Much have been accomplished in the first half of IS101-3004, Fall 2024!
At the time of this blog post, seventeen (17) are still actively participating. Eight (8) students have presented their individual topics using their slideshows.
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Steven wisely sent in his PowerPoint slideshow on The Importance of Communication in Business that he created for his COM101 class a few hours after I solicited the class for those who would like to be the first to present.
Ashton stepped up to fill an empty spot with The History of McLaren. The young high schooler impressed me with his artistic independence of creating his own slide design instead of using a template from PowerPoint.
Danny came down to the wire in reviewing the polished version of My Top Five Concerts but the straightforwardness of his topic and slideshow made that a non-issue. The young man also included honorable mentions of other concerts he attended.
The trio of first presenters will receive bonus credit :-)
Jenae needed time to focus and trim her topic: Character Roles. At the time of this blog post, this is one of three slideshows that I spent the most amount of time polishing. The other two are not part of this set of eight (8) presentations.
Karylle illustrated how she has dealt with being tired, drained, and burned out: Healing Through Nature. I loved this young lady's brilliant combination of using a clip art, her own photos, and a award winning photo from a Smithsonian Magazine contest.
Joshua educated us on what he went through at the beginning of his career with the U.S. Army: Future Soldier Training Program. Thank you for serving in our military and concluding advice to the audience: do something (e.g. join the military) for yourself instead for someone else's benefit.
Kimberly followed the example earlier by using her COM101 slideshow, Birth Control: Free and More Accessible, as a starting point for her IS101 slideshow presentation. This is pragmatic path for her classmates who have yet to do their slideshow presentation for IS101.
Cody shared his knowledge from his job to help us choose Which Supplements? when someone wants to bulk up or improve their health. The photo of a man is his title slide is not of the studious young man but a stock image from a Google search.
I look forward to seeing the remaining students' A5 Slideshow Presentations in the second half the semester. As the first half of the class shared their individual experiences, interests, and passions, here are mine:
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After students completed Chapter 1 Online Essentials and Chapter 2 Computer Essentials, I gave my Lecture 1: Hardware, Troubleshoot, End-User Cyber Security.
After finishing Chapter 3 Common Office Features and as students were wrapped up Chapter 4 Microsoft Word and preparing for the MO-110 Word certification exam, I gave my Lecture 2: Phase 2.
Phase 2 replaced my A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume that I used in past semester. What did not change is that A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume and A4 Homepage, Website, Online Publishing will continue to be available as bonus assignments toward the end of the semester.
After the first group students took the MO-110 Word certification exam, I gave my L3 The Internet. This double length presentation will serve as the materials for the next five bonus quizzes.
Students: be sure to utilize the webpage version of L3 which contains actives links mentioned in the bonus quiz study guides.
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At the time of this blogpost, fourteen (14) students have passed the MO-110 Word certification exam. I know the challenges facing each of the remaining three students and I have seen their indomitable spirit. I will help each of three as they prepare for MO-110.
Note: I paused blogging activities since the publication of this post three and a half weeks ago so my students can better focus on Phase 2 of IS101.
Students,
When you want someone else (e.g. potential employer) to verify a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certificate that you have earned,
(Step 1) Find and record your unique certificate code by logging into your Certiport account and go to [My Transcript] to view/download each of your certificate in PDF format. Your unique code is listed on that PDF.
(Step 2) Send your unique certificate code and this URL: https://www.certiport.com/portal/pages/credentialverification.aspx to that someone else.
(Step 3) You can test this process and see what that someone else goes through by inputting your own unique code after visiting the URL to verify your MOS certificate(s).
In your comment, please be sure to address these three sets of questions and add whatever else you would like to say:
(A) In addition to adding your MOS certificate(s) to your resume, will you be ready to implement the three steps above if and when job hunting?
(B) What is your experience in using Microsoft Excel before IS101? Did the 18 min 55 sec Excel Primer video from the Digital Literacy Program Director help alleviate any anxiety you may have had with learning Microsoft Excel?
(C) Please read this one-page article:
Cinema Chain Sees Bad Movie Script Play Out As It Loses Millions In Email Scam
and provide your thoughts on whether the two Pathé chief officers should or should not have been fired. I am eager to hear your rationale.
Aside from adding my MOS certificate(s) on my resume, I am ready to implement those three things above if and when I am doing a job hunting. I downloaded my certificate(s) from Certiport already and I backed them up as well.
ReplyDeleteBefore taking IS101, the only thing I know about Excel was inputting data and charts, but when I took IS101 I learned a lot of things like formatting rules, functions, and more. The excel primer video helped me refresh the knowledge that I already know with Excel and got curious about the other things in the video that I didn’t know before. So, it really lessened the anxiety I have with Excel.
Transferring a large amount of money is something that we need to be careful with. For me, both sides have mistakes. Everyone in the company should know how to verify an email if it's legit. And if they are unsure, they could have contacted the person who they thought the email was from to verify if they sent an email or ask for some information regarding the email content that they received. As per the company directors, they should always have a meeting about this matter, especially if there’s a large amount of money involved. Regarding that, I agree that the dismissal was unfair, but I can’t blame the company directors because they lost a huge amount of money.
With the addition of the MOS certification being added to my resume, and will from now on always take into account these three steps into job hunting, I have downloaded the certification and have it on stand by and ready, when I do apply for other jobs.
ReplyDeleteBefore the class of IS101, I had no experience or idea in using excel correctly or at all in the matter. The primer video had provided a kind of awakening for me and what excel had to offer and just how detailed the sheets can be used for.
I believe that they should have been fired, because the CFO is supposed to be one of the top people in the company and should be able to identify a fraudulent email or scam when it is sent to them. It should also be taken into consideration that when transferring that large of an amount and to always remain vigilant, especially when the email is something that already had skeptical, even when you have the CEO take a look at it also and him having the same level of suspicion.
a. Along with adding MOS certificates to my resume, I am well-prepared to approach job hunting effectively. I have been building essential skills, including tailoring applications, networking, and interview preparation. These steps combined with my certifications position me strongly to succeed in the job market. I am confident in my ability to showcase both technical expertise and strategic job search methods.
ReplyDeleteb. Before IS101, my experience with Microsoft Excel was minimal, and I found it intimidating. The concise Excel Primer video made a big difference, breaking down the software’s functions into manageable concepts. It eased my anxiety and gave me confidence in using Excel for tasks like data entry and analysis. This early clarity provided a solid foundation to develop more advanced skills during the course.
c. I believe the Pathé chief officers shouldn’t have been fired despite their role in the email scam incident. The sophistication of the scam and the lack of established verification protocols contributed to the situation. While their actions did lead to losses, the company should have focused on improving security measures and training rather than termination. Accountability matters, but addressing systemic vulnerabilities is key to preventing such incidents in the future.
A) I've actually already added both of my certifications to my resume and am super excited to show them off to my future employers. I have also tested out practicing receiving the certifications as well.
ReplyDeleteB) I honestly thought Excel was just used for numbers and charts. Explain it like that wouldn't necessarily be wrong if you were explaining it to a child. But as adults, it's extremely more than that. It taught me so much, and I feel so much more confident using Excel now. The video shown at the start was long and lengthy, but I wouldn't say it helped. The LabSims have helped me the most throughout this course and are the main reason why I passed two certification exams.
C) They definitely deserved to get fired. This seems like a basic scam, and the fact that they fell for it should be studied. You are not a huge company why would you just be willing to give money away without further investigation. I do not believe it was a wrongful termination, and I don't think either of them should be in leadership positions.
A. The MOS certification seems like a great way to stand out when applying for jobs. A lot of companies value strong Microsoft Office skills, and having a certification proves you know what you’re doing. It’s definitely something that could lead to more opportunities down the line.
ReplyDeleteB. The Excel primer video was a good refresher for me. I haven’t used some of those formulas and shortcuts in a long time, so it was nice to see them in action again. It reminded me how powerful Excel can be when you know how to use it.
C. The scam incident shows how important it is to have better protections in place. Firing both officers feels a bit harsh, especially if it wasn’t completely their fault. It seems like improving the system and offering more training would have been a better solution.
I will definitely be adding my MOS associate certificates to my resume. I am confident in my ability to download the certificates and able to send the unique certificate code to a potential future employer
ReplyDeleteI had no previous experience using Microsoft Excel before IS 101. I was always overwhelmed by it and did not understand Excel or most of its functionality. I mainly thought it was for adding, subtraction and building tables. Watching the Excel Primer video did in fact alleviated any worries I had upon learning Excel. With examples in the video I was able to have questions and curiosities of Excel answered.
I believe the Pathe chief officers should be fired. I understand mistakes do happen and everyone can be vulnerable to scams and fraud. My reasoning for my belief is not that the chief officers were fools for falling for the scam once but the fact they obliged with other demands made by the scammers. They should be more careful when transferring high amounts of money and should definitely discuss with each other. The fact that they both agreed the request were strange but did not do anything other than follow the instructions of the scammers. To me shows irresponsibility and ignorance. I do not believe chief officers should be irresponsible or ignorant about the company they are managing.
A) I will definitely be adding all my MOS associate certificates to my resume. Adding these skills to my resume will definitely benefit my future job searches. I have downloaded the certifications for when I apply to future jobs.
ReplyDeleteB) Before taking IS101, I had some experience with Excel due to my job but nothing technical, only inputting data and using the strikethrough shortcut. The Excel Primer video gave me an overview of what Excel offers but the LabSim assignments definitely helped me gain a better understanding of Excel overall. With my newfound skills I feel more confident about using Excel.
C) I believe that the two Pathé chief officers deserved to get fired seeing as they are in charge of the company's finances and financial activities. They weren't new employees starting their position so they should have known better then to fall for a simple scam like this, especially since it required transferring a huge sum of money and they were already involved in a cryptocurrency scam.
A. Yes, I am ready to implement these steps when job hunting.
ReplyDeleteB. I have no experience with excel before taking this class and no I did not end up watching that video.
C. I think they should have been fired. Making a silly mistake like that that cost the company 19 millions dollars is ridiculous. They should have been more attentive and more aware.
A. I will add my certifications to my work profile. They will add a good bump to work folio.
ReplyDeleteB. I work with Excel every day, but most of the functions we are learning in this class I have not used, so they will be helpful moving forward.
C. The employees were negligent in their actions. Although scams can be hard to detect at time, the Pathe officers complied with multiple requests.
A) Yes, I willing be adding all my certificates to my resume for my job hunt.
ReplyDeleteB) I had some experience with Excel at my work place I use it everyday but the video did explain alittle more before I only know I just did it but coming back to it I can forget, but the video gave me alittle more information.
C) I think the CFO and the CEO should be fired, because CFO and the CEO is bascially in charge of eveything of the company alomst and the person who want to take out a large amount of money without question and checking and just gave them it's their fault for not taking care of percussions.
A) As of right now, Yes I have added all three of my certificates to my resume and once I get the master titles I will add that! And once again, Yes I will be ready to implement the three steps above when job hunting.
ReplyDeleteB) Prior to IS101, I had some very little prior knowledge to excel. I knew the Sum function and a few more very basic math ones that I would use at my job but otherwise not much at all. The video did help when I got stuck or needed small guidance but nothing too crazy.
C) I think that The CFO and the CEO should NOT be fired. I think this because it doesn't make sense to me to fire them because it ultimately wouldn't solve the problem, a more constructive response like more training or experience would be a better help for the whole company.
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ReplyDeleteA I have not earned the MOS certification. But maybe I will one day, but I have learned tricks on the computer that will travel along with me in my academic career. Maybe in time as I mess with LabSim as long as I can.
ReplyDeleteB There was very little knowledge I had with Excel, I just knew my dad used it for his tile setting company he had back some time ago.
C It's very common and tough to spot out all the different fraudulent accounts with all the different money wiring going on throughout the world. But when the price is reaching in the millions there has to be a bigger consequence for the person allowing this to happen. Especially when his job requires him to spot out these criminals trying to scam companies. If it was my company he would be fired and helping me to find people with skills as he has to eventually be replaced. Of course I wouldn't say that, but it will be in back of my mind.