For the first semester since the digital literacy program has a standard grading rubric, it stayed the same. This allowed me focus more on the curriculum. With thoughts and idea already floating in my mind, Fall 2024 was the perfect semester to not only implement them but observe their effects. Toward the end of the semester, I learned of an upcoming change middle of next year that will affect all programs of the Computing and Information Technology (CIT) Department of College of Southern Nevada (CSN).
Focusing back on Fall 2024: Fourteen (14) students persevered to the end of the semester. Of them, ten (10) continued to perform until I need to submit student grades and three (3) received a semester extensions that I advocated for them. Here are the awards, statistics, and job hunting/interviewing experiences (from earlier during the semester):
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+++++Karylle Roco: 1 of 14+++++
Proactive, studious, high-performing are what come to mind when I think of Karylle whom I think of the least frequently (because I never have to worry about her) but brings me the highest reward for IS101-3004, Fall 2024!
Arriving at the classroom early at 7 am every single class session when the official class start time is 8 am, the Philippine native used that extra hour to take bonus quizzes 2 through 13 after being the first student to send in bonus quiz 1 before the semester officially began. Karylle's perfect scores on bonus quizzes 2 and 3 brought a wide smile to my face.
Having earned more than the required points to cross the threshold for an "A", the most reliable and consistent young lady lead in volunteering to do the optional A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation during our final class session and unsurprisingly, scored the highest again. I know Karylle will not only maintain her first, consistent, most, and highest performance in pursuing her Associate of Business degree but anything she puts her mind and energy to.
+++++Daniel (Danny) Barbosa: 2 of 14+++++
Always full of enthusiasm, Danny made a memorable impression on me even before he volunteered to be the first group to do A5 Slideshow Presentation. Easily reaching the threshold for an "A" without the bonus credit from A5, the ambitious young man has his sight set on the Microsoft Office Specialist Expert certification after IS101. I look forward to seeing him again for the MO-111 Word Expert and MO-211 Excel Expert certification exams. I know Danny will earn his Associate of Business degree then move on to bigger goals.
+++++Aishane (Shae) Hill: 3 of 14+++++
Returning to higher education for an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting after earning her Master in Business Administration, I expected Aishane, who goes by Shae, would be leading the class but her life obligations and curveballs had other plans. Fortunately, the former Navy woman's brilliance shined through in a 1-2-3 combo.
For the first certification exam, MO-110 Word, Shae was followed by two others in earning the highest score. For the third and final certification exam, MO-310 PowerPoint, she alone rose above everyone else with a perfect score! For the final class session, the Chicago native concluded the optional A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation by educating the class on her dream job of being an Aviation Ordinanceman from her days in the Navy. I wish Aishane will find the same passion in pursuing her Associate of Applied Science in Accounting degree as she had being an Ordie.
+++++Kimberly Sauceda Rivera: 4 of 14+++++
Always smiling and cheerful, Kimberly always lifted my spirit just by interacting with her. I tried to bring the quiet and reserved young lady out of her comfort zone with the optional A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation but found no joy. Fearing the Las Vegas native may miss the "A" threshold, I pointed the way to bonus quiz 15. I was relieved when Kimberly was able to cross the threshold without an optional assignment or bonus quiz. With four semesters under her belt, the Associate of Business degree will be hers.
+++++Nianqi Li: 5 of 14+++++
Nianqi never spoke unless needed. Often choosing a seat right next to a wall, I was delighted to see the quiet and shy youngster interact with classmates closest to him beyond brief exchanges in the final few weeks of the semester. I was especially proud of Nianqi for answering the quintessential questions regarding A7 Mail Merge during bonus quiz 14 to earn the half point to erase the minus sign next to his "A". Fall 2024 may be his first semester in college after graduating high school, I know this Chinese-born that speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin will reach the end of his higher education journey – Associate of Business may be just a stepping stone.
+++++Brian Gonzalez: 6 of 14+++++
Respectful and appreciative are what Brian impressed on me throughout our semester together. Always using his days off from his full-time job to catch-up in IS101 and taking advantage of my offers to help and accommodating his schedule, I was proud of this young man with ancestral roots from Colombia as he used bonus quiz 15 to remove the minus sign next to his "A". I wish Brian success in earning his Associate of Business degree at CSN then his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
+++++Salem Zewdu: 7 of 14+++++
Enrolling in my section of IS101 based on good words from his friend who took IS101 from me in Fall 2023, Salem walked in with a positive impression and brought a smile to my face. The Ethiopian native did his best in juggling changing jobs, being a full-time student, and a budding music record-launch throughout the semester. I was not surprised when he didn't take advantage of the overtime I afforded him to finish his few outstanding items after the semester officially ended, leaving a minus sign next to his grade. I am still proud of this passionate young man who graduated high school last year. May Salem not only earn his Associate of Arts degree but also find success as music artist Salem Bee.
+++++Ashton (Ash) Jean: 8 of 14+++++
The high-spirited and talkative high school senior struggled to balance his academic obligations and helping his father with the family business. Taking advantage of the three days between the official end of the semester and when I need to submit student grades, Ashton was able to complete the two capstone assignments but not the second half of the discussions or the PowerPoint chapter. I'm glad I made an exception for the youngest student to take the MO-310 PowerPoint certification exam after the final class session (Saturday) on the final day (Sunday) of the semester.
Early in the semester, the McLaren (automotive) fan was part of the first trio to present their A5 Slideshow Presentation and earned bonus credit. For the MO-110 Word certification exam, the photography enthusiast earned the highest score following a classmate and was then followed by another classmate. Ashton did not have to share the spot light for earning the highest score for the MO-210 Excel certification exam. Though the high schooler did not score the highest on MO-310, he did end up with the highest cumulative score from all three certification exams. I know this young man will earn the highest letter grade in his other/future college courses and earn his Associate of Business degree and his ultimate goal of a master's degree in business and psychology.
+++++Michael (Mike) Wilson: 9 of 14+++++
Returning to higher education after more than two decades, Michael's maturity impressed me from the beginning of the semester to when I had to submit student grades. For the first half of the semester and some of the second half, the electronic bench technician always showed up to the classroom early at 7 am when the official class start time is 8 am trading turns with the top student of having the highest score on the bonus quiz that week while sharing the honor of being the most reliable and consistent student.
During the semester, the longest living student received a promotion in his workplace. Throughout the the second half of the semester, he was doing his new job and old job. I believe this contributed to Michael receiving no joy on MO-210 Excel certification exam twice. This heavy loss knocked one of the most hardcore-hearted student off course to the highest letter grade for IS101. Despite this, the sleepless one never stopped giving all that he's got.
A small consolation came at the last possible moment as Michael submitted a perfect bonus quiz 15 which not only added a plus sign to his IS101 letter grade but elevated his IS101 final ranking above three of his classmates. Fall 2024 may be his first semester back to college, I know the student closest to me in age this semester will rock out his future courses on his way to an Associate of Applied Science, Electronics – Bench Technician degree and beyond.
+++++Cody Aarvold: 10 of 14+++++
Always one of the first in doing his IS101 coursework, Cody was also the first check out before the final class session due to a pre-planned vacation. His proactiveness helped convincing me to give the newly-minted high school graduate a second attempt on MO-210 Excel certification exam and he did not disappoint himself or me. Not finishing the final three discussions, underwhelming participation on bonus quizzes, and absence of optional assignments kept the polite young man from the highest letter grade. May he redeem himself in his future courses on his way to an Associate of Business degree.
+++++Jenae Browning: 11 of 14+++++
Taking IS101 for the second time, I was concerned seeing her focus and productivity wane toward the end of the our semester, Fall 2024, together. I didn't press about what happened during her IS101 (with a different professor than me) in Spring 2024 but I offered the high-emotion young lady a semester extension for Fall 2024 so she can finish IS101-3004 with me on a high note: Jenae would not only rise above seven classmates in ranking but reach the highest letter grade more than cleanly. Even if I don't hear back before the semester extension expires, I wish her success in her pursuit of an Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal/Law degree.
+++++Kendra Quintanilla: 12 of 14+++++
Studious and reserved, Kendra started out the semester well and was the first student to reach 100% on Bonus Quiz 1 - Syllabus. Helping the family to save their business and caring for an immediate family member around the clock slowly distracted the head billing coordinator for a law firm from IS101. I was disappointed when the Millennium Scholarship recipient did not take my offer of a semester extension but her excellent performances during the first half of the semester prompted me to give her a little push to add a plus sign next to her IS101 grade and wish her success on her journey to an Associate of Arts in Computer Science degree.
+++++Steven Martinez: 13 of 14+++++
A near-fatal automotive accident eight years ago left him with challenges. Those challenges and the people around him fueled Steven's indomitable spirit to do his very best. Though he did not answer when I solicited for volunteers to be the first presenters for A5 Slideshow Presentation, the respectful man was the first to send in his draft slideshow barely one hour after class ended, securing himself the pole position and earning bonus credit.
Steven worked hard and never gave up during the semester. Toward the end of the semester, I drafted him to be the first to do A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation to show any improvement. The Green Bay Packer fan was the first to receive a semester extension from me and is hard at work as I draft this final blog post. I look forward to him complete his IS101 coursework with a passing grade. His attainment of an Associate of Arts degree will depend on his perseverance, improvement, and other people's willingness to help.
+++++Eyram Tettevi: 14 of 14+++++
First semester at a different country as a college student can be daunting. The international student from Ghana did his best to work through language and cultural barriers. Toward the end of the semester, I drafted the second longest living student to do A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation to show any improvement and advocated a semester extension for him. I hope Eyram will utilize this opportunity to finish his IS101 coursework.
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The Fall 2024 semester may have ended and one student is taking full advantage of his semester extension, I still have one task to do: analyze everyone's capstone assignments A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer and A7 Mail Merge. They no longer affect students' grades and I will start this task after the new year.
Four students did the optional A8 Improved Slideshow Presentation:
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Hmm... I wonder if any student from IS101-3004 will ever do A9 Query Options and IF Statement and A10 Workbook Investigation -- still retrievable in Canvas, CSN's learning management system.
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The most significant change I made this semester was the trimming down of the discussions and blogging. It didn't seems to make a noticeable difference as the percentage of students that persisted to the end of the semester is comparable to before and I know the individual reasons of those that did not persist to the end of the semester – all lie outside of IS101 or CSN. Next semester, I will further trim and consolidate the discussions and blogging as I also consolidate and update my lecture/demonstration walkthroughs and bonus quizzes.
We have been using LabSim (Laboratory Simulation) since Fall 2021, longest platform continuously used/being used for IS101 curriculum. As great as its approach of micro-lessons and labs, it robs the focus on meaningful business results and independence in learning without step-by-step instructions/videos. To mitigate this, I will shift more emphasis to my own capstone assignments and signature current digital literacy topics in the future.
Toward the end of the semester, the digital literacy program director shared with me that all program directors of the CIT Department will be replaced by the end of Spring 2025. I'm not sure what that would mean for the digital literacy program or the IS101 curriculum but I know that many other faculty may be in favor of removing the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exams. I hope the MOS certification exams will stay.
Moving focus back to concluding IS101-3004, Fall 2024:
Thinking back to Fall 2024 from many semester in the future, who/what will I still remember?
The top performer was good but is simply drowned out by top performers of the past semesters who have (a) passed all MOS certification exams available, not just the ones required by IS101, or (b) taken all bonus quizzes throughout the semester, or (c) attempted and submitted all assignments, including the optional ones.
If the 'all' is not in performance, heart is the next best thing. Spending the past eight years and the rest of his life learning how to function again with limited capacity, this student has the most indomitable spirit I have seen in a long time.
Whereas the previous one has to, another one chooses to – this fundamental difference is what struck me and will be with me for a long time to come. When I first met him via WebEx before our semester began, he seemed haggard. Throughout our semester together, I learned of the reasons and saw them exacerbate on this student who rarely slept. Heavy loss from an exam had no effect on the fighting spirit to give his precious waking hours and burdened mind to fight until the last possible moment. His perfect bonus quiz 15 not only punctuated his indomitable spirit and benefitted him (see my writing about him above), but also serves to end this blog post.
Students,
Please download & analyze the first attached image in this blog post and send an email to me with the subject line of BQ15 – COUNTIF
In the email body, include these four answers:
(A) The formula in cell C17
(B) The formula in cell S19
(C) The alternate formula (one that is not shown in the formula bar) for cell T17
(D) The formula in cell T19
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