Casa Basa ˜ blending art with technology

Syllabus

Course Description: This course introduces students to the basic operation of computer hardware. File management and storage, basic word processing, spreadsheet, and database techniques are explored. The use of scanners, printers, external drives, and other equipment are examined. Students are introduced to the Internet as a research and networking tool.

Download the Word version of your syllabus here

List of lectures and labs

Weeks: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Course Length: Fall 2010. Section E, 11 weeks. Wednesday October 8, 2010 to Wednesday December 15, 2010, from 8 a.m. – 12 noon, Room 311. Punctuality is expected. Points are deducted for excessive (more than 3) tardies.

Course Competencies:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

• Operate a personal computer using current operating system interfaces
• Use correct terms and definitions to describe the operations and applications of computers
• Summarize hardware characteristics based on configuration, compatibility, processing speed, cost, and rendering speed
• Match appropriate connection devices with external equipment
• Compare and contrast operation systems
• Describe and apply the major steps in the "imaging chain"
• Produce documents using word-processing, spreadsheet, and database tools
• Transfer data across platforms
• Correlate keyboard functions with menu operations
• Define characteristics of peripheral communications standards
• Demonstrate cross-platform applications
• Apply database and spreadsheet skills
• Protect data and equipment through the use of virus utilities
• Perform basic disk maintenance and data retrieval operations

Use and manage computer hardware peripherals for input, output, and storage

• Operate difference kinds of peripheral hardware, including printers, scanners, external drives, and Wacom tablets
• Employ appropriate input-output devices

Use an Internet browser

• Identify the operational characteristics of the Internet and intranets as these compare to standalone systems

Manage and organize files

• Create and organize directories, folders, and documents using file management techniques

Course Prerequisite(s): None

Required Texts: Microsoft Office 2007 by Cashman, Shelly (Cengage), ISBN 1-4188-4325-3

Materials and Supplies: Storage drive, notepad and pencil or pen

Estimated Homework Hours: 4 Hours per week

Technology Needed: PC and Mac computers will be used or discussed, access to Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative suite software, scanner, and the web.

Process for Evaluation:       
Attendance and Participation                                                                                      25%
Assignments and Exercises                                                                                        45%
Mid-Term Project/Examination                                                                                    15%
Final Project/Examination                                                                                           15%

Student Evaluation/Grading Policies:

• Class time will be spent in a productive manner.
• Grading will be done on a point system.
• Points for individual activities will be announced.
• All work must be received by the set deadlines. If late work is accepted, it will be at best 50% of possible points.
• ABSOLUTELY NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE FINAL CLASS MEETS WEEK 11.

Classroom Policy:

• No food allowed in class or non-kitchen lab at any time. Drinks in recloseable bottles allowed in classroom.
• Edible items brought to class or lab must be thrown out.
• If student elects to eat/drink outside class or lab door, missed time is recorded as absent.
• Tardiness or absence is recorded in 15-minute increments.
• Break times are scheduled by the instructor at appropriate intervals.
• No private software is to be brought to lab or loaded onto school computers.
• No software games are allowed in lab (unless in course curriculum).
• Headphones are required if listening to music during lab. No headphones are allowed in lecture.        

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List of lectures and labs

Weeks: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Students are responsible to check this at least one day prior to class. Here you will find weekly lectures, homework assignments, and your standing within the class. Please email me at sharon{at}casabasa.com if you have any questions.

Week 1: Wednesday October 6, 2010

Complete the student survey. Review of the school’s emergency evacuation procedures. Review of course and requirements. Contact is skaitner{at}aii.edu or sharon{at}casabasa.com.

Lecture:

• Review of the school’s emergency evacuation procedures and overview.
• Overview and Introduction to course.

Lab:

• Review of the basics of Microsoft Word.
• Create a flyer: Announce your services. Attention to design, visual hierarchy, and generally, getting acquainted with the software

• Homework:

  • Review your book, paying special attention to File Management and the information on Word.
  • Read the Microsoft article: Steps to help secure your pc computer.
  • Bring your USB to class next week. We will be working with Photoshop and if you have any photographs or digital images saved, please bring them. On the otherhand, if you have any printed artwork you would like to scan and save on your USB, please bring as well. We can review the use of the scanner in the classroom.
  • Take this online Word quiz until you pass with 100%. Print results and bring to class.

Week 2: Wednesday October 13, 2010

• File Management and Intro to Photoshop
  Backing up your work with reliable media.

  Lecture:

  • Overview of computer hardware basics
    • Support url's: Computer Hardware and Computer Basics and Microsoft (Windows Operating Systems)
  • File Management
  • Using your USB, backing up your files
  • Searching the web and resources

  Lab:

  • In-Class: parts of the computer (Word document)
  • Introduction to Photoshop
    • Layers tutorial
    • Blending tutorial
    • Clipping tutorial
    • Save, Save As, and Save for the Web & Devices
    • boat and SF Bay psd's

Homework:

• Create a logo. Don't worry if it's not exactly right the first time; logos take time to fully develop. Adobe PhotoShop (Word document) instructions courtesy of AI faculty.
• Research, write and proof project 4 of Cases and Places, pg. WD143, about the month and year you were born. Print and bring to class next week. Be sure to do in the MLA format.
  • Read basic information on creating a research paper and/or project, provided by faculty member, Andrew Brosnan. Creating a research project/document (Word document).
• Bring book to class next week.

Week 3: Wednesday October 20, 2010

Lecture:

• Microsoft PowerPoint presentation software.

  Lecture:

  • Introduction to PowerPoint. How to put a presentation together.
  • General intro to grid systems.

  Lab:

  • Collecting images to create a PowerPoint presentation about you: resources available to you.
  • Creating and Editing a presentation: Using your book and your neighbors, work through Chapter 1 of your text.
  • Powerpoint alternatives: evaluation of top 5

Homework:

• Using Chapter two as reference, create a presentation about YOU.
  • minimum 6 screens including a title and credits page. Please include your logo.
  • include at least one of each: photograph, sound clip, shape, demonstration of Bold and drop shadow applied to your name, clip art.
  • transitions between slides
  • Use at least 4 images (including one image of yourself, manipulated in Photoshop) that you have created (note: this means four images you have created, one of them has to be a photo of you that you have manipulated in Photoshop, photographs don't count by themselves unless you did something to them in Photoshop but all art work, hand-drawn, scanned or created in Photoshop counts)

Week 4: Wednesday October 27, 2010

Introduction to HTML.

Lecture:

• About Coding

Lab:

• Handouts: How To Handcode and how to upload on the school OLS.
• Saving your work
• Coding a simple web page. Basic HTML.
• Create your OLS online account.

Homework:

• Create a biography web page and save as index.html. It should have an email link, list of 3 items that describe you, and include a photo of yourself, linked to an outside source, such as your MySpace account or to a favorite website in your field. Add your logo here as well. Save to your USB and bring to class next week.
• Send url to: sharon{at}casabasa.com
• Review HTML Cheat Sheet.
• Read Designing for your audience.
• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
• Bring logo to school next week.

**All homework is due by week 5 to receive any credit at all. Remember, you only qualify for full credit if the work has been turned in on time. If you have not already done so, please email your url.

Week 5: Wednesday November 3, 2010

Lecture:

• All past work is due today by midnight. No work from first half of quarter will be accepted after today. No exceptions.
• Midterm Test

Lab:

• Powerpoint rubric. Powerpoint presentations - please make sure your logo is included. Stand up straight, enunciate clearly, be proud and show off! Let us know anything special you did or learned in creating this presentation. SPELL CHECK!
  • Remember, your grade depends upon meeting the criteria listed week 4, use of the technology, good grammar and spelling, and your presentation. But have fun too. You worked hard on this!

  Animating your logo tutorial. Add to home webpage (index.html).

  lab time

Homework:

• Bring your book to class next week. No homework unless you did not complete today's lab. Yay Giants!

Week 6: Wednesday November 10, 2010

 

Lecture:

• Class completes Chapter One of the Excel 2007. Guest lecturer: Bonnie O'Neill from our Digital Film and Video Production program.

Lab:

• As a group, helping each other, complete the Cases and Places, pg. EX156, Design and Create a Weight-Loss Plan Worksheet. You can talk to each other. Save your work to your USB for review & credit next week. I will check that you used formulas and know what the fill handle does.

Homework:

• Complete the Weight Loss Plan Worksheet and save to your USB. Be sure to bring to class next week, along with your book one more time.

 

Week 7: Wednesday November 17, 2010

Lecture: Introduction to data management software.

• Project 1 page AC2, Access, all together in class.

Lab:

• In Access, Project 2 "Querying a Database Using the Select Query Window". This is completed together in groups.
• Take the Practice Test. If you score no more than 1 incorrect, show me the test and Project 2, and you will have completed your homework.

Homework:

• Complete and save Project 2. Email your results for Practice Test if not completed in class.

Week 8: Wednesday November 24, 2010

For Matt and Willie Mac: test

Dreamweaver and XHTML: creating a website

Lecture:

• An introduction to Adobe's Dreamweaver software, industry standard for creating websites.

Lab:

• In Dreamweaver, we will create portfolio.html and link together with your home page, index.html.
• Upload both pages onto your ols account website.

Homework:

• Continue work on your website. Be sure to include at least 3 examples of your own work. Make one additional page for your artist profile and artist's statement. Due as your final project, week 10.

Useful Links:

• Creating a web page and inserting images and tables in Dreamweaver: Create a Web Page.pdf

 

Week 9: Wednesday December 1, 2010

Lecture: Dreamweaver and Photoshop

Lab:

• Lab and individual meetings with instructor.

Homework:

• Send me an email telling me why you're pleased with all you've learned this quarter. List as many new things you know now that you didn't know on the first day of class, that you can. 1 extra credit point to whomever lists the most.

Week 10: Wednesday December 8, 2010

Lecture:

• [Final Exam]

Lab:

• lab time
• ALL HOMEWORK EXCEPT FOR WEBSITE IS DUE TODAY

Homework: Continue work on final project. Remember to spellcheck and to pay attention to details. Need additional help? Check out a lynda.com subscription at the school library.

Week 11: Wednesday December 15, 2010

Lecture:

• Final presentations

Lab:

• Presentation of web sites

Homework: none

 

Logging into your personal grade

Please remember that the software I uses a tally of total points of a possible 100. You will not see the grade of "F" change until you are way into the quarter, somewhere around week 8 or 9.

Class Standings

Click on this individual score link to access scoring information on your completed projects.  Enter your name and id (password) exactly as you provided in the student survey.

I upgrade my grades every Sunday, usually no later than 2 p.m. I may update points for work received after this time, but before 7 p.m. only.

If there are any questions at all, please feel free to email me. I usually respond the same day and sometimes immediately, or at least within the hour.

If you have any problems, email me.

How you are graded and points assigned:

Grading rubric - this is the worksheet that I use to grade your final project. It is a combination of this and individual assignments, attendance and participation that equals your grade.

Criteria by which you and your projects are graded for this course. Please see me if you have any questions.

Attendance and Class Participation Policy - Attendance and class participation are 25% of the final grade for the course. Students will be expected to attend class as well as act as active participants in class lectures. This is worth 10% of your overall grade. 5% is awarded for perfect attendance, recognizing that you cannot learn if you do not attend, and how difficult it is to do. This is a sign of excellence.

• - 10% actively participation in daily lectures/labs - this is the minimum expectation
• - 5% for perfect attendance
• - 10% classroom collaboration - helping each other, asking questions, presenting solutions, sharing knowledge. There are regular acknowledgements and points given throughtout the quarter. Please refer to your individual weekly schedule for more details.

Assignments and homework are graded by points for a total of 45% of your grade. Usually the homework is a demonstrated skill, like emailing me your url. With this assignment, you are telling me that you can use the email, know what a url is and how to accurately send a link. Usually, I have more than one goal with an assignment, and each assignment builds on the previous.

Working from the chapters of the book is also a demonstration of skill. It shows whether or not you understand what you are doing. It can also demonstrate comprehension, organization, study habits, creativity and artistry.

Midterm and Final tests and presentations are a combination of tests and projects. The midterm test is a check for knowledge on both our parts. The final test demonstrates your hard work, skill and knowledge gained in this class.

Final Project Requirements

• minimum three connected web pages: Home, About Me, Portfolio
• navigation bar is consistent on all three pages, and each section is marked by an up, down and over feedback
• all images are optimized for the web and use the alt attribute
• all web pages are titled and there are no misspellings (in Dreamweaver, check spelling is under Commands)
• the Portfolio section must contain a minimum of 4 graphics or photographs that you created - no pirated work allowed
• your logo and branding are clear
• well spoken pages created with care will receive higher points than pages sloppily done

These items total 30% of your grade.