Learn more about Pruvalu by SchoolChapters on 10/3/2013

"Technology is blurring the boundaries between ePortfolios and social networks, widening the gap between the software an institution is using for accreditation and the ePortfolio solutions students prefer. How can institutions ensure that administrators, instructors and students have the right resources to leverage the work they’re completing in their programs, classrooms and individual

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Virginia Students Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Blackboard users from across Virginia are gathering near VCU on Friday, October 25th,
for the fourth annual Virginia Blackboard User Group Conference! 



If your institution is uses Blackboard (Bb), I am sure they would be proud to have a student delegation go to share their Blackboard
stories or merely observe the day's Blackboard related events.

They may not pay for your gas to Richmond

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Every Client Should Host A Blackboard's UX Vist

What is Blackboard, Inc's UX? UX stands for User Experience in the Blackboard (Bb) community. The UX team consist of people that are not only interested in collecting user feedback on existing & new product features; they also are product knowledgeable, friendly, fun, and truly interested in understanding how clients use the Bb products.

Those of us that have attended a BbWorld user conference

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One Clients Thoughts About Blackboard Layoffs

Yesterday, I watched as Twitter was flooded with tweets about the recent layoffs at Blackboard Inc (Bb). The list-servs were full of emails with links and personal comments from clients. The business rags were also posting comments about the layoffs all day. Let me start by saying I am glad to see people waited a couple of days before going crazy with the story line. That was very respectful

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Two Computer Support Stories

The items below were shared with me from a variety of people and I hope that you find them as entertaining as I did. These items helped reduce high stress levels over the past month.

Support Story (it is suppose to be true):

Computer problem in Florida TECH SUPPORT, how can I help you?  FEMALE CALLER: 'Last night my computer started making a lot of hissing noises at me so I shut it down.

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Kryterion Konnect for the Blackboard Learn

Blackboard, Inc's (Bb) partner team does it again and shows they are listening to the needs of their clients, when they announced the availability of Kryterion Konnect™ for the Blackboard Learn™ 9.1 platform (SP6+). Now clients have the option of using a scalable & secure process to handle distance education proctoring needs, while making it possible to ensure academic integrity without losing

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Newer Generations Are Forgetting Respect

With over 10 years teaching experience, I have to say that this semester I have the rudest group of students I have ever had. The rude students all fall within the ages of 18 and 24, also known as Generation Y (Gen Y).  Yes, there is usually one in a class here and there that makes it tough but not a whole lot of them.

These students talk rudely to other classmates that maybe older, want to

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Technology is SOOO COOOL!!!

Yesterday, Kevin Lowey from the University of Saskatchewan shared on the Bb System Administrator's Listserv an amazing tale of one of his co-workers who is passion it about his role in providing customer service to the University's users. This story hit the core with many administrators and reminded us all of the creativity that some people employ to solve a problem for their users and how with

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Two MOOC Offerings For Eductors

Blackboard Inc (Bb) is sponsoring FREE professional
development opportunities for educators.

Open Learning for Educators: MOOCs
Course: Overcoming Barriers of Technology AdoptionInstructor: Dr. Rick Van Sant Description:
This course is designed to guide you in gaining a deeper understanding
of the change management process associated with technology adoption in
general and Blackboard

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Heard of Moose Internetational, Mooseheart, or Moosehaven?

Have you heard of Moose International? Maybe not, but you probably have heard about a Moose Lodge, Club, or Family Center.  Well what we here and see in local Moose establishments is not always what Moose International would like us to.   

So lets back up for  moment to make sure everyone is on the same page. Moose International is the parent organization of all the baby Moose's around the world

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Nature, Kids, & Family Time Keeps Stress Low

This has been a not so great week at Shenandoah University in respect to their Bb system. That is another story for another day (soon). There have been extremely long work hours, high stress meetings, dirty looks, and lots for miscommunications. If it was not for outdoor evenings and morning times with my family in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, I probably would had a total melt down.



Taken

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Mozilla Firefox Version 23 & Bb Learn

As if Blackboard (Bb) Inc's battle with management changes and LMS competitors aggressively going after their client base was not enough, now Mozilla makes people think Bb's Learn product does not work with recent versions of Firefox. Why is this a big deal, because for years many Bb Administrators and Support personal have actually recommended Firefox as the browser to use with Bb Learn because

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Fourth Annual VaBUG (Virginia Blackboard Users Group) Conference Scheduled In October

GUEST POST By George Hoffman





If you haven't already heard, planning is underway for the fourth annual VaBUG (Virginia Blackboard Users Group) Conference! All blackboard users are welcome to attend.
 
The conference this year is going to be a part of Blackboard's "NEVER STOP LEARNING" tour, and is scheduled for Friday, October 25th, 2013.
It will be held at the Crowne Plaza in downtown

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