Desktop Operating Systems - 11/30/2005

Today we covered the first two sections of the Access section of our book.

Homework:

• Section 1: Skill Assessments 1-3


• Section 2: Skill Assessment 1

Marketing - 11/29/2005

Boy, it’s really quiet right now.  I’m sitting here watching you guys do some last minute cramming for the exam tonight.  This is all we’re doing tonight, after the exam, I’m sending you home with no homework.

Homework:

• Did you even read the paragraph above?!  No homework!  Yay!

MS Office - 11/28/2005

MS Office today consisted of finishing up your presentations.  Good luck with them, and let me know if you have any problems!

Homework:

• Finish up presentations!

Desktop Operating Systems - 11/28/2005

Today we covered the first PowerPoint section of the book.  We’ll finish up PowerPoint next week.

Desktop Operating Systems - 11/23/2005

Today we finished the PowerPoint portion of our book (section 2).  Next week we’ll start Access.

Homework:

• No homework due next week!


• Eat lots of turkey!

Marketing - 11/22/2005

Our class tonight was over Chapter Nine, the Product “P”.

We learned the product deals with everything received – both good and bad, from an exchange.  This includes the actual “thing” as well as any warranties, ideas, etc.

Homework:

• Answer these questions:


• What is a brand?  


• What is the difference between a brand name, a brand mark, a trademark, and a service mark?

Remember, we have a test over Chapters 6 – 9 next week!!!

CompTIA Network + Training - 11/22/2005

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since becoming an MSE instructor, it’s that I like pie.  Mmmm, pie…

Anyway, today we covered two chapters worth of stuff: Chapters 15 and 16, dealing with TCP/IP’s role in the Internet and Remote Connectivity, respectively.  

Make sure you know what routers are, the difference between a gateway and a default gateway, and know about the various services that are available via TCP/IP (HTTP, E-mail, FTP, etc.)

As for Chapter 16, know that phone lines are phone lines and run only at 2400 baud.  It’s how much data your modem decides to put on those 2400 baud that determines the modem speed – therefore your speeds will be in multiples of 2400.  Make sure you can differentiate between DSL, ISDN, Cable, SONET, X.25, Frame Relay, etc.

Homework:

• You know what the homework assignment is… slackers…

MS Office - 11/21/2005

Today was day one of working on your Powerpoint presentation.  If I checked yours and gave you the go-ahead, I’ll see you when the presentation is due on December 5.  Otherwise, I’ll see you next week!

Homework:

• Continue to work on your Powerpoint presentations.  They’re due on December 5!

Desktop Operating Systems - 11/21/2005

Today was devoted to an Excel exam.  Next week, we will begin Powerpoint.

Homework:

• No homework for this week.  Come back next week ready to start Powerpoint!

CompTIA A+ Hardware/OS - 11/17/2005

Today’s class talked all about installing Windows and on troubleshooting, maintaining, configuring, etc. Windows 9x (Chapters 14, 15).  Next week, I’ll show you an upgrade from Windows 95 to Windows Me and also show you some of the stuff we talked about in class.  

Homework:

• Chapter 14: 1-10


• Chapter 15: 1-10

Desktop Operating Systems - 11/16/2005

Today we took our Excel exam, and then did the first section of Powerpoint.

Homework:

• Activities 1-3

Marketing - 11/15/2005

The weather kept us from having class Tuesday night.  We’ll resume next week.

MS Office - 11/14/2005

Office class today consisted of two main parts: Excel and Powerpoint.

We took our Excel test today, which for many of you will be your last foray into Excel (in this class, anyway).  Some of you will feel sad, I have a feeling most of you are as giddy as a 4 year old on Christmas.  Overall, the test went very very well, with everyone scoring a B or better.  Nice job!

Next, we dove headfirst into Powerpoint, which is Microsoft’s presentation software.  I handed out requirements for our Powerpoint project (which I’ll include below) and then showed you two presentations: one on how to make a successful presentation, and the other one on what I don’t want to see.  Make sure you don’t get these confused guys!

If you are reading this entry because you missed this portion of the class, make sure you go through the exercises in the book on how to do the requirements that you aren’t quite familiar with.  

The Project
The Powerpoint project will be due on December 5.  In one way, I’m treating it as an assignment in that if you somehow miss December 5, I’ll knock 10% off like I would any homework assignment.  This is pretty big, because the whole presentation is worth 100 pts, just like a test!  Ouch!  Make sure you’re here on December 5!!!

The Requirements
As promised, here’re the requirements for the Powerpoint project.  This matches the handout I gave out:


For the Powerpoint portion of this class, we will be making a Powerpoint presentation and presenting it.  This presentation will count as your Powerpoint test.  There are several things I will be looking for as you give your slideshow:

• At least 12 slides


• Text should be easy to read from the back of the room.  Use the “Rule of 6” to determine this (stand 6 feet from your monitor and if you can easily read your text, you’re good).


• Use a Design template (either from the Web or from inside PowerPoint)


• Have at least three types of slide layouts.


• Use both animations and slide transitions on all slides


• Use some form of clipart on at least one slide


• Place a chart, table or graph on at least one slide


• Please do not use sounds (this is a personal rule of mine, it’s kind of a pet peeve…).


• Print a page of handouts to give to me on the day of your presentation.  There should be six slides per page.

Well, Ben, that’s all well and good, but what in the world am I going to do this presentation on???  I’m glad you asked!

Do it on ANYTHING you want!  I want to be educated!  Do it on a hobby, a passion, something completely random, something you’ve already done research for in another class, something.  There are no right or wrong topics here (ok, nothing pornographic, but you get my point).  

Some examples:

• How to change your oil


• Why we should invade Canada


• Why Michael Jackson is guilty/innocent


• A history of your favorite rock band


• How to tame horses


• How to take blood


• How George Dubya is ruining/saving our nation


• Why you shouldn’t buy milk from Wal-Mart.


• Your stance on gun control, etc.


• Planning a vacation


• Unique investment strategies

You’ll have the next few weeks to work on this presentation.  We’ll give them December 5.

Desktop Operating Systems - 11/14/2005

Today we covered Section 3 of the Excel section which covers such topics as the NOW, IF and PMT functions, printing gridlines and column headings, centering a spreadsheet on a page, margin changing, making charts, etc.

IF Statement
The IF statement is made up of three parts: the logical test, what to do if the test comes out positive, and what to do if the test comes out negative.  Here’s how it’s set up:

=IF(logical_test,value_if_true,value_if_false)

IF is great in telling Excel how to behave in certain situations.  The example we used in class calculated an employee’s bonus depending on how long that employee had worked.  If that employee had worked longer than 4 years, they got a bigger bonus, if less than 4 years, a smaller one.  Make sure you know how to construct an IF statement.

PMT Function
The PMT function allows us to figure out loan information based on the term of our loan, the initial loan amount and the interest rate that we have obtained.  Remember to use cell references when using the PMT function so that your payment information can change real-time as you change your variables – changing “hardwired” formulas sucks.

Homework

• Activities 1-5

CompTIA A+ Hardware/OS - 11/10/2005

Today’s class covered Chapters 23 & 24 which dealt with Networking and The Internet.  

Homework:

• Chapter 23: 1-10


• Chapter 24: 1-10

Desktop Operating Systems - 11/9/2005

Today we covered section 3 of the Excel section.

Homework:

• Activities 1-5

Marketing - 11/8/2005

Tonight’s marketing class was dedicated to marketing research – the differing methods and the different reasons for using it.  

Homework:

• Questions 3.1 – 3.4

CompTIA Network+ Training - 11/8/2005

Today in Net+ we covered chapters 13 & 14, which covered Sharing Resources and TCP/IP, respectively.  I ridiculously forgot about the exam that was scheduled for today, so we will be taking it next week.  Again, I apologize, for not having it ready.  Hopefully, the extra time for studying will help!! :)

Homework:

• Chapter 13 – Questions 1-10


• Chapter 14 – Ques… you know, why even type them?  You know already…

MS Office - 11/7/2005

Office class today covered the fifth chapter of the Excel unit.  We covered a variety of topics including cut/copy/pasting between the same worksheet, different worksheets, different workbooks and different applications.  We also fooled around with 3D references as well as Freezing Frames and Splitting Windows.

Homework:

• Activities 1-5

Remember, we have a test next week!!

Desktop Operatings Systems - 11/7/2005

Today in class we did the second section of Excel, which mainly covered various ways to format your spreadsheets to make them more pleasing to the eye.  Specifically, we covered how to edit the content inside of cells, moving and copying cells, changing fonts, sizes, etc. yada yada yada.

Homework:

• Activities 1-5


• Make sure you print each activity after you are finished, even though the book doesn’t mention printing!!!

Blog-only info: 5 points extra credit to anyone who tell me what ### signs in your cells mean.  E-mail your answers to bbedo@draughons.edu before 11/14!

CompTIA A+ Hardware/OS - 11/3/2005

Today we took Test 3 and then covered Chapter 12, which dealt with the basics of Microsoft Windows.  Remember, you guys are responsible for the Win9x portion of the Chapter.  

Homework:

• Chapter 12 – Questions 1-10

Sorry for being a day late with this.  Forgive me?  Please? (not a command, just a plea) :p

Desktop Operating Systems - 11/2/2005

Today we covered Excel Section 2.

Homework:

• Completion 1-10


• Activity #4 (Use WBInvoice instead of Excel SRwhatever)

Marketing - 11/1/2005

Hola.  I cancelled class tonight because of (I think) a stomach virus has rendered me, well, worthless.  Let’s just say that you don’t want to know from where I’m typing this right now.  Ha ha.

Anyway, please read Chapter 7 and answer question 1 for next week.  If you have any questions, problems, etc. PLEASE let me know either by e-mail or by phone.  Thanks, and see ya next week!

Homework:

• Read Chapter 7


• Question 1

CompTIA Network + Training - 11/1/2005

Today we covered (gurgle gurgle) Chapter 12 which covered various Network Operating Systems.  We talked about Windows, Netware and Unix and the differences between the three of them.

Also, remember that there is a test next (gurgle gurgle) week on Chapters 7-12.  Know your shiz!

Homework:

• Chapter 12 – Questions 1 –(gurgle gurgle) 10.