Spring Track L General Requirements
This year, FDI is again offering alternative tracks that will meet during the spring semester. By attending the sessions that comprise a spring track, faculty can opt out of participating during the summer months and still meet the participation requirements to receive a computer.
Spring Track L Description
This spring-only track, a collaboration between FDI and Newman Library, is designed to specifically meet the professional development needs of librarians. While this track offers participants a broad FDI experience that will facilitate interaction with faculty from across the university, it also provides a cohort experience that will foster interactions among librarians that encourages the development of a community of practice. Participants will attend an introductory orientation led by their cohort leaders and track facilitators, Lesley Moyo and Leslie O’Brien. Following this event, participants will have the opportunity to attend a variety of FDI programming including sessions led by peers in the library as well as FDI presenters from around Virginia Tech. Required topics include Scholar, Google Analytics, copyright and open access information, computer security, and a Campus Resources at Virginia Tech session. Participants will also be able to select five (or more) additional FDI short courses to attend based upon their own personal and professional interests.
Spring Track L Requirements Overview
Spring Track L will require participants to attend ten selected spring short courses and two cohort meetings, led by Lesley Moyo and Leslie O’Brien, to receive a computer. This Track will begin on January 12 and end on April 26.
Librarian Track - Introduction to FDI Spring 2011
| A discussion about the expected outcomes for librarian participation in the Faculty Development Institute. Participants will have reviewed the course offerings and made preliminary choices. Come prepared to talk about individual expectations.
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Librarian Track Wrap-Up
| Participants should have completed the required sessions and elective courses. Come prepared to share your experiences and discuss how the track met your expectations. Bring suggestions for next year's librarian track.
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Campus Instructional Resources/Computer Security
| This short course will provide participants with an overview of several services and agencies that are in place at Virginia Tech to support the use of technology across instructional and research activities. Other key initiatives of general interest to all faculty will be highlighted in this session as well. Participants can expect to hear about new capabilities available in the InnovationSpace, new tools such as a new survey tool, new repository software, the latest GIS software at Tech, new resources in the University Libraries and more. Virginia Tech's security group will also be present to provide strategies, suggestions, and access to software that will assist participants as they take steps to ensure the safety of the information on their computers and the computer systems at Virginia Tech.
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Google Analytics and Library Resources
| While developed primarily for e-commerce markets, Google Analytics can provide a surprising amount of information about website usage, including navigation to and from the page, user searches, and even the user's browser capabilities. This session will reveal where we are capturing data, discuss how data and trends directly influence the library's website design, and explore how data can be used in developing Subject Guides, course guides, and handouts. Participants should identify key pages used in instruction and reference for use during hands-on activities. |
Copyright and Open Access Session
| Increase your understanding of US copyright law, particularly your rights and responsibilities, fair use, and the TEACH Act (i.e., US Code Title 17, Sect. 106-110). Questions and concerns submitted by the VT community will illustrate the legal code along with university policies (e.g., ETDs and NIH Public Access Policy). Become familiar with local copyright resources, including http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/copyright/ |
Scholar for Library Administrative Purposes
| This in-depth workshop, a collaboration between FDI and Online Learning and Collaboration Services (OLCS), will provide those who assist faculty with technology with essential information regarding Scholar. A hands-on demonstration of Scholar will be covered in the first part of this session. Participants will be provided with key step-by-step guides and will be given a tour of the support and help resources that are available to all users of Scholar. Discussion will be a hallmark of this session as this session will be tailored to the participants' requests, and participants are encouraged to come with questions regarding Scholar. |
Securing Your Computer: Making Your PC as Safe as Possible
| For the past several years, the Information Technology Security Office at Virginia Tech has delivered a broad awareness campaign regarding the risks posed to those using computer and networks. This hands-on short course is an extension of those sessions. The number of risks to computer users seems to be growing every day. Viruses, adware, spyware, phishing, pharming, keyloggers, hackers, hoaxes, and spam are just a few of these risks. This session will provide pragmatic strategies in a hands-on environment which will help you better protect yourself from these and other threats. Topics to be discussed include firewall configurations, antivirus installation and settings, e-mail filters, and more. Those with laptops and Tablet PCs are encouraged to bring their computer to this session. This will enable you to apply the security measures taught during this short course to your computer during your time in this session. By the end of this short course, you will not only know what the key threats are on the internet today, you will also know how to protect yourself against them. Note: This session is PC specific. Mac users are encouraged to take the Mac specific session entitled "Securing Your Computer: Making Your Mac as Safe as Possible." |
Securing Your Computer: Making Your Mac as Safe as Possible
| For the past several years, the Information Technology Security Office at Virginia Tech has delivered a broad awareness campaign regarding the risks posed to those using computer and networks. This hands-on short course is an extension of those sessions. The number of risks to computer users seems to be growing every day. Viruses, adware, spyware, phishing, pharming, keyloggers, hackers, hoaxes, and spam are just a few of these risks. This session will provide pragmatic strategies in a hands-on environment which will help you better protect yourself from these and other threats. Topics to be discussed include firewall configurations, antivirus installation and settings, e-mail filters, and more. Those with laptops are encouraged to bring their computer to this session. This will enable you to apply the security measures taught during this short course to your computer during your time in this session. By the end of this short course, you will not only know what the key threats are on the internet today, you will also know how to protect yourself against them. Note: This session is Mac specific. PC users are encouraged to take the PC specific session entitled "Securing Your Computer: Making Your PC as Safe as Possible." |
Adobe Acrobat 9 (Part One): Creating PDF Files for Instruction
| Have you discovered the limitations of HTML web pages and are looking for solutions to those problems? PDF files are completely web-ready and are capable of presenting information in ways that are impossible with traditional HTML. Beyond initial PDF file creation, this short course will also focus on how the functionality of PDF files can be extended by using the Adobe Acrobat Professional (version 9). Topics will include manipulating PDF document property and file size, adding navigation of bookmarks, web links and internal links, securing PDF files with password, and inserting sound and movie. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. |
Adobe Acrobat 9 (Part Two): Enhancing PDF Files with Advanced Features
| Are you a user of the PDF file format and would like to know how to extend the capabilities of these files? In this short course, advanced features of Adobe Acrobat will be explored. Topics to be covered include how to add comments (note tool, text editing tool, stamp tool, highlighting tool), and how to use advanced security features (restrict printing, prevent changes to a document, digital IDs, etc.). In addition, creating forms in pdf with Adobe Acrobat Professional (version 9) will be covered as well. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. |
Adobe InDesign CS5: An Introduction to Page Layout and Design
| Are you looking for a good page layout program? Are you looking for an easy way to design posters, flyers, handouts, or do you need a better way to format a large paper or book? Have you been using page layout programs that just don't do what you need? This workshop will cover the basics of page layout with Adobe In-Design, including working with text, graphics and various output formats (WWW, print, PDF). No prior experience with any page layout software is necessary. Explanations of all of the main tool palates will be provided, and hands-on activities will be central to the workshop. |
Adobe InDesign: Beyond the Basics - Large Documents, Master Pages and Styles
| In this workshop, hands-on activities will center upon the creation and editing of larger documents and those aspects of Adobe InDesign that makes this an ideal tool for the job. Styles, Master Pages, Tables of Contents, and Page Numbering will provide ample material for hands-on activities. |
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0: Adjusting Images for the Web (for Mac Users Only)
| Are you looking for an image editor that produces high-quality results without all of the complexity of Adobe Photoshop CS5? This short course will provide participants with the skills necessary to prepare images for the web using Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0. Participants will learn the capabilities of Elements and practice adjusting image size, resolution, color, contrast, etc. No prior experience with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is required. |
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0: Adjusting Images for the Web (for Windows Users Only)
| Are you looking for an image editor that produces high-quality results without all of the complexity of Adobe Photoshop CS5? This short course will provide participants with the skills necessary to prepare images for the web using Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0. Participants will learn the capabilities of Elements and practice adjusting image size, resolution, color, contrast, etc. No prior experience with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is required. |
Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Part 1): Scanning, Cropping and Image Manipulation
| This short course provides participants with a general overview of the Adobe Photoshop CS5 application. This session will include an exploration and discussion of Photoshop's workspace, toolbox, palettes, and the file browsing function. Scanning, cropping, rotating, and other image manipulation procedures will be shown. In addition, digital image transformation techniques, such as manipulating brightness and contrast, will be covered. Participants will be provided with sample images, and hands-on opportunities to explore the functionality of the aforementioned tools will be an integral attribute of this session. No prior experience with Photoshop is required. |
Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Part 2): Design Mockups, Graidents and Blending Techniques
| Continuing where Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Part One) left off, this short course will begin with an overview of the selection techniques that make it possible to manipulate a specific section of a digital image. Participants will learn how to move/transform a selection, add specific touches to an image, and apply filters to achieve special effects. Emphasis will also be placed upon selection techniques, managing/creating multiple layers and using graidents. The final product of the course will be a mockup of a website. The skills used in this course could also be used to develop other publications and media promotions. |
Communications Workshop - 'How to get yourself heard'
| Communicating with the public, stakeholders and news media has never been more crucial. Learn how to put together a news release, refine the key messages in your communications plan, tell a good story, give a memorable PowerPoint talk -- and more. |
Concept Maps: Using Concept Mapping Software to Teach Complex Concepts
| Concept maps can be utilized as a learning tool to help students with creating a visual representation of complex ideas. Concept maps can enhance constructivist learning by allowing students to create relationships between new and prior knowledge. This session will explore both free and commercial concept mapping tools. Discussion of the applications of concept maps to increase comprehension, as advance organizers, to create a framework for learning, to demonstrate expert approach to a topic or problem, and more. Learn how these tools increase student metacognition and allow them a greater understanding of the topic. A hands-on portion of this session will allow participants to create a concept map. A discussion will allow attendees to apply concept maps to their particular subject matter. |
Customize your Course Content: Web Widgets for Up-to-Date Information
| Want to create tools within Scholar or on your website that are both current and tailored to your needs? This is the session for you. We will explore how to create web widgets that can include customized news updates, individualized maps, countdown tools, and more. These widgets will make your Scholar site or web page interesting and dynamic. |
Digital Storytelling
| Looking for a way for your students to present their ideas in a digital format? Want to enhance your students' 21st-century communication skills. Come to this FDI session on digital storytelling and learn how easy it is to get your students creating videos. You'll leave this session with your digital story. You will use iMovie and GarageBand to create a movie of your story. We'll explore resources for copyright-free images and music. You'll learn how to export your story to Youtube or Scholar. |
Dreamweaver CS5 (Part 1): Webpage Creation and HTML Coding
| Are you looking for an easy to use method of creating web (HTML) pages? Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 creates standard HTML code and offers numerous tools to create and incorporate the latest technologies (Flash, DHTML, etc.) into HTML web pages. This short course will provide participants with an overview of the process of web site creation as well as the new CS5 user interface, including server information and options on campus. Introductory topics, such as inserting and modifying text, images, tables, and hyperlinks, will be taught. More advanced topics will also be covered, including interactive images, rollover effects, and Flash text. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Participants are encouraged to bring a jumpdrive so that they can take their creations with them once this workshop is over. |
Dreamweaver CS5 (Part 2): An Introduction to CSS
| This hands-on short course is designed for those who would like to build or update a web site using Adobe Dreamweaver for a project at Virginia Tech. Participants in this session will use Dreamweaver, work with CSS, and focus on incorporating VT design elements into a web site. With CSS, you can decide how headings and other elements of a web site should look without having to rebuild those elements in every page within a site. Changing the CSS in a header, for instance, will result in those changes being reflected in all associated web pages. In short, CSS is an incredible time saver for those maintaining web sites and makes it easier to control layout across browsers and platforms. A key focus of this session will be on using CSS "divs" to structure the layout of web content. An adherence to Web 2.0 standards will be practiced throughout as will approaches associated with web accessibility. Participants will also be provided with university branded images and an overview of the university color palette for use on their departmental/center websites. Note: Previous experience is not required, however taking the Dreamweaver Part 1 course or having an understanding of HTML coding is highly recommended. |
Dreamweaver CS5 (Part 3): Intermediate CSS, Templates and Multimedia
| This short course will highlight more advanced CSS concepts and include hands-on instruction on how to create a Dreamweaver template as well as insert and modify multimedia. Expanding on the content of Dreamweaver CS5 (Part Two), participants will use Dreamweaver to insert videos into web pages. Participants will also build and modify image maps and iframes. This hands-on session will also focus on advanced uses of CSS which makes it easier for you to provide your end users with a more visually engaging web experience via the use of rollover images, list element manipulation and changes to overall site elements. Note: Previous experience is not required, however taking the Dreamweaver Part 2 course or having an understanding of basic CSS coding is highly recommended. |
DyKnow - Level 1
| This hands-on workshop will introduce the basics of DyKnow, a interactive classroom tool http://www.dyknow.com used extensively in K-12 and higher education. The most commonly used features includes importing and conversion of PowerPoint slides, annotating slides and polling. Participants will act as students during the first half of the class and can practice in pairs during the 2nd half of the class, as time permits. Tablet PCs will be provided for all participants. |
EndNote 4: Managing your Research
| Are you looking for a tool that can help you manage bibliographic information across multiple manuscripts and articles? In this short course, you will be introduced to Endnote. The focus will be on creating a database of information that can be easily utilized and cited in your research. In addition to creating a database of your references, you will learn how to connect to remote databases on the web. Through Endnote, you will be able to search these databases and import the results into your EndNote database. You will also learn how to import images, tables, graphs, etc. into your EndNote database; insert references into manuscripts; and chose the appropriate bibliographic format. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Note: EndNote X3 for Windows and Macintosh are now available free of charge to all interested VT faculty, staff, and graduate students. Please visit the Software Distribution web site for more information. |
ePortfolio: Virginia Tech's ePortfolio System within Scholar
| Virginia Tech's ePortfolio system is a web-based, interactive tool designed to help students create, organize, reflect on, and share evidence of their educational accomplishments, both in courses and extracurricular activities. ePortfolio is also seen as a tool to assist programs and departments with self-studies, assessment, and accreditation. This short course will explore these and other applications of ePortfolio. The pros and cons of traditional applications of portfolios will be outlined, as will a generalized model of the portfolio process. The changes enabled by ePortfolio will be highlighted and ePortfolio's evolution at Virginia Tech will be discussed. The ePortfolio is quite flexible; however, faculty wishing to use it must make a number of decisions as they design how they would like the system to work. An overview of this designing process will be provided along with documentation and other resources that will aid faculty as they move toward an adoption of ePortfolio. An in-depth, hands-on exploration of the latest version of this software will follow the conceptual discussion. |
ePortfolios Everywhere: Projects at Virginia Tech
| ePortfolios are being used across the university for a wide variety of purposes, including learning, assessment, and professional development. The ePortfolio tools within Scholar offer ways to help students create, organize, reflect on, and share evidence of their educational accomplishments, both in courses and extracurricular activities. The tools can also assist programs and departments with self-studies, assessment, and accreditation. This short course presents a wide variety of successful ePortfolio projects from around campus. An in-depth discussion of portfolio development will be provided. Examples of different types of portfolios will be highlighted, including projects that focus on reflective learning, departmental and programmatic assessment, and professional development, as well as portfolios that blend two or more of the preceding areas. Plenty of time will be given for discussion and participant questions related to individual portfolio needs and implementation within participant courses, programs, and departments. |
First Year Experience ePortfolios at Virginia Tech
| This Fall marked the first pilot year of Virginia Tech’s Quality Enhancement Plan, related to our university-level accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The QEP focuses on the first-year experiences and is intended to encourage processes of problem solving, inquiry, and integrative learning among the first-year students, with the goal of making them more aware of professional opportunities that are available to them at the university ePortfolios play a critical role in facilitating both the learning and assessment agendas related to deploying a successful, campus-wide first-year experience. Based in the undergraduate colleges, each first-year experience has core elements, such as the ePortfolio, an online Course of Study Planner, and the Common Book, but can also be tailored to the individual characteristics of that college. This short course provides an overview of the first-year experience ePortfolio and offers examples of current FYE portfolio projects. |
Extend the Reach of Your Research through the Center for Research Libraries
| Virginia Tech's membership in the Center for Research Libraries now offers Tech researchers more than 5 million rare resources from around the world, primarily through ILLiad and increasingly online. Especially useful for researchers in humanities, history, area studies, and social sciences, CRL provides access to whole runs of hard-to-find periodicals, hundreds of thousands of dissertations from foreign universities, archives, and uncommon monographs, documents, and ephemera across the disciplines. Yet there are quirks in the way CRL operates that can test the patience of researchers who encounter them unprepared This short course covers:
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Teaching with Scholar – Panel Discussion
| Scholar offers tools for teaching and learning, research, collaboration, and assessment/accreditation projects. It also hosts a number of enhancements and features that help foster student learning and collaborative ventures. Some faculty, however, may be unaware that a rapidly growing number of their colleagues use Scholar to support their teaching and research practices even if students don't quite yet know about it. Scholar has enhanced (and, yes, changed) teaching, research, and service all over campus. Presenters in this session are recruited from a diverse cross-section of academic activity and they use Scholar in a myriad of ways. What they have in common is that they are enthusiastic and recognize the promise in this technology. While each panelist will offer a short presentation highlighting their own applications of Scholar in use, group discussion and dialogue will be hallmarks of this session. |
Google Analytics and University Web Pages
| While developed primarily for e-commerce markets, Google Analytics can provide a surprising amount of information about website usage, including navigation to and from the page, user searches, and even the user's browser capabilities. This session will discuss adding Google Analytics code to web pages (and where it is already available) and the different tracking options available. The majority of the workshop will be spent explaining the report sections and how to interpret them in a non-commerce/academic environment. |
Google Maps, Google Earth and Mashups
| In this session, you'll learn how to put yourself on the map with your digital learners. Give your students a sense of place and engage them in the learning process through this easy-to-implement Web 2.0 technology. Learn how Google Earth can be easily implemented in your classrooms as an additional teaching tool to provide materials in a format that today's learners prefer. Also see applications of Google Earth projects in a variety of subject areas. Learn how to develop student-created Google Earth projects to enhance their learning and your teaching tools. New updates to Google Earth will be explored including the ability to create easy mashups with existing data and embedding Google Earth into Scholar or websites. |
Google Tools for Education
| Google increasingly offers a variety of services through their web sites that reach far beyond the capabilities of a search engine, and many of these have clear applications for higher education. Many universities and schools now use Google Applications for Education and Gmail as part of their everyday work. Discussion and hands-on exploration of these tools will be the hallmarks of this session. In addition to Google Scholar, Google Calender, and Google Sites, participants will learn about the power and time-saving tricks of iGoogle, Google Documents, and Reader. Each of the tools shown will have particular niche applications for those in higher education. Note: You should request or have a Google Account of your own prior to the workshop. To request a Google Account of your own, fill out and submit the online form at https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount. |
iPads for Active and Engaged Learning
| Want to experiment with the iPad? Want to see what apps are available for your discipline? This session will explore apps on the iPad that increase your productivity and student engagement in their learning. The apps will include DropBox, SoundNote, iAnnotate and more. We'll discuss the needs within your discipline and advantages and drawbacks to the iPad. |
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010: Creating PowerPoint Presentations and Adding Multimedia Enhancements - For Windows Only
| Have you wanted to learn how to create more effective classroom and conference presentations? This short course is intended for those who are new to PowerPoint or have only utilized its most basic features. Sound PowerPoint design principles will be provided as will strategies that decrease your time investment with the software and increase your focus on your content. Text, image, sound, and movie insertions will be demonstrated as will advanced custom animations and transitions. After the session, participants will be able to analyze good and bad PowerPoint presentations, utilize advanced PowerPoint capabilities (transition, animation, and audio/video insertions), and export PowerPoint slides to various formats (print, WORD, PDF, and webpage). Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. |
Microsoft PowerPoint 2011: Creating PowerPoint Presentations and Adding Multimedia Enhancements - For Macs Only
| Have you wanted to learn how to create more effective classroom and conference presentations? This short course is intended for those who are new to PowerPoint or have only utilized its most basic features. Sound PowerPoint design principles will be provided as will strategies that decrease your time investment with the software and increase your focus on your content. Text, image, sound, and movie insertions will be demonstrated as will advanced custom animations and transitions. After the session, participants will be able to analyze good and bad PowerPoint presentations, utilize advanced PowerPoint capabilities (transition, animation, and audio/video insertions), and export PowerPoint slides to various formats (print, WORD, PDF, and webpage). Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Note: This session is for those who are using an Apple operating system with "Office for Mac 2011". There is a separate short course for Window users |
Microsoft Project 2010: Managing Project Details
| Are you feeling overwhelmed by the details involved with most projects, especially large or multiple projects? This short course will introduce you to the benefits of using Microsoft Project 2010 to help you manage simple to complex projects. Microsoft Project gives you robust project management tools that are usable and flexible, so you can manage projects more efficiently and effectively. You can stay on top of project work, schedules, and finances using this single program, giving you more time to keep project teams aligned and be more productive. Additionally, Microsoft Project 2010 integrates with other familiar Microsoft Office programs that help you create powerful reporting and analysis tools. In this short course, you will learn how to enter tasks, assign dates, assign resources, and manipulate Gantt chart details to help you with strategizing and tracking a project. You will also learn how to import existing projects into a centralized project plan, find and apply templates, as well as develop graphs and charts for reporting purposes. |
Microsoft Word: Advanced Features for Publication, Collaboration, and Instruction - FOR MAC
| Have you ever wondered what all of those extra buttons and features were in Microsoft Word? Do you use Microsoft Word in your teaching? Would you like to enhance the documents you write? This short course will provide participants with hands-on experience using advanced features of the latest version of Microsoft Word, such as Tables of Contents and Indices, Track Changes and other collaborative editing tools, Macros, and Style guides. Participants will be given hands-on opportunities to practice using each of the tools, and discussion will focus on how these tools can be used in publishing and teaching Note: This workshop is for those using Microsoft Word 2008 or 2011 for Mac. |
Microsoft Word: Advanced Features for Publication, Collaboration, and Instruction - FOR WINDOWS
| Have you ever wondered what all of those extra buttons and features were in Microsoft Word? Do you use Microsoft Word in your teaching? Would you like to enhance the documents you write? This short course will provide participants with hands-on experience using advanced features of the latest version of Microsoft Word, such as Tables of Contents and Indices, Track Changes and other collaborative editing tools, Macros, and Style guides. Participants will be given hands-on opportunities to practice using each of the tools, and discussion will focus on how these tools can be used in publishing and teaching Note: This workshop is for those using Microsoft Office Word 2010. |
Podcasting: Creating Podcasts for Higher Education using Audacity
| Have you heard about Podcasting and wonder if it could hold value for you in the courses you teach? This short course will provide participants with everything they need to know to begin their own podcast. In addition to defining key concepts and related terminology, this short course will provide an overview of the ways in which podcasting is being used in higher education and beyond. In addition to this conceptual overview, much of this short course will be spent teaching participants how to record, edit, and save audio in preparation for podcasting using free software called Audacity. Participants will also leave this session with knowledge concerning the podcasting support resources on campus. iTunes U will also be part of this short course as will other podcasting services available to faculty at Virginia Tech. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. Note: Audacity is available for the Mac and Windows. |
Scholar Basics I - What is Scholar?, Site Creation, plus Instructor's Checklist for Scholar Course Sites
| Scholar Basics I - Welcome to Scholar, a robust learning and collaboration system which offers tools for teaching and learning, research and collaboration, and ePortfolio assessment/accreditation projects. Scholar has replaced Blackboard as the collaborative learning environment at Virginia Tech. This introduction to Scholar will provide you with information on what you need to know to get started. Instructor's Checklist - Ever wanted a quick and easy way to see if your Scholar course site is ready for the next semester? This Scholar workshop provides instructors at any experience level with a checklist of the basic items to prepare your Course Site for the upcoming semester. The checklist includes informational links to Knowledge Base Articles which will walk you through, step by step, in setting up your site. Also, you will be shown useful resources to request additional help. Upon completion of this workshop, your students will be able to see your Course Site and Gradebook. Note: Due to the amount of information covered in this workshop, we will begin on-time and may not be able to accommodate late arrivals. |
Scholar Basics Part II – Common Course Tools
| Although there are over 40 tools available in a Scholar site, a basic Course site includes approximately 13 common tools: Home, Announcements, Assignments, Calendar, Gradebook, Request 4Help, Resources, Roster, Site Info, Support Page, Syllabus, Test Scoring Services (TSS) Import, and Tests & Quizzes. This 60-minute informational overview workshop provides you with a brief explanation and demonstration of these 13 common tools to help you get started with your Scholar Course site and will offer a cursory comparison of tools between Scholar and Blackboard. Note:
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Scholar Basics Part III – Gradebook
| This workshop assumes you have created a site (Course or Project) and have a basic familiarity with Scholar. This abbreviated hands-on workshop provides you with "only what you need to know" in Scholar. Time will be spent to learn how the Gradebook works in Scholar. The discussion will center around how the Gradebook displays graded Tests & Quizzes and Assignments from the respective tools. You will learn how to setup your gradebook with basic Categories and Weighting, how to add items for various assignments, how to provide TAs with different levels of access to your gradebooks and/or sections, and how to import and export the gradebook. |
Scholar for Research, Collaboration, & Administrative Purposes
| Scholar Project sites are designed to facilitate collaboration and communication. Within Scholar Project sites, organizers, participants, and guests can effectively discuss ideas, exchange and share files, and present web content. Private and public group pages can be formed. Access permissions are easily set and determined by the organizers of each site. Scholar site owners can invite anyone they wish, even beyond Virginia Tech, to join their sites and participate in the collaboration. If a Project site requires or needs it, ePortfolio aspects can be incorporated to help manage large projects or to provide opportunities for program assessment and presentation. The focus of this workshop will be on providing concrete examples of how Scholar is already being used by departments and research groups. Plan to brainstorm ideas for how it may serve your project or research idea. Specific tools covered will include: Creating a New Site, Site Info (Adding participants & creating Groups), Calendar, Email Archive, Resources, Wiki, and Sign-up. If time allows, additional tools may include: Forums, News, and/or Web Content. |
Scholar Collaboration Tools (Chat, Blogs, Wikis, Resources, & Podcasting)
| Scholar sites are designed to facilitate collaboration and communication through the discussion of ideas, exchanging and sharing files, and presenting web content, thus making it a powerful tool for supporting modern practices of teaching and learning. This workshop is focused on the instructor looking to engage students in the ownership of their learning, providing instructional strategies and activities using tools within Scholar to help you engage and to encourage student discussion and dialog. Examples will be demonstrated and we will have the opportunity to discuss other possible ways to provide students with "ownership" in their learning. Specific tools covered in this workshop may include: Chat Room, Forums, Blogs, Wikis, Resources, & Podcasts. |
Seven Technology Tools to Use in Your Teaching Today
| Are you looking for quick, simple, and free tools to enhance your student's learning experience? Attend this session and learn ten tools that you can quickly and easily implement in your classes today. These tools will include: Google Earth (Interactive Mapping), Jing Project (give your students audio and video comments on their assignments), Creative Commons (copyright available materials for your class), Clip Nabber (video clip download tool),Google Wave, Slide Share (take your photos and/or PowerPoint slides), and more. |
Student Response Systems ("Clickers"): Using Technology to Engage and Assess Students During Class
| Are you looking for ways to engage ALL of your students, even in large classes? Would you like to give a pop quiz, on the fly, to a group of 500 students and have it graded as soon as students turn in their answers? Student Response Systems (sometimes referred to as Classroom Performance Systems or "clickers") can do both of these things and more. The response system concept has been around for decades, but today's version is sophisticated and easy-to-use for any time and in any place. ANY faculty member with a laptop or in-class computer can utilize this in his/her courses--wireless Internet connections are not even needed! This short course will consist of two key parts. The first hour will be led by faculty and FDI staff to provide participants with an overview of the features and concrete pedagogical applications and discussions of student response systems. Participants will learn how these systems promote discussion, capture students' attention, and engage every student in class, even those in the back row of large lecture halls. The second hour will allow vendors to present their products, allow for hands-on interaction, and to answer any questions that you may have. FDI has been in contact with a number of vendors, and a variety of clickers will be on-hand for you to try out. |
Survey of Web 2.0 in Higher Education
| With the emergence of dozens of compelling Web 2.0 applications in recent months, FDI has had several requests to offer a short course highlighting the most compelling of those that have clear applicability for teaching, research, and outreach. Briefly, Web 2.0 applications are distinctly different from earlier applications of the web in that they don't simply link information together. They link people together; people who are able to share, trade, and collaborate via the Internet. Sometimes called the read/write web, this survey short course will highlight tools that enable this linking of people to accomplish some goal or project. Participants will have time to explore and discuss each tool and will leave the session with a list of tools and resources to apply immediately and explore over time. Social networking, data mashing, media-sharing, blogs, wikis, podcasts, online bookmarking, personalized webpages, photo editing, concept mapping, voice threads, virtual worlds and more will be discussed during this session. Prior to the workshop, please consider visiting the following sites: Note: This session should be seen as a companion to the "Seven Technology Tools to Use in Your Teaching Today" short course; however, neither session is a prerequisite for the other. |
survey.vt.edu: Collecting Survey Data via the Web
| Have you been looking for tools that will enable you to collect survey data via the web? This short course will provide you with a hands-on walk-through of all of the capabilities provided by survey.vt.edu - a Virginia Tech web-based surveying tool. Participants will learn how to create a survey, add/remove administrators, change e-mail notification, restrict access, and view and export results to Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session. |
Tablet Tricks and Tips
| Get to know what you can do with your tablet PC. A short review of several useful software packages will be covered including OneNote, PDF Annotator and Microsoft Interactive Classroom (free Microsoft Office plug-in). This will be a hands on class. Tablet PCs will be provided for all participants. |
APA: What's New in the Sixth Edition
| The sixth edition of APA's publication manual came out in July 2009. APA 6 was developed in response to numerous technological advances that have impacted publishing and writing. This one-hour short course will cover many of these changes. Participants can expect to learn more about what's new in APA 6 and how it can be useful for you and your students. Specific differences between the fifth and sixth editions will be highlighted throughout. |
Update to English Resources
| Would you like to learn more about English language and literature resources available in Newman library? Come to this interactive session and learn about the resources. Emphasis will be on the new additions to our collection and using advanced features. Databases featured Ebsco, Project Muse, MLA, and our new additions. |
Using GarageBand for Podcasts and Other Audio
| Participants will learn how to use Apple's GarageBand application to create audio podcasts and do basic audio editing. |
Using iMovie for Basic Video Editing
| Participants will learn how to use the features of Apple's iMovie to create digital video content for research and instruction. |
Web Design: Modeling an Effective Web Site
| Are you looking for web design principles that will help you plan an attractive, high-functioning website? This short course will provide an overview of the key issues of web design, including site aesthetics, visual identity, organization, navigability, and accessibility. Participants will break into groups and design homepages pertaining to their interests, which we will then evaluate as a class. Participants of this course will exit knowing the principles of web design as well as their practical application. |
Zotero: Gather, Organize, Utilize and Share Research Citations
| Zotero is a powerful and free http://www.zotero.org research tool that helps you gather, organize, and analyze sources (citations, full texts, web pages, images, and other objects), and lets you share the results of your research in a variety of ways. An extension to the popular open-source web browser Firefox, Zotero includes the best parts of older reference manager software - the ability to store author, title, and publication fields and to export that information as formatted references - and the best parts of the latest software and web applications (like iTunes and del.icio.us), such as the ability to interact, tag, and search in advanced ways. Zotero integrates tightly with online resources; it can sense when users are viewing a book, article, or other object on the web, and - on many major research and library sites - find and automatically save the full reference information for the item in the correct fields. Since it lives in the web browser, it can effortlessly transmit information to, and receive information from, other web services and applications; since it runs on one's personal computer, it can also communicate with software running there (such as Microsoft Word). This short course will provide a complete introduction to this new bibliographic management tool. |
Track Requirements
Total of Seven 2-hour Spring Short Courses
Required Meeting #1:
Required Meeting #2:
Required Short Course #1:
Required Short Course #2:
Required Short Course #3:
Required Short Course #4:
Required Short Course #5:
choose one or more of the following courses
Required Short Course #6 - #10:
choose 5 or more of the following courses