OIT Homepage Renovations Complete

The OIT website homepage has just finished transitioning into the exact resources you wish to see. Following our OIT Wesbite Usability Survey, we began work on maximizing the usefulness of the OIT wesbite according to your feedback. Already detailed in a previous News Blog post, the search, navigation, Express Menu and News Blog widgets have all been updated.

Today, though, we are pleased to announce the completion of a renovated homepage. We have broken down the mini-site navigation into four boxes, one for featured content and one each for faculty, staff and students. This organization of crucial content will ensure that each type of site visitor has easy, direct access to the most applicable information on the OIT website.

To experience this new homepage, visit:

oit.washcoll.edu

New MPC Website Launches

The MPC is proud to announce the launch of a new look for its website! The brand new interface ties the MPC in with the look of Instructional Technology and provides a unified navigation style for all IT services.

The changes are not just aesthetic, though. The MPC front page features a widget from a tips, tricks and tutorial blog - The MPC Feed - to show you all that the MPC is exploring. An updated equipment list gives a better overview of what the MPC has to offer while Programs, Services and Portfolio sections tell about all of the MPC sponsored activity at Washington College.

If you haven’t visited the MPC website recently, take a few minutes to check it out today:

mpc.washcoll.edu

Instructional Technology Happenings for 4/16 - 5/1

Introduction to Photoshop - Friday, April 18th

The Introduction to Photoshop workshop is designed a little differently than how many other organizations are approaching it. Photoshop’s interface has an exhaustive number of palettes, tools, filters, and features. Rather than go through every tool’s use, this workshop addresses a subset of the most commonly used tools, and some of the more advanced tools. Users will learn how to recreate the poster used to advertise for the workshop.

To learn more and sign up, visit http://oit.washcoll.edu/trainingandtutorials.php

Green Business Panel, Green Drinks & Eco-movies - Friday, April 25th

Immediately following the Green Business Panel, the College will host “Green Drinks & Eco-movies” to celebrate “George Goes Green” and the power of film as forces of environmental change. Network with eco-minded professionals, students, faculty, staff and alumni who support the integration of ecological and social values. Catch the premiere of “Driving Greener” by OIT’s Brian Palmer - see the car and meet the star - then enjoy the best of the “60 Seconds or Less” student videos on water conservation, energy conservation, waste reduction, and more.

TechTidbits for April

Tech Tidbits offers you the chance to learn about very specific technologies and skills in a very short period of time. 30 minute sessions will give you step by step instructions and personal support with the tasks that you want to learn about.

All sessions run from 12:15 - 12:45. Coffee, tea & snacks will be available, in case you skip lunch!

• Crash Course on Facebook - Tuesday, April 29th
• Digital Storytelling - Wednesday, April 30th
• Mac Open Q&A - Thursday, May 1st

To learn more and sign up, visit http://oit.washcoll.edu/trainingandtutorials.php

Network Emergency Reboot At Noon

OIT must shut down the network to perform emergency maintenance today. Please try to be off of the network by 12:00 Noon today, Tuesday, April 15th. The maintenance will begin at 12:05.

The outage should be only 10-15 minutes. Once the maintenance is completed, users will need to log on to the network again.

Users in Bunting, Public Safety, B&G, and HR should not be impacted.

Long Distance Phone Problems

There is a problem making long distance calls. Local and toll-free calls are not impacted. We are working with the long distance carrier to correct the issue.

Tech Tidbits for April

This month's Tech Tidbits have been made available for registration. The following three lunch time workshops will be offered:

• Tuesday, April 29th - Crash Course on Facebook
• Wednesday, April 30th - Digital Storytelling
• Thursday, May 1 - Mac Open Q&A

As always, these sessions run from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm and refreshments are provided in the Beck Instructional Lab, so no need to worry about missing lunch while you learn!

To learn more and register, please visit: oit.washcoll.edu/trainingandtutorials.php

Congratulations!

Last night’s 60 Seconds or Less Video Festival was a tremendous success! We filled Litrenta for the awards ceremony and everyone left with a stylish tote bag, a few t-shirts and giant smiles on their faces. The Center for Environment & Society was on hand, too, to tell everyone about George Goes Green and their excellent green efforts.

Without further ado, I’d like to congratulate our winners:

• Best of Show: “Mr. Doodle” by Christina Izzo
• 2nd Place: “Late to Class” by Corey Holland
• 3rd Place: “Crazy Stairs” by Kevin Reagan
• Avant Garde Media: “Mr. Doodle” by Christina Izzo (sponsored by Multicultural Affairs)
• Rookie Award: “An Ordinary Day” by Andrew Laux (sponsored by The Department of Drama)
• Green George: “Bring on the Revolution” by Maureen Sentman (sponsored by CES)

Thank you to everyone who submitted! If you were unable to attend last night, please see Nancy Cross for your entry tape and a special prize bag.

Thanks, too, to our crack panel of judges - without you, we’d have no idea who to pick since they were all so good this year!

You Asked, We Answered

Last month, we asked you to participate in our first ever OIT Website Usability Survey. Over 100 members of the campus community responded to our request for feedback and provided us with some really great ideas for how to evolve this site towards a more usable form for you.

We listened and have been working hard to improve how you access our online resources. So far, we've:

1. Changed the OIT News blog widget to show abstracts of each news article. You can now skim the News blog without leaving the OIT homepage and choose exactly which pieces you want to explore further.
2. Added a more powerful Google search and moved it to the left navigation. You'll be able to search from every page of the OIT website directly. Further, your search results will appear in a translucent window immediately, eliminating needless navigation.
3. Reimagined the OIT Express Menu as a single, translucent window that opens over the current page of content. This new Express Menu will function smoothly on lower resolution displays and provides a clear "Close" button for when you are done using it. The slightly cumbersome drawer style Express Menu has been replaced!
   

We are working on more changes that will make using the OIT website an even more enjoyable experience. Thank you so much for your feedback and please continue to send your thoughts our way via the HelpDesk at x7777.

Tomorrow: 60 Seconds or Less Video Festival

You shot your videos, you submitted your entries and now you want to know: who won?! Well, tomorrow evening is your chance to find out! Join Instructional Technology in Litrenta at 8:00 pm for the 4th Annual 60 Seconds or Less Video Festival!

Judging is wrapping up today and the feedback so far points to this being the best 60 Seconds or Less yet. Not only do we have great entries for our Rookie and Avant Garde categories, but we also have teamed up with the Center for Environment & Society and will be awarding our first annual Green George award for the most eco-conscious entry!

Come out to Litrenta tomorrow evening (at 8:00 pm!) to see all the entries, the winners and watch George Go Green on video, too. Hope to see you there!