CS110G
Computer Literacy
Instructor: Doug Bocaz-Larson Email:
Meeting Time: W
Phone: 290-1331 cell 287-6656 office Office: 124
Office hours: MON
Text: Microsoft Office 2003 Brief Concepts and Techniques Shelly Cashman Vermatt ISBN: 0-619-20022-7
Course Description:
This course will introduce the student to the hardware and software that comprise a computer system. Much of the class will be hands-on use of the application software. In this class, you will use the Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office for word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), and presentations (PowerPoint). You will also learn to navigate the Internet with Internet Explorer software. Through the knowledge and abilities gained in this class, you will be prepared for success in your degree programs.
Instructor
Availability:
I will be happy to
work with you in a computer lab at NMSU-Grants at scheduled times. Please call
my cell phone (505-290-1331) or my office (505-287-6656) or email me (
Assignment Deadlines:
Please make sure that all your work is in by the
deadlines on the syllabus. Make-up quizzes
and assignments will not receive full credit.
10% will be taken off for each class period the assignment or quiz is
not completed.
Attendance and
Grading:
Your
attendance directly affects your grades.
Again and again, I see that students with high attendance learn more and
achieve higher grades than students with low attendance. The most successful student will be at every
class meeting. Students are asked not to
bring children to class. Students who
are not able to follow the NMSU attendance policy are asked to drop the course
to avoid receiving a failing grade.
On a positive note, students who show up on time and have perfect
attendance will NOT have to take the mid-term or final exam. Perfect attendance means no absences for any
reason. If you are absent, you must complete the in-class activity on your own
and you will need to complete an extra credit assignment to make up for missing
in-class participation. Students who
have successfully completed all assignments at mid-term will be given the
option to attend only the lecture for the second half of the semester. The lectures will be from
Evaluation:
Assignments 40%
Attend/Exams 30%
Projects 30%
Grading scale:
100-90%
A
89-80%
B
79-70%
C
69-60%
D
>59% F
Deadlines
Students must meet the deadlines in order to receive full credit for
assignments, quizzes, and projects. 10% will be taken off for each day the
assignment is late up to 40%. If 10% of
the assignments in the course are late, then your final grade will be deducted
by 10% which means you will not receive an A.
Final deadline for all 1st 8 week assignments – October 13
Final deadline for all 2nd 8 week assignments – December 8
Failure to meet the above deadlines may result in your being dropped from the course by the first 8 weeks or a failing grade on the 2nd 8 week assignments.
Important Dates
August 24 Classes Begin
October 15 Last day to drop
Thanksgiving Nov 24-27 No Class
December 8 Last Day of Class
Words of Wisdom
When you take a course about computers, you get out of it what you put into it. Computers are constantly changing and you must be constantly learning to keep on the cutting edge. A class in computers will help you get started, but it is up to you to go that extra mile to become an expert. Working with computers is like learning a musical instrument. You don’t become a good musician without practice. It is the same with computers. If you don’t practice and develop your skills on your own, then you’ll never be a true techie. No computer class can teach you everything you need to know on a topic. Computer courses are a jumping off point to a journey, not a destination.
Important Notes to Students (the fine print):
If
you have, or believe you have, a disability that would benefit from any
accommodation(s), you may wish to register with the Student Services Office on
the first floor of Martinez Hall. All
medical information will be treated confidentially. After you have registered, please make sure
that I receive a copy of the accommodation memorandum from Student Services
within the first two weeks of class. It
will be your responsibility to inform me or the office of Student Services (in
a timely manner) if the services/accommodations are not meeting your needs. If you have a condition that may affect your
ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or that may cause an
emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns with Ms.
Irene Charles-Lutz, Campus Student Services Officer at 287-6629, or with me at
287-6656.
Any
student found guilty of academic misconduct shall be subject to disciplinary
action. Academic misconduct includes,
but is not limited to, the following actions: cheating; plagiarism;
unauthorized possession of examinations, reserve library materials or
laboratory materials; unauthorized changing of grades on an examination,
instructor’s grade book or grade report; nondisclosure or misrepresentation in
filing out applications or other college records; or violation of computer use
policies. The following disciplinary
actions and sanctions may be imposed for any of the above infractions of
regulations: disciplinary probation, disciplinary suspension, dismissal,
expulsion.
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Class Dates |
Topics Covered |
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Internet, Wednesday,
August 25 |
Welcome. Introduction to CS110. Group discussion:
"How is technology changing the world?" (How has the world wide web
changed the world?) Typing Practice: www.senselang.com www.typingcertification.com The Internet (use the following websites for review after
class)
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Inside
the Computer Wed.,
September 1 |
Typing Practice (goal 50wpm) Group Activity: Take apart computers and learn about the parts inside. Label them correctly as a group. Journey Inside the Computer activity
(Shopping for Computers)
Use the following file name when you save the assignment: "yourname journey" EMAIL REVIEW: Email finished assignment as an attachment to dbocaz@nmsu.edu |
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Microsoft
Word Wednesday, September
8 |
Typing Practice (goal 50wpm) Group Discussion: How
are computers used in the world around us?
(on the job?
Recreation?) Grand Prix Announcement WD 5-54 Make an original flyer that is similar to WD 66, WD 68, WD
69, or WD 70. Change the information
so it is about a trip you might take (WD 66), a party you’d like to have (WD
68), a community event (WD 69), or a sports event (WD 70). Have fun with this. You can even make a funny flyer. Use
the following file name when you save the assignment: "yourname original flyer" Email finished assignment
as an attachment to dbocaz@nmsu.edu
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Wednesday, September
15 |
Typing Practice (goal 50wpm) Group Discussion - Different groups discuss the following, share results, and lead whole group discussion: “Pirating or Sharing,” "Cybercrime” and “Virtual Violence." Quiz
- Create a flyer with Ten Rules
- Research on the internet for good rules about using computers at school,
work or at home. Put the rules in your
own words. List 10 rules on the flyer
for students, co-workers, or children to follow. Include clip art, use the entire page, but
don't go over one page. Include the
website address at the bottom where you found your information. Use
the following file name when you save the assignment: "yourname ten rules" Email finished assignment as an
attachment to dbocaz@nmsu.edu
NOTE: Be sure to keep two copies of your assignments (one on disk and one on
your hard drive). Also print a copy of your finished assignment as an
additional backup. Biometrics
Paper WD 75-120 |
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Wednesday,
September 22 |
Typing Practice (goal 50wpm) Discussions on
"Can technology make us better?” and “Should people listen to
computers?” Plan
paper in groups by topic. Research
together and brainstorm ideas. Write the papers on your own. Quiz -
Original research paper Select one of the following
topics to research: Ø
Research an
ethical issue related to technology such as computer implants or cyber-terrorism. Ø
Research
advances in artificial intelligence (uses for robots: cleaning, cooking, childcare). Ø
Potential
benefits or dangers of cloning. Ø
Can genetic
engineering be helpful to society or harmful? Ø
Select a movie (such as X-Men or James Bond) or a television
show (such as 24 or Alias) and research the technology used. Does any of the technology really exist or
is it merely the imagination of the writers? Do your citations in APA format. You can use http://landmark-project.com/citation_machine/cm.php
for help doing citations. Use the following file name when you save
the assignment: "yourname Original Research
Paper" Email finished assignment to dbocaz@nmsu.edu |
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Wednesday,
September 29 |
Work on papers |
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Microsoft
PowerPoint Wednesday, October 6 |
Research papers due at start of class Group Discussion – “How to be successful in college,” “Planning your future” College
Success PPT 5-61 PowerPoint
Your
Own New Classes PPT 74-77 PowerPoint Your
Own Nutrition and Fitness Presentation
PPT 83-126 |
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Oct.
13 |
Computer History Video and discussion (How to be the next Bill Gates) Discussion on “The Future of Computers” and "Is science fiction becoming science fact?" Quiz - History of Computers
Presentation Or Quiz - Science Fiction
Presentation · Watch
The Jetsons or some of the original Star Trek
episodes. What from the Jetsons or original Star
Trek has entered our daily lives (i.e. communicators=cell phones)? · Look
at today's popular science fiction on television, movies, and books. What technology
do you think will become a part of our future? What technology do you think
is possible? Which technology do you think is impossible? · Pretend you can see into the future. What
technology do you think we'll have that we don't have now? October 15 Last day to drop |
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Oct.
20 |
Work day – finish presentations – share favorite presentations
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Oct.
27 |
Presentations
– Favorites (places, food, etc.) Group Discussion: break
into groups by favorites (brainstorm ideas) For
example, if you selected your favorite place to take a vacation: You
will present this to the class on Nov. 3, 10, 17 or Dec. 1. If you select food, you may make the food
and bring it in to share with the class!
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Excel
Nov.
3 |
Microsoft Excel
Group activities:
“Battleship” and “Survey on movies” Create
Extreme Blading EX 4-46 Excel Quiz
- Create a cost of college chart
that compares tuition of other colleges over 4 years such as (NMSU-Grants,
NMSU-LC, UNM-Alb, |
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Nov.
10 |
Excel
assignments Blue Chip Stock Club on EX 67
Quiz
– Create a simple survey in Excel 1. Create questions for your survey.
What do you want to survey people about?
You can ask people what kind of classes they’d like to see NMSU-Grants
offer. Find out people’s favorite
movies. You can ask people about their
favorite sport or restaurant. Find out people's favorite television shows.
Learn what new businesses people want in Grants. 2. Survey 20 people. 3. Make a table and chart in Excel
showing the results of your survey. Download an example of this assignment
at: http://grants.nmsu.edu/gr_webcourses/CS110/handout10.xls Use
the following file name when you save the assignment: "yourname survey”. Keep printed materials for your
records. Email finished assignment to dbocaz@nmsu.edu |
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Nov.
17 |
FINAL PROJECT
Create a final
project on Movies/TV If you select final
option 1 on Movies/TV, you will: A) Write a two page
script for a new movie or TV show you would
like to create. B) Create a survey
asking people questions about your new show or movie to see if they like the
idea and chart the results. C) Create a
PowerPoint presentation that has information about each character in your
movie or TV show with pictures of real actors you would like to play the
parts. NOTE:
Books of television and movies scripts are available in the
NMSU-Grants library. OR FINAL OPTION 2: When your web page is complete, you
will need to post it on the internet.
Here are instructions for posting your web page on Geocities. OR FINAL
OPTION 3: Complete any of the Access
assignments in the book. DEADLINE FOR FINAL PROJECT: December
1 |
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Deadline for all assignments: Wed., Dec. 1 Final Exam Wed., Dec. 8 |