The CIDDE Blog

Mind Map

2011-08-22T09:22:00.001-07:00

Blackboard slight access delay

2011-08-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hi All :O)

Blackboard just notified us that the upgrade is taking longer than the original time projection of 9 pm today, Tuesday, August 16th.

Blackboard will be available tomorrow morning, Wednesday, August 17, at 9 am.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

IMPORTANT BB UPGRADE INFO

2011-07-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Blackboard service pack upgrade is scheduled for MONDAY, August 15th finishing on TUESDAY, August 16th at 9:00 PM.

(note: it may be done sooner, but to be safe, plan for later in the day on Tuesday)

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions :O)

Simple effective strategies to online teaching

2011-06-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

Distance Education Pedagogy Powerpoint

View another webinar from mrsdurff2

Things to Know before you Go for Summer

2011-06-01T09:08:00.001-07:00

We know the Spring semester is winding down. Before you leave for Summer break, we want to let you know what to expect when you return for Fall 2011.

August 15-17 (Monday- Wednesday Inservice). Please note this on your calendars. BLACKBOARD WILL BE DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE & UPGRADES –

1. During the above maintenance in August, much needed service packs will be applied to the server (up to SP5). These service packs will take care of some of the 'bugs' we all have been experiencing and will include some enhancements to the features we currently have. Yeah! Service Pack 5 addresses over 102 bug fixes and some enhancements; we've highlighted the most popular ones on our website,http://www.saddleback.edu/itc/cidde/bbupgradesfall11.html.

2. VERY IMPORTANT!! Course Clean up- 2008-2010 courses will be REMOVED from the production server. They will still be available for you on the staging environment as an archive; however, it will not contain any changes you may have made to those courses on production this year (if you happen to use old courses as masters). So BE SURE TO EXPORT / BACK UP ANYTHING IN THOSE OLD COURSES YOU MAY WANT TO KEEP – see our blog for instructions http://ciddeblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/importing-and-exporting-your-course.html/.

3. We will be holding our Annual iTech Expo (aka Boot Camps) the last week in July, 7/25-29. Signups will begin within the next couple weeks. So keep your eyes open for them. Bookmark our Blog, http://ciddeblock.blogspot.com – class offerings will be posted there as well as our website: http://www.saddleback.edu/itc/cidde.

Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Monday, May 9

2011-05-09T08:07:00.001-07:00

There appears to be an intermittent problem logging into Blackboard. Blackboard IS up and running. This seems to be very sporadic. So if you can't get in the first time, please try again – and be sure to clear cache files before doing so.

It is unclear at the moment, what is causing this anomaly, but the District and Blackboard are aware of this and are working to resolve it as quickly as possible.

Grasping the Realities of Educating in the Digital Age - Educause

2011-04-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is a great link to a wealth of information about Mobile learning.

REMINDER - MAKE YOUR BB COURSE AVAILABLE IN MYSITE

2011-03-21T10:33:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder to all you second 8 week people – GO INTO MYSITE to make your Blackboard courses available to students!!!

Log into MYSITE > FACULTY SERVICES > CURRENT SCHEDULE > MANAGE > make course available to students

Process can take up to two hours to become available to students.

If you haven't done so yet, go there NOW and turn it on – students cannot access the course – or see it – until you do !

Planning for your Online Class

2011-03-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Teaching with web 2.0 technologies: case study

2011-03-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

LTTO Episodes | COFA Online Gateway

YOUTUBE BLACKBOARD MASHUP FIXED

2011-03-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

THIS HAS BEEN FIXED. NO WORKAROUND NECESSARY.

A message was sent out and posted on this blog about YouTube changing their code for the Mashups. This change caused errors when embedding YouTube videos in Blackboard.

The fix has been applied. Mashups are working again.

Reminder - Making Courses Available to Students

2011-03-08T07:13:00.001-08:00

Remember, you need to go into MySite to make your course available to students. It is not available in Blackboard.

Go to View Current Schedule then select the manage link. Make course visible to students.

Blackboard Login Problems Over the Holiday Weekend

2011-02-24T08:48:00.001-08:00

Well, it never fails, does it. . . during the holiday weekend - Blackboard users experienced problems logging in. This was caused by one of our ldap - authentication servers - being down. Once it was removed from the grouping, logins were restored.

Blackboard itself wasn't down.

Blackboard BUG ALERT

2011-02-09T15:31:00.001-08:00

Please note: Blackboard has noted a bug in course copy and import/exporting sections.

If your students report they are unable to open course documents file attachments, pdf's or docs, you need to reload the documents. This is random and intermittent.

Blackboard is working to resolve the issue and apply a script that will fix this problem.

Please note all bug reports that we are aware of and possible workarounds can be found on our website:

http://www.saddleback.edu/itc/cidde

Or http://ciddeblock.blogspot.com

Embedding YouTube in Blackboard IMPORTANT CHANGE

2011-01-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Hi All :O)

If you plan to embed YouTube videos into your Blackboard site, please read

this important message. This does not apply to videos that you have already embedded prior to this week.

This week, YouTube changed the way their embed codes work. If you embed YouTube videos using the new embed codes, it will cause you problems. For example, it becomes impossible to delete other content items on the page.

To avoid these problems, just use the old-style embed code. In YouTube,

click the Embed button below the video. Then, check the checkbox for Use

old embed code.

Student Help Info to keep handy

2011-01-19T13:30:00.001-08:00

Please be sure to update your syllabi to refer students to the following help page for questions related to their online classes. There are important instructions and information about where to go when they need help both off campus and on.

http://www.saddleback.edu/de/help1.html

BUG - Course Copy and Automated Assignments - BUG

2011-01-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you performing course copy - you need to be sure if you have AUTOMATED ASSIGNMENTS (those are assignments that students turn in to you and you find in the grade center), you need to be sure you're doing the following:

1. Course copy grade center and grade settings
2. Any file attachments that were in the automated assignment area will need to be reloaded. Documents aren't copying properly.

This is a bug - Bb is aware of it and working to find solutions.

Error messages

2011-01-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

Blackboard Rumor Updates

2011-01-11T16:18:00.000-08:00

Contrary to popular belief, Blackboard IS AND HAS been up and running with no problems - some bugs maybe, but no problems.

We did receive notice from the District this morning regarding an issue that occurred yesterday which affected approximately 600 students attempting to log into Blackboard and MySite email. Please see message below for details.

"It has been discovered that new or returning students that have registered for courses are not being provisioned correctly due to a datapump issue. According to our records, approximately 600 students are affected."

They are currently working on an interim solution, so that minimal impact occurs to the system, and students gain access to their email and blackboard accounts. Tonight, they will restart services in an attempt to restore normal provisioning operations.

Any faculty with questions or problems related to online classes or Blackboard, should contact us.

Students can call the help center at 866-940-8991 or visit the DE website at http://www.saddleback.edu/de.

Thanks!
scdefaculty@saddleback.edu
Center for Instructional Design & Distance Education, BGS 249

Blackboard - DROPPED STUDENTS IN GRADE CENTER

2011-01-06T16:05:00.001-08:00

Hi All :O)

Hope things are starting off right. Here's a quick Blackboard tip to keep handy.

Dropped students will still show up in your roster in Blackboard but they will have a 'unavailable' in the availability column as well as the universal no sign to the left of the last name (BUG NOTE: If you don't see this refer to the bottom of the page).

If you want to hide them from the grade center:

Select THE MANAGE button; then ROW VISIBILITY > then click the checkboxes for the names with the no sign; select HIDE; BE SURE TO SUBMIT – if you go back to the grade center and they're not hidden, you forgot the submit button :O)

BUG NOTE: If you don't see the universal no sign next to the names, it's because you reordered your view. The AVAILABILITY column HAS TO BE ABOVE the grey line locking it in place in order to see the no sign. We think this is a bug and have placed yet another case which is pending.

REMINDER - TURN ON YOUR COURSE FOR THE NEXT SEMESTER

2010-12-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you using Blackboard starting the next session or semester, remember to go into MySite to make it available to your students.

Select Faculty Services | View Current Schedule | Manage | Make course visible to students.

For those wanting to turn it off, do the same.

NOTE: This process runs in a batch every TWO HOURS on the ODD HOURS, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc. So for instance, if you went in and made the course available at 8 am, it will be available at 9. If you make it available at 9, it won’t show to students until 11 because you missed that particular batch. So it may not happen instantly.

Let us know if you have any problems making your course available. Check out the blog for more archived instructions and information.

We will be returning from the holiday break on January 3, 2011.

Happy New Year!

COURSE COPY IS ON - GIVE IT A WHIRL

2010-12-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

You may now copy course content from one course to another. The problem of students not being able to see the course content from a copied course has been fixed. So it should be working. You can still export your course materials if you prefer, but course copy is now available.

Or if you prefer, you can EXPORT your course. Instructions to export below:

In the course you want to copy from, go to CONTROL PANEL, go to PACKAGES AND UTITLITIES, and select the EXPORT option. Select the EXPORT button again. Select all the content items you wish to export.

Go get a cup of coffee or catch up on your emails for about 15 minutes or so :O)

Go BACK INTO EXPORT and RIGHT click on the export zip file. SAVE it to your desktop or flash drive.

Go into the course you want to put your materials into.

Go into the CONTROL PANEL, go to PACKAGES AND UTILITIES, and select IMPORT PACKAGE. Browse for your saved exported .zip file and select the content to upload. SUBMIT.
f. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO IMPORT AGAIN! IT TAKES A REALLY LONG TIME TO IMPORT. SO DON'T EVEN LOOK AT IT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY.

Free - YES FREE - screen recording options

2010-12-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

So you don't really want to purchase Camtasia or some other screen recording software - no problem.

Check out all your options!

http://www.webresourcesdepot.com/10-free-screen-recording-softwares-for-creating-attractive-screencasts/

Save them as wmv files, and put them into your faculty website. Link them in Bb, and you have great interactive course materials to share with your students.

Dropped Students Still Show in Blackboard

2010-12-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Students who have been dropped from your courses will still show up in your Blackboard course as 'unavailable' - You CANNOT delete them. . . . well, technically you can, but they'll just come back again after the enrollment process runs again.

If you want to HIDE them in your grade center, do the following:

In the Full Grade Center, select MANAGE | ROW VISIBILITY | select the checkboxes with the names showing a the unavailable | select HIDE | and be sure to SAVE your changes.

Reminder about making Spring Courses Available on Bb

2010-12-09T16:02:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder, your Spring courses will not be open to students until you make them available.

If you log into Blackboard and you see a Spring 2011 ticket number and it says (unavailable) next to it, be sure to log into MYSITE and select the current schedule - manage - and make link available to students.

FINALLY - The old server will be going away

2010-12-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

Be sure all your courses that should be there are showing in Blackboard now. All our migration has completed. So if you're missing anything, you should contact us immediately to find them!

Sheri Nelson's Retiring!!

2010-12-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

We are having a farewell gathering for her on Monday, December 13th between 2-4. Please be sure to stop in to say good-bye!

BLACKBOARD MAINTENANCE IN DECEMBER

2010-12-02T08:10:00.001-08:00

Please make a note of the following dates and times. There will be interruption of services during these times:

* Thursday, Dec 2 during the hours of 11 pm to 3:00 am on Friday Dec 3, 2010, Blackboard Engineers will perform proactive maintenance. The work involves work to improve the reliability and stability of services.

* MH Infrastructure team will perform an essential maintenance starting at 9:00 pm, December 17th going through to 5:00 am, December 18th. This maintenance requires downtime during that time frame. Please note this is a service impacting maintenance where users could experience brief interruptions within the maintenance window.

* DEC 28-30 - Blackboard has scheduled updates and service packs to be applied. The server will be completely unavailable at that time.

HOW TO GET COURSE MATERIALS FROM ONE COURSE TO ANOTHER

2010-11-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

a. In the course you want to copy from, go to CONTROL PANEL, go to PACKAGES AND UTITLITIES, and select the EXPORT option. Select the EXPORT button again. Select all the content items you wish to export.
b. Go get a cup of coffee or catch up on your emails for about 15 minutes or so :O)
c. Go BACK INTO EXPORT and RIGHT click on the export zip file. SAVE it to your desktop or flash drive.
d. Go into the course you want to copy to.
e. Go into the CONTROL PANEL, go to PACKAGES AND UTILITIES, and select IMPORT PACKAGE. Browse for your saved exported .zip file and select the content to upload. SUBMIT.
f. Relax :O) . . .

Turnitin Help Center is a good reference to keep handy

2010-11-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

This searchable knowledge base allows users to find helpful articles on specific topics they may need assistance with.

Quick Start Guides and video tutorials are also available on this site.
http://www.turnitin.com/static/support.html

Blackboard Maintenance December 28-30

2010-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Blackboard has scheduled our much needed service pack updates December 28^th – 30^th. These service packs should take care of many of the known bugs in version 9.1. The Blackboard server will not be available during this time. The planned downtime is between 12 to 24 hrs.

For those of you teaching Fall classes, be sure to back up your grades (export to excel) and ARCHIVE your courses WITH ENROLLMENTS AND GRADES BEFORE 12/29 - just to be sure you have a backup of the courses :O)

Anyone needing instructions how to ARCHIVE search blog for EXPORT (basically – it’s the same as export only with enrollments - just check the box include enrollments and grades).

If you have any questions, contact us.

New Spring 2011 Course Shells are Available

2010-11-09T14:55:00.001-08:00

Remember that you can EXPORT/IMPORT course materials from one semester to another. The copy feature is still not available. We hope this feature will be available again after the Winter Break when we apply the released service packs.

Please let us know if you have any questions. You can find detailed instructions of how to EXPORT / IMPORT course materials in other postings here.

Message from Sheri - Retiring December 17th

2010-11-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

"Because I am retiring and will be gone after December 17, I thought you should have the attached document link which gives step-by-step instructions for students to access Blackboard including how to re-set their password. Additional information includes computer requirements and trouble-shooting tips on problems the students may have with submitting assignments or taking tests.

"This information is online at http://www.saddleback.edu/de/documents/BBInfoandFAQ.pdf

"I hope this helps your students have a trouble-free introduction to Blackboard."

Sheri Nelson

WINTER BREAK BLACKBOARD MAINTENANCE

2010-10-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

Please note - Blackboard will be applying service packs to our server during the winter break. This will make Blackboard unavailable for 12 to 24 hrs between December 28th and 29th.

Please be sure to save a back up of your current courses - just as a back up in case of emergency :O)

Blackboard Shells for Spring 2011

2010-10-12T10:15:00.001-07:00

Many of you have inquired about Spring 2011 shells for Blackboard. We are waiting for the completion of the archive/restore process of the remaining old courses from the old server. As soon as that process is complete, Spring 2011 shells will be automatically generated, and you’ll see them show up in your Blackboard course listings. We expect it to be complete by next week.

We will keep you posted.

NOT A BUG - Student Reports of Test Access Denied Error Messages

2010-10-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Students who report problems when taking exams are hitting the back button of the browser multiple times during an exam. This will cause access denied errors to occur. This is not a bug in Blackboard.

Class Schedule for October

2010-09-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Click the link above for larger view

Calendar item to note: CIDDE Staff attending training

2010-09-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, October 12 Valerie & Vivian will be attending a training conference in Anaheim.

The lab will still be open at normal operating hours - 7:30-5 pm.

Reports of Blackboard Problems over weekend

2010-09-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

The reports of problems with Blackboard were actually due to the server that authenticates users. Blackboard was in fact up and running. The authentication server was brought back online and working properly about 1 hour after reports of problems.

HOW TO HIDE UNAVAILABLE STUDENTS IN YOUR GRADEBOOK

2010-09-22T15:02:00.001-07:00

Just in case you who want to hide dropped students in your gradebook, do the following:

Go into Gradebook

Select sort by Availability

HIDING INDIVIDUALLY:

Select the little arrows to the right of “unavailable” and select “Hide Row”

HIDING MULTIPLE USERS AT ONCE : Select “Row Visibility” from the MANAGE BUTTON (located at the top of the gradebook).

Check the checkboxes next to the names in the list you want to hide.

Select “Hide Rows” and BE SURE TO SUBMIT.

NOTE: You CANNOT remove users completely. They will just keep showing back up the next time snapshot runs. This is not a bug.

Hope this is helpful :O)

SADDLEBACK LIBRARY HAS A YOU TUBE CHANNEL

2010-09-22T14:05:00.001-07:00

The Saddleback Library now has a channel on YouTube!!! They have created many incredibly helpful videos including how to access Saddleback Library Databases, using ProQuest, and Magazine, Journal and Publication searching just to mention a few - so check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/user/SaddlebackLIBRARY

You can embed library videos into Blackboard or link to them – or create a button directly to the Library channel.

More tips to help Blackboard users

2010-09-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

When using Internet Explorer:

If you click NO when it asks me if I only want to view secure data, viewing videos or linking to external sites usually works....

Blackboard Maintenance Window Schedule

2010-09-15T13:52:00.001-07:00

Please note the following days and times will be scheduled for Blackboard regular maintenance. During these maintenance windows, the server may be unavailable. This maintenance schedule is necessary to apply patches and restart services.

Every 1^st and 3^rd Tuesday of each month – between the hours of 12 am – 6 am PDT. Please mark these dates on your calendars as possible interruption of services.

Tuesday, September 21^st, from 1 am – 3 am scheduled maintenance will occur.

GOOD NEWS:

Notifications have been re-enabled! Yeah! So all your reminders and due dates, What’s New and other features on the Home Page should be functioning properly.

INFORMATION TO NOTE:

Firefox and Safari are recommended browsers.

Links to videos and external websites – set to open in a new window works best.

Please let us know if you run into problems. We will respond as quickly as possible :O)

Safari for PC

2010-09-13T11:22:00.001-07:00

If you're having trouble with Blackboard in Internet Explorer or Firefox, give Safari a try. You have a PC you say? That's ok. Here's a version for PC:

http://download.cnet.com/Apple-Safari/3000-2356_4-10697481.html

Blackboard Bug Workarounds

2010-09-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Firefox and Safari are the recommended browsers for Blackboard 9.1

Eliminates -

Microsoft Office document errors
Some video links not showing

Another tip - if you've had problems with videos, have the links open in a new window. This usually allows students to see the video in any browser.

NOTE - check your tools availability to be sure ALL TOOLS ARE ON - some tools you may not think you need will be missing if you don't have them all on.

To do this: Go to Customization > Tool Availability > and select all the checkboxes to the right. Submit.

Missing Tools Fix

2010-09-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you missing buttons in the content areas, go into customization and tool availability - click the checkboxes on the right side. Click submit.

How to make your course visible to students

2010-08-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Go into MySite - Select View Current Schedule - You should see a Manage link on the far right (if you don't, contact the scdefaculty@saddleback.edu cidde gals to set you up.

Once you click Manage, you select Make Bb Course Visible to Students - Wait a minimum of two hours.

Importing and Exporting your course

2010-08-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPORT COURSE MATERIALS:

Course Copy Temporarily Unavailable

2010-08-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Please use the EXPORT / IMPORT option to move course materials from one course to another.

See instructions below.

Remember if your course is large, you want to export it in sections and import the sections - makes the process go much smoother :O)

Blackboard Bugs to Note

2010-08-27T10:12:00.001-07:00

We are currently working with Blackboard to resolve the following things:

Announcements may not function properly. You may be able to post an announcement but the dates are not sorting correctly, or you may receive an error when attempting to post a new announcement.
Email notifications within Blackboard are disabled due to an internal server error. You can still email your ticket number from Exchange. Use the address in the to box: fayourticktnumber@saddleback.edu
Microsoft Office documents don’t seem to play with Bb as they should. Students see permissions errors with document attachments. This happens particularly with IE 8. But it seems random . . . Convert to pdf where possible.
External links to websites sometimes throw errors or won't open the link; right click and open in a new window seems to work for the moment.
Large imports from old to new or staging to new can be problematic. If you have large classes – import section by section. Be patient. It can take a long time – especially if you have large files in your course.

If you are experiencing technical problems other than these above, please contact us. We will work with you and Blackboard to resolve it as quickly as possible or find a work-around until they release a fix.

Reminder – if you’re teaching late start classes, be sure to double-check your courses.

__________________________________________________

Snapshot Controller Schedule Information

2010-08-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

When you make your course available in MySite - it is NOT instant! IT WILL BE MADE VISIBLE AFTER snapshot runs. So -

Here is the schedule:

It runs every two (2) hours on the ODD hour = starting at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11.

SO if you make the course visible to students in MySite at 6, it won't be available to students until 7.

OLD SERVER ACCESS

2010-08-20T16:37:00.001-07:00

ANOTHER NOTE: The old server 7.3 server can l now be accessed by going to: http://oldsocccd.blackboard.com

BLACKBOARD IS READY

2010-08-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hi All ☺

FIRST - Thank you all for your patience while we worked to get the access to Blackboard.

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. Many things have changed. We want to make sure the transition is a smooth as possible ☺

The new server is ready! FALL SHELLS WILL BE THERE AUTOMATICALLY and some old restored courses (this process is still running in the background).

If you have been working in staging, do the following:

INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPORT COURSE MATERIALS FROM STAGING AND IMPORT TO NEW FALL SERVER:

If you haven't done so already . . .

a. In the staging / sandbox OR directly from the old 7.3 version, go to (new) PACKAGES AND UTITLITIES, and select the EXPORT option. Select the EXPORT button again. Select only the content items you wish to export.

b. Go get a cup of coffee or catch up on your emails for about 15 to 30 minutes or so :O)

c. Go BACK INTO EXPORT and RIGHT click on the export zip file. SAVE it to your desktop or flash drive.

NEXT:

d. Go to the NEW Fall New Server 9.1 located at: http://saddleback.blackboard.com (Your user name and password will be the same as you currently log onto the old server with).

OR after the 20th socccd.blackboard.com – STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER :O)

e. Wait for more than an hour before looking at the course import. This process takes TIME! So your content probably won’t come in immediately!!!

AFTER August 20th, the old url, http://socccd.blackboard.com will be redirected to the new version 9.1- so those of you with the old url on your syllabi, don't worry. You don't have to change it. The Saddleback url is just another way to access it :O)

TO MAKE THE COURSE VISABLE TO STUDENTS: (It is off by default)

GO TO MySite select the course you’re teaching select MANAGE, MAKE COURSE VISIBLE TO USERS

Please contact us directly at scdefaculty@saddleback.edu with any issues you may encounter. Be sure to visit the blog and our website for more details, video tutorials, documentation and archived information about the upgrade process at: http://ciddeblock.blogspot.com

Have a wonderful day!

scdefaculty@saddleback.edu

Center for Instructional Design & Distance Education, BGS 249

Archived Webinar - What's New In Blackboard V9.1

2010-08-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Select SADDLEBACK What's New in Blackboard V9.1 archive link.

http://www.cccconfer.org/CCCC/OpenArchives.aspx?ShowType=Webinars

Upgrade Update and Fall Course Shells

2010-07-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

Fall course shells will be created AUTOMATICALLY by ticket number on the NEW 9.1 server. Fall course shells will NOT be available on the OLD 7.3 version.
The new Fall server will be available within the next few days. We will notify everyone as soon as it has been released.
Meanwhile – you should be using the STAGING/SANDBOX to make changes to OLD courses in preparation for Fall
If you’re currently using the staging / sandbox and are ready to save the changes you’ve made in preparation for Fall, do the following: NOTE: COURSES IN STAGING WILL NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY MOVED OVER TO THE NEW SERVER.
If you’ve recycled courses or combined ticket numbers in the past, this practice will no longer be available. Please contact us for further instructions.

INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPORT COURSE MATERIALS FROM STAGING / SANDBOX TO NEW FALL SERVER:

a. In the staging / sandbox, go to PACKAGES AND UTITLITIES, and select the EXPORT option. Select the EXPORT button again. Select all the content items you wish to export.
b. Go get a cup of coffee or catch up on your emails for about 15 minutes or so ϑ
c. Go BACK INTO EXPORT and RIGHT click on the export zip file. SAVE it to your desktop or flash drive.
d. Wait for the Fall New Server to become available.
e. When Fall is available, go to PACKAGES AND UTILITIES on the new server, and select IMPORT PACKAGE. Browse for your saved exported .zip file and select the content to upload. SUBMIT.
f. Relax ϑ . . .
a. Um, well, just double check all your links and dates, etc to be sure everything came in ok.
b. Then relax ;O)

Questions? Be sure to contact us. We’re happy to help.

IMPORTANT: BLACKBOARD UPGRADE PREP - DISABLING 20091-20093

2010-07-21T11:03:00.003-07:00

On Friday, July 23, all course IDs starting with 20091_ through 20093_ will be disabled on the current Blackboard 7.3 server and moved over to the new Fall server (9.1).

Anyone teaching Summer courses with old ticket numbers starting with the above course IDs, please contact us BEFORE Friday (so we don’t disable your Summer class).

Remember, if you need to access the above course IDs in preparation for Fall, you can still use them on STAGING/sandbox, make any changes you need and export them to the new server when it becomes available.

2010-07-21T11:02:00.001-07:00

On Friday, July 23, all course IDs starting with 20091_ through 20093_ will be disabled on the current Blackboard 7.3 server and moved over to the new Fall server (9.1).

Anyone teaching Summer courses with old ticket numbers starting with the above course IDs, please contact us BEFORE Friday (so we don’t disable your Summer class).

How to SAVE YOUR WORK IN STAGING / SANDBOX

2010-07-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPORT COURSE MATERIALS FROM STAGING / SANDBOX TO NEW FALL SERVER:

In the staging / sandbox, go to PACKAGES AND UTITLITIES, and select the EXPORT option. Select the EXPORT button again. Select all the content items you wish to export.
Go get a cup of coffee or catch up on your emails for about 15 minutes or so
Go BACK INTO EXPORT and RIGHT click on the export zip file. SAVE it to your desktop or flash drive.
Wait for the Fall New Server to become available.
When Fall is available, go to PACKAGES AND UTILITIES on the new server, and select IMPORT PACKAGE. Browse for your saved exported .zip file and select the content to upload. SUBMIT.
Relax . . .

Um, well, just double check all your links and dates, etc to be sure everything came in ok.
Then relax ;O)

Staging Sandbox back

2010-07-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

Staging experienced about 15 minutes of downtime. No report has been generated yet as to the cause. If you're still seeing a page error, please be sure to clear your cache files before going to the site again :O)

Blackboard Course Conversion Information

2010-07-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

As mentioned before - in preparation for the move to the new version, all Blackboard 2008 courses will be disabled starting tomorrow, July 8, and converted to the new server. 2009 will follow shortly and 2010 Spring after that.

If for some reason you think you need these courses before Fall, be sure to back them up by going to export course and saving the zip file to your desktop or flash drive.

As another option: You can also access it from the Staging Sandbox area (staging). If you don’t currently have access to the staging sandbox, please feel free to contact us for more information and instructions.

This sandbox is currently running version 9.1 with copies of all your courses. So we encourage you to log in and try it out.

BLACKBOARD UPGRADE INFORMATION UPDATE

2010-06-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS - no expected "downtime" to any versions of Blackboard while we transition to the new version.

Both the old version (7.3) and new version (9.1) will run simultaneously. All we're doing is redirecting the url to the new version. Sometimes switching domain names (URLs) takes time (up to 24hrs) to run through all the servers in the world. But usually this happens within a few hours. You will still have access to the old and new.

Things to note:

On August 20th, the domain name http://socccd.blackboard.com will be redirected to the new version 9.1. Students will no longer have access to the Summer courses on the old version (7.3) at that time, but the old version (7.3) and Summer courses will continue to be there for faculty to complete their grading process.
All Fall courses will be created automatically on the new version (9.1)- so you don't have to go into MySite to create your Fall courses.
No Fall courses will be created on the old version 7.3.
You still will need to make your course available when you are ready for your students to have access.
If you want to develop your Fall courses before the new version becomes available, please contact us for access to the STAGING server (your sandbox), and you can make changes there.
Anyone combining ticket numbers should note -this process will change. Please contact us for further information.
See side panel for demo videos, tutorials and other helpful information.
We are still offering training sessions during July. Please try to attend at least one session before getting started.

We will continue to keep you updated on the upgrade plans and procedures as they become available to us. Please stay updated by becoming a follower to this blog. We will post information here continually until the final arrangements are completed.

Oh, so you missed the classes on What's New in Version 9.1?

2010-06-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

There's still time . . .

If you were unable to attend any of our previous offerings for Blackboard Version 9.1 What's New, you have more opportunities in July listed below:

Thursday, July 8, 9 am - 11 am

Tuesday, July 13, 1 pm - 3 pm

Thursday, July 15, 9 am - 11 am

Tuesday, July 20th, 9 am - 11 am

Thursday, July 22nd, 9 am - 11 am

ONLINE OR ON CAMPUS - If you are planning to attend online, please email us for more instructions and information.

Important Blackboard Course Creation Information

2010-06-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

DO NOT CREATE YOUR FALL COURSES IN MYSITE YET – it will create them on the old server.

The Fall schedule is available on MySite, and the link to create Fall classes is there; however, it is still connected to the old server. So those of you wanting to work on the new version, it will not happen YET by creating them through MySite.

If you want to begin working on your Fall classes NOW on STAGING (your sandbox), you can use an OLD course to work with – we are not creating new courses on STAGING. If you need access to the staging server, please contact us for access information.

Work on staging in an old course – EXPORT it – save it to your desktop. Then, WHEN Fall new server becomes available, you import your course into the new ticket number.

We hope that clarifies any confusion.

Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We want to help make this transition as smooth as possible!

Important Blackboard Info

2010-06-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here’s the skinny on what’s happening for the scheduled Blackboard 9.1 Fall upgrade:

NOTE: In preparation for the Fall upgrade, we will be “DISABLING” old courses between the dates of 4/1/10-12/1/08 so they can be migrated to the new system. Panic not, oh, wise ones - This process shouldn’t interrupt services or in any way affect your current classes.

If you need access old courses before Fall, you can contact us for assistance.

The “Switch” from old to new will take place during Fall In-Service. And if all goes according to plan, it should be fairly seamless. Old courses should be on the new version; however, there are a couple things to note:

Instructors teaching Summer courses - as a precaution - should ARCHIVE their course as soon as their students complete the finals –So you will have a copy of everything including their grades . . . in the unlikely event of a problem.

The plan is that you will still have access to the old Bb server– so you can complete your grades, etc. You will just need to notify us, and we will give you directions to access it at that time.

Anyone wanting to start working on their Fall classes on the Version 9.1 STAGING server (your sandbox), can do so by contacting us.

IF YOU’RE USING COURSE CARTRIDGES, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR COURSE PUBLISHER IMMEDIATELY TO BE SURE YOU ARE COMPATIBLE WITH BB V9.1, and that you have the correct keys. We strongly advise you test the cartridge on the staging (sandbox) server BEFORE the start of the Fall semester.

We will be offering more classes in July and August ☺ So if you were unable to attend one of our earlier sessions, you will have another opportunity later in the Summer.

Vodcasting and Streaming Media is Available to All Saddleback Faculty

2010-06-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Maybe you weren't aware, but just in case you're interested - all Saddleback faculty have space for podcasts, vodcasts and streaming media in your website!!!

Do you want to know more?

Contact us for detailed instructions of how to get started, tips and tricks to make sure your links work properly, tools to use, captioning options and requirements, and general multi-media information.

scdefaculty@saddleback.edu

A couple great FREE sites to create banners

2010-06-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.cooltext.com
http://www.bannerfans.com

Blackboard Upgrade 9.1 ONLINE Class

2010-06-03T15:25:00.001-07:00

Jun 11, either:
9-11 or
1-3

If you're interested in attending online, please contact me. If you want to attend in person, go to BGS 249.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Blackboard Version 9.1 Upgrade and Course Publisher Cartridges

2010-04-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

BE SURE TO CHECK WITH YOUR PUBLISHER FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COMPATIBILITY OF COURSE CARTRIDGES FOR YOUR COURSE WITH BB V9.1 before Fall!!!

Blackboard Version 9.1 Upgrade Classes

2010-04-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Starting May 11, every day in the Month of May we will hold classes on the upgrades, timing, readiness and what's new in Blackboard V9.1!

Tuesday, May 11 - 9 to 11 am OR 1 to 3 pm

Wednesday, May 12 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Thursday, May 13 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Monday, May 17 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Tuesday, May 18 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Wednesday, May 19 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Thursday, May 20 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Monday, May 24 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Tuesday, May 25 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Wednesday, May 26 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

Thursday, May 27 - 9 to 11am OR 1 to 3 pm

What we'll cover -

New course creation changes and MySite settings
New content options and views
File management
Course modules
Better group management, wikis, blogs, journals, OH MY!
Peer assessments, Turnitin integration
Textbook integration
Beefed up gradebook
Import/export policies and end of semester checklists
Best practices
Upgrade timing and readiness prep
Snapshot controller automation - how this affects you

Google Wave = pretty cool!

2010-04-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.ribbit.com/wave/

Use Intelecom Videos in your Classes

2010-04-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Saddleback now has more instructional video choices!! You can use them in your on-campus classes, embed them in Powerpoints, or use them in your online classes.

Contact us for the login information! There are many videos to choose from.

It's quick and easy to use!

Turnitin, WriteCycle and Grademark - 30 Trial CHECK IT OUT!

2010-04-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

A free trial of Turnitin's WriteCycle and GradeMark tools have been activated
for Saddleback College until 6/29/2010.

Not using Turnitin yet? You can set up a turnitn assignment through Blackboard quickly and easily! Contact us to get started or check out the video to see how it works!

Setting up a Turnitin assignment in Blackboard
The Assignment Inbox
Using Grademark

Blackboard should be lightening fast now

2010-04-14T15:17:00.001-07:00

Everything should be running at regular efficiency now. Let us know if you are experiencing any slowness.

Blackboard Slow or Not Responding

2010-04-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

We are currently aware that Blackboard is experiencing problems. Blackboard is aware and working to resolve the issue quickly.

Sign up today for "Life in Blackboard Learn Release 9.1 for Bb Classic" Clients.

2010-04-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Join the Webinar about moving from classic Blackboard to Blackboard Version 9.1

Intelecom Webinar - Thursday April 22, 2010 12:00-12:45 pm

2010-04-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

INTELECOM Online Resources Network

Would you like to add rich video to your online, hybrid, or face-to-face classes? Join this free webinar from INTELECOM, a presentation designed especially for Southern California Consortium Members, to learn about an exciting new faculty resource. See a demonstration of the INTELECOM Online Resources Network®, a fully hosted and streaming repository of over 2500 video clips, organized by academic discipline. A user-friendly search interface enables faculty to easily search, save, and stream clips into any course management system as well as PowerPoints, virtual classrooms, and more. All clips are closed-captioned and copyright-cleared, providing a stress-free tool for faculty and instructional designers alike. And as with other database products, new content is added on a regular basis. www.intelecomonline.net

New Blackboard On Demand Center

2010-04-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Get started in version 9.1 with some great tutorials from Blackboard.

On-demand

March Madness - Faculty Technology and Instructional Classes

2010-03-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

FRIDAY, MARCH 5TH - 10-11:30
Library Express - Library Database

* * * * * * *
THURSDAY, MARCH 25TH - 1:30-3 pm

J ing - Free from Techsmith - Elegant and simple, Jing's minimal feature set keeps the focus on instant sharing. We think it's the perfect companion to the faculty who need quick video clips and screenshots every day. Screen Capture, Screencasting, & cross platform compatibility.

* * * * * * * * * * *
MONDAY, MARCH 29TH - 9:30-11 am
Scholar - How does Scholar work?

SEARCH - do simple or more advanced search by tag, discipline, and/or institution. You set the parameters to get exactly what you need.

BROWSE - check out other users' resources and collections to help in your own courses and studies.

SUBSCRIBE - choose search terms or a user's collection that is relevant to you and sign up to receive the most recent bookmarks via RSS.

HOW DO I CREATE MY OWN COLLECTIONS? To create your own bookmark collections, you need a Blackboard Scholar® account. Only users of the Blackboard Learning System™ (including former WebCT Vista and CE products) can create an account, and you do so through your Blackboard course or by clicking the Scholar tab within Blackboard if your institution has it enabled.

My institution has Blackboard but can't see how to access Scholar through it.
My institution does not have Blackboard - can I still use Scholar?
What else can I do with an account?

Not only can you continue to SEARCH and BROWSE resources, but once you have an account, you can also:

FIND your own relevant, reliable resources to build your collection.
SAVE & TAG your resources with the classifications that work for you.
IMPORT resources from your browsers or other social bookmarking services.
SHARE your collection with other scholars.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
TUESDAY, MARCH 30TH - 9:30-11 am

DE CAPTIONING GRANT WORKSHOP

Many faculty have expressed their interest in creating videos for their online classes; however, they have been "put off" by the tedious process of captioning their videos after they've completed lectures.

This is your opportunity to take advantage of the Distance Education Captioning Grant fund. We've been approved for this year's applicants already! And . . . the process was painless and fairly quick.

This workshop is intended to show you how easy it is to fill out the forms requesting your videos be captioned and how to manage them once you've been approved.

Whether you intend to caption videos this, next or maybe even the following semesters, this workshop will give you the knowledge and understanding of how it works, what you need, how long it takes and what formats to use.

Hope to see you there!

Apple iPad vs Kindle which is better for edu

2010-02-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

With all the hype right now about using Kindle and the new iPad, there is a plethora of information to try to weed through. Here's a good article from PC Mag.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/188239/apple_ipad_vs_kindle_dx_which_is_better_for_education.html

I have Kindle on my iPhone and LOVE it!! It's easy to use and viewing the ebooks is actually quite nice.

Update on Blackboard Upgrade Timing

2010-02-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

The vote is in and officially cast. We will be upgrading Blackboard to Version 9.1 for Fall Semester. This postponement should help everyone with their preparation plans.

We will still be conducting training sessions throughout the Spring Semester. We had originally planned to begin training in March, but the snapshot controller seems to be delaying our plans to upgrade Staging. So we will have to hold off on posting dates at this time.

Keep looking though. We will be keeping you updated as we progress.

Those faculty using publisher course cartridges, please begin contacting your publisher reps now to find out what process you need to follow for the Blackboard upgrade and compatibility with their course materials. Sometimes new keys need to be issued. So be sure you start that process now :O)

February's Faculty CIDDE Classes

2010-02-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Monday, Feb 22, 10:30am-11:30pm

Spring Cleaning, your PC that is!

Regain your computer’s desktop! Do you ever ask yourself, “Where should all my stuff go?” or better yet, “Uh, where did it go?” Are you still using those special characters in your file names or are they just too long? It’s never too late to learn the ins and outs of how to clean up and organize your PC computer.

Wednesday, Feb 24, 1:30pm-3:00pm

More of Gadget Gal’s iPhone Apps, Organizing & Syncing with iTunes

Take the shortcut to finding the best iPhone apps and find out how to organize your screens, as well as using, organizing and synchronizing your iTunes.

**Bring your own laptop with iTunes already loaded (PC OR MAC), your iPhone and the connector cable to connect your iPhone to your laptop.

*****************

Wednesday, Feb 24, 5:30pm-6:30pm

CCC Confer Only!

Super Charge Your Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA)

Have you ever wondered what you can do in OWA? What tools are available to manage your contacts with folders? Keep track of your tasks? Coordinate schedules and use the calendar features? How can you eliminate all those junk emails? And much more...

**In your comfort zone, whether with a laptop or desktop and a telephone line (if you don’t have microphone), you will learn one thing if not more.

*****************

Thursday, Feb 25, 1:30pm-3:30pm

Getting to Know MAC

Have you just purchased a MAC or maybe you’re just curious about them? Get a glimpse of the MAC desktop. Find out how to organize your files, folders and find stuff. Personalize your experience, see some cool features, compare the differences between MAC and PC and discover the similarities.

Archived

Tuesday, Feb 2, 1:30pm-3:00pm

Googling Groundhog Day Class

Celebrate the day with Phil, Kathy, Vivian and Valerie. What will we do you say? We will explore the possibilities hidden in the shadows of Google's many many alternative applications. We'll bring to light how to use features like Google docs, Slideshows, Picasa, Groups, Blogs, Mobile, Gmail, . and more!

Whether Phil sees his shadow or not, don't wait another six weeks to find out how why Google is the number one online tool for more than just searching!

Previous Class - Monday, Feb 8, 10:30am-12:00pm

Slide into PowerPoint

Let the CIDDE gals, Valerie, Vivian and Kathy introduce you to the new technology utilizing PowerPoint 2007. Enhance your slides using 3D photos or YouTube videos. Learn how to create an automatic slide show with facts or fiction from your discipline, as a study guide or forum.

Friday, Feb 19, 10:30am-12:00pm

PowerPoint with Voice Narration

Come and join the CIDDE gals; Valerie, Kathy & Vivian for a fun class. Add custom narration to your PowerPoint presentations. Learn to create a more personal, dynamic classroom or online lecture experience. You can use voice narration presentations for your Blackboard course, post it on your website or self-running slide show presentation.

** Bring a PowerPoint project

*******************

******************

Google News

2010-02-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

Third-party App News for Google

Blackboard should be working properly now

2010-02-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

We just received word from Blackboard that they found the root cause of the problems caused Sunday. Everything should be running smoothly again.

Blackboard Issues Update

2010-02-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

"Just to provide you with an update concerning the status of this issue. Currently we have about 3 operation engineers working on this issue. I currently do not have an estimate time of completion since the root cause of the issue has not been determined yet. However as soon as we obtain an update from our operation team I will provide you with an update."

Blackboard Client Manager

Blackboard Issues

2010-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday night Blackboard began experiencing technical difficulties. They discovered one server in the series was causing the problem and removed it from the series. However, Monday the problem began occurring again.

Blackboard engineers are working to get the images back in their proper places. However, it is also intermittently not available.

We will update you as soon as we know more about the situation.

Ok. Ok. This is VERY cool

2010-01-28T08:43:00.001-08:00

http://technabob.com/blog/2010/01/27/apple-ipad-tablet-price-release-date-specs/

Disabled users - Error messages in Blackboard

2010-01-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

During the last phase of the Blackboard Database cleanup process, some users were inadvertently "disabled." If you experience a problem or error when uploading students into Blackboard, please contact us - scdefaculty@saddleback.edu to have it fixed.

Reminder - Remember to make your Blackboard Course Available!

2010-01-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

If you have a class in Blackboard for the Spring semester, remember it won't be viewable to the students until you make it available! So if you haven't, do the following:

Go into the control panel
Select Settings (lower left area)
Course Availability
Select Yes and Submit.

Check out the Blackboard V9 Video Tutorials

2010-01-08T07:59:00.001-08:00

Check out the video listings on the right side of the screen.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION TOMORROW - Closed Captioning Funding Available to Online Faculty

2010-01-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hi all ☺

Do you need to caption some videos to use in your online courses but don’t know where to begin? Have you been holding off on creating video lectures yourself because you didn’t want the hassle of captioning them?

Here’s some great news! There is funding available until June 2010 for faculty needing to caption their online videos. It’s quick, EASY and painless. So what are you waiting for? Here’s the pertinent info:

1.       You have videos that are either your own lectures or videos you have permission to use for your online classes.

2. You download the attached form and fill out PAGE 3 ONLY.

a.      Fill out a new section for each video

b. Estimate the total number of minutes that need to be captioned

c.      Remember this is only for the Spring semester! There will be another captioning grant for next fiscal year

3.       Send the document back snelson@saddleback.edu.

That’s it! So . . . what are you waiting for? Get funded for your videos TODAY!

We need to get your requests in by Spring In-Service week - Submissions should be received no later than Friday, January 8th.

Happy New Year!!

The CIDDE gals
Check out our website and blog to stay informed!
http://www.saddleback.edu/itc/cidde
http://ciddeblock.blogspot.com

Blackboard Users - Here’s a handy checklist to use each semester:

2010-01-07T08:46:00.001-08:00

_____ Have I Created a New Course Shell?

_____ Have I Copied the Old Course Into the New Course?

_____ Have I Made the New Course Available?

_____ Have I Turned Off the Old Course?

HOW TO CREATE A NEW COURSE SHELL:

Go into MySite > Work > Faculty Services > Current Schedule > Ticket Number > Manage > Create New BB Account > a message should appear that it was successful and should be ready by a time.

Once the course has been created from MySite:

HOW TO COPY FROM YOUR OLD COURSE INTO YOUR NEW COURSE:

Go into BB > Select the Old Course > Control Panel > Course Copy > Materials Into an Existing Course > Browse > Search > Find the new course (e.g. 20093_ticket) > Select > Click the Checkboxes for each item you want to copy > Submit.

Now you want to let your students see it.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR COURSE AVAILABLE:

In BB, select the course and go to Control Panel > Settings > Course Availability > Yes > Submit

Then you want to make sure your old course is unavailable.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR COURSE UNAVAILABLE:

Go into the old course > Settings > Course Availability > No > Submit

New faculty? Would you like to use Blackboard?

Go here to get started: http://www.saddleback.edu/itc/bbnewaccountrequest.htm

END OF SEMESTER REMINDER - CREATE NEW COURSE SHELLS FOR SPRING

2009-12-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Create new course shells for Spring 2010

Big News! You Can Now Caption Your Videos on YouTube!

2009-12-07T13:10:00.001-08:00

Sync your script to caption videos on YouTube! There are some new very cool features available to you on YouTube. One is automated timing. This feature allows you to sync your script to the video automatically.

The next one is captioning imbedded in the video. Check out the video tutorials for more info!

Blackboard will be unavailable December 27th - 29th

2009-12-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS - In preparation for the big upgrade from Blackboard Version 7.3 to 9 in Summer, Blackboard will be unavailable December 27th-29th. This required downtime is necessary to update to the database servers before we continue to the main software upgrade scheduled to take place for Summer 10. You will not see any differences. This is strictly database prep - not the upgrade.

However, since it's the end of the semester anyway, BE SURE TO BACK UP ALL YOUR GRADES AND COURSES BEFORE DECEMBER 27TH!!!

For questions about how to back up and/or archive everything, click the link below:

http://www.saddleback.edu/itc/user/bbflash/bbarchiveexport.html

Again, Blackboard will be unavailable (down, not accessible, can't log in) from 12/27-29.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season!

Scholar - Social Bookmark is NOW available in Bb

2009-11-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

Scholar is a social bookmarking tool that is now built into Blackboard.

Social Bookmarks -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking

Faculty can use Scholar directly in their courses. For more details, go to:
http://wiki.scholar.com/display/SCLR/Home

For a video tutorial, go to: http://wiki.scholar.com/download/attachments/37486648/Scholar_Course_screencast_1.3.swf?version=1&modificationDate=1231432797023

Look for our classes on how to use Scholar next month!

Detailed Blackboard Chart on Browser Compatibility

2009-11-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

We are currently using Blackboard Version 7.3. Some recent browser updates are incompatible with Blackboard.

To find out which ones work, go to: http://kb.blackboard.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=25368490

Preview Blackboard Version 9

2009-10-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

We're planning upgrades at the beginning of Summer 10! So get a glimpse of the new things in Blackboard V9 NOW!!

Try this 30-day trial version for free.

https://behind.blackboard.com/s/bb9newaccount.aspx

Blackboard has a new feature! Elluminate Live

2009-10-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

Would you like to take Blackboard to the next level? Create a more interactive classroom experience in YOUR online classes using this new tool.

Elluminate Live allows you to create a "virtual" classroom environment using web conferencing technology, a webcam and whiteboard. You can synchronously engage your students and/or archive the session for later viewing as a movie.

Want to find out how it works? Email us for more information :O)

REMINDER - Bb info - October 20th all old disabled courses deleted!

2009-10-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

If you see them and they're unavailable, it's just unavailable to the students, but you can still access them. Those will not be deleted.

If you had a course once and you can't see it anymore, that's disabled :)

So as long as you're seeing all the things you need to see, you're golden.

If there's a course that you used to see but don't see anymore and you need to see, let me know before the 16th.

Profiles - RED person icon

2009-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Go to http://www.saddleback.edu/profiles to create your faculty profile today! Students see it in the schedule of classes when they select the
icon. It's quick and easy