Carleton College Academic Technologies FAQs

How do I spell-check in Word 2007?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

Click on Review in the Ribbon (the toolbar at the top of the page).
Click on the Spelling & Grammar button on the far left.

From here, spell-check works just like it did in Word 2003. If you are attempting to check spelling and grammar in another language, first set your language. Select the text to mark as another language, then click on Set Language, a few buttons to the right of the Spelling and Grammar button. Click on the appropriate language and then click OK. You may also need to install proofing tools for spell-check to work correctly in other languages. See the page on Proofing Tools in Office 2007 for details. The page on Proofing Tools in Office 2003 may also provide useful information.

I've upgraded to Microsoft Office 2007. Now, where did all the menus go?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

The layout of Office 2007 is drastically different from any of the previous Office versions; it's true. Luckily, Microsoft realized this, and published an online User Interface Guide for each program in the suite. In these guides, you will see an interactive picture of an Office 2003 program, and if you hover your mouse over a button or menu item for a moment, a bubble will pop up, telling you where the equivalent item can be found in Office 2007.

Here are the guides for:

Why are we being asked to upgrade to Office 2007 or 2008, anyway?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

Microsoft decided to introduce a set of new file formats, called the "Office Open XML File Formats", with Office 2007. You may have noticed those .docx, .pptx, and .xlsx files floating around; that's them. You can tell, because they have the same extension as the old formats, except that they have X's attached to the ends.

The new formats create files that are smaller, more compact, and supposedly less corruptible. They're also open standard, which means that the format is available for download by other developers. More importantly, more and more of your students will be using them, since most new computers come bundled with the new versions of Office. And while there are converters galore out there, much better ones exist for converting the old formats to the new ones than vice versa.

How can I add or remove students from Moodle or my Courses folder?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

When a student adds or drops a course, the Registrar's Office will automatically update the enrollment in your Moodle page and your Course folder to reflect the new roster. However, this can take a while, since they typically have a lot of drops and adds to update. If you need to update your roster in either your Course folder or Moodle before the paperwork has made it through the Registrar's Office, it is now possible for you to make that change yourself.

If you make changes to your class list on Moodle, these changes will automatically occur with your Courses folder as well. To add or remove students from Moodle, use the Assign roles link on the Administration toolbar located on the left side of your course page. For more detailed instructions, visit our page with instructions on Assigning Roles.

How do I know if I’m using the Advanced or Standard versions of Zimbra?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

In the upper right corner of the Zimbra program, there is a link that either says Advanced Version or Standard verson. If you are using the Advanced version, it will say Standard version, and vice versa. It is backwards from the way most people interpret it!

To change the version you are working with, click the link.

We recommend that most people use the Advanced client, as it can be more intuitive or at least easier to use. However, if something doesn't look right or you can't download an image, try switching to Standard and see if that helps. You can always switch back!

Why is there a lego AT-AT on the main Academic Technologies website?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

Good question. That's because the Academic Technologists aren't serious all the time, find Star Wars to be great fun, and both Austin and David from the Rapid Response team have Star Wars toys in their offices. Austin is the owner of the charming lego AT-AT you see on our front page.

We noticed quite quickly that our email address (at@carleton) and our logo (the two at signs) were the same letters as the AT-AT walker of Star Wars fame. While we generally say "at at" and the walker is usually spelled out in conversations "A-T-A-T," it was too amusing to ignore!

Want to know more about AT-AT walkers? There are Star Wars geeks everywhere, and as a result, there is a fairly lengthy article about AT-ATs on Wikipedia. Which, actually, is fun to read even if you know a decent amount about Star Wars.

How can I get students trained in a program for an assignment I want them to do?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

To get students trained in a program for an assignment, or set of assignments, contact an Academic Technologist. They can train students utilizing one-on-one meetings, workshops, or a myriad of educational materials that can be shared in or out of your classroom. Remember, too, that the Reference Librarians offer similar training in how to use the library, how to do research, and how to use tools like Endnote.

Is there an easy way to send a message to my class?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

There certainly is! All classes are given a course mailing list when they are created. You, or any students in the class, can send emails to everyone in the course by using the address for that mailing list. These mailing lists follow this format:

phil395-00-s08@lists.carleton.edu (department abbreviation, course number, section number, and term)

These lists also keep an archive of all messages sent, which can be accessed on the web at the following address: https://lists.carleton.edu

Can I borrow a laptop if I’m going to be traveling or presenting?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

Yes! Please notify Rapid Response (x5999) well ahead of when you plan on traveling or presenting. Be ready to answer these questions when you call or email about a loaner:

Do you want a Mac or a PC?
Will you need any specific software? (All laptops come with PowerPoint, and Macs come with Keynote as well.)
When will you need it? Specify a pick up date, and a return date.

Where can I find help information for the new printer/copiers?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

Information and documentation about multi-function printers can be found on the ITS website here. If you need other help with your printers, please call Rapid Response (x5999).

I can't understand some of the terminology used in Moodle. Why does Moodle word things strangely sometimes?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

It isn't just you! Moodle is created by New Zealanders, and even though they are still using English, it isn't always clear what they mean. If you ever get confused, you can check our instructions for Moodle, give an Academic Technologist a call, or send all four ATs an email at at@carleton.edu.

Is anyone podcasting on campus?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

Yes. Although there are fewer professors at Carleton using podcasts for their classes than at large universities, there are a few using podcasts and videocasts as educational tools.

Podcasting can be done either by professors as supplemental material to the actual classes, or can be created by students for assignments. It can be a great way to get students more involved in assignments, but can be a lot of work the first few times.

How do I get an RSS or Atom feed to send me emails to Zimbra when new content is added to a site?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

In Zimbra, click "New Folder" in the left-hand column.

Give the folder a name and check the box next to "Subscribe to RSS/Atom feed"

Enter the URL for the feed. You can find the URL from the main page of the site by clicking on the following symbol:

Copy the address in the address bar and paste it into the box next to "URL:" in Zimbra. Click OK to save the folder.

What tools are available if I want to podcast or vodcast?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

Once you have recorded your sound or video (if you need equipment for recording, ask about it in PEPS), you can use a number of audio and video editing programs. The program Audacity is good for editing sound, and despite being free and working on both Macs and PCs, is fairly powerful. For editing video, programs like iMovie or Final Cut are recommended.

To actually post your files, you can upload them to Moodle, a webpage, put them in a WebPub folder and link to them, or even just email the files.

In the future, there might be a module for podcasts and vodcasts in Moodle. There are a few different versions being created, and we are watching and testing them. It is possible that one of them will be added in a newer version of Moodle, so keep your eyes open!

How do I upload files in Moodle? I think I'm missing the last step.

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:41:05 -0500

In the desired resource or activity page, click "Choose or upload a file ..."

At the bottom of the new window that appears, click "Upload a file"

Click "Browse..." and find the desired file

Select it and click "Open"

Click "Upload this file"

Find the uploaded file in the list and click "Choose" on the far right.