Over the summer, I&TS has been adding new options and opportunities for faculty and staff. Some of these include:
Direct link to Faculty/Staff Technology page
We’ve set up a link in the new website for technology topics for faculty and staff, the equivalent of the old button on the technology pages. http://www.siena.edu/sienatech will take you directly to links for faculty and staff.
I&TS Blog
Our new Blog, Technology Goes to College, will discuss technology with an eye to how it’s used at Siena. We’ll also be using it to put out announcements via RSS feed, so you may want to subscribe to it. The address is http://techgoestocollege.blogspot.com, or see the link at http://www.siena.edu/sienatech.
iTunes U
This is an effort in cooperation with Apple Computer to provide a location for podcasting. Audio and video files can be uploaded and can be accessed from anywhere using the free iTunes software. There can be public files, or files can be protected so only the Siena community or a particular course can access them. We are currently finalizing the contracts, but expect to have things settled soon.
Podcasting
We are providing support for podcasting, both through iTunes U and through other methods. Contact I&TS is you are interested in setting things up.
Impatica
We have a site license for this software, which converts PowerPoint presentations into lean, web-ready presentations that don’t require students to have PowerPoint in order to view them. Presentations are also smaller, making them easier to e-mail them. They also can be uploaded directly into Blackboard. If you’re interested, contact I&TS.
Office 2007
We will not be installing Office 2007 on faculty/staff computers. However, if you wish to try it out, log on to Citrix and use the Office 2007 icons. We have configured Office 2003 (our current version) so that Office 2007 files can be read. The one exception is Access 2007; if you need to read files in Access 2007, ask the person who created them to save in Access 2003 format.
Two-Sided Printing
The printers in the I&TS labs (Hines Hall and the Library) are now set up for duplex (two-sided) printing as the default. This will result in a considerable savings of paper. Students can choose to print one-sided if they wish.
More Wireless
Wireless has been added in the Standish Library, in addition to connections in Sarazen, Serra Hall, and in selected lounges in the residence halls. A map can be found at http://tinyurl.com/338fts
Wiki
You’ve heard about Wikipedia, which is an encyclopedia that allows anyone to edit, collaborating on creating articles. But Wikis can be used for any collaborative purpose. Students can, for example, work together on creating a project or paper. If you’re interesting in using this for your teaching, contact I&TS.
Second Life
A “life” simulation, Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com) lets users interact in a virtual world. You’ll probably be hearing a lot about it in the next few months – the hype is about to hit – but it does have some nice educational uses (for instance, Vassar College has a virtual Sistine Chapel for people to view). We’ve already set up a Siena College group in Second Life; search for “Siena” in your groups and you can join.
For information on these and other new technologies for the classroom or for non-classroom teaching, contact I&TS at x2573 or at callcenter@siena.edu, or look at the Faculty/Staff Technology page at http://www.siena.edu/sienatech.
