Computer Lab

Online programs and technology tutorials

MASTERING YOUTUBE

Scroll through to learn tips and tricks for personalizing your youtube experience, including: modifying video suggestions, adjusting video viewing settings and more.

*All videos were derived from TeamYouTube [Help]. To check out their channel, CLICK HERE.

SIGNING IN & WHY IT MATTERS

Signing in or creating an account with YouTube offers a more personalized experience.
With a YouTube account you can:

-Save videos to watch later

-Like/dislike videos (which helps identify preferences)

-Subscribe to your favorite channels

ADJUSTING VIDEO SETTINGS

Watch in fullscreen, theater or standard mode
Turn video captioning on/off
Change video quality

THEATER MODE

A new feature added for a more immersive experience.

SCREEN MODE

YouTube now has the choice between light and dark screen modes. Try using dark mode at night.

RECOMMENDATIONS

These are suggestions based on videos, genres, topics, and creators you've previously watched.

SEARCH/WATCH HISTORY

IMAGE FILE FORMATS

THIS VIDEO SERVES AS AN OVERVIEW OF IMAGE FILE FORMATS (IE - JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, ETC).

WORDS TO KNOW:

- LOSSY COMPRESSION - A method used to reduce file sizes by stripping away unecessary or redundant data; a blurring effect is added so these changes go unnoticed.
- LOSSLESS COMPRESSION - Produces larger file sizes with no changes to the image; quality is not affected.
- RAW IMAGE - A photo that has not been processed yet and is therefore not ready to be printed or edited.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

Displays documents through an independent platform (*) that is seperate from the system or device they are viewed on. (*ex: Adobe Flashplayer or Google Drive)
Most commonly used file type due to it's mobile compatibility.

GIF (JIFF)

A series of images that continuously loops without having to press play.
Limited to 256 colors.
Large file sizes mean more storage space is used.

BMP

TIFF

JPG VS PNG (click the drop down arrow to the right for more information)

JPG (JPEG)

JOINT PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERTS GROUP
BEST USED WHEN SAVING OR SHARING PHOTOS.
USES LOSSY COMPRESSION - SOME DATA WILL BE LOST IN TRANSFER AND THEREFORE LOWERS THE QUALITY OF THE FILE OVER TIME.
DESPITE LOSING DATA, THE CHANGES GO UNNOTICED DUE TO A BLURRING EFFECT.

UNLIKE THE PNG, JPG DOES NOT SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY.

PNG (PING)

UTILIZES LOSSLESS COMPRESSION SO IMAGES WILL NOT DEGRADE IN QUALITY OVER TIME
SERVES AS A REPLICATION OF A RAW IMAGE WITH A REDUCED FILE SIZE
SUPPORTS TRANSPARENCY
WORKS BEST WITH GRAPHICS, TEXT, LINE DRAWINGS AND SCREENSHOTS
CANNOT COMPRESS FILES SMALLER THAN JPG

WHICH TO CHOOSE?!

ASK YOURSELF...

What type of image is it?
How do I plan to use this image? (What's it for?)

- JPG's are great for casual photos, like a picture of your dog. They also work for photos you still want/need to resize, edit or alter in any way.
- PNG's are better for logos and images that contain text or graphic designs. This file is also good for professional use as it maintains the integrety of the image over time.

The photo below shows that there are no apparent differences between JPG and PNG formats; the main difference is the file size. Looking at the bottom right corner, you can see the JPG file is smaller as it's only using 60.3 KB of storage space while the PNG is using 377 KB.

HOW TO ADD VIRTUAL BACKGROUNDS ON ZOOM

PLEASE NOTE: ALL THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION IS IN THE MIDDLE, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO START WATCHING AT 0:37 AND ENDING AT 2:16.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Use bright and even lighting, or your background may appear patchy (photo on left).
Avoid wearing colors that are the same as your virtual background.
Use larger image files or higher quality photos.

Creating Shortcuts

Shortcuts are a great tool to easily access frequented websites. They serve as a direct link to any webpage and launch from your homescreen when double clicked. Watch the tutorial below to learn how to create a shortcut on Google Chrome.

Shortcuts on Windows 10

Watch this Youtube tutorial to learn how to save a shortcut while on your homescreen.

Still Need Help?? Click this link to view a virtual cheatsheet with written instructions and photos -- Shortcut Help

What are Bookmarks?

A convient way to organize and simplify your internet experience.
Created and accessed through an internet browser (ie- Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox etc).
Different from a shortcut (this is a seperate feature to access direct links via your homepage- tutorial to come).
Learn more here: Bookmark Help

How to Bookmark Web Pages

-GOOGLE CHROME-

This tutorial is for those using a PC device. This includes: HP, Microsoft, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, etc.

Saving Bookmarks on APPLE Laptop/Desktop

*NOTE: URL is shorthand for a website link. Every web page has a specific URL or Uniform Resource Locator that serves as an identifier for the site.

SAFARI

This browser comes installed on Apple Products.

GOOGLE CHROME

These instructions also work for Internet explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

Mobile Bookmarks

ANDROID

HOW TO BOOKMARK ON GOOGLE CHROME on Samsung or Galaxy.

APPLE

HOW TO BOOKMARK ON GOOGLE CHROME AND SAFARI APPS on iPhone.

Accessing FLIPGRID:

Your Student Username is the first letter of your first name in uppercase followed by your last name in lowercase. For example, if your name is John Smith, your username would be: Jsmith

Zoom Views:

There are three view settings in Zoom: Speaker, Gallery and Side-by-Side mode. Views change depending on the content being presented but can be altered to fit the user's preferences. For instance, Gallery view is great for group discussions while Speaker View is better for lectures. Note: Side-by-side mode only works when someone is screen sharing. Lastly, Zoom Views vary depending on the device you're using. Watch the videos below to learn more.

1. Speaker/Gallery View

2. Side-by-Side Mode (On Desktop/Computer):

3. Zoom Views on a Tablet:

4. Zoom Views on Mobile Phone:

iPhone Grid View Tutorial.mp4

Zoom Toolbar:

This tutorial includes a brief overview of how to use the Zoom Toolbar during class meetings. The toolbar includes features like chat, reactions, video effects and more.