Quick Celebration and One Climb Away from the Peak

Earlier this evening, I met Kimberly at our classroom where she took and passed MO-300 PowerPoint and earned the third highest score for MO-300 from our semester to boot! I am so proud of this young lady for her improvement and spirit to power through the challenges in her life :-)

Only MO-200 Excel and the capstone threaded discussion separate Kimberly from the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Associate distinction and finishing IS101-3003, Spring 2023 with the highest letter grade. Yes, a quick celebration is definitely warranted.

Speaking of celebration, Independence Day is right around the corner:

I look forward to when Kimberly reaches the peak and we both publish our final blog post for IS101-3003, Spring 2023 ^_^

No Longer Fluke or Coincidence, Confidence Rising, Return to Form

It feels strange not being the classroom today despite our final class session was four weeks ago.

This past week saw two students from IS101-3003, Spring 2023 achieved their goals contributing to a trio of highlights.

*****Highlight 1 of 3: MOS Homerun = No Longer Fluke or Coincidence*****

This past Sunday, Tsz sent in his A9 Workbook Investigation at my request as I wanted the him to practice his attention to details. The following day, Tsz took and passed his seventh and final Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam, MO-101 Word Expert, hitting a MOS Homerun. I am so proud of this ambitious young man.

I started encouraging and helping students to hit a MOS Homerun since the Spring 2021 semester. Daniel D. was the first to answer the call. Since then, a handful of students have come close. This past semester, Fall 2022, I had a trio of ultra-high performing students, Rui S., Tiffany T., and Kevin G., that hit their homerun with Rui S. achieving this feat right after the semester midpoint and Tiffany T. and Kevin G. following suit right after the semester concluded.

"Once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern, four times is a standard." Thank you Tsz for making MOS Homerun a pattern. I hope Elijah will join this elite group. I believe next semester will establish a standard!

*****Highlight 2 of 3: MOS Homerun = Confidence Rising*****

This past Tuesday, Kimberly and I reunited in our classroom where she took and passed MO-100 Word, earning her first MOS certificate. Her improved practices and better time management skills will help her conquer MO-300 PowerPoint and MO-200 Excel.

Spring 2014 was the first semester I offered a student a semester extension. This semester, a nineth extension was given to Kimberly. I know she will complete her outstanding items and join her now former classmates as a MOS Associate.

The success of passing her first MOS certification exam is not only building confidence in Kimberly but also in me on future students who may need a semester extension :-)

This is a photo I found via Google Search, photographer is Dan Olek 

*****Highlight 3 of 3: MOS Homerun = Returning to Form*****

Since this past Tuesday, I have been basking on the brilliance of the first two highlights. Thinking about past MOS home-runners, those who came close to hitting a MOS Homerun, and students who received a semester extension has lead me down a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

In Fall 2019, the MOS certifications replaced the previous digital literacy certification for IS101 curriculum. The new curriculum on a new platform was being finished as that semester progressed; that, combined with the excitement of the certifications from Microsoft Corporation, left me exhausted and decided to do my traditional end-of-semester blog post on students' achievements and distinctions at following semester.

The following semester, Spring 2020, saw a stronger-than-usual set of students but halfway through the semester, the shelter-at-home order came down due to COVID-19. Second half of Spring 2020 and the two semesters that followed saw myself and my students adapting to live-remote from in-person. The Fall 2021 semester saw the return to in-person and a new curriculum, the one we are currently using now.

Last semester, Fall 2022, was the first semester that I was in position to resume my tradition. The trio of ultra-high performing MOS home-runners, another stronger-than-usual set of students, and mitigating Blogger's overly aggressive spam flagger, convinced me to defer my tradition again.

I have already began drafting my traditional end-of-the-semester blog post for IS101-3003, Spring 2023. I will complete and publish it after Kimberly crosses the finish line ^_^

Soaring, First Exam, Remember and Honor

Since our final class session two weeks ago, Diego and Jimena made a mad dash to wrap-up their outstanding tasks before the deadline for me to submit student grades and became the seventh and eight Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Associates.

Kimberly received a semester extension to help mitigate the hardship that distracted her for much of the middle third our semester together. After seeing her hard work, I'm glad to see the young lady excited to attend Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC). Despite the mishap, I hope she will attend next year.

I am pleased to see Linette, Heather, Kimberly, Tsz, and Elijah continuing to comment on their classmates' blog posts after the semester officially concluded ^_^

Last Monday, Tsz conquered MO-400 Outlook. To prepare for the final certification exam between the ambitions young man and a MOS Homerun, Tsz completed and sent in his A8 Query Options and IF Statement on the morning of this Memorial Day.

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Thank you Elijah and Diego for your service in the U.S. Navy :-)

Next week, Kimberly will take on MO-100 Word and Tsz will take on MO-101 Word Expert. I wish both students success. After Kimberly wraps up her outstanding items, I will compile the student highlights & achievements and draft my closing blog post for IS101-3003, Spring 2023!

First MOS Expert and Potential Grand Slam!

Today may have been the final class session, but I have until this coming Wednesday to submit students' grades and will continue to help students in catching/cleaning-up for each student to finish IS101-3003, Spring 2023 strong! Even afterward, I will help each student go above-and-beyond IS101.

Last evening, Linette took on and passed MO-300 PowerPoint and became the sixth Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Associate. Bonus Quiz 14 – OLE, Average, URL, IPOS Perspective, Bloom’s Taxonomy launched today's class session. Elijah and Heather scored the highest on this capstone bonus quiz.

I then shined spotlights on various students' achievements and distinctions throughout the semester, the details of which will be the glorious centerpiece of a future blog post. The final hour of our official gathering saw Elijah catapulting our imagination into orbit with a very brief introduction to rocket design as his A10 Improved Slideshow Presentation.

The space rocket enthusiast not only made me proud by applying my feedback on his A5 Slideshow Presentation to his A10 but managed to touch my heart again as he had done with A5 with his poignant tributes to the astronauts that lost their lives in their missions.

Elijah's improved slideshow (a) incorporated vibrant images that accentuated each topic throughout the presentation while leaving no empty areas on each slide, (b) applied animation effects, slide transitions, and motion paths that complimented the moving objects, and (c) required NO polishing from me but I will help him shrink the 20MB PowerPoint file without any noticeable loss in visual quality.

Elijah's leveraged a laser pointer to help the audience to follow his focus during the presentation.

Elijah's Q & A session was immersive as he brought components – both 3D-printed and electronic devices – for the audience to touch, explore, and pass around.

Any or all of those three attributes would not have earned him bonus credit on this bonus assignment, but this did: the evening before his presentation, Elijah shared with me that knowing Tsz's language gap, he will print out his slideshow with notes so Tsz can better follow along but he will have printouts for everyone so to NOT single out Tsz.

During my closing review of Elijah's A10, I commended Elijah's for his thoughtfulness toward his classmate but for the benefit of all students, I had to shared the reason that earned Elijah bonus credit on this bonus assignment. With practice and creativity, anyone can create a dazzling slideshow; with confidence and passion, anyone can delivery a memorable presentation; but knowing the audience's need and take an extra step to not only help with that need while avoiding singling out an audience member is not only the hallmark of a good presenter but a good human being ^_^

Elijah's A10 not only served to close out our final official gathering on a memorable note but opened the door for the former U.S. Navy sailor to hit a Grand Slam: (1) achieving a MOS Homerun, (2) exemplary performance on my bonus quizzes, and (3) completing all ten of my signature assignments.

Elijah has satisfied (2) with his stellar performance on BQ12 – Microsoft Excel 2019 and Spreadsheet Analysis and BQ13 – Apex of Excel. I have no doubt he will conquer MO-101 Word Expert and MO-201 Excel Expert to hit (1). I wonder if Elijah will have the hunger to complete A8 Query Options and IF Statement, A9 Workbook Investigation, A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume, and A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing? If so, he would be the second student of mine – ever – to achieve (3).

Linette and Jimena stayed after class to catch-up and clean-up while Tsz continued with his Speed Run MO-201. Tsz stayed long after both ladies left and his hard work paid off as he conquered MO-201 and emerged as the first MOS Expert of IS101-3003, Spring 2023  :-)

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Students,

I look forward to helping you catching-up and cleaning-up this coming week and showcasing everyone's achievements and distinctions in my next blog post.

To conclude my run on the John Oliver videos, please watch this 22:07 min video on Ransomware. 

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 2021 video, I learned about the three factors 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.

Please share your professional thoughts on what you learned from his video in your comment to this blog post.

Second Breakout Student, Cryptocurrencies II (Two)/Due Diligence

This morning, Elijah took on MO-400 Outlook and MO-500 Access back-to-back, conquered them, is halfway to becoming an MOS Expert, and is halfway to hitting a MOS Homerun! I am proud of this 3-D printing and quantum computing enthusiast as he is the second student to go above-and-beyond in pursuing additional MOS certifications ^_^

I kicked off this past Saturday's class session with recognitions of students' achievements so far. I will continue next week in our final class session for IS101-3003, Spring 2023. Kimberly and Jan took center stage afterward, educating the class on the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), where Kimberly will be on the weekend after our semester ends, and Bulgaria, Jan's birth country. After walking through the polishing process from draft version to the final version of their slideshows, I continued to review capstone assignments with each student.

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Kimberly concluded with some practical safety advice should one attend EDC: to mitigate risks such as dehydration, heatstroke, overdoses, and mosh pits; (a) take advantage of free water stations at the festival, (b) seek out medical professionals onsite, and (c) be cognoscente of and take action to leave or mitigate moshing situations.

I have heard of this electronic dance festival before but I was not aware of its contribution to our economy. According to two articles, last year EDC generated a total economic output of $336.7 million and seven years ago, $1.3 billion. I may not attend Electric Daisy Carnival, but I'm glad EDC comes to us every year.

During the questions and answers round after Jan's presentation, the polite young man responded that Bulgaria invented yogurt and he didn't include food as that would make his presentation run longer than the allotted time. I applaud his decision and think he made his birth country proud by showcasing its flag, geography, economy, exports, and culture.

I looked up Bulgaria's invention of yogurt and found that There are many Bulgarian inventions acknowledged internationally, way beyond the Bulgarian yogurt and the 1st computer. Thank you, Bulgaria. I hope Jan will contribute to that list in the future :-)

Before he left the classroom, Androw took and passed MO-300 PowerPoint, becoming the fifth MOS Associate from IS101-3003, Spring 2023.

As a follow-up to the video in my previous blog post, I wonder what my students think of what they learned from this 24 min 13 sec John Oliver video: Crytopcurrencies II (Two)?

From Live-Remote to In-Person, Cryptocurrencies I (One)/Responsibility

We are approaching the finish line for the semester. Some even exclaimed it's almost over. The Spring 2023 semester may be reaching its conclusion but one's digital literacy journey is constantly evolving and never-ending ^_^

This past Saturday's class session marked the first time Jimena is able to attend the class in-person instead of via live-remote since her life-changing experience at the beginning of the semester. The excitement of this first in-person appearance was amplified as I help her resolve a technical issue so she can send the completed version of her draft slideshow to me.

I transformed her draft slideshow during class and walked through the process with the young lady before her presentation time. The rest of the class put this time to productive use :-) For the final portion of the class session, Diego shared his Five Years in the U.S. Navy and Jimena highlighted The Dark Side of Las Vegas' Population Boom: Traffic Woes and Economy Concerns.

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From his two deployments in the U.S. Navy, Diego has visited these exotic locations: Guam; Busan; South Korea; Manila; Philippines; Singapore; Pattaya; Thailand; Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE); Manama, Bahrain; Suez Canal; Marseille, France; and Rock of Gibraltar, Spain.

Jimena had compiled some great statistics in her slideshow, it would be a crime to not share it:

• Average driver spent 21.6 hours sitting in traffic during peak commuting times all of last year in Las Vegas, ranking 333rd out of 1,064 cities around the globe, according to a report released by Inrix, a transportation analysis company.

• Being stuck in traffic cost the average Las Vegas driver $1,022 last year and roughly $715 million combined for the region.

• With the rise of COVID-19 and rising inflation, the second quarter of 2020 saw a 14% increase in traffic fatalities over the second quarter of 2019.

• 3,616 traffic fatalities in the first six months of 2020.

• According to the National Safety Council (NSC), “traffic fatalities in the first six months of 2020 were up 9% over 2019.”

• The NSC reported that in 2022 there has been a 24% increase in fatal accidents this year.

As we approach the final three weeks of Spring 2023, I'll kick off the final trio of John Oliver videos with Crytopcurrencies I (One), a 25 min 20 sec from five years ago. I wonder what my students think of cryptocurrencies... 

Course Grading, Job Hunting Tips and Reminders, Reaching for the Stars

Just a few hours ago, Tsz took and passed MO-500 Access, taking his first step toward earning his Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert distinction; I am so proud of this young man for pursuing above and beyond what is required for IS101 ^_^

The day after my previous blog post, Androw earned his MO-200 Excel certificate. During class session this past Saturday, Heather and Jan earned their MO-300 PowerPoint certificates becoming the third and fourth MOS Associates from IS101-3003, Spring 2023 while Elijah took and excelled in BQ12 – Microsoft Excel 2019 and Spreadsheet Analysis and BQ13 – Apex of Excel, dethroning the previous highest scores for both bonus quizzes and boosting his overall course grade, well done Elijah!

Students took advantage of open class session to catch-up with their LabSim work and review their capstone assignments with me. Upon successful review of their A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer and A7 Mail Merge, students will receive their scores. Two days later, Jimena also took on and passed MO-200 Excel, joining Androw.

Of the nine students who are still actively participating, three have completed 95% of the required coursework for IS101 with only threaded discussions & blogging outstanding for the next three weeks.

Earlier during the semester, the opening task of A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume saw students send in their A3 Job Hunt where students sent in their answers to the 13 tips and reminders to the first of second article: 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search.

The second article and its 10-minute video were mentioned in my blog post First Highest Score Holder and Artificial Intelligence. As a follow-up to the topic of artificial intelligence, this video from John Oliver was released three weeks after that blog post as ChatGPT from OpenAI shed a huge spotlight on artificial intelligence and academic independence/integrity. Since then, Tsz mentioned that he checked out ChatGPT.

Note: Viewer discretion is advised as the 27 min 52 sec 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.

Diego and Jimena are slated to present their A5 Slideshow Presentation this coming Saturday. I look forward to meeting Jimena in-person and she meeting her classmates in-person. I wonder who will joining Tsz in reaching for the stars?

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Students,

In your comment, please

(A) Choose a unique tip/reminder to share your experience based on it with the world. If another student has used that tip/reminder in his/her comment to this blog post, you will need to choose another. Be sure to list your Tip (include the leading zero) and Reminder (e.g. T04 Polishing your resume, not T4 polishing your resume), have a blank line then share your experience.

and

(B) Share what you have learned and/or thoughts on John Oliver's 27 min 52 sec 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 :-)

Capstones and Second MOS Associate!

Earlier this evening, Elijah took and passed MO-300 PowerPoint ahead of schedule, becoming the second MOS Associate from IS101-3003, Spring 2023 :-) He stayed in the classroom so I can walk him through his capstone assignments: A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer and A7 Mail Merge using Object Linking & Embedding (OLE). I will do the same for his classmates one-on-one beginning this Saturday after they take their MO-300 ^_^

This past Saturday's class session launched with Bonus Quiz 11A – The Internet, Granny, Bob, Vint, and Tim. Upon reviewing it and BQ11B – Mat Honan’s Epic Hack, Heather emerged as the lone holder of the highest score for BQ11, heavily helped by her succinct and thorough answer in educating someone who has not read "How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking" by Mat Honan, how the social engineering feat was accomplished.

BQ2 through BQ11 form the longest series of bonus quizzes. At the end of this run, Elijah achieved the highest cumulative score, Tsz garnered the most occurrences where he scored the highest -- more than one student can earn the highest -- score on a given bonus quiz, Heather missed catching up to either gentleman by half a point or one occurrence, and Linette and Jan earned honorable mention by having participated in all ten.

After a quick showcase of the leaderboard and explaining how each student has at least one safety net for the two capstone assignments, I gave the majority of the class session to students for them to catch up and move ahead. Linette took and passed MO-200 Excel and Tsz lived up to his word as the first student to take on BQ12 – Microsoft Excel 2019 and Spreadsheet Analysis and BQ13 – Apex of Excel -- collectively equaling the total points of BQ2 through BQ11, in an attempt to double his A6 score!

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Back to this evening,

As Elijah left the classroom, he shared that he will use the next three days to prepare for BQ12 & BQ13 and take them on Saturday. I shared with him that this is the second time that he bested the previous highest score on a MOS certification exam by a few points. I wonder he would do the same with BQ12 & 13... He also shared the certifications he acquired this semester outside of IS101, very nice Elijah :-)

Students,

In your comment, please share 

(A) Your thoughts on, from BQ2 through BQ11, whether or not you have improved in your preparation, comprehension, and communication of a subject matter to someone who do not yet have an understanding of that subject matter?

(B) What changes would you make in your end-user cybersecurity practices/behaviors after reading Mat Honan's Epic Hack article?

(C) An unique example of non-linear system in life you have seen. For example, from A6, the (3 min 26 sec) Test Tube with David Suzuki video talks about exponential growth, which is non-linear. If you are not sure what non-linear means, a quick Google search can help.

(D) What did you think of the way Chancellor James Rogers answered the TV anchor? If you need a refresher, please read Memorandum.pdf from A6.

(E) How was your experience in doing A7 on your own (i.e. without step-by-step instructions)?

Second Milestone Marker and First MOS Associate!

I deferred publishing this post for the first breakout student of IS101-3003, Spring 2023 :-)

My quick talk on "Evolving Mindset, Habits, and Horizon" forced itself to the front of this past Saturday's class session.

• Instead of what do I need to complete to pass the course? --> How much can I achieve? What can I showcase on my website and blog? How many Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certificates can I earn?

• Rather than "When is this due?" --> Ask "When can I start?", answer is "As soon as you can".

• Not just MOS Associate (what's required for IS101) --> MOS Expert then MOS Homerun!

Afterwards, students took Bonus Quiz 10A Bonus Quiz 10A – Internet Search Engine. When combined with BQ10B $21.5 Million Business Email Scam, Elijah emerged as the highest score holder. After the review of the answers, I gave a quick a demo on two commonly used skills in Microsoft Excel: freeze pane and highlight non-adjacent cell ranges.

Before giving the class session for students to catch up, Tsz educated the class on How to Become a Drummer and lead the class in clapping. After he had a chance to fully use the practice guide for BQ12 & 13, the leader of the class took on BQ12 - Microsoft Excel 2019 and Spreadsheet Analysis and BQ13 - Apex of Excel.

As he left the classroom, the musical young man indicated that he will complete the required work to take MO-300 PowerPoint by three days after. Before Saturday ended, Tsz declared Microsoft Expert, Let's Go!!!

Earlier this evening, Tsz followed through with what he needed to complete, took and conquered MO-300 with the highest MOS exam score this semester in thus far, and became the first MOS Associate from IS101-3003, Spring 2023. I am so proud of him ^_^

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The evening before this past Saturday's class, Diego took and passed MO-200 Excel, joining Jan, Heather, Tsz, and Elijah. Bringing the proportion of students who are still actively participating and have reached the second milestone to half. I hope the remaining half will join them this coming Saturday.

From Bonus Quiz 10B's 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/

Students,

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

Fun with Functions and More...

This past Saturday was the beginning of MO-200 Excel.

The class session began with Bonus Quiz 9A – SEO Hats, Techniques, and Consequences. When combined with BQ09B – ccTLD Hack and URL Parts Revisited, Heather, Elijah, and Tsz emerged as holders of the highest score ^_^

I had planned to walkthrough [Fun with Functions and More Workbook.xlsm] with the class but chose to give that time for some students to catch up their classmates.

At the designated time, Jan, Heather, and Tsz took and conquered the MO-200 with Tsz holding the highest score. Earlier this evening, Elijah did the same and eclipsed Saturday's highest score by several points. I wonder if any of his classmates will dethrone he who educated the class on Flight Control Systems.

In the past few days, the four conquerors of MO-200 also sent in their A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer. This first of two capstone assignments will heavily contribute to BQ12 – Microsoft Excel 2019 and Spreadsheet Analysis and BQ13 – Apex of Excel, to be given together and is worth an entire bonus letter grade for IS101-3003! Tsz exclaimed that he wants to take on BQ12 & 13, I'm stoked :-)

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Students,

In your comment, please share 

(A) Your experience on completing your [Fun with Functions and More Workbook.xlsm]

(B) Your thoughts on this 5 min 19 sec video: How This Island Got 10% of Their Money by Chance

(C) An unique example of ccTLD hack you can come up with. If you need a refresher: A Guide to Owning Code Top Level Domains (ccTLD)

(D) Your thoughts on this 5 min 21 sec video: The Enormous Spreadsheet that Runs the World's Mail

(E) Your feeling toward and mastery of Microsoft Excel now as compared to before IS101-3003.

Seed of Digital Portfolio and Phase 2: Attention to Details and Perseverance

Yesterday's class session was our first class session returning from Spring Recess but it carried another significance: it was the day after the deadline to withdraw from a course for the Spring 2023 semester. A day prior, I reached out to three students who may benefit from that action, two evaluated their current situation and withdrew while a third who has gotten back on his/her feet in life chose to stay in IS101-3003 and fight for his/her success :-)

This student has a significant amount of catching up to do. From the final page of the syllabus:

 1. I will help you with your IS101 coursework not only during class time but outside as well.

 2. When you become lost in an assignment or an activity, I will steer you to the right direction.

 3. When you cannot fully grasp a concept or a process, I will paint a clear roadmap for you.

 4. When you fall down, I will help you pick yourself up and continue advancing to your goal.

 5. I will fight alongside you as long as you have fight left in you!

The twelve students on the class roster occupy the full range of the progress spectrum. Heather leads the pack with Tsz and Linette hot on her trail.

The class session kicked off with Bonus Quiz 8A - Domain Name Registration and URL Parts and with BQ8B - ccTLD Hack and URL Parts from two days prior, Tsz and Elijah scored the highest on BQ8. I used the remainder of the class session to conclude my two lectures/presentations/walkthroughs:

• L3 The Internet (Part 3 of 3) -- http://mariasklodowska.atwebpages.com/Slide09.htm
• L4 Key Spreadsheet and Analysis Concepts (Part 2 of 2) -- http://theladywiththelamp.atwebpages.com/Slide07.htm

We got a few chuckles as I shared the ccTLD hacks from this semester's students and those from past students. My favorite this semester is espress.oh (Oman) from Jimena while Elijah's is a naughty one from a past student of mine.

As we concluded L3, the topic of fiber optics came up. Here's a 6 min 25 sec video on how the Internet travels across oceans: https://youtu.be/watch?v=yd1JhZzoS6A. Hmm... I wonder what my students think of YouTube's use of ccTLD hack and which country's code is being used?

L4 had two major topics: Straight Average vs. Weighted Average and Using Charts to Visually Present Data. The Straight Average vs. Weighted Average walkthrough is my favorite from my signature collection as it is not only the most interactive but the most challenging. The four scenarios used in Straight Average vs. Weighted Average can be found in the image central to my previous blog post.

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I concluded the class session with a quick presentation that illustrated the academic pursuit of the twelve students, leaderboard, and the target goals to reach by next Saturday's class session.

Students,

Looking and thinking beyond next Saturday: What will distinguish you from your IS101-3003 classmates? From other IS101 students from other professors? From my past students?

A digital portfolio/a website showcasing your individuality, creativity, and all that you have accomplished in IS101-3003, Spring 2023 is a strong candidate. Here are samples I made using five fictitious students' A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing:

Albert Einstein

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

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

Florence Nightingale

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

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

Benjamin Franklin

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

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

Marie Curie

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

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

Elvis Presley

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

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

We would not be able to create homepages, websites, or publishing content on the Internet without the intellectual contribution and leadership of these three men:

Robert "Bob" Kahn and Vinton "Vint" Cerf led the design and implementation of the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) that are the basis for the current Internet. Sir Tim Berners-Lee initiated the development of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) that make up the World Wide Web (WWW). Each man's A.M. Turing Award came decades after their leadership changed the world. Each man's contribution will come into play in an upcoming bonus quiz.

As you work through Microsoft Excel/Phase 2 of IS101-3003, Spring 2023, please also envision how you will distinguish yourself via a digit portfolio. Do the five samples inspire you with how you want to design your homepage and website? May your seed for a digital portfolio grow to be a vibrant and polished tree ^_^

Spring Recess and Signatures

This past week was Spring Recess thus no class session yesterday. Some students used this time to rest and recharge while some used this time to catch-up and even move ahead!

I did both and reflected on 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 24 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 since 2004 and A2 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 MO-100 Word and MO-200 Excel as part of the industry certification component of the IS101 curriculum. As more of Microsoft Office 2019 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, MO-300 PowerPoint was added to the requirement for IS101, meeting the minimum to earn the MOS Associate distinction. Since Fall 2019, four (4) 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 ten (10) went beyond what they needed for IS101. I hope at least some of my students from IS101-3003, Spring 2023 will join that hall of fame ^_^

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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 will walk through in class upon our return from Spring Recess.

(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.

*****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 A8, A9 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 2019 and Spreadsheet Analysis

BQ13 - Apex of Excel

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

Hmm...

What will each of my students in IS101-3003, Spring 2023 do to distinguish him/herself from their classmates? From IS101 students from other IS101 faculty? From my past students?

An impromptu bonus (IB) opportunity: there is an incorrect word used in my most proud topic. The first student to email me with an email of subject line:

IB1 - <incorrect word> should be <correct word>

with the correct format, correct answers, and carbon copied him/herself will receive bonus credit.

The Digital Literacy/IS101 Program Director has his signatures too: his YouTube videos on Excel and the [Fun with Functions and More.xlsm] workbook with macros (hence the .xlsm file extension).

As a follow-up to his earlier Excel Primer video, in Fall 2022, he created a 4 min 36 sec video on Excel functions review/tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ujPDRO_UPA) to help reinforce what you learned from LabSim. Afterward, if you clicked on his name right below the video to visit his YouTube page, you will find other videos he made to help you with your [Fun with Functions and More.xlsm].

Students,

In your comment, please share (A) your thoughts on my signatures, (B) how you will distinguish yourself from other IS101 students, and (C) did you find the Dr. Taormino's YouTube videos helpful?

Semester Midpoint, Phase 2, Evolving Mindset and Habits

Week 8 of 16 -- 17 if you count Spring Recess which begins in less than 10 minutes -- brings us to the semester midpoint :-)

Our eighth class session began with Bonus Quiz (BQ) 7A – TCP/IP. Together with BQ07B – One Big Thing and Generic Top Level Domains (sent in a day and half prior) yielded three top scorers: Linette, Heather, and Tsz.

I then gave a trio of lectures/walkthroughs/presentations that consumed the remainder of the class:

• L3 The Internet (Part 2 of 3) -- http://mariasklodowska.atwebpages.com/Slide05.htm

• L4 Key Spreadsheet and Analysis Concepts (Part 1 of 2) -- http://theladywiththelamp.atwebpages.com/Slide01.htm

• Spring Recess: Catch-up, Clean-up, Move-up

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After class ended, a tenth Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certificate in Word was added to IS101-3003, Spring 2023 when Diego conquered the MO-100 certification exam with his inner child (Little Diegito) ^_^ I hope a few students who are still catching up will join Deigo.

Up until now, students' operational mindset are geared toward completion of tasks as much of the materials are easy and likely familiar to many students. The next phase of IS101 will require more attention to details, analysis, and perseverance as most students are not well versed with Microsoft Excel and scenario-based problems. Will students be able to adapt and more importantly, evolve their mindset and habits toward thoughtfulness and proactiveness, especially during Spring Recess?

Instead of asking "What do I need to finish by this due date?", will a student ask "What is coming ahead and when can I start?"

Rather than "What do I need to do for this assignment?", will a student -- after reading and comprehending an assignment's requirements -- ask "How can I do it better than anyone else?"

In Fall 2020, the digital literacy program director created a 20 min 25 sec video (https://youtu.be/kAq3lXPV_bs) to help ease students' anxiety with Microsoft Excel.

Students,

In your comment to this blog post, please share

(A) Your experience with Microsoft Excel prior to you doing Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel

(B) If the Excel Primer video above (same one as listed in Week 7 of Canvas) helped you in alleviating your anxiety with Chapter 5 Microsoft Excel?

(C) What did you think of the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) hack in the URL above? This will also help you with BQ8B – ccTLD Hack and URL Parts (see Week 8 for B8 Topics.pdf in Canvas)

First Signature Topic and First Milestone Marker

This past Saturday marked the beginning of the first milestone marker for IS101-3003, Spring 2023 and would end with a 100% pass rate ^_^

There was no bonus quiz scheduled as the focus was the first Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam: MO-100 Word. The class session kicked off with L3 The Internet (Part 1 of 3) http://mariasklodowska.atwebpages.com/Slide01.htm which ended with one of my favorite signature topic that I add to all my IS101 teachings: Anatomy of an Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

Chandani (who goes by Lama) followed through with her declaration from the class session prior and delivered her presentation on Ram's Adventures Part 1: Ram and the Monster, a first in a series of children's books that the young Nepali illustrated, available for purchase at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Lama brought a hardcopy of her book and passed it around and answered questions from the audience. After I walked through my polishing process of Lama's draft version slideshow to the final version, we moved on to main event without missing a beat.

Six of the thirteen actively participating students qualified and engaged the MO-100 in the classroom. Technical difficulties forced one to retake it the following day remotely. Three more qualified two days later and joined their six classmates remotely. All nine passed! I am so proud of them :-)

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Shane took the pole position with Tsz closely behind. I wonder if the remaining four students will unseat either young man from their leading positions?

Live-Remote and Heading Toward First Certification Exam

Yesterday's class session saw more students' brilliance illuminate the classroom even brighter!

Tsz made it for Bonus Quiz 6 – Shortcut, Recycle Bin, and File Types. Elijah and Heather arrived late thus missed out on BQ6. The evening prior, Heather gave me a heads up that she may not be able to attend class due to minor mishap that impaired her mobility. She shared with me that unless she is dying or bedbound, she will show up and do what she needs to do. I told Dr. Zamzow that I have the same ethos.

Jimena has been heavily immobile since an automobile accident the day before Spring 2023 began. Yesterday's class session was the first-time she joined the class live and remotely via WebEx after having surgery. I'm glad the young lady is able to say hi to her classmates and they to her ^_^

After walking through the answers for BQ6, I prepared the students for this coming Saturday. Bonus Quiz 7 will wait until the following week as students gear up for their first Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam: MO-100 Word. But the best preparation is their own practice in LabSim, not just in reaching 100% but troubleshooting when they didn't reach 100% on a given exercise then reaching 100%!

Linette took the stage and educated the class on Technical Analysis: What it is and how to use it in investing. I love her closing with sage advice from her own experience! An unintended demonstration of what could go wrong in the 'real world' occurred as I had the wrong version of Linette's slideshow at the beginning.

Elijah followed with Space Race. The future space agency employee had to attend to his earthly ground-based vehicle, causing him to be late to the class. He surprised me with an updated slideshow after I sent him a polished version. It's been some years since a student demonstrated creativity and passion to continue improving their slideshow after I polished theirs :-)

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Though I didn't have a chance to review his improvements, I was confident that Elijah's new content would not cause concern or offend the audience. What I didn't expect were his poignant tributes to the astronauts that lost their lives in their missions:

55 years after Apollo 1 fire, NASA's lessons live on as Orion aims for the moon

https://www.space.com/nasa-apollo-1-fire-55-years-orion-moon-return

35 Years Ago: Remembering Challenger and Her Crew

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew

Columbia disaster

https://www.britannica.com/event/Columbia-disaster

The three slides Elijah added were portraits of the Apollo1, Challenger, Columbia crews respectively each with a custom background. This will earn him bonus credit once he completes A5 Slideshow Presentation. Later in the semester, I hope the space rocket enthusiast will do the optional assignment A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing so that his poignant tributes will be on the World Wide Web for everyone to see.

Linette earned bonus credit for A5 as she is the first student to complete this mandatory assignment with her flawless A5 email. Heather and Khylie who presented in-class the previous Saturday will also receive bonus credit for being the first group of presenters.

Before leaving the classroom, Heather uttered the quintessential attribute that will increase the chance of passing MO-100 or any certification exam: read and comprehend all details of the scenario/requirement so that one can fulfill all aspects of the scenario/requirement correctly and fully -- assuming one gained and practiced the necessary skills prior to the exam. Hmm, this sounds exactly like the quintessential attribute to succeed on a bonus quiz...

Earlier today, I graded BQ6 and Chandani (who goes by Lama) emerged as the lone holder of the highest score. Welcome to the 'highest scorer' club Lama, joining Linette (x1), Tsz (x2), Elijah (x1). Though not the only student to express interest in presenting this coming Saturday, Lama is the only one in a front-running position that may have the time and energy to draft a slideshow on top of preparing for the MO-100.

I wish Lama can find the time and energy and everyone success on MO-100 ☺

First Student Presentations and Spoofing Walkthrough

Yesterday's class session saw two students delivering their slideshow presentations and more students shining in bonus quiz performance ^_^

Elijah scored the highest and Heather the second highest on Bonus Quiz 5 – Social Engineering & Purchasing Rationale. Feeling under the weather, Tsz missed out on BQ5. I hope he will participate in BQ6 – Shortcut, Recycle Bin, and File Types next Saturday.

Heather kicked off A5 Slideshow Presentation with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. The veterinarian who specializes in felines did a wonderful job of not only delivering a succinct presentation and educating then answering questions from the audience; but setting a stellar example for her classmates!

Khylie followed with the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. The LA native's penultimate slide illustrates her connection to the riots. I remember watching the riots unfold on television news when I was a high school senior. I can still hear the plea "Can't we all just get along?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sONfxPCTU0 (17 sec)

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I walked through the polishing process from draft version to final version for each student's slideshow. Linette and Elijah also sent in their draft versions right before yesterday's class session. Since then, I polished both of their draft versions and walked through the polishing process with Linette and will do the same with Elijah tomorrow. I look forward to seeing their presentations next Saturday :-)

One topic in BQ5 is spoofing. This 12 min 12 sec video from ABC News In-Depth walks through how a scam was pulled off using spoofing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXbF46RvY5k

I wonder what my students think of the scam walked through in the video.

I hope to see even better performance on future bonus quizzes.

I can't wait to see more student slideshow presentations.

Look Three Weeks Ahead and Deep Fakes

For two bonus quizzes in a row, Tsz alone earned the highest score, this time on Bonus Quiz 4 – Display, Shift/Ctrl, Boot-up, Binary, IPOS.

As with the previous class session, I gave one of my signature lecture/demonstration this past Saturday. But this time it is a full-length presentation with the first half:

L2A Job Hunting and Fulfillment Process

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

L2A Job Hunting and Fulfillment Process (Tables' Borders Visible)

http://thedopeyone.atwebpages.com/Slide01 (Borders Visible).htm

and the second half:

L2B Walkthrough of A3 using an actual job posting and sample tailored documents

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

L2B Walkthrough of A3 using an actual job posting and sample tailored documents (Tables' Borders Visible)

http://kingofrocknroll.atwebpages.com/Slide01 (Borders Visible).htm

Like L1 (Benjamin Franklin), both L2A (Albert Einstein) and L2B (Elvis Presley) will take visitors to each fictitious student's homepage but unlike the first homepage, the later two homepages each contain a link to their fictitious classmates -- the other two being Marie Curie and Florence Nightingale. I hope these five sample homepages and websites will give my real-life students ideas on how they may want to present their accomplishments in IS101-3003, Spring 2023 and anything else they want to share with the world via A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing.

The links above take visitors to the webpage version of my L2 presentation. During my in-class presentation this past Saturday, I used the source PowerPoint slideshow file for presentation via a traditional projector against a roll down screen. I hope (a) the use of prominently sized text, contrasting colors, slide transitions, animation effects in arresting audience's attention and (b) the use of [Timing] settings such as [Start] & [Duration] and [Text Animation] setting such as [Group text] to control the flow and cadence of the slideshow in alignment with my presentation planted ideas in my students' creative minds.

This past Saturday's class session was also an embarkation to a higher-level of success and their first Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam. For the first four weeks, most students gained their sea legs with some already running instead of walking or crawling. With the next three weeks' activities fully published in Canvas and the MO-100 Word certification exam at the end of that three weeks, a handful of students are already sailing flank speed ahead passing their markers in Chapter 4 Microsoft Word ^_^

Before class ended, Khylie, Elijah, Diego, and Kimberly expressed interest to be the first to participate in A5 Slideshow Presentation. Khylie has already sent in her draft version slideshow and just now, I see Tsz's Task 2 of A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume in my email Inbox :-)

John Oliver's Facial Recognition video from my previous blog post definitely opened some eyes and dropped some jaws. This week's 7 min 45 sec video on Deep Fake will likely do more!

Students, please share your professional thoughts on what you learned from this Deep Fake video in your comment to this blog post.