We can play these what-if games all day, the fact is you need a game plan to keep your data safe and whether you work for the university or you are here getting your degree, having your files stored in multiple places is the key to keep it from getting lost or destroyed. Nothing can put you in a fouler mood than losing thousands of pictures to a computer virus your friend or co-worker downloaded.

With a few well-known companies vying for your attention, you have to decide which company will best work for you.  There are a few key features that you need to keep in mind when you are deciding on what company to use for your cloud storage.

1. User Interface/User Experience – You want your software to be both sophisticated, aesthetically pleasing, and simple to use. All three criteria are difficult for any company to achieve because they tap into our emotional experience in how we use and experience a product. However, it is probably one of the most important components to choosing a company because you want to be happy with the product you use. A simple product makes a happy user.
2. File sync – Having your files locally stored as well as stored online is great when your Internet goes down, which often happens from time-to-time. You do not want to lose changes made to your file if local hard drive goes haywire and it did not sync in time with your cloud storage.
3. Web Apps – There are many companies that offer built-in web office suites and a variety of other useful productivity tools. Do you need an app that creates flowcharts? What about inserting mathematic equations? Can it open Microsoft Office documents, Mac documents, Google documents, OpenOffice documents?
4. Cost and Amount of Storage – Most popular service offer free storage, but you can get way more if you are willing to spend a few extra dollars a month. Make sure you think about how much storage you need before you choose your company. If you a heavy media user, a company that charge less per gigabyte may be better for you in the long run.
5. Cross-Platform Functionality – Many of us do not have just one device. Many have two, three, four, even five devices that function to connect us with the world and provide us with rich media. Choosing an application that functions on different platforms such as a desktop PC, a Mac, an Android phone, iPad, iPhone, etc. is important because it serves a basic want to have information right at our fingertips.

Less relevant, but important is synchronization with other applications. For example, if you have productivity apps on your iPad, you want those apps to sync without problems. You don’t want to fumble with having to save it to your iPad or e-mailing the document to yourself in order for you to put it in your cloud. That is one step too much and there are plenty of apps that will automatically sync with your cloud.

If you are a student in the one of three University of Missouri partners (Mizzou, UMKC, UMSL), then your e-mail is connected to Microsoft and you have easy access to Skydrive. With Windows 8 around the corner and the Office Web App that allow for web editing and collaboration, having an integrated service like Microsoft makes may make sense if you are looking to keep all your academic and personal work in one location. If you are at Missouri S&T, then you e-mail is connected with Google and Google Drive, which was one of the first companies to come with a free web-based office suite.  There are others worth mentioning such as Dropbox, Box, JustCloud, etc.

Not in with the backup crowd? Well it’s time to get your head out of the sand and set up your computer, laptop, smartphone, and/or tablet with the proper applications and choose a cloud that best suits your academic and personal needs.

• June 19, 21, 26 and 28 from 9am-noon
• August 6, 8, 13, 15 from noon – 3pm
• December 3, 5, 10, 12 from 9am-noon

This series of four half-day workshops is designed to walk you through the steps necessary to design your online course so that it meets the UMKC online certification criteria.
Each of these half day sessions are intended to define the UMKC online course certification standards as well as to show examples of the tools that might best enable achievement of those standards. Each day, the workshop will begin with an overview of the standard being addressed and then a demonstration of some of the tools that might support accomplishment of that standard.  Participants will have time during each session to use the tools to begin building their course with-in a supported, hands-on environment.

Space is limited.  Email meadmo@umkc.edu to register.  Registration is for all four workshop dates.

Summer/Fall 2012 Faculty Certification in Online Teaching Schedule

• June 4^th – June 29^th
• July 23^rd – August 17^th
• October 22^nd – November 16^th

What: Four Week Experience
Where: Asynchronous online course with 1 one-hour Wimba session
Why: Completion Results in Certification in Online Teaching and Learning

Would you like to gain Certification in Teaching and Learning Online? Hone your skills as an online facilitator by registering for the Faculty Certification Course.

You will explore pedagogy concerning quality online teaching and learning practices. In addition, you will gain experience in using Wikis, Blogs, Discussion Boards and other tools.

You will participate in a group projects to experience peer interaction. This four week course will allow you to try out tools for online course instruction, and determine, from a learner point of view, which of these tools will assist you in your learning experience.

Registration is limited, so don’t wait!  Email meadmo@umkc.edu to register

Tamas Kapros
Candace Schlein
Jane Greer
Stuart Phipps
Virginia Blanton
Kati Toivanen
Lorna Condit
Sarah Oliver
Ray Taft
Carolyn Barber
Crystal Doss

January 23, 25, 30 and Feb 1 from 1pm-4pm each day

March 13, 15, 20, and 22 from Noon – 3pm each day

This series of four half-day workshops is designed to walk you through the steps necessary to design your online course so that it meets the UMKC online certification criteria.
Each of these half day sessions are intended to define the UMKC online course certification standards as well as to show examples of the tools that might best enable achievement of those standards. Each day, the workshop will begin with an overview of the standard being addressed and then a demonstration of some of the tools that might support accomplishment of that standard.  Participants will have time during each session to use the tools to begin building their course with-in a supported, hands-on environment.

Space is limited.  Email meadmo@umkc.edu to register.  Registration is for all four workshop dates.

Spring 2012 Faculty Certification in Online Teaching Schedule

January 16^th – February 10^th

April 2^nd – April 27^th

June 4^th – June 29^th

What: Four Week Experience
Where: Asynchronous online course with 1 one-hour Wimba session
Why: Completion Results in Certification in Online Teaching and Learning

Would you like to gain Certification in Teaching and Learning Online? Hone your skills as an online facilitator by registering for the Faculty Certification Course.

You will explore pedagogy concerning quality online teaching and learning practices. In addition, you will gain experience in using Wikis, Blogs, Discussion Boards and other tools.

You will participate in a group projects to experience peer interaction. This four week course will allow you to try out tools for online course instruction, and determine, from a learner point of view, which of these tools will assist you in your learning experience.

Registration is limited, so don’t wait!  Email meadmo@umkc.edu to register

Date: October 18^th Time: 10:30 – 11:30am
Date: November 9th   Time: 1:00 – 2:00pm

Location: Fine Arts, Room 307
Description: Rubrics can make assessing student work more transparent and much more efficient. They take the mystery out of grading and allow students to see up front how their work will be assessed. Rubrics make grading more efficient for the instructor as well. This session is designed to give you a brief overview of the structure and purpose of rubrics. We will also review the benefits of using rubrics as both an assessment and as a teaching tool. Factors which contribute to reliability, validity and fairness of the rubrics will be discussed. The second part of the session will demonstrate some of the free rubric tools available and introduce you to the new rubric tool available in Blackboard.

If you would like hands-on training, join us for the second session which will give participants the chance to learn how to build a rubric in Blackboard and attach it to the discussion board, a grade center column or a Blackboard assignment.

Registration: please email Molly Mead at meadmo@umkc.edu

The New Rubric Tool in Blackboard—Hands-on Training
Presenters: Erica Schurter, Molly Mead
Technical Level: ALL

Date: October 18^th Time: 11:30am – 12:30pm
Date: November 9^th Time: 2:00am – 3:00pm

Location: Fine Arts, Room 307
Description: The new rubric tool in Blackboard allows instructors to build rubrics and attach them to discussion board forums, Blackboard assignments or grade center columns.  Per the instructor’s settings, students can view the rubrics ahead of time.  When assessing student work with the rubrics, instructors select the appropriate level of accomplishment for each criteria and can even add comments. Students can then view the marks and comments for their work.

Registration: please email Molly Mead at meadmo@umkc.edu

You can access a copy of the UMKC Online Course Design Rubric by clicking on the link.