June 2015

With the start of the summer session, DCS is unveiling new portable equipment, new workshops, and more.

DCS Showcase Wrap Up

Unplugging from the Podium on May 6th. We discussed new pilot technologies that can be used by faculty to control the podium remotely, project wirelessly, video conference, and engage students through mobile devices. Couldn't make it? No problem. Check out our Showcase Recap page to read about the topics covered and decide if you would like to participate in a pilot program for your upcoming class.

New Wireless Devices Available

Among the topics covered at our Showcase were new wireless devices that can be used to run presentations and navigate the computer without having to stand at the podium. Beginning with summer classes, we are inviting instructors to help us try out these tools in the coming year. These devices are now available to request as a delivery or semester-long loan and include a hand-held trackball mouse, a Gyration mouse, a wireless pen mouse, and a Wacom Bamboo Pad. For more info view our Spotlight article. To request equipment for your class, fill out an Equipment Request form.

Our Spring Tech Point Winners

In May, we honored our Tech Point Winners, the top performing Support Specialists on each of our support teams. This past semester's winners were Evan Finkelstein (1st place College Ave), Eun-sol Kim (2nd place Cook/Douglass), Sudarshan Kolar (1st place Cook/Douglass), Asher Malech (2nd place College Ave), Vesna Miletic (1st place Help Desk), Paul Pacheco (1st place Busch), Lynne Richman (1st place Livingston), Uriah Robinson (2nd place Help Desk), Jaimee Tui (2nd place Livingston), and Jeff Wong (2nd place Busch). Congratulations to these hard working students!

Summer Workshops

We have several upcoming events relating to classroom technology at Rutgers. Full details and registration can be accessed by selecting a date below. Did you know that DCS's training team is available to hold private workshops and training for you and your colleagues on any of our present or past workshop topics? If you are interested in arranging a session, contact us.

Creative Media in the Classroom
Wednesday June 17 at 10am

Video, images, web content, and audio are all great ways to enrich classroom presentations. However, having to close and open programs to access media can take away from valuable classroom time and interrupt the flow of the discussion. This workshop focuses on how to best identify and incorporate relevant media into slides. DCS staff will review how to embed multi-media into presentations and technical tips for how to quickly switch between presentations and other media.

Video Chat in the Classroom
Friday July 17 at 10am

The advent of video chat has greatly expanded the reach of the classroom. Using video chat, students in a remote location can watch and participate in class from anywhere. Guest lecturers can lead classes without having to travel to campus. Classroom discussions can continue after class and study groups can work together without having to board a bus. In Video Chat in the Classroom, DCS staff discuss three commonly used video chat services that enable students and instructors to see each other, hear each other, and view digital presentations: Skype, Adobe Connect, and Google Hangouts. We also explain how DCS can help you begin video chatting in your class.

Annotation Tools
Wednesday July 29 at 1pm

DCS now offers several classroom tools that allow faculty to write and annotate over presentation materials. Software on Digital Classroom Podiums can be used to mark up presentation materials and highlight, elaborate, and better explain concepts, while a whiteboard program can be used to turn the projector screen into a blank canvas on which instructors can write. New hand-held devices offered by DCS allow faculty to do so from anywhere in the room. Meanwhile, document cameras offer an alternative ways to write out formulas, mark up documents, and more while projecting them for students to view. In this workshop, our Instructional Technology Supervisors will review the several annotation tools available for faculty to use in their classes.

All About Web Apps
Friday August 14 at 10am

With all the free online teaching tools available, the hardest part can be knowing where to begin. In All About Web Apps, our Instructional Technologists will highlight free teaching tools available on the web that can be used to enhance your class. They will discuss tools that facilitate brainstorming, bolster presentations, and encourage student participation and collaboration.

DCS Technology Training
Friday August 28 at 9am
Friday September 4 at 2:15pm

As you get your syllabus and materials together for fall classes, don't forget to familiarize yourself with the technology you will be using during the semester. To best afford faculty the opportunity to learn about and test their classroom's technology, DCS holds workshops during the weeks before and after classes begin. These workshops are held near classrooms that have one of the four main types of DCS technology you may find in your classroom: the Digital Classroom Podium, Crestron Touchscreen System, SP Push Button System, and Pixie Push Button System. If you are teaching in one of these rooms, attend a workshop and have a chance to learn how to use our equipment. We also encourage faculty to bring any media - such as laptop, DVDs, or documents - that you would like to test with the equipment.

Intro to Macs
Friday August 28 at 10:30am
Friday September 4 at 1pm

This workshop is tailored towards instructors using the Digital Classroom Podium and anyone who would like to learn how to use a Mac computer. We will introduce you to the basics of Mac's operating system, including the dock, desktop, and finder. We will also discuss how to use popular applications that you may have used in Windows but not on Macs, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Safari. Finally, we will show you different ways you can access your presentation material via a USB drive or over the web. We will provide you with a Mac laptop so that you can follow along and try out your new skills.

Do you have a colleague that would benefit from receiving updates about classroom technology at Rutgers-New Brunswick? Invite them to sign up for future editions of the DCS Newsletter.

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