How To Fix Missing Scroll Bars on Mac

When using your Mac, have you noticed that your scroll bars are missing or only appear some of the time? If so, this is most likely because your default is to not show scroll bars until you actually scroll using the trackpad or a mouse.

You can change this in the System Preferences to always show the scroll bar.  If you click on the System Preferences icon on your dock (looks like a gear) then click on General or click the apple in the upper left and click on the General Tab, you will see the screen below.  

Under "Show scroll bars:" click in the circle in front of "Always". Then you can class the preferences window.  The issue of missing scroll bars should be resolved. 

Want to learn more about your Mac? Then log into SU's Atomic Learning site here with your SUNet Username/password. You can also request to be added to SU's Training Development Coordinators Tips & Tricks email by sending a request to Devon Taylor (dtaylor@su.edu)

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Do Not Include Apostrophes In File Names

There are important rules to follow when creating files to be submitted to Blackboard (Bb). Failure to follow these guidelines may result in an unreadable file submission.  

Use the following in file names:

• Letters (ABCabc...)
• Numbers (0123456789)
• Underscores (_) can be used to represent a space
• Filename length no more than 32 characters
• Document File Extension (i.e. doc, ppt, etc.)

 Avoid the following in file names:

• Special characters ( ~ ! @ # $ % & ' etc.)
• Spaces (there have been problems related to this, though they are technically supported)
• Long File Names (Limit to 32 characters or less)

Examples of good file names:

• myfile1.docx (short filename, includes file extension, no spaces or special characters, properly named)
• peer_review_presentation.pptx (properly named, less than 32 characters, includes file extension, no spaces or unsupported characters)

If a student submits an assignment with an attachment that has an apostrophe in the name, when the faculty member goes into view the attempt the inline grading viewer will be stuck in “Loading… Please wait while we render this file”. It will stay on this page and not render the file, even though it is a supported file type. This may cause faculty from being unable to submit the score in the inline viewer too. 
 

If a faculty member returns comments or feedback to students by attaching a file with an apostrophe or other special characters noted above in it. Students will not be able to view the document within Bb and may not be able to download the feedback file to their computer either. 

Blackboard has the hanging "Loading..." message as a known issue and will address in the near future. However, naming files without special characters is not exclusive to Bb. It recommend that everyone make sures to use the above naming conventions to avoid conflicts with any software application.

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Class Presentations From Your iPad or iPhone

Have you heard of SlideShark? If not, SlideShark is an app for showing PowerPoint presentations from your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch with animations, fonts, colors, graphics, videos and hyperlinks intact. SlideShark is considered to be a powerful solution built by Brainshark. When I check the Apple store this morning the app had 2,000+ reviews and a 4.5 star avg rating! MacWorld gave the app a 4 out of 5 rating. The app has received 20 awards, such as ABA “Stevies” Gold Winner, Appy Award, TabTimes Best Sales App, and AlwaysOn OnMobile Top 100 award. SlideShark is part of the new Citrix Ready Worx Verified program! In addition, we’ve also added Citrix ShareFile to our growing list of cloud storage providers for the SlideShark app. Clickhere to read more about that Citrix and SlideShark. 

How does it work? From your computer, iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, UPLOAD a PowerPoint file (ppt, pptx, pps, ppsx) to your free, secure account. Use SlideShark to download & SHOW the presentation on your iOS device. BROADCAST your presentation over the Web in real-time to meeting attendees no matter what device they’re using. SHARE the presentation online via email or social media for on-demand viewing by others & track the viewing results (Apple Store, 2013). All users get 100MB free storage. You can refer friends to earn more storage. There is also a professional version for a fee and is targeted for heavy or business users. SlideShark PRO ($) version adds broadcasting up to 10 attendees, detailed reporting & alerts on presentation viewing activity, and 1GB additional storage. Slideshark provides an online self-support center at https://www.slideshark.com/Help/Support-Center.aspx that includes on-demand videos, anfrequently asked questions area, and a blog about product updates. 

You can easily upload presentations from the Free SlideShark site or from your Dropbox account. You can reorder slides and hide individual slides, within the app, but you cannot create a presentation directly within the app. You can reorder slides and hide individual slides, but SlideShark is not an editing program. It’s geared toward users who create their presentations on a Mac or PC (though you can certainly create a presentation in an app like Office2 HD, save it to Dropbox, and then open it in SlideShark).

So get the app and try it out before your next class presentation!

Additional Information:
Chronicle Of Higher Education
Apple Store, 2013
David Hardawar, VentureBeat, 2013
MacWorld 2013
Citrix & SlideShark
SlideShark Studies Abroad: Mobile PowerPoint Goes to Class in Japan
Using SlideShark to be 'Technology Leaders' in Higher Education Classrooms
The Brainshark/Blackboard Partnership - A Recent Graduate's Perspective
Customer Think, 2011, Brainshark Becomes a Blackboard Signature Partner
Brainshark Integrates with Blackboard Learn for Sales for Rapid Content Creation
Blackboard Blog: Just In Time Training with Brainshark & Blackboard
Brainshark and Blackboard Announce Partnership
Classroom instruction: iThink iPad, iThink iPad…
BbWorld 2013 Exhibitor Listing as of 5/24/2013 10:00am Eastern USA

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Most Populat Student Blackboard Task

Global Navigation and My Blackboard

This movie provides a tour of global navigation and My Blackboard. Now all your academic information is organized in one place, providing a consistant quick and easy way to find everything. Blackboard has applied a "Facebook" layout, that students are used to.Watch It Now!

My Blackboard Profile

This movie shows you how to create your Blackboard Profile. Your profile is completely separate from your Blackboard account so you can add a picture, a nickname, and even information from Facebook and Twitter. Share your profile with other people at SU and with other Bb schools, so they can get to know you. Watch It Now!

Working in your course

• Taking a Test Online
• Checking Your Grades
• Working in Groups
• Creating a Blog Entry
• Interacting with the Discussion Board - New for Service Pack 12!
• Viewing Discussion Board Grades
• Creating and Editing a Wiki Page
• Viewing My Contribution to a Wiki
• Linking Wiki Pages
• Using the Course Map
• Submitting an Assignment

Staying Organized and Communicating

• Sending Email From Your Course
• Using the Calendar - New for Service Pack 12
• Stay Organized by Managing Your Course and Personal Tasks

Setting Your Preferences and controlling your Environment

• Editing Your Personal Information
• Setting Your Privacy Options
• Setting Your Notification Options
• Changing the Color Theme on the Academics Tab
• Adding and Removing Modules from A Course Home Page
• Customizing A Group Homepage
• Customizing the Academics Tab Page Layout

You can find additional how-to instructions on the SU Blackboard Support Site (www.su.edu/bb) and within the SU Atomic Learning site. Click here to go to Atomic Learning. 

Students should contact their instructors with questions about assignment expectations, assignments/test not visible, and request for test resets. The SU Bb Support Staff cannot assist students with these items.

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Training on 200+ programs available for FREE at SU

Want to learn how to use or improve your skills in Windows 8, Blackboard 9.1, or any application from Microsoft Office, AutoDesk, or Adobe CS5? Take a look at Atomic Learning on demand training for PC & Mac.

Shenandoah University (SU), provides Students, Staff and Faculty with FREE, online software training through Atomic Learning.

Online and on-demand, Atomic Learning creates flexible training opportunities — making it easy for learners of all ages to embrace technology.

From instant access to answers on common "how to" questions, to step-by-step training workshops and projects, Atomic Learning can help you simplify campus technology.

These online training resources are:

• Available 24/7
• Answers to many of the "how do I do that" questions
• Easy to search using keywords, specific applications, versions, and/or platforms
• Complete a series and earn a certificate of completion from Atomic Learning

Log into Atomic Learning with your SUNet username and password. Atomic Learning Offers Access to over 200 online courses.  Here are some of the courses available to SU through Atomic Learning

• PC and Mac Based Software Tutorials
• Microsoft Office  (New Features, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Access & Publisher) *more in development
• Microsoft Windows 7 & 8 for End Users                                                                      
• Full Adobe Training Adobe CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5, X (Photoshop, Acrobat, Indesign and much more)
• Mac Software (IDVD, Imovie, ILife, Mac Office, Keynote, more)
• Blackboard (New Features and routine task)

Some SU faculty have even stated incorporating Atomic Learning videos in their on Bb Course areas...sometimes even for a grade! So students why not get a head start and log into Atomic Learning today!

Log into Atomic Learning with your SUNet username and password.

 

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Connect For Learn - Blackboard Tool

Blackboard (Bb) Connect for Learn is a tool that all Bb users can use to ensure you get up-to-date course notifications.

When you opt-in to receive notifications through the Connect for Learn system, you can receive automated alerts for a variety of course changes including announcements, assignment due dates, and grade posts by voice, text, mobile, or email.

Your instructors can also send messages via SMS or Text-to-voice to ensure  that you get up-to-the-minute information related to your courses. It is important for you to understand that these messages are one-way only. If you get one of these messages and have additional questions, you will need to email your instructor directly.

 How to sign up for Notifications

Login to Blackboard.
1) On the top bar, click the drop down arrow by your name and then Settings at the bottom of the contextual menu.

 

2) Under Settings, click Edit Notification Settings.


3) You may either Edit General Settings or edit individual course settings or edit Courses I am teaching/taking.




4) Individual course editing will appear with this heading:

5)Bulk editing will appear with this heading:

You may select all courses or just select the courses in which you are currently enrolled depending on your personal preference. The notification changes on both options are the same and consist of the following steps:

6) Notification Destinations, which will be your mobile device and email address where you would like your notifications to be sent
      
7) Settings, which is the notifications you wish to be turned on or off. There are three columns, one for your Blackboard 9.1 Home Page, one for your Mobile Device, and one for your Email.  
  







8) Once you have finished checking all of the notifications you wish to receive for your Dashboard, Mobile Device, and Email, select Submit.

About the settings

There are five places to send notifications: the dashboard, e-mail, mobile, SMS, and Text-To-Voice.If an item is checked, a notification regarding that item will be sent to the specified place that you set. For example, if you check the box next to Assignment Due for Dashboard and E-mail, a notification will be sent to both those places about the due date of the assignment. 

Dashboard---The Dashboard is part of your Blackboard course and refers to the main page that instructors and students see when they click a Blackboard course. New notifications are displayed under the What's New Box on your Blackboard course. 

E-mail---If you have enabled e-mail notifications, e-mails will be sent to all involved in a Blackboard course (instructor's, students, teaching assistants, etc) regarding the specific items (such as assignments, announcements, tests, etc)that have been added on Blackboard. 

Mobile---If mobile is enabled, you will receive notification via the Blackboard Mobile Learn App.

SMS--- This notification method will send text messages to your mobile phone. You will need to put your mobile number into Bb, opting in, before you can receive notifications this way. Make sure your phone plan is setup to receive text messages, so you do not get unexpected charges. 

Text-To-Voice--- This notification method will convert text messages notification into voice calls on your mobile phone. You will need to put your mobile number into Bb, opting in, before you can receive notifications this way. Make sure you have enough minutes for these extra calls from Bb, so you do not get charged extra.
 
Note:
If you have not provided a number for Bb Connect for Learn to use through the e-notify page, or that number has not yet been imported into the Blackboard LMS, you will not be able to select these options, and the following message (yellow boxes) will display:

For additional assistance, you can watch the video within Atomic Learning.

You can also access your notification settings via the course/organization tool "Mobile Preferences".  The tool screen looks like the image below. Simply enter your mobile number and click what you want to setup.

You are always welcome to email your Blackboard question to bbsupport@su.edu.



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Integrate Blogging Into Your Courses & Blackboard

An online blogging tool available to all students and employees at Shenandoah University (SU) is BLOGGER. This tool is available through their Google Education Apps account. While this post will primarily focus on potential uses within the academic setting and how to successfully integrate Blogger into a Blackboard (Bb) course. This tool can also be used with a Bb organization or as personal/professional outlet.

Faculty don't have to use blogger in their Bb courses, but it does make it easier for students to find it. Why? Since Bb is the learning management system that the university uses that is where students naturally expect to see their course content. Faculty can link to their blog site or embed the site directly within Bb via the content editor. Embedding is my favorite, because it doesn't require the student to make additional clicks to see the information. Faculty can set up ‘blogger’ based blogs as a simple way of engaging pre-University students with e-learning. Students who are required to blog in class, receive feedback not only from their peers & faculty member but people all over the world. Blogging also helps a student remember their is more to communication than just text lingo and while building a digital learning portfolio. Blogging also help prevent plagiarism or at least the faculty will have the world helping catch those who plagiarize.  The other big advantage is that blogger content would be available to students if the institution's Bb site is unavailable. There are some down sides to using blogger in the classroom. The content will be inaccessible if Google has technical problems, if students don't know that it is accessible or how to access it outside of Bb, and faculty who want to grade blog activity on blogger would have to manually create a grade column in the grade center.

Not sure your students are ready for world wide feedback, no worries. You can still blog in your class by using Bb's blog tool instead of blogger. With Bb Blogs, only users in the course have access to Blackboard Blogs. Users removed from the Course will not have access to any Blogs. If users are removed from the Course after Individual Blogs have been created, all their posts and comments will be deleted. If users are removed from a Course after Course Blogs have been created, all their posts and comments will be retained, but the name of the poster or commenter will be changed to "Anonymous." Bb offers the instructor different types of blogs like individual, group, & course blogs. Bb blogs can be setup and tied directly to the course grade center automatically.  The Bb blog tool is also available within Bb organizations.

If you’re interested in learning more about Blogger or if you’re discovering it for the first time, click here to look at the slideshow created by the University of Kentucky. An example of how two faculty members used blogger in their class click here and here.

Students, you can link & embed blogs into Blackboard any place you see the textbox editor. So try it out in your next discussion board, wiki, or journal activity.

If you want to learn more about Bb blogs you can find text and video tutorials on the SU Bb Support Site at www.su.edu/bb.

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Print From Within Blackboard Learn

Have you ever received a message within Blackboard you needed to print? Printing in Blackboard Learn 9.1 isn’t as easy as hitting File > Print or Ctrl + P since it’s uses what’s called iFrames. You might have noticed when doing a typical print job for a message in or content page in Blackboard that it will cut off the page, causing words or images to be missing. This can easily be fixed few quick steps in Firefox. Remember we recommend using Firefox as the preferred browser for Blackboard.

Follow these easy steps to print a clean page in Blackboard using Firefox.

1. Single click on the frame within Blackboard you are interested in printing
2. Right Click on the frame within Blackboard you are interested in printing
3. Click on “This Frame” in the menu shown
4. Click on “Print Frame” in the next menu shown

After you have completed these steps choose your printer and select how many copies you need.

Still have questions? Check out this video from University of Southern California on Printing in Blackboard.

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SU Network Trivia

Most of you probably do not know the men who keep SU connected to the Internet, our wireless connections working, and keep the university data safe. So let me introduce you to Ken Lambert, James Randall, Danny Fox, Eric Braithwaite, Ron Combs, and Bob Bukowski. 

 

Shenandoah's network team was first recognized by Yahoo!, when they were ranked 24th out of 50 small colleges on the "Most Wired" list. These hard working guys did not stop there, instead they quickly embarrassed wireless ttechnology and deployed it within the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. This early adoption got SU re-recognized in 2004 by Intel for being one of the top 100 most unwired colleges. SU was ranked 56th. That was just behind Bucknell University and ahead of Cornell University, Standford University, and Harvard University. This ranking was based on accessibility for broadband and wireless Internet. Even with these achievements, SU's networking staff knew there were improvements that could still be done, so they teamed up with Cisco to create an award-winning learning environment for students, click here to read more. These guys share their knowledge and best practices with other schools by presenting at conferences.

 

Did you know that SU currently has 290 wireless access points, supports nearly 6000 wireless devices on our campus, there are typically more than 2000 devices connected to SU's wireless network on an given day and the most prevalent wireless connection is capable of 300 mbps (802.11N).   Six people are able to make all this happen because each has more than 16 years of experience and together have more than 130 years of knowledge to guide their way. 
 

During the summer semester the networking staff will be working hard to enhance varies technologies. These improvements may cause intermittent downtime, but rest assured they will be minimal. If you believe you are having a wireless and/or network problem while on campus? Then click here or go to the Help Desk website (www.su.edu/helpdesk) and click on the Wireless/Network Log icon to report the issue. Have a laptop or mobile device you want to connect to SU's network (a.k.a. 3SU)? Then click here and follow the instructions to connect your device

You are always welcome to stop by and visit with Ken, James, Danny, Eric, Ron, or Bob in the Institutional Computing department. Don't be surprised though to find that they are out walking around campus making sure everything is ok with the network.

Resources:
Top 100 Most Unwired Colleges - Intel
SU & Cisco's Award-Winning Partnership 
Connecting to SU's Wireless 
Report a SU Wireless or Network problem 
Rank 24 Most Wired 
Institutional Computing Directory 
ACCSVA 2011 Conference Presentation Detail
Down For Just Me or Everyone?
Internet Connection Speed Test

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Beyond the Standard Youtube Videos Use

We have already talked about an app called VideoNot.es that allows note taking on YouTube videos, click here to read that post. Today we are going to talk more about how to enhance use of YouTube videos. Remember, after the May 17 upgrade Bb users will be able to capture/insert video anywhere there is a Content Editor textbox. This video will be save & streamed from YouTube. Learn more about Video Everywhere by clicking here.

Ever just want to use 30 seconds of a YouTube video? To do just that check out the simple tool called TubeChop

3 Easy Steps:

1. Find the video you want to chop.
2. Select & cut interesting part of the video.
3. Share it with friends.

Wondering how you can have others comment on certain time points of YouTube videos?

Then check out the tool called BlipSnips

• Allows you to jump to where the comments are in the time line
• Allows you to clean up the video, removing ads, other comments, and changing the starting point
• Allows you to easily use an embed code to share it

Are you looking to just remove all the YouTube Distractions?

Check out both Quietube.com & Viewpure.com to remove all the distraction of YouTube.

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Add A Facebook Widget To Blackboard

Adding a Facebook Widget to your Blackboard Learn 9.1 course/organization could be a great tool or resource if you answer “Yes” to any of the questions below.

Do you utilize Facebook or Facebook “Like” Page?
Want to show the latest updates of a Facebook “Like” page?
Want to promote your “like” page to others?

Visit http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box/ and complete the information to build your own “Like Box” – Note: Other plugins are available in the left hand side of the page, such as comments, activity feed, recommendations, login buttons, and more to easily plug into any website.

As you complete the steps the preview on the right hand side will be updated!

Facebook Page URL:

Examples of “like” pages URL is http://www.facebook.com/blackboard

Width:

Set the width of the plugin in pixel – Easily could leave it the same or change it to fit your website/page. I wouldn’t suggest going over 275 pixels

Color Scheme:

Basic choice – Light or Dark – Depends on your personal preference

Show Faces:

Do you want to show profile photos of those that already “Like” your page

Border Color:

Add a border color for the plugin: Here is a site to find a HTML color code http://html-color-codes.info/

Stream:

Most likely you will want to show the profile stream for your public profile, unless you are wanting to just use this as a “Like” button

Show Header:

It’s the “Find us on Facebook” statement at the top. Will only work when the stream or faces are present.

Click “Get Code” once finished!

Copy the HTML from the iframe box to paste into your Blackboard

 

Add to Blackboard:

Visit the course/organization where you want to add the Widget and open up the Content Editor. Click on the HTML button on the third tool bar and past the code you copied from Facebook. 

Note: you can add a Twitter feed by using the Twitter Mashup tool off the Content Editor tool bar.  No embed code needed..just the Twitter handle. 

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