Category Tools and how to (tips)

This is for tools and ‘how-to’ items

Using YouTube’s Caption Editor

Many of us use video in our classes, but sometimes we forget that video is a media format that is not as equally accessible to all viewers. Viewers who are hearing impaired will not be able to hear the voices, music, or background audio we include in our video. It is our responsibility to take steps to ensure that we make video content accessible for as many of our viewers as possible.

Premium storytelling apps

I write a great deal about freeware because this is such a great era for free tools, with many powerful options out there for all types of projects. That is not to say you should never pay for the tools you use, however. In some cases, premium programs pay back with functionality what you put in them with cash.

WordPress – getting started

Last week’s Teaching Tip addressed why you might consider using an open platform, such as WordPress, for class materials and student interaction. This week, we’ll look at what you need to know to get started designing —your WordPress website on the Community server.

Appointment slots

Having students sign up for individual appointments has become easier with the Create Appointment option in Google Calendar. Creating a group of available time slots can be very useful for your students, graduate assistants, staff, and colleagues.

Planning your Prezi

Prezi separates itself from conventional presentation platforms by breaking free of the linear nature of slides. That being said, how do we effectively take advantage of its unique capabilities? One of Prezi’s greatest features is the way in which it presents multimedia content. It enables presenters to guide viewers through images, text, video, and audio media in a way that highlights the relationships between the information and ideas presented.

HTML Basics

HTML is the code behind what we see on web sites. Whether you realize it or not, every time you create online (make a Blackboard entry, publish to a website, post on Facebook, comment on a blog, etc.) you are using HTML. Web design has come a long way from the beginning when you had to hand code everything; usually we just have to fill out a form and our content magically appears. However, knowing some basic HTML can be really handy when you are trying to troubleshoot something that looks strange, for appearance, or for custom sites.

Wearable technology

Wearable technology is an advanced electronic device that is small enough to be worn naturally in the form of clothing, accessories, or portable lightweight containers. While this is not a new product genre (we can look back at things like the calculator watch and Sony Walkman), the items and their functionality are progressing rapidly.