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News from the World of ICT
Welcome to another issue of the ICT newsletter!
News From the World of ICT is our way of sharing with the Maxwell community who we are, and what we do.
From events in the Global Collaboratory, to computing tips and tricks to make your day a little easier, you’ll learn something new in every issue!
Issue #22 December 2015
Page 2 - A Word from the Director... http://ict.syr.edu/ Page 3 - A Word from the Director...December 2015 ICT Newsletter
The IT groups on campus will begin deployment of Windows 10 this spring. Windows 10 is very similar to
Windows 8 and brings back the start menu, which many people missed. ICT will begin deployment of Windows 10 to the public computers and labs immediately after the semester ends in December. We will then start planning for upgrades for the rest of the Maxwell community starting in May. However, any faculty, staff or department interested in upgrading to Windows 10 sooner, please send an email to [email protected]. It’s a quick and easy upgrade (as simple as a computer swap) and training will be provided.
Read more about Windows 10 on the Emerging Technology page.
Also coming soon is Office 2016 for Windows. The new Office is very similar to Office 2013, with some additional features. Like Windows 10 compared to Windows 8, the Office 2016 interface is nearly identical to Office 2013. You will simply need to reboot your computer to install Office 2016. Tammy will begin training classes for Office 2016 this spring. We look to start deployment of Office 2016 to the entire campus this spring.
This year’s Holiday and Green days are from Thursday, December 24th through Friday, January 1st. Because the Maxwell School uses Windows hybrid sleep mode and participates with the Syracuse University Condor Research Computing Grid (OrangeGrid), please log out of your computer and leave it powered on during the break. When not in use, Windows hybrid sleep mode will lower the power consumption of your computer to only a couple of watts while allowing the computer to continue to receive security and software updates.
If you are a remote desktop user, and your computer gets turned off due to an unscheduled power outage during the break, you can wake up your computer from an “off” state by going to the ICT AWOL Service Login page (http://wakeme.maxwell.syr.edu). If you have any trouble using remote desktop during the break, you can reach us by opening a browser, navigating to the Outlook Web Access site (http://exchange.syr.edu), and sending an email to [email protected] where someone will assist you.
I would like to remind and encourage all faculty, staff and students to attend our accessibility training taught by our software specialist, Tammy Hnat. The course is taught in conjunction with the campus initiate Accessible SU (http://www.syr.edu/accessiblesu/). If you are interested in attending training or learning more about the course, please email [email protected]. See the Announcement page for accessibility training dates.
A Word from the Director...In this issue:
A Word from the Director... ............2
Faculty Focus ......4
Emerging Technology .........6
Ektron Update ....8
Student Focus .....9
The Global Collaboratory ....10
Reboot Your Computer! ........12
Announcements 13
Additional Information ......14
Help Info ...........15
ICT Staff Holiday Traditions
Holly: One tradition I started a few years ago with Delilah is to build a gingerbread house together. It’s a pretty common tradition, but it’s something we both really enjoy. I think most of Delilah’s enjoyment comes from slowly (and sneakily) picking off all the candy over time. By the time it’s too stale to eat, there isn’t really a whole lot left!
Brian: My holiday tradition is that I head over to my parent’s house. They have relatives over for a Christmas dinner and, then, we have some drinks and open presents. Sometimes we watch a movie or a Christmas special.
Matt: Our holiday traditions have been pretty traditional! We divide our time during the holidays between my side of the family and my wife’s side of the family. But, starting this year, we are now entering a new phase of life where we’re excited to have our oldest daughter home for the holidays! She’s a freshman in college (away at school), so this fall season has been a bit of a change in our home life! I know this will give us a new appreciation for our holiday traditions
Stan: Our family loves to shop for presents and drive through Lights on the Lake. We all gather at my mom’s house for Christmas dinner after the kids open their presents.
Tammy: Every year, a couple of weeks before Christmas, my mother, sisters and I go to Skaneateles for a holiday lunch. It’s a really excellent time of the year to visit the town - Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles is going on and the characters walking around are so entertaining! My husband drops us off and pick us up, so we all are able to enjoy some holiday “cheer” throughout the day.
Mike C.: Our Christmas traditions are probably similar to most. Eat, sleep and open presents. Since purchasing a larger house, we have been hosting family at our house for the last two years and it’s made for a much more relaxing holiday. Bringing the kids around to all the relatives can be fun, but it also takes up most of the day just driving around. So, I’m glad our tradition has changed a bit and now my family and I are able to relax at home.
On behalf of all of us in ICT, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe holiday season!
Tom: A few years ago, on the weekend before Christmas, we took our kids to an indoor waterpark on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. We explained that the trip was the big “gift” for them that we would enjoy as a family. We visited Toronto last year and anticipate a trip to Winterlude in Ottawa this year. So, our tradition is to give memories of family trips rather than toys to be forgotten.
Page 4 - Faculty Focus http://ict.syr.edu/ Page 5 - Faculty FocusDecember 2015 ICT Newsletter
Faculty FocusChristopher R. DeCorse
Professor / Anthropology1. How long have you been at the Maxwell School?
Since 1992.
2. What department do you work in? Anthropology
3. Describe how you use technology in your research and/or teaching. Technology makes ever increasing contributions to both teaching and research.
In the classroom, PowerPoint has, of course, been around for decades. But, the availability and ease of downloading images really helps make a field like archaeology come alive.
As part of my work with National Geographic Learning, I am doing a series of short video clips that will be incorporated into lesson plans. I had not done anything like this before, but I am increasingly realizing the potential of filming fieldwork specifically to incorporate into education modules.
The impacts of technology abound in archaeology. Many of these still remain a bit pricy, however, things like satellite imagery and aerial photography - rather specialized resources long beyond the reach of most researchers - are now more available. While I have not made use of it myself, Google Earth has been used by some archaeologists in locating archaeological sites. In terms of both fieldwork and
methodology, GPS and GIS are increasingly taken for granted as research tools.
4. What new technologies are you interested in using either in your teaching or for your personal use? In my teaching, I would like to be able to better utilize video sources. I have downloaded and shown video clips, but have not really been successful in accessing videos as part of class presentations. Especially in larger classes, I like to be well prepared and sure about the material. I had one somewhat disastrous experience trying to access a YouTube video of the summer solstice at Stonehenge. Attempting to download it produced quite a memorable array of pop-ups. I have not utilized more interactive programs like Prezi, which has a zoomable
interface, and, thus, might be more useful in streaming video.
I think the facilities in our classrooms are good. However, I think they should be continually enhanced to keep us at the cutting edge. A case in point is Power Point. Our classroom computers are configured so that you are unable to use presenter view, which is really a wonderful lecture tool. You can bring your own laptop, but this is not really convenient and, even then, there seems to be difficulties. I was surprised during recent lecture trips to Mozambique and South Africa that the facilities were typically set up to use presenter view. In fact, I was a bit surprised, in general, that the archaeology programs in both Mozambique and South Africa, in many respects, had more technological support than we do in terms of both software and equipment. For example, having drones equipped for photography and magnetometers or electrical resistivity equipment for the sub-surface
detection of archaeological sites. These are things that have tremendous research applications, but equally present great opportunities for training students in the use of field methods.
Special thanks to Professor DeCorse for participating in the ICT newsletter!
Page 6 - Emerging Technology http://ict.syr.edu/ Page 7 - Emerging TechnologyDecember 2015 ICT Newsletter
Emerging Technology
Windows 10 is coming to a computer near you! Product Name: Windows 10
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Features: The Start Menu, Cortana, Task View, Microsoft Edge
Links to more information: Windows 10 Features (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features)
Cortana is the way to search in Windows 10. Use this feature to find things on your PC, or use it to search online. All you have to do is type a question or a keyword in the search box on the taskbar and Cortana will provide links to settings on your PC and topics on the Internet.
In the example on the left, I searched for “change desktop”. The search results provides a way to get to Display settings on my computer, and also provides web links on that topic.
The Start Menu is back in Windows 10, and it’s been improved. Click the Start button on the taskbar and you will find most recently used apps, as well as shortcuts to other locations on your PC. Pin, move and group programs easily. You can even resize the Start menu - make it taller or wider, depending on how many items you want to see.
Clicking the new Task View button, found on the taskbar, is a way to quickly see thumbnails of all opened windows. Click a thumbnail, and that window is activated. You can also use this view to create additional desktops. Creating additional desktops allows you to group related windows, and switching between these desktops is as easy as clicking the Task View button and selecting the desktop you want to see. If there is a window you’d rather use on another desktop, just drag and drop it. There is no limit to the number of desktops you can create.
Microsoft Edge has replaced Internet Explorer in Windows 10. In this browser, you are able to write on webpages and save your notes to share with others. You can utilize the Reading list feature to save articles and other content to
read later. Cortana is also available right in the address bar to help you find things faster.
Tammy Hnat
Page 8 - Ektron Update http://ict.syr.edu/ Page 9 - Student FocusDecember 2015 ICT Newsletter
Ektron UpdateI’M NOT A ROBOT - reCAPTCHA arrives!
While working and browsing the web we have all been faced with filling out forms to submit data to a web site. I’m sure most of you have seen the small boxes near the
submit button that has hard-to-read (or blurred) letters that you have to type in before actually submitting the form.
These are generically known as “captcha” systems which are designed to make sure the form is being submitted by a real person. This captcha acronym formally stands for:
Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart
Up until very recently, our Maxwell School web site has been free from the pesky “spambots” which, when they find online forms that are unprotected, flood the recipients mailbox with hundreds or even thousands of unwanted messages.
As a preventative measure against these unwanted and disruptive messages, ICT will be adding a version of this captcha system they call “reCAPTCHA”. One of the primary advantages is that all that’s needed to prove that you’re NOT a robot is to check a box on the page and perhaps identify some photos (picking out photos of trains, fish, or other objects).
If you have web forms that are sending you unwanted email submissions, please email [email protected] and we’ll put your form at the top of our list. Otherwise, hang tight and ICT will be updating your Ektron form templates in due time!
Matt Coulter
Adam Gendler1. What program are you currently enrolled in?
I’m a senior Advertising major at Newhouse.
2. Expected graduation date? May, 2016
3. What would you like to do after graduation? I’m building a digital service centered around on-demand
craft beer delivery. We launch in May, 2016, where I’ll be working full-time in New York City. This gives me the flexibility to travel with bands and continue directing music videos in my free time. Ultimately, I’d love to make it back home to Los Angeles, and one day work as a Creative Director at an ad agency.
4. What do you do for ICT? I’m an Audio/Visual Production Assistant. I work with Tom to film and edit lectures, career talks, guest speakers, and other really cool events that go on here at Maxwell. If you ever need a really long cable wrapped up, I’m your guy.
5. How do you use technology in your studies? As an Advertising major, my main role is to immerse myself in popular culture, and learn how to connect the dots. One of my favorite tools is a platform called Crimson Hexagon, which allows you to “listen” to every public social media conversation across the web related to the parameters you set. Is it creepy? A little bit. But the data that you walk away with can be absolutely invaluable.
6. What new technologies are you interested in? Lately, I’ve been really interested in Virtual Reality. I think there are so many opportunities to change the way people experience stories through VR. Everything from news broadcasts to video games are starting to take on a completely new life. We’re on the frontier of a brand new type of media right now – and that’s not something you get to say often.
Student Focus
Page 10 - The Global Collaboratory http://ict.syr.edu/ Page 11 - The Global CollaboratoryDecember 2015 ICT Newsletter
The Global CollaboratoryI suspect everyone had the same experience this semester - it seemed busier than
usual. Even after the increased activity with last year’s 90th Year celebration, Fall 2015 seemed even more event-full. (Sorry, had to go for the bad pun!)
The semester really got started with the State of Maxwell address on September 1st. That event is like a starting gun signaling the quick-paced 3-month marathon of event logistics and support.
The Center for Career Development brings to campus a significant number of employers, often Maxwell alumni, for career advice and recruiting sessions with current students. We record these meetings for the students who are unavailable due to class. One particular employer visit, from Deloitte Consulting, is quite different. The Deloitte Challenge asks student teams, within 24-hours, to evaluate and present findings from a case study. Those presentations are recorded so student can review their own performance and to provide insight for the next year’s participants.
One public talk and panel discussion that stands out this time involved the recent Director General of the European Space Agency, Jean Jacques Dordain. The panel was made up of Maxwell’s own Sean O’Keefe, former Administrator of NASA, who was joined by additional NASA colleagues involved with the International Space Station and the human exploration of space.
Photo: a student group presenting during the final round
(Left to right)Moderator:• Sean O’Keefe - Phanstiel Chair, Syracuse University Professor, former administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Panelists:• Jean Jacques Dordain - Former Director General of the European Space Agency.• William F. Readdy - Veteran Naval Aviator, Astronaut , and former NASA Associate
Administrator.
• W. Michael Hawes - Vice President & Orion Program Manager, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.
• William H. Gerstenmaier - Associate Administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Tom Fazzio
Page 12 - Reboot Your Computer! http://ict.syr.edu/ Page 13 - AnnouncementsDecember 2015 ICT Newsletter
We’ve all been there - you go to use your computer to perform a specific task and something goes wrong; the computer is running very slow, the task doesn’t complete,
or you get some cryptic error message. You pick up the phone and call the ICT service line and the inevitable question is asked: Did you try rebooting your computer?
Why does rebooting your computer fix so many problems? When your computer starts up, there are several programs that have to be launched in a particular order as some lower level programs are dependent on higher level programs in order to operate. These programs need to be launched in a certain order to operate correctly and if the top level program is not working, the other programs that depend on it will stop working as well. Rebooting will cause the programs to be launched in the proper order so that they work correctly.
Another reason is sometimes a program will malfunction and start consuming the computers resources until the computer is too slow to use. Once enough resources are consumed, the computer becomes unusable. This can happen due to a bug in the software or a problem with a data file that can throw the software into a never ending loop. By rebooting the computer, you force all those hung up programs to restart.
Operating systems such as Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android all require updates to remain secure and to fix bugs. Rebooting regularly will apply these updates and will improve performance and enhance security. We recommend rebooting at least once a week to stay up to date and keep your computer running smoothly.
Reboot Your Computer!
Brian von Knoblauch
AnnouncementsAccessibility Training ContinuesUpcoming training dates by ICT Training:
Thursday, December 3rd, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Thursday, January 7th, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Thursday, February 4th, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Thursday, March 3rd, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Thursday, April 7th, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Thursday, May 5th, 9:30 am - 11:30 am
View a full description of the training by visiting the ICT Upcoming Training page and clicking a training date link. To register for a session, just submit the form found at the bottom of each
description page.
Why is accessible technology important? Learn about the types of barriers college students encounter in this 11-minute video put together by Portland Community College:
To Care & Comply: Accessibility of Online Course Content
This video can also be viewed from the ITS Accessibility site.
Ever wonder why restarting your computer is called “rebooting”? Read this article: “Why Is It Called Rebooting” to learn more!
Does your computer at home seem to be running slow? Read this article: “10 Quick Ways to Speed Up a Slow Windows PC” to learn about what could be causing it to slow down, as well as ways to speed it up.
Page 14 - Additional Information http://ict.syr.edu/ Page 15 - Help InfoDecember 2015 ICT Newsletter
Additional Information
Reserving the GC• Events hosted by groups with a Maxwell School affiliation may request use of the room up
to 12 months ahead; others may make requests 2 months ahead. Room availability may be checked by calling 315-443-9003, or by emailing [email protected] – an online request form must be submitted before confirmation is made. The reservation process will involve a discussion of technology and staffing needs during the event.
Interactive Media Lab (IML) - Access • Student access:
See Holly Johnson in 034E for form. Please bring your SUID!
• Faculty & Staff access: IML access for faculty and staff should be requested by the individuals’ department. Please have your department send an email to Holly Johnson at: [email protected]. No form is necessary!
IML Coverage for this semester
• Please contact [email protected].• The IML is closed during ICT training sessions. Please check the ICT Training site for details
on upcoming training sessions.
Help Info
Service [email protected]
(315) 443-3847
Global Collaboratory [email protected]
(315) 443-4742
http://ict.syr.edu/
Training [email protected]
http://ict.syr.edu/training/
ICT Training Sessions: http://ict.syr.edu/ict-training-sessions-handouts/
ICT Newsletter [email protected]
http://ict.syr.edu/category/newsletter/
Help Desk Hours (Room 034A)
Mon-Fri. 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
