Yesterday's was our final classroom session of IS101-3002, Spring 2024. This past week saw students doing their best to reach the finish line in their courses, not just IS101. This weekend saw many students reaching the door step of the finish line.
Alonso (El Zo) and Haridev (Dev) both showed up early to practice their A10 Improved Slideshow Presentation. Glenda, punctual as always, arrived an hour before the official class start time to take on the capstone Bonus Quiz 14. Madi came in early to seek help on Impromptu Bonus 1. Majority of the class joined the aforementioned early birds to catch/clean-up their IS101 coursework and to take the MO-310 PowerPoint certification exam. Before the class session ended, El Zo, Sathya, Justin, Anthony, Jonathan, Srikalyani (Sri), Shelby, Hunter, and Brandon became the fifth through the thirteenth Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Associates ^_^
Dev kicked off our final classroom gathering by regaling us with a story: Trash to Art: Monumental Mammoth. El Zo then took us on a journey through the Extraterrestrial Highway. Both gentlemen worked diligently and passionately on their A10. I am especially proud of them for keeping their slideshow file size under 10 MB and streamlining their presentation to fit into the allotted 5-minute time window. I followed with my walkthrough of student highlights and distinctions in the semester up to that moment. All of it and future highlights and achievements will be the centerpiece of my final blog post this coming week after I submit students' grades Wednesday. In the evening, I met Dev at the classroom where he earned the top score for Bonus Quiz 14.
Today, the official final day of the Spring 2024 semester, three students met me at the classroom bright and early. Keina qualified for, passed MO-310 and became the fourteenth MOS Associate. Kaleah (Eden) qualified for and conquered MO-210 Excel certification exam. Justin, taking full advantage of my offer to proctor MOS certification exams beyond MOS Associate, converted his work in Chapter 8 of LabSim and his own experience of using Outlook to knock out the MO-400 Outlook certification exam. The ambitious young man has his eyes set on MO-500 Access (Chapter 7 in LabSim and Microsoft's Support website), MO-111 Word Expert, and MO-211 Excel Expert, aiming for not just a MOS Expert, but a MOS Homerun. In the evening, I returned to the classroom where Dev finished his Impromptu Bonus 1 and Jonathan took on Bonus Quizzes 12 & 13. Before leaving the classroom, Dev indicated he wants to use Chapter 7 to learn Microsoft Access to help himself better manage inventory at his workplace. Before leaving the classroom yesterday, Kiet expressed interest in further MOS certifications. I hope more of their classmates will join Justin, Dev, and Kiet in reaching for the stars.
A few students have outstanding tasks to complete before this coming Wednesday. All students have the final discussion, D16 to do -- published in Canvas earlier today. Five students have already published their blog post as one part of D16:
- Jonathan Melo: Donzo
- Don Smilo: Transition Complete?
- Brandon Vo: Farewell, IS101
- Glenda: My Journey in IS101-3002
Madi and Dev certainly have a flare for storytelling :-)
I wonder what my students will think of this 7:46 min video: https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-electronics/
Click on the image for a larger/clearer view
*****The Monumental Mammoth Project: Story Retold by Haridev (Dev) Basudev*****
Click on the image for a larger/clearer view
The Monumental Mammoth Project sponsored by Protectors of Tule Springs: https://protectorsoftulesprings.org/monumental-mammoth-project/
Artist Tahoe Mack: https://www.tahoemariemack.com/
Artist Dana Albany: https://www.danaalbanyart.com/
Artist Lou Varella Rico: https://luisvarelarico.com/
*****The Extraterrestrial Highway by Alonso (El Zo) Montes*****
Click on the image for a larger/clearer view
Nevada State Route 375 (a.k.a. the Extraterrestrial Highway): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_State_Route_375
Tourist Attraction E.T. Fresh Jerky: https://etfreshjerky.com/
Tourist Attraction Alien Research Center: https://www.alienresearchcenter.com/
Tourist Attraction Little A'Le'Inn: http://www.littlealeinn.com/
Students,
Please save your final/goodbye thoughts for IS101-3002, Spring 2024 for my next/final blog post.
For this blog post,
(1) What are your thoughts from watching the 7:46 min video: https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-electronics/?
(2) What are some improvements you experienced from the A10 vs. the earlier A5 Slideshow Presentation?
(3) Will you reach for the stars with more MOS certifications? More bonus quizzes/assignments?
1. After watching the video, I think it is crazy how the system works. I kind of knew about the system already since in high school I studied environmental management/science which delved into the system a little bit. However, still it is so crazy but that is how the system runs sadly.
ReplyDelete2. Some improvements I saw from the A10 vs. A5 sideshow presentations is the timing was almost perfect timing you can tell both practiced presenting and both practiced playing around with PowerPoint.
3. I am quite busy to be able to do more MOS certifications and being that I am considering becoming a teacher possibly I do not see much of a need to do more than I already did since it is not required. However, maybe in the future my mind will change about it.
1. Interesting points presented, however everything produced in our modern society contain “toxic waste” including the clothes since most of them contain rayon/polyester blends and don’t last long. So, following her logic, do I lump the fashion designers into the “evil dump designer” category?
ReplyDelete2. The use of the advanced features, the feedback from all the A5 slideshows made the A10 ones flow smoothly and meet the time requirement which made for effective presentations.
3. MOS Certifications - Plan on using what’s left on the LabSim subscription to finish at least Access. Assignments - The summer goal is to finish the last two since they are work environment related, and I deem beneficial.
1) I wasn't fully aware of the "designed for the dump" cycle, but I'm aware of the effects old technology have in our environment. CEOs of companies put their workers' in neglected production facilities and poison citizens with the toxins of their products for the sole purpose of minimizing their own costs while maximizing their profits. Like the video says, the CEOs get the profits while everyone else pays.
ReplyDelete2) I sadly missed the A10 presentations because I overslept from regrettably finishing assignments for other classes, but I can definitely see improvements in the lack of empty space as well as the presentations being under 10MB and under 5 minutes.
3) I'm actually interested in achieving the Microsoft Expert certification as I did pretty good with the Microsoft exams we did in this class.
1) In the 7 minutes video, I agree with her that prioritizing greener, higher quality product should come first when deciding to purchase electronics. Problem right now, that businesses focus on quantity rather than quality of the products. However, if we can just implement regulations that mandating all businesses prioritize product quality over maximizing sales could significantly benefit our planet.
ReplyDelete2) I noticed lot of improvements on A10 presentation like using plenty of visuals, no dead space, and incorporate dynamic transitions in their PowerPoint presentation. They also keep the text minimal and ensures that the presentation's outline and flow are well-aligned rather than their A5 presentation.
3) For now, I'm content with the certifications I had, but I'm practicing with Outlook LabSims to master its features.
(1) When I was watching this 7 minutes video, I was thinking, this is what we are dealing in this world. E-waste is becoming a major problem around the world. Non of the companies make their products to better of us. They want to make their sales high in competitive business world. Production of long lasting electronics is a good idea than make them waste after few days of production.
ReplyDelete(2) What I mainly noticed is time. In A10 presentation the manage the time with their visual aids and speech.
(3) I would like to achieve more MOS certificates.
1) "Designed for the dump" reminds me of a similar term "planned obsolescence". In the end, products are not designed to have a long life and we are incentivized to ditch the older models for "upgraded" versions. It is true, we should be more involved or aware of the e-waste we produce. Advocating for right to repair laws that mandate manufactures make their products easy and affordable to fix, directly by the consumer will increase the lifespan of the technology we use, and reduce total e-waste. There is a movie called "Dark Waters" that exposes DuPont for knowingly poisoning communities and covering up toxic chemical dumps. It is chilling to think that something very similar is happening with our discarded technology.
ReplyDelete2) The biggest improvement that I noticed was little dead space and the flow of the content. There was a story or message to be told and the story was clear to follow.
3) I am very interested in completing additional certificates, especially with how we can complete the work at our own pace.
(1) The video argues that electronics are designed to be thrown away quickly, which leads to a lot of toxic waste. After the video ended, it made me think about the amount of trash and hazardous waste it could produce. It reminded me of another video revolving around a lightbulb. Companies ultimately want their products to "stop working" and be "efficient" with the purpose to sell more.
ReplyDelete(2) When doing this assignment I realize the importance of dead space on the slide. With this considered, I learned to create a better flow of context through the slides.
(3) Personally, I'm done with anything relating to Microsoft software and applications.
1) I wasn't fully aware of the "designed for the dump" cycle, but I'm aware of the effects old technology have in our environment. CEOs of companies put their workers' in neglected production facilities and poison citizens with the toxins of their products for the sole purpose of minimizing their own costs while maximizing their profits. Like the video says, the CEOs get the profits while everyone else pays.
ReplyDelete2) The integration of advanced features and incorporating feedback from previous A5 slideshows significantly enhanced the quality of the A10 presentations. This meticulous approach ensured that each presentation flowed smoothly and met the time requirements, resulting in highly effective and engaging delivery.
3)I am very interested in completing additional certificates.