Issue 3: February, 2007

SOE Tech Info Newsletter 

Tech@CofC 

Three Strikes and You’re out on Spinner

Gone are the days when you could try your spinner password 15 times until you found the right one.  Now, in an effort to make our web server more secure from hackers, you have three chances to get it right.  After three wrong passwords your account will be locked and you will need to contact the webmaster to have your account unlocked. If this happens to you, or if you can’t remember your Spinner password and need it reset just send an email to that effect to the web master at webmaster@cofc.edu 

Faculty Web Pages

Do you have a faculty web page?  If you don’t you should.  If I’m not mistaken it’s a requirement in the SOE.  Getting a web page is easy.  Just contact me and I’ll send you the form you need to fill out.  This will get you an account on Spinner (the CofC web server).  Once you have an account all you need to do is make a web page.  

Easy to use templates have been created to simplify this process.  They can be found on the SOE web page.  If you are interested in getting your web page up and running just give me a call and I’ll be happy to give you training and assistance.

WebCT Tip

Have you ever posted a web page into WebCT and, upon viewing it, found if full of squares and question marks?  This problem is a result of incompatible character sets.  WebCT uses the UTF-8 (international) set and most US products use a western character set.  Luckily, fixing it is super easy.  A full set of step-by-step instructions can be found on the WebCT help website.


Easy Document Sharing through Google Docs & Spreadsheets

If you've ever struggled to keep track of different versions of spreadsheet or word processor files sent over email.  Google Docs & Spreadsheets is a free web-based word processing and spreadsheet program that keeps docuemtns current and lets the people you choose update files from their own computers.

Here's what you can do with documents:

  • Upload Word docuemtns, OpenOffice, RTF, HTML, or text (or create docuemnts from scratch).
  • Use the simple WYSIWYG editor to format your documents, spell-check them, etc.
  • Invite others (by e-mail address) to edit to view your documents and spreadsheets.
  • Edit docuemtns online with whomever you choose.
  • View your docuemtns' revision history and roll back to version.
  • Publish docuemtns and spreadsheets online to the world, as Web pages or post docuemtns to your blog.
  • Download documents to your desktop as Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF, HTML, or zip.

Here's what you can do with spreadsheets:

  • Import and export of .xls, .cvs, and .ods formatted data (and export functionality for .pdf and .html).
  • Enjoy intuitive navigation and edition, like any traditional document and spreadsheet.
  • Use formatting and formula editing in spreadsheets so you can calculate results and make your data look the way you want it.
  • Chat in real time with others who are editing your spreadsheets.

This can be a wonderful tool for you to use if you are collaborating with someone off campus on a research project or if your students are collaborating on a paper, presentation or spreadsheet for a class.  It is totally free but does require the user to sign up for a Google account so that the documents can be password protected.  You really need to check it out.  Go to http://docs.google.com/ and take the tour.

RefWorks

I just went to an info session on a new tool that the CofC Library has just purchased.  It is called RefWorks and it's gonna be great for all you who are doing research.  It's basically a big-time version of EndNotes bibliographical software.  I will have more for you after I attend a training session so stay tuned.  If you want to know more right away check it out at http://www.refworks.com/

 

Tech in K-12

Field Trips

With cuts in educational funding many schools have had to eliminate field trips.  Add to that the fact that you can’t take a field trip to all the places you’d like because of distance.  Now you can through the use of a virtual field trip.  Virtual or electronic field trips allow a student or a class to experience people and events in a similar experience to a “real” field trip.  Some of the field trips are merely a simple website with text and images while others are live and fully interactive where the class can ask questions.  With these sites your students can experience a local marsh area or Mars.  They can interact with folks in Colonial Williamsburg or view a performance and speak to an artist at the Kennedy Center.  It’s amazing all that can be done.  Below are a few links you’ll want to check out as these were my favorite.  If you are interested in more just Google “electronic field trip” and let your journey begin.