DISCUSSION PROMPTS AND DISCUSSION RESOURCES

Introduction to Computers (CPT 101)

Kristin Kelly Frady

K. Frady Revised November 2011

CONTENTSWhy use Discussions?...............................................................................................................................................................3

Benefits of using discussion boards..............................................................................................................................3

Tips for Discussions..............................................................................................................................................................3

Discussion Prompts................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Chapter 1................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Chapter 2................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Option 1.................................................................................................................................................................................5

Option 2.................................................................................................................................................................................5

Option 3.................................................................................................................................................................................6

Chapter 4................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Option 1.................................................................................................................................................................................7

Option 2.................................................................................................................................................................................7

Chapter 5................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Option 1.................................................................................................................................................................................9

Option 2.................................................................................................................................................................................9

Option 3.............................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Chapter 6................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Option 1.............................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Chapter 7................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

Chapter 8................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Chapter 9................................................................................................................................................................................. 14

Chapter 11.............................................................................................................................................................................. 15

Chapter 12.............................................................................................................................................................................. 16

Chapter 13.............................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Links to Additional Resources............................................................................................................................................18

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WHY USE DISCUSSIONS?

BENEFITS OF USING DISCUSSION BOARDS Students are more likely to utilize critical thinking skills Create a sense of community Longer think time

(Academic Technology Center - Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2008) Deeper levels of learning Challenge ideas, encourage students to test and research new ideas

(California State University, Sacramento, 2009) Incorporates instruction and social types of interaction Establishes rapport and collaboration among members – this must be deliberately

encouraged(Martyn, 2005)

Reinforcing domain or procedural processes Supporting students in their own reflections and inquires

(Boettcher, 2011) Can link real world experiences with course learning Gives students more authentic applications of their learning

TIPS FOR DISCUSSIONS Use links – videos, quizzes, tutorials, etc… Use humor and color or pictures (be careful with humor too, sometimes it is hard to

interpret in an online environment) Give the students directions to the discussion post in weekly emails and announcements Don’t respond to every post Create smaller groups to encourage more discussion Question creation: create open ended questions, model good Socratic-type probing and

follow-up questions (Why do you think…, What is your reasoning…), don’t post questions soliciting facts (yes or no answers)

Provide choices and options for students

References:Academic Technology Center - Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (2008, May 07). Benefits of using discussion

boards in your classes. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from Teaching with technology collaboratory: http://www.wpi.edu/academics/ATC/Collaboratory/Idea/boardbenefits.html

Boettcher, J. (2011, May). Ten best practices for teaching online. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from Designing for learning: http://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.html

California State University, Sacramento. (2009, Spring). Discussion board: Online discussions for blended learning. Academic Technology and Creative Services , pp. 1-8.

Martyn, M. A. (2005). Using interaction in online discussion boards. Educause Quarterly , pp. 61-62.

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DISCUSSION PROMPTS

CHAPTER 1

How can becoming computer literate help you in a career?

Please click Reply and respond to the question above (1-2 sentences should be do it).  Also, please take the time to read and respond other classmates' responses.

You may also select the Reply button to post any questions you may have concerning Chapter 1.  To create a new topic, select the Create Thread button. 

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CHAPTER 2

OPTION 1

"Smart" Houses

The Smart Medical Home project of the University of Rochester's Center for Future Health is researching how to use technology to monitor many aspects of your health.  The Smart Medical Home is the creation of a cross-disciplinary group of scientists and engineers from the college, the medical center, and the university's Center for Future Health.  This particular "smart home" includes a sophisticated computer system that helps keep track of items such as eyeglasses or keys, and a kitchen equipped with a new kind of

packaging to signal the presence of dangerous bacteria in food.  Spaces between ordinary walls are stuffed with gadgetry, including banks of powerful computers. http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V64N3/feature2.html

What abilities should a smart home have to safeguard and improve the quality of your life?   Could a smart home have potential hazards?

OPTION 2

This week our discussion centers around how to use Windows 7 and reviewing/learning some fundamental computer navigation skills. Although we focus on only one operating system in the course, there are many, many different types of operating systems (check this webpage for a brief overview http://alternatives.rzero.com/os.html ).

I know that there are many of you that are using an Apple and might like to see a little more information on the Mac side of things. I found an interesting webpage that compares the two most current proprietary operating systems: Vista and Leopard (although to be perfectly technical I know that Snow Leopard has been released and should offer different features than those listed) http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/27/leopard-vs-vista-feature-chart-showdown/ . Check out this video from CNet on the new Snow Leopard operating system http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSQtEWqO0oo (if you aren’t familiar with what a Mac can do it’s a neat 2 minute video that shows you some cool technology).

Answer any or all of the following questions and feel free to comment appropriately on any of your classmates’ responses.

1. Which operating system are you using? Do you like it? Does it serve your needs? Are you considering upgrading or changing to a new operating system?

2. Are there any current articles or videos about operating systems that are interesting to you that you would like to share with the class?

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OPTION 3

There are a lot of parts involved in computing and sometimes it helps to see it live. Check out this short video (it’s about three and a half minutes) where they have an actual computer that they have taken apart to show you the individual components.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/23-computer-tour-video.htm

1. In your opinion, which components seem most vital to you? 2. What components would make your personal computer usage easiest? 3. If you were to buy your dream computer, what would it be and why?

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CHAPTER 4

OPTION 1Social networking sites, blogs, and wikis are commonly referred to as Web 2.0 technologies.  Sites that use Web 2.0 offer opportunities for collaboration, creativity, and enterprise. 

Describe how Web 2.0 sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Delicious, and Digg might change how you learn and manage information.

OPTION 2Blogs are becoming more and more mainstream in both personal and commercial usage. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary online a blog is “a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.” This blog post is an excellent re-cap of some of the topics we looked at in class especially in the area of the difference between a browser and a search engine.

Take a look at the blog at the following web site http://www.gilsmethod.com/the-difference-between-a-browser-and-a-search-engine and read through the posting on this blog. The video they have uploaded is about 2:30 minutes long and it’s pretty humorous and hopefully will help to drive home the concept that the browser you use is not the Internet and is not a search engine.

Respond to any or all of the following questions (or post any of your own)! If you see something that a classmate has written that you would like to add onto or comment on, please do so and get our online discussions rolling!

1. Do any of you have a blog? If so, why did you start one and would you like to share it with the class? If not, would you consider starting one and what would your topic be?

2. Which search engine do you use most often? Why? 3. I would be totally remise if I didn’t broach this topic when we are discussing web browsers!

Why is antivirus software important? Do you currently have your computer protected?F.Y.I. Other links discussed in class this week that are great resources for academic Internet research:www.scholar.google.com www.eric.ed.gov

Sample Response1. My blog is http://edublognology.wordpress.com/ and I created it for a class that I was

taking last spring. As you can see, I have not updated it recently but I did have fun creating it and plan to use it more (my first blog post “Opening Day for Edu-Blognology” explains why I created the blog and what I intend to use it for). It has been fun to see the responses that I have gotten from some of my postings as well as watch the statistics for who has been visiting my blog.

2. Google. Google has excellent tools and extras that make using the Internet more easy and collaborative (which will be of great benefit as we start taking more hybrid and online classes). Check out the Google tools and see if any of them can help make your Internet work more efficient (there are some great ones out there that are just plain fun)! http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/

3. Antivirus software is so important to make sure that you do not have viruses and other malicious software attacking your computer! Tim Cushman works for Greenville County

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Schools and he has created a really neat web site with lots of resources http://timcushman.com. Click on the “Software” page and there are lots of downloads for free anti-virus programs. However, be very careful; if you already have an antivirus program installed (even if it is expired) I would be sure to remove it first because antivirus software programs do not typically play well with others and could potentially really slow your computer down because they might compete with each other.

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CHAPTER 5

OPTION 1

Word is a powerful tool!  You can use this product to improve your productivity at work, school, home, etc…  This chapter explores creating documents using graphics, text boxes, shapes, lists, tab stops, and SmartArt but there is so much more you can do!

 Have some fun with Word and go to these sites to view different templates and uses for Word 2010:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=template&av=zwd140# (After getting through the first page of resumes you get to other fun stuff like menus, thank you cards, stationary, place cards, envelopes, and the list goes on!)

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010104319.aspx?av=zwd140 (this page has mostly flyer and announcement templates)

 

Choose a template that you believe you may be able to use,

1. Describe the template 2. Discuss at least one feature that you learned in Ch 5 that you could use with this template to

improve the overall design

OPTION 2

Ok, I’m not a Star Trek fan (or a Trekkie as I believe it is called) so this comic is probably not nearly as funny to me as it should be but it does present a good point about the compatibility of the new version of Word; Word 2007. As we begin working in this software, it is important to understand that if you save a document in the .docx (remember the discussion about file extensions from Chapter 1?) then only computers with Word 2007 will be able to open the saved document. In order to use the document on computers with older versions of Word installed, you will need to save it in the .doc format and the easiest way to do that is to click the Office Button, click Save As, and then from the new menu choose Word 97-2003 Document.

If you’re still new to Word 2007, check this link from Microsoft out. It is an interactive Word 2003 to 2007 command reference guide. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA100744321033.aspx

Launch Word 2007 and click the buttons on the tabs and ribbons to introduce yourself to what this program is capable of doing. Once you have looked around in Word, answer the following questions:

1. What do you believe the major changes are between Word 2003 and Word 2007?

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2. What features in Word do you believe will be the most useful to you (at school or at work)?

OPTION 3This project taps into your creative side and gives you great tools for creating flyers and posters in Word. When you create a flyer there are several design principles that will make your flyer more attractive, more readable, and thus more effective. Who knows you just might discover an inner marketing guru waiting to burst out (or perhaps those of you who are enterprising may choose to design and sell flyers)! Check out the following article (in the link below) about creating a flyer that says “Read Me!” Pay special attention to the tips suggested for making your flyer better.

Create a Smart Flyer http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/marketing_pr/create_a_smart_flyer.html

Next the project explores the wide world of tables. There are so many advantages that tables can offer in areas of organization and even design. Earlier in the semester we explored the topic of blogging. Below is a link to the Word Team Blog (sounds like a nerdy group to be a member of to me!) created by the developers of Word (so we’re actually getting some insight on the design of this wonderfully crazy software). Visit the blog and take a look at the many surprising ways that the Word developers have chosen to use tables to improve the quality, design, and readability of their documents.

Word Team Blog: That’s a Table?! http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_office_word/archive/2008/04/24/That_2700_s-a-Table_3F002100_.aspx

1. Which tip from the Create a Smart Flyer article resonates with you most? Why? 2. What was the most surprising way that you saw a table being used in the That’s a Table?!

Article?3. What was the most interesting tip/trick that was covered in this project?

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CHAPTER 6

OPTION 1

In your job search, experts suggest that you should rewrite your resume and cover letter for each new job opportunity and type of job for which you apply.  Take a look at the various types of resumes and templates that Microsoft offers for specific jobs and situations.  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010104337.aspx

1. Why should you tailor your resume and cover letter to the type of job or situation for which you are applying?

2. What is a specific example of how you can tailor your resume for a job you either currently hold or would like to apply for in the future?

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CHAPTER 7   

Trust me, you are not the only one who dreads research papers, this guy also hates them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_uufoAZ-N4. There are several different types of research paper guidelines; we use MLA in this course.

Check these research paper sites for more information about MLA formatting:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ - MLA Formatting and Style Guide http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml# - A Guide for Writing Research Papers

Based on MLA

What is the purpose of MLA style and why it is important to use a uniform style when writing a research paper?

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CHAPTER 8Welcome to the wonderful world of Excel!  A spreadsheet is an amazing tool.  Think about the coolest calculator you’ve ever used and image a calculator that has even better mathematical abilities, organization abilities, and formatting options and I give you Microsoft Excel.  People use spreadsheets for a variety of things but most use them in applications to better organize information and to perform calculations. 

You are probably familiar with blogs (online web logs).  Another cool tool that utilizes current technology and the web is a wiki.  A wiki is a tool that allows multiple people to edit, collaborate, and delete – this is exactly why your instructors

probably hate Wikipedia.  Believe it or not there is actually a wiki site for spreadsheet s where one person can create a spreadsheet and through the web site can then share it with anyone (hello, can we say March Madness bracket sheets!).  Go to the following link and look at the many different ways that people are currently using spreadsheets: http://www.editgrid.com/ 

PARTICIPATE IN OUR CLASS EDITGRID WIKI!!!!  Go to http://www.editgrid.com/user/kekelly/W16ThanksgivingDinner and "sign-up" for your favorite dish for our spreadsheet.  Just ballpark the cost - it doesn't have to be exact, I just want you to enter an accounting style entry that we can graph.  Next week, I'll create a graph of our Thanksgiving dinner expenses (I know you just can't wait!).  This will be a new way for us to collaborate and a fun way continue learning about Excel!Excel also creates easy to read graphs.  The cheesy song graphs below (as a child of the 80s, I couldn’t resist several of those songs!) demonstrate a few of the different types of graphs that are available to choose from. 

Answer 1 or 2 of the following questions:

1. Give at least 2 real world examples of how Excel can be used. 2. What is an example of a spreadsheet that you could create

(now or in the future) that would be best created in a “wiki” format in a program like Edit Grid?

3. Give a real world example of data that you would put into a graph.   Which type of graph would you choose?

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CHAPTER 9

In this chapter we will examine Excel’s ability to organize data in order to make predictions. There are many ways to use Excel to make predictions; this chapter shows us just one way. Hopefully, the predictions you make will not be as bleak as the prediction the poor dinosaurs get in the comic above!

Excel is a robust tool with many capabilities. In our short introduction to Excel we only become familiar with a little of what this tool can do.

Check out the following web site for a few more real world examples of how people use Excel to make predictions and projections or to organize both personal and office data. http://www.exinfm.com/free_spreadsheets.html

1. Find a website that interests you that is related to Excel or spreadsheets, include the link and be sure to explain why you have selected this site.

2. Give an example of a situation where you might use Excel to project/predict future data.

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CHAPTER 11

Welcome to the wonderful world of PowerPoint! This software offers are many, many great tools that you can take advantage of using to create an impressive and professional presentation aid. Florida Gulf Coast University has created a series of tutorials that range from creating simple presentations to adding bells and whistles to suggesting great tips for use.

Take a few minutes to check out at least 3 different tutorials from the site below. If you are new to PowerPoint, go for the more basic tutorials; if you’re an old pro, then check out some of the more advanced tutorials.

http://www.fgcu.edu/support/office2007/ppt/index.asp

One word of caution, don’t get caught up in adding too many bells and whistles to your presentation of your audience might suffer from overload and your presentation message might be lost. Remember PowerPoint is simply a presentation tool to aid you in making a presentation (it does not make the presentation for you!). Resist the urge to put too much information or too many words on one slide. The industry standard is the rule of 7x7 which is no more than 7 words on a line, no more than 7 lines on a slide.

Answer the questions below:

1. Which tutorial did you find to be most helpful to you? Why?2. Which elements do you believe are the most important elements to include in a PowerPoint

presentation? Why?

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CHAPTER 12This chapter focuses on the “artsy” side of PowerPoint. There are several changes that you can make to basic information on slide presentations that will give them a more professional quality. An interesting site that focuses on using Microsoft Office products to create artistic displays is Art of Office. Of course, since it’s a graphics focused site, it’s Mac geared but still relevant for PCs. Visit the link below and look at the many different ways that have been devised to add “quality” to Office files.http://www.artofoffice.com/

Folks have also thought of out-of-the-box ways to use PowerPoint software. The link at the site below shows PowerPoint being used to create educational games and timers. If you review the available templates, you will see that PowerPoint has also been used in many other creative applications including digital scrapbooking.http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/ppt_games.html

Answer the questions below:1. What “art” do you encounter on a daily basis? It is computer generated? How could it be

incorporated into a presentation?2. Which files from the Art of Office interested you most? How could you use them to create a

new file?3. What is another creative, out-of-the-box way to use PowerPoint?

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CHAPTER 13

You’ve finally made it! The last chapter of PowerPoint and the last chapter of the book! The final chapter of PowerPoint focuses on adding extras to your presentation to give it a little more pizzazz (so hopefully your audience won’t be snoozing like the one in the cartoon above). The site below is a collection of additional resources and presentation “goodies” including images, quotes, Flash templates, and tutorials. This type of site is a great place to go to to quickly pick up some easy to find elements that might help wow your audience.

http://www.brainybetty.com/PowerPoint_Extras.htm

Finally, making the presentation may just be one of the most important elements of PowerPoint. You can create the world’s most wonderful PowerPoint presentation but if you can’t present it to your audience, then you have wasted a lot of precious time and creativity! The site below is one of my favorite sites for helping with presentations. It offers excellent advice on making presentations, it has unique templates and tools, it also offers advice on how to give speeches (including special occasion speeches – can we say thanks for the help on the wedding speech?!). Spend some time taking a look at the site below to become familiar with all it has to offer; I believe it may prove to be very helpful to you in the near future!http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/

Answer the questions below:1. Find a website, to share with your fellow classmates, that is either a collection of great

PowerPoint resources or an excellent presentation helper.2. What was the most interesting aid that you found on the Presentation Helper site? 3. What is the best advice you can give on making presentations to a group of people (either in

an academic or business setting)?

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LINKS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Ch 1

o General Articles and training by Microsoft http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training-FX101782702.aspx (Office 2010, 2007, and 2003)

Ch 2o http://alternatives.rzero.com/os.html Different types of operating systemso http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/23-computer-tour-video.htm How

stuff works video touring the inside of a computero http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V64N3/feature2.html Article on Smart Houses

(goes with a discussion question at the end of the chapter) Ch 4

o http://www.gilsmethod.com/the-difference-between-a-browser-and-a-search-engine – Blog entry about the difference between a browser and a search engine (this also has a funny you tube video related to the content and is a good segue to introducing blogs which might be a neat addition to the Internet chapter)

Ch 5o http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=template&av=zwd140

Templates for Word 2010o http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010104319.aspx?av=zwd140 More

Word 2010 templateso http://www.ideabook.com/tutorials/marketing_pr/create_a_smart_flyer.html Creating

a smart flyer (general tips for creating a professional flyer) Ch 6

o http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010104337.aspx Resume Templateso http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-

3026198234482190808&ei=dCLOSr7xEpLiqgLx6u3rBA&q=resume&hl=en# - Resume video

Ch 7o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_uufoAZ-N4 –Really non-educational but funny

video about a student trying to create a research papero http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ - MLA Formatting and Style

Guideo http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml# - A Guide for Writing Research Papers

Based on MLA Ch 8

o www.editgrid.com ex: http://www.editgrid.com/user/kekelly/W16ThanksgivingDinner

Ch 9o http://www.exinfm.com/free_spreadsheets.html – Links to free spreadsheets that are

examples of advanced spreadsheets (some also make predictions) Ch 11

o http://www.fgcu.edu/support/office2007/ppt/index.asp Ch 12

o http://www.artofoffice.com/ Examines the artistic side of Microsofto http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/ppt_games.html Creative applications of

PowerPoint Ch 13

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o http://www.brainybetty.com/PowerPoint_Extras.htm Lots of PowerPoint extras to spice up a presentation

o http://www.presentationmagazine.com/ Presentation Magazine with templates and tips on effective presentations

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