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What is Click!?

Click! is a technology publication brought to you by IT Professionals at Penn State.

What the Fuss?

Click! gives you a heads-up on technology that affects you here at Penn State, whether it be services available for you to use or updates on things coming in the future.

When is Click! available?

Watch for us once every semester in The Collegian, or check us out anytime on this Website.

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Modern Art

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Do you think art museums and technology go hand in hand? If you’ve checked one out recently, your answer is probably no. Paintings, sometimes hundreds of years old, typically dominate blank, white spaces, with only brief snippets of information for viewers to read. Museums often discourage picture taking, and touching a work of art is staunchly against the rules, only reinforcing the belief that museums encompass everything technology doesn’t.

Museums may seem out of touch with the times, but ask just about any museum employee and they’ll tell you a different story. Museums have begun to embrace technology and the ways it can help them connect with their audiences, whether they’re hardcore art fanatics, or students begrudgingly viewing collections for class assignments.

At Penn State, the Palmer Museum of Art is doing everything it can to utilize technology in new and exciting ways. Palmer Museum is a free-admission art resource situated at the University Park campus, filled with ever-changing exhibitions and displays of its permanent collection

Dana Kletchka, curator of education at the Palmer Museum of Art, can’t help but get excited at the prospect of connecting with more people through technology. Currently, the museum utilizes a Facebook page, Twitter feed, and podcasts on iTunes U to talk about what’s going on and to interact with viewers, but Kletchka would like to see more.

“With social media, the user can choose their own level of engagement. We want to utilize that to our fullest advantage,” Kletchka said.

Bringing the technology and art worlds together isn’t always easy. According to Kletchka, museums and technology often have a complicated relationship, and museums have historically been slow to adopt technology over concerns that devices might interfere with the unique experience of viewing works of art. Additionally, museums are typically hesitant to post works of art online.

“The works of art will never look as good as they do in real life-the detail, the depth, and the surface texture is impossible to reproduce. There is still no substitute for seeing the actual object,” Kletchka explained.

Museums must also contend with copyright and contractual issues, and moderate how viewers use images of the art in the museum’s collection. Since a museum’s primary mission is to collect, preserve and display art, technology can fall by the wayside. Given the current economic condition, budget issues also present an obstacle to technological advances.

The Palmer Museum is currently in the process of investigating the ways in which it might update its technology to best serve the artists, art historians, other speakers and the audiences who learn from their presentations in the auditorium. It is also the museum’s hope that these updates will further foster the all important museum-viewer relationship with the multitude of audiences that enter the galleries every year.

Museums have been moving in the direction of using social media applications every day, and visitors are the ones who will reap the benefits. With this technology available to them at any point in their museum experience, viewers could build and show off their own art collections on websites such as Pinterest or Facebook, or interact with exhibitions as they stand in front of them via augmented reality. They would, essentially, become the curators of their own unique museum experience.

Just think of the possibilities.

 

Check out the Palmer Museum of Art’s:

Website
Facebook Page
Twitter
Podcasts – on iTunes U

Filed in General | |

Moving at the Speed of Sound

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Curtis Craig (left) and Mark Ballora (right). Photo by Michael C. Doud.

Mark Ballora and Curtis Craig make quite the pair. Polar opposites in almost every visible way, these School of Music and School of Theatre professors share a common passion in sound. The two have taught at Penn State for a combined total of 23 years – Ballora’s in his 12th year and Craig his 11th, and they still resonate with as much passion about their craft as they likely did when they first started. Within the College of Arts and Architecture exist the Schools of Music and Theatre, which share many similarities—both are performance-based and both units share artists and designers for different productions. These units are also strongly linked by way of the Music Technology Minor and the Theatre Sound Design major. Craig heads up the Sound Design major, which he describes as “on the job training” for people who want to work in sound design on a professional stage. According to Craig, few of his students venture into the professional realm of theatre without continuing their education on the graduate level first. Regardless of their degrees and work experience, he says, “You’re not really considered to not be my student anymore until you beat me out for a job. Only then do you cease being my student.” According to Craig, there’s not much difference between running sound for a rock show and a theatre production. The concepts and technologies are the same, but each show requires a slightly different approach and aesthetic. Rock shows cater to one type of crowd, and theatre appeals to another.

Craig and Ballora work with School of Theatre students at the sound board. Photo by Michael C. Doud.

Here’s the surprising part: Information Technology plays a major part in Craig’s curriculum. Sound Design students learn not only about composing show music and the physicality of hanging speakers, but also about networking and the power distribution of sophisticated sound systems. These IT skills give Sound Design majors a competitive edge in the job market. According to Craig, they do not suffer from the stereotypical conundrum of supporting themselves as waiters while trying to find professional work. In fact, Sound Design students tend to be able to succeed as both sound designers and IT support, since the skills they learn at Penn State overlap so much. The Music Technology minor, a supplement to the Sound Design major, shares a core curriculum with the major, but the student makeup varies widely. Mark Ballora has seen students from all majors of the University come through his classroom, from Communications and Engineering to Music Education. “Electrical Engineering students have taken the minor because it helps them get internships with audio-related companies,” Ballora said. “It depends on what field they’re interested in going into.” Ballora specializes in the science of music: programming, sound control and sound manipulation. While sound design teaches students the physical aspects of the technologies of sound, music technology focuses on teaching students to manipulate existing sounds into brand-new ones. Students are also versed in using software to arrange audio clips on a time line, adding effects, and even creating their own software. Ballora and Craig teach in a world of ever-changing technologies. In order to keep up, yearly reviews of equipment and software are done, which leads to updates on a constant basis. Most updates are relatively simple, such as upgrading existing software. But according to Craig, updating and replacing costly equipment such as speakers and soundboards presents a more difficult challenge. Budget issues have affected many areas of Penn State, and the School of Theatre is no exception. Regardless, Craig and Ballora strive to teach students with the most advanced technology possible.

A School of Theatre student works on an iPad. Photo by Michael C. Doud.

In recent years, incoming students have presented Ballora and Craig with a unique challenge. Although user-friendly software like GarageBand has made it easier than ever to create professional-sounding music, students now expect that resources will be readily available and easy to create. Unlike the sound designers of previous decades, today’s students have the ability to create higher-quality products without possessing the experience of a seasoned professional. According to Ballora, sometimes it can be hard to tell which students have the passion for creating sound, and which ones just know how to use the software well. “Having the technology available doesn’t necessarily help you to become remarkable. It deludes you into thinking it’s easier to become remarkable than it actually is,” says Craig. “In a way, [technology] has democratized music production, in that you don’t have to go into the million dollar studios anymore to produce good music. But art is still a meritocracy. You still have to be good at it.” Students who do have the passion for sound are hard at work both inside and outside the classroom. Every theatre production at Penn State has a sound designer, and these sound designers are made up of undergraduate students. “I like to throw them into the deep end,” Craig says with a laugh. He shows his students how to work in controlled environments during the day, and then challenges them to put those skills to work during theatre rehearsals at night. School of Theatre students work in productions outside the classroom for over 100 hours each semester, for little to no credit. It’s just one aspect of the amount of work they put into their time at Penn State. “There’s a lot more work involved than most people think,” says Ballora. Clearly they’re the remarkable ones.

Filed in General | |

A Backstage Pass

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Shannon Ritter is an avid user of social media and technology. She currently works as the coordinator of Admissions, Auditions, and Interviews with the Penn State School of Theatre, and manages the social media presence for the school. 

In the School of Theatre, our days are filled with dance classes, singing, and rehearsing lines. Our stage managers and design and technology students are constantly working behind the scenes to make sure every sound effect and set-shift runs smoothly, and that each prop, spotlight, and costume looks exceptional on stage.

This requires an enormous amount of collaboration. Whether we’re performing for an audience or working with each other to make a production flawless, social media is just one more way for us to reach out to fans and engage one another at Penn State.

image of Shannon, her name, and masks

Part of my job in the School of Theatre is to connect with prospective students still in high school. Since this introductory period is critical for incoming freshmen, my goal is to help them feel welcome, teach them about our academic programs, and give them guidance through our admissions and audition processes. One of the best ways to enable future students to see what the School of Theatre is really about is to give them a glimpse behind the scenes through social media. Our website contains a lot of valuable information, but the informal, authentic nature of social media offers students unfiltered access into the lives and conversations of students, faculty, and staff.

The School of Theatre has been using Facebook and Twitter for about a year, and we’ve connected with many prospective students, current students, and alumni this way. We’re also developing relationships with other university and community theatres, as well as people who work in the performing arts field. We’ve created Facebook groups for our different academic programs, providing soon-to-be students with a way to communicate informally with each other, ask questions, and invite others to participate in the discussion.

Tumblr (a popular micro-blogging platform) is another tool we’re using. I have found that even students outside our own School of Theatre are contacting us via the micro-blog to inquire about our majors and stage productions. Within the next year, we also hope to find ways to take advantage of Foursquare and other location-based services to promote our theatres, plays, and musicals. It’s an exciting time.

Social media isn’t new, but it’s a new concept for a lot of people. Allowing your message and brand to be carried into a public space, where others can voice their own personal opinions and feelings, can be collectively frightening, nerve-wracking, and exciting all at once. But this is what social media is all about.

For our current students, using social media appropriately is a crucial part of their educational success. We’re training professionals in the School of Theatre—students who will graduate and spend their lives entertaining audiences and bringing stage productions to life. Within this realm, social media isn’t simply a cool new technology, it’s a cultural shift that is fundamentally changing the way we communicate and collaborate on a global level. Teaching our students to design lighting, sets, and sound is just as important as training them to take advantage of social media in order to make connections with audiences and network with other professionals in their fields.

The power of social media lies in its ability to engage people in conversations in a way that doesn’t exist within traditional media. Uniting college students, high school students, and theatre enthusiasts using social networks, empowers and educates each group. Social media enables college students to speak with high school students about their academic and curricular experiences, blog about their transition from high school to college, and share photos of their dorm room, stage productions, and classes. Similarly, audiences can learn about what it takes to put a production together, including all of the activities that take place before the curtain rises.

Social media truly is a way to see “behind the scenes,” and here in the School of Theatre, we’re working to give everyone a backstage pass.

This article originally appeared in Volume 1: Issue 4 of Stream.

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Snippets

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The next issue of the Click! Newsletter will be out next Tuesday! Are you excited? We know we are. Here are some teasers to peak your interest between now and then:

From Moving at the Speed of Sound:

In recent years, incoming students have presented Ballora and Craig with a unique challenge. Although user-friendly software like GarageBand has made it easier than ever to create professional-sounding music, students now expect that resources will be readily available and easy to create. Unlike the sound designers of previous decades, today’s students have the ability to create higher-quality products without possessing the experience of a seasoned professional. According to Ballora, sometimes it can be hard to tell which students have the passion for creating sound, and which ones just know how to use the software well.

 

From Modern Art:

Museums may seem out of touch with the times, but ask just about any museum employee and they’ll tell you a different story. Museums have begun to embrace technology and the ways it can help them connect with their audiences, whether they’re hardcore art fanatics, or students begrudgingly viewing collections for class assignments.

 

And how about a little advice from your favorite furry little technology fan?:

The simplified setup can be used without any previous video production experience, but will make you look like you’ve been a pro for years. Whether you want to do green screen recording, presentation rehearsals, or create content for your e-portfolio – you name it and you can do it! It’s so easy that all you have to stress over is your content, not the setup.

 

Check back here next Tuesday to see the full Spring 2012 Click! Newsletter, and watch for it in your UP Collegians!

 

Jenn
-ClickBlog@psu.edu

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The Art of Video Games

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Video games? Art?

Although video games have had a resurgence in the mainstream media in the past couple of years, the focus hasn’t necessarily been on the industry’s accomplishments. It seems that the only information we hear about is how video games are the primary reason youths are becoming more violent than before, and how the video game industry needs to tone down the violent content present in a lot of games.

No matter which side you stand on, it’s hard to deny that video games can be beautiful works of art. It’s difficult to believe that we’ve reached a point where the advancement in technology has given us the ability to create moving, interactive masterpieces. These masterpieces require innovation, skill, and loads of creativity to create, much like, as many art history majors will tell you, the master painters of the past.

Apparently the Smithsonian thinks so, too.

From now until September 30, the American Art Museum is hosting The Art of Video Games exhibit. Here’s a description taken directly from the Smithsonian’s article on the exhibit:

 

“The Art of Video Games is one of the first exhibitions to explore the forty-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. It features some of the most influential artists and designers during five eras of game technology, from early pioneers to contemporary designers. The exhibition focuses on the interplay of graphics, technology and storytelling through some of the best games for twenty gaming systems ranging from the Atari VCS to the PlayStation 3.”

If that hasn’t peaked your interest, then this exhibit trailer surely will:

You can read all about the Smithsonian’s The Art of Video Games exhibit here, plus watch video interviews and get more information, including where it will be moving to after September 30.

Happy gaming!

 

-Jenn
ClickBlog@psu.edu

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (The internship and job quest)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

There are, in my mind, two types of students at Penn State. There are the go-getters in dress pants at the Career Fair, and then there are those of us (…me) who don’t even own a pantsuit, much less know what we’re going to do with our lives.

At a big school like Penn State, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Your adviser can only help you so much, and at the end of the day, you’re responsible for making the most of your education. When it comes to finding an internship or (even scarier) a job, it takes some serious effort to find what’s right for you. Sure, you know Penn State has the largest alumni network in the nation, but maybe you’re not sure how to find those alumni.

It’s okay. I can help you out.

If you’re hunting for a job or internship, your first resource should be Penn State’s Nittany Lion Career Network. If you’re uncomfortable job-hunting online, and want to talk to a real person (gasp!), you can schedule an appointment with one of Penn State’s career counselors.

Aside from the services offered by Penn State Career Services, you can connect with alumni via Linkedin. Go ahead and spruce up your resume, and then post it. And if you’re not sure how to write a resume or cover letter, you can refer to Penn State’s Career Services website once again (Isn’t it great?).

However, your job and internship search doesn’t have to stop there. Here are some career databases you might find useful:

For tech-related jobs, check out Dice and 37 signals.

If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, internships, and jobs with nonprofit organizations and companies looking to enact positive social change, look no further than Idealist.

For general online job searches, there are a multitude of resources, including:

And even some location-specific job databases:

 

And finally…

Good luck!

 

-Jackie
ClickBlog@psu.edu

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Technology tips from actual Penn State peeps.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Students entering their last year or two always seem to make it look so easy. They know exactly where to go, who to talk to, and how to get things done right the first time. It’s easy to forget that they were once the new kids on the block, and probably made a lot of mistakes along the way.  We’ve gathered up some helpful technology tips from some graduates and soon-to-be-graduates, to help you  take advantage of the gems a lot of people are missing out on:

 

As a student, nothing is worse than walking into a computer lab to print a term paper (due in 15 minutes!) to find yourself standing in a packed room with no empty computers. What do you do? Wait, run to another lab, or give up and go to class?

Well, what you should do is avoid this rookie mistake by checking Penn State’s Computer Availability page from your smart phone or computer. The site tells you which labs are open (and where they are), whether the lab houses Mac or Windows machines, and how many computers are available at any given time. Check it out!

Pssst: While you’re at it, save your money and some trees by printing duplex.

-Lauren, International Politics ’10

 

__________

 

Like most Mac users, I used to think my laptop was invincible. But, as a college student, I depend on my laptop every day for writing papers, research, emailing professors and wasting time on Facebook (of course). I don’t have time to deal with computer viruses, and neither do you. When it comes to something as valuable as your computer, you can never be too safe. Fortunately, Penn State’s Information Technology Services has you covered with free anti-virus software available for download. Once you have your Penn State user ID and password, head over to the Downloads website and click on “Virus Detection/Spyware Tools”, where you’ll find anti-virus software for Windows and Mac users.

-Jackie, English ’12

 

__________

 

A technology service that has become invaluable to me has been the 10GB of online storage space available through the Penn State Access Account Storage Space (PASS). It allows me to back up all my files, including personal photos and class assignments, and gives me the option to play around with building a website.

I can access my PASS space from anywhere – my laptop, computer lab machines, or my parent’s computer at home. It also gives me the ability to share files with classmates and friends, and password protect stuff that’s just for me, like personal documents.

As a Penn State student, you’ll automatically have access to 500MB of storage space, but can increase that up to 10GB for no charge. Check here for all the information about the PASS storage space, along with other options.

-Jennifer, Media Studies ’13

 

__________

 

By the second week of classes, you’ve figured out how to print in the on-campus computer labs. But, be prepared for a problem. Over the course of the next four years, you’ll almost certainly forget to email your final paper to yourself or bring your USB thumb drive to the lab.

Don’t worry: You can save yourself the trouble with web-based file synchronizing services like Dropbox. Assign a folder on your personal computer to work with Dropbox, and everything saved in that folder will be uploaded to your private account. You can then access your files online from any browser.

Let’s say you’re researching online from an on-campus computer. With Dropbox, anything you upload via the web will be available on your hard drive the next time your computer connects to the Internet. This can also protect you from data loss in case your system fails.

Learn more about Dropbox

-Joe, Penn State employee

 

__________

 

Have you always wanted to learn Photoshop or Excel? Maybe you need help creating a resume, or you need something to put on your resume (we’ve all been there). If so, meet Lynda.

Penn State has teamed up with Lynda.com to bring you thousands of free online software training tutorials (available 24/7) taught by subject experts. Don’t wait until you’re a senior (like I did) to take advantage of the newly updated Lynda.com at Penn State features that let you earn certificates for course completion, keep track of your course history, and access training via an iPhone app. Once you get your Penn State user ID and password, start checking out Lynda.com!

-George, Film ’12

 

__________

 

The Penn State Media Commons is a great service to take advantage of while you’re a student at Penn State. I was surprised at how many professors are starting to assign multimedia projects, and was panicked until my roommate told about the Media Commons.

They’re so helpful! Each location is staffed with professionals who are highly trained on a variety of hardware and software, depending on what type of project you’re looking to do. You can even borrow equipment from them if you need to do work at another site. They’ll show you how to turn in projects that are guaranteed to make a positive impact.

The best thing about the Media Commons is that they’re totally free, and located at every Penn State Commonwealth Campus, so there’s no excuse not to take advantage of them. Take a look at their website to get more information, and to see work other students have put together.

-Sean, Arts & Architecture ’13

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Guest Blog – Occupy Penn State

Friday, December 2, 2011

Laurel Petrulionis is a first-year student in the Division of Undergraduate Studies. She first began her involvement with Occupy Penn State as a member of the Leftist Symposium and the Coalition for Affordable Education, and spends more time than she probably should maintaining the Occupy Penn State Tumblr account.

_________________

 

From the televising of the Vietnam War to Barack Obama’s use of social media in the 2008 presidential campaign, the relationship between technology and activism is historically strong. Occupy Penn State continues the trend by using technology for its multifaceted campaign, which has evolved from the Occupy Wall Street movement.

I first learned about Occupy through social media. An avid user of the blogging website “Tumblr,” I stumbled upon the movement when one of the political blogs I followed posted pictures from the protest. I then went onto the Livestream and watched an hour of speakers talking about what was wrong with our current corporate “oligarchy.” I added the #OccupyWallStreet tag to my watched tags on Twitter, and liked its Facebook page. When I found out that friends of mine had gone up for the first weekend, I scoured Youtube for videos that they might be in. Those five websites were able to give me more information about the protest than any big media website offered.

For the first few weeks, Occupy Wall Street relied on social media to spread the word of their occupation — big name news companies seemed to ignore the thousands of people camped out in Zuccotti Park. But through tweets, tumbles, and likes, word spread, and occupations began spreading to cities worldwide. Student activists at Penn State realized the potential for the Occupy movement to not only foster discussion, but also to effect real change at a local level.

Because of conflicts like Thanksgiving break, Semester break, and also out of respect for the scandal that Penn State currently faces, Occupy Penn State no longer has a physical occupation in the HUB. But we still have weekly meetings to plan and discuss how a group of students at a large university can influence and effect change. To begin, we created a set of goals for Penn State:

Lower Tuition
Sustainability in Education
Social Awareness
Inclusive Student Representation
Disclosure of Corporate Sponsorship and Budget Transparency
Affordable Housing

We’ve broken into smaller “action groups” to attack each issue directly. For example, our representation group has met with UPUA members and has already drafted a petition to send to the administration. We have had conversations with members from the administration, and plan on continuing discussion with the new administration. Change, when facilitated by peaceful, direct democracy, might not happen overnight; however, we at Occupy Penn State are working every day to create real results from our efforts.

I won’t go into detail about the events we’re planning; they’re publicly announced on our Facebook page, which has 247 “likes” currently. I won’t recap our General Assembly meetings; the minutes are posted on our Tumblr and our Twitter, which is already at 77 followers. I won’t describe the physical occupation; you can view pictures and archived updates from it on our Twitter account, and I won’t tell you the stories of the people who are occupying. You can watch them explain why they’re involved on our YouTube channel .

I will, however, tell you that there really isn’t any excuse not to be politically active with the technology available to our generation. If you have a Facebook account, you have the ability to like any combination of pages for politicians, causes, and parties, and receive news updates from them when you’re watching what costumes your friends wore to that Halloween party last weekend. At Occupy Penn State, we’ve been wildly successful in reaching a broad audience of students and community members, along with networking with other college occupations using social media. To be an activist, all you need is a computer and the passion to change the world.

 

ClickBlog@psu.edu

Filed in General, Guest Posts | |

Pre-Finals Tips

Friday, November 18, 2011

So finals…yeah, they’re coming up right after you get back, just in case you hadn’t remembered. By no means am I suggesting you even think about school during break, but it may be a good time to remind you of some things to take advantage of that you have access to as a Penn State student. And they are (in no particular order)…

The Media Commons

These guys rock. Virtually anything having to do with anything multimedia – they’re up on it. Not specific enough for you? Let’s say you want to shoot video against a green screen and then edit it yourself. They’ll show you how to use the camera, let you use all the equipment, and teach you how to use the software to make it happen…for free! The Media Commons is located at every Commonwealth Campus, and is staffed by professionals for most of the day. Now multimedia projects aren’t so scary. Check out their website for more information!

The ITS Computer Labs usage page

We’ve all been there. It’s pouring and you schlep all the way across campus to a computer lab to finish your paper, only to find it’s completely full of people on Facebook. During finals, time is of the essence. Do your self a favor and bookmark the labs usage page so you can see which ITS labs are open, which computers are available, and search for the specific piece of software you need. It’s even updated in real time!

PASS Storage Space

Now would be a super time to back up all your files. You never know what can happen to a computer when it’s traveling, and 2 weeks before finals is not the time you want to worry about trying to get back all your lost work. Did you know that as a student you have access to up to 10GB of free online storage space for free? All you have to do is apply for Web space, and you can start backing up in no time. Did I just blow your mind a little bit there?

The Be Safe Website

It’s never a good time to forget about staying safe online. You take vacations, but phishing doesn’t. Do your part to stay as safe as you can online by checking out the Be Safe website for tips and tricks. The Security Operations and Services website is another great place to get information.

 

Buck up, kiddos! Only a couple more weeks until the Holiday break (or graduation, for some of you!). We can’t help you with the actual studying, but we can help you make the most of the technology services available for you. It’s up to you to take advantage of them!

 

-Jenn
ClickBlog@psu.edu

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