CS110G
Computer Literacy (on the web)
Instructor: Doug Bocaz-Larson Email:
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. NOTE: This is a 1st 8 week course on the web that ends Monday, October 18.
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.
Evaluation:
Assignments/Homework
40%
Quizzes 30%
Projects
(Mid-term/Final) 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 4 week assignments – Sept 17
Final deadline for all 2nd 4 week assignments – Oct. 18
Failure to meet the above deadlines may result in your being dropped from the course by the first 4 weeks or a failing grade on the 2nd 4 week assignments.
Important Dates
August 24 Classes Begin
Sept 6 Labor Day
Sept 21 Last day to drop
Oct 18 Last day of classes
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.
WebCT Directions
If have never taken a web course, please do the following.
1. Go to: http://salsa.nmsu.edu
2. Click "Create Your ID" on left side of screen
3. Enter your social security number and your date of birth.
4. Click Continue and follow directions.
5. When you are done, email your instructor (Doug
Bocaz-Larson) at
6. Please allow for 24 hours between the time you create your idea and the time you can enter the course.
7. Return to http://salsa.nmsu.edu, enter your username and password and click the link to your course.
(If you have any questions you can email me at dbocaz@nmsu.edu, call my cell 290-1739, or my office 287-6656)
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Deadlines |
Topics Covered |
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The Internet Due Thurs, August 26 |
Go to WebCT for a
complete list of assignments: http://salsa.nmsu.edu Do the following
activities by Thursday, August 26 WEBCT – A. Meet your
instructor, Doug Bocaz-Larson at http://grants.nmsu.edu/gr_webcourses/CS110/meetdoug.html
and http://www.oocities.org/pocolocoplayers/bio.html
B. Log into WebCT http://salsa.nmsu.edu and introduce yourself
to the class in the Discussion room. C. Sign into WebCT (salsa.nmsu.edu) to complete the discussions
on "How is technology changing the world?" and “Should people
listen to computers?” In each discussion, respond to the
posting of one other student in the class who said something really
interesting and say what you agree with and add another new idea to the
discussion. D. Just for fun… (read
the following websites if you would like to know more about the
internet) 1. Surfing the
Internet http://grants.nmsu.edu/gr_webcourses/CS110/int1.html 2. Email http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/email.html 3. Attachments http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/23attach.htm 4. More internet
reading http://www.learnthenet.com/english/index.html |
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Due Tuesday, August 31 |
Do the Internet Scavenger Hunt (find the instructions in the WebCT
Discussion room)
Use the following file name when you save the assignment: "yourname net hunt" Email finished assignment as an attachment to dbocaz@nmsu.edu or in WebCT mail |
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Due Wed., September 1 |
Do the activity Journey Inside the Computer
(find the instructions in the WebCT Discussion room)
Use the following file
name when you save the assignment: "yourname journey" Email
finished assignment as an attachment to dbocaz@nmsu.edu
or in WebCT mail. It is important to email your instructor (dbocaz@nmsu.edu or in WebCT) by September 1 so you are not dropped from the course. |
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Microsoft Word See individual assignments
for deadlines |
Microsoft Word
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
or in WebCT mail. 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. DEADLINE:
Tuesday, September 7 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 or in WebCT
mail. DEADLINE:
Wednesday, September 8 WebCT
Discussion - Sign into WebCT (salsa.nmsu.edu) to join the discussion on
"Cybercrime” and “Virtual Violence." In
each discussion, respond to the posting of one other student in the class who
said something really interesting and say what you agree with and add another
new idea to the discussion. Biometrics Paper
WD 75-120 WebCT Discussion
- Sign
into WebCT (salsa.nmsu.edu) to complete
the discussion on “Pirating or Sharing” In each discussion, respond to the posting
of one other student in the class who said something really interesting and
say what you agree with and add another new idea to the discussion. DEADLINE: Thursday, September 9 Quiz
- Original research paper § What is virtual reality and how is it
being used? § Potential benefits or dangers of
cloning § Can genetic engineering be helpful to
society or harmful? § 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? REMINDER:
If you are not caught up on your assignments by September 17, you may be dropped
from the course. |
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PowerPoint See individual assignments
for deadlines |
Microsoft PowerPoint
College Success PPT
5-61 PowerPoint Your Own New Classes PPT 74-77
PowerPoint September 21 Last day
to drop (1st 8 weeks) Quiz
– Christmas Vacation PowerPoint Quiz -
History of Computers Presentation Your Own
Nutrition and Fitness Presentation PPT 83-126 Sign into WebCT (salsa.nmsu.edu) to complete the
discussion on “The Future of Computers” In each discussion, respond to the posting
of one other student in the class who said something really interesting and
say what you agree with and add another new idea to the discussion. DEADLINE: Tuesday, September 28. 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? Sign into WebCT (salsa.nmsu.edu) to join the discussion on
"Is science fiction becoming science fact?" DEADLINE: Thursday,
September 30. |
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Excel See individual assignments
for deadlines |
Microsoft Excel
Create
Extreme Blading EX 4-46 Excel 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
or in WebCT mail. DEADLINE: Thursday, October 7. You
may complete other Excel assignments such as the Blue Chip Stock Club on EX
67 for extra credit. |
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Final Project Due May 6 |
FINAL
PROJECT
Create a final project on Movies/TV or Computer
Ethics. If you select Movies/TV
as your topic, 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. If you select Computer
Ethics as your topic, you will: A) Write a two page research paper in Word about an ethical issue related to technology such as computer implants, cyber-terrorism, or artificial intelligence. B) Create a survey on your topic in Excel and chart the results after you survey 10-20 people. C) Create an eight
slide PowerPoint presentation on your topic. NOTE: Books of television and movies scripts and
books about computer ethics 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: Thursday,
October 15. Sign into WebCT (salsa.nmsu.edu) to join the discussion on
"Can technology make us better?"
In each discussion, respond to the posting of one other
student in the class who said something really interesting and say what you
agree with and add another new idea to the discussion. DEADLINE: Thursday, October 15. |
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Deadline for all assignments: Monday, October 18. |