Facebook Apps for eLearning

Facebook Apps for eLearning

UCO Walking Trails

After receiving a request from the UCO Healthy Campus Committee, Sean Gausman, CPDE student worker and all around superhero programmer, developed a fantastic and highly useful walking trails application. This ‘web application’ is designed to be used on smartphones and features all three of UCO’s official walking trail paths.

First, choose a trail based on your preference. Each trail is measured for distance.

    

After choosing a trail, you are presented with waypoints and directions to each. Once you have completed a lap,the application will tell you your lap time and average speed.

 

Each turn is spelled out so navigation is easy! The application asks to use your current location and places you at the closest point on the path.

 

Thank you Sean for providing a great tool to promote a healthy campus and support the UCO Wellness Center!

Make Blogging Easier with Windows Live Writer

Blogging is a fairly simple exercise, but even a little help in everyday tasks can be beneficial! Let me introduce you to Windows Live Writer! WLW is a desktop blog-publishing application that features WYSIWYG authoring, photo-publishing and map-publishing functionality, and is currently compatible with most blogging platforms.

It’s Offline

One major difference between using Windows Live Writer and simply editing your blog online is just that; It isn’t online. Windows Live Writer is a desktop program that allows you to edit blog posts offline. This way you can save drafts and work on postings when not connected – even say, on an airplane!

Insert Images and Videos with Style

Images are easily uploaded and hosted based on your hosting preferences. Windows Live Online albums are used by default for hosting images, but you can use Flickr, Picasa or Facebook photos by installing a plug-in (more about plug-ins below). For uploaded images, you can choose picture effects such as sharpen, blur, and other simple effects. You can also add drop shadows, borders and watermarks.

Videos can be embedded with an embed code, or uploaded from your computer to Youtube (by default). Other video services can be added via plug-ins.

Plug-Ins Increase Usefulness

With plugins, you can integrate the aforementioned video and photo hosting services, but there are so many more things that plug-ins can do! You can post automatically to other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, add those little social networking buttons, add a feed reader button, include flash content, insert a media player, insert a table, or insert a Google map!

Windows Live Writer is a comfortable, high quality piece of software that does not disappoint. I highly recommend it to anyone that calls themselves a blogger!

Downloading Windows Live Writer

Download Windows Live Writer Here

Note: Windows Live Writer comes in the Windows Live Essentials suite. This collection includes seven other applications (that I currently do not use). When you install it, you have the option of deselecting the other applications. Of course, you are welcome to install it all, but I recommend just installing the Live Writer app.

That about covers it! Happy blogging!