Using the Text Editor Toolbar

The text editor toolbar is found throughout Cougar Courses and is used to add and format text, images, links, and tables within resources and activities such as Pages, Labels, Forums, Assignments, Wikis, etc.

Note: Click and drag the bottom right corner to increase the size of the text box.

• Adding/Editing Text
• Pasting from Word
• Adding an Image from the Web
• Adding an Image Saved to Your Computer
• Adding Tables
• Adding Links to Web Pages or Files
• Adding short audio/video recording using Poodll
• Cleaning Up Formatting

Adding/Editing Text

1. Type your text directly into the text area.

2. Click the “toggle toolbar” icon in the upper left to expand the formatting options available:
   
   1. The top line contains options to change text format, font, size, text color,  and background color; and to bold, italicize, and underline text.
   2. The second line contains options to change the alignment or indent text.
   3. The third line contains options to insert equations or special characters.

Pasting from Word

1. Copy your text in Word.

2. In the toolbar click the Paste from Word icon.

 

3. Paste your text into the Paste from Word popup window. When finished, click Insert in the lower left of the popup window.

Adding an Image from the Web

1. Click in the text area where you want the image to appear.
2. Click the Insert/Edit image icon in the toolbar.

 

3. In another window or tab, locate the desired image on the web and right click on the image. In the pop-­‐up menu, locate the option that allows you to copy the URL (address/location) of the image.
4. Switch back to the window or tab with Cougar Courses, and in the "Insert/edit image" popup window, paste the address of the image into the Image URL field. When finished, click Insert in the lower left.

Adding an Image Saved to Your Computer

1. To add an image, in the text area click where you want the image to appear.
2. Click the Insert/edit image icon in the toolbar.

 

3. In the "Insert/edit image" popup window, click “Find or upload an image…”

 

4. In the File Picker popup window, click “Upload a file” on the left and then click Browse to select the file on your computer. Once selected, click “Upload this file.”

 

5. Add an image description. When finished, click Insert in the lower left.

Adding Tables

1. Click the Insert/edit table icon in the toolbar.

 

2. Use the "Insert/edit table"popup window to set:
   1. The number of columns and rows.
   2. The border width (in pixels). If set to 0, there will be no visible border.

 

3. Click Insert in the lower left.

Adding Links to Web Pages or Files

1. Highlight the text to link. Click the link icon in the toolbar.

 

2. For a link to a webpage: enter the URL of the webpage in the Link URL space and set the target to Open in new window (_blank).

 

3. For a link to a file: click the Browse repositories icon.

 

1. In the File Picker popup window, click “Upload a file” on the left and then click Browse to select the file on your computer. Once selected, click “Upload this file.”

 

4. Click Insert in the lower left of the "Insert/edit link" popup window.

Adding short audio/video recording using Poodll

You can use Poodll to record a short audio or video message.

To record audio:

Click the audio recorder icon.

This will bring up the audio recorder in a popup window.

• Click the gear icon to select the microphone.
• Click the microphone icon to begin recording.
• While recording click the pause icon to pause, or click the stop icon to stop.
• Click the play icon to play back your recording.
• If you are satisfied with your recording click Upload. If you want to re-record, click Record again.

Once uploaded it will be appear as a link in the text box. Once you save it will be displayed as a player.

To record video

Click the video recorder icon.

This will bring up the video recorder in a popup window.

 

• Click the gear icon in the lower right to select the microphone and camera.
• Click the camera icon to begin recording.
• When finished recording click the stop icon.
• Click the play icon to play back your recording.
• If you are satisfied with your recording, click Save.

Once saved it will appear as a link in the text box. Once you save it will be displayed as a player.

Cleaning Up Formatting

 Sometimes the formatting of text can be off, especially if you are pasting from various sources.

1. To clean up formatting, highlight the text and click the "Cleanup messy code" icon in the toolbar.
2. To remove formatting completely, highlight the text and click the "Remove formatting" icon in the toolbar.