New Threats
November 2007
Click here
for a complete list of the newly discovered threats.
McAfee Virus List
HelpDesk Hours
Mon.-Thur. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00
p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 2:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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- Office 2007
extension issue
- Blackboard Update
-
Using Webtools to Verify Course
Enrollments and Class Lists
- Hendrickson 13
remodel
- IT
Summer Trainings and Conferences
- Office 2007
Installed
- Smart Boards at SMU
For those using Microsoft Office 2007 suite, there is a
compatibility issue with previous versions of the software.
The new
version of Office uses a different file extension ending in
"x”:
.docx, .pptx, .xlsx, etc. Computers having only Office
2003 or older
installed cannot read these files unless a compatibility
pack has been installed from Microsoft's Web site.
Typically, the user is prompted to download and install this
software enhancement.
In addition, Macintosh users cannot read documents created
with the new
Office 2007 file extensions. Mac users will not be able to
view Office 2007
documents until Office 2008 for Mac is released on January
15, 2008.
What does this mean for you? You must "save as 97-2003
document" if you plan to share or distribute a file to
anyone else.
Most faculty, classroom, lab, and library Windows-based
computers have both Office 2003 and 2007 installed. All
Macintosh systems have Office 2004
installed.
The HelpDesk staff can assist you with saving the file
correctly.
Thank you for your understanding on this issue.
HelpDesk and iT staff
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Blackboard will be updated on Sunday,
November 25th. The HelpDesk will post reminders and a
concrete time table as the event approaches.
This upgrade is reported to implement improvements in
discussion boards, address issues with course content inline
attachments, and enhance a variety of other items. Following
the upgrade we will be running version 7.3.
The Blackboard test server was updated the week of October
22nd. Instructors that are interested in accessing the test
system to verify functionality prior to the update should
contact the HelpDesk.
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Instructors and students should use
Webtools to verify course enrollments and class lists.
If students are enrolled in a course within Webtools but
don't see the course in Blackboard, it is probably due to
the fact that the instructor has not activated the course.
If faculty see courses in Webtools but do not see them
listed in Blackboard, the faculty should contact the
HelpDesk. Faculty who see students listed in their Webtools
course roster not in Blackboard have options:
1) They can wait a single business day and check again.
Blackboard enrollments are processed Monday through Friday
in the a.m.
2) They can manually enroll the student in the course by
using the control panel.
3) They can call the HelpDesk. The HelpDesk will verify the
student is enrolled in the next import.
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The Saint Mary's classroom committee
has redesigned Hendrickson Lab 13. The changes to this
computer lab provide an environment that is diverse for
instructional strategies. The arrangement of tables and
computer stations should allow for a quick shift from one
person per computer (26 computer stations are available)
into a small group setting where four or five students can
comfortably collaborate around a table. Come down and see
for yourself. This lab might be just what you need to give
your class a boost of functionality.
The classroom committee members for this project include the
following: Roger Kugel, Brooke Lenz, Chad Kjorlien, Darlene
Paulson, John Schollmeier, David Ansell, Susan Edel, Donny
Cisewski, and Jason Spartz.
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Donny Cisewski attended a Mac
training conference in Milwaukee.
Heidi Johnson and Jennifer Leise flew to Boston and attended
the Blackboard world conference.
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Both Office 2003 and Office 2007 have been installed on the
2007-2008 computer image. Office 2007 looks completely
different than the previous version. The information
technology department will be using the software this
semester to create tutorials and training for summer/fall
2007. If you want to test-drive the new Office Suite, you
may stop in the Hendrickson Center Labs on the Winona campus
or the computer lounge on the Minneapolis campus. Look for
the Office 2007 logo.
Blackboard and Tegrity are not fully certified with Office
2007; therefore, we are not officially supporting the use of
Office 2007 for wide-scale deployment. PLEASE NOTE: If you
create a document with Office 2007 that you intend to use in
other locations on campus, you'll want to save the document
in a format that will be compatible with the older version
of the software.
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Saint Mary’s University School of Education was awarded a
PREP grant for two interactive whiteboards called
SmartBoards. The PREP grant is an international grant from
the SMARTer Kids Foundation. The aim of the grant is to help
pre-service and in-service facilities provide technology
integration that empowers teachers to create more dynamic,
interactive learning environments.
Schools around the world have been introducing this type of
technology into their classrooms. Our education students
will have the opportunity to become familiar with and
implement this technology into their lessons, thus giving
them experience with technology before entering the
workforce.
There are several benefits for students using this
technology. SmartBoards benefit students by motivating and
engaging students, thus increasing knowledge retention and
reaching students that have differing learning styles and
education needs. Educators can streamline lessons, create
interactive lessons that promote student participation, and
maintain notes and materials that can be reviewed and
updated for future use. This technology enables teachers to
develop and integrate more digital and interactive resources
and media in to their lessons.
Contact the education department for more info.
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