Are you using IWb at interview?

The Learning Gateway team would like to invite teaching students who have been asked to use an interactive whiteboard at interview to come in for a one to one session. We can provide expert tuition in the best use of both Smartboard and Promethean. We can help you add interactivity and put the learning experience at the center of your teaching materials.

Contact the Learning Gateway team for a training time.

Learninggateway@cumbria.ac.uk

01228 616188

New Faces

Expect to see lots of new faces in the Learning Gateway behind our issue desk. The Learning Gateway team are now working more closely with colleagues in LISS, so you may now see staff you recognise from the library popping up in the Learning Gateway.

All our services continue to run as normal and you can always ask for help at the issue desk.

Tag it!

The Learning Gateway team are pleased to announce that they are taking part in a bookmarking project for LISS. Staff and students of the University can take advantage of the tag cloud of interactive whiteboard resources by logging into Blackboard, selecting the skills zone tab, and accessing IT resources. The Tag cloud is located in both the Promethean and Smartboard areas.

If you have anything that you feel should be added to the tag cloud then please let us know learninggateway@cumbria.ac.uk

Interactive Whiteboard Top Tips!

Got a top tip for working with an Interactive Whiteboard?

Do you know where to find the best interactive resources?

Have you figured out how not to make a squeaky sound on the

Smartboard when you’re moving objects about?

We want to hear from you!

Add your tip as a comment to this post or email us at:

learninggateway@cumbria.ac.uk
Here is one of our Learning Facilitator’s top tips:

“Keep a copy of your lesson plan and any handouts in

your Attachments tab - makes life a lot easier!”
Linda Moses-Allison, Learning Facilitator

Smart Saturday

The Learning Gateway will open it's doors on Saturday 21st November for Smart Saturday. The day starts at 10 and ends at 1:30. At the end of the session you will be able to navigate the Smartboard notebook interface, set up the hardware to your preferences and create interactive notebook content.

Sign up at the issue desk for a place or email learninggateway@cumbria.ac.uk

Smartboard training now online!

Staff and Students of the University can now access Smartboard training from the comfort of their own home. Smartboard version 9 training notes can be found on the new Skills Zone tab on the University Blackboard site. Log in as normal and select the skills zone, the Smartboard training is available on the IT Applications button.

The handouts included cover everything from orientation of your board, to setting up your own gallery content or even capturing every click you make on the screen. Smartboard version 10 training will be available soon.

If you want to ask advice or have some face to face training this is still available, if you would like this please contact the Learning Gateway team at Learninggateway@cumbria.ac.uk

Photography Exhibition

On the evening of the 19th of May, the Gateway hosted a Digital Showcase. This was an exhibition of work produced by first year's on the BA (Hons) Photography course. It was an exciting event which created a buzz in the building; everyone wanted to know what was happening and view the students' hard, and creative work. It was lovely for us to welcome Brampton Road based students onto our campus. The Learning Gateway was the perfect space and set up for for this event and a great time was had by all!

HOT SPOTS!!!!

‘I hope this continues. Very useful and saves time’, 'Just what is needed for a quick check of email/diary’ and ‘Should be more. Excellent idea’. These are just a few of the positive comments on the fixed lap tops (now christened ‘Hot Spots’!) on the Ground Floor of the Learning Gateway.

We pride ourselves on listening to our customers’ comments and using stats to enable us to adapt, evolve and improve our service, so…more 'Hot Spots' are being provided on each floor of the Gateway!

So, if you want to dash in and check your emails, have a quick ‘Twitter’ or check the online timetable to see which room your lecture is in, use a Hot Spot. You don’t even need your Cumbria Card!

Digital Art Showcase

Friday 24th April 2009 will see the Learning Gateway hold its third annual Digital Art Showcase.

The Digital Art Showcase is a one night only event that showcases the work of under and post graduate University of Cumbria students working with digital media.

The first show was in 2007 (a collaborative event between the then St Martins and Cumbria Institute of the Arts) and it was a huge success; receiving coverage in the The Cumberland News.

Work this year is of a very high standard and a CD catalogue of all the work exhibited will be available to purchase on the night.

The exhibition begins at 6.30pm and closes at 9pm.

Free admission.

Get your Smartboard training here

If you are student on placement you might find that you are expected to be fluent in interactive whiteboard technologies. The Learning Gateway team are happy to help and offer a complete training package to staff and students from the very basic to more advanced functions.

If you are a teaching student coming to the end of your course you may be asked to present an interactive resource at interview. We offer a one to one session to help you construct some interactive resources even if you don't know where to start. All you need to do is bring allong some ideas.

Contact us at learninggateway@cumbria.ac.uk if you would like some training.
Remember, as a member of the university this training is free to you so get it while you are with us!

Getting from A to B a different way

The University is investigating the way we all travel in preparation for creating a new travel policy. Your views are requested in a quick online survey and you can even win one of five £25 shopping vouchers for your trouble. To access the survey go to www.cumbria.ac.uk/travel

Red Nose Day 2009

Learning and Information Services staff at the Fusehill Street Campus based in the Library and the Learning Gateway, dressed up and sold cakes in aid of Red Nose Day 2009. A total of £269.20 was raised on campus. Thank you to all who donated on the day.

Making Connections

The University of Cumbria and Rotary International took over the Learning Gateway on Saturday 31st January for a large conference;

A 21st Century University in its local Community - 'making connections'

The conference was well attended with over 100 delegates working together on the day. A full report can be found on the News & Star website.

Image courtesy of Cumbrian Newspapers Limited.

LG team welcome a chilly visitor

The LG team are happy to welcome any new student, staff member or visitor to the building and on Monday 2nd February we said hi to this cool character. He had earlier taken advantage of the fruit on offer for vitality week.

The Learning Gateway is open as normal, any changes to opening hours due to adverse weather conditions can be checked on the University website

www.cumbria.ac.uk

Countdown to Christmas

There isn't much to report here from the Gateway, other than we are still all working hard to maintain our high level of service to you all. The countdown to Christmas has started, where the campus does seem a little quieter. However, the Gateway is still open - please check the website for our opening hours, or pop in for a leaflet with them on. Have a lovely vacation; try not to work too hard!The Learning Gateway Team look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year.

Maths Masterclasses

The Learning Gateway has been the proud host of a series of Maths Masterclasses for young people at Cumbrian schools who show potential and interest in Maths.

The sessions have been running every Saturday morning in November from 10-12pm with specialist lecturers from all over the UK who are keen to bring Maths to life. Local tutors have been in attendance to support this very important initiative.

VOUCHERS TO BE WON!

The Learning and Information Services Team have always valued your input on how we can improve our services...It's also good to know what we are getting right! If you complete a short online survey telling us your thoughts on Learning and Information Services, you could be in with a chance of winning £100 of high street vouchers - very useful during the 'credit crunch'! Just go online to www.cumbria.ac.uk/LISsurvey, or pop into the Learning Gateway where the survey will be on laptops at the ground floor. If you do the latter, you may get a chocolate!!!!

Where have all the laptops gone?

Some users of the Gateway will have been unable to take out a laptop recently due to an unprecedented demand on our laptop stocks. This was mainly due to a number of IT classes taking place at the same time and laptops being necessary for those teaching sessions.

We would like to apologise to any students who were inconvenienced by this and want to assure you that we are looking at ways to prevent this situation happening in the future.

Many of you gave us comments and feedback, which we value and will act upon. In the meantime, if you have any further comments or complaints, please ask to fill in a feedback form at the issue desk or alternatively leave your comments here on the blog.

Why not try videoconferencing?

The portable videoconferencing units have been put to good use recently in the Learning Gateway. Groups of students have been taking the opportunity of linking up with colleagues in Lancaster and Ambleside with great success.

Did you know it is also possible to connect the VC unit up to the laptop you are using so that students on other campuses can see what you are demonstrating or teaching at first hand?

Staff in the Learning Gateway are more than happy to help you plan and organise a videoconferencing session to take place in one of our flexirooms or indeed, in theLecture Theatre.

Please let us know if you need any further information or help.

A busy week

The Learning Gateway is enjoying record numbers of visitors for the start of the academic year. This week we have enjoyed academic staff using the VC equipment to teach students in the building and at Whitehaven at the same time. A Blackboard session saw students using the second floor open space and talking to each other online. Finally, Wednesday night was the first chaplaincy DVD and a pizza night.