Two More MOS Associates, Best Improved Slideshow Presentation, Reaching for the Stars

The past week, especially the past two days, have seen students catching up and rising up!

Friday evening, 11 pm, I was about to turn in for the day but heard a ding from my computer. Checking the inbox, I see Wayne has sent in his A10 Improved Slideshow Presentation. Knowing the former Navy Man is focusing on preparing for MO-211 Excel Expert, I would not have been disappointed had he not send in his optional bonus assignment A10.

Saturday's class session saw students focusing on their own coursework. The highlight was Wayne's sharing of his Career and Education and Goals. This is the best A10 from my students, ever!

By using simple shapes and animation effects that flow in consideration with each other between slides, Wanye gave a sense of continuity and polish through his entire slideshow. This -- on top of creating his own slide master with a vibrant image, sharp contrasting color scheme, alternating placements of shapes between slides, and layered photographs -- is what propelled me deem his A10 as the most standout improved slideshow presentations I have seen yet.

Earlier this week before Friday, I showed my wife, who is a graphic design artist, a few things in PowerPoint and she in turn showed me what she did after further exploring PowerPoint on her own. After Wayne's presentation and my quick walk through of the light touchups I performed on his draft slideshow, I showcased what my wife prepared for me to demonstrate to my students:

• Using the time settings in animation effects and slide transitions to make a slideshow automatically loop continuously
• Creating an animated gif using PowerPoint
• Using the crop-to-shape feature and background color to create one's own slide transition illusion
• Creating a MP4 video using PowerPoint
• Using the 'Morph' slide transition with different directions -- same intention and similar result as seen in Wayne's A10 slideshow

Before leaving our final classroom session, Anisley (Ani) took on and passed MO-310 PowerPoint, becoming the second MOS Associate from IS101-3003, Fall 2023 :-) After our class session officially ended, Mary, Roberto, Valeria, and Leina continued with their coursework until they qualified to take MO-210 Excel. Though not all four found joy, I am proud of all four. Afterwards, I left school and met with my wife to celebrate a momentous event in the late afternoon.

Sunday noon, I returned to our classroom to help Mary clean up her blog and Canvas discussions, proctor Manassiya in her MO-310 PowerPoint, and strategize with Wayne how to further prepare for MO-210 Excel Expert.

Manassiya joined Wayne and Ani as the third MOS Associate of IS101-3003, Fall 2023. Wayne shared his GMetrix account (a MOS certification preparation tool) with me to share with his classmates and my future students should they want to pursue beyond MOS Associate. Thank you Wayne ^_^

Earlier this week, Ani did express interest of pursuing her MOS Expert distinction as Wayne is doing now. Perhaps after her work and family life give her some room to breath, I will hear from her again.

I have a few more days before I need to submit students' grades. I know most will use that time to catch up and clean up their outstanding items to raise their grade.

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Students,

My next post will be the final one where I recognize your accomplishments and distinctions from IS101-3003, Fall 2023. Please share your career and education goals in your comment for this post. Will you reach for the stars?

Job Hunting Tips & Reminders, Story of Electronics, Dig Deep

This past Saturday saw six students earn their Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certificates :-)

The class session kicked off with Nadia's A5 Slideshow Presentation on South Korea where the young lady showcased language, k-pop, and food from The Land of the Morning Calm. I used the walkthrough of the transformation process for Nadia's slideshow to reiterate key points such as

• Maintaining height and width ratio when resizing
• Over layering images to not only better fit multiple images on a slide but also produce a subtle perception of depth
• Using a consist order of animation directions between slides to give a sense of cohesion

The remainder of the class session saw students catching up and preparing for their MOS certification exams.

After earning his MOS Associate distinction a week before this past Saturday, Wayne ventured beyond the boundaries of IS101 to practice for MO-111 Word Expert using GMetrix. This past Saturday, the former Navy Man's ambition paid off as he is now halfway to earning his MOS Expert distinction, MO-211 Excel Expert will fall this coming Saturday!

Anisley (Ani) and Manassiya took on and passed MO-210 Excel. I know they will take on MO-310 PowerPoint this Saturday and join Wayne as MOS Associates this coming Saturday. Nadia, Leina, and Valeria began took and passed their first MOS certification exam: MO-110 Word. May they find the same success with MO-210 and/or MO-310 this coming Saturday.

I'm still riding high on the excitement from my students' six certificates earned yesterday and 100% success rate on MOS certification exams thus far this semester. May this excitement soar even higher ^_^

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(A) This 2 min 17 sec video is a perfect complement to Nadia's A5: AI goes mainstream in South Korea.

(B) From an earlier assignment, students shared whether they have or have not used each of the 13 tips and reminders in their job hunting from the two-page article 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search.

(C) Despite being from November 2011, the 7 min 47 sec The Story of Electronics is still relevant today.

Students,

Please share your thoughts on:

(a) What do you think of artificial intelligence (AI) replacing human performance? Can what you do be replaced or enhanced by AI?

(b) Please choose a unique tip/reminder from the thirteen and share your experience with it. Unique means if someone else already used a tip/reminder, you will need to choose a new one. Be sure to use the leading zero when identifying your chosen tip/reminder (i.e. T09, not T9).

(c) What do you think of the design for the dump concept? Did The Story of Electronic make you think about how you would choose, manage, and dispose of your electronic devices?

First MOS Associate, Independence, Ransomware

Yesterday was momentous! Wayne became the first MOS Associate from IS101-3003, Fall 2023 ^_^

I kicked off the class session by welcoming students back from Thanksgiving Break and gave individual feedback to each student for their performance thus far. Valeria then took center stage and regaled the class with her Summer 2023: Atlántida, Uruguay to Las Vegas, U.S.A. for College. Her A5 Slideshow Presentation elicited Anisley (Ani) and Mary to share their shock when they arrived from the U.S. from their respective birth country. I concluded by sharing how I worked with Valeria bring her journey to life in a PowerPoint slideshow.

The second half the class session saw three students each taking a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam. Wayne lead the class by taking on his third MOS certification exam. Upon passing MO-310 PowerPoint, the former Navy Man became the first MOS Associate from IS101-3003, Fall 2023. I am so proud of him. What excites me even more is with his ahead of schedule MOS Associate, Wayne definitely has the luxury to pursue more MOS certifications. I know his ambition will take full advantage of that luxury.

Ani took on MO-110 Word and end up eclipsing Wayne's very high score on MO-110. Ani's score tied with Wayne's even higher score on MO-210 Excel. Roberto also conquered MO-110 Word before the class session ended. Mary stayed in the classroom until the evening. After hours of working in LabSim, instead of going home, the hardworking mom took on MO-110 and prevailed. I am gleaming with pride :-)

As students begin to take on certification exams, we also approach the second and final capstone assignment: A7 Mail Merge. Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) may be the central mechanical concepts of the assignment, the quintessential purpose is to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their independence.

From reading the PDF for A7 (posted in Week 14 in Canvas), will my students distill what they need to produce for A7's business scenario?

(A) Will my students follow one of my hints in the PDF and bravely use the Mail Merge wizard in Word?

(B) Will my students analyze the two documents for A7 and use them to produce what A7 requires?

(C) Will my students use the image below and fully comprehend OLE?

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Toward the beginning of this semester, two casinos corporations were hit with ransomware attacks. Now that both situations are out of the news, please watch this 22:07 min video from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqD-ATqw3js

View discretion is advised as the 22-min video contains mature languages and John Oliver's brand of humor. If you are under the age of 18 and cannot obtain your parent's permission, let me know and I will give you an alternate assignment in place of watching this video.

Back in the Spring 2017 semester, I shared with my students that 2016 had the highest number of ransomware attacks in recent years and a student shared with me that he had never heard of the term 'ransomware'. From the above video, I learned about the three major developments that likely contributed to that surge in 2016. Thank you John Oliver!

What I also appreciate are his three advices:

 (1) Enable multi-factor authentication to make hacking your accounts less easy for bad actors. Remember Mat Honan's Epic Hack?

 (2) Keep your computer update to date with antivirus software & operating system fixes, patches, and updates.

 (3) Don't click on suspicious links or emails.

Students, please share your professional thoughts on:

 (i) How was your experience in doing A7 Mail Merge? Instead of relying on click-by-click instructions, did you identify and conceptualize what you need to produce to meet the business scenario for A7?

 (ii) Do you think the three major developments mentioned in John Oliver's video that help ransomware attacks proliferate are still relevant today? Other thoughts you have from watching the video?

 (iii) How do you see yourself finishing IS101-3003, Fall 2023?

My Signatures, Hall of Fame, Thanksgiving 'Re'-Cubed

This past Wednesday, Wayne met me in the classroom again to take on MO-210 Excel. This time, the former Navy Man scored even higher than he did on Monday :-) I look forward to seeing him returning from the Thanksgiving Break to take on and conquer the third Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam and becoming the first MOS Associate from IS101-3003, Fall 2023 ^_^

Since Fall 2019 when the Computer & Information Technology department incorporated MOS certification exams into the IS101 curriculum, I have always encouraged and facilitated my students to go above and beyond what are required by IS101 and enter my Hall of Fame. What excites me even more is the likelihood that Fall 2023 will not break that streak!

Thanksgiving Break is a welcomed respite from daily hustle and bustle & a time to rest, recharge, and reflect. On this final day of the break, I re-visit the question "What separates me/my IS101 from others?"

(1) Proactively connecting with each student on an individual level before a semester begins. I may not be the only IS101 faculty that reaches out to students before a semester begins but I believe I may be the only one to craft individual introduction email for each student and hold a WebEx meeting to not only put a face to a name for both of us but to ascertain a student's digital literacy level and/or correct any inaccurate preconception a student may have.

(2) Challenging students using analytical demonstrations/assignments/quizzes with context-based scenarios beyond mechanical-based tutorial steps. I evaluate a student's performance by the answers to these three questions: Did a student interpret the requirement(s)/scenario correctly? Did a student know the solution(s)/mitigation(s) to the correct requirement/scenario? Did a student articulate the solution(s)/mitigation(s) fully and succinctly in such a way that someone who has no prior knowledge of the solution(s)/mitigation(s) can understand it? Throughout the past 25 years of teaching part-time in digital literacy courses, I have evolved a set of 14 bonus quizzes and a set of 10 performance-based assignments.

(3) Enriching students with skills and habits that are not deeply covered by the IS101 curriculum but necessary for their digital literacy growth. Several years ago, around 2016 I think, I had a conversation with the Digital Literacy program director and he laments that we are about a decade behind as other higher education's digital literacy programs as they touch on websites and threaded discussions. I thought: hmm... I have been using my A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing since 2004 and A2 Blog Articles, Videos, Comments since 2007, has any other IS101 faculty from College of Southern Nevada (CSN) done something similar? Two key habits I instill in my students at the onset of a semester are (a) 'Single Sign-On (SSO) = Single Point-of-Failure (SPOF)'/how to manage one's many credentials/digital identities and (b) managing one's email Inbox with email folders and rules.

(4) Instilling/facilitating a hunger for above-and-beyond accomplishments instead of a getting-by attitude. In Fall 2019, CSN adopted MOS Word and MOS Excel as part of the industry certification component of the IS101 curriculum. As more of MOS certifications became available, I have always encouraged and helped students in preparing for any and all available MOS certifications at the moment. In Fall 2022, MOS PowerPoint was added to the requirement for IS101, meeting the minimum to earn the MOS Associate distinction. Since Fall 2019, five (5) of my former students have hit the MOS Homerun (earned all seven MOS certificates), three (3) achieved the MOS Expert distinction (MOS Associate plus at least two expert certificates), and at least eleven (11) went above and beyond what they needed for IS101.

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Starting from the upper left and heading down then to the right:

(A) My three answers to "What questions should one ask when deciding to purchase a computing device?"

(B) A sample homepage designed with Albert Einstein as a fictitious student whose A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing showcases his work products and accomplishments in IS101.

(C) Three of the four scenarios in my 'Straight Average vs. Weighted Average' walkthrough, which I walked through in class on November 4.

(D) An example of an email Inbox rule, [IS101 Assignments], I help my students create to declutter their Inbox and automatically file certain incoming emails to designated a folder.

(E) One of my most proud topic: teaching my students how to properly dissect an Uniform Resource Locator's (URL) components and each component's meaning and purpose.

(F) The fourth and the coup-de-grace scenario in my 'Straight Average vs. Weighted Average' walkthrough. This walkthrough is the most interactive lecture/presentation/walkthrough in my IS101 treasure chest.

(E) Roadmap to hitting a MOS Homerun.

As valuable and marketable the MOS certificates are, they are not my creation; my signature is enticing and helping my students go above and beyond in hitting a MOS Homerun.

Since I started teaching in higher education in Fall 1998, I have honed my own sets of results-based assignments and bonus quizzes.

*****A listing of my signature set of ten (10) assignments:

A1 Accounts Setup and Professional Communication

The inaugural assignment not only helps students set up most of the accounts they will need for IS101 but also gives me a glimpse into their digital literacy level, their comprehension skills, and their ability to follow written instructions. More importantly, it sets the rigorous tone, expectation to manage their folders and files, and how to participate in discussion threads for the remainder of the semester.

A2 Blog Posts, Articles, Videos, Comments

Nothing epitomizes living online than regular blog posts and commenting on each other's posts. As each student is sharing his/her life's happenings, views, passions, and even livelihood, I am chronicling major highlights and milestones of the course. Intertwined are also articles and videos related to the course. This assignment, along with another, serves to memorialize all of a student's hard work and accomplishment after the semester ends.

A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume

Perhaps the most practical assignment of all is one that helps a student improve his/her livelihood. Many times have students shared that the tailored resume from this assignment has helped them make a positive impression and even landing a job. Another highlight for me is helping those who have never created a resume or cover letter in creating their first one.

A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing

An online portfolio used to be something that made its owner stand out as a digital pioneer. Nowadays, one looks deficient without one. This is also where a student's individuality shines brightly and showcases all of his/her work products from IS101 and whatever else they want to share. I take special pride in helping my students with their homepage design using Microsoft Word and uploading website content to an ad-free hosting service.

A5 Slideshow Presentation

Students are excited to share their hobby, passion, or even livelihood with the class. Some dread presenting/public speaking. A partnership is formed where the student submits a draft and I polish their draft into a polished version. All are happy and energized after sharing their topic and learning new features in Microsoft PowerPoint.

A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer

The first of two capstone assignments, this one tests students' logical thinking, Microsoft Excel skills, and attention to details. More than just knowing how to implement formulas and functions, one must be able to interpret raw data with the proper context and present quantitative information in an understandable fashion both visually and logically.

A7 Mail Merge

The second capstone assignment tests students' self-sufficiency in digital literacy. When given an everyday scenario and a wizard in Microsoft Word to guide a student through a process to draw data from Microsoft Excel, some students are at a loss without step-by-step instructions. Some students rise up to the challenge. This final required assignment forces students to face the scenario of life after the classroom.

A8 Query Options and IF Statement

This bonus assignment is a direct continuation of A7 and is a jumping-off point to a higher level of logical thinking and software programming. Unlike A9, A8 can be very short and quick if a student focuses on the narrowly defined expected results, find and analyze the means to achieve those results beyond the superficial layer, and carry out the means correctly and completely.

A9 Workbook Investigation

The bonus optional assignment is an expanded and business scenario to test students' Microsoft Excel skills whereas A6 was an everyday life scenario. A9 is also the most involved assignment of this ten-assignment set. Only the more dedicated and detail-oriented students succeed in A9 and earn a special place in my memory lane of IS101.

A10 Improved Slideshow Presentation

The final bonus assignment comes in two flavors: single and duo. The 'single' is a way for students earn up to a couple of extra points to push themselves to the next grading sign if they are on the verge. The 'duo' requires two students to work collaboratively on a slideshow, present it as a team, and has the highest bonus credit potential in the ten-assignment set.

*****A list of my bonus quizzes:

BQ1 - Syllabus

BQ2 - Self-Reliance and Self-Responsibility

BQ3 - Jump Ahead & Special Characters in File Name

BQ4 - Display, Shift/Ctrl, Boot-up, Binary, IPOS

BQ5 - Social Engineering and Purchasing Rationale

BQ6 - Shortcut, Recycle Bin, and File Types

BQ7 - TCP/IP & One Big Thing and Generic Top Level Domains

BQ8 - Domain Name Registration, ccTLD Hack, and URL Parts

BQ9 - SEO Hats, Techniques, Consequences, and ccTLD Hack & URL Parts Revisited

BQ10 - Internet Search Engine and Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scam

BQ11 - Internet <> WWW and Educating a Layman on Mat Honan's Epic Hack

BQ12 - Microsoft Excel and Spreadsheet Analysis

BQ13 - Apex of Excel

BQ14 - Object Linking & Embedding, IPOS Perspective, and Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy

I have also encountered some rare gems and incorporated them into my IS101 curriculum. These rare gems include (a) sage comments from people from various walks of life responding to an idiotic open letter resulting from 'free', (b) a wickedly and brilliantly written memorandum from then chancellor of Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) in turnaround communication, (c) a detailed first-hand walkthrough of epic hack/social engineering and data recovery from a technology reporter, and (d) various current topic videos -- mostly from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

One of those current topic videos is 5 min 21 sec video: Artist wins photo award with AI generated image, sparking debate | DW News.

Students,

What would be your signature thoughts from the 5 min 21 sec video?

First Awards, Ahead of Schedule, Phase 3 of IS101

What an exuberant past four days!

The evening before Saturday's class, Wayne sent in the email portion of Bonus Quiz 11. This foreshadowed that the former Navy Man will follow through with the in-person portion of BQ11 in the classroom.

Bonus Quizzes 2 through 11 spanned eleven weeks -- I re-released BQ3 so it would not end up challenged. Both Wayne and Manual C. (Manny) earned the highest cumulative score from this set of ten BQs. The former took on the most BQs from this first set of ten while the latter earned a perfect score on BQ8 which focused on one of my signature topic: how to properly dissect an Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to identify its six components, not of all six which may be present.

Manny is also the holder of the highest score on the Online and Computer Essentials Exam, which was at the same week as BQ3. Next semester, I'll de-conflict the two items. This semester, these two items kick off the first awards ceremony :-)

I opened this past Saturday's class session with a preview of the next two weeks as there is no classroom session next Saturday due to Thanksgiving Break. The next two weeks are not only a change of topic from Excel to PowerPoint but a transition from Phase 2 (analytical mindset and perseverance) to Phase 3 (performing and actualizing).

Afterwards, Philemon took the stage and proudly showcased Ethiopian History & Culture. Two weeks ago, Mary showcased 3 Ethiopian Landscapes. At the beginning of the semester as I inquired each student of his/her topic for A5 Slideshow Presentation, the two students whose ancestral homeland is Ethiopia -- both chose to sit in the same row without knowing each other -- both wanted the same topic. The motherly Mary narrowed her topic's focus, allowing the young man the topic. Philemon did not disappoint!

Walking through the transformation process of Philemon's draft slideshow to the final slideshow, I went beyond the usual advice from past and illustrated (a) the deliberate use of alternating background color themes, (b) cropping an image to a different shape and even have an image be partially off the slide so multiple images can occupy the same slide harmoniously, and (c) using the same slide transition but different effect options so the slideshow maintains coherence but still has variety. 

This is not the first time a student presented Ethiopia as his A5. I showcased the transformed example of that slideshow from ten years ago. The key advice illustrated are (d) incorporation of an integral color from the theme (four colors of the Ethiopian flag) as the central color of each non-opening/concluding slide; (e) expert use of (i) congruent animation effect to each image, (ii) multiple motion paths to point the focus to a specific portion of an image/map, (iii) employing different entrance/appearing and exit/disappearing effects on the same object to give visual appearance of morphing; and (f) the use of all representative slide transition/animation effect and motion paths from each slide on the concluding slide to bolster a sense of reiteration and summary.

The remaining of the class session saw students work on their IS101 coursework. After Wayne completed the in-person portion of BQ11, I reviewed his BQ11 with him. BQ11 contains another rare gem that I came across during my teaching in higher education:

How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking

By Mat Honan for Wired.com

Aug 6, 2012 8:01 PM

For your reading convenience, instead of using the link above to view the webpage with ads, I extracted the text and three images into a PDF and attached it to Discussion 11 in Week 11: 11/11/2023 in Canvas.

Before the class session ended, Manassiya made my day as the quiet young lady qualified and took MO-110 Word ahead of schedule and passed. Well done Manassiya for leading IS101-3003 into Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications :-)

Yesterday as I reviewed the A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer submitted thus far, I see Anisley (Ani) emerged as the highest score earner.

This evening, Wayne met me at school to take on MO-110 Word and generated three highlights: (1) the former Navy Man earned a very highest score and has a good chance of staying at the pole position, (2) Wayne gained confidence and will return Wednesday evening to take on MO-210 Excel, and (3) seeing Wayne's performance and confidence, I know he will also conquer MO-310 PowerPoint but more importantly, I can see the former Navy Man live up to his declaration from this past Saturday's class -- Wayne will pass all seven MOS certification exams and hit a MOS Homerun. What a shining example to kick off Phase 3 ^_^

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Philemon's other slides are so vibrant, appetizing, and awe-inspiring, it would be a crime to not share them:

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As I was transforming Philemon's draft version slideshow, revisiting the previous Ethiopia slideshow from ten years ago, and reacquainting myself with the land formerly known as Abyssinia, I came across this video: This is Ethiopia: the Country Frozen in Time.

Students, for commenting on this blog post: 

After reading Mat Honan's Epic Hack -- see PDF attached to Discussion 11 in Week 11: 11/11/2023 -- please give your thoughts on how you would bolster your end-user cybersecurity practices (i.e. how would you improve the way you manage your credentials to protect your devices and data)?

Other Chart Types, Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer, Grade Breakdown

This past Saturday, November 11 was Veterans Day -- thank you for your service :-)

Wayne saved Bonus Quiz 3 from being neglected this semester as the former Navy Man took on BQ3 before class began. I officially kicked off the class session with my usual greeting but this time, I also outlined the different components that contribute to a student's IS101-3003 grade.

Roberto then paved out The Road to Competitive Pokémon as his A5 Slideshow Presentation. During my walk through the transformation process from his draft slideshow version to the final slideshow version, I pointed out the radar charts Roberto utilized to illustrate various characteristics (e.g. health point, attack, speed, defense) of a Pokémon character.

In last Saturday's Lecture 4: Key Excel and Spreadsheet Analysis Concepts (Part 2 of 2), I mentioned that for uncommon analysis or perspective, one may see chart types other than a pie, line, bar, or column. Roberto's use of radar chart type in his A5 is quite timely.

Another chart type is a heat map. The best example of a heat map I have seen was from four years ago:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90572489/u-s-election-maps-are-wildly-misleading-so-this-designer-fixed-them

As it not only illustrates its intended message well, but corrects an intentional misrepresentation!

Philemon stepped up do his A5 next Saturday and I gave the remaining class session for students to work on their IS101 coursework. Wayne sent in his A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer, joining two classmates.

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A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer is one of the two capstone assignments. The spreadsheet analysis accounts for 80% of the assignment and is mostly quantitative in nature. The remaining 20%, the trailer, consists of three topics: (A) exponential (non-linear) growth, (B) brief ccTLD look up, (C) perspective interpretation and qualitative communication. (C) is one of the oldest rare gem I came across during my teaching in higher education. It may be a decade and a half old, Chancellor Rogers' brilliance is timeless ^_^

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Students,

In your comment to this post, please share your thoughts on:

(i) Have you seen any other types of chart besides pie, line, bar, column, radar, heat map used? If so, please share that/those example(s), if not, did you use the correct chart types on A6?

(ii) What did you think of the spreadsheet analysis portion of A6?

(iii) What did you think of the trailer portion of A6?

Two Signatures: Weighted... & Which Chart Type, Fun with Functions and More

Before this past Saturday's class, Manuel C. (Manny) brought a smile to my face with his email portion of Bonus Quiz 10. Too bad he had to miss class and the in-person portion of BQ10. However, my excitement for the second half of Lecture 4: Key Excel and Spreadsheet Analysis Concepts (Part 2 of 2) brought the smile back :-)

Mary kicked off the class session with her presentation on 3 Ethiopian Landscapes. This is not the first student of mine who traces his/her roots to Ethiopia. This is not the first time a student of mine showcased Ethiopia as his/her A5 Slideshow Presentation. This is not even the first time I have two students that hailed from the same country in the same class. But this is the first time that both students wanted to a presentation on their ancestral county. The motherly Mary focused on three unique landscapes, allowing her younger classmate to focus on their common motherland.

After walking through the polishing process of Mary's draft slideshow to final slideshow, I engage the class with four scenarios in my Weighted vs. Straight Average exercises. Anisley, Wayne, and Roberto actively participated while others observed and barely spoke up. I will post the starting point of the four scenarios as the central image in a later blog post for students to walk through again.

I concluded my final formal lecture presentation with a decision tree in choosing the appropriate type of chart to use for a given scenario. Barring specialized analysis or perspectives, most charting needs can be satisfied with either a (i) pie chart (when showing contribution to a whole or breakdown from a whole), (ii) line chart (when the order of data elements matter), and when neither (a) or (b) applies, then the scenario is likely a comparison for which either (iii) bar (horizontal beams) or (iv) column (vertical beams) would the be the most appropriate type of chart to use.

The remaining classroom time saw students working on their coursework. Majority of the students completed their Fun with Functions and More Workbook working toward the end of Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel. A few students have even began working on A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer.

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The three Ethiopian landscapes are so stunning, majestic, and grand, I must help Mary showcase them:

 (1) Dallol, Afar Region: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallol_(hydrothermal_system)

 (2) Lake Tana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tana

 (3) Simien Mountain National Park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simien_Mountains_National_Park

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Students,

The Digital Literacy program director created the Fun with Functions and More Workbook to  supplement Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel, hone your thinking and execution skills, and help you prepare for the MO-210 Excel certification exam. The program director also made three YouTube videos:

Excel TEXTJOIN and CONCAT functions (5 min 19 sec)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CjPevDVH7o

Using the SUMIF function (5 min 10 sec)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slouiGBvhwQ

UNIQUE function in Excel (2 min 5 sec)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmKZvrA87nY

In your comment to this post, please share your thoughts on:

 (A) How was your experience in doing the Fun with Functions and More Workbook?

 (B) Did you find his three YouTube videos helpful?

 (C) With Fun with Functions and More Workbook and what you have done in Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel thus far, how do you feel about your mastery of Microsoft Excel?

Mid-Semester Mark, Key Excel Skills, Critical Thinking

This past Saturday marked the beginning of the second half of the Fall 2023 semester :-)

Manuel C. (Manny) alone showed up to the classroom at 8 AM and took on Bonus Quiz 9.

At 9 AM, I officially started the class with my message of shifting the mindset and habits from simply 'get it done' to 'do it well'! 'Do it well' means (a) setting aside quality time to focus one's attention and energy to (b) carefully analyze the situation and requirements so one can approach fulfilling the requirements with (c) critical thinking and precise execution of cell references, syntax, formulas, functions, or any or all of the above.

Manny then used A5 Slideshow Presentation to promote his budding business UTRUnnoticed, which stands for Under the Radar, Unnoticed. I love his tagline: "Whether you are on or off the radar, we will make sure you never go unnoticed." After reviewing the polishing process for Manny's slideshow, I gave my Lecture 4 Key Excel and Spreadsheet Analysis Concepts (Part 1 of 2).

http://theladywiththelamp.atwebpages.com/Slide01.htm

• 'Order of Precedence' is not an Excel concept but a mathematical concept. 6 + 4 / 2 = 8, not = 5. If you want to end up with 10, you need to use _______ so the addition is performed first before the division. The resulting formula would be _______________.

• I believe for most people, if they master the five most commonly used Excel functions, that will satisfy most of their calculation needs in a spreadsheet. The IF function is not only a gateway to decision-making in programming but can modify other Excel functions too.

• If one does not master the concept of when to make a cell reference/range absolute (i.e. does not adjust based on filling/copying-pasting/moving) instead of the default nature of relative, one's spreadsheet experience will be miserable and even debilitating.

• Fill handle is an extremely wonderful feature. To be able to create your own fill-series in Excel will truly showcase one's elevated skill level. Just because LabSim didn't show you how, doesn't mean you can't research that knowledge on your own.

• Just because the wizard makes a suggestion to us and most of us -- myself included -- often just click OK or Next to accept the suggestion, if the formula or the result is wrong, who is responsible, the wizard or you?

Next Saturday, after Mary gives her A5, I will continue with Part 2 of 2 which consists of two topics, the first of which is my personal favorite interactive walkthrough of 'Straight vs. Weighted Average' and the second is my signature decision tree on choosing the most appropriate chart type to use for a given scenario.

Click on the image for a larger/clearer view

As I'm finalizing this blog post, Manassiya occupies the pole position for progress in LabSim but Manny leads in the first assignment as he is the first to reach 100% on 'Fun with Functions and More Workbook'. With the near-perfect performance on BQ9, Manny is now the holder of the highest cumulative score for all bonus quizzes thus far. I can't wait to see how the 'UTRUnnoticed' entrepreneur will perform on BQ10 this coming week ^_^

Students,

Please share your thoughts on these three topics in your comment:

• Did these two videos from the Digital Literacy Program Director help you alleviate any anxiety with Microsoft Excel?

Excel Primer, a helpful introduction to Excel (20 min 24 sec)

https://youtu.be/kAq3lXPV_bs

Excel Functions Review (4 min 36 sec)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ujPDRO_UPA

• How was your experience with doing the 'Fun with Functions and More Workbook'?

• How was your experience with doing A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer?

First Perfect Score; Bob, Vint, and Tim; Would You Fire the Chief Officers?

This past Saturday, I saw a brilliant star shine!

Four students participated in the email portion of Bonus Quiz 8 with two showing up early to take on the in-person portion of BQ8. Manuel C. (Manny) made me extremely proud as he not only earned the first perfect score on a bonus quiz but on one of my signature topic: identifying the components of an URL. Well done Manny ^_^

Sara was delayed in arriving to the classroom on-time so I presented Lecture 3 The Internet (Part 3 of 3) where I continued to walk through how an Internet search engine would work and a few search engine optimization (SEO) technics. Other topics include some examples of protocols being used on the Internet, milestone moments and periods of the Internet, and the different methods of connecting to the Internet.

L3: Slide 8 shows how an Internet search engine works and some basic SEO techniques.

L3: Slide 10 shows milestone moments and periods of the Internet.

Sara followed my presentation with her Spend a Day in Las Vegas for Less Than $50 with 85°C Bakery Café in Shanghai Plaza, Savers: second-hand used clothing thrift & vintage store, and Alt-Rebel: upscale second-hand shopping store in the Arts District. This is the most original topic I have seen in many semesters. After walking through the transformation process of Sara's draft slideshow to the final slideshow, Manny answered my question to who will present their A5 Slideshow Presentation next Saturday.

At the time of this blog post, Wayne took the pole position again in terms of coursework progress. To properly conclude L3 I need to recognize the contributions of Robert "Bob" Elliot Kahn, Vinton "Vint") Gray Cerf, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, without whom, the Internet as we know and use today would not exist. Each man's A.M. Turing Award came decades after their leadership changed the world. In a future bonus quiz, I wonder if my students would be able to education Granny Moses on what each man's contribution is and how to differential the two things and a few other things that uses the first thing.

Click on the image for a larger and clearer view

Students,

Answer these four questions in your comment:

(1) What your experience with using Microsoft Excel prior to taking IS101-3003, Fall 2023?

(2) How is Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel helping you with Microsoft Excel?

(3) Do you see or has Microsoft Excel making/made an impact on how you doing things outside of IS101?

(4) Please read this one-page article:

Cinema Chain Sees Bad Movie Script Play Out As It Loses Millions In Email Scam

https://www.forbes.com/sites/martijngrooten/2018/11/12/cinema-chain-sees-bad-movie-script-play-out-as-it-loses-millions-in-email-scam/

and provide your thoughts on whether the two Pathé chief officers should or should not have been fired. I am eager to hear your rationale.

MOS 365 Apps Certifications, Phase 2 of IS101, ccTLD Hacks

Fall 2023 is the semester where IS101 upgraded from using Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) 2019 certifications to MOS 365 Apps certifications. Another change is for students to take the certifications exams at the end of the semester instead of at the completion of the coursework for each application.

This past Wednesday evening, I took all the three certification exams in their MOS 365 Apps version and passed, earning me the MOS Associate 365 Apps distinction. This semester's updated LabSim materials do cover much of I encountered on the certifications exams. I hope my students will follow my example toward the end of the Fall 2023 semester :-)

This past Saturday marked the beginning of the second phase of IS101. Up until then, students learned and practiced on materials that they are familiar with: Online Essentials, Computer Essentials, and Microsoft Word. Now, they embark on Microsoft Excel and More Internet Knowledge, subject matters that requires a analytical mindset and perseverance!

An hour before the class start time, four students showed up to take Bonus Quizzes 7 and/or 5, one of which also took the Online and Computer Essentials exam. Before the class start time of 9 AM, two more showed up and joined the fray.

I kicked off the class session by reviewing the answers and rationales of BQ 7 & 5. Leina then used her A5 Slideshow Presentation to practice being a future sales staff for her employer with "Save Fast on Internet and Mobile With Cox". I already have Cox as my internet service provider but didn't know they now offer mobile services. When the young lady finishes her training and begins working on the floor, I will visit her store and see how she can help me explore expanding my Cox services ^_^

After walking through the transformation process from Leina's draft slideshow and the final slideshow, I gave my Lecture 3 The Internet (Part 2 of 3) where I again walked through how to properly dissect an Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to identify its six components, not of all six which may be present. One component, county code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) spawned off these two items that will spark my students' interests.

Click on the image for a larger and clearer view

How Unusual Domain Names Make Pacific Islands Millions -- 6 min 29 sec video

By Julian O'Shea on October 5, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2zUePsQinQ

A Guide to Owning Code Top Level Domains (CcTLD) -- 6-page article with examples

By Alvaris Falcon, updated on August 7, 2023.

https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/country-code-top-level-domains/

Students,

• What your experience with using Microsoft Excel?

• Are you able to adapt your mindset and habits to Phase 2?

• Please share your unique example of ccTLD hack.

First Walkthrough of Slideshow Transformation, First Signature Topic, More AI

Wayne and Mary showed up early and took on Bonus Quiz 6 – Shortcut, Recycle Bin, and File Types.

Anisley (Ani) heartfeltly shared her Generation Path: The Unknown Road where her great-grand parents emigrated from Spain to Cuba. Ten years ago, Ani immigrated to the U.S. with her son. May they continue to build roots and thrive in this land of opportunity :-)

With only one student presentation, I walked through the transformation process of Ani's draft version of her slideshow to the final version to show how some features were implemented and reinforce what I articulated last week during the review for Wayne's and Manassiya's slideshows:

• Tailor your slideshow and presentation to the venue (i.e. slide size) and audience (i.e. laymen who may not understand abbreviations or industry knowledge from your presentation, so write out and explain those abbreviations and industry knowledge)

• Go-big-or-go-home (i.e. why make a photo/image small giving empty space to show the background when a photo/image should be larger and more clearer? Are you there to show your photos/images/videos/audios or the background? Why even have a background?)

• Less words is more (i.e. information/words should come from you, the presenter, not your slideshow; the slideshow is there to help you make visual impact with photos/images/videos/audios, not to do the information dissemination for you)

I followed Ani with my Lecture 3 The Internet (Part 1 of 3). Today's presentation included the first of my signature topic: how to properly dissect an Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to identify its six components, not of all six which may be present.

L3: Slide 4 shows the difference between URL, web address, and domain name.

L3: Slide 5 shows the six components of an URL, not of all six which may be present.

The logic of dissection is written out in black below slide 5 in the screenshot below. This topic will be in Bonus Quizzes 8, 9, and 10.

I gave the remainder of the classroom session for students to work on their coursework. Before leaving the classroom, Leina committed to present her A5 Slideshow Presentation next Saturday. As I draft this blog post, Manassiya pulled ahead of her classmates in LabSim progress.

Click on the image for a larger and clearer view

Various usages of artificial intelligence (AI) in past years have appeared in the previous four posts of my blog. This 27 min 52 sec John Oliver video from earlier this year brings a current focus on AI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqa8Zo2XWc4

Note: Viewer discretion is advised as the video contains strong languages and John Oliver's brand of humor. If you are under the age of 18 and cannot obtain your parent's permission, let me know and I will give you an alternate assignment in place of watching this video.

I learned the difference between Narrow AI and General AI. I agree with what Erick Brynjolfsson said about "affected not replaced". I like the AI-generated song on cats with Eminem's voice but I love John Oliver's rap even better! I hope John Oliver's rap was human-generated ^_^

Students,

Please address these three questions/topics in your comment:

(1) What are you throughs on any, some, or all of these points from John Oliver's video?

 a. Unexplainable how AI algorithms arrive at their results (i.e. "the problem with AI right now isn't that it's smart, but it's that it's stupid in ways we cannot predict")

 b. Unintended lessons (e.g. rulers are malignant)

 c. Bias-in-bias-out (e.g. pale male data, women = bad & men named 'Jared' who play high school lacrosse = good, TayTweets: from National Puppy Day to Nazi-leaning)

 d. Over-correcting (e.g. solves the problem of being racist by erasing minority)

 e. Would self regulation work for companies developing or using AI?

(2) Have you used AI yourself?

(3) Will you practice the URL dissection exercise to bolster your performance on Bonus Quizzes 8, 9, and 10?

First Excellent Bonus Quiz Performance and First Student Presentations

In the past week, I helped Wayne and Manassiya polish and transform their draft slideshows into final version for presentation in the classroom. I knew I would be gleaming with pride when they present their respective topics to the class but before class session began, I would be gleaming even more!

As expected, Wayne showed up before the class start time to take on the bonus quiz for the week. In the past four weeks, only the former Navy man -- thank you Wayne for your service -- has consistently done this. This past Saturday, the former sailor earned an near perfect score on Bonus Quiz 5 ^_^

After my greeting and status check with the class, Wayne kicked off A5 Slideshow Presentation where he shared an excerpt of what he presents at his workplace on a weekly basis: walking through flight delays and explain whether IT (his unit) (a) accepted, (b) challenged, or (c) is still working on reviewing the cause of delay as IT or not. The best attribute from Wayne's presentation is that he adapts his level of casualness and succinctness to the audience. One area of improvement is to minimize looking toward the slides when presenting but this is not exclusive to Wayne as I can improve in this area as well.

Manassiya educated the class on her passion of Rock Climbing with vibrant photographs and clip arts. The juxtaposition of photographs, clip arts, and an animated gif illustrated her points well and broke up the monotony of using the same medium. The only thing that would have made the presentation better is if Manassiya remembered to bring her belay device as a tangible show-and-tell to the class. Both Wayne and Manassiya sent in their A5 email before the presentation and will receive bonus credit for being the first group to complete their A5 :-)

Click to view the image to see it in its original size

Before I gave the second half of the class session for students to work on their coursework, Anisley (Ani) eagerly volunteered to present her A5 next Saturday and even sent in her draft slideshow before leaving the classroom.

The contrasting style of Wayne's and Manassiya's slideshow (text-based vs. image-based) is mirrored in my penultimate videos on artificial intelligence (positive use vs. negative use) below.

Doctors, apps and artificial intelligence - The future of medicine | DW Documentary

On December 13, 2022 (28 min 25 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyit-1zKsZ4

Bad science: AI used to target kids with disinformation on YouTube - BBC World Service

On September 14, 2023 (10 min 10 sec) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojjn9T_fuUw

Students,

• What are your thoughts from watching these two videos?

• Do you feel artificial intelligence (AI) are yielding more good or more harm?

• Have you encountered any AI-generated content?

First Quarter, Front Row, AI-generated You or Real You?

We have completed the first quarter of IS101-3003, Fall 2023!

Wayne and Valeria showed up to the classroom early and took on Bonus Quiz 4. After reviewing the answers and rationale for BQ4, I gave the first half of my second presentation: Job Hunting and Fulfillment while leaving the second half A3 Tailored Cover and Resume as optional for my students to explore on their own.

L2A: http://thedopeyone.atwebpages.com/Slide01.htm

L2B: http://kingofrocknroll.atwebpages.com/Slide01.htm

I used the majority of the classroom time to help students clean-up their earlier assignments, threaded discussions, and LabSim tasks. Looking to the week ahead, I hope to inspire my real-life students with examples of A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing from five fictitious students showcasing their individuality, creativity, and accomplishments in IS101 (e.g. assignments and certifications):

Albert Einstein

    http://thedopeyone.atwebpages.com/Homepage.htm

    http://thedopeyone.atwebpages.com/Homepage (Borders Visible).htm

Marie Curie

    http://mariasklodowska.atwebpages.com/Homepage.htm

    http://mariasklodowska.atwebpages.com/Homepage (Borders Visible).htm

Benjamin Franklin

    http://poorrichard.atwebpages.com/Homepage.htm

    http://poorrichard.atwebpages.com/Homepage (Borders Visible).htm

Florence Nightingale

    http://theladywiththelamp.atwebpages.com/Homepage.htm

    http://theladywiththelamp.atwebpages.com/Homepage (Borders Visible).htm

Elvis Presley

    http://kingofrocknroll.atwebpages.com/Homepage.htm

    http://kingofrocknroll.atwebpages.com/Homepage (Borders Visible).htm

• What will you leave behind after you complete IS101-3003?

• How will you show people what you have accomplished in IS101-3003?

• What distinguishes you from other people who have completed IS101 or a comparable course?

• What makes you stand out amongst other holders of the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Word and Excel certifications?

• What separates you from other past, present, and future students of Albert Wu?

For the remaining three quarters, I hope seeds of creativity, ambition, and performance will inspire my real-life students to create a digital portfolio via A4.

Anisley (Ani), Manassiya, Wayne are at the front of the IS101-3003 coursework progress curve. Two of the three always sat in the very front row in the classroom. Both accepted my request to be the first to present their A5 Slideshow Presentation next Saturday, I am so proud them :-)

Continuing from my previous two blog posts on artificial intelligence and facial recognition, please watch this 7 min 33 sec video:

Click to view the video and try to view it in full screen mode

Students, please share your answers to my five questions above and your thoughts on the video.

First Exam, Front Runners, and Facial Recognition

This past Saturday, seventeen out of the twenty students took Online and Computer Essentials Exam (covering Chapters 1 & 2, worth 5% of IS101 total grade, one-attempt only). Manny C., who goes by Manny, earned the highest score.

After the first exam of the semester, I gave my first lecture: Hardware, Troubleshoot, End-User Cyber Security, Rationale in Choosing a Computing Device which contributes heavily to the upcoming Bonus Quiz 4 and Bonus Quiz 5. Hmm, I wonder how many students would explore http://poorrichard.atwebpages.com/Slide01.htm to see the homepage I made for my fictitious student, Benjamin Franklin?

Many students are keeping up with coursework, some are playing catch up, but Manuel W., Mannasiya, Anisley (Ani), are proactively working ahead of schedule and emerging as the face of IS101-3003, Fall 2023 at the time of this blog post :-)

Speaking of face, as a follow-up to the video in my previous week's blog post, please watch this video: Facial Recognition: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO). The video may be from June 2020 and the topic is at least a several years old but the implications are just beginning to be vetted and addressed.

Note 1: Viewer discretion is advised as the 21-min video contains strong languages and John Oliver's brand of humor. If you are under the age of 18 and cannot obtain your parent's permission, let me know and I will give you an alternate assignment in place of watching this video.

Note 2: When I tried to search for this video through Blogger's YouTube video search/insert function, Blogger (owned by Google) would not return it -- along with almost all of John Oliver's videos -- as a search result. Hence, I inserted a screen capture of his video and pointed you to the URL. If that doesn't work, visit https://youtube.com and search for this video.

The five statements that stood out for me are:

 (1) Driver license photos from residents of these states (including Nevada)

 (2) 'Skynet but good'

 (3) Only 8 out of 42 matches were verifiably correct

 (4) "...argues that it has a First Amendment right to harvest data from social media."

 (5) "...'unconventional databases' for 'extreme opposition research'..."

These funny lines stood out for me as well: 'loser fish', 'your brain autocompleted the rest', and 'accidentally made tennis interesting for a day'.

Students, please share your professional thoughts on what you learned from his video in your comment to this blog post :-)

Sea Legs, Heading Toward First Marker, and Artificial Intelligence

This past Saturday was the second class session. This past Sunday was the deadline to withdraw from a class and still receive half refund. The class roster is still at 20 students :-)

Majority of the students gained their sea legs evident by their coursework output and their level of communication. This coming Saturday is our first milestone marker in two ways. The familiar one is the first lecture presentation from me to my students. This will not only cover the topics of "Hardware, Troubleshooting, End-User Cyber Security, and Computing Device Selection Rationale" but also provide the materials for almost all of Bonus Quiz 4 and all of Bonus Quiz 5.

The new first milestone marker is new this semester: Online and Computer Essentials Exam, which we will take at the official start time of 9am after ambitious students take the optional Bonus Quiz 3 between 8am and 9am. I wish my students best in preparing for this coming Saturday.

After this Saturday, students will do threaded discussion D05 Essentials Exam and Preparation Toward a Job Posting, which includes the required portion of A3 where students can share their job hunting/interviewing experience with the class and how they would prepare for a job posting. In A3, students will be required to watch and read this:

Artificial Intelligence: The Robots Are Now Hiring (a 10-minute video and a half-page article)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/artificial-intelligence-the-robots-are-now-hiring-moving-upstream-1537435820

Click to view the video and try to view it in full screen mode

The article and the video may be eye-opening for students. Using algorithms in software to simulate intelligence is nothing new and quite common.

A few years ago, I emailed a company's customer support with some questions. The email responses I received made little sense. I deduced that they were (maybe still are) using chatbot software to respond to questions based on keywords/phrases in my email. But when the question is not simple or straightforward, the software make a best guess and respond accordingly. After a few rounds of exchange, a human finally responded and interpreted and answered my questions correctly.

I wonder what other examples of artificial intelligence have my students come across.

Students, your example must unique!

Furious Start, New Certifications, and What's in Your Portfolio?

Fall 2023 started furiously!

A week before the start of this semester, I learned that we are moving to the next version of the course curriculum and Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications. Adapting my syllabus to reflect the new curriculum and grading rubric is an expected chore. The change from MOS 2019 to MOS 365 and our program director's shifting the certification exams toward the end of a semester instead of immediately after finishing each application (e.g. Word, Excel) is completed, pique my curiosity.

I began contacting each student on roster the weekend before Day 1, Mon 8/28 to help them start IS101 section 3003, Fall 2023 strong. I noticed two more sections of IS101 were added and all online sections raised their enrollment capacity by 10% while in-person sections and hybrid sections raised by 5%. The names on my roster changed even after the first in-person classroom session today, Sat 9/2. It could potentially change further until end of tomorrow, Sun 9/3.

From WebEx meetings and phone calls before today's first classroom session, in-person interactions during the first classroom session, and what each student shared with me through his/her introduction email from A1 Professional Communication and first impression of IS101-3003 via his/her inaugural blog post from A2 Blog, I gained a glimpse into the background, personality, and ambition of each of my students save for the one that joined the class roster after the first classroom session.

Like past semesters, students range from a diverse background and varying levels of digital literacy. I am honored to have the opportunity be some students' first professor at College of Southern Nevada (CSN). I give thanks those who served or are serving in our military. I will guide those who are not comfortable or well versed in basic digital literacy. I will help elevate the level of MOS certifications and mastery of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint via my signature assignments for those who have above-and-beyond ambitions and follow through :-)

A few years ago, I saw this 11 min 14 sec video. I hope my students find it as inspiring as I did.

Click to view the video and try to view it in full screen mode

At the end of our first classroom session, Manassiya and Wayne -- both chose to sit in the front row of opposing halves of the classroom -- lead the class in their progress in IS101-3003. Leina, Ani, and Nadia are hot on their trails. I look forward to this coming week ^_^