Getting Inspired with YouTube

February 15, 2012 in Discovery Fridays, Distance Learning, Faculty, Inspire, Student

As part of a goal of the Get Inspired series, I’d like to share interesting ideas that could hopefully spark interest and ideas to different web tools. One tool that you may see often in this section is YouTube. YouTube appeared on the radar several years ago as an outlook into the possibilities of sharing video content in one hub it also became a platform for vlogging (video blogs). Websites like teacher tube soon came to follow because of the restrictions many schools had placed on viewing YouTube in the classroom. Thankfully, WCC is rather open to the possibilities of using YouTube in the classroom and within BlackBoard so I thought it might be interesting to share some videos that I found to inspire all of you.

Sir Ken Robinson

One word describes Ken: Genius. His outlook into the current educational system we have and his passion to explore creativity equals genius. One of his many TED Talks that I am about to share is about this said subject and I encourage you all to watch it, then watch it again, and a week later watch it again. Sir Ken Robinson is one of my biggest inspirations in education and I hope he will become one of yours as well.

Another group of YouTubers

There are several groups of educators out there in the shadows of YouTube that also have a lot to say about education and they are using it to teach subjects. They are doing what they do best and then collaborate with animators and techies to get that message published. Here are two examples of doing a lesion via YouTube and also maybe something to use in class.

Crash Course

Minute Physics

Enjoy!

Tags: Inspire, youtube
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Go Direct!

February 14, 2012 in BB Tutorials, BB Tutorials, Distance Learning, Faculty, Student

Did you know that you can sign into Blackboard directly without going to the MyVCCS or MyWCC portal? Occasionally, we will experience temporary network or power outages that shutdown the WCC website or portal pages.

Access Bb directly by going to https://learn.vccs.edu (I recommend bookmarking this address) and use your established username and password.

Blackboard direct log-in page

Don’t let a little outage keep you from getting your work done!

Ken
–
Ken Fairbanks
Director of Distance & Distributed Learning
Wytheville Community College

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Where do I find instructor feedback on Blackboard?

October 31, 2011 in BB Tutorials, Student

Viewing Feedback

If your instructor has provided feedback on an assignment or a test, this is how you can view it.

Log into Blackboard
Select your course from the Course List
From the Course Menu select Tools
From the Tools page, select MyGrades
The page now displays a list of all the assignments and tests [through Blackboard] for which you can get a grade. Once your instructor has graded an assignment, the Grade becomes a link.
If you click on the link, a new screen opens.

For Assignments, the feedback appears underneath submission history.
For Tests, you must click on the link under calculated grade. This will open up your submitted test answers. If your instructor enabled it, you can see which answers you got right and wrong, as well as receive your instructor feedback.

To download this tutorial, click here!

Tags: blackboard, feedback, help, Student
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Where do I view my grades on Blackboard?

October 31, 2011 in BB Tutorials, Student

Overview and Navigation: MyGrades

MyGrades will show you a list of completed assignments and their grades.

Log into Blackboard
Select your course from the Course List
From the Course Menu select Tools.
From the Tools page, select MyGrades.
The page now displays a list of all the assignments and tests [through Blackboard] for which you can get a grade. There is an icon next to each assignment, so you can quickly see where you stand with each assignment/test, or if there was an error in submission.
Once the instructor has graded your assignment, the grade will appear next to the assignment, as well as a running total for the course.
NOTE: If your instructor has assignments outside of Blackboard that they have not included, MyGrades may not accurately reflect your grade for the course.

To download this tutorial, click here!

Tags: blackboard, grade, help, quiz, Student, test, view
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How do I take a test or quiz on Blackboard?

October 31, 2011 in BB Tutorials, Student

Taking an Assessment

Instructors have the option to provide assessments through Blackboard.

Log into Blackboard
Select your course from the Course List
From the Course Menu select Content
Navigate to the Assessment that you wish to take. For this example, I am selecting a test titled “Test 1”
Follow the instructions for the Assessment. Select Begin when you are ready to start. NOTE: Some tests may have a time limit and/or must be completed when started. Be sure you have enough time to complete the test before you start.
At the top of each question, on the right-hand side, you will see how many points the question is worth as well as an option to save the answer. It is a good idea to save your answers after each one, just to be safe in case the power goes out or some other problem arises.

There are several different kinds of questions, including essay questions, short answer, true/false, etc. depending on how your instructor created the assessment.
When you have completed your test, select Save and Submit
If you have accidently left an answer blank, a pop-up window will appear, warning you.

Select Cancel and answer the skipped question.
Otherwise, a pop-up window will show, asking you to confirm your submission. Select Ok.
You should get a screen that says ‘Test Submitted’.
Once the instructor has graded your assessment, the grade, with any feedback, will appear in MyGrades.
NOTE: If your instructor has assignments outside of Blackboard, MyGrades may not accurately reflect your grade for the course.