Tag: tech tip of the week

Tech Tip of the Week: Setting the Time Zone in Zoom

If you have ever experienced Moodle showing the wrong time for class Zoom sessions, the first course of action will be to verify that your Zoom account reflects the correct time zone. To do this, please follow these steps:

1. Go to illinois.zoom.us and log in with your NetID and password.

2. Click on Profile on the left side of the screen.

3. Once you are on your profile, find where it says Time Zone. Click Edit on the right side of the screen.

4. A drop down will appear where it lists your time zone. Select the correct
time zone and click Save.

5. Once you save, go to your class’s Moodle page and verify that the time of
class is now correct.

image of zoom profile with time zone boxed in green

If you would like to view our documentation on how to change your time zone in Zoom, please view this page on the iSchool wiki.

Tech Tip of the Week: Joining Zoom via Moodle in Safari Browser Error Message

Recently users have been experiencing an error message when trying to join Zoom classes via Moodle while using the Safari browser. This error message is due to third party cookies and pop ups not being allowed in your Safari browser settings. If you have been getting the error message ‘Sorry, your session was expired. Please refresh the page or login again.,’ please check out this Wiki documentation from the Help Desk that explains the steps you would follow in order to ensure you can join Zoom sessions via Moodle on Safari in the future! As always, if you have any further questions don’t hesitate to reach out the Help Desk.

Tech Tip of the Week: Clearing Cache and Cookies

Clearing your cache and cookies can seem intimidating, but it can often help solve various issues like getting those pesky “Bad Request” errors. Your cache helps increase browsing speeds, and cookies are information you selected to have remembered on your computer, like your email user name and password. The Web Browser Security page on the iSchool Wiki has helpful links to guide you on how to clear cache and cookies depending on your preferred web browser. It is important to note that clearing cache and cookies will also clear your saved passwords for that particular browser. Make sure to take note of your passwords before clearing cache and cookies. For detailed descriptions on how to clear cache and cookies in Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge, please go to the Web Browser Security page on the iSchool Wiki. 
For more information on what cache and cookies mean, please check out Yale University Library’s helpful description here!
If you have any questions regarding your cache and cookies, please reach out to the Help Desk at 217-244-4903 or 800-377-1892, ischool-support@illinois.edu, or via our TechChat.

Hiding Your Video Feed From Yourself in Zoom

This week we are sharing how to hide your video feed from yourself when you are in Zoom!

To hide your self view, right click on your video/picture to get the menu display. From the menu, select Hide Self View. If you are in Speaker mode, you will have the same option, but you will first have to enter full-screen view, hover over your image, and choose the icon on the left that says Hide thumbnail video when you hover over it. A box will appear in its place that tells you who is speaking.

Screenshot of Zoom options and how to hide self view

To show your self view again, right click on any user’s display and from the menu select Show Self View. If you are in Speaker mode, go to the box that tells you who is speaking and click the middle icon.

Screenshot of Zoom settings and how to show self view

For more information on how to hide your self view in Zoom, please see their documentation here.

Tech Tip of the Week: Zoom Tips and Best Practices

We wanted to share some handy documentation we compiled this past school year. One of the pages that is newer to our Wiki and may come in handy for instructors and anyone hosting Zoom meetings is our Zoom Tips and Best Practices page! This documentation gives some best practices for setting up Zoom meeting settings, tips for within the Zoom meeting, and also some tips for breakout sessions. 

Tech Tip of the Week: Graduation!

Hello 2021 iSchool Graduates! Congratulations in advance! We know you will do amazing things with what you’ve learned at the iSchool! This Tech Tip is just for you! 

Do you know what happens to your University email once you graduate? 

Your student status will be removed one year after you leave the University. You can continue to use all of your services until your student status is removed. This means that before it is removed, you will want to make sure to set up email forwarding, back up important files, documents, and projects outside of Office 365 and Box, and keep your NetID current by maintaining an updated password when prompted. Once your student status is removed, you will lose access to the following: 
      • University Exchange (Outlook) Mailbox
      • Microsoft Office 365
      • Online courses (Moodle/learn.illinois.edu)
      • U of I Box
      • Linkedin Learning
 

Do you know how to access transcripts of the official and unofficial variety?

If you’re a current student/are graduating this spring:
      • Order an official PDF or paper transcript by accessing the Registration and Records tab in the Student Self-Service.
Don’t have an active NetID?
      • Follow the TranscriptPlus link from the Registrar’s Transcript page.
Both of these options are for electronic transcripts. If you need a paper one, consult the Registrar Transcript page again for more detailed information.
Being able to easily access your transcripts is a great incentive to keep your NetID and password updated regularly!
While we at the Help Desk can point you in the general right direction, any specific transcript questions should go to the Transcript/Records office (217) 333-9778.

For more information about Convocation please see the School of Information Sciences page about Convocation 2021.

Tech Tip of the Week: Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

For this week’s Tech Tip, we have some of the most common and helpful keyboard shortcuts for Windows!
Ctrl+C will copy a selected item to your clipboard
Ctrl+X will cut the selected item
Ctrl+V will paste the item in the clipboard
Ctrl+Z will undo the previous action
Ctrl+P will print the current page/document
Ctrl+S will save the current page/document
Ctrl+F will open the search to find a term in the current page
Alt+Tab will switch between open apps
Windows logo key+H will start dictation
F3 will search for a file or folder in File Explorer
F5 will refresh an active window
Windows logo key+Shift+S will take a screenshot of part of your screen
Windows logo key+period (.) or semicolon(;) will open the emoji panel

 

Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are some shortcuts to make your life using a Mac a little easier. (Windows Shortcuts coming next week.)
Some of the most common and helpful Mac keyboard shortcuts are:
Command+C will copy a selected item to your clipboard
Command+V will paste the item in the clipboard
Command+Z will undo the previous action
Command+P will print the current page/document
Command+S will save the current page/document
Command+F will open the search to find a term in the current page
Command+Spacebar will open the spotlight search
Shift+Command+N will create a new folder.
Control+Command+Space bar will show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols.
Command+B will boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off. 
Command+I will italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
Command+K will add a web link.
Command+U will underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.
Option+Shift+Command+V will Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content.

Tech Tip of the Week: Zoom Green Screen

Did you know there is a green screen feature in Zoom?

You may be familiar with using virtual backgrounds, but if you have a green screen, Zoom has a feature that helps you use it to your advantage. Selecting the green screen box when you choose to set a virtual background helps Zoom distinguish between you and your background. It is helpful to have a solid color background that doesn’t match with what you are wearing, and there is a feature where you can custom set your green screen color, meaning you can use any solid color fabric you have. It also does not need to be fully covering your background to work.

To properly use your green screen, follow the same steps you would use to set a virtual background. Instructions on how to use virtual backgrounds can be found on the iSchool wiki. From there, make sure to check the box next to “I have a green screen.”

If you would like to manually pick the color of your background, click the little oval that appears and select the color that you would like to have as your background.

It is important to note that glitches can happen, and mastering green screen can take some practice. For more information please see Zoom’s documentation on virtual backgrounds.

Tech Tip of the Week: April Fools Tech Pranks

Are you gearing up for April Fools tomorrow?
This week’s Tech Tip is all about how to prank your friends and family using some classic tech pranks.
From adding a cracked screen background image to adding a post-it note to the bottom of their mouse, find more ideas on how to trick your coworkers and loved ones here!