Technology Guide

• Canvas Student Support Videos: This collection of videos from Canvas will walk you through all the basic functions and features of the Canvas platform. 

• Getting Started with Canvas as a Student: If you need a short introduction to Canvas watch this video.

• Canvas Short Videos: This collection of videos offers some guidance on using Canvas such as managing notifications, uploading files for assignments, and embedding images in discussions.

• Canvas Student Guide Table: This guide from the Canvas community covers most features and functions of Canvas. If you are lost or looking for support with features of Canvas you will find a resource here. Hint, use the Find On Page tip to search through the topics so you don’t have to scroll through dozens of articles.

• Zoom Meetings Support: This page from Zoom offers all the support you need to get started with Zoom.

• Zoom Team Chat Support: Outside of using Zoom for meetings the app can also be used to send chat messages between users. Visit the page to learn all about using Zoom Chat outside of meetings.

• Zoom offers this handy two-page PDF aimed at using Zoom for educational purposes. There are many great tips and resources linked, and we highlight a few below.

  • Participating in breakout rooms

  • Using Meeting Reactions

  • Using Chat in a Meeting

• 20 Ways to Upgrade Your Zoom Calls: This short blog post from CNET offers guidance on setting up your Zoom profile. Find out how to change your background, change your name, add your pronouns, and add a profile picture.

While attending synchronous classes at Relay you will be asked to “split your screen” so you can view the Zoom session and follow along in Nearpod or other web pages. Depending on your operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux) there are different ways to do this easily.

• Windows: Managing Screen Space

• Mac: Split Screens

Here at Relay we heavily use Google tools to create documents, spreadsheets, and share files. If you create a Google account using your student email you will have access to all of Google’s tools. Below you will find links to help you learn the various tools.

• Google Learning Center: Here you'll find everything you need to start using Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Docs, and Drive. You'll also find business-focused end-user training, tips, and more. Below are some links for specific tools pulled from this guide.

  • Gmail Training and Support

  • Google Calendar Training and Support 

  • Google Docs Training and Support

  • Google Sheets Training and Support

  • Google Slides Training and Support

  • Google Jamboard Support

  • Google Drive Training and Support

• Clear Your Cache: Sometimes the web pages we visit store pieces of information in our browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, etc.), and sometimes these pieces of information (known as cookies) can prevent the web page from working properly. In order to remove these stored bits of information we need to clear the cache. Follow this helpful guide from the Relay Technology Team.

• When in Doubt Ctrl/Command + F - Need to quickly find something on a web page, article, or PDF? Use this handy trick! Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac + F

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• How do I create a screenshot: The Relay Technology Team offers this short guide for Windows and Mac on creating a screenshot.

• Create a URL to open a PDF file at a specific page: To create a link to a specific page in a PDF file, add #page=[page number] to the end of the link's URL. For example: http://www.example.com/myfile.pdf#page=4 

Digital literacy refers to a particular set of competencies that allow you to function and participate fully in a digital world. 

• Using a Web Browser: Web browsers are the tools used to discover information on the internet. These tools are constantly changing and adding new features to make searching easier. Check out this guide to make sure you know all the features that are available to you. Learn about using tabs, creating bookmarks, downloading files and more!

• Using Search Engines: Whether you consider yourself a searching pro or novice there is always a useful tip waiting to be discovered. Check out the linked page and short video to learn some new tips! 

• Technology Support: There are so many different technology tools available that seemingly perform the same task. Do you use Word or Docs? Chrome or Firefox? Windows or Mac? Or do you need some support learning the fundamentals of computers? The linked page provides a great introduction to all of these tools and more.