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Phishing warning from Safari on reception desk computers…

2012/11/07 Leave a comment

… is a harmless glitch. The root cause is that the computers are sometimes extremely slow to start up. We resolved the issue today by simply restarting (not just logging off and back in).safari-autoit-phishing

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, Reception-desk Tags:

Arabic LRC tutor training Fall 2012

2012/10/17 Leave a comment

image

Categories: Arabic, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, Dictionaries, e-languages, Listening, Reading, service-is-tutoring, Speaking, training, Vocabulary, Writing

Delete the Flash Global Settings if the iMacs webcam displays black frame only

2012/10/11 Leave a comment
  1. Problem: Safari and (not recommended after last testing round) Firefox both hung on iMAC6 when a student tried to do a Moodle Kaltura Webcam assignment and got to the built-in ISight camera display page.
  2. Cause: maybe a Flash security problem accessing the web cam? maybe security dialogue was not answered by the student correctly earlier, and the “preference”stored in her account?
    1. Solution (presumably): System started working again after I deleted the Flash Global settings, by right-clicking on the webcam video preview window like so: CIMG0020

  3. imageimage

  4. Ceterum censeo that we need a computer management infrastructure if we want to use MACs for language learning technology. Faronics-Deepfreeze would have prevented this problem, provided we have a software imaging system (CASPER coming up apparently) that can let us start with a usable image, and the staff time to learn and configure 2 usable OS images and dual usable computer management infrastructures. TCO now > TCO dual OS infrastructure > TCO web cams for 45 PCs. 
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, Glitches&Errors, iMacs, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, lms, multimedia-recording Tags: , , , ,

How the LRC provides volunteer tutoring services

2012/10/10 Leave a comment
  1. The volunteer tutor student  gets a tutor calendarto publicize her services (non-personal information only) online.
    1. The LRC assistants at the LRC reception desk will train and set up the tutor initially. If the volunteer tutor needs more practice in using her NINERMAIL calendar than her initial training provided her with, she can come in and log in for the LRC assistants at the LRC reception desk and the LRC assistants will guide her. During LRC opening hours, at any time we have 3 computers and 2-3 LRC assistants staffing the LRC reception desk  which is right next to the group rooms where the volunteer tutors work, so there should be minimal delay and overhead with maximum administrative benefit.
    2. From then on, the volunteer tutor is in charge of her own tutor calendar. If the volunteer tutor needs to announce  changes, the volunteer tutor goes to NINERMAIL, section: calendar, and
      1. for single cancellations, deletes her appointment, like so: http://plagwitz.blob.core.windows.net/content/lrc/owa-cancel-by-rightclick-delete-appointment.html
      2. for changing the schedule, opens her old appointment (series), cancels it (only future occurrences) and creates her new altered (recurring) appointment, like so: https://thomasplagwitz.com/2012/01/10/how-to-make-changes-to-a-meeting-request/
    3. The volunteer tutor  logs in and out of her tutor calendar appointment, whenever she starts/ends her tutoring  hours, so that the LRC assistants at the reception desk can check her in and out of the LRC (LRC Assistants have a special program for this), and so that she can enter  a summary of whom she tutored and on what. A the end of the term, the LRC coordinator can provide tutor supervisors with a report on the tutoring log collected this way.
    4. To maximize learning and minimize missed connections, bottlenecks and delays throuhg intermediaries – including tutor supervisors  and LRC staff -,  the volunteer tutor – the  authoritative source of her tutoring time – can communicate directly through  http://mail.uncc.edu/owa/calendar/LRCTutor01@uncc.edu/Calendar/calendar.html (sample only, for actual Tutor## see https://thomasplagwitz.com/?tag=lists+resources),  with her stakeholders:
      1. the tutees who need to know her tutorung times, can communicate directly via
      2. the tutor supervisors, who, if they do not approve of the live or end-of-semester report tutor schedule, can let the tutor know, by asking her to change her time, deny her credit, not rehiring her…
    5. Currently, all tutoring is walk-up only. Enabling tuteees to sign-up for tutor help to avoid pile-ups is still TBA. If you would like to see sign-up tutoring implemented, please drop us a line explaining how this would be helpful for you.
  2. As far as the LRC is concerned:
    1. Tutors have to be within the within the opening hours of the LRC:  http://mail.uncc.edu/owa/calendar/LRCRoomCOED434@uncc.edu/Calendar/calendar.html.
    2. The LRC being increasingly busy with classes, exams, self-access assessments and distance education sessions these days, we also require all tutors to include one of the group rooms in the box “resources:” LRCRoomCOED433c, LRCRoomCOED433d  of their tutor calendar meeting request. Doing so will secure the tutor and tutee a convenient work place.
    3. Summaries of our tutor training in LRC language learning technology facilities are available here: https://thomasplagwitz.com/?category_name=service-is-tutoring+training.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-teachers, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, service-is-tutoring

How to fix “no audio” on the computers with black Sanako headsets

2012/10/10 Leave a comment
  1. First, show the Sanako student application (e.g. from button:Start / Student).
  2. Is the Volume Control slider set to 0? Move it up where it says “Adjust volume”:image
  3. Still hear no audio playing on the black Sanako headsets? Then the volume slider was likely moved to 0 since the headset was not detected: On the rear of the computer, check the connection
    1. of the blue headset plug into the USB extension cord, and
    2. of the extension cord into the rear of the computer.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, documentation, headphones, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, Student-Computers Tags: , , ,

No audio on listening stations and group rooms, and workaround

2012/09/26 Leave a comment
  1. Symptom: Headsets work (test feedback by putting microphone near headset speakers), but audio files from internet do not play with sound. 
  2. Cause: having to support 2 different kinds of headsets (USB with built-in soundcard versus traditional analog) in one PC software image.
  3. The workaround
    1. for temp staff is to start / run / sndvol32.exe and up the low volume sliders here: 20120912_153937
    2. for permanent staff is to unfreeze any computers that have been missed previously20120912_154121 and put this script into the all users startup folder now: 20120912_154205
  4. The solution: standardize on USB headsets when you get a chance.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, e-infrastructure, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Listening-Stations, service-is-it-managing, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, small-group-work-spaces Tags: ,

Film equipment booking FAQ

2012/09/19 Leave a comment
  1. Do not send the meeting request to lrchelp@uncc.edu or some other person you know in the LRC, but rather send to the equipment email as listed here. Your meeting request will reach this equipment item’s “Resource Attendant who manages the item.
  2. Do not attempt to book equipment items that are “blocked” on the Scheduling Assistant  tab of your meeting request. The Attendant currently mails acceptance responses only to permanent staff, not to students (check for booking success instead using the calendars shared with you in your NINERMAIL), but still has her Scheduling Assistant update the equipment’s publically visible calendar with the booking (tentatively for students). You may have figured by now that TBA:the Resource Attendant and her Scheduling Assistant are actually robots, “Do more with less” and all.
  3. Do not write in the notes field “I would like a Boom Pole as well” or similar.  Nobody but robots is supposed to look at your message, and Robots cannot process this note, and they do not need to: Just add all equipment items,that you plan to check out and back in at the same time, as additional recipients in the “Resources” textbox,  as listed here, so that the Resource Attendant and her Scheduling Assistant can manage the sharing of the items.
  4. Do not load only a single equipment piece – you would be playing a time-consuming lottery with the availability of this item. Rather, load all equivalent equipment pieces in the “Resources” field (see explanation on list of bookable items ) that you could use. E.g. if you need a Vixia camera with a heavy tripod and a microphone, load (-> list of bookable items ) LRC Camera 11-14 and all LRC Tripods 01-04. Then compare availability lines in the scheduling assistant for these items: You will find more easily one Vixia camera and one heavy tripod that fits well into your schedule. Just remember to remove the other equivalent items that do not fit as well into your schedule, before sending the meeting request.
  5. New memory options from Summer 2013:
    1. Cameras do not include sd-cards anymore. If you need an LRC sd-card, you have to check  it out (and back in) separately, by adding  to the “resources:” LRCsd-card##
    2. Have no way of getting your footage off the camera when returning equipment. Don’t hog the equipment. You can now store your footage temporarily on an LRCthumbdrive##.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, Film-studies, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, service-is-library, training Tags: , ,

Protected: How to convert Friendly Russian web pages for better use with the Sanako Study 1200

2012/09/16 Enter your password to view comments.

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Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, digital-audio-lab, e-languages, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, learning-materials, Russian Tags: ,