Viewing/printing photos of students

How can you get a gallery of your students' photos to get to know their names?

In Moodle:

1. Go to Participants
2. Switch "User list" from Brief to User Details
3. Filter for a particular block, if appropriate (under Visible Groups)
4. Click "Show all" on the bottom left. 
5. To print, first select only the data in the table, then right-click and print.

I've made two videos on how to do this:

1. A short version for those who already know how to get to the participant list and filter for a particular block.
2. A full version that explains the entire process.

Please note that the videos are only visible to CVU faculty/staff, so you will need to be logged in to view them.

Note that to view a single student's picture, you can also search for the student in JumpRope.

Transparent backgrounds in images

In my last post, I mentioned that LucidChart can export images with transparent backgrounds.  Why are transparent backgrounds important?

Take a look at these two beach chairs. The bottom one has a transparent background; the top doesn't.  Against a white background, you can't see the difference. But change the background-- first to solid black, then to a beach scene-- and the distinction becomes clear.

So, how do you find images with transparent backgrounds?  In a Google image search, click on Tools..Color, and choose transparent (while you're there, you can apply additional filters, such as usage rights and image size).

Note that the file extension for transparent images is png (although not all png files are transparent).  Other types, such as jpg, gif, and tiff, do not support transparency.  In many applications, you are given an option of how to save images-- choose transparent png if don't want the white background.

Photo Slideshows

I just worked with Dave E. on creating an end-of-year slideshow for his wellness classes.  Dave's taken pictures of the students over the course of the year.  He uploaded these to Picasa (which is Google's photo-sharing app). Once in Picasa, the photos can be edited, captioned, etc, if desired and then played in a slideshow.  You have the choice of how private or public to make the slideshow.  Another commonly used tool for slideshows is Flickr.  There are many others, as well.

This is a simple, easy-to-put-together project that ends up being very powerful for students as they reflect on the year.  As you think ahead to next year, consider taking out your phone (if it takes pictures), or bringing in a camera occasionally and snapping some shots of the students in action.  I bet you'll be happy to have these to show at the end of the year!