Logging into Blackboard 1. Direct the browser to the Gadsden State Homepage (http://www.gadsdenstate.edu/)

2. Click on the Blackboard icon

Teaching & Learning Center

3. Enter your username and password

Blackboard Login Instructions: To login to Blackboard go to https://gadsdenstate.blackboard.com/ and enter your username and password. Your username is only the portion of your student email before the "@" sign. Do not include @gadsdenstate.edu. Example: username is jdoe9999. If you do not know your Student email address, login to Self Service Banner. Click "Personal Information", Click "View Email Addresses", and your campus email address will be listed. Recently accepted students will receive their account information in the personal email address supplied during the application process. Returning students will not receive this email and will use their username and current password to login. If you are having Bb login issues, please contact the Help Desk or call 256-549-8341 during regular business hours.

Maneuvering In Blackboard The first page displayed after logging into Blackboard is the My Institution Page.

Note the various Modules that compose this page, along with the Tools, and the Tabs at the top of the page.

You may access your course by clicking on the linked name of the course under the My Courses Module.

The entry point in a Blackboard course may vary. The instructor has the ability to set the course entry point. Two common entry points include the Home Page and the Announcements Page.

Home Page as Entry Point

1. Note the Modular appearance

2. Can access areas by clicking on the links within the Modules

3. Best to use the Course Menu Links

Teaching & Learning Center

Announcements Page as Entry Point

1. Announcements contain important class information 2. Utilize Course Menu to move throughout the course

Missing Course Menu? Are you unable to maneuver in your Bb course because your Course Menu is not visible? Mouse over the section outlined in red as seen below.

The colored bar will become gray and an arrow will appear (pointing right)

Click the arrow pointing right and the course menu will reappear

Teaching & Learning Center

Printing the Course Calendar The following instructions refer to printing when using Firefox, the recommended browser for Blackboard. Calendars in Blackboard may not print properly due to browser restrictions. Below are three options you can use to print the Blackboard course calendar.

From the Course Menu, click the Calendar Button.

Check or un-check the boxes for the course(s) you want to see on your final print-out (if you’re doing this for multiple courses, it may be easier to have one print-out per course).

Option 1: Print Calendar from Firefox browser

Click on the Open menu button in the upper right hand corner of the Firefox browser Click Print

Teaching & Learning Center

For best printing results, choose Landscape, scale to 100% or less Click Print > OK

Option 2: Print Screenshot of Calendar

Microsoft Windows: Take a screenshot of the calendar view. You can do this by pressing the Print Screen key (usually in the upper right of the keyboard). This creates a copy of your screen at the time you hit it that you can then paste into a program such as Word or Paint. You can paste by typing Ctrl + V. You can then edit your image as you like and then print from File > Print (or Ctrl + P). You could also use the Microsoft Screen Snipping Tool to get a more precise screenshot and then paste that into Paint or Word.

Apple Mac: Take a screenshot of part of your screen. Press Command (⌘)-Shift-4, Move the crosshair pointer to where you want to start the screenshot, Drag to select an area, When you've selected the area you want, release your mouse or trackpad button, Find the screenshot as a .png file on your desktop.

Option 3: Use an external calendar application

Get an iCal URL for importing your Blackboard Learn calendar into an external calendar application. After the Learn iCal URL is set up in an external calendar, it is updated dynamically with new Learn calendar events. For example, log in to Google Calendar and access the Other Calendar drop-down list. Select Add by URL and paste the iCal URL generated by Blackboard Learn.

In this example I will use Microsoft Office Outlook

Click Get External Calendar Link

The Generate iCal URL pop-up window opens Copy the URL by right clicking on the blue highlighted link, then click Copy --OR-- use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C

Open Microsoft Office Outlook and navigate to the calendar Click on Open Calendar > From Internet…

Paste the URL by right clicking in the location box, then click Paste --OR-- using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V Click OK

It may take a few moments to load, but then you will have all of your Blackboard calendars available in your Microsoft Office Outlook calendar. You can then go to File > Print in Outlook to choose from several different printing styles.