Center for Creative Instruction

Come by each week and check out our Featured section.  We’ll post on important CCI news and highlight new functionality available on your favorite program or app. (Week 14 – 11/25/24)

*Want a reminder, sign-up and we’ll send you a Featured email each Monday.

Posted on Week 13

Manage your Tasks

The Microsoft task system is an invaluable tool for managing and tracking incoming assignments efficiently. Watch 6 Incredible Task Management Features – 07:58 to discover straightforward methods to create tasks in Outlook and Teams. Additionally, by utilizing the To Do or Planner apps (refer to Week 3 for more resources), you can effectively manage your tasks with due dates, reminders, and many other fantastic features.

A word on WORD

Microsoft Word is essential for our students, staff, and faculty. As with all Microsoft applications, updates and new features are frequently introduced, and we might not always notice them right away. Check out 12 New Features in Microsoft Word – 07:52 to see what’s coming to our version of Word soon.

Posted on Week 12

Use Sway for Reports and Newsletters

Sway? This Microsoft tool is a little hard to describe, but it might be worth your time to try it out.  When you visit a Sway on the web, you see a beautifully designed webpage that displays images, video, links, and text in a unique visual presentation.  Not only can presentations be shared with a class (or the public), but you can also have your students use it to easily create presentations by importing a document or PowerPoint, and letting Sway design the site. Watch The Sway Way - Microsoft Sway Tutorial – 03:00.

More Sway

Using Sway to create and share a report or newsletter is a fantastic option. Whether it's for your department or a student assignment, Sway transforms your content into an easily accessible "website." Discover the full potential of this innovative and often overlooked app by watch this comprehensive overview (Use Microsoft Sway – 13:52).

Posted on Week 11

Integrate AI in the Classroom

Generative AI is poised to revolutionize our professional and personal lives. Whether we are ready or not, we face the challenge of integrating AI into our teaching and learning practices in a productive and ethical way. The key question is: how can we design assignments and assessments that leverage the power of AI while minimizing the risk of misuse by students? Here’s a report from one professor on her department’s implementation so far. Watch What I have learned from teaching with AI – 35:36.

4 Ways to Integrate AI

Want a simple way to begin with AI? Read the 4 Simple Ways to Integrate AI into Your Class article on the Harvard Business Publishing site.  Looking for more information, check out the SUNY FACT²: Optimizing AI in Higher Education guide.

Posted on Week 10

Notifications for Forms

The "Get email notification..." feature in Microsoft Forms allows you to receive alerts for new submissions. Previously, this feature had limitations: you couldn't notify other team members, and it didn't work for "group" forms. Now, the feature has been enhanced to include additional recipients, making it functional for both "personal" and "group" forms (watch Microsoft Form Enhancements – 02:01). NOTE: The CCI recommends always using group forms (see "Use Group Forms" below to find out why).

Use Group Forms

If you are working in a department, office, or committee, creating a “group” form (one associated with a Team) is likely the best option. Team members need access to the collected data, and using a “group” form ensures that the group will always have access, even if the form was created by someone who later leaves the campus (as the form is associated with the group instead of the individual’s account). While the recently updated “Get email notification of each response” feature can now notify team members, consider creating a Power Automate flow instead. This flow allows for notifications to Teams and may make managing form notifications and access easier than remembering to remove form recipients. For more information on group forms and flows, please watch the following videos:

• Notify a User when a Team (Group) Form is Submitted – 04:02 
• How to create a Group MS Form – 00:45
• How to use tags in Microsoft Teams – 01:07
• How to create an MS Form for Power Automate Flows – 02:21

Form Response Restrictions

While you’ve always been able to add restrictions to MS Forms responses (e.g., response require, long answer, number; etc.), there are some great new options, including Email and URL. Watch New validation / restrictions in Microsoft Forms – 06:31 to learn more.

Posted on Week 9

Outlook and OneDrive Links

Maybe you’ve noticed that Microsoft apps now encourage saving documents to OneDrive, which offers many advantages over saving to your desktop or documents folder. Along with this, sharing links instead of attaching files offers even more benefits. Learn how to properly use links (topic 3 in the video) and other useful tips for using the new Outlook (watch 10 Powerful Tips You Need to Know in NEW Outlook! – 09:48).

More about Outlook Links

While our featured videos display a shortcut for adding a OneDrive file, it doesn’t mention using the Attach button (which provides more options). To add a OneDrive file, select the Attach button, select OneDrive. If your file isn’t in Recent, select Files tab, double-click a folder to open it, and select a file or folder. Select the Share link button to get the “view only” link.

If you want to allow the recipient(s) to edit, click on the link in the email, select Recipients can view, select Can edit and Apply button.

Posted on Week 8

Super Communicator!
Communication. In these uncertain times, the ability to connect meaningfully with our students, colleagues, collaborators, and administrators is invaluable. Truly understanding each other is challenging, yet essential. By improving our communication skills, we can not only enhance our roles as instructors and collaborators but also find greater satisfaction and happiness in our personal and professional lives (watch The science behind dramatically better conversations – 12:57).

Audio Computer?

Technology is all around us, and ever changing. Watch Welcome to the World of Audio Computers – 13:04 for an interesting look at what may be the next wearable computer.

Posted on Week 7

New Teams Meetings (Channel Meetings)

When scheduling team meetings, you likely use the standard options in Teams or Outlook. But have you considered the advantages of scheduling a “Channel” meeting? This often-overlooked feature can greatly boost your team’s collaboration. Learn how recent changes to scheduling channel meetings can make your team meetings even more productive. Watch New Microsoft Teams channel meeting invites? – 05:51.

Teams in Tech Tools
Take a look at the recently updated Teams section of Tech Tools. The collection of curated videos includes more Channel and “How to schedule” meeting videos. You might also notice some minor rearranging of topics, to help you find the video you need a bit faster.

Posted on Week 6

Edit Your Videos 
Exciting News! We now have a video editor available to all campus users. Clipchamp is designed to be user-friendly, so even those with no prior editing experience can easily create videos using captured footage, images, and audio files. You can also add text, transitions, and effects to enhance your projects. Once finished, your videos can be easily saved and shared via OneDrive (watch Microsoft Clipchamp (Overview) – 12:05).

Clipchamp in Tech Tools
Explore the new Clipchamp section of Tech Tools. The site is packed with the latest and most helpful videos to make learning Clipchamp a breeze. You'll not only find general overview videos but a collection of direct links to specific topics and features.  

Posted on Week 5

AI Research Tools 
Academic research, like everything, has been significantly transformed by the emergence of AI tools. Watch 12 FREE AI tools for Academic Research – 13:00 to discover powerful tools that can locate and intelligently present high-quality resources, enabling researchers to delve deeper into their studies. These tools save hours of manual data extraction, allowing researchers to focus on synthesizing information and refining their papers.

Library HELP with Research
Our friends at the College Libraries are eager to assist you and your students with your next research paper. Whether you need help with campus books, journals, academic databases, or AI research tools, visit the library’s Help page for more information on the available resources and services.
 
Research Rabbit – Deep Dive
Research Rabbit is a free tool designed to assist researchers in conducting literature reviews. It offers several features that streamline the process of finding, organizing, and visualizing research materials. Additionally, it allows researchers to create collections and categories to better organize their work. For an overview, watch How To Use Research Rabbit – 12:40.

Posted on Week 4

Brightspace Dates
What do Due Dates, Start Dates, and End Dates mean in Brightspace? Glad you asked. Learn how to manage these dates for your Assignments and Discussions and how to get them in the course calendar (watch Brightspace - What Are Due, Start, And End Dates? – 06:28).

Paper Please
If you’d like to see written instructions for “dates,” login to Brightspace and visit the Brightspace Date Settings page in the Brightspace Toolbox.

How AI Will Revolutionize Education
Khan Academy’s mission is to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. It's designed to help students learn at their own pace using short video lessons, interactive exercises, and practice materials. Learn how Sal Khan is using an AI Tutor to personalize learning (watch How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education – 15:32).

Also, watch How AI Will Revolutionize Education – 01:09:11. This is a long one, so please find topic links below to jump directly to the things that interest you most.

• Pacing problem with classroom learning at 08:08
• AI Tutor at 11:00
• Socratic method at 13:26
• What about cheating at 16:30
• Free AI Tutors? at 19:21
• Positive human intent at 23:43
• Talk to Jay Gatsby at 28:06
• Creativity at 31:19
• AI as Coach (and Reporter) at 34.44
• Not just for the Elite at 37:37
• Future of Assessment at 42:45
• Redesign of US Education at 46:30
• Best Jobs at 49:56
• Diversity of Viewpoints at 52:36
• How to prompt AI at 54:36
• AI doesn't replace content knowledge at 59:22
• AI without undermining learning at 1:01:22
• Intellectual property at 1:04:18

Posted on Week 3

Planner
I love “To Do” to manage my tasks (maybe you do to). While you can continue to use the web app, the newly upgraded “Planner” app in Teams has “To Do” integration. Not only can you manage your personal tasks, but you can also collaborate with your committee/department/working group using plans. Create project tasks with individual due dates and even assign tasks to group members (watch How to use the NEW Microsoft Planner in Teams – 11:30).

Create your Tasks Anywhere
Task management is essential, and through Microsoft’s integration within To Do, Planner, Teams, and Outlook, you’ll be able to create and access your task-lists where you are. Watch Transform Emails into Tasks – 11:05 to learn how to create Tasks in Outlook, How to Manage Tasks using Microsoft Teams – 07:30 to learn how to create Tasks in Teams, and How to Use Microsoft To Do – 08:28 to create To Do tasks on a device app (including iPhone and iPad).

Posted on Week 2

Outlook Templates
Discover how to use Outlook Templates to quickly respond to repetitive emails. Creating ready-to-use responses for common emails is simple, efficient, and will save you a lot of time (watch How to use Email Templates in Microsoft Outlook – 06:32).

Get Organized (in Outlook)
“Your mailbox isn’t a task manager. It’s just a tool to send and receive messages.” Take control of your IN box with this very simple system (based on Getting Things Done by David Allen). Learn how to use three categories and the To Do app to effortlessly manage emails and tasks (watch The Microsoft Outlook Productivity System – 19:16).
 
Bookings App (in Outlook)
Do you need students to sign up for office hours? Advising? Coaching? Projects? By sharing your personal Bookings with Me webpage, a student or colleague needing to meet with you can schedule an in-person or virtual meeting linked to your Outlook calendar. You control the times and availability, and the scheduled meeting is automatically added to both calendars! Watch Bookings with Me in Outlook – 02:53 for a complete overview of this fantastic feature.

Posted on Week 1

Videos and Recorder in Stream
Happy start of the semester! Let’s talk about Microsoft Stream. Any video uploaded to OneDrive or recorded in Teams can be viewed (and found) on the Stream website. You can use Stream features to provide closed captioning, transcription, polls, chapter markers, call-out boxes, and more. In addition, Stream has a screen/webcam recorder that allows you to quickly make videos and even allows for simple editing (trim and split). Watch How to use Microsoft Stream – 12:04.

Sneak Peak
Personally, I’ve been excitedly waiting for this tool for months. Clipchamp is a robust video editing tool that is available through a personal Microsoft account. Soon, the app should be available to campus users via our campus M365 account. To take a quick look at what this fantastic app can do (watch Get Started with Clipchamp 02:27).

Brightspace- Find How-to guides and resources on Brightspace (used to deliver course content and instruction).

Record in M365: Find a complete guide to recording in Teams, Stream, and PowerPoint and sharing with OneDrive.

Base Camp- Find step-by-step guidance on what to learn first if you’re just starting to use technology.

Accessibility- Find resources and tools to help you create accessible content and courses.

Professional Development Form- Select a PD session (from a list of offerings) for your department’s next meet.