Tutorials For Online Students Free To 113 Colleges
A new tool to support online student success is now available free to all 113 California Community Colleges (CCC), made possible as part of the systemwide Online Education Initiative (OEI).
The OEI Online Student Readiness Tutorials were specifically designed to be easy for California colleges to include in existing online courses and learning environments.
The OEI team encourages colleges statewide to include the new readiness solutions in their online course offerings or at any point they see as appropriate for preparing students to be successful. Providing access for students is as easy as providing a single link to the combined resources. Links are also available for individual components of the tutorials should a college wish to segment resources based on student need.
An overview and links to the Online Student Readiness Tutorials are available from:
http://apps.3cmediasolutions.org/oei/
Questions and comments may be directed to the OEI Online Student Support Services Team:
Bonnie Peters, bpeters@ccconlineed.org
Anita Crawley, acrawley@ccconlineed.org
Showing posts with label elearning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elearning. Show all posts
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Can Cybercompetitions Help Grow Local Security Talent?
Hiring cybersecurity staff is difficult, but federal, state and local governments are working with nonprofits to encourage the development of cybersecurity skills through individual and team competitions.
BY DAN LOHRMANN / JULY 15, 20150
Wherever I travel, the top concern on the minds of CIOs and chief information security officers is the same — everyone needs more cybersecurity talent. The problem has become especially acute in government, where it’s compounded by an improving economy, growing enterprise cyberneeds and a retiring public workforce. The bottom line:Hiring cybersecurity staff is hard for state and local governments.
What can possibly be done? If the most experienced cyberexperts are becoming too expensive, how can the public sector attract the skilled security professionals it needs?
One answer growing in popularity is to “get in the game” — literally. Across the world, various forms of cybercompetitions are growing in participation. Federal, state and local governments are working with nonprofits to encourage the development of cybersecurity skills through individual and team competitions.
Or, to use a sports analogy, if you can’t compete in the free agency market for top talent, refresh your “farm team” and grow your own talent starting at an early age.
All across the U.S., young people love to compete and not just in sports. There are many academic competitions, from university debate teams to the National Spelling Bee to high school quiz bowls.
But how do cybercompetitions fit in?
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website oncybercareers and studies: “DHS believes hands-on cybercompetitions are a valuable learning method for all students, regardless of level. Cybercompetitions are interactive, scenario-based events or exercises that help students develop and increase cybersecurity skills outside the traditional academic environment.”
Typically teams of students work together to attack and defend against the opponent’s networks and computer systems. For example, in a cyber “capture the flag” game, players race to answer security challenges by seeking digital “flags” hidden on servers, in encrypted text or in applications. When a player or team submits a flag, they receive points for solving the challenge. The team with the highest cumulative score wins.
There are plenty of cybercompetitions geared toward different skill and age levels. A few options:
1. The Air Force Association CyberPatriot program has three main programs: the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, AFA CyberCamps and the Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative.
2. The annual National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, which began in 2004, is like the March Madness of cybercompetitions. Colleges compete in state events, leading to regional and national competitions.
3. The U.S. Cyber Challenge consists of competitions, cybercamps and a virtual community to help the public and private sectors, as well as high schools and universities.
4. SANS Cyber Aces offers state competitions as well as national opportunities for individuals to compete and learn. NetWars, also from the SANS Institute, is a cybergame based on the idea that the best way to learn is via hands-on experience with real-world scenarios.
5. The National Cyber League provides ongoing virtual training for faculty and students to develop and validate cybersecurity skills using content aligned with individual and team games. This approach is used across diverse industry certifications, curricula, job roles and verticals.
6. The Michigan Cyber Range offers many chances for public- and private-sector organizations to test team skills in Alphaville, a virtual small town. They can attack and defend the city hall, utilities, library and more in various scenarios.
Cybercompetitions have become the new normal for learning and improving ethical hacking techniques and cyberdefense in a safe, fun, challenging environment. Whether you’re a middle school student just starting to learn cybersecurity concepts, an unemployed millennial who wants to switch careers, a midlevel security expert with a computer science degree or a government supervisor trying to attract the right employees, it may be time for you to join a cybercompetition.
My advice? Get in the game.
Dan Lohrmann | Contributing Writer
Daniel J. Lohrmann is an internationally recognized cybersecurity leader, technologist and author. During his distinguished career, Dan has served global organizations in the public and private sectors in a variety of executive leadership capacities, including enterprise-wide Chief Security Officer (CSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) roles in Michigan.
Dan Lohrmann joined Security Mentor, Inc. in August 2014, and he currently serves as the CSO and Chief Strategist for this award-winning training company. Lohrmann is leading the development and implementation of Security Mentor’s industry-leading cyber training, consulting and workshops for end users, managers and executives in the public and private sectors. Read Dan's full bio.
Wherever I travel, the top concern on the minds of CIOs and chief information security officers is the same — everyone needs more cybersecurity talent. The problem has become especially acute in government, where it’s compounded by an improving economy, growing enterprise cyberneeds and a retiring public workforce. The bottom line:Hiring cybersecurity staff is hard for state and local governments.
What can possibly be done? If the most experienced cyberexperts are becoming too expensive, how can the public sector attract the skilled security professionals it needs?
One answer growing in popularity is to “get in the game” — literally. Across the world, various forms of cybercompetitions are growing in participation. Federal, state and local governments are working with nonprofits to encourage the development of cybersecurity skills through individual and team competitions.
Or, to use a sports analogy, if you can’t compete in the free agency market for top talent, refresh your “farm team” and grow your own talent starting at an early age.
All across the U.S., young people love to compete and not just in sports. There are many academic competitions, from university debate teams to the National Spelling Bee to high school quiz bowls.
But how do cybercompetitions fit in?
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website oncybercareers and studies: “DHS believes hands-on cybercompetitions are a valuable learning method for all students, regardless of level. Cybercompetitions are interactive, scenario-based events or exercises that help students develop and increase cybersecurity skills outside the traditional academic environment.”
Typically teams of students work together to attack and defend against the opponent’s networks and computer systems. For example, in a cyber “capture the flag” game, players race to answer security challenges by seeking digital “flags” hidden on servers, in encrypted text or in applications. When a player or team submits a flag, they receive points for solving the challenge. The team with the highest cumulative score wins.
There are plenty of cybercompetitions geared toward different skill and age levels. A few options:
1. The Air Force Association CyberPatriot program has three main programs: the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, AFA CyberCamps and the Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative.
2. The annual National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, which began in 2004, is like the March Madness of cybercompetitions. Colleges compete in state events, leading to regional and national competitions.
3. The U.S. Cyber Challenge consists of competitions, cybercamps and a virtual community to help the public and private sectors, as well as high schools and universities.
4. SANS Cyber Aces offers state competitions as well as national opportunities for individuals to compete and learn. NetWars, also from the SANS Institute, is a cybergame based on the idea that the best way to learn is via hands-on experience with real-world scenarios.
5. The National Cyber League provides ongoing virtual training for faculty and students to develop and validate cybersecurity skills using content aligned with individual and team games. This approach is used across diverse industry certifications, curricula, job roles and verticals.
6. The Michigan Cyber Range offers many chances for public- and private-sector organizations to test team skills in Alphaville, a virtual small town. They can attack and defend the city hall, utilities, library and more in various scenarios.
Cybercompetitions have become the new normal for learning and improving ethical hacking techniques and cyberdefense in a safe, fun, challenging environment. Whether you’re a middle school student just starting to learn cybersecurity concepts, an unemployed millennial who wants to switch careers, a midlevel security expert with a computer science degree or a government supervisor trying to attract the right employees, it may be time for you to join a cybercompetition.
My advice? Get in the game.
Dan Lohrmann | Contributing WriterDaniel J. Lohrmann is an internationally recognized cybersecurity leader, technologist and author. During his distinguished career, Dan has served global organizations in the public and private sectors in a variety of executive leadership capacities, including enterprise-wide Chief Security Officer (CSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) roles in Michigan.
Dan Lohrmann joined Security Mentor, Inc. in August 2014, and he currently serves as the CSO and Chief Strategist for this award-winning training company. Lohrmann is leading the development and implementation of Security Mentor’s industry-leading cyber training, consulting and workshops for end users, managers and executives in the public and private sectors. Read Dan's full bio.
Friday, June 12, 2015
CyberFed's Magnificent SEVEN
WHAT is CYBERFED?
Just like a SPORT, cybersecurity training takes devotion and consistency. Cybersecurity Competitions are the training-grounds for the field of cybersecurity and many are available for middle schoolers... teenagers... and adults! CyberFed is a ONE-STOP-SHOP to learn of the multiple entry points and competition pathways available for you, me, them, everybody!
"You, me, them, everybody, everybody!"
Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,
- The Blues Brothers
Cybersecurity Competition Federation (CyberFed) is an umbrella organization that promotes ALL cybersecurity competitions so that EVERYONE is aware of the MULTIPLE pathways to ENTER the wonderful world of competitions.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
CyberFed's Magnificent SEVEN
Do you LOVE... Defcon, CyberLympics, CSAW, MITRE CTF, National Cyber League, Cyber Patriot and picoCTF?
So do WE!
Watch the video below and let Dr. Dan Manson and Dr. Jason Pittman entertain you.
www.cyberfed.org
Do you LOVE... Defcon, CyberLympics, CSAW, MITRE CTF, National Cyber League, Cyber Patriot and picoCTF?
So do WE!
Watch the video below and let Dr. Dan Manson and Dr. Jason Pittman entertain you.
www.cyberfed.org
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
CCC ICT Professional Development with Degreed.com
The ICT-Digital Media Sector Team has invested in an ‘organizational platform’ on Degreed.com that will allow us to share with each other preferred learning pathways utilizing web content, both free and paid.
We are inviting the larger community of MPICT to share in this initial experiment, knowing that we will be including educators and industry from throughout the western United States. We think this will add value to the shared and curated learning pathways.
In addition to their own professional development and sharing with peers, early users have found Degreed.com to be an incredible resource to identify valuable web content that they can share with their students.
From the website:
“Degreed is a community of college students, professionals, and lifelong learners dedicated to advancing their education. When you join Degreed, you get tools to help you track, organize, share, and validate everything you learn. Degreed applies an algorithmic and normalized approach to track and measure your educational achievements including formal (e.g., degrees), informal (e.g., books read, conferences attended), and soon, experiential learning.
Degreed helps measure all learning - academic, professional, and informal. Degreed is the new answer to the question, ‘Tell me about your education.’”
You can join the ICT-DM Organization for the CCC’s at http://bit.ly/1HHz9LT. Take 15 minutes and start a new journey with us.
Check out the flier!
Stephen Wright
Director & Sector Navigator
Information Communications Technologies (ICT) and Digital Media
California Community Colleges
www.ict-dm.net
PO Box 1064, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91358
Desk: 805.496.8583 Cell: 805.231.8444
California Community Colleges overhauls nation’s largest virtual catalog of online courses, marks progress on system-wide improvement to distance education
To view this media statement on our website or to access it in a different file format (i.e. HTML, plain text, Word or PDF), please visit: http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/Newsroom/PressReleases/2015PressReleases.aspx
PRESS RELEASE June 8, 2015
Contact: Paige Marlatt Dorr
Office: 916.327.5356
Cell: 916.601.8005
Office email: pdorr@cccco.edu
California Community Colleges overhauls nation’s largest virtual catalog of online courses, marks progress on system-wide improvement to distance education
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Chancellor Brice W. Harris today announced that the California Community Colleges has upgraded its web-based catalog of online college courses, California Virtual Campus, to make it easier for students to find transferrable courses, marking a major milestone in the system’s bid to improve student access and completion rates through enhanced distance education services. Thanks to the upgrade, classes required to earn an associate degree under a streamlined guaranteed transfer program with California State University known as Associate Degree for Transfer, will be prioritized on the website’s course search results page.
“The exciting upgrades we’ve made to the catalog will allow students to clearly and quickly see what classes fulfill transfer program requirements and serve to improve pathways to CSU, a significant step in our drive to foster student success through improved online education,” Harris said.
The California Virtual Campus provides information on more than 2,500 courses that satisfy Associate Degree for Transfer requirements and 1,400 other academic degree programs offered entirely online to students. In total, the catalog offers information on more than 19,000 online courses in California offered by the community colleges, CSU, UC and private colleges, and is available to students at all of these institutions. The upgrade makes it easier for students to use the tool on their phones and provides online support if they have questions about navigating the college system. It also allows students to search courses by geographic location and narrow course search results by subject or college. The website can be found at www.cvc.edu.
“This improved virtual catalog is part of a broader offering of services developed as part of the Online Education Initiative,” Harris continued. “The investment made by the governor and Legislature in this initiative places a heavy emphasis on support services tailored to the diverse needs of our 2.1 million students.”
Other online education improvements being developed by the initiative to increase student success and retention rates include:
See below for more information on California community college online education.
PRESS RELEASE June 8, 2015
Contact: Paige Marlatt Dorr
Office: 916.327.5356
Cell: 916.601.8005
Office email: pdorr@cccco.edu
California Community Colleges overhauls nation’s largest virtual catalog of online courses, marks progress on system-wide improvement to distance education
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Chancellor Brice W. Harris today announced that the California Community Colleges has upgraded its web-based catalog of online college courses, California Virtual Campus, to make it easier for students to find transferrable courses, marking a major milestone in the system’s bid to improve student access and completion rates through enhanced distance education services. Thanks to the upgrade, classes required to earn an associate degree under a streamlined guaranteed transfer program with California State University known as Associate Degree for Transfer, will be prioritized on the website’s course search results page.
“The exciting upgrades we’ve made to the catalog will allow students to clearly and quickly see what classes fulfill transfer program requirements and serve to improve pathways to CSU, a significant step in our drive to foster student success through improved online education,” Harris said.
The California Virtual Campus provides information on more than 2,500 courses that satisfy Associate Degree for Transfer requirements and 1,400 other academic degree programs offered entirely online to students. In total, the catalog offers information on more than 19,000 online courses in California offered by the community colleges, CSU, UC and private colleges, and is available to students at all of these institutions. The upgrade makes it easier for students to use the tool on their phones and provides online support if they have questions about navigating the college system. It also allows students to search courses by geographic location and narrow course search results by subject or college. The website can be found at www.cvc.edu.
“This improved virtual catalog is part of a broader offering of services developed as part of the Online Education Initiative,” Harris continued. “The investment made by the governor and Legislature in this initiative places a heavy emphasis on support services tailored to the diverse needs of our 2.1 million students.”
Other online education improvements being developed by the initiative to increase student success and retention rates include:
- Increasing online course quality through instructional design support and professional development resources for faculty;
- Providing online tutoring and other student support services, including assessments to determine student readiness for online courses;
- Providing tutorials to assist students in becoming successful online learners; and
- Offering online course management systems for free or at low cost to the individual community college campuses.
See below for more information on California community college online education.
- California community colleges lead the way in online education
- Over 29 percent of all California community college students will take a class offered through distance education this year, up from 12.5 percent in 2005-2006.
- Of all courses offered at California’s community colleges, 18.1 percent are offered through distance education, and it is estimated that nearly 60 percent of all courses have some online component.
- California community colleges first started offering distance education courses in 1979.
- Of the 2.1 million students enrolled in the 2013-2014 academic year, 654,344 took at least one distance education course.
- The average course load of all California community college students in 2013-2014 was 12 units. The average course load of students who enrolled in distance education courses was 15 units.
- Distance education more than doubled from 21,414 sessions in 2005-2006 to 43,545 in 2013-2014.
- Two age categories – 18- to 19-year-olds and 20- to -24- year olds – account for 57 percent of those enrolled in distance education courses in 2013-2014.
- Thirty-seven percent of students surveyed in 2011 said they enrolled in at least one distance education course because of the convenience.
- Sixty percent of California’s community colleges offer certificates and degrees that can be earned without stepping onto campus for classes. This typically includes a combination of both online and television courses.
- The Internet provides California community college students with 93.7 percent of the distance education offerings. Television is next with 2.2 percent, followed by correspondence (2 percent) and video conferencing (1 percent).
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Microsoft MVP Virtual Conference, May 14-15
Microsoft has a lot going on. Ignite was last week and Build the week before.
This week is Microsoft’s MVP Virtual Conference, May 14-15, 2015, this Thursday and Friday. Presentations will be given in English, Spanish and Brazilian/Portuguese by native speakers from 8am to 6 pm (Pacific time.)
The event free and sessions will be recorded. Everyone is welcome to attend. – Share with your students and faculty.
Registration is at http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualconference-sessions.aspx#LATAM.
Sessions selection can be found at http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualconference-agenda.aspx.
Microsoft has a goal of getting Windows 10 on 1 billion computers within one year. Windows users with Windows 7 or Windows 8 can upgrade for free within the first year. This translates to opportunities for our students if they know Windows 10. Microsoft has commitments from several companies to upgrade to Windows 10. This means employers will be looking for students with Windows 10 experience to fill deployment and support positions.
Doug Spindler
City College San Francisco
The event free and sessions will be recorded. Everyone is welcome to attend. – Share with your students and faculty.
Registration is at http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualconference-sessions.aspx#LATAM.
Sessions selection can be found at http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualconference-agenda.aspx.
Microsoft has a goal of getting Windows 10 on 1 billion computers within one year. Windows users with Windows 7 or Windows 8 can upgrade for free within the first year. This translates to opportunities for our students if they know Windows 10. Microsoft has commitments from several companies to upgrade to Windows 10. This means employers will be looking for students with Windows 10 experience to fill deployment and support positions.
Doug Spindler
City College San Francisco
Monday, May 11, 2015
AOL: 2.1 million people still subscribe to dial-up Internet
BY BRANDON RUSSELL | MAY 9, 2015 TechnoBuffalo
AOL on Friday revealed that 2.1 million people in the U.S. still subscribe to its dial-up service, an astonishing and surprising number in the year 2015. A large majority of Americans have ditched the comatose service as faster broadband has become more accessible. But, either through ignorance, stubbornness, or sheer unavailability in certain areas, people are still clinging to the good old days of the early Internet.
Back in 2010, AOL revealed it had about 4.6 million dial-up users, so usage is on the decline, but it’s a slow, slow process, not unlike the service these people still get.
CNN Money notes that over 70-percent of Americans are connected through faster broadband, with an average speed of 11.4 Mbps, which is lighting quick compared to AOL’s 56k speeds. Compared to what the Internet looked like 20 years ago, 56k connections probably wouldn’t even be able to load a modern day website, much less stream a video on YouTube or Netflix.
Without fast Internet, online tech journalism just wouldn’t exist in the way it does today. And there would be no Twitch or Spotify. It would be a cruel, apocalyptic world.
The most shocking thing of all? Customers are paying AOL $20 a month for dial-up access, which means the company is still making a killing each year from these subscriptions. If you or someone you know is still using dial-up, it might be time for an intervention.
I get it: not everyone can afford broadband Internet, and there’s a minuscule chance they don’t have access to the faster speeds in their remote part of the wilderness. But 2.1 million is a hefty figure, and so long as people subscribe, AOL will continue to be an enduring time capsule of despair.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Online Teaching Conference, June 18-19 in San Diego!
June 18 - 19, 2015 | San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
REGISTER TODAY!
Register now to attend the best OTC yet!
Two FULL days of education & networking. Breakfasts and lunches included.
We Still Have a Few Spots in our Pre-Conference Workshops!
Come a day early and take one of our pre-conference workshops on Wednesday, June 17th. Check out the entire list and register here! Two sessions we'd like to highlight...
Digging Deeper: iPads in Education
Speaker: Sam Gliksman | Wednesday, June 17 - 1:00 - 4:00pm
Own an iPad but are interested in learning more ways of leveraging it in your classroom? This is the workshop for you! Bring your iPad to this workshop and explore interactive apps that can enhance the teaching and learning experience. Learn tips and tricks that will have you using your iPad more effectively and efficiently. Take advantage of iPad features in ways... (more)
We Still Have a Few Spots in our Pre-Conference Workshops!
Come a day early and take one of our pre-conference workshops on Wednesday, June 17th. Check out the entire list and register here! Two sessions we'd like to highlight...
Digging Deeper: iPads in Education
Speaker: Sam Gliksman | Wednesday, June 17 - 1:00 - 4:00pm
Own an iPad but are interested in learning more ways of leveraging it in your classroom? This is the workshop for you! Bring your iPad to this workshop and explore interactive apps that can enhance the teaching and learning experience. Learn tips and tricks that will have you using your iPad more effectively and efficiently. Take advantage of iPad features in ways... (more)
Using CCC Confer’s Lecture Capture to Enhance Instruction
Speaker: Lynn Mann | Wednesday, June 17 - 9:00am - 12:00pm
Using CCC Confer, you can record your presentations and lectures and post them on the World Wide Web as portable videos. If needed, you can also edit them. This enhances learning opportunities for students, who can view archived lectures, watch tutorials you create, look at demonstrations, and review at their own pace and convenience. In this workshop, you will learn how to use CCC Confer... (more)
Please be sure to mention you are attending the Online Teaching Conference when booking!
Book Your Room Now & Save!
Our exclusive group rate is $189 (not including tax). This rate is available three days before and after the conference if you'd like to extend your stay in San Diego.
Our beautiful host hotel, the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, is conveniently located
right next door to the San Diego Convention Center.
Come for the Conference... Stay for the Vacation! A Couple of Fun Attractions in the Area
Seaport Village
Step out behind the Marriott and the San Diego Convention Center, and you'll be in this magical Village on the Bay.
Enjoy delicious bayfront dining at Buster's Beach House, Harbor House, Edgewater Grill, and Pier Cafe. Also do a little shopping at great shops like Urban Girl Accessories, Hot Licks, Upstart Crow, and Captian's Cove.
Visit the SeaportVillage Website for more info!
Balboa Park & the San Diego Zoo
A good walk or a quick cab ride away you will find the picturesque, and historical Balboa Park. 2015 is the Centennial anniversary of the founding of the Park during the Pacific Panama-California Exhibition of 1915.
The World Famous San Diego Zoo is also on the grounds of Balboa Park!
www.OnlineTeachingConference.org
Two Days. 40 Speakers. The Ultimate Destination.
Speaker: Lynn Mann | Wednesday, June 17 - 9:00am - 12:00pm
Using CCC Confer, you can record your presentations and lectures and post them on the World Wide Web as portable videos. If needed, you can also edit them. This enhances learning opportunities for students, who can view archived lectures, watch tutorials you create, look at demonstrations, and review at their own pace and convenience. In this workshop, you will learn how to use CCC Confer... (more)
Please be sure to mention you are attending the Online Teaching Conference when booking!
Book Your Room Now & Save!
Our exclusive group rate is $189 (not including tax). This rate is available three days before and after the conference if you'd like to extend your stay in San Diego.
Our beautiful host hotel, the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, is conveniently located
right next door to the San Diego Convention Center.
Come for the Conference... Stay for the Vacation! A Couple of Fun Attractions in the Area
Seaport Village
Step out behind the Marriott and the San Diego Convention Center, and you'll be in this magical Village on the Bay.
Enjoy delicious bayfront dining at Buster's Beach House, Harbor House, Edgewater Grill, and Pier Cafe. Also do a little shopping at great shops like Urban Girl Accessories, Hot Licks, Upstart Crow, and Captian's Cove.
Visit the SeaportVillage Website for more info!
Balboa Park & the San Diego Zoo
A good walk or a quick cab ride away you will find the picturesque, and historical Balboa Park. 2015 is the Centennial anniversary of the founding of the Park during the Pacific Panama-California Exhibition of 1915.
The World Famous San Diego Zoo is also on the grounds of Balboa Park!
www.OnlineTeachingConference.org
Two Days. 40 Speakers. The Ultimate Destination.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
CCC TechEDge eNews Update
TechEDge eNews Update | 23 April 2015 | http://ccctechedge.org
Leading Technology In Education For California's Future
InCommon Membership Free To Colleges
California’s community colleges are being offered free membership in InCommon, enabling single sign-on access to systemwide technology offerings and vendors, as well as substantial cost savings for security certificates.
Read more...
Colleges Asked To Consider A Common CMS
Read more...
Colleges Asked To Consider A Common CMS
The time has come for California’s community colleges to consider adopting a common course management system. The Online Education Initiative (OEI) will facilitate and subsidize the use of the Canvas CMS for colleges choosing to adopt it.
Read more...
DOE Offers Ed Tech Developer’s Guide
Read more...
DOE Offers Ed Tech Developer’s Guide
A first-ever developer’s guide has been released by the U.S. Department of Education to provide a resource for organizations looking to create new applications to solve persistent problems in education.
Read more...
OEI Updates: Big Picture Becoming Clear
Read more...
OEI Updates: Big Picture Becoming Clear
This is the 10th month of blog posts from me and, as I look back, it is clear that we at the California Community Colleges (CCC) Online Education Initiative (OEI) have completed a ton of work!
Read more...
CCC Security Center To Host Summer Workshop
Read more...
CCC Security Center To Host Summer Workshop
The California Community Colleges (CCC) Information Security Center is hosting a one-day workshop for information technology professionals on July 15, 2015, at Mt. San Antonio College, Building 10, Founders Hall.
Read more...
High Tech Center Announces New Trainings
Read more...
High Tech Center Announces New Trainings
The High Tech Center Training Unit (HTCTU) of the California Community Colleges announced new training courses in assistive technology and alternate media for college faculty and staff who assist students with disabilities.
Read more...
Speakers Lined Up For Online Teaching Conference
Read more...
Speakers Lined Up For Online Teaching Conference
Keynote speakers as well as the full conference presentation line-up have been announced for the Online Teaching Conference 2015, being held June 18-19 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Read more...
Read more...
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Online Teaching Conference in San Diego
Positively Impact Your Career!
Register Today for the 15th Annual
Online Teaching Conference
The Future is in Online Education and the Future is NOW.
Register today & we'll see you San Diego in 76 days!
San Diego is where online meets face-to-face.
* Sponsorship / Exhibiting opportunities are still available – click here for details.
* Pre-Conference Workshops are Wednesday, June 17th.
Register & be sure to book your stay at the beautiful
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina —right next door
to the Convention Center on San Diego's Big Bay.
www.OnlineTeachingConference.org
Two Days. 40 Speakers. The Ultimate Destination.
Follow the conference conversation on Twitter & Facebook too...
Use the hashtag #CCCOTC15
Copyright © 2015 Online Teaching Conference | All rights reserved.
365 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, Suite #104 | San Marcos, Ca 92078 | 760.744.1150 x1527
info@onlineteachingconference.org | unsubscribe from this list
Thursday, March 12, 2015
CCC Technology for Student Success News, March 12, 2015
Welcome!
Welcome to the March issue of CCC Technology for Student Success News featuring updates on the latest progress of the Online Education Initiative (OEI), Common Assessment Initiative (CAI), and Education Planning Initiative (EPI).
Two very important events are on the near horizon. The California Community Colleges OEI and Campus Technology Events invite you to attend the OEI Town Hall - co-located with Campus Technology Forum, April 8 - 9, at the Long Beach Hyatt Regency - at no charge! Register now and attend both events for free.
In addition, the Online Teaching Conference will be held at the San Diego Convention Center on June 18-19. See call for proposals and/or register now.
EPI Adding Tools To Support Student Lifecycle
Welcome to the March issue of CCC Technology for Student Success News featuring updates on the latest progress of the Online Education Initiative (OEI), Common Assessment Initiative (CAI), and Education Planning Initiative (EPI).
Two very important events are on the near horizon. The California Community Colleges OEI and Campus Technology Events invite you to attend the OEI Town Hall - co-located with Campus Technology Forum, April 8 - 9, at the Long Beach Hyatt Regency - at no charge! Register now and attend both events for free.
In addition, the Online Teaching Conference will be held at the San Diego Convention Center on June 18-19. See call for proposals and/or register now.
EPI Adding Tools To Support Student Lifecycle
The California Community Colleges (CCC) Education Planning Initiative (EPI) Pilot Colleges announced the selection of Hobsons as their Education Planning Tools and Degree Audit System (EPT/DAS) vendor.
Read on...
Summit Rallies Faculty Around Course Exchange
Read on...
Summit Rallies Faculty Around Course Exchange
Enthusiasm is building around the California Community Colleges (CCC) Online Education Initiative (OEI) after a recent Summit of CCC distance education professionals brought one of the OEI's more complex elements into focus.
Read on...
CAS To Include Optional Multiple Measures
Read on...
CAS To Include Optional Multiple Measures
A suite of validated multiple measures (MMs) will be offered for use in making local placement decisions as part of a statewide assessment being developed by the California Community Colleges Common Assessment Initiative (CAI).
Read on...
Read on...
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
June 18-19 Online Teaching Conference in San Diego - Registration Open
Registration is Now OPEN for the 15th Annual Online Teaching Conference!
A powerful combination—excellent programming in a limitless new venue.
Join us at the San Diego Convention Center...
Where online meets face-to-face.
* Accepting Speaker Proposals through March 15 – click here to apply.
* Pre-Conference Workshops will be held on Wednesday, June 17th, Workshop options are available from the registration link.
* If your organization is interested in becoming a Sponsor / Exhibiting – click here.
Register now & book your stay at the Marriott Marquis San Diego
Marina—on San Diego's Big Bay, right next door to the Convention Center.
www.OnlineTeachingConference.org
Two Days. 40 Speakers. The Ultimate Destination.
Follow the conference conversation on Twitter & Facebook too...
Use the hashtag #CCCOTC15
Copyright © 2015 Online Teaching Conference | All rights reserved.
365 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, Suite #104 | San Marcos, Ca 92078 | 760.744.1150 x1527
info@onlineteachingconference.org
Friday, February 20, 2015
Cyberfed Episode 6
National Cyber League (NCL)
International Competitions
Microsoft Cybercrime Center
International Competitions
Microsoft Cybercrime Center
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Students excel in cybersecurity competition
February 16, 2015 9:30 AM The Orion
Chico State computer science students finished in top placements at the National Cyber League in fall of 2014.
Students placed second and seventh in the silver bracket, and seventh in the bronze bracket for the post-season competition.
“This competition was a fantastic opportunity which allowed us to learn common tools and techniques hackers use every day for breaking into systems and networks worldwide,” Chris Witthans, participant, said.
Students involved in a lower division team, known as the Beta team, placed second in the league. The higher ranked division, known as the Alpha team, trailed the Beta team by about 10,000 points.
The challenge included a series of security puzzles, which involved cracking mixed-up passwords and computer file analyzing. There were three individual pre-competition challenges paired with online labs that students used to prepare for the competition.
“Security professionals must remain open and flexible at learning how system vulnerabilities or weaknesses can be leveraged in a remote attack, and this competition did just that,” Witthans said.
Some students were required to be involved in the challenge for a class, “Advanced Security.”
“I am very proud of how well the students did in their first cyber challenge,” David Zeichick, computer science lecturer, said. “Out of 145 colleges, our students scored extremely well.”
Zeichick believes the contest is important because it teaches students relevant skills for a potential future career in cybersecurity.
“Companies are really starting to understand that [computer security] is an important department to have, and therefore there’s a big need for these skills, and that’s new,” Zeichick said. “This competition improves the interest level and the skills of our students, and makes the work fun.”
Last fall, student Matt Bourn placed 28th in the silver bracket, while student Ryan Nelson placed in 37th in the silver bracket. This placed them in fourth and 11th place in the Cyber League’s Western region.
Chico’s computer information systems program achieved accreditation in 2008 and was the first such program in the western United States to do so.
“As a security professional, and for anyone who aspires to dedicate a career to information security, the knowledge and skills gained were paramount,” Witthans said. “I personally enjoyed the high amount of engagement and cooperation given by my peers in this course. Everyone had new knowledge to contribute for the class as a whole, which definitely made this experience quite memorable,”
Elaine Knudsen can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_news on Twitter.
Chico State computer science students finished in top placements at the National Cyber League in fall of 2014.
Students placed second and seventh in the silver bracket, and seventh in the bronze bracket for the post-season competition.
“This competition was a fantastic opportunity which allowed us to learn common tools and techniques hackers use every day for breaking into systems and networks worldwide,” Chris Witthans, participant, said.
Students involved in a lower division team, known as the Beta team, placed second in the league. The higher ranked division, known as the Alpha team, trailed the Beta team by about 10,000 points.
The challenge included a series of security puzzles, which involved cracking mixed-up passwords and computer file analyzing. There were three individual pre-competition challenges paired with online labs that students used to prepare for the competition.
“Security professionals must remain open and flexible at learning how system vulnerabilities or weaknesses can be leveraged in a remote attack, and this competition did just that,” Witthans said.
Some students were required to be involved in the challenge for a class, “Advanced Security.”
“I am very proud of how well the students did in their first cyber challenge,” David Zeichick, computer science lecturer, said. “Out of 145 colleges, our students scored extremely well.”
Zeichick believes the contest is important because it teaches students relevant skills for a potential future career in cybersecurity.
“Companies are really starting to understand that [computer security] is an important department to have, and therefore there’s a big need for these skills, and that’s new,” Zeichick said. “This competition improves the interest level and the skills of our students, and makes the work fun.”
Last fall, student Matt Bourn placed 28th in the silver bracket, while student Ryan Nelson placed in 37th in the silver bracket. This placed them in fourth and 11th place in the Cyber League’s Western region.
Chico’s computer information systems program achieved accreditation in 2008 and was the first such program in the western United States to do so.
“As a security professional, and for anyone who aspires to dedicate a career to information security, the knowledge and skills gained were paramount,” Witthans said. “I personally enjoyed the high amount of engagement and cooperation given by my peers in this course. Everyone had new knowledge to contribute for the class as a whole, which definitely made this experience quite memorable,”
Elaine Knudsen can be reached at newseditor@theorion.com or @theorion_news on Twitter.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
CCC Technology for Student Success News
CCC Technology for Student Success News
Volume 2, Issue 2 - February 12, 2015
In This Issue
Visit Us Online:
Welcome!
Welcome to the February issue of CCC Technology for Student Success News featuring updates on the latest progress of the Online Education Initiative (OEI), Common Assessment Initiative (CAI), and Education Planning Initiative (EPI).
Canvas Chosen For Course Management
Welcome to the February issue of CCC Technology for Student Success News featuring updates on the latest progress of the Online Education Initiative (OEI), Common Assessment Initiative (CAI), and Education Planning Initiative (EPI).
Canvas Chosen For Course Management
The California Community Colleges (CCC) Online Education Initiative (OEI) announced its intent to award Instructure Inc. the contract to provide an online course management system and related services to community colleges statewide.
Read on...
2 Partners Selected For CCCAssess Development
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2 Partners Selected For CCCAssess Development
The California Community Colleges (CCC) Common Assessment Initiative (CAI) announced its intent to award contracts to Unicon Inc. and Link-Systems International Inc. for development and support of CCCAssess.
Read on...
Ed Planning Team Demos Student Portal
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Ed Planning Team Demos Student Portal
The California Community Colleges (CCC) Education Planning Initiative (EPI) celebrated a significant milestone in January with initial demonstrations of the Student Services Portal interface being developed by Unicon.
Read on...
Read on...
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
High-End Hardware Gives Colleges an Edge in IT Education
Colleges build sophisticated demo labs to give students hands-on I.T. skills.
byTommy Peterson EdTech
Tommy Peterson is a freelance journalist who specializes in business and technology and is a frequent contributor to the CDW family of technology magazines.
Information technology attracts more students than any other major at Georgia Gwinnett College’s School of Science and Technology.
That’s despite the fact that an IT program wasn’t included in the catalog when the school opened in 2006. To meet the surge in demand for IT skills and provide hands-on training in networking and network management, Georgia Gwinnett recently built a new laboratory that features enterprise-level technologies such as rack-mounted Lenovo servers and Cisco Systems switches.
IT Lab Supervisor Scott Clausnitzer says students at the Lawrenceville, Ga.-based public liberal arts college now have the opportunity to “work with the high-end equipment they’ll see in their workplaces.”
Information technology attracts more students than any other major at Georgia Gwinnett College’s School of Science and Technology.
That’s despite the fact that an IT program wasn’t included in the catalog when the school opened in 2006. To meet the surge in demand for IT skills and provide hands-on training in networking and network management, Georgia Gwinnett recently built a new laboratory that features enterprise-level technologies such as rack-mounted Lenovo servers and Cisco Systems switches.
IT Lab Supervisor Scott Clausnitzer says students at the Lawrenceville, Ga.-based public liberal arts college now have the opportunity to “work with the high-end equipment they’ll see in their workplaces.”
From Cabling to Virtualization
Before the new networking facility and a digital media lab came online, Georgia Gwinnett already had two technology labs: one for general-purpose computing and a computational lab primarily used for programming courses. The new networking training lab, designed as part of a new campus building, features eight interconnected racks, each containing four Lenovo servers, a RAID array, redundant power supply, a Cisco switch, a Cisco ASA security appliance and a wireless router. Students receive training in virtualization, troubleshooting and security, and also learn skills in network configuration and management, Clausnitzer says.
“Most people who walk by the lab think it’s our data center — our faculty use it as a way to encourage beginning students,” he says. “If they continue in IT, they’ll be able to come to this lab and see what it would be like to manage a corporate network.”
Director of Enterprise Services Toby Chappell says his team chose equipment that was cost-effective while meeting the many high-end specifications defined by Clausnitzer and the faculty. The IT team also worked to develop policies that would ensure the security of the college’s broader wired and wireless networks as students experimented and solved problems in the lab.
As an IT hiring manager, Chappell says he is encouraged by the expansion of the scope of college IT labs. In the past, computer science programs focused on programming, and only a few institutions taught skills such as systems administration or networking, he says. “Now we have specializations like security, data processing and networking that we teach in labs, and that’s important. You don’t work out a networking problem on paper. You work it out by seeing what’s on the switch and tracing the cables and connections.”
50%
Percentage of CIOs who say learning new skills to stay current with technology is the most important advice they would give to new college grads in technology fields
SOURCE: Robert Half Technology, “Best Career Advice for New Tech Grads from CIOs,” July 2014
Before the new networking facility and a digital media lab came online, Georgia Gwinnett already had two technology labs: one for general-purpose computing and a computational lab primarily used for programming courses. The new networking training lab, designed as part of a new campus building, features eight interconnected racks, each containing four Lenovo servers, a RAID array, redundant power supply, a Cisco switch, a Cisco ASA security appliance and a wireless router. Students receive training in virtualization, troubleshooting and security, and also learn skills in network configuration and management, Clausnitzer says.
“Most people who walk by the lab think it’s our data center — our faculty use it as a way to encourage beginning students,” he says. “If they continue in IT, they’ll be able to come to this lab and see what it would be like to manage a corporate network.”
Director of Enterprise Services Toby Chappell says his team chose equipment that was cost-effective while meeting the many high-end specifications defined by Clausnitzer and the faculty. The IT team also worked to develop policies that would ensure the security of the college’s broader wired and wireless networks as students experimented and solved problems in the lab.
As an IT hiring manager, Chappell says he is encouraged by the expansion of the scope of college IT labs. In the past, computer science programs focused on programming, and only a few institutions taught skills such as systems administration or networking, he says. “Now we have specializations like security, data processing and networking that we teach in labs, and that’s important. You don’t work out a networking problem on paper. You work it out by seeing what’s on the switch and tracing the cables and connections.”
50%
Percentage of CIOs who say learning new skills to stay current with technology is the most important advice they would give to new college grads in technology fields
SOURCE: Robert Half Technology, “Best Career Advice for New Tech Grads from CIOs,” July 2014
Building Career Skills
The tools and systems deployed in modern IT environments are so complex and sophisticated that hands-on education has become essential to a successful IT career, says Dan Dainton, instructor and former head of the Computer Information Technology Department at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. The department’s program prepares CLC students to move quickly into the workforce by offering associate degrees and courses that map directly to industry certification, he says.
“Practical exercises are how our students build their skills,” Dainton says. “We’re a career program that’s oriented toward applying knowledge.”
On each of its three campuses, CLC operates multipurpose computer labs equipped with high-end hardware and a wide variety of software. Dainton uses 17 different programs for his computer forensics class, for example. In the Cisco Networking Academy, CLC students have a chance to work on current generation Cisco routers and switches, says instructor and CLC Senior Network Engineer Nels Ekornaas. Cisco provides a virtual workspace with network simulators that allow students to work remotely. Still, that falls a bit short of hands-on experience, Ekornaas says.
“They’re not actually wiring the connections,” he says. “When you work with the actual equipment, you make errors and have to fix them, which are lessons students tend to remember better than those in a virtual environment. Students need to know what the equipment looks like, how it works and how to configure it in situations like those they’ll encounter later.”
The tools and systems deployed in modern IT environments are so complex and sophisticated that hands-on education has become essential to a successful IT career, says Dan Dainton, instructor and former head of the Computer Information Technology Department at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. The department’s program prepares CLC students to move quickly into the workforce by offering associate degrees and courses that map directly to industry certification, he says.
“Practical exercises are how our students build their skills,” Dainton says. “We’re a career program that’s oriented toward applying knowledge.”
On each of its three campuses, CLC operates multipurpose computer labs equipped with high-end hardware and a wide variety of software. Dainton uses 17 different programs for his computer forensics class, for example. In the Cisco Networking Academy, CLC students have a chance to work on current generation Cisco routers and switches, says instructor and CLC Senior Network Engineer Nels Ekornaas. Cisco provides a virtual workspace with network simulators that allow students to work remotely. Still, that falls a bit short of hands-on experience, Ekornaas says.
“They’re not actually wiring the connections,” he says. “When you work with the actual equipment, you make errors and have to fix them, which are lessons students tend to remember better than those in a virtual environment. Students need to know what the equipment looks like, how it works and how to configure it in situations like those they’ll encounter later.”
Balancing Concepts and Experience
At Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pa., IT courses are designed to balance conceptual and applied learning, says Associate Professor and IT Department Director Jacob Miller. Penn Tech’s 6,000 students are enrolled in programs leading to bachelor’s or associate degrees, or industry certifications. The college boasts a variety of computer labs, with several designed specifically for IT majors, including a systems lab, two networking labs, two gaming labs, a security lab and more.
“Experiential learning is a core tool in teaching information technology,” Miller says. “These labs support the curriculum by providing the students an environment where they can practice and experiment with the concepts and skills they learn in class.”
Similar to many corporate data centers, Penn Tech’s labs are equipped with leading-edge (but not necessarily “bleeding edge”) technologies, Miller says. Students should be aware of the latest hardware and software, but adopting unproven technologies for the labs occasionally has impeded programs, he says.
“Waiting a little while for bugs to get ironed out enables us to adopt technology while it is still fresh, without the frustration of having it only partially work,” Miller says. “We are still usually adopting technology in advance of the corporate world.”
Georgia Gwinnett’s Clausnitzer also notes that, over time, the equipment in his school’s new lab will be refreshed on a staggered schedule and students will be trained on a few different generations of tools — a scenario most are likely to encounter in modern business data centers.
“When our students go out into the real world, they’ll see mixed environments with some older and some leading-edge equipment,” he says. “As our lab evolves it will emulate how an environment like that works.”
At Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pa., IT courses are designed to balance conceptual and applied learning, says Associate Professor and IT Department Director Jacob Miller. Penn Tech’s 6,000 students are enrolled in programs leading to bachelor’s or associate degrees, or industry certifications. The college boasts a variety of computer labs, with several designed specifically for IT majors, including a systems lab, two networking labs, two gaming labs, a security lab and more.
“Experiential learning is a core tool in teaching information technology,” Miller says. “These labs support the curriculum by providing the students an environment where they can practice and experiment with the concepts and skills they learn in class.”
Similar to many corporate data centers, Penn Tech’s labs are equipped with leading-edge (but not necessarily “bleeding edge”) technologies, Miller says. Students should be aware of the latest hardware and software, but adopting unproven technologies for the labs occasionally has impeded programs, he says.
“Waiting a little while for bugs to get ironed out enables us to adopt technology while it is still fresh, without the frustration of having it only partially work,” Miller says. “We are still usually adopting technology in advance of the corporate world.”
Georgia Gwinnett’s Clausnitzer also notes that, over time, the equipment in his school’s new lab will be refreshed on a staggered schedule and students will be trained on a few different generations of tools — a scenario most are likely to encounter in modern business data centers.
“When our students go out into the real world, they’ll see mixed environments with some older and some leading-edge equipment,” he says. “As our lab evolves it will emulate how an environment like that works.”
Secure Learning
As both lab equipment and students become more sophisticated, colleges also must ensure that their demo labs don’t jeopardize the security of other campus networks and infrastructure, Clausnitzer says.
“When students learn troubleshooting and security and how to identify packets across the network, we need to be isolated to ensure safety,” he says.
At Penn Tech, a security lab houses its own server and storage cluster, separate from the main campus networks, Miller says. The lab there is set up primarily as a virtual environment, in which systems and networks are created as targets for student attacks.
Georgia Gwinnett’s team took a hard look at security issues related to the college’s latest networking lab as all of the new equipment was installed: “We had to be sure that while they’re teaching students how to set up networks, no one was accidentally stepping on the network used by everyone else.”
The New Norm
Hands-on experience should be a central part of any IT student’s curricula, says Matthew Bourdeau, Miami regional vice president of Robert Half Technology, a national IT staffing firm. In a recent Robert Half survey, 71 percent of CIOs said that they prioritize proven skills and hands-on experience over formal education when evaluating job candidates, which obliges new grads to demonstrate real-world competence if they want to compete with veteran IT workers, Bourdeau says.
“Ramp-up time is so important to hiring managers,” he says. “They’re looking for people who can add value to their organizations immediately. New grads should acquire and then highlight all the hands-on skills they can.”
Bourdeau advises students to augment college lab work with internships and to take college programs that lead to certifications. The good news for grads, he says, is that IT workers of almost all types are now in demand. “Web developers and app developers are hot, but so are network administrators and network engineers,” he says. “Candidates that have hands-on experience and skills are in great shape.”
As both lab equipment and students become more sophisticated, colleges also must ensure that their demo labs don’t jeopardize the security of other campus networks and infrastructure, Clausnitzer says.
“When students learn troubleshooting and security and how to identify packets across the network, we need to be isolated to ensure safety,” he says.
At Penn Tech, a security lab houses its own server and storage cluster, separate from the main campus networks, Miller says. The lab there is set up primarily as a virtual environment, in which systems and networks are created as targets for student attacks.
Georgia Gwinnett’s team took a hard look at security issues related to the college’s latest networking lab as all of the new equipment was installed: “We had to be sure that while they’re teaching students how to set up networks, no one was accidentally stepping on the network used by everyone else.”
The New Norm
Hands-on experience should be a central part of any IT student’s curricula, says Matthew Bourdeau, Miami regional vice president of Robert Half Technology, a national IT staffing firm. In a recent Robert Half survey, 71 percent of CIOs said that they prioritize proven skills and hands-on experience over formal education when evaluating job candidates, which obliges new grads to demonstrate real-world competence if they want to compete with veteran IT workers, Bourdeau says.
“Ramp-up time is so important to hiring managers,” he says. “They’re looking for people who can add value to their organizations immediately. New grads should acquire and then highlight all the hands-on skills they can.”
Bourdeau advises students to augment college lab work with internships and to take college programs that lead to certifications. The good news for grads, he says, is that IT workers of almost all types are now in demand. “Web developers and app developers are hot, but so are network administrators and network engineers,” he says. “Candidates that have hands-on experience and skills are in great shape.”
Friday, February 6, 2015
How Google Docs' research tool removes drudgery from reports and presentations
Michael Ansaldo
Feb 6, 2015 3:28 AM PCWorld
You’re frantically racing toward a deadline to complete a multi-page report or slideshow presentation, but research is slowing you down. Not tracking down the information so much as the constant bouncing between your work document and web browser, and cycling through the confusing morass of open tabs to find that webpage or image you need.
If you use Google’s free office suite, there’s an easier way—a built in research tool that lets you search for the information you need and easily add it to the Google Doc or Google Slide you’re working on without having to leave the page. Here’s how to get started.
Feb 6, 2015 3:28 AM PCWorld
You’re frantically racing toward a deadline to complete a multi-page report or slideshow presentation, but research is slowing you down. Not tracking down the information so much as the constant bouncing between your work document and web browser, and cycling through the confusing morass of open tabs to find that webpage or image you need.
If you use Google’s free office suite, there’s an easier way—a built in research tool that lets you search for the information you need and easily add it to the Google Doc or Google Slide you’re working on without having to leave the page. Here’s how to get started.
Access the research tool
Google offers three ways to access the research tool pane. From within a document or presentation, click Tools > Research. If you prefer keystrokes, type Ctrl + Alt + Shift + I on a PC or Ctrl + ⌘ + Shift + I on a Mac. The third way is to begin a specific search by right-clicking a word (or in the case of a phrase, highlighting it then right-clicking) and selecting Research from the drop-down menu. In each case, the research pane will open on the right side of your document or slide.
The research tool puts several different search filters right in the document or slideshow presentation you’re working on.
Unless you’ve accessed it via selected text, the first time you open the research tool it will display a list of topics based on the content of your document or slide. But because the tool is just keying in on random words, these results aren’t likely to be useful. Instead, type your own search terms in the search bar.
The research tool offers several different types of results: Everything, Images, Scholar, Quotes, Dictionary, Personal, and Tables, each accessible from a drop-down menu in the search bar. Let’s look at each search type in turn and how to use them to add information, sources and citations to your document or presentation.
Images can be added to your work right from the research pane.
Google’s research tool makes it easy to add a quotation, its author and a footnote citation to your document.
Google offers three ways to access the research tool pane. From within a document or presentation, click Tools > Research. If you prefer keystrokes, type Ctrl + Alt + Shift + I on a PC or Ctrl + ⌘ + Shift + I on a Mac. The third way is to begin a specific search by right-clicking a word (or in the case of a phrase, highlighting it then right-clicking) and selecting Research from the drop-down menu. In each case, the research pane will open on the right side of your document or slide.
The research tool puts several different search filters right in the document or slideshow presentation you’re working on.
Unless you’ve accessed it via selected text, the first time you open the research tool it will display a list of topics based on the content of your document or slide. But because the tool is just keying in on random words, these results aren’t likely to be useful. Instead, type your own search terms in the search bar.
The research tool offers several different types of results: Everything, Images, Scholar, Quotes, Dictionary, Personal, and Tables, each accessible from a drop-down menu in the search bar. Let’s look at each search type in turn and how to use them to add information, sources and citations to your document or presentation.
Everything
This is the default search and casts the widest possible net across the ‘Net. A typical search of say, a person, will yield a selection of applicable photos, some quick facts, a quotation or two, and a list of website results. Hovering over one of these web results will reveal several action options. Click Preview to open a preview of the website in a separate slide-out window. To add a link to the site to your document or spreadsheet, click Insert Link. To create a footnote citation for that link (document only), click Cite.
Images
To filter only image results, select Images from the drop-down menu in the search bar. Any of the resulting images can be dragged directly from the research pane into your document or presentation. A numbered superscript citation is automatically placed next to the image so you can cite the source. Clicking the image will open options to place the image inline or wrap or break the text around it. In the case of the last two options, you’re also presented with a drop-down menu of preset margin widths/depths to choose from.
This is the default search and casts the widest possible net across the ‘Net. A typical search of say, a person, will yield a selection of applicable photos, some quick facts, a quotation or two, and a list of website results. Hovering over one of these web results will reveal several action options. Click Preview to open a preview of the website in a separate slide-out window. To add a link to the site to your document or spreadsheet, click Insert Link. To create a footnote citation for that link (document only), click Cite.
Images
To filter only image results, select Images from the drop-down menu in the search bar. Any of the resulting images can be dragged directly from the research pane into your document or presentation. A numbered superscript citation is automatically placed next to the image so you can cite the source. Clicking the image will open options to place the image inline or wrap or break the text around it. In the case of the last two options, you’re also presented with a drop-down menu of preset margin widths/depths to choose from.
Images can be added to your work right from the research pane.
Scholar
A Scholar search will troll Google Scholar for books, abstracts, peer-reviewed papers and other scholarly literature for information relevant to your search term. Results are presented as bibliographic entries. Click the accompanying link to open the actual publication in your web browser. To add the bibliographic information to your document, select Insert, and select Cite as footnote to add a citation.
A Scholar search will troll Google Scholar for books, abstracts, peer-reviewed papers and other scholarly literature for information relevant to your search term. Results are presented as bibliographic entries. Click the accompanying link to open the actual publication in your web browser. To add the bibliographic information to your document, select Insert, and select Cite as footnote to add a citation.
Quotes
Select Quotes from the drop-down menu and enter either an individual’s name or a portion of a famous quote. When you mouse over a quotation result, you’re presented with a link to sources with more information on that quote. To insert the quote and its author in your document or spreadsheet, click Insert. It will automatically add a footnote citation as well.
Select Quotes from the drop-down menu and enter either an individual’s name or a portion of a famous quote. When you mouse over a quotation result, you’re presented with a link to sources with more information on that quote. To insert the quote and its author in your document or spreadsheet, click Insert. It will automatically add a footnote citation as well.
Google’s research tool makes it easy to add a quotation, its author and a footnote citation to your document.
Dictionary
If you’re halfway through writing a report and realize you don’t remember the difference between “compose” and “comprise,” select Dictionary from the drop-down menu and enter one of the words in the search box. You’ll be supplied with definitions and synonyms from sources around the web.
Personal
Sometimes the information you need is not out on the Web but rather buried somewhere in your Google Drive account. In that case, use this search option. Select Personal from the drop-down menu and enter your search term and the research tool will return results from your Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as images from your Picasa account and posts from your Google+ stream. Click Preview to glance at the content, and Insert Linkto insert the item’s URL and title. Click Cite to add a footnote citation with the link (documents only). In the case of presentations, you can click Import Slides to choose slides to insert into your current presentation.
If you’re halfway through writing a report and realize you don’t remember the difference between “compose” and “comprise,” select Dictionary from the drop-down menu and enter one of the words in the search box. You’ll be supplied with definitions and synonyms from sources around the web.
Personal
Sometimes the information you need is not out on the Web but rather buried somewhere in your Google Drive account. In that case, use this search option. Select Personal from the drop-down menu and enter your search term and the research tool will return results from your Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as images from your Picasa account and posts from your Google+ stream. Click Preview to glance at the content, and Insert Linkto insert the item’s URL and title. Click Cite to add a footnote citation with the link (documents only). In the case of presentations, you can click Import Slides to choose slides to insert into your current presentation.
Tables
To add table data to your document or spreadsheet, select Tables from the search box before conducting your search. By hovering over a result, you can click Preview to see a full-size preview image, Cite to create a footnote citation for the table in your document or spreadsheet, or Export to export the table into Google Sheets or Google Fusion Tables.
To add table data to your document or spreadsheet, select Tables from the search box before conducting your search. By hovering over a result, you can click Preview to see a full-size preview image, Cite to create a footnote citation for the table in your document or spreadsheet, or Export to export the table into Google Sheets or Google Fusion Tables.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
3C Media DECT Funding is Available
The DECT Captioning Grant offers funding to faculty and staff of the CCC's for educational media. To request captions for your video or audio file thru 3C Media Solutions, simply log in to your 3C Media account and follow these steps:
- From your "My Media" tab, click the "Details & Options" link to the right of the media you want captions for
- Under "Tools", click on "DECT Captioning Grant"
- Fill out and submit the form
*Funding covers educational content with no length restrictions at this time. In an effort to conservatively use the funds system-wide, you may want to consider creating your own .SRT files for short media (3 minutes or less). This is not required, merely a suggestion. For information on how to create an .srt file, please see the Help documents from within your account.
3C Media Solutions (www.3cmediasolutions.org)
365 S. Rancho Santa Fe Road, Suite #104 | San Marcos, CA 92078 | tel: 760-744-1150 x1543
support@3cmediasolutions.org
Friday, November 21, 2014
CSSIA Train-the-Trainers Survey
It's the MOMENT you've been waiting for...
CSSIA Train-the-Trainers
Well, not quite (but we're getting closer)!
In 2015, CSSIA will be offering LIMITED training. In order to best provide faculty with the trainings that they need, we are asking for you to PLEASE take this 1 minute survey.
Rank the courses according to your interest.
(#1 is most interested & #8 is least interested)
We will only be offering the top FIVE requested trainings.
Are you ready to take a peek at the 2015 CSSIA TTT offerings?
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