Infographics

Infographics (or Information graphics) are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly. 1

For example:

http://facethefactsusa.org/facts/supersized-hunger-pangs-supersized-waste-infographic/

Here are a few sites where you can create your own infographics (for free!) that you can easily embed into a post or share through social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter):

(1) http://www.easel.ly/

(2) http://infogr.am/

(3) http://piktochart.com/

  1. Doug Newsom and Jim Haynes (2004). Public Relations Writing: Form and Style. p.236.

QuickTime Screen Recordings

Screen recordings capture all the activity on your computer screen including any programs you are running (e.g., powerpoint, facetime, etc.), movies you are playing (e.g., a youtube video) and actions that you take (e.g., opening a program, typing, etc.).

It's easy to  create a screen recording using QuickTime.  To start, open QuickTime and then

(1) Click on "File" in the menu bar

(2) Click on "New Screen Recording"

(2) Click on the red "Record" button.

(3) Click on the "Stop" button to end recording.

Once you are done, you can easily edit your screen recording in iMovie.

Helpful Hints:

Your screen recording will automatically be saved in your "Movies" file. To change this location, click on the drop down menu in the recording dialogue box and click on "Choose" under "Save to" to pick a new location before recording.

Your screen recording will also record all audio including the sound of your typing and mouse clicks. If you don't want to record the sound, click on the drop down menu in the recording dialogue box and click on "None" under "Microphone" before recording.

Press-This

Press This is a cool little app that can make posting links to other websites or articles on other websites very easy. To add Press This to your browser for future use, go to Dashboard and then Tools.

On the Tools page you'll see a little Press This icon (the little gray rectangle on the screen that says Press This). Grab the icon and drag it to the Bookmarks bar on your browser. Now you can use Press This. But why would you? Say, for example, that you want to write a post about an article you read on the NY Times online because you think others in the class might find it useful or interesting. If you have Press This on your browser Bookmarks bar you can write a post without having to go to our website and login in, etc. Here's how:

Go to the website or article that you want to write about. Click on the Press This icon on your Bookmark bar.

When you do, a new Post window will pop-up.

The Post will be titled the name of the article/website (you can change this) and a link to the article/website will appear in the Post editing box. You can add some text to the Post to explain why you want us to read the article, change the title, etc. Remember to Categorize your post, then click Publish.