askerker@hartfordschools.org

Required Materials

Computers: Tools for an Information Age [8th Edition] by H.L. Capron

An additional free resource; Online tutorials for Microsoft Office Products

http://microsoft.com/education/?ID=tl

Course Overview

This course is designed to enable the student to become comfortable with the basic operations of computer hardware and software. Participants will learn how to use the computer as an authentic assessment tool through projects based upon the Microsoft Office products, web browsers, html editors and a variety of freeware.

Objectives

This course will enable students to:

• explain the anatomy and physiology of a computer and the Windows operating system
• develop newsletters and brochures using Word
• experience webbing and concept mapping with Inspiration
• move data from a narrative into tabular and graphic formats with Excel
• develop slide shows with embedded videos using PowerPoint
• organize and report data with Access
• interact with online storage areas
• search and download text, graphics and videos on the net
• write and publish online

Expectations

Much of the learning will be student-based. For example...you will be shown how to develop a newsletter in lab. We will walk through the process collectively. You will then be given a rubric that you will use for self-assessment which will be the same instrument that the instructor will use for grading. As you apply more effort toward skill mastery and presentation, your ability to learn new concepts will increase. In other words...the energy that you invest should be directly related to the grades that you will receive.

Assignments

Grading

Quizzes, projects, assignments 70%
Final 20%
Classroom participation 10%

Misc.

Please remember that classroom participation counts as 10% of your grade. You are reminded to follow the Hillyer College attendance policy. Individuals who have an excessive number of absences [more than three] will be graded accordingly.

Assignments are due on time whether or not you are in class. Late assignments or projects may result in loss of credit. [If you are experiencing difficulty with an assignment, call me @home 236-4002 or e-mail me so that I might help you through the process.] No assignment will be accepted if it is more than one week overdue.

Please put your name in the subject box of any e-mail that you send to the instructor.