Collaborative Technology Project for Day of Giving

Custom videos and the love of the Blair community come together in an innovative technology project to enhance Blair’s Inaugural Day of Giving this past April.  With the guidance of fine arts faculty member Ms. Schiller, Shane Lusby '18 was able to collaborate on the project with Ms. Marsh, Director of Annual Giving. Shane used his DJI Phantom 3 Aerial Photography Drone to capture campus views. He also compiled footage of students and editing in Final Cut Pro for a sleek and professional look.

Google Docs, NPR, and the Presidential Debate

Mr. Fortunato has been meeting with students for a weekly seminar focused on the current presidential election, a process which has included live video conferencing with guest speakers.  Technology is playing an increasing role in real world events. Most recently, the collaborative features of Google Docs have been used during the Presidential Debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.  NPR provided a live fact-check over a real-time transcript of the debate. Using a closed-captioning service feeding into a Google Doc, more than 50 people comprised of reporters, editors, researchers, and copy editors had access to quickly write, review, and publish annotations while the transcript was appearing on a website. There was only a one- to two-minute delay between what was said in the debate and what appeared on the site.  Google Docs collaboration is making a difference not only on our campus but beyond.

Here's a link to the NPR page: Fact Check Presidential Debate
Click here to read more information on the technical aspects of the NPR's page.

3D Printing in Two Colors

The first dual-extruded 3D project was printed eariler this year using one of Blair's Makerbot 3D printers. Each component is planned and built together, with the machine switching from one color to another.  Layers are built using both colors in strategic positions so the final object has sections in two colors.  The printed object in this photograph is a white dragon wrapped around a black egg.

Showing Videos without the ads

Looking for a way to show YouTube videos in a class assignment or presentation without the advertisements?  Video content is being shown in classrooms more than ever here at Blair. YouTube is popular, but what about those ads and video content 'suggestions'? There is a free service anyone can use to stream ad-free video content from YouTube.  It can be found at http://safeshare.tv.  Simply enter the YouTube URL and get a "safe" link to just the content video, nothing else.

AudioVisual Instruction Cards

Audio visual systems are an increasingly important part of the classroom experience at Blair.   To better support faculty who often switch classrooms during the school day, instruction cards are available in every classroom as a resource for those who need a quick refresher.  Instructions include how to screen-share, how to stream video, and how to play CDs or DVDs.  Last year, text-heavy instructional cards were replaced by visually appealing and easy-to-follow guides.  As systems are updated in the classrooms, so are the cards.

Enrollment Software

Starting this February, the enrollment and re-enrollment process will be simplified for parents and administrators. Our database administrator, Hal Kay has been coordinating the effort to launch SchoolAdmin, a sophisticated online Admissions and Enrollment software. This will replace the previous software which provided enrollment and re-enrollment online forms. Highlights of the software include enrollment contracts, forms, deposits, and document uploads in a intuitive and user-friendly environment. The project is similar to last year's upgrade in the Admissions Office to use SchoolAdmin for application forms.

Robot Progress

Progress continues in the robotics class on the a life-size humanoid robot made of 3-D printed components.  Construction of the basic torso is completed and half of one arm is done.  Students are now are disassembling and reassembling components as they file parts to fit them, and connecting and testing electronics.