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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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