Playing unitedstreaming video over the internet can be a frustrating experience for West High teachers. The reason behind this issue is related to bandwidth. According to www.answers.com, bandwidth is “the amount of data that can be passed along a communications channel in a given period of time.” The capacity in our building is currently very limited. Because a video stream contains so much information, it takes a lot of the available bandwidth to deliver it to your computer. At the same time, many other people in the building may be surfing the internet, taking attendance, accessing shared files, and doing all the other things that take up bandwidth in our building. Streaming one unitedstreaming video takes up approximately 16% of all the available bandwidth in the whole building. This is why if you try to watch one in class it may often start and stop, or not load at all. There simply is not enough bandwidth to allow it (and everything else everyone else is doing) to come through.

 There is a better way.

The unitedstreaming people understand that some schools are bandwidth-challenged. For us, they have created the Network Manager. This feature lets you select videos to ”Download Later.” If you choose this option, the video you chose will be downloaded to the server overnight.  This way, you do not have to sit and wait for it, and you are guaranteed smooth playback during your lesson. 

How do you do it?

Navigate to the video you wish to show. Click on the “Download Later” icon. That’s it. You can do this for as many videos as you want. If you want to check that it is indeed queued for download overnight, click on My Content at the top of the page and then on Network Manager. The names of all videos scheduled to be downloaded will be listed there.

The videos you selected will be downloaded to a shared drive called unitedstreaming downloads. The next morning (or whenever you are ready) simply open the folder that contains your video and show it to the class. These videos can also be burned to CDs for even more reliable playback.

unitedstreaming made easier. If you do not have a unitedstreaming account or would like more information, please see Bridget in the Nexus. Happy viewing!

…One tree at a time

Using NetSupport

You can use the NetSupport program in the Nexus and computer labs A106 and A108 to remotely look at student work. Then you can decide if it is ready to be printed, choose the printer you want the document sent to, and actually print it for the student. You can make sure they are truly printing only what they need or what is ready to be handed in! See Bridget, Bruce, or Kathy to see how to do this.

Do you like to take digital pictures? Do your pictures sometimes come out too dark, or does everyone have red eyes (and it’s not Halloween)? Picasa 2, a FREE photo editing tool from Google, allows you to simply and quickly fix these common problems, make other adjustments, and add special effects to bring out the best in your photographs. Picasa also allows you to organize and share your pictures. The program is installed on school computers and can be downloaded for free for home use at http://picasa.google.com/.

Bored with making posters and doing PowerPoint presentations? Tired of the same old thing? There are many alternatives to traditional projects that you can try using Microsoft Publisher.
Using templates where you just type in your information, Publisher lets you create banners, greeting cards, advertisements, brochures, pamphlets, etc. etc. instantly and painlessly.
Are you a history teacher studying Ancient Egypt? Your students could create an advertisement for a company that will mummify people, incorporating what they have learned about the process and social customs.
Maybe you teach English and you are studying Edgar Allen Poe. Your students might collaboratively create a newsletter showcasing his accomplishments.
An environmental science teacher might have the students make a flyer detailing the dangers of the global warming or benefits of legislation supporting clean air.
If you teach a business class, you might have students create their own business cards.
Study Skills/Resource students might use the calendar feature to plan long term assignments and homework.
A foreign language class might create a travel brochure for a culture they are studying.
The ideas are endless. Microsoft Publisher offers students a chance to show their knowledge in a professional, real-world product that is both motivating and educational. Check it out today!