TeachOIT: a Blog for People Who Teach with Technology

You can download all of the attachments students have submitted so far for a given assignment from the Assignment Dropbox
via the “Create Printable View” Option.

First, find your way to the assignments you want to download in the dropbox, this may involve looking at the submitted tab for new materials, or the graded tab if you want to download materials that have already been graded. Note that you can have the assignment dropbox show only the materials for a specific assigned (instead of all assignments) by using the “View by” drop-down menu  (top right) in the dropbox screen. If you have a lot of assignments, you may need to have it show you more than just the first 10 or 30 via the drop down menu in the bottom right corner.

You can use the check boxes to select the assignments you wish to download from the Assignment Drop box screen, noting that there is a “select all” button in the top left corner. After you’ve selected the desired assignments, look for the “Create Printable View” button on the bottom-left corner of the dropbox screen.

“Create Printable View” generates a list of all the submissions. To save this list, click the “Save to File” button, this may take a few seconds to load but it will give you a link to a .zip file that contains all the student submissions in folders with their names and student ID number.

Would you tell a smoker that it’s possible to quit while having a pack of cigarettes in the house? Probably not.  Nor should you expect to conquer distracting web habits while having access to the Internet.

An application called “Freedom” succeeds where individual self-control fails.  This tool disables your Internet connection for 10 to 480 minutes.  Once activated, only restarting your entire computer can get you back online.  In my experience this has proven to be a sufficient deterrent.  As a result, my productivity skyrocketed.

Freedom’s clock ticks only when your computer is awake.  If you thought you could get around it by putting your computer into sleep mode for an hour or two, surprise! You’re still faced with 38 minutes of Internet-free time when you stir it to life again.  I’ve used this feature to my advantage by setting up Freedom before going to bed.  When I wake up, the Internet is unavailable, leaving me free (or condemned) to direct my early-morning focus towards my writing, rather than my email.

How can you get Freedom?  It’s available by download for free for Macs.  A version for PCs has finally been released, selling for $10 (well worth what you’ll get).

This is also a great piece of software to recommend for students who are distracting themselves from working with email, social networking sites, and web surfing.

Sometimes, though, you need the Internet while researching or writing. For these cases, there is a free add-on for Firefox browsers called “LeechBlock.”  With LeechBlock, you create a list of websites that most divert your attention.  You can choose to block these sites on a customizable schedule (i.e., Mon-Fri from 8am-10am) or by time limit (i.e., 2 hours).

The web has become an indispensable part of contemporary life and education.  But sometimes, you just need some Freedom.

Freedom
http://macfreedom.com

LeechBlock
http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4476

What’s the best way to post files on SPARK?

To minimize confusion (and student emails), we recommend converting Word documents and PowerPoint presentations to PDF before posting on SPARK.

PDFs usually open right in the SPARK browser window, and most students already have a free version of Adobe Reader.  In contrast, students must first download Word or PowerPoint files to view them, and they will need to own a compatible version of the software to open them.  Moreover, depending on a student’s individual browser settings (in Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari), Word or PowerPoint files might download without opening, leaving the student confused about where the file went.

How can I create PDFs?

• If you own a copy of Acrobat Professional (not free), you can create PDFs right from Word or PowerPoint.  Additionally, all OIT-supported computers on campus have Acrobat Professional.
• If you use a PC, look into supplemental PDF creation programs.  One such program is CutePDF, downloadable online for free.
• If you use a Mac, you can print or save to PDF without additional software.

What happens when students open PDFs?

PDFs generally open in SPARK’s browser window.*  If copyright or ownership issues are a concern, be aware that students can download copies of PDFs from SPARK.

If your students do not have Adobe Reader, they can download it for free from the OIT website:

http://www.oit.umass.edu/software/download/index.html

The addition of photo rosters to SPIRE has been a personal boon to me in terms of learning my students’ names as quickly as possible.

Don’t have access to photo rosters for your own courses yet? Take the FERPA quiz and earn your security certificate to activate this feature in SPIRE:
http://www.oit.umass.edu/spire/for_instructors/class_information/photo_roster.html

As the beginning of the semester approaches and faculty continue to prepare for teaching, Teaching Assistants are also being assigned. Academic Computing would like to remind you of the necessary steps for giving TAs access to your SPARK course:

For Graduate TAs:

If your TA cannot access your SPARK course, confirm with the Academic Scheduling Representative in your department that the TA is listed in SPIRE as a:

•  Teaching Assistant – if your class is a lecture or seminar with no discussion sections/labs.
• Primary Instructor – if your TA is in charge of a separate discussion/lab.

For Undergraduate TAs:

Undergraduate TAs and some ‘unofficial TAs’, undergraduate and graduate students who assist with limited course activities (e.g., grading), receive access to SPARK only after they are listed as Student Assistants (SPARK-Only) in SPIRE.

Together with your TA, fill out and sign the SPARK FERPA Acknowledgment Form (http://www.oit.umass.edu/spark/undergradta_request.pdf, pdf 34k). File a form for each TA with the Academic Scheduling Representative in your department.

Activating TA access to specific SPARK tools

For both Undergraduate and Graduate TAs, once SPARK is updated with the latest information from SPIRE, your TA will have access to the Teach and  Student View tabs. Use the Teaching Assistant Settings Administration area in SPARK to select the teaching tools your TA will have access to.  For information on TA settings please visit: 
http://www.oit.umass.edu/spark/access/ta_tools.html

Giving TAs access to the Build tab in SPARK

If you want your TAs to be able to upload files and change course content, they will need to have access to the Build tab. To grant them access to the Build tab, you will need to submit an online Special Accounts request form and request that your TAs be granted “Section Designer” access: http://people.umass.edu/accoprod/webct/vista4_special_account.html

If you have any questions please call the Instructional Media Lab at 413-545-2823

Many classrooms across campus are equipped with cabinets of audio visual equipment which including a DVD player, VCR, and the all important laptop-to-projector connection cable. 

Step 1: Check if your classroom(s) are on the list of spaces with the cabinets installed:
http://www.umass.edu/provost/classroom/

Step 2: Request keys for audio visual cabinets through the Provost Office’s webpage:
http://www.umass.edu/provost/key-request/ 

With the beginning of the semester being the busiest, the Provost’s Office encourages advance submission of key requests.

Creating a class email list can be a simple way to keep your students up-to-date with announcements on course events. Instructors can use SPIRE to create, refresh, and delete class email lists. This will generate a single email address that lets you email all the students enrolled in the course at once. 

More information at:

http://www.oit.umass.edu/spire/for_instructors/class_information/mailing_list.html

Tip: Your enrollment will be in flux during add/drop so it is best to not rely heavily on email lists until after your roster has settled down  (usually 2 weeks into the semester).

Your students will have access to your Spring 2010 SPARK on Monday January 18th (12:01 AM to be exact.)

If you have requested and received a SPARK course, but not yet opened it up and begun building it, your students will see that course listed as when the log into SPARK, but receive a “Course not yet available message” if they try to access it.

Remember that you can hide items in your SPARK course to control access to areas of your SPARK course that may still be under construction at the start of the semester.

In SPIRE, find the SPARK Course Request Form in the left Menu, under Faculty Home > SPARK Course Request. If you have already requested your SPARK course for Spring 2010, you may check the status of your request in SPIRE.

For more information about requesting a SPARK course in SPIRE please see:
http://www.oit.umass.edu/spire/for_instructors/class_information/sparkcourse_request.html

Courses are normally created within 3 business days. You will receive a confirmation email once the course is ready. Please note that you can only request a course if you are listed as the primary instructor in SPIRE.

If you would like to reuse SPARK content from a previous semester, refer to the instructions at:

http://www.oit.umass.edu/spark/help/open_course/firstaccess.html

Questions? Contact the Instructional Media Lab at 545-2823 | instruct@oit.umass.edu.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month!

In support of this national initiative, OIT is sponsoring a number of activities designed to help the UMass Amherst community stay safe online. Each week in October will have its own cyber security theme. Protecting your computer is easier than you think!

Week 4: Change Your Clocks & Your Passwords

Don’t fall back on your old password! Change your passwords with daylight savings (November 1).

• Rules for Passwords
• Safe Password Tips

Test your knowledge. Take our Password Security Quiz!

If you have administrative access to the Human Resources system, you are required to change your OIT Account password in SPIRE every 180 days. more…

Grading weekly discussions for my online class was a nightmare until Blackboard developed “Grading Forms”. Now grading discussions is as easy as 1-2-3.  Instead of spending hours reviewing student posts and grading them accordingly I now spend less than 20 minutes per week grading discussion participation.

My students receive up to two points every week for active participation in weekly discussions. With the addition of a grading form I simply choose the performance indicator that corresponds with each student’s responses. This numeric point value is automatically recorded in the grade book.

Setting up and linking a Grading Form might take little bit of time but it is well worth the effort. All I have to do is create a simple grading rubric (known as a grading form) in Blackboard. When I set up my discussion I simply choose to grade by a particular grading form. When the week’s discussion ends I am able to efficiently grade each individual student based on the performance indicators in the grading form. Voila! Done!

The students are able to preview the grading form to review expectations and then refer to the graded grading form to understand why they received a particular grade. Expectations are clearly defined and everyone is happy. Best of all my workload is reduced, I am less stressed, and my time is better spent doing what I was hired to do: Teach! 

Example of a grading form:

For more information about Grading Forms see:

http://oit.umass.edu/spark/help/gradebook/grading_forms.pdf

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month!

In support of this national initiative, OIT is sponsoring a number of activities designed to help the UMass Amherst community stay safe online. Each week in October will have its own cyber security theme. Protecting your computer is easier than you think!

Week 3: Secure Your Data

Learn how you can protect University data and your own personal information.

• Storing & Sharing Sensitive Information (pdf, 5 M)
• FERPA* & Student Records in the Classroom (pdf, 11 M)
• FERPA Privacy Waiver (for students & parents)
• Data Security Compliance at UMass Amherst

*Federal Educational Rights & Privacy Act

Test your knowledge. Take our Data Security Quiz!

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month!

In support of this national initiative, OIT is sponsoring a number of activities designed to help the UMass Amherst community stay safe online. Each week in October will have its own cyber security theme. Protecting your computer is easier than you think!

Week 2: Phishing

Don’t get caught in an email scam! Learn how you can identify fraudulent emails and protect your identity.

• How to Spot a Phishing Scam (pdf, 170 K)
• Phishing 101
• Phishing Attacks @ UMass Amherst

Learn how to recognize phishing scams. Take our Phishing Quiz!

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month!

In support of this national initiative, OIT is sponsoring a number of activities designed to help the UMass Amherst community stay safe online. Each week in October will have its own cyber security theme. Protecting your computer is easier than you think!

Week 1: Safe Computing

This week, we’ll take a look at safe computing.

Learn more about the minimum steps you can take to keep your computer secure. Take our Security Basics Quiz!

WebDAV (World Wide Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is a quick and easy tool for managing your files in UDrive and on SPARK. On a Mac, you can mount your UDrive or your SPARK File Manager directly onto your desktop, allowing you to easily drag & drop (or copy & paste) files between your computer and your UDrive or SPARK course. Here’s a quick tutorial on how it works: