Tips and Tricks

Adding a Content Link to a Bb Vista Calendar Entry

Did you know that a link to content can be added to a Bb Vista calendar entry? In the calendar for your course, click on the “Add Entry” button. At the bottom of the screen, click on the More Options link to expand it. You can either click “Add File” to link to a document, or click “Add Content Link” to link to an item within a Bb Vista tool (e.g., a Discussion or a Web Link). Only one file or content link can be added per calendar entry.

Customize Slide Layout in PowerPoint 2007

PowerPoint 2007 provides a number of options for slide layouts, but what if you need something a little more customized? You can add custom layouts to the slide master, making your new layouts available to you any time you need them.

1. Click the View tab, and then click “Slide Master” in the Presentation Views section.
2. Click “Insert Layout” and use the “Insert Placeholder” button to add content placeholders to your layout.
3. Right-click the layout in the left-hand pane and rename it to something easy to remember.
4. Click “Close Master View” to return to your presentation.
5. To apply your new layout, click the Layout list in the Slides section of the Home tab and then click your layout.

PowerPoint 2007: Insert a Chart

1. Click the Insert tab, and then click “Chart” in the Illustrations group.
2. Select the desired chart type and click “OK.” Notice the split-screen PowerPoint 2007/Excel 2007 view, in which you can edit your chart data in a familiar Excel environment.
3. To resize the chart data range, drag the lower-right corner of the range in Excel 2007 and watch the chart dynamically adjust on your PowerPoint 2007 slide.

Add Scrolling Text to Your Bb Vista Header or Footer

Want to draw attention to important information in the header or footer of your Bb Vista course? You can add scrolling text to your header or footer by using the <marquee> HTML code. From the Build tab, select “Page Options” in the upper right-hand corner, then click “Edit Header” or “Edit Footer.” Next, copy and paste the following string into the text box, replacing “insert text here” with your text:

<marquee>insert text here</marquee>

Ensure that the “Use HTML” box is checked, then click “Save.”  When you return to your content page, you will see the text you inserted scrolling by on your screen!

Split the Screen in Word and Excel 2007

In the Window section on the View tab, click “Split.” The screen will split and display the dividing line in the current window. To switch between the screens, use the F6 key.

Use Table Styles in Word 2007

Improve the look of your tables in seconds by using table styles in Word 2007:

1. Select the table you want to format.
2. A set of Table Tools contextual tabs will appear on the user interface. Click the Design tab to reach the Table Styles gallery.
3. Browse through the available pre-built styles by pausing on each table. You will see a preview of your table with that style applied.
4. Click the desired table format and apply the changes to your presentation. You can use the other features and galleries on the Design and Layout tabs to further customize your table.

Printing and Saving GradeMarked Comments for Turnitin Assignments

If you are using GradeMark to return comments to students for a Turnitin assignment, you can print the comments or save them electronically.  To print the comments:

1. Click on the red apple icon to enter the GradeMark screen.
2. Go to the File menu, and select “Print.”

If you have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer, you can also choose to save a copy of your comments electronically.  To do so, follow the steps above to print the comments, select Adobe PDF as the printer, and save the file to your computer.  Both the print-out and the electronic file will contain a Comment List at the top that references all of your comments and revisions in the paper.

Using Windows Vista’s Address Bar to Navigate

When you open a folder in Windows Vista, an address bar appears at the top of the Explorer window.  The address bar shows the hierarchical structure of your system from left to right. For example, the top level could be the computer, desktop, etc. Under the top level sits the user level, and under the user level sit the user folders. At each level, you can click on a “flyout” arrow to display and browse the available folder(s) on that level.