A simple way to protect your computer when not at your desk

Logging out of your computer and then logging back on is a waste of time, as the process causes all your documents and apps to close.

There is a simple solution: Press the Win and L key together. This will lock your computer. When coming back to your desk, log on as usual. Your desktop will reappear exactly as you left it. If an application was running, say for example a download or a defragmentation, it kept running while you were away, saving you precious time.

Isn't it cool?

Oh, btw, Here is the Win key:

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Server Error Message in Google Docs /Drive

If you see this while opening a Google doc:

Then do that in Chrome: 

1. 

2. Once the temporary window opens, choose SETTINGS. 

3. In settings, click on ADVANCE SETTINGS (at the very bottom of the new window)

4. In advance settings, scroll down to the very bottom and  click on RESET BROWSER SETTINGS

You are done.

Jude

Camtasia training - day 1 for Mac

When using Camtasia 2 for Mac, uploading with the built-in Youtube share function does not yield great results. Just like for Camtasia 8 for Windows, it is better to first save an MP4 file and then upload it:
- In Share, choose Advanced Export. 
- Then choose Export to MP4 and click on Options.
- In options, choose the following settings:

Note: the image size is standard to most school desktops, however, you may want to play with this setting.









Jude

Camtasia Training - Day 1

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The first issue was to determine the optimal settings for uploading a video to YouTube. It appears that the automatic sharing to YouTube  gives very mediocre results. Although you always seem to loose some of the definition, You can get a much better video quality by using these settings:

- Editing dimensions: 1280x1024
- In Produce and Share: Choose "Custom Production Settings" > MP4 Flash/Html5 Player>next>video settings: frame rate: 30 and slide from "smaller file" to "higher quality">next>next>finish.

Create a folder in your computer, as this last command will generate a number of files. However, the good news is that you will find among these files an MP4 file. Once you located it, just upload it to YouTube.

One more thing: it will take a few minutes for your youtube video to offer the highest definition option (HD720p) to viewer . As the default definition is of lower quality, you need to inform your viewers to select this option for optimal picture (see picture below).

See for instance this test. Never mind my voice comments, just look at the quality of the picture and compare with other formats, if you have the patience for that :)

Jude

Flipped classroom: no need to reinvent the wheel

Among the teachers communities where you can download screencasts for your curriculum,  one of the most important and organized is the Khan Academy.

I recommend listening to the TEDtalk by its founder,  and then go the the Khan Academy website.

Jude.

A low key way to start recording your screen for flipping your classroom

If you don't feel ready for a new software like Camtasia, why not giving a try, first, to a simple screen recorder already installed with your Smartboard software?
Not a lot of bells and whistles, but it will make you feel what it is like to create a screencast.
The screen recorder tool is on your floating toolbar. If it is not, just add it by clicking on the settings icon at the bottom of the toolbar. More questions? Don't hesitate to ask!

Jude