for UMSL Faculty Getting Started Setting up Your MyGateway Course

Transcription

1 Getting Started Setting up Your MyGateway Course for UMSL Faculty Follow these steps to create a link to Voicethread that creates student accounts, joins students to the private Voicethread group, and gives students a place to create and share Voicethreads. 1. Go to your MyGateway course and choose a folder/content area in which to put the link to Voicethread. (This is the link that you and your students will use to access Voicethread s website.) 2. Choose Build Content, then Weblink. In the URL field, enter exactly as shown here. Put a checkmark next to This link is to a Tool Provider. If you don t see a This link is to a Tool Provider, go to the Control Panel, then Customization, then Tool Availability. Put a checkmark in the Available column for LTI. Then submit. Then return to step IMPORTANT: In the Description text box, limit yourself to one paragraph set of instructions. If you do a line break or use any special formatting, the link in Step 2 will not work. Click Submit. 4. Click this new link. If you have a previously existing Voicethread account, you will be asked to merge that old account with the new account by entering in your previous Voicethread password. (If you didn t have an account, the account will automatically be created, and you ll log directly into Voicethread). Page 1 of 6

2 Sharing Previously Made Voicethreads Follow these steps to share any previously made Voicethread presentations with your class. 1. Go to MyGateway and click that general Voicethread link you set up (on Page 1 of this document). You will see a window like this one. The default screen will show any Voicethread presentations you ve shared with your class. It is likely black at this time. 2. In the upper left hand corner, click All My Voicethreads to see the Voicethreads you ve created in the past. Find any that you want to share with your class, and then click it to reveal the ability to share with your class. Click the +Share with Course button that appears. After you click that, the Voicethread will then show a yellow line around it and now say Shared. Then, you ll see it on the previous screen that was once black. Page 2 of 6

3 If you want to share your Voicethread in a unit or content area page in MyGateway, continue by following these steps: You will need the new updated URL (that has umsl.voicethread.com) in the link. To obtain that new link, go to that general Voicethread link in your MyGateway course (that you set up on Page 1) to see all the Voicethreads you shared with your class in step 2 just above. When that page loads, find the Voicethread you want, and click it to open it, and then in the upper right hand corner, click the gear icon to find the Share button. Click Get a Link, as you have in the past, and you ll notice that your URL is now updated with the correct URL domain, such as 3. Go to your MyGateway course and choose a folder/content area in which to put the link to a particular Voicethread presentation. (This is the link that you and your students will use to access that presentation). 4. Back in MyGateway, in the content area, choose Build Content, then Weblink. In the URL field, enter that URL you just obtained, and put a checkmark next to This link is to a Tool Provider. 5. IMPORTANT: In the Description text box, limit yourself to one paragraph set of instructions. If you do a line break or use any special formatting, the link in Step 2 will not work. Click Submit. 6. Click this new link to open the Voicethread in a new window. Your students credentials will pass them through to be able to view and comment. Page 3 of 6

4 Creating a New VoiceThread: Uploading Files You will always go to Voicethread via that link set up in the previous section in your MyGateway course. In the lower right hand corner of the screen, click the Create link to create a new Voicethread. Step 1: Select Upload from beneath the Create tab in your VoiceThread account: Search your computer to find the folder where the files are stored for your VoiceThread (images, PPT slides, PDF files, etc): Creating a New VoiceThread: Arranging Your Uploads After selecting your files, VoiceThread will automatically add them to a working window for your current presentation. From this window, you will arrange your slides in a logical order by clicking and dragging the files. To manipulate an individual image in your presentation, click on it in your working window. A yellow frame will appear around the selected image, and a thumbnail will appear in the bottom left hand corner of the working window (see screenshot at right). Tips Images bordered by a yellow frame can be repositioned in your presentation by left-clicking and dragging to a new location. By selecting Add a Title and Link beneath the thumbnail of your chosen image (on the left), you can add both a title and an external weblink to each picture that will be visible in your final presentation. You can also delete this file by clicking the small trash can icon (in white). Page 4 of 6

5 Creating a New VoiceThread: Naming the Presentation To finalize the initial creation of this presentation, select Add a Title and Description from the top of the working window to name your VoiceThread. The next step is to add your comments (see the Quick Reference file Adding Comments ). Creating a New Voicethread: Recording a Comment Open the presentation you wish to comment on, and navigate to the slide where you would like to leave a comment. There are FIVE ways to leave a comment (below), and we will discuss the three most common options in this guide. 1. Via your Cellphone (Audio only) requires credits to do so 2. Via your Webcam (Integrated Audio and Video) 3. Via your Microphone (Audio only) 4. Type in your text comments (No Audio/Video) 5. Upload a pre-recorded comment (Audio only) Text comment The first time that you insert an audio comment, you will be asked to give VoiceThread access to your microphone (if so, just click Allow): When you are finished recording your audio comment, select Your recorded comment will then be played back for your approval. If you are satisfied with its quality, select Save. If you d like to re-record, select Cancel: Each new comment is identified by an icon in the sidebar of the image. Video comment While audio comments are generally far more engaging than text comments, many teachers and students feel uncomfortable recording their own voices! For these users, text comments may be more appropriate. To add a text comment, select Type from the commenting toolbar at the bottom of each image. A speech bubble will appear above the icon representing the identity of the commenter (you!). Begin typing a written comment into the speech bubble and then select. Your comment will automatically be added to the image and your icon will appear in the sidebar. The first time that you insert an video comment, you will be asked to give VoiceThread access to your webcam (if so, just click Allow): If your webcam is functioning properly, the video you are recording should appear in a white bubble on the side of the VoiceThread page (slide). Your recorded comment will then be played back for your approval. If you are satisfied with its quality, select Save. If you d like to re-record, select Cancel: When you click save, the comment will appear next to the VoiceThread slide and your video will play on the left. Tip: There is much more to do in VoiceThread when you are editing your presentation. For a full set of instructions, visit this website: Page 5 of 6

6 Creating a New Voicethread: Share with Your Class When you are finished, click Share. Otherwise, if you are returning to your VoiceThread after having saved it, go to the MyVoice link(in lower left), and then click the little gear shift above the word menu on your VoiceThread presentation. It will reveal these options. Click Share. You will see your class listed as one of your available Voicethread groups. To share the Voicethread with your class, just click the Comment icon to allow your students to view and comment on your Voicethread. It will become yellow to show you ve selected it. More Sharing Options If you wish to make your Voicethread available publicly, follow these instructions: In the lower left hand part of the screen, there are four buttons that allow you to control playback and access to your VoiceThread: Click Playback Options to reveal the available options and select, as desired. Click Publishing Options to control who can view, comment and otherwise control your presentation, as shown here Page 6 of 6