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Turn On, Boot Up, Reach Out

Turn On, Boot Up, Reach Out . Free tech tools for collaboration, networking, office and outreach. Contents Blogs and podcasts……………………………….3 RSS feeds and feed readers…………………..14 Open source tools………………………………..27 Google Docs………………………………………..33

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Turn On, Boot Up, Reach Out

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  1. Turn On, Boot Up, Reach Out Free tech tools for collaboration, networking, office and outreach

  2. Contents • Blogs and podcasts……………………………….3 • RSS feeds and feed readers…………………..14 • Open source tools………………………………..27 • Google Docs………………………………………..33 • Google Sites………………………………………..39 • Survey tools………………………………………..44 • Large file sharing……………………….………..56 • Wikis………………………………………………….64 • Social Networking……………………………….72

  3. Blogs and Podcasts

  4. What is a Blog? • A weblog, or on-line journal • Updated often (at least twice a week), so a few hours a week commitment • Content reads most recent at top, older posts farther down • Navigation typically on right, to give visual emphasis to the post, rather than navigation • Can have multiple authors • Readers can comment on content • Ease of use: text, links, pictures, video, archives, blogroll

  5. What Are Blogs Used For? • Any sort of information you wish to publicly display and regularly update • Newsletter • News reporting • Share educational information with others • Collect and post online links to pod-casts, vidcasts, on-line tools • Personal journaling / Travel log • Good way for groups to communicate and share

  6. Examples • 4H Access: • http://access4-h.blogspot.com/ • Extending Extension: • http://extendingextension.wordpress.com/ • Lifehacker: • http://www.lifehacker.com/ • A List Apart: • http://www.alistapart.com/ • The Energizer: • http://energizer2.blogspot.com/

  7. Blog hosting • Free blog hosts: • Blogger: http://www.blogger.com • Google based, easy • Live Journal: http://www.livejournal.com/ • Open source, lots of social networking • Wordpress: http://wordpress.org/ • Very customizable • BlogCheese: http://www.blogcheese.com/ • Video blogging • LOTS of others • CSU may enable blogging on CSU accounts in the future

  8. Blogger Walk-through • Email address, password, word verification, acceptance of terms • All you need to register for any Google service (docs, blogs, analytics, email, photos)

  9. Blogger Walk-through (con't)‏ • Choose a title and a URL (check to see if it's available)‏ • Choose a template • You're done!

  10. Adding Content • Add text, links, quotes, pictures, video

  11. What is a Podcast? • Simply a specific flavor of blog post • Audio, not text • Typically in .mp3 format • Compresses the data in a widely used, lossless format • Most Feed Readers will handle podcasts as well • Click an icon or link in the RSS item to listen • iTunes and Zune are fast, easy ways to download and listen to podcasts and vidcasts

  12. Recording a Podcast • Need to record it first • Audacity is free, open-source sound editing and recording software • http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

  13. Hosting the Podcast • Most blog sites (Blogger, Wordpress) handle podcasts easily, but require you to host the actual .mp3 audio file on another server, and link to it • Many free options available: • Podango: http://www.podango.com/ • Podbean: http://www.podbean.com/ • MyPodcast: http://www.mypodcast.com/ • OurMedia: http://www.ourmedia.org/ • Gabcast: http://www.gabcast.com/ • Can record by phone or VoIP

  14. RSS Feeds and Feed Readers

  15. What is an RSS Feed? • RSS = Really Simple Syndication • Best for web content that is updated often (blogs, daily/weekly columns, news, sports) • You don't have to go to the site, it comes to you! • Notifies you when there is new content • Typically text, but can be audio (podcasts) and video (vodcasts or vidcasts) as well • It's like an email inbox, except it has web content instead of emails

  16. Two elements to RSS Feeds • 1 - You subscribe to the RSS feed • Blog or website with one of the following graphics • 2 - You read/listen/watch the feed with an RSS reader or “feed reader” • Google Reader (on-line)‏ • Sharppreader, Bottomfeeder (downloads) • Have an RSS Reader before you subscribe

  17. Getting an RSS Reader • You already have one! • Outlook • Find the RSS feeds folder on the lefthand email pane and select it • Basic instructions will show on the right (where the email usually is)‏

  18. Using Outlook As an RSS Feed • You'll get this confirmation box when you add an RSS feed • A subfolder will appear under RSS Feeds in your inbox pane • Select it, read it as you would an incoming email

  19. Using Outlook As an RSS Feed • You can easily manage your RSS feeds by going to Tools>Account Settings>RSS Feeds tab • Add, Remove or change feeds there

  20. Other RSS Readers • Examples of Windows readers: • FeedDemon, SharpReader • Examples of Mac readers: • NetNewsWire, NewsFire • Examples of Linux readers: • BottomFeeder, Lifearea • Online readers (resides online rather than on your desktop): • Bloglines, FeedReader, GoogleReader • Desktop readers require download and install • Most online readers require registration

  21. How a Reader Works • A screenshot from Google Reader

  22. How a Reader Works (con't)‏ • Works much like an email program (Outlook, Thunderbird)‏ • I have 7 new items in 3 different folders • 3 new blog items • 2 new books and movie items • 2 new science items • Select item, it shows up in the right reading pane

  23. How To Subscribe to an RSS • Once you have a reader, look for one of these symbols on a site you want to add • Click it! • Often available on the address bar as well • On most readers, you can simply copy-and-paste a URL into an “Add Subscription” box

  24. How to Provide an RSS • Need to update often! • Otherwise there is no need for a feed • Blogs usually do the work for you • Select the RSS option from layout tools (Blogger)‏ • You can hand code the RSS XML • Lots of help available on the web • You can use a feed writer/editor • Like Dreamweaver, except for RSS • Most cost, some are free (Feedwriter from Mirabyte)‏

  25. Free Feed Writer/Editor • http://www.mirabyte.com/en/products/feedwriter.html • Free for non-commercial purposes • A feed reader • A WYSIWYG feed writer • A text-based feed writer • A code-based feed writer • An FTP to publish feeds • Formats podcasts as well

  26. Open Source Tools

  27. Open Office • http://www.openoffice.org/ for download • Free, open source recreations of MS Office and more • Calc (Excel; spreadsheet)‏ • Write (Word; word processor)‏ • Impress (PowerPoint; presentations)‏ • Base (Access; databases)‏ • Draw (Paint; graphics and drawing)‏ • Math (Scientific calculator)‏

  28. GIMP • http://www.gimp.org/ for download • GNU Image Manipulation Program • Free, open source Photoshop • Not as user friendly as Open Office • If you're familiar with Photoshop, you can find your way around • On-line Connect tutorials will begin the third Wednesday of this month, and continue through the end of the year

  29. Inkscape • http://www.inkscape.org/ for download • Free, open-source version of Illustrator • Vector graphics tool • Uses algorithms to describe points, lines and curves instead of a grid of pixels (bitmaps) • Lossless, scalable, low-file size images • Good for logos, technical drawings • Not good for photos, complex imagery

  30. Other open source tools • Scribus – open source Publisher (desktop publishing) • http://www.scribus.net/ • Avidemux - open source Premiere (video editing) • http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/ • PDFCreator – open source Acrobat (create PDFs; no editing) • http://www.pdfforge.org/

  31. Google Docs

  32. What Are Google Docs? • Free on-line share-able documents • Word Processor (Word)‏ • Spreadsheet (Excel)‏ • Presentation (PowerPoint)‏ • Compatible with Microsoft Office, Open Office and Adobe Acrobat • Web-based, so they reside on-line, not on a local computer • You can invite others to view, or edit • You can publish for all to see

  33. Creating documents • You can create it from scratch in Google Docs (click the New tab)‏ • You can upload existing documents of most standard formats (click the Upload tab)‏ • Word processor (.doc, .txt, .rtf, .odt)‏ • Spreadsheet (.xls, .csv, .ods)‏ • Presentation (.ppt)‏ • Web page (.html)‏ • Adobe document (.pdf)‏ • Upload from your computer, from a webpage, or via email

  34. Sharing • Upper right hand corner has Share button • You can limit view/edit options to yourself only • You can invite others to view and/or edit • Email document or message • You can publish the doc on the web with no restrictions

  35. Inviting Others to View or Edit • Click Share tab at top right • Invite other to view or edit via email • They'll receive an email with the link to the document

  36. Publishing • Open the document • Click the Share tab on the upper right, choose Publish as web page • Google will return a link where the doc can be viewed • Publish to Blogger (Google's blog publisher) also possible

  37. Google Sites

  38. What Are Google Sites? • Similar to Google Docs, but the shared documents are web pages • Anyone invited to participate can edit the original page, add comments, or add new sub-pages to the main page • Need to have a Google account • Can open to the public rather than invite (they still need a Google account)‏ • Can be used by a group as an on-the-fly wiki • Sidebar can be edited and used as a navigation pane

  39. Starting a Google Site • Use the “more” pulldown on the Google search page to find the “Site” option • Click “Create New Site”

  40. Starting a Google Site (con't)‏ • Name, Description, Share options

  41. Creating and Editing Google Site Pages • Click Create Page (or Edit Page to edit existing page)‏ • Type in text,format with toolbar

  42. Survey Tools

  43. Survey Monkey • http://www.surveymonkey.com/ • Free survey designer and data compiler • Multiple choice, multiple answer, open ended questions, matrix of questions, drop-down answer choices, preformatted demographic questions • No cross-tabular data without upgrade, but simple numeric and percentage result totals • No skips (branching) without upgrade • 10 question limit, 100 response limit without upgrade

  44. Build the survey • Type in question and answer text • Click “Create Survey” • Choose the question type

  45. Result

  46. Get Responses • When you are done, Survey monkey will • Give you an email link (to invite people to participate via email) • A web link (where you add the code to your blog or webpage • The code for a pop-up invitation to take the survey (annoyance factor pretty high)

  47. Analyze Results (multiple choice)‏

  48. Analyze Results (open ended text response)‏

  49. Doodle • http://doodle.ch/ • More of a blunt instrument than Survey Monkey • One question • Don't need to register • Good for fast, simple decisions • Meeting time • One question polls • Can handle multiple answers • Gives you an email notification whenever someone answers the survey

  50. Creating the Survey • Click “create survey” in “Schedule an event” for date and time format • Click “create survey” in “Make a choice” for question and answer format

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