Archive of WICshops

Representatives of Penn Libraries, Critical Writing Program, Weingarten Learning Resources Center (VPUL) and Communication within the Curriculum (CWiC) will lead workshops to assist undergraduates with their research, writing, presentation and organizational needs.

During this workshop, CWiC student speaking advisors discuss speech anxiety and provide strategies for managing nervousness. Presented by CWiC undergraduate advisors. We will explore the video recording rooms for practicing and videotaping your presentation. We will explore video editing options hands-on in the WIC Seminar Room. Presented by Anu Vedantham, WIC Director. This workshop, designed for undergraduates, addresses the speed and volume of summer courses, goal setting, time management and exam preparation. It will help answer questions such as: How do I study for a test each week? How do I keep up with my reading? How do I balance a job and school work? Presented by Weingarten Learning Resources Center staff. We will show you how to use Excel to extract meaning from data. We will bring in data from webpages, convert and format data in automated ways, look at ways to make data cleaner and more reliable, graph trends and find meaning in masses of numbers. Presented by Anu Vedantham, WIC Director. Maximize your time through short- and long-term planning. This workshop introduces approaches to managing weekly course assignments, as well as papers and projects. Participants will leave with their own semester plan. Presented by the Weingarten Learning Resources Center (VPUL). Refworks and Zotero are two great tools for managing your research and preparing your citations. They allow you to store and organize records of articles and books, access them quickly, and insert properly formatted citations into a Word document. Learn to use them - it can change your academic life. Presented by Penn Libraries. This workshop will help students understand how to structure a research paper. Along with tips for researching, writing and revising an undergraduate research paper, students may also bring their research papers to the session, if they wish, in order to workshop them. Sponsored by the Writing Center. Strategic academic reading will take you beyond 'keeping up' with your reading assignments. This workshop will extend your reading versatility and encourage efficiency while increasing comprehension. Bring a textbook or journal article that you are currently reading with you. Presented by the Weingarten Learning Resources Center (VPUL).

This workshop will focus on three Bb tools; the Discussion Boards, the Blog/Journal, and the Wiki/Teams Sites. Learn how to use these tools and see some practical examples. Explore the Blackboard assessment tools of Pools, Tests and Surveys. The Pools tool creates banks of questions to be used in several tests. The Tests tool creates 15 question types including multiple choice, fill-in and short answer. The Surveys tool can test or query students anonymously. Learn how to manage your course site, upload documents and syllabi, send email efficiently to students, create announcements and manage your student rosters. Collaboration and Interaction in Blackboard: This workshop will focus on three Bb tools; the Discussion Boards, the Blog/Journal, and the Wiki/Teams Sites. Learn how to use these tools and see some practical examples. Learn how to use the BB Grade Center to work with different types of assignments, use the dropbox to collect assignments from students and make efficient use of assessment tools. Blackboard experts from Penn Libraries are available to help faculty and instructional staff with walk-in one-on-one assistance for courseware-related questions. Learn how to manage your course site, upload documents and syllabi, send email efficiently to students, create announcements and manage your student rosters. Blackboard experts from Penn Libraries are available to help faculty and instructional staff with walk-in one-on-one assistance for courseware-related questions. Blackboard experts from Penn Libraries are available to help faculty and instructional staff with walk-in one-on-one assistance for courseware-related questions. Learn how to use the BB Grade Center to work with different types of assignments, use the dropbox to collect assignments from students and make efficient use of assessment tools.

How can new media enhance student learning? Discover new media through faculty insights, hands-on exploration of four technologies and an overview of trends. Presenters include Pat Aufderheide, Peter Decherney, Louise Krasniewicz, Andrew Lamas and Jacqui Sadashige.

Engaging Students Through Technology Symposium Friday, Sept. 25, 2009, 10:30 am to 3 pm Explore teaching with new media through faculty insights, hands-on exploration of four technologies and an overview of new media trends. Open to Penn faculty, instructors and graduate students. Save the date now - presenters and topics will be listed shortly. 10:30 am to Noon: Panel Presentation in Cohen Rm 402 Six Penn faculty members will present for ten minutes each on how and why they integrate a particular technology into their teaching. Noon to 1 pm: Informal Lunch with Faculty Presenters in Weigle Information Commons Data Diner Booths 1 to 3 pm: Tech Tasting Sampler in Weigle Information Commons Choose up to four hands-on sessions of a half-hour each. Participants can explore student work, try out hands-on demos, listen to a quick introduction and ask questions informally. Twelve topics will be offered and each will be offered twice with a half-hour break in-between. WICshop schedules for longer hands- on sessions later in the semester and contact information for follow-up will be provided. Please email suggestions to wic1@pobox.upenn.edu

This popular spreadsheet package provides significant data analysis and graphing capabilities.

We will focus on Excel features for graphs and charts. We will discuss multiple axes, formatting data, choosing chart type, adding notes and images, and customizing your charts. We will discuss how to export charts to other formats including Word, PowerPoint and PDF. This is a hands-on workshop. Learn how to create spreadsheets, enter and format data, use mathematical calculations, and more. This is a basic course, addressed to users with no previous experience with the software. We will show you how to use Excel to extract meaning from data. We will bring in data from webpages, convert and format data in automated ways, look at ways to make data cleaner and more reliable, graph trends and find meaning in masses of numbers. Presented by Anu Vedantham, WIC Director.

This series is designed for faculty and instructors and provides hands-on experiences with new media, software and online resources.

In this hands-on workshop, we show how to control the look, feel and functionality of your Blackboard courses. We will remove unused menu items, change template options, discuss gradebook features and learn about adding and controlling access to collaboration tools. Bring your course syllabus and materials with you. Presented by Amanda Chudnow, Librarian. Final Cut Pro is the software of choice for video professionals. Ellen Reynolds from the School of Design will present a two-session hands-on workshop on 10/23 and 10/30 for faculty that provides an introduction to this powerful toolkit. Participants will edit sample files, add transitions and titles and learn how to work with video content efficiently. Learn how to set up a blog step by step. Embed pictures, video or audio clips, and create discussion forums. We will use the free online blog service Blogspot (owned by Google) and you will leave with a blog that is published and ready for your ongoing posts. Presented by Rashmi Kumar, PennGSE graduate student.

Google is changing the way people find and use information.

We will look at the full range of Google services including some that may be new to you: Google Scholar, Google Book Search, Google Maps, etc. We will look at strategies to find quality resources quickly and efficiently using Google.

This class will provide an hands-on introduction to using Apple's iMovie software, which is available for Penn students, faculty, and staff in the Vitale Digital Media Lab. You will learn how to capture video from a DVD, VHS tape, or from your own video camera. You will learn to organize or delete video clips, add a new soundtrack, add subtitles, and create special effects.

This professional image-editing software assists with online and print publications.

In this fast-paced class, we will introduce and explore one of the most fundamental yet powerful features in Photoshop -- Layers, which allow you to edit your images in a nondestructive way, isolate areas of your images for specific adjustments, repair damage, correct & enhance colors, fix problems in composition, and more, all while retaining as much flexibility and editability as possible. We will examine the Photoshop Layers palette, color adjustment layers, layer masks, type layers, shape layers, blending modes, and tricks for organizing complex files. This class assumes a working knowledge of Photoshop basics. Presented by David Toccafondi, Vitale Digital Media Lab Coordinator. A basic introduction to this powerful image editing software. Learn how to open image files, use the toolbox and palettes, convert formats and manage multiple layers. Presented by David Toccafondi, Vitale Digital Media Lab Coordinator.

PowerPoint is a highly popular, often misused presentation software.

Learn the basics of PowerPoint hands-on. Participants will learn to create new presentations, apply design templates, manipulate text, insert graphics, prepare notes and handouts from PowerPoint slides, save presentations, and more. Presented by Molly Gastinger, Librarian.

Learn the basics of how to create your own personal bibliographic citation database using this web-based bibliographic management tool. The workshop will focus on how to create a personal database online, import references automatically from databases and library catalogs, organize and annotate references, format references and bibliographies in Microsoft Word documents and more. NOTE: RefWorks is freely available to all current Penn students, faculty, and staff.

Learn the basics of how to create your own personal bibliographic citation database using this web-based bibliographic management tool. The workshop will focus on how to create a personal database online, import references automatically from databases and library catalogs, organize and annotate references, format references and bibliographies in Microsoft Word documents and more. NOTE: RefWorks is freely available to all current Penn students, faculty, and staff.

Second Life is an interactive virtual environment that shows promise for educational and creative activities in several disciplines.

Deke Kassabian from ISC will provide a guided tour of a new build of the Penn campus in Second Life. He will walk through the campus landmarks that are created and discuss plans for building and usage of the new space. Deke Kassabian from ISC will provide hands-on guidance in basic building in Second Life. Please bring your avatar information with you. This session is designed for those who are already comfortable with using Second Life (moving around, working with objects, etc.). We will explore Second Life hands-on. Designed for beginners. We will learn how to move around the environment and we will explore nationally known sites. We will walk, talk, fly and view media. Presented by Anu Vedantham, WIC Director.

This series showcases new technologies. Vendor presentations may include sales-related content.

Come learn how to get started on making a documentary - from lining up interveiws, shooting video to editing and trailer creation. Jacob Finkel, SAS undergraduate, made his first documentary film in 2005, and founded the non- profit Corporation for Civic Documentaries. Jacob is directing a documentary on former Senator Harris Wofford (D-PA). Sen. Wofford counseled Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., advised President Kennedy, helped create the Peace Corps, is a powerful advocate for National Service, and was an early supporter of Barack Obama's campaign in Pennsylvania. The film has been in production for sixteen months and includes many interviews, including ones with Sen. Ted Kennedy, Gen. Colin Powell, Bill Moyers, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, and former President George H.W. Bush. Final Cut Pro is the software of choice for video professionals. Ellen Reynolds from the School of Design will provide an overview of its powerful features. This is not a hands-on workshop. Apple representatives Mike Wolk and Bagram Faroghi will show the new features of Final Cut Studio, a video-editing suite for Mac computers. This is not a hands-on workshop. This workshop begins with a presentation on basics of Mac desktop use, overview of popular software services, multimedia and device connections followed by hands-on exploration and guidance. Presented by undergraduate Jacob Finkel, who is the Apple campus representative for Penn.Designed for new Mac users. Jesse Turnbull will discuss InDesign, the professional choice for publications and booklets. He will provide an overview, as well as tips and suggestions for getting started with this professional software program. This is not a hands-on workshop. We summarize features of ProfCast, including lessons learned about using this technology for short podcasts for a course in Nursing at Penn. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of ProfCast versus built-in Mac OS iLife podcast tools, discuss what ProfCast can and cannot do, and share a brief showcase of our best podcasts. Presented by David Perlman and Rebecca Cha from the School of Nursing. This is not a hands-on workshop. Jesse Turnbull will discuss InDesign, the professional choice for publications and booklets. He will provide an overview, as well as tips and suggestions for getting started with this professional software program. This is not a hands-on workshop. We will build a small website in Google Sites. We will establish a site name, create a site structure and several webpages. We will discuss private versus public sites and the capabilities for document sharing. Instructors can use Google Sites for class projects. Google Sites is a great choice for quick personal websites. Presented by Elizabeth Scheyder, SAS Computing Senior Instructional Technology Specialist. We will explore basic capabilities of Microsoft Access hands-on. We will look at how the software program is structured and set up some basic types of databases. Much of the workshop will be tailored to participant needs so please bring your questions and files with you. Presented by Anu Vedantham, WIC Director. Learn how to use this free audio editing tool for PC or Mac. We will explore voice recording and enhancement, removing audio blemishes, adding music tracks and working with different audio formats. Presented by Sarah Jacoby, Vitale Digital Media Lab staff. GarageBand allows you to record multiple voices, add music tracks, add still images, and create podcasts with chapters. Presented by Sarah Jacoby, Lab Consultant. Jesse Turnbull will show the capabilities of Adobe Illustrator for designing publications and web graphics. We will provide an overview, as well as tips and suggestions for getting started with this professional software program. This is not a hands-on workshop. Jesse Turnbull will discuss InDesign, the professional choice for publications and booklets. He will provide an overview, as well as tips and suggestions for getting started with this professional software program. This is not a hands-on workshop.

These workshops are presented by our Program Partner, the Weingarten Learning Resources Center.

Zotero is a great way to organize your online resources, bibliographies, blog posts and PDFs. Keep track of what you have found, and find it again easily.

Zotero is a great way to organize your online resources, bibliographies, blog posts and PDFs. Keep track of what you have found, and find it again easily.

This conference-style event is designed for faculty and library staff. Speakers include Julia Blixrud, Association for Research Libraries Assistant Executive Director for External Relations and Dr. Alexius Macklin, Associate Professor of Library Science and User Instruction Librarian, Purdue University. The Extravaganza page has details.

We focus on end-of-term tasks: finalizing the paper, citing sources properly, planning to speak about the research paper, using PowerPoint and Word, and practicing your speech. Class of 1968 Seminar Room - 124

We focus on mid-term tasks: organizing thoughts, framing a research question, planning the timeline, beginning the search for information, setting goals and thinking through the stages of your research paper. Class of 1968 Seminar Room - 124

Presenters:
Myrna Cohen, Director of the Weingarten Learning Resources Center
Patrick Wehner, Associate Director, Critical Writing Program
Sue Weber, Associate Director, Communication Within the Curriculum
Nick Okrent, Undergraduate Services Librarian
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We welcome student input and ideas for the Weigle Information Commons. We will introduce the new WIC Student Advisory Council. This group will meet twice a term and share ideas via Blackboard. The Council will provide feedback and ideas to the administrators of the Weigle Information Commons. No registration necessary.Class of 1968 Seminar Room - 124