Three Bears IT Consultancy

Archive for the ‘eLearning’ Category

The high level of integration between Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft SharePoint means that it’s often possible to access features from within the SharePoint environment without needing to directly access the system.  This makes it possible to publish Microsoft Access files directly into SharePoint lists as well as saving Word and Excel documents directly into a document library.

Microsoft Outlook 2007 also delivers a number of features to assist users in managing offline files as well as organising their diaries across multiple team sites or collaboration environments.

In this post, we look at how to integrate your shared calendars in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 so that you can view some or all of them in real time.

First thing is to navigate to the Shared Calendar that you’re wanting to manage within Microsoft Outlook 2007.  Site configurations differ, but if the person creating the site used default options then you’ll likely see a link saying Calendar on the quick launch bar, on the left underneath the header Lists.

Click on the calendar link and the screen should update to show your calendar in the default view.

Just above the calendar, and below any crumb trail, you should see a menu bar and a drop down menu that says Actions.

Click on Actions and choose Connect To Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook should then appear with a dialogue box asking whether you trust this information source and want to link it to your Outlook account.  Click on Yes.

You’ll now notice that in addition to your personal calendar in My Calendar, a new header will have appeared in the calendar folder list that says Other Calendars.  This is where Outlook stores all other linked calendars.

To view a calendar, tick the box next to the name; to hide a calendar, untick the box.  Simple as that.

Screen shots and video on their way soon.

Continuing from our previous post regarding free resources for planning your implementation of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, please find below links to further resources relating to deployment, operations and system security.

Deployment

Deployment for Office SharePoint Server 2007
Covers installing and configuring Office SharePoint Server 2007 in a new deployment.

Installation guide for Office SharePoint Server 2007
This guide provides the information you need to successfully install Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to a stand-alone computer or simple server farm.

Design and build sites for Office SharePoint Server 2007
This guide provides prescriptive guidance that can help you and your team build custom enterprise sites by using Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 — such as company-wide portal sites or Internet presence sites.

Upgrading to Office SharePoint Server 2007
Covers upgrading to Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Deploying Office SharePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 1
Changes in Office SharePoint Server 2007 SP1 and instructions for deploying the service pack.

Operations

Administering enterprise search for Office SharePoint Server 2007
Includes guidance and procedures for configuring and maintaining search features in Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Document management guide for Office SharePoint Server 2007
Covers document management features that you can use to control the lifecycles of documents in your organization.

Records management guide for Office SharePoint Server 2007
Covers general records management planning considerations and guidelines for configuring Office SharePoint Server 2007 .

Web publishing and planning guide for Office SharePoint Server 2007
Covers features you can use to implement the structure, navigation, and appearance of Web sites and to control how your sites are authored, approved, and published.

Security

Security for Office SharePoint Server 2007
Describes how security is implemented in Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Not heard of BT Internet Rangers? You may not know the name, but you may well be familiar with the concept. This BT sponsored programme promotes intergenerational learning with the pupils taking the role of the teacher/tutor. Instead of tutoring peer groups or younger students, instead pupils devise and deliver training courses for grandparents.

The BT Internet Rangers site provides pupils with lesson plans, certificates and even example homework to support their learning and has examples of successful schemes from across the UK.

The scheme also provides an incentive to pupils by awarding prizes to the most successful Internet Rangers.

The site doesn’t seem to be regularly updated, but should provide you with a method of starting off a similar scheme in your area. Get in touch if you’re already taking part or are thinking of taking part and we’ll see whether can set up a support group via the site.

Even though all of the pre-order sales prices seem to have dried up prior to Thursday’s launch of Windows 7, students can still get a great offer via http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/studentoffer/

Choose from upgrades to either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for only £30.00 including VAT with an optional £9 for the postman to drop a copy of the software through your letter box, assuming there’s no postal strike.

Sister site, Inclusive Education, is currently redesigning it’s web site and hopes to implement a virtual learning environment to provide free access to Microsoft’s digital literacy resources.

Registered users will be able to access a variety of free resources to achieve a certificate after completion of five main areas:

Computer Basics
The Internet and the World Wide Web
Productivity Programs
Computer Security and Privacy
Digital Lifestyles

Each of the five areas takes between 2 – 3 hours to work through, so you can easily fit it around existing commitments.

The goal of Digital Literacy is to teach and assess basic computer concepts and skills so that people can use computer technology in everyday life to develop new social and economic opportunities for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Whether you are entirely new to computing or have some experience, this curriculum will help you develop a fundamental understanding of computers. From using the Internet, to sending e-mail, to creating a résumé, the Digital Literacy Curriculum helps you develop the essential skills you need to begin computing with confidence.

There are two versions of Digital Literacy. While there are minor changes to the content coverage between versions, the course titles remain the same. The primary difference between the versions is that the examples and screen shots in the original curriculum feature Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Windows XP, while Version 2 of the Digital Literacy Curriculum offers examples and screen shots from Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Windows Vista.

Inclusive Education will be offering both versions of the Digital Literacy course to support users on previous versions of Microsoft Office as well as those of us who have made the transition.

If you would like to register an interest in being contacted when this is up and running, please contact us at elearning@threebears.biz