Available to FSE Instructors
Blackboard (JUST SOME OF THE FEATURES OF BLACKBOARD)
To use Blackboard, you must first take a very helpful introductory course on Blackboard.
What can you do with Blackboard?
- Wikis – Set up a wiki for students to collaborate on a variety of writing and revision projects. Wikis allow students to collaboratively write and edit many documents (like a sort of website). Students can embed images and video in the wiki documents.
- Blogs – Set up blogs for individual students and groups to share ideas or reactions to readings, and writing or research processes or projects.
- Discussion boards – Ideal for having students work in groups or as a whole class on discussing readings or topics.
- Groups – Students can be sorted into multiple groups; groups can email each other, exchange files securely, have their own discussion boards, and use their own virtual classrooms.
- Email – Quickly send out whole-class, whole-group, or individual emails directly from Blackboard.
- File exchange – Send, store, and receive student papers and other projects securely via Assignment (from instructor to students) and file exchange (within groups of students).
Meda, Software, and Technology Training for Instructors
- Instructional Development Services (IDS)
- Media training for instructors: If you're unfamiliar with a piece of digital equipment that you'd like to use in your classroom such as digital video projectors or ELMO document projectors, IDS will explain how to use them either to you individually or do you and your students. By appointment. Contract them by emailing them at firstname.lastname@example.org, or calling 864-2600.
- Workshops: Instructors may enroll in workshops about how to use various software and digital media. (These workshops are not to be confused with "Media training for instructors," which is by appointment only.)
- KU Libraries
- Workshops on software, web hosting, website design, security, office productivity, etc: The Libraries also offer individual workshops, by appointment. Click here for information.
How to Get or Use Media in and Given Classroom
The technology in every classroom on campus is managed by Instructional Development Services (IDS). No matter which classroom you’re teaching in, IDS is the office you should contact if you need:
- help figuring out how to use the technology that’s in your classroom
- more technology in the room than you have, whether that be for a single day or for an entire semester
- help with malfunctioning equipment.
It’s a good idea to visit your classroom before the semester begins to find out whether the classroom has the technology you’ll need and whether you know how to use it and whether it’s functioning. Contact IDS immediately if you need more or different digital media in your classroom or if you need help using the media that are in your room or if the materials in the room need to be repaired.
There are some buildings that FSE instructors often teach in but that do not have much technology available in each classroom. If you are in one of those buildings and use technology in your class, you will probably want to check out a key to that building’s media closet so that you’ll have access to media carts that have laptop/VGA projectors, TVs with DVD/VHS players, and/or document projectors. The following buildings have media closets:
IDS can be contacted via email at email@example.com, via telephone at 864-2600, or by visiting 4 Budig Hall.
Instructors can reserve laptops and netbooks for use in their classrooms via EGARC. Reservations are generally made on an as-needed basis and are also generally only for the duration of the class that the laptop would be used in or for just a few hours if the laptop is checked out for non-classroom (research or pedagogical) use. To reserve a laptop, visit EGARC on the 4thfloor of Wescoe and inform the student employees at the reception desk that you are an instructor in the English department and would like to check out a laptop.
KU IT will host your personal or course website as long as you don't violate KU's Acceptable Use policy. They will also consult with you about your website's design.
Class Email Listservs (Distribution Lists) and Public Folders
Set up an email listserv for all the students in one of your sections and create a folder on KU’s server for storing and sharing files related to the course.