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WSU Technology Knowledge Base
technology info for living your digital life
1,335 articles in English
Announcements and Updates
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Welcome to WSU
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Getting a New Laptop?
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Pro Tip - Looking Good on Zoom
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Before the meeting
- Find a stable spot for your laptop or phone, other than your lap, so your camera doesn't jiggle.
- Preferably sit without a window behind you so we can see your face and so the camera can focus well without the shifts between the bright window and you when you move.
- Tell your meeting organizer if there is a reason why you can’t be recorded.
- Feel free to arrive early to check your audio and video before the official meeting starts.
- Comb your hair and brush your teeth to wake up your smile before the meeting.
- Keep your earbuds with a microphone nearby since they help reduce background noise.
During the meeting
- Mute when you are not speaking.
- Turning your video off and just using audio will conserve bandwidth on your network for others (e.g., roommates, family) to use.
- Using lots of hand gestures in front of the camera will slow down the video.
- Use chat to ask questions.
- Give a thumbs up when asked if you can hear.
- Silence your phone.
- Speak a little more slowly than usual for more clarity.
For more information, see Video conferencing tips and tricks
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Faculty Fall Wrap Up
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If you used D2L Brightspace to support your courses this term, here are some tasks you may want to complete:
- Check your course end dates. If you want a course to remain open beyond the end of the term (e.g., so students can check their grades), adjust your course end date accordingly. If a course does not have an end date, it remains open indefinitely.
- Release your final grades. If you want your students to see their final grades in Brightspace, you must release them. Remember, these are not official grades and you will still need to submit those using the Minnesota State eServices website.
- Prepare final grades for Minnesota State import. If you want to import your final course grades from Brightspace to the Minnesota State eServices website, rather than entering them manually, you must first convert them into an approved letter format.
- Save a copy of your grade book. If you used the Grades Tool, you may want to export a copy of your grade book as a CSV or Excel file. Store it in a private (i.e., unshared) OneDrive folder.
- Post a closing message. Post an announcement and/or send an email message letting students know how to check their final grades, how long they will be able to access your Brightspace course, and how to get in touch with you if they have questions.
- Back up your courses. Now is a great time to create a backup copy of this term's courses. Remember, this process will not save any student data.
- Request course removal. With the Spring 2022 change to how Brightspace courses are created, instructors can no longer deactivate their Brightspace courses. If you want to prevent your students from accessing your course, you can set an End Date or request that the course be removed from the My Courses list completely. Note that this process would also remove it from your My Courses list. Request course removal here and find more detailed instructions here. You can request that a removed course be restored if you make a mistake or change your mind.
For more information, see Prepare for the end of an academic term
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Teacher's Corner: Custom Student Support
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Consider setting up some custom student support for your courses. TLT will work with you to find the best tools for your specific activities and ensure that these tools are supported fully throughout the term. We also deliver effective and timely technology training for your students designed to meet the specifications of your activity, removing that responsibility from your shoulders. This might include online training, hands-on training sessions held either during or outside class time, just-in-time technical support or some combination of training options.
For more information, see Custom student support
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Office Tech: Microsoft Teams
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Microsoft Teams is an application that supports group work. Access Teams through your web browser or by installing the desktop or mobile app. Create as many Teams sites for as many workgroups, committees, project teams or other groups as you wish. Use a Teams site for a short time and delete it or keep it open to support persistent groups and bigger projects. Each Teams site supports communication, file sharing, integration with other Office 365 and third party applications, and deep customization to help your group achieve specific goals and objectives. Every Teams site supports these common collaborative tasks:
- Text, voice, and video messaging - Communicate with members of specific teams and with others at WSU and in the system using integrated text messaging and a built-in conferencing app.
- Cloud-based file storage and sharing - Share files of all sorts with other members of the team in a dedicated document library.
- Issue management - Use Microsoft Planner to track tasks and issues.
- Collaborative writing and note-taking - Share Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other documents and use the dedicated OneNote notebook.
For more information, see Microsoft Teams
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