"How to" Guideline series is coordinated by Helen Mongan-Rallis of the Education Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions to improve these guidelines please me at e-mail hrallis@d.umn.edu.

Helen's "How To" Guidelines

This site contains various guidelines developed to assist people in using a variety of computer applications and tools. Some of the guidelines have been designed for specific classes or workshops taught by Helen Mongan-Rallis but are included here as they may be of use to a broader audience. The authors are listed next to the tutorial name (unless just the link to a third-party tutorial is included and the author is unknown).

All work created by Helen Mongan-Rallis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Guidelines related to web page development:

1. Contribute: downloading Contribute and Contribute basics (by Helen Mongan-Rallis based on workshop by Casey Wagner, June 2005)
2. Teacherweb.com: Creating and maintaining a teacher website using TeacherWeb (free trial version; thereafter minimal monthly charge) (from workshop by Kyle Smith, notes by Helen Mongan-Rallis, June 2005)
3. HTML basics by Dan Kernler (developed Spring 2000).
4. How To Insert a Streaming Video onto Web Page (by Helen Mongan-Rallis with guidance from Bruce Reeves).
5. Dreamweaver:
   • Dreamweaver Basics (by Helen Mongan-Rallis).
   • Site Management Using Macromedia Dreamweaver (by Helen Mongan-Rallis).
   • Making and Applying a Library Object (by Helen Mongan-Rallis).
   • Using Java Script in Dreamweaver (by Helen Mongan-Rallis based on workshop by Roger Petry)
6. To compress files for downloading off the web (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)

Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts & audio/video conferencing

1. Creating and using a wiki with Wikispaces (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, October 2006)
2. Basics of wikis, including guidelines on how to create a University of Minnesota TWiki (by Terrie Shannon and Helen Mongan-Rallis, created March 2006)
3. Blogging using Blogger.com (free blog service). (by Helen Mongan-Rallis & Bruce Reeves, updated October 2007)
4. Blogging using University of MN uThink Movable Type (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created February 2006)
5. Google Docs (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created October 2008)
6. Podcasting:
   1. Subscribing to podcasts using iTunes (by Meg Little, October 2008)
7. Podcasting Basics using Audacity or Garage Band (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, October 2008).
8. Skype: Guidelines for audio and video conferencing using Skype (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created April 2007)
9. UMConnect/Adobe Connect: Guidelines for instructors and administrators (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created April 2, 2008)
   1. UMConnect/Adobe Connect guidelines for audio setup wizard (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created April 2, 2008
   2. UMConnect/Adobe Connect guidelines for facilitating session (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created April 2, 2008
   3. UM Connect (Adobe Connect): Guidelines for Recording and Viewing Recorded Sessions (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created January 6, 2009)
10. UM Connect (Adobe Connect) Guidelines for Participants (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created January 6, 2009)

Course Management Systems

1. Moodle:
   1. Activity reports: guide for students and instructors on using activity reports (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created February, 2009)
   2. Assignments in Moodle (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created May 10, 2008)
   3. Editing your profile (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created August 2007)
   4. Uploading images in Moodle (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created January, 2008)
   5. Uploading and linking to a file (e.g. PowerPoint, PDF, Word Document, sound file) in Moodle (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created September, 2008)
   6. Using wikis in Moodle (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created October, 2007)
2. Browser Test for Students Considering Online Courses (adapted from guides by Kathy Heltzer, 2005)

Online Research Tools

1. How to Create and Use a Furl Account (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, updated Nov 2007)
2. Guide to Using Refworks & UMD Library Research Tools (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, September 2006)
3. Guidelines for writing a literature review (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, November 2006)

Presentation media:

1. Inspiration:
   • Inspiration Basics (by Helen Mongan-Rallis. Created February 2003)
   • Inspiration - Beyond the Basics (by Helen Mongan-Rallis. Created February 2003)
2. Creating a Slide Show Using AppleWorks (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
3. HyperStudio Basics (adapted by Helen Mongan-Rallis from original by Dan Darvell)
4. Virtual Field Trips (by Helen Mongan-Rallis. Created January 2005, updated Oct 2006)
5. SMART board basics (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, based on workshop by Mae Pearson, created Aug 28, 2007)

Microsoft Office

Excel:

1. Creating a simple gradebook using an Excel spreadsheet: download Excel document which displays the guidelines along with an actual example (by Helen Mongan Rallis, created April 6, 2009)

PowerPoint:

1. Introduction to PowerPoint 2000/2001 (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
2. Taking Power Point to the Next Level (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
3. How to Save a PowerPoint as a Web Page (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, updated June, 2005)
4. Creating a PowerPoint Jeopardy Quiz (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, created June, 2003)
5. Download example of PowerPoint "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" game (by Laura Baker, UMD student, June 2005). This link will download the actual PowerPoint. There are no guidelines, but users have permission to download the file and substitute your own questions on the slides, re-saving it to create your own game without having to know how to set up the slides.
6. Download example: How to Draw Faces In Proportion: this PowerPoint shows to use animation to enhance student understanding of a process (by John Hoban, UMD student, June 2005).
   
   PowerPoint 98 and earlier guides:
   
7. Introduction to Power Point 97/98 (by Helen Mongan-Rallis& Al Roline)
8. Intermediate Power Point Guidelines(by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
9. How To Save a Power Point Presentation as HTML (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
10. Creating a Power Point Slide Show (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)

Graphics:

1. Copy and Save Images from the Internet (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
2. Creating a seating chart using digital photographs (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
3. Creating Panoramic and QTVR images using Panorama Factory (original by John Pederson July 2002. Revised by Helen Mongan-Rallis July 2003)
4. Creating Virtual Field Trips (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
5. Editing Images Using Photoshop (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, updated June, 2005)
6. Resizing images (for emailing or posting on web pages) (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, 2008)
• Resizr.com: Basics of resizing images using Resizr (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, 2008)
7. ScanMaker Scanner (by Helen Mongan-Rallis).
8. Screenshots Using Jing: capture and lable screen shots of your computer screen (still image and video) (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, 2008)
9. Using Fireworks to Create Batch Thumbnails for Class Photographs (by Andrea Pokrzywinski)

Video

1. Making Movies with Movie Maker (Windows Only) (by Helen Mongan-Rallis from notes taken during workshop by Lyle Shannon. Last revised Jul 2003)
2. Importing Video Clips Into iMovie Using Sony Digital8 Video Camera (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
3. iMovie Guides and References (This is a link to a collection of resources that I have found on iMovie)
4. Creating QuickTime Movie in Adobe ImageReady (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)

Distance/Distributed Education :

1. Summary of UMD Think Tank on Distance Education held at UMD August 17, 2004 (by Barbara Johnson, Jennifer Frahm, and Helen Mongan-Rallis). Download synthesis as PDF.
2. How To Use Web Crossing (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
3. Using Some Simple HTML Code to Enhance Web Crossing (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, June 2005)
4. WebX for M.Ed. Cohort students (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
5. iVisit.com (this is a link to the iVisit site. I have taken down my guidelines as iVisit now has good ones as part of their site)
6. Online discussions (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, last updated April 2006)

University of MN Duluth Guides:

1. Class search: Searching for M.Ed. electives using the UMD Class search
2. Creating Surveys and Tests in UMD's Test Pilot (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, October 2008)
3. How to set up and access UMD free Internet dial-up for UMD students, faculty and staff on Windows (PC) Computers ( by Eric Sarauer, June 2004).
4. UM Course Guide guidelines (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, November 2008)
5. UMD eGradebook (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, based on workshop by Shelly McCauley Jugovich, February 2007)
6. UM Netfiles guidelines (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, February 2009)

Other:

1. Online tools in plain English YouTube series by Leelefever: This is a very simple yet effective series that in which Leelefever explains how to use a variety of online tools:
   1. Blogs in Plain English
   2. Google Docs in Plain English
   3. RSS in Plain English
   4. Social Networking in Plain English
   5. Wikis in Plain English
2. ExpressScribe (Free Voice Transcription Program) (By Helen Mongan-Rallis, created December 2008)
3. Nvivo: Qualitative Research Software. This is a link to the Nvivo tutorial page.
4. How to Reduce Spam (Junk E-mail) from UMD email (by Helen Mongan-Rallis, April 2003)
5. How To Upload from a Mac to Your AUFS Account (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)
6. Creating Local Mailboxes with Mulberry (by UMD ITSS).
7. Using Computers to Assist in Teaching and Learning (more geared toward college level, but much of this applies to K-12 too) (by Helen Mongan-Rallis)

Last updated: April 21, 2009

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions to improve any of the guidelines here, please e-mail Helen Mongan-Rallis at:
hrallis@d.umn.edu
Disclaimer: "The views and opinions expressed in this site are strictly those of the site author or of those people collaborating with the site author to develop pages within the site. The contents of the site have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota."

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