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!
(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 ^_^
Click on the image for a larger/clearer view
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?
