Writing over screen captures with Paint

Jennie asked some good questions in my earlier post on email. As for the Yellow "writing" I put over screen captures to explain the steps for doing things. I start by taking a snapshot of computer screen (screen-capture) by hitting the "print screen" button located on the keyboard between the letters and the number pad. Toward the top - but not in the row of "function" keys.
I then open the Paint program - it's on all PC's - or ought to be. Look into the Accessories folder. Paste into a new project (hit control V - or go to edit and find Paste). Once in Paint, click on the pencil and open your colors palate.

You'll get a pop up or you can use the palette at the bottom of the page (which I always overlook - don't know why).

Actually - to make things easier to see - I've been using the air brush today - more than (or rather than) the pencil. It gives you a fatter line that's easier to see. That's the button just below the pencil.
Thanks for asking.

Using Email to Welcome Students

The in-service theme was Making Students Feel Welcome. Do that by sending them an email today - before you actually meet - and attach your syllabus to the email. Groups already exist in Groupwise. For additional how to click here.

Please insert hyperlinks to The KCKCC Writing Center or to the Math Tutoring Center in your syllabus and email the links. The process works similarly in MS Word and/or Email programs.

Never inserted hyperlinks before? You aren't alone - but it's easy, clear, and scores cool points with students. Here's how in Email: (1) click on View/ HTML. (2) Notice a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) tool bar appears.

Next: highlight text that you what to become a link (3) and then click on (4) the earth (as in "world wide") that has chain "links."

You'll get a pop-up window that asks for the web address you'd like to direct people too. Enter the address and it's done. The result is shorter, less visually busy, and should work better with ADA compliant mechanical readers.

email

Research shows that connecting with students before the first class improves retention (Lorenzetti 2008). Here, email groups are created for every class automatically before the first meeting making it easy. Why not email a greeting and attach the syllabus before you physically meet? Details on how at the end of this post.

Of course, email has changed the teacher/student dynamic. See the following.

• Does email curb productivity? (NPR text and audio)
• UNC Chapel Hill investigated Email in Academia re: expectations, use and instructional impact in Educause. Faculty and students have different expectations (BTW: a blog might bridge the gap). Another study compares synchronous and asynchrous communication .
  
• A service to send self destructing private notes through email .

On a lighter note - but still relevant and revealing (from the Chronicle of Higher Ed.).

• Professors list "favorite" emails from students part1, part 2
  
• 3 of the funniest email from students and what they say about technology

Regarding expectations - email is often said to be as private as sending a postcard through the mail (e.g. employers have a legal right to read mail sent through a company server or from a company computer). This may complicate discussions regarding FERPA and sending grades through email.

How to:
And if you haven't used the pre-established class groups set up via Groupwise, go to the address book, make sure your are in the Novell groupwise address book - (See yellow arrow - note: not the frequent contacts where it might try and take you first) and at the top the classes start in alphabetical order by 4 letter abbreviation ( e.g. if you teach an English class and the class number were 00990**** - - you'd scroll to where we put the green arrow - ENGL00990*** and click).

Using this option maintains student privacy. Everyone gets the same message - but they don't see individual email addresses. Mail is sent to their KCKCC email account - Remind them to check that.

Lorenzetti, J.P. (2008) 14 ways faculty can improve online student retention. Recruitment & Retention 22 (12)