1. Chapter 10 Making the Most of Technology

2. P.O.W.E.R. Plan Prepare: Identify distance learning course possibilities Organize: Obtain access to technology Work: Participate in a distance learning class Evaluate: Consider your “classroom” performance Rethink: Reflect on what and how you have learned

3. Technological advances increase your opportunities to achieve success in college.

4. A “digital divide” separates students who have easy access to computers prior to college from those for whom access is difficult.

5. The Divide Homes without computers Homes without internet access Older students who did not have computers in school

6. Computer Basics Hardware - physical part of computer –Display –Mouse –Keyboard –Computer unit (CPU) Software – tells the computer what operations to carry out –Operating system –Application programs perform specific kinds of functions Word processing, Presentation programs, Spreadsheets

7. Word Processing Creating text documents Inserting graphics or symbols What else can a word processing do? –Spell-check –Correct grammatical errors –Correct style of writing

8. Presentation Programs PowerPoint-common software Animates graphics Moves text on and off the page Sound clips Movie clips

9. Getting the Most out of PowerPoint Pay attention primarily to what is said and second to what you see on the screen Don’t copy the entire slide Key points are on slide Ask if presentation is available online Note-taking is still important

10. Spreadsheet Programs Excel: common software Calculations Formulas Create graphs or pie charts

11. The “Net” Email Newsgroups Listservs World Wide Web Telnet (requires name and password)

12. Using Email Username Password Abbreviations –AFAIK (as far as I know) –BTW (by the way) –CYA (see ya) –OIC (oh, I see) –WTG (way to go)

13. Spam Management Junk mail Use filter if available New response to spam: Do Not Click on Link

14. Email Emoticons (:-& angry :,( crying  frown :-D funny :^D happy * kiss ;) wink

15. Netiquette Email is not private Tone is hard to convey Don’t use all capital letters (shouting) Don’t send email when you are angry

16. Distance Learning Internet ITV-through television Some courses and degrees are not from accredited colleges, so check before you take an internet class over the web Online courses may be self-paced Online courses may improve your writing skills

17. Disadvantages of Distance Learning Prisoner of technology No direct, face-to-face instructor contact Immediate feedback not likely Requires discipline, personal responsibility, and time-management

18. Prepare Identify distance learning possibilities Make sure your college will accept credit Check course requirements

19. Organize Obtain access to technology –Computer –Internet –Check settings

20. Work Back up all work on CD-rom or disk Makes hard copies of work Have alternate plan if your computer crashes Be sure you check in with instructor frequently

21. Evaluate Use basic principles of classroom civility when receiving or providing feedback

22. Rethink What have you learned? Would a classroom setting be better?

23. Finding Facts Library –Periodicals –Indexes to periodicals –Encyclopedias –Government documents –Musical scores –Reserve collections –Online databases

24. Where is It? Library catalog Use call number, a code that tells you exactly where to find information Stacks - shelves of books Recall - library contacts person to return a book

25. Where is It? Interlibrary loan - system by which libraries share resources If you can’t find it - consider interlibrary loan

26. WWW Browser-Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator –Browser is a program to help you find information URL (Uniform Resource Locator) identifies a unique location on the web Web pages: document Links: embedded addresses Search engines: index

27. Search Engines Yahoo AltaVista Excite Google Ask Jeeves Dogpile Fast Search Hotbot LookSmart Lycos Northern Light MetaCrawler

28. Evaluate Information on the Web Consider the source Unregulated information How current is the information? Don’t copy without citing source Nothing is private

29. P.O.W.E.R. Plan PREPARE ORGANIZE WORK EVALUATE RETHINK Identify distance learning course possibilities Obtain access to technology Participate in a distance learning class Consider your “classroom” performance Reflect on what and how you have learned

30. Career Connections Explore career opportunities on the web.

31. Resources Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Computers by Michael Miller (Que, 2005) The Distance Learner’s Guide by Western collaborative for Educational Telecommunications (Prentice Hall, 2004)