-page headlines, but they might be more meaningful. And they can be repeated day after day, for as long as we live. If you did one random act of kindness every day for the next 30 years, you could make a difference in the life of 10,950 real human beings. Of course that little bit of kindness is likely to spread beyond just that one person, and then the potential impact increases exponentially.

Changing the world for the better is a nice sentiment and a worthy pursuit. But it’s too big and unwieldy to be a practical goal.

It’s better, I’m learning, to look around for small ways to brighten the lives of the people around us. They are usually not difficult, or time consuming, or expensive.

But what a difference they can make in someone’s life.

To that person, on that day, the sun came out and the world changed.

and all things must change

At least in the tech world that is and here at ECU we will be seeing changes in Blackboard, My Mediasite, Turning Point and Saba.  To highlight a few of the changes –

Blackboard – Blackboard Ally, Collaborate and Submission Receipts are some of the changes

My Mediasite – brand new interface and the ability to add quizzes to recordings both classroom and desktop lectures.

Adding quizzes to recordings –

https://training.mediasite.com/Mediasite/Showcase/mediasitetraining/VideoSearch#VideoSearch/0/quiz/2/null/null/0

My Mediasite Upgrade tutorials – https://training.mediasite.com/Mediasite/Showcase/mediasitetraining

Turning Point 8 – new software to download includes auto sync of course rosters and notification of when to re-upload grades.

Saba – Text chat included in recordings. Agenda Builder provides all features from previous Java-based version. Number of attendees who can speak at once has increased from 4 to 10.