In this introductory course, students become familiar with the basic principles of a personal computer, including the internal hardware, operating system, and software applications. Students gain practice in using key applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software, as well as understand social and ethical issues around the Internet, information, and security.

This course is taught in a project-based learning format.

Software Requirements

· Microsoft® Windows 7® or higher, or Mac® OS 10.3 Mavericks® or over operating system; 400 MHz or faster processor; 512 MB of memory (RAM); at least 2 GB of hard drive space; Adobe® Reader®; the most current Adobe® Flash® Player

· Microsoft Office or equivalent document, spreadsheet, and presentation software

· Students will create websites using BlueGriffon, a free software. Instructions to download and install are within the course content.

Projects and Course Content

Project 1: Brochure for a Cause

In this individual project, students are asked to design a marketing brochure on behalf of the Golden Paws Animal Shelter. This brochure must be created to meet certain design specifications provided by the organization.

Essential Question

How can document design be used to help persuade an audience?

Driving Question

How can we, as marketing professionals, create a promotional brochure that successfully gets people to donate to our organization?

Objectives

· Analyze software packages for word processing.

· Apply a style sets or theme to a document.

· Apply a text effect in a document.

· Apply built-in styles.

· Apply font formatting in a document.

· Apply formatting by using Format Painter.

· Apply horizontal alignment to paragraphs.

· Apply indents to paragraphs.

· Arrange program windows.

· Change a page setup option for a section.

· Change the document view.

· Check grammar in a document.

· Check spelling in a document.

· Clear formatting.

· Close a document.

· Configure a document page background element.

· Copy a selection.

· Create a blank document.

· Create a bookmark within a document.

· Create a document based on a template.

· Create hyperlink within a document.

· Differentiate between the Save and Save As commands.

· Differentiate between word processing and desktop publishing.

· Edit text in a document.

· Enter text in a document.

· Explain the use of tabs.

· Explain the use of various document types.

· Find and replace text in a document.

· Format text in multiple columns.

· Identify elements of an Office application window.

· Insert a document header or footer.

· Insert a page, section, or column break.

· Insert a paragraph in a document.

· Insert a Quick Part in a document.

· Insert symbols or special characters in a document.

· Insert text in a document.

· Insert the date or time in a document.

· Install a Microsoft Office application.

· Locate a previous version of a document.

· Modify a document header or footer.

· Move a selection.

· Open an existing document.

· Preview a document.

· Print a document.

· Select pagination options.

· Set line or paragraph spacing.

· Set up a document page.

· Show or hide formatting symbols.

· Show or hide hidden text.

· Start an Office application.

· Use Go To.

· Use the Navigation pane to go to a heading.

· Use the Navigation pane to go to a page.

· Use the Navigation pane to search for text.

· Use the program interface.

Project 2: Crunching the Numbers

Students will manage a college student’s budget and analyze their recurring and one-time expenses using spreadsheet features.

Essential Question

How can organizing and displaying data inform decision making?

Driving Question

How can we, as individuals with income and expenses, use spreadsheets to create a budget and analyze our spending?

Objectives

· Add a sheet.

· Alter the height of a row and width of a column.

· Change the formatting of a cell.

· Close a spreadsheet.

· Copy cells with a relative cell reference.

· Copy cells with an absolute cell reference.

· Create a chart.

· Create a pivot table based on data in a spreadsheet.

· Decipher between a numerical value and a text in a spreadsheet.

· Differentiate between a workbook and a worksheet.

· Edit the legend on a chart.

· Edit the title on a chart.

· Edit the x-axis on a chart.

· Edit the y-axis on a chart.

· Explain the difference between copying a cell relatively vs. absolutely.

· Explain when a line, bar/column, or pie chart should be used.

· Format a chart.

· Identify a type of chart.

· Identify parts of a function

· Insert an appropriate bar/column chart.

· Insert an appropriate pie chart.

· Navigate a spreadsheet.

· Open a spreadsheet file.

· Save a spreadsheet.

· Sort spreadsheet data based on values in a single column.

· Use the COUNTIF function.

· Use the pivot table to determine what the data is saying.

· Use the SUMIF function.

· Utilize a count function properly.

· Utilize a min and max functions properly.

· Utilize a sum and average functions properly.

· Utilize an if function properly.

· Utilize COUNTIF functions properly.

· Utilize filtering to present data in concise manner.

· Utilize SUMIF functions properly.

Project 3: Slide into Business

Students are asked to create a persuasive presentation that pitches a product, service, or information campaign concept to a company called LocalMotion. LocalMotion helps other small business meet ADA accessibility guidelines.

Essential Question

How can organizing and displaying key ideas effectively persuade an audience?

Driving Question

How can we, as entrepreneurs, use a slideshow to persuade people to invest in our product?

Objectives

· Add text in a shape in a document.

· Adjust table column width.

· Align text in a table.

· Apply a presentation theme or design.

· Apply a shape effect.

· Apply a slide transition.

· Apply an animation to an object.

· Apply built-in styles to text on a slide.

· Applying font formatting in a presentation.

· Change the size of a shape.

· Check grammar in a presentation.

· Check spelling in a presentation.

· Close a presentation.

· Create and save a presentation file.

· Create bulleted or numbered lists on a slide.

· Determine the appropriate technology to create an effective presentation.

· Draw a basic shape.

· Edit text on a slide.

· Enter text on a slide.

· Fill a shape with color.

· Fill a table cell with color.

· Format a picture.

· Format text in multiple columns on a slide.

· Format the outline of a shape.

· Identify a drawing tool.

· Identify slide layouts.

· Insert a picture.

· Insert a table from Excel.

· Insert a table.

· Insert or delete a slide.

· Move or resize a picture.

· Open an existing presentation.

· Save a presentation.

· Select an object.

· Select multiple objects.

· Use the Undo command.

Project 4: What the Tech?

Students will work in groups to build a “buyers’ guide” style website that makes recommendations for various computer purchases according to customer needs. The project will test students’ understanding of website building, as well as their knowledge of the computer and internet basics covered in earlier projects.

Essential Question

How can a website be used to communicate technology information to consumers?

Driving Question

How can we, as technology bloggers, design a website with useful, accurate advice about purchasing a computer?

Objectives

· Add a web page.

· Define a new web site.

· Describe how HTML is used to create web pages.

· Describe the characteristics of a user-friendly website.

· Distinguish between input and output device.

· Evaluate the results of web searches and the reliability of information found on the Internet.

· Explain how multimedia is used on the Web.

· Explain the importance of testing a website.

· Explain the planning process for developing a new website.

· Explain the process for publishing a website.

· Explain the purpose and identify a hard drive.

· Explain the purpose and identify a keyboard.

· Explain the purpose and identify a mic.

· Explain the purpose and identify a monitor.

· Explain the purpose and identify a motherboard.

· Explain the purpose and identify a power supply.

· Explain the purpose and identify a printer.

· Explain the purpose and identify a processor.

· Explain the purpose and identify a scanner.

· Explain the purpose and identify a trackpad/mouse.

· Explain the purpose and identify a webcam.

· Explain the purpose and identify an expansion slot.

· Explain the purpose and identify I/O adapters.

· Explain the purpose and identify memory (RAM).

· Explain what an operating system is and what it controls.

· Identify best practices for organizing a website.

· Identify common mistakes in web design.

· Identify common mistakes in website structure.

· Identify common web design elements.

· Identify elements of a web authoring program.

· Identify technologies for creating active content.

· Insert a hyperlink on a web page.

· Insert a video on a web page.

· Insert an image on a web page.

· Insert text on a web page.

· Name the common operating systems used today (Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iOS).

· Use appropriate tools and methods to execute Internet searches which yield requested data.