The Center for Academic Technology, part of the Learning Resources Division, at the University of the District of Columbia is the owner of this blog. The mission of The Center for Academic Technology (CAT) is to provide support and tools that enable pedagogical innovation to improve the educational experience of students. Our official website is: http://lrdudc.wrlc.org/cat/
So you just left the department meeting and everyone is RAVING about the new features in Blackboard 9.1 (check here for tutorials). You immediately rush to http://udc.blackboard.com to login, but you don’t see the tools they were talking about:( To remedy this, go to the *CUSTOMIZATION* menu under the CONTROL PANEL and select TOOL AVAILABILITY. You will see the following page and will have the opportunity to select or deselect items.
To access the tools, click on *TOOLS* in your menu. If you don't see a tool...go back back to TOOL AVAILABILITY. Be sure to SAVE your options before clicking on another menu item. For more information on Blackboard tools, see the annotated User Manual.
Most folks know that I'm a Mac user. I switched over in 2004 and haven't really looked back. Windoze is cool now that Windows 7 basically does what Macs have been doing for a while now.
As an instructional designer, I can't avoid Windoze and I recently brought a cheapo $300 laptop which seems to be just the amount of money I'm willing to put into a Windoze computer.
Though I won't be going as in depth for this one, I did want to present a list of Windows tools that I find useful. Not just an an educator, but as someone who enjoys allowing technology to do the heavy lifting, saving my cognition for the important things:)
Here's the list, in no order:
Adobe Digital Editions
OpenOffice -- tired of Microsoft Office? Try this free, open-source suite of office tools. Open office has applications that rival MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. And it is totally free. Documents from Microsoft can be opened and saved in Microsoft compatible formats.
Adobe Digital Editions -- Check out e-books from the library and view them on your computer using this free tool. This software also allows you to take notes and print sections.
NVU.com --(web pages) Create webpages with this easy to learn, free tool.
Gimp
Gimp.org (image manipulation) -- Edit images without becoming a Photoshop expert. Does have a minimal learning curve, nothing heavy though.
adaware (Malware protection) -- If you have a Windoze box, you're gonna get hit by malware. This tool does a nice job of keeping your computer from slowing down.
Dropbox -- sync files across multiple computers. This means you can access the file you were working on at the office in the morning when you are in the coffeeshop in the afternoon! Even if you were working on two different computers! USB drives are so 2006!
MiMedia.com video playback
MiMedia -- Upload your music to the Internet and listen online. As a music junkie, I love this service. Similar to Dropbox, it syncs files from multiple computers and manages them via the web. $5 a month for 25 gigs of space. Best of all, you can PLAY your nusic and video files from the Internet!
Snagit -- Though I prefer web based versions of screen capture (like Jing or Pixlr), if you have the money, SnagIt is probably the best capture software out there. They do have a 30 day trial.
Ditto (clipboard manager) -- Everyone uses the clipboard to copy and paste, I love this software as it saves your last 50 COPY commands. Be careful, this could get some of you in trouble!
Evernote
Evernote -- This online notebook tool syncs notes, web site clippings, images and more across multiple computers. With matching apps for mobile phones, Evernote goes everywhere you go. Here's a Wall Street Journal article on Evernote, which they praise as a 'digital file cabinet.'
Celtx -- Storyboard software. It's free and great for organizing your thoughts.
Celtx
There are a bunch of other apps that I use but not that frequently (cuz I use a Mac) -- like Articulate Studio (for Instructional Designer stuff), Screensteps (for tutorials) and Scrivener (for writing). I'm hoping you found this list helpful. Use the comments to add some more of your own. Let's keep adding to this initial listing!
To access the tools, click on *TOOLS* in your menu. 
If you don't see a tool...go back back to TOOL AVAILABILITY. Be sure to SAVE your options before clicking on another menu item.
