Author: Zach Peterson

Zach is a Senior IT Training & Communications Consultant with OIT. Zach began his SMU career at the IT Help Desk in 2012 and joined the Training & Communications Team in 2015. He is a 2011 graduate from the University of North Texas and obtained a Master of Liberal Studies degree from SMU in 2018. He enjoys reading and collecting vintage and antique radio sets. He grew up in Valley View, Texas near Denton.

Apple WWDC 2016: What’s New

macOS with SiriIt’s that time of year again! Apple is hosting their annual Worldwide Developers Conference this week in San Francisco. The WWDC isn’t usually as flashy as the iPhone reveals, but there’s still a lot of cool features and products you can expect to find on your Apple devices in the coming months.

One of the bigger talking points during WWDC is OS X, and this year is no exception. The most noticeable change is the name. After fifteen years, OS X will now be known simply as macOS. The next upgrade of the operating system will be called Sierra, named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The new macOS will also include the debut of the iPhone’s voice-activated assistant, Siri. This will allow Mac users to use the same voice commands they use on their iPhone on their desktop as well. Siri has been studying, too! She will now have a huge amount of additional knowledge and commands to interact with desktop apps. The underlying technology behind Siri is now opened up to developers as well, so expect to see third-party apps using the technology soon.

Also on the horizon is the latest version of iOS: version 10. iOS 10 brings additional security features to iPhones and iPads, along with streamlined notifications on your lock screen.

New In-Depth Canvas Sessions Announced

Canvas LMS LogoNeed some more assistance with the finer points of SMU’s new Canvas LMS? OIT has scheduled additional training sessions over the summer that cover advanced topics ranging from grade books to modules. Just like the basics sessions OIT has given through the spring semester, these summer sessions are walk-in only, so stop by on any of the dates!

Below is a list of the upcoming sessions, their locations, and their dates and times. For any questions regarding these sessions, please contact your academic technology liaison in your department.

Schedule of Courses

June 3, 1PM Intro to Canvas (Condensed) Crow 186
June 3, 2PM Assignments & Grade Book Crow 186
June 6, 10AM Quizzes Hughes-Trigg
June 6, 11AM Mastering Modules Hughes-Trigg
June 13, 2PM Intro to Canvas (Condensed) Webinar
June 23, 10AM Intro to Canvas (Condensed) Webinar
 July 11, 3PM Canvas Course Set-Up Workshop Crow 186
 July 11, 2PM Assignments & Grade Book Crow 186
 July 20, 10AM Quizzes Crow 186
 July 20, 11AM Mastering Modules Crow 186
July 28, 10AM Assignments & Grade Book Crow 186
July 28, 11AM Canvas Course Set-Up Workshop Crow 186
August 5, 1PM Intro to Canvas (Condensed) Crow 186
August 5, 2PM Assignments & Grade Book Crow 186
August 8, 2PM Quizzes Crow 186
August 8, 3PM Matering Modules Crow 186
August 8, 4PM Assignments & Grade Book Crow 186

Office for 2016 is Here! Learn About New Features.

Office 2016The wait is over for both Windows and Mac users for the latest version of Microsoft Office: Office 2016. Along with a new look to better match Windows 10, it also has a few handy new features that Office 2010 and 2011 were lacking.

If you’re worried about getting a solid understanding of Office 2016’s new features and how they can help your work/study processes, we’ve got you covered. Through our partnership with Lynda.com, SMU students, faculty, and staff can access in-depth tutorials on the changes in this new version for both Windows and Mac. Just click on the links below, log in with your SMU ID and password, and you’re ready to go! Continue reading Office for 2016 is Here! Learn About New Features.

President’s Picnic Contest

scooterAs part of the SMU Staff Association’s annual President’s Picnic, OIT will be there to join in the celebrations with giveaways and fun prizes! Stop by our booth at the picnic on May 18th to learn more about OIT’s services including our lyndaCampus service which provides staff, faculty and students with thousands of courses on hundreds of topics.

To make it even easier for you to watch Lynda.com courses, we’re giving away three Roku Streaming Sticks so you can watch courses (and also Netflix and other streaming services in your free time) on your television! We’ll be giving two away during the picnic, but as a staff member you can get a chance to win one right now.

Just simply log onto smu.edu/lynda at anytime between now and May 17th and watch at least one video and you will be entered into a drawing for a Roku Stick! The winner will be announced during the picnic.

Also, we’ll be giving away a scooter from our friends at Qualtrics, so you can cruise around campus in style!