audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff | Thomas' Work Space

LRC Assistant Start of Year Training: The PowerPoint

2011/09/13 plagwitz Leave a comment

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, training, workshops Tags: pptx

How LRC assistants log into the reception desk computers

2011/09/08 plagwitz Leave a comment

Let the computer finish its startup tasks:

Browsers: both internet Explorer and Firefox will open on relevant pages, since you and your client will have to work in different browsers, ensuring that both your and your client can be logged into different NINERNET accounts.
Excel will load a checkin.xlsm. In Excel, under the ribbon, press button:"Enable content". Use this to generate codes that you can paste into users"’ meeting requests when they check in and out LRC equipment. The spreadsheet will not save the codes since your computer is frozen.
A program called bginfo will analyze the computer settings and display the results on the desktop
ZoomIt: press “ok” on the startup dialogue. You can now press CTRL-2 (thanks Ashley) and drag the left mouse button (ESC to stop) to paint on screen to communicate with client across mirrored screens, and vice versa.

Do you have a client at the counter?

yes: press CTRL-ALT-F10 to clone/mirror (= show the same screen on) both monitors. You can now collaborate with the client using a computer (e.g. in OWA or in a database)
no client: press CTRL-ALT-F11 to extend the desktop. You can now display an informational window on the LRC-facing monitor, while working on your own monitor in privacy.
The reception computers use Deepfreeze. You cannot save information on reception desk computers between reboots.

All personal information you want to save needs to go to your H: drive.
All information you want to share with LRC staff needs to go into LRC Moodle site, UNCC-LRC website or NINERMAIL.

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, e-infrastructure Tags: bginfo, MS-Excel, webbrowsers, zoomit

How to transfer calls on the Cisco IP Phone 7912

2011/09/07 plagwitz Leave a comment

If you mistype, don’t leave the caller hanging, but rather follow these steps (kindly provided by Alesha) to recover: Likely you left the caller on hold.

Press the hold key (illuminated red button that is shaped like a stop sign)
Press transfer
Dial appropriate extension
Press transfer again!
Because the telephone is already in the cradle, students do not need to hang up or press the EndCall key.

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, e-infrastructure, phones Tags: call-forwarding, cisco-7912

How LRC tutors&assistants maintain their schedule

2011/09/01 plagwitz 1 comment

In Ninermail,
in the tutor calendar for your language/LRCassistant calendar (you can filter the complete list here)
do this: https://plagwitz.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/lrc-outlookexchange-2010-resource-calendaring-how-to-book-an-lrc-resource-by-making-a-meeting-request-in-owa/,
for all your tutoring hours,
1. in one block (there is an easier way to cancel part than using 30-minute increments (so that later you can flexibly cancel part or all of your time (for details see how to cancel a meeting request), if you have to, and students can sign up for tutoring timeslots));
2. with weekly recurrence until the end of the current academic term;
3. with the subject of the meeting request stating the levels you are tutoring for/”LRC Assistant” (do not put your name or email in the subject).
Note that your resulting work schedule will appear in your own NINERMAIL calendar, and, if you have requested, you will be remindedd of your shift.

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff Tags: 2007, 2010, 2011, calendaring, live@edu, ms-exchange, outlook, outlook-live, resources, scheduling

The new way from Fall 2011 how teachers and students check LRC equipment in and out with LRC student assistants

2011/09/01 plagwitz 2 comments

After booking an LRC resource, if the resource is a piece of physical equipment (versus a room or tutor hours), the teacher/student needs to check it out from the LRC student assistant in COED433. We are testing the following procedure:
Check-out procedure when picking up
1. On the secondary screen of the PC at the reception desk (mirroring mode), in whatever browser the LRC assistant is not using, the teacher or student that wants to check out an LRC resource
  1. logs into her university email in OWA/NINERMAIL
  2. opens their “meeting request” with the resource from her calendar
  3. or, if they have no prior meeting request, create one now
2. the LRC assistant on her screen, views the “meeting request” to make sure
  1. that the checkout time is not in the future OR the item is not past due. If necessary and possible (= no conflicts, duraiton dos not exceed maximum allowed), adapt the meeting request start time , and end time, but mark in the notes field if the item was returned late
  2. what the item is, including the number (if any)
3. handles the item
  1. gets the item from storage shelves in COED436; make sure it is the same number as in the meeting request
  2. checks item, with the user, for functionality and completeness
4. in the MS-Excelfile: checkoutin.xlsm (auto-loaded during login of LRC assistant, if not open it from the recent files list in MS-Excel or from c:\temp),
  1. presses button:”check-in code” which generates a unique code in the file and puts it in the windows clipboard)
  2. even if the user has multiple meeting requests in her calendar, the LRC assistant can use the same code for all her meeting requests
5. in the “meeting request”, in the big notes field at the bottom:
  1. pastes the code at the end of the the subject line
  2. adds necessary remarks regarding broken or incomplete equipment (if any)
  3. sends the updated request
  4. logs the teacher/student out of OWA
6. If you need large amounts of equipment for an entire class, I recommend having select students access NINERMAIL during class (or prior and wherever they are ready to book equipment), book the equipment for your class hour with meeting requests (1 for each piece of equipment required). The person who booked it has to be present during pickup and is responsible for the equipment. One student can book as many pieces as she can carry. Since I hope to have 2 reception desk computers and 2 LRC assistants at the reception desk, 2 students picking up should make for the fastest checkout process.
Check-in procedure when returning: same as above, in reverse.

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers Tags: 2007, 2010, 2011, calendaring, live@edu, ms-exchange, outlook, outlook-live, resources, scheduling

The new way of booking LRC rooms and equipment from Fall 2011: How?

2011/08/31 plagwitz 7 comments

Read here why.
You can book LRC resources like rooms, equipment, even tutor hours:

as
1. faculty & staff: from [MS-Outlook“(pretty much) whatever version”]:
  1. on the desktop Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010 or Outlook 2011 (preferred option for faculty & staff) – if you are familiar with Outlook Desktop, it is the recommended tool
  2. or at http://mail.uncc.edu, using Outlook Web Access (OWA) at http://mail.uncc.edu, in most browsers – we, however, decided to focus our training of new users on OWA.
2. student: in Outlook Live (the only option for students) at Ninermail or http://outlook.com,
through

creating from menu:”new” a “meeting request” (for details see How to book an LRC resource)
and adding a resource (or several: temporarily, to compare which one’s availability fits best into your own schedule; permanently, to book multiple items at once, as long as all start/end times are the same) by clicking on the “Resources”, like here
1. all LRC resources names begin with “LRC” and will appear if your search the Global address list (GAL) for “LRC”; all bookable rooms and equipment have been given an email address listed here):
2. e.g. to book the LRC main classroom, send to LRC RoomCOED434 class <LRCRoomCOED434@uncc.edu>
and adding other meeting participants, e.g. co-teachers of your class, or LRC staff if you need more than routine support
1. If you hold a class in the LRC, to remind students of the new location, teachers could also try and add your class, if you made a convenient group of all students in your class in Outlook.
and, from the “scheduling assistant”, choosing a time when the room/equipment is free (= blank), not blocked (= solid or hatched) (and all participants),
and adding a subject with class number and possibly special instructions:

if you do not allow self-access students on free seats: *EMPTY ROOM*
if you do not allow tutoring in corners: *NO TUTORING*:
I will ask the LRC assistants (unfortunately we have large gaps in the schedule) and tutors to load and check the lrcroomcoed434@uncc.edu so that tutors can relocate with their students on time.

and sending it (like email to a person) to the room or equipment

What happens next?
1. await responses: Read more in What happens after the meeting request.
2. monitor calendars: you can link into your OWA the calendars of those resources that you use frequently (e.g. a piece of equipment, an LRC classroom or tutor office for the language you study). Read more in View Calendars.
If you need to release the resource, i.e. to free up the room/equipment for others to use – esp. helpful when you have the LRC booked for your entire class, but won’t meet there this week), open the meeting form your calendar and click in the top menu the buttons cancel series, ”send update” (for details see how to cancel a meeting request)
SummaryList of Links:
For further reading: Microsoft explains Scheduling for Outlook Livein more detail here:
1. Request a meeting
2. Use the Schedule Assistant
3. you can also Create an appointment or Set a Repeating Item
4. Cancel a (single/recurring) meeting

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, e-infrastructure, service-is-library, training Tags: 2007, 2010, 2011, calendaring, live@edu, ms-exchange, outlook, outlook-live, resources, scheduling

LRC Outlook/Exchange 2010 Resource Calendaring: How to use the Scheduling Assistant in OWA

2011/08/31 plagwitz 10 comments

The scheduling assistant lets you find a common free time for all the (resource and human) participants of your meeting request.
The scheduling assistant shows you start/end meeting time and free/busy information.
The default shows only work hours:
You can show more than work hours (useful for some resources):
You may also be able to see the meeting subjects.
You can spot scheduling conflicts in advance, instead of sending a meeting request that will have to be denied.
For some resources, you can make a recurrent/repeating meeting request: . note that you will lose the begin/end markers:

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, e-infrastructure, service-is-library Tags: calendaring, ms-exchange, ms-outlook, resource-mailboxes, resource-scheduling, scheduling assistant

LRC Outlook/Exchange 2010 Calendaring: How to use the Global Address list/Address Book for LRC Resources in OWA

2011/08/31 plagwitz 1 comment

Open the GAL for Resources by clicking on “Resources”, like here :
Use (1) default filtering, (2) “LRC” (3) search, to see all resources, including (4) equipment:
use (1) room filtering, (2) “LRC” (3) search, to see only (4) resources that resemble “Rooms” (including “Offices” held):
after (1) searching “LRC”, (2) pick the desired resource, (3) add it to the resources recipient list, (4) click “ok” to close the address book (which will send you back to your meeting request)
1. if there are several equivalent resources you could use (like any of our voice recorders), you can quickly compare their immediate availability using the scheduling window in the right pane
2. if you need a better overview over availability of the resource, and other participants, add multiple resources to the to-list and compare their availability using the “Scheduling Assistant” which features a full legend and easy-to-read begin/end markers for your chosen begin/end times
In the address book, you have a limited (to today) preview of the (3) schedule of the resource, which can aid you in deciding which resource to add to the resources-list
1. Alternatively, for a more expansive schedule, add all equivalent resources (e.g. lights) and decide later in the scheduling assistant which one to send the meeting request to